One Month Later

I woke to the sound of soft knocking on my bedroom door. Rolling over with a stretch, I said, "Come in."

Bea peeked at me with a smile. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Good morning." I sat up and reached for the coffee she brought. The sun was shining brightly through the window, telling me I'd slept longer than I meant to. "Sorry, Bea. I thought I'd be at the store by now."

"That's alright. You were out late; you needed the rest. Besides, Mark and Tate were there before me this morning, setting things up. I swear those boys won't let me lift a single box. You'd think I was old by the way they treat me."

She pretended to be offended, making me chuckle. "Well, moving Bea's Books is a big deal and a lot of work. We're all glad you wanted to do it, and we like helping you."

She shrugged. "It wasn't a hard choice. It's not like I could let my babies move to another world without me. Besides, when a future Queen takes the time to invite you herself, it would be rude to say no."

"That's true." I laughed.

"I suppose it's not really a hardship watching Tate carry things around anyway." Bea winked, and I almost choked on my drink. She ignored me and said, "Did you guys finish getting everything ready last night?"

"We did. The coronation will be perfect." I grinned.

"That's wonderful." She patted my leg. "Let's get moving. I need you to try your dress on one last time. I finished the alterations, but I want to double-check everything before tonight."

"Thank you, Bea. I can't wait to see how it looks."

"I can't wait to see everything! Hedera told me Amity and Sunshine are the best party planners the fae have ever had."

"I believe it," I said, nodding. "Between Sunshine's giving nature and her ability to know what people like, and Amity's gift for making people feel happy and welcome, they were made to plan events. Plus, they're hilarious. Working with them has been a blast."

"They do seem very sweet." Bea poked my coffee cup. "But you're just glad to have someone that loves coffee as much as you do here."

Snickering, I said, "You caught me. I was worried I'd be surrounded by tea drinkers forever, but Amity makes sure she keeps the coffee stocked. She said as soon as the ban on traveling through the mist was lifted, she ran through to Starbucks."

"That's a serious caffeine addiction." Bea joked.

"I said the same thing! But she said, she really just likes the long relaxed conversations that tend to come with having coffee with someone."

Bea grinned. "That's a lovely thought, but you could do the same thing with tea, you know."

I wrinkled my nose. "Yeah, but then you'd be drinking tea."

My dress was beautiful. I'd never felt so confident in something so girly. The thin, layered material of the short, colorful skirt swayed when I moved, creating the appearance of grace. The halter neckline showed off my arms and shoulders; no more hiding my strength.

Mark would be proud of me. Even Clara would approve of this fashion choice.

The thought of Clara made me frown at my reflection. I wished she could be here tonight, but she started college and couldn't get away yet.

I stared down at my sparkling slippers; grateful heels weren't fashionable with the Seelie. With a deep breath, I reminded myself Clara promised to visit on her first break. That was good, but it was weeks from now.

Strong hands circled my waist, and I looked up to meet Ash's eyes in the mirror. His gaze slid over me, and he made an appreciative sound in the back of his throat before kissing my neck. "You're stunning, love. Why are you sad?"

"I was just thinking about Clara." I turned to wrap my arms around him and smiled. "And thank you; I like your outfit too, very handsome."

He looked down at his bare chest and deep green pants. "I think I had an easier time getting ready."

"You definitely did, but I don't mind. Whoever decided the guy's ceremonial outfits shouldn't include tops did a great job."

He chuckled. "These are traditional, so I guess it must have been one of the Queens a very long time ago. Speaking of Queens, are you ready to go? We have a coronation to get to."

Sighing, I turned to the mirror and ran my fingers through my curls. "I don't know. I was thinking of pulling my hair up. What do you think?"

"I think I'll never tire of doing this." He took one long curl between his finger and gently pulled it straight before letting it go and smiling when it bounced back into place. "But you'll be beautiful no matter what you do."

"I like it like this too, then."

He looked into my eyes, and I opened our connection. Feelings of love and protection washed over me, and I stood there basking in his adoration until he leaned down to kiss me.

Pulling back, he rested his forehead against mine. "I love you, Jolie."

"I love you too." I smiled even though I knew what was coming.

"I'll wait for you forever, but how long do you think it might be before we can have our own home?"

