Page 71 of Calling of the Crown

Talking.

Working to resolve and understand the other.

It felt good.

Smiling, I pushed away from the wall. “Thank you for telling me all that.”

She shrugged and made her way back to the door. “I just felt like you should know.”

I started to turn away, but Aidan called, “Bria?” I turned back to look at her.

“Thank you again. You know. For letting us stay here.”

“No need to thank me. I just hope we all made the right decision.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

MY NERVES WERE COMPLETELY SHOT, and no matter how many times I tried to take a deep breath, it felt like I couldn’t get enough air.

The day was finally here: my coronation and Joining Ceremony.

I’d been moving through a fog all morning; here but somewhere else all at once. Rune had left sometime before I woke since we weren’t supposed to see each other today until the Joining Ceremony. I had no idea what his schedule consisted of this morning, but I hoped it was far less chaotic than mine.

As soon as I’d woken, it had been go, go, go—doing a final check of the ballroom, my daily morning meetings, solo practice of the Two Hearts Dance, and finally, getting ready, which was taking hours.

I sat at the vanity in my bathroom while Khalani styled my hair with her black Orca hands, and we were far from alone. Jayanna perched on the counter in her teal pants-suit next to where I sat, and she watched Khalani work.

Dallas stood on the other side of me in her fitted green dress, and she constantly had to tilt her head back to keep her proud tears from spilling over since she’d already done her make-up. “I can’t believe you’re becoming Queen today.” She sniffled and dabbed at her mascara.

“Dallas,” I laughed. “Stop crying.”

“I can’t believe you’re marrying Rune,” Akira sang from where he leaned against the wall behind me with Imani. The Raven looked absolutely handsome with his fitted tux and slicked back hair. I met his eyes through the mirror as he smiled warmly. “It’s crazy to think back on how you and Rune only started hanging out because he wanted to avoid marriage. Only he realized in the process, that’s exactly what he wanted with you.”

I bit my lip and ducked my head to hide the grin tugging at my lips. It was definitely surreal to think about. The guy I’d met at the start of our relationship was far different from the man I’d be marrying today, and he wasn’t the only one who had changed. I liked to think we were both better versions of ourselves than when this all started.

“Are you nervous for the Two Hearts Dance?” Avana asked. She stood in front of me in a gorgeous iridescent dress that really matched the shimmer of her Chameleon Fae skin. She bit her lip as she focused on applying a shimmery highlighter to my cheeks.

She and Khalani had decided to do my hair and make-up at the same time since there was little time before the ball started, and I still had to put on my dress, which the Water and Land Fae tailors hadn’t arrived with yet.

I fiddled with the sash on the robe I wore as I met Avana’s eyes over the brush she was gliding over my cheeks. “I’m a little nervous.” A lot nervous. “I don’t want to mess it up.”

“Haven’t the practices gotten better, though?” Akira asked.

“Mostly. Ever since I disappeared and came back, our practices have gotten way better. It’s like we can control our powers more and keep them from blowing up like they used to.”

Avana applied the finishing touches to my make-up around the same time Khalani finished my hair. A knock came at the bedroom door, and Dallas and Imani swiftly swept out of the bathroom to see who it was. When they returned, the dressmakers were with them.

“Who’s ready to finally wear this gorgeous dress?” Disha, the Land Fae seamstress, squealed. The Silkworm Fae was a bubbly girl who currently sported a vibrant green saree and had her lush brown hair curled around her shoulders. She held one end of the bag that contained my dress while Chanwoo, the royal Water Fae tailor, held the other.

Everyone except Disha and Chanwoo left the bathroom to wait in the bedroom. I slipped my robe off, and the dressmakers helped me step into the dress, adjusting the hem and every other fine detail before turning me to the floor to ceiling mirror next to the vanity.

My breath left me. A thousand vibrant emotions flooded me. I’d been denied peeks at my reflection this entire time, so seeing myself in the full ensemble made the reality of what today was sink in. Queen. I was to become Queen and to officially claim Rune as my forever partner. They were insane milestones, and the stunning vision of my reflection fit the incredible occasion. I looked like a water goddess.

My blue and blonde hair had been pulled up halfway and pinned in different places to create an elegant half-up-half-down look with wisps of hair curled to frame my face. The tiara adorning my head sparkled just as beautifully as the shimmering flecks of make-up on my cheeks and eyelids. The light smoky eye made my blue eyes pop, and the glossy nude color applied to my lips made them look full. It all tied magically with the custom-made dress.

The bodice hugged me just right with a plunging neckline that accentuated my perky breasts and an exposed back that nearly reached my butt. It was the perfect mix of beautiful and sexy, and it made my self-confidence skyrocket. The long sleeves were light yet fitting, and every time I moved, they caught the light just like the flowing skirt. My heart beat harder over the way the blue and silver silk glittered like a sea, thanks to the many finite crystals and careful layering of the fabric.

“This,” I started breathlessly. “This is perfect.”

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