Page 40 of Finding Closure

The news reported some of it but mostly focused on the fact that they couldn’t believe that ninety-six percent of fairies wanted me to be queen. There was some snarking that there wasn’t any other choice, or people were probably worried about repercussions if they voted no, but others pushed back that couldn’t have been a thing.

That was why we had the voting tunnels. It was like TSA. We checked everything before people queued up, and then it just all registered by magic. Who voted what didn’t match to a personbut just the counter that was hidden and had to be checked manually.

Plus, I wouldn’t have gone after someone who didn’t vote for a monarchy. Fine, others would have or didn’t believe that, but I knew the truth.

And so did Faerie because none of that came from them.

The reports and issues about “switching out” Julian and Darby quieted down by lunch the next day. I decided to have lunch off campus since it was Thursday and I was tired of all the eyes and whispers.

Then it was time to have my fitting for my coronation dress and robes. I had already been measured for it, and it wasn’t molded to my body like a wedding dress or anything, so I really wasn’t worried.

Sure enough, it all looked fine. Just to give everyone peace of mind, I got undressed and put on the dress first.

“Umm, Tams, that’s like the slip you’re wearing under the actual dress, right?” Lucca muttered as I came out of the changing area.

I glanced at Neldor. “I thought you were going to talk to them about this.”

“I’m sitting here in just as much shock that you’re wearing a see-through fucking nothing without undergarments and you’re going to bewetto be blessed,” he mumbled, shock all over his face.

I sighed. Heavily. “Okay, then we had a miscommunication because I thought you knew.”

“Tams, you can’t wear that to become queen,” Lucca pushed.

“She has to, and I have a feeling it was intentional,” Darby grumbled.

I nodded. “Yeah, because the ancients have the front row at the coronation normally. The eldest of them is normally the one who performs the ritual and blesses the heir to become queen.”

“So it’s all set up to degrade you and basically make you feel naked and vulnerable to them,” Hudson chuffed.

“Yes, especially since the water must be freezing,” I chuckled darkly. “It shows that I’m willing to suffer hardships to be the queen either realm needs.”

“Or perverts get to see your pert nips better while you shiver for them so they can make it sexual,” Julian bit out. “This isn’t happening.”

“It has to,” I told them. “It’s the law.” I sighed when they all started to argue. “They’re dead. I won. They can see my perky nips when they look up from hell or wherever the fuck they are, okay? I will change it among the list of shit I’m changing so my daughter never endures the same, but I have to do it.”

Neldor did a double take, but I ignored it.

I snorted. “Both worlds have seen me wet in tiny bikinis and my ass all out. It’s fine. I don’t stand there like this the whole ceremony. And the commanders agree Shael, Stefanie, and Talila will be the ones involved now that they understand how it’s meant to humiliate the heir to become queen.”

They didn’t seem to know what to say, but then Darby was perfect and came closer to me, hugging me and kissing my hair. “I’m sorry you have to endure this,agra. They really don’t deserve you.”

“The average fairy had no part in this and has no idea,” I reminded him as I snuggled up to him. “I do it for them. Fuck the nobles who probably will smirk at it or get their kicks watching me get dunked in freezing water. We changed who is coming anyways because it’s what I could do.”

“You invited more hobgoblins because I bet the rules weren’t as racist and classist as Faerie can be,” Julian chuckled.

“You know me so well, my husband,” I purred. “Yes. And there are ancients coming, just not the nobles