I hated making him wait. I was ready to be with him, and I knew that would never change. "I just want to be sure Bea's alright. I want her to feel settled here, and I want her to know we're going to be around for her."

"I understand that. I want her to be happy too."

I could feel the sincerity in his words and warmth spread in my chest. "Thank you."

He pecked my cheek. "Let's go. We don't want to make anyone wait."

The gathering place was moved from the area Crystal used during her reign to a field closer to court. Everyone was invited, but attendance wasn't mandatory. Even though the word was already out, the official announcement would be today, and the Queen would take her place.

Citrine told us you could never be sure how these events will go. Fae may accept a new Queen easily, or they may choose to avoid gatherings for a while and see how things go. As the new head of the royal guard, I was sure Citrine was prepared for anything; I wasn't worried.

Ash and I stepped through the bright curtains that surrounded the area, and I saw more fae than I'd ever seen at one time. My mouth fell open, and my stomach clenched as heads turned and followed our progress to the front of the assembly.

"You have nothing to be nervous about. You're handling your emotions beautifully. All that practice is paying off." Ash lifted my hand to kiss the back.

Sighing, I looked up at him. "You still knew I was nervous."

He grinned. "Of course, I did. But that's because of the way you draw my attention without even trying. I don't think you'll ever be able to practice that away, and I wouldn't want you to."

"Aw, late and gooey eyes. That's alright. It's not like anything important is going on." Mark smirked as I stopped beside him.

I rolled my eyes. "Where's Bea? She left way before me; she should be here."

"I found a spot for her with Sunshine and Amity. They like to sit off to the side to keep an eye on everything, and I thought Bea might need a seat."

I stood on my toes to see where he indicated and found Bea smiling and talking with Sunshine, Amity, and Hedera. They all seemed much more relaxed than I felt.

Tate looked over my dress and grinned at Ash. "I'd wager living separately is especially frustrating today."

Ash lifted one eyebrow but didn't respond. Mark chuckled and elbowed Tate in the ribs. It was then I noticed Mark was wearing nothing but pants in the same warm shade of blue as Tate's.

"Look at you all dressed up." I wiggled my finger between Mark and Tate. "And you match. Are you gonna be one of those couples dresses alike now? That's adorable."

Mark shook his head. "Shut up. Hedera thought it would be nice if I was dressed traditionally."

"Plus, you look amazing." Tate leaned in and said something in Mark's ear that made him blush.

Before Tate could get too carried away, the Seer stepped up in front of everyone, and the crowd grew silent. "Thank you for coming to celebrate our new Queen," he called over the gathering, and everyone cheered.

He waited until they were quiet again to go on. "As you know, Crystal's reign was the shortest of any fae Queen ever. Unfortunately, it was also much too long. I am thrilled to tell you that without coercion, I have been allowed to see the Queen that will repair the things Crystal broke.

"She will heal our people and lead us back to our peaceful ways. She has already helped to save the Unseelie and bring them home to us."

A low steady hum started behind me and spread through the crowd. I looked up at Ash, and he winked as he joined in on the sound. Goosebumps covered my forearms.

The Seer raised his hands. "All Seelie fae, welcome Queen Hedera!"

A rhythmic clap and stomp were added to the humming, and they grew in intensity as Hedera flew up and then landed next to the Seer. The silence was instant.

I stared in awe as the Seer lifted a delicate crown that resembled Hedera's vines woven into a circle. The gold shone in the sunlight as she lowered her head, and he set the crown reverently in place.

Hedera looked up, and the Seer backed away. She studied the crowd and said, "Thank you for being here. Thank you for accepting me as your Queen. I promise to do my best to return us to the days of Ember and Queens like her. Queens who loved the Seelie as I do."

A cheer filled the air, and I clapped for my sweet friend as she stood before us the picture of elegance. The shy, used girl was gone, and the Queen that stood in her place exuded power and authority.

Thank you for reading! 💜

Did anyone recognize the two new fae? Pieces of their gifts and personalities were modeled after two sweet, supportive friends who have listened to me complain and helped me when I couldn't remember how words worked. Thank you both!!

msunshinebooks    came equipped with her very own fae name ready to go, Sunshine. _iheartcoffee_ didn't sound especially fae, and her real name is too close to a character I already have, so, Amity. I thought it fit the fae she inspired and her constant friendliness. I hope you guys like your characters!