Page 57 of Ruined Kingdom

“Tonight is a very special event. We shifters call it the Taking,” she explained as she brought out my dress and puffed it out.

“Sounds ominous,” I mumbled under my breath, but she still managed to hear me.

“Not at all. It’s based on the story of the Taking of Helene.” She urged me to stand and began easing the pieces of the dress over me. “The story goes that Helene, the moon, used to be visible all day long. No matter the time or change of season, she was there, until Nyx decided that she wanted some of that light. Nyx stole her from the day and dragged her to where she lived in the darkness. Helene fought Nyx and managed to cut a hole in the darkness that was Nyx. While Helene was never able to return to the day again after that, she now reigns triumphant in the night sky … proving that there will always be a light in the darkness.”

“That’s so terrible, though. Helene was never able to return to where she once was. It was taken from her. How is that fair?” My frustration for her boiled over.

“It isn’t fair, that’s true. But Helene took something meant to be her cage and instead made it a beacon. I believe Helene chose you because you are a light, too… For all of us.” She was standing behind me, tightening my corset, so I couldn’t see her face, but I could hear the pride and happiness behind her words.

“In that case, I hope I don’t disappoint anyone,” I murmured, unable to stop myself from coiling into myself.

I hadn’t realized that my presence was so important to the others. I’d been so focused on Kaine and the curse that I’d hardly considered looking at all the others surrounding me.

I’m already proving to be a terrible queen, it seems.

The word stuck in my head like a needle pricking into my skull.

Queen…

The word sounded foreign to me. There were queens in the world, of course, but I never imagined myself to be one.

If Kaine was a king, I was naturally going to be his queen.

“No one is disappointed, my dear. You’ll be just fine.” She squeezed my shoulder before turning me to face the tall mirror to see myself.

My deep blue dress cascaded down into a long, glimmering train.

The bodice was laced with pearls and shining clear stones.

My mother’s locket that Tieni had given me dangled between my collarbones.

“Tieni… Can I ask you one more thing?” I watched her reaction in the mirror.

She looked up at me and smiled. “Of course, my dear.”

“You said that you didn’t tell me that you were my family before you did because it wasn’t the right time then… Why wasn’t it?”

Her face changed as she thought of the best way to answer. She searched the ceiling for inspiration before finding nothing and returning her eyes back to me. “Because you chose to stay. You chose this world—us. You fought and risked your life for Kaine and every creature in this forest. I knew I could tell you the truth then. Before that, I didn’t want to take the decision away from you if you ended up wanting to retreat back to the safety of your family and farmhouse. If that was what you truly wanted, I thought it best not to burden you with knowledge that wouldn’t have served you if a life as a mortal was what you desired.”

I turned and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into me and hugging her with all my might. “It’s only fair that you know that from the moment I met you, you’ve always felt like home. Some part of me knew it already.”

“Heavens, child,” she croaked out, pulling out a handkerchief. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

I finally pulled away from the hug, and she ushered me out of the bedroom before I could see her blotchy red face and tear-stained cheeks. I let out a little laugh as the door slammed shut behind me.

I love you, too, Tieni.

Here was the rundown on what the Taking event entailed: a breakfast that would have shamed any king’s banquet in the realm, an outside archery event that only ended in three injuries, and a party that went well into the night where there was to be a ceremony to honor Helene.

Even Lexi and Sharra got into the spirit of things, not that Lexi was ever one to shy away from the fun.

And heavens, the ballroom… Words couldn’t describe the magnitude of magic that I witnessed.

The ceiling was adorned with crystals dripping from the ceiling.

The walls were covered in bright red roses and vines.

The tall windows dazzled with the starlight leaking through the frosted glass.

---