Lucky Charm (Reverse Fairytales Book 2)
J.A. Armitage
The Coronation
I felt the weight of the royal crown bearing down as the bishop placed it firmly on my head to rapturous applause and the bright lights of the media. Six months since my father had died and I was now the official Queen of Silverwood.
The national anthem played as cameras flashed, blinding me with their brightness. My only job was to stay still and look regal as the massive congregation lifted their voices in song around me. Long live the queen!
When the music had stopped and the cheering had died down, Luca came bounding over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He held my hand as I stood, trying not to fall over with the weight of the bejeweled monstrosity on my head. He looked resplendent in his immaculate royal attire decked in golden trim and epaulets. I, on the other hand, looked like a royal golden meringue with the biggest dress Xavi had ever dared to dress me in. Colored white with a golden lace overlay that nipped in at the waist; it billowed out at the skirts. Over the top, I wore a golden velvet cape edged in ermine that trailed along the floor behind me. Needless to say, I hated it and couldn’t wait to get home and into a pair of comfortable pants.
I walked down the aisle of the huge cathedral, marveling at the vaulted ceiling so far above me, which was the reason for the amazing acoustics of the singing people. I walked arm in arm with Luca who was doing his best to keep me upright and not trip over my voluminous dress himself. I tried not to think about the next time we’d be making this particular journey. In five months time, we’d be taking the same walk, only then, it would be on our wedding day as husband and wife.
Despite the all-time low ratings of popularity for the monarchy, a surprisingly large number of people had turned out for the coronation. The enormous gothic cathedral was packed with the kingdom’s elite filling all the pews, not to mention various celebrities and royals from other lands, and the roads outside of the cathedral were crowded with people. I gave Elise a quick smile as I passed, and she smiled back. She looked more radiant than ever, probably due to her honeymoon glow. Leo had proposed to her at Christmas, and with mother’s blessing, they’d had a discrete family wedding in the palace on New Year’s Day. The only people they’d invited were family and Daniel and Dean. I envied them for the intimacy of it. My wedding plans were shaping up to be a complete nightmare of epic proportions, thanks to my mother, Jenny, and Xavi collaborating. In my mother’s mind, I needed a wedding even more spectacular than the last one to make people forget what had happened at it. As many people had died including the groom and the king, I thought having a bigger wedding cake and better-dressed bridesmaids probably wasn’t going to cut it, but I kept my mouth shut and let her plan it her way. It was easier than arguing.
I tried to get my wedding out of my mind and concentrate on the matter at hand, putting one foot in front of the other without losing my crown or tripping over the long skirt I was wearing. As everything was being televised and shown to tens of thousands of people throughout the kingdom, I knew any misstep would result in more damaging press for our family, and that was the last thing I needed on my first day as the monarch.
Security was at an all-time high to prevent the same disaster as the one at the palace six months ago, and as I left the cathedral, I was flanked by ten guards specially brought in from the Silverwood Army. They led me through the snow to the awaiting golden carriage, but it was Luca that helped me through the door with my large skirt.
Thousands of people screamed and cheered as we were taken through the crowd-lined streets back to the palace. I waved and smiled as I was expected to do and tried not to look as uncomfortable as I felt. I’d been preparing for this ever since the moment my mother uttered the words, “Your father is dead” but I still wasn’t ready for the enormity of it. I’d planned how I wanted to rule the country and spent night after night unable to sleep, fretting about how I could turn Silverwood around, especially with the Magi situation. What I hadn’t practiced was holding a crown on my head and keeping a smile on my face. Jenny had warned me that I needed to, but for some stupid reason, I’d put the health of the country over the importance of wearing the correct outfit and shoes for the coronation. As it was, my feet and my head were warring for most painful part, with my stomach coming up third, nipped in as it was by a corset that was so tight, I doubt I’d be able to eat anything for fear of it snapping open.
I’d protested, of course, when Xavi had asked me to wear it, but as it was the only way I could fit into the tiny waisted dress, I had no choice. I made a mental note to go to wedding dress fittings instead of eschewing them in favor of meetings with Silverwood’s leaders as I had with my coronation dress fittings.
“How are you feeling your majesty?” whispered Luca in my ear.
I turned away from the crowds for a second to look into his handsome face. “Exhausted,” I replied honestly. “You?”
“I’m feeling like the luckiest man in the world right now. I cannot believe I’m going to be marrying you in a few months. You look every inch the queen, and if it wasn’t for the eyes of every person of Silverwood currently watching us, I’d be kissing you right now.”
I smiled. I wanted to kiss him too, but I couldn’t be seen kissing him in public before our wedding day. It just wasn’t the done thing for a lady of society, let alone the new queen. At least that’s what Jenny had told me. I looked up to Jenny for help at every turn as she knew every law and rule of Silverwood as long as it pertained to etiquette. Instead of sharing a kiss, I reached out for his hand and squeezed it.