In the Kingdom

THE DAWN WAS COATED WITH A FINE MIST. It clung persistently to Selena's bare arms like a second skin. She shivered against the cool air, and continued her seemingly endless vigil against the rising Sun.

Though the sky was peaceful and still, it was the awakening Kingdom beneath her that made Selena's stomach tensely knot up. The excited tittering down below spiraled towards the sky like smoke, and it filled her bloodstream with anxiety.

Then, a warm hand grazed her arm, and Finn was there, standing slightly behind her.

"You're going to die of cold before the Queentide even begins," he murmured in her ear. Selena shivered, but it had nothing to do with the cold.

"I'm fine, Finn. And you're not helping to raise my spirits."

Nami twisted around Selena's ankles, purring loudly. The Queenling smiled at her Companion, and scratched behind her gray ears.

"It's so cold," she murmured softly.

"Why are you still up here?" asked Finn. "You should be dressed already, downstairs. It's the Throning this morning. It's a showing of power, Selena."

Selena sighed, twisting her braided hair. Today, she wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, preferably far away in the House of Waves. The Throning was a sacred tradition in which the Waves Queenling took her throne at the dawn of the Queentide, and presented a show of her power to only her people. It was sacred, but also dangerous. If her show of power was not impressive enough, then the Council could kill her.

That made Selena more scared than the thought of her sisters killing her. Because the Council was supposed to help her, not attempt to kill her.

"I will," Selena responded, chewing her lip. "In a few minutes."

A pause. Selena avoided meeting Finn's eyes, afraid that he would be able to see the fear swimming in her silver eyes.

Then, he asked, "what about the ball tonight?"

Selena tilted her head to the side, grateful for a change of direction. "What about it?"

For a moment, it looked as if Finn's face had turned red. It was his turn to avoid eye contact, and instead stare out the window.

"Your protection," he said softly. "Who's going to be protecting you? Ball or not, it's still the Queentide. Your sisters will still be trying to kill you."

"I'll have Nami," Selena pointed out. Her leopard purred loudly at the mention of her name. "And you'll be there, right? I'll be fine."

"What weapons will you have?" Finn pressed relentlessly. "How will you be hiding them? These are things that you need to think about if you're going to be Queen. You have to always be aware of every bad thing that could happen to you."

Selena rolled her eyes, and smiled at her friend. "You worry too much."

"And you don't worry at all," Finn grumbled. "Remember, you're the girl who enjoys jumping off cliffs for fun."

Selena beamed, but the smile soon evaporated from her face. There was too much that could go wrong today to be smiling. Too much that was waiting to go wrong.

"Leave so I can get dressed," she said in the most commanding voice that she could muster. "And don't worry, I'll find some weapons to hide underneath," she added with a casual wave of her hand.

Finn gave her a suspicious look. "Selena," he started to say. The unfinished sentence hung uncomfortably in the air like a thick fog. Then, he shook his head, and left her room, his unspoken words following him like a haunting phantom.

Selena could imagine the words that he wanted to say. All the words that could impossibly summarize all their years spent together. Because after this morning, after the Throning, they might never speak again. Selena could be killed after today. Maybe it was best that the words remained unspoken; it would feel too much like a goodbye.

In the silence of loneliness, Selena studied the dress that was hung up before the crackling fireplace. The dress was tailored just for her, designed with her in mind to wear to the ball. It was beautiful, full of dripping silk and spiraling pearls. The blue color was created to compliment her pale skin tone, and the sheen silver material spiraling between layers of the dress matched her eyes perfectly.

The dress was beautiful. It seemed almost like a sin to wear it. But that time was not now. Now it was time to reveal herself to her House, and show that she was their Queen.

SELENA COULD HAVE SWORN THAT FINN TURNED RED THE SECOND THAT SHE WALKED INTO THE THRONE OF WAVES. All eyes were on her as she approached the very same throne that all the Wave Queenlings before has sat in. It was a symbol of power and honor, sacred to the House of Waves.

Selena kept her head high as she kicked her long skirt forward with each step. Nami trailed behind her like a shadow, her furry paws silent on the stone floor.

Heads bowed in respect as she passed by, and the only sound was the noise of her dress whispering across the floor.

The throne awaited across the room, beckoning to Selena. It was crafted from stone and pearls and sea glass, shards of it catching the morning Sun. It seemed to glow like the light on the sea.

Selena refused to take a deep breath. She refused to let her hands shake. She refused to miss a step. Because that would indicate fear, and fear would indicate weakness, and weakness would lead to her death. However, she allowed herself to glimpse at the gathered Council members. Selena recognized several of them, including Lydia and Brock, and Arabella, who had returned to her position of Council member-in-training.

Four stairs were to be ascended to the Throne. Selena carefully gathered a handful of her dress, and lifted it up enough to walk up the steps. Her back was turned to every person in that room, and she felt too exposed. Her skin grew clammy with anxiety, but she clamped it down, and buried it beneath whatever shred of willpower she possessed.

Selena turned, pivoting neatly on her heel. She faced the crowd full of the Council and her people. All watching. All judging. All searching for a Queen.

They wanted a Queen. No, they needed a Queen.

So a Queen she would give them.

Yesterday, she had encased the Kingdom in a dome of water. But that wasn't enough, not for the throne. Selena inhaled, raised her hand, and exhaled.

A membrane of water coated the ceiling. It took several heart-pounding seconds for the crowd to notice. They glanced up, and looked disappointed at the sight that awaited them there.

Selena swallowed the wave of panic, and continued. With a flick of her fingers, several droplets separated from the veil covering the ceiling. They fell slowly, each one completely in her control. Upon closer glance, the audience could see that each droplet was fashioned after a snowflake, each one uniquely beautiful.

Faster and faster, the waterflakes fell. They hit the floor, but did not break; the delicate shapes remained scattered on the floor. The crowd looked at them in awe.

The waterflakes were beautiful. But the Council was not impressed. Not yet. Selena smiled; they were not to be impressed. Not yet.

All while she had been distracting them with the waterflakes, Selena had been constructing animals in the shadows, invisible to the audience's eyes.

And then they bounced.

Wolves erupted from the shadows. Wind ripped through the water as they moved, creating the sense that they were howling. Flying falcons descended from the shadowy rafters, talons extended. And all the while, burning "fire" ran across the ceiling, slowly descending into the open room.

Selena saw the second everything dawned upon the Council members. The second the significance was made. Wolves for Cressida, falcons for Callisto, and fire for Nova. She saw as Brock's lips twisted into a smile.

And then, a single leopard pounced. Wolves splashed to nothing at a swipe of its paw. Falcons were decimated as it jumped upwards, grabbing them in its claws. The water from the animals fallen bodies put out the fire. And only the leopard remained, Selena's waterflakes coating its fur.

Then the water of a staged massacre evaporated, leaving only breathless gazes and amazed applause. But Selena only looked at Brock, as he would decide her fate. He gave her a smile, and a nod.

Relief collapsed into Selena's chest. She found Finn's sea-green eyes swimming in the crowd, and refused to look away.

She sat down into the sacred Throne with Finn's eyes holding her down as an anchor. Her spirit was so high, he was the only thing holding her down.

Despite the foreboding future lingering before her, Selena had never felt more safe.