Ti was a fickle thing between lands. In the Fae-land, re days had slipped by like whispers in the wind, while elsewhere, in the human land, the world had turned on its head with months whipping by like nothing.
It seed like the landscape and the red swirling skies, were not the only things that differentiated the human land from the Fae-land, but Shelby, especially, did not know this. She thought that only a few days had passed.
While she was getting apprehensive on one hand, because the d-day for the supposed coronation had co, she was also quite okay in her mind, because only a few days had passed.
But she did notice abnormal growth during her pregnancy. She kept asking herself if she was imagining the small bump in her lower belly that she felt. In fact, Shelby was prepared for anything as Ian was half Fae as well.
’Maybe it’s all in my head!’ She kept telling herself. On the other hand,
’Ian can take all the ti he needs!’ Shelby thought to herself, sitting cross-legged and just waited! What else could she do?
Except, this did not stop her from trying to reach Ian many tis. For so reason, this was not possible. However, Shelby was not alard because she had never been able to make contact with anyone in the human land as did Murray.... Or so she thought.
Elsewhere in the castle, Prince Simon woke up that morning feeling refreshed and on top of the world. Even without stepping out, he knew that arrangents were being made for his coronation that day.
He had basically shut himself from everything, and that was why his father, Prince Syla, knew how serious Prince Simon was about the human girl. This did not an that Syla agreed. Syla had almost been true to his word in harming Shelby, but upon second thought, he was never one to do things in the full glare of everyone.
Prince Syla always had his ways in doing things. Another factor was that he wanted to give his son face, by not overriding his comnts and commands in the full glare of others. What kind of King would Prince Simon beco if this happened? It was in both their best interests that Prince Simon beca sovereign in the eyes of all.
Another glaring thing was that Prince Sion had ceased any sexual interactions with his many wives and concubines. This was unheard of, as Fae’s were highly sexual creatures.
None of them knew that Prince Simon had over-fantasized to the extent that he could not even look at other females. It’s not like he didn’t want to. He could not. His will had been taken away!
To put it simply and in another way, after seeing Shelby, every other female might as well have been background furniture - functional, present, but completely unremarkable. He did not even want to take a second look at any of the nurous won around him. I an, why would he?
On his day, the air itself seed to hum with anticipation, carrying the hurried footsteps of palace attendants, the fluttering of wings for the few who preferred to carry themselves that way, and the occasional barked orders of overseers.
Curious, for the first ti in his life, as this was all for him to be finally with his wife-to-be, Prince Simon took a step toward the grand window, drawing back the heavy newly placed velvet drapes just enough to peer outside.
At that mont, Prince Simon’s mind was so consud with thoughts of that blue-eyed woman that he might as well have been a lovesick bard instead of a soon-to-be king. The whole ’coronation’ thing? re background noise. The looming dangers that had once plagued his even father? Oh, probably just a minor inconvenience...nothing love couldn’t dramatically ignore.
To top it all off, he had conveniently forgotten that this woman wasn’t even his to begin with ... small detail, really. He’d locked her up like so prized possession, but who could bla him for that little oversight? And if anyone dared to remind Prince Simon that she was carrying another man’s child - confird and undeniable - well, he’d probably ’accidentally’ forget that too.
Ignorance... even deliberate ones were really bliss!
As expected, the palace courtyard was alive with movent: servants scurrying back and forth, carrying bolts of fine silk, gilded banners, and fresh flowers in preparation for the grand event. Jewel-encrusted ornants glinted under the midday red fiery skies, and in the distance, the royal guards stood in sharp formations, rehearsing for the ceremonial procession.
Artisans worked tirelessly on the grand throne platform at the heart of the courtyard, reinforcing its structure and adorning it with intricate carvings of past rulers. Palace maids arranged golden candlesticks and rare incense along the royal pathway, ensuring an aura of both reverence and majesty.
anwhile, the royal blacksmiths polished the ceremonial sword, murmuring quiet prayers for a reign unmarred by bloodshed. This was very important, because Prince Simon, unlike his father, had rejected going to hunt the night before.
Maybe, it was best that he did not, because he would have died in his love sick state, which no one had fully noticed by that ti. They knew that the witch would co anyway, so they did not worry so much.
