2412, Varkala 01, Reshpe

Xanthy was supposed to be sleepy enough to keep yawning but for some reason, she was wide awake.

She had been roused from sleep at dawn by Airese followed by at least five fairies who bore baskets of contraptions she had never seen before. June had disappeared overnight and she didn't know where he went. Airese bounced off the balls of her feet as she pulled Xanthy out of bed and began the work.

Xanthy emerged from that intensive grooming session feeling refreshed and a different person. Then, after fussing about the state of her hair, Airese accompanied her to a large room where all that's left of the Seelie Court waited for her.

Official business, Airese had claimed.

Xanthy had spent the whole morning and afternoon being briefed about what's going to happen tonight.

Her coronation. Xanthy still slapped herself from time to time to confirm she's not dreaming. She could still be trapped in her decaying house in the Disfavoreds, cooking all these fantasies up in her head. She pinched herself on the arm and miraculously, the same corridors and memories greeted her.

After that long briefing, Xanthy had learned where to stand, how to walk, where to turn, and what to say to the one crowning her. She also learned that the reason why the event would take place in the evening was because they're still waiting to gather all the royal families, their nobles, and their friends and families. The entire event would be broadcast through all information systems available.

In short, the whole island would be watching.

Xanthy ate a quick dinner after the briefing while at least six fairies she hadn't seen before fixed her up. She was shoved into a tight red gown with sleeves as loose as Sahili's mouth when she's hungry. The skirt ballooned and touched the floor. The only sleeves were pulled low on her form, exposing her shoulders. The women slapped shoes on her feet, reminding Xanthy of Jonadrin's boots. It hurt to stand on her toes but it did make her taller.

Her short hair was adorned with jeweled pins as it was stuck up and around her head. A woman fastened a necklace bedecked with gemstones around her neck. Damn, the cost of this could have fed the whole Disfavored region for centuries.

Brushes dusted with fine powder assaulted her face as the women worked on painting her skin. They have no mirror in the room. Let her hope they didn't make her look like a festival mascot. Then, the women flanked her as she trudged out of the room. She had cast a quick numbing spell on her leg so she wouldn't at least feel the pain as she walked the long way to the throne with her cane and these killer shoes.

So, off she went, dolled up with finery that she never thought she'd get to wear in her fleeting life. Her heart drummed in her chest; the Virtakios was a placid force in her soul. She arrived in front of the doors to the throne room and stood there like she was told. There were no other people around. They must all be inside. The women bowed and dispersed without another word.

Then, the doors to the throne room swung open.

...Xanthiene Vivenca, the Virtakios. The next High Queen of our beloved Umazure.

That's her cue.

She took one step forward. Then another. The people rose from their seats to greet her. Xanthy gazed up at the festoons draped at the throne room's arches, bright red against the moonlit night. The ceiling painted with murals of clouds and mythical animals glared down at her; the eyes of the beasts followed her every move.

Music from hidden players boomed on the throne room. It stirred something reverent inside her, making her steps become more confident. Even though she was told to keep her eyes at the throne which sat on a pedestal up ahead, she let her eyes scan the crowd gathered in the venue.

Fairies of every race were present at the back benches, each eyeing her with wonder and awe painted across their faces. Xanthy did her best to meet their eyes and smile while making sure she wasn't stopping her walk.

By the middle of the assembly sat the noble families from everywhere, wearing their formal dresses and suits. All stared at her with narrow eyes. Eventually, their faces alighted to a passive stare.

At the front, as Xanthy got closer to the throne, she saw her friends, her parents, and their friends. Every soldier from Penleth was present and was seated at her left side. Xanthy smiled warmly at them.

The heirs were present in clothes that weren't meant for these occasions but were at least decent and not lined with blood and dirt. Nyxis winked at her from his seat looking resplendent as expected. Reeca rolled her eyes and flashed Xanthy an "okay" gesture. June was just staring at her like it's their bonding ceremony.

Xanthy kept her amusement to herself as she got close to the base of the stairs leading up to the throne. There, Master Quinxus stood. Beside him stood the Master of the Crown. Her eyes landed on the famed Willbreaker, the sacred Imperial Crown, resting on a cushion in the Master's arms.

It's a circlet bedecked with thousands of gems which shone red, reminding Xanthy of the Crimson Mother, Crozal. Interconnected loops tapered off to a point; its center decorated with a purple gem as long as Xanthy's palm. Xanthy stared at it, wide-eyed.

Master Quinxus cleared his throat, jarring Xanthy back to the coronation at hand. Xanthy sank to one knee and bowed her head, keeping her hand at the handle of her cane. The music stopped playing and silence coated the whole throne room.

"You stand before the holy gods on this sacred day," Master Quinxus retrieved the crown from the cushion and hovered it by Xanthy's head. His voice seemed to be naturally amplified by the architecture of the venue. "Hear the Blessed's oath to you, O Assembly."

"We will hear," the entire congregation answered in one mighty chorus of voices.

Xanthy gulped and prayed to the gods to not let her voice squeak or quake.

"Do you, Xanthiene Vivenca, swear that you will uphold all the laws of this island with all your might, your heart, and your soul?"

"I swear by the holy gods," Xanthy answered.

Master Quinxus inhaled once and continued. "Do you, Xanthiene Vivenca, swear that you will protect this blessed island against her enemies and lead her people to fight against tyranny, occupation, and ruin?"

"I swear by the holy gods."

"And finally, do you, Xanthiene Vivenca, swear that you will devote your life to your duty to the Crown, the island, and the people? Do you swear that you will fulfill your responsibilities up to the end of your days?"

"I swear," Xanthy replied.

"Then rise, Xanthiene, the Sovereign Crown of the Blessed Isle of the Fairies, the Imperial Protector of the Realm, the Virtakios, the Savior of All, the High Queen," Master laid the crown atop Xanthy's head. Xanthy braced her cane as she stood up.

"Hail the High Queen! Wisely may she reign!" the assembly chanted. "Avraja!"

Instead of going up the throne like the Seelie Court told her, Xanthy turned to the people and smiled. The people continued chanting her name and screaming blessings upon her. These people were the ones she has served and would be serving. They should be the ones up on the pedestal, not her.

Xanthy searched the crowds for the familiar faces that helped her get to where she was. The Draswists cheered along with the audience. Marin's smile seemed to be the brightest among all the smiles given to her today.

The Heirs, the people she spent months fighting in a war with, clapped and chanted. Reeca, Nyxis, and June. The first few friends she made who set her off on this journey not just to find her duty but to find herself.

In the course of her story, she had been many things—a liar, a coward, a betrayer, a savior, a spellcaster that happened to have the strongest brand of magic on the island. But at her core, she was a girl and a fairy. She was a friend, a daughter, a sister, and a queen, incidentally and not for long.

Most importantly of all, she was Xanthy.

As she looked at her people cheering her name and blessing her with chants of praise and well wishes, she smiled. She didn't think she could ever stop doing so.

Xanthy closed her eyes and let the Virtakios swirl out of her and touch every soul present. The wind blew to her favor; the stars twinkled with fervor. With an exhale, she opened her eyes and gazed at the horizon presented before her. Indeed, this night was a night unlike all others.

The centuries-old war was over. The Savior has come. Umazure's new age dawned at the reachable horizon.

It begins now.