Maybe it would be different this ti! It had to be!
Beyond the palace walls, the townsfae folk were equally imrsed in the occasion. Banners bearing the royal emblem were hung from every ho, and the marketplace buzzed with rchants peddling coronation-thed trinkets, hoping to make a fortune from the excitent.
In the town square, perforrs practiced their routines, while children darted between stalls, their laughter a sharp contrast to the somber expressions of the elders gathered in hushed discussions.
Like Prince Simon’s ti, the large surreal projection of the throne room was already visible in the skies, all preparing for the big day and that auspicious ti.
The high priests and elder council had convened in a small room that they called the sacred hall, their voices low but filled with weight. They would be the ones to place the crown upon his head, but the ghost of the last coronation still lood over them.
The elder who had placed the crown had perished, so there were a few who would rather not do this, but did they have a choice?
That unfortunate event, an unexpected death, had marred the last ceremony, staining the sacred tradition with fear and doubt. No one spoke of it openly, but the heightened security, the wary glances exchanged between Fae guards, and the silent prayers whispered behind closed doors all pointed to the sa thing.
The presence of the human who was going to be their queen was also the most absurd of all things. Never in the history of their land had there ever been a human ruler.
But they all did agree that this human was strange. To add to this, they had not been able to interrogate her because of their king-to-be’s protectiveness!
Tension crackled beneath the surface, threading itself through every carefully asured step of preparation.
"My Prince?" The head guard called out but was t with silence. He watched as a slow, satisfied smile spread across Prince Simon’s lips.
’This is my mont. The day I do what my father could not! The day I get the most beautiful female that ever existed!’
He was hurting down there as this was the first ti he had gone for days without releasing himself. He ached for that release... but only with one person!
’It’ll all be worth it!’
After years of waiting... of watching from the shadows, of bowing in front of an empty throne, when he should have stood tall, of swallowing words in front of his father, when he longed to speak ... Prince Simon’s ti had finally co. In just a short while, he would no longer be a prince overshadowed by another. No longer second. No longer overlooked. He was to be the supre!
Prince Simon exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of his impending rule settle over him like a luxurious mantle. The crown would soon be his, and with it, the power to shape the kingdom as he saw fit... and most importantly....
"How is she doing?" Prince Simon asked, adding,
"Is she eating healthily? I knew that you could do it. Also, how is she finding her new quarters? Should I have paid her a visit?"
No one could bla Prince Simon for his enthusiasm, but in this he missed sothing crucial.
The guard’s usual composed deanor faltered for just a mont, his breath catching as the re reference to her sent a shiver down his spine. His hands, normally firm and steady, clenched involuntarily, his knuckles white. For a split second, his entire posture slouched, as if a weight had been placed on his shoulders that he could no longer bear.
Oblivious to the change, Prince Simon continued speaking, unaware of how his guard’s eyes seed to widen slightly, the usual steely determination replaced with an unmistakable flicker of vulnerability. The head guard’s mouth opened to speak, but for an instant, no sound ca out ... only a faint tremble in his chest as if he were on the brink of breaking.
Then, with a strained effort, he pushed those emotions down, forcing his posture to snap back into place, while he faced Prince’s Simon’s back. His shoulders squared, the strength returning to his stance as though he were trying to bury the fear deep within him. But even then, there was a slight catch in his voice ... one that betrayed his true feelings.
"She... " The head guard paused,
"Milady is doing well, my Prince," he said, the words coming out clipped, like he was forcing them through his teeth.
If anyone had been watching closely enough, they would have seen the guard’s eyes darken for just a mont, a flicker of the terrified boy he used to be showing through. But Prince Simon, lost in his own world, didn’t notice.
The guard, completely composed, stood motionless ... his heart raced, and his mind was a storm of anxiety, with his vulnerability concealed beneath a facade of calm professionalism. Prince Simon also never noticed anything wrong with how his guard was addressing Shelby. It rather made him happy, especially as he thought of the implications of such ...but little did he know...
Finally turning away from the window, Prince Simon clasped his hands behind his back, his heart thrumming with exhilaration.
Soon. Very soon.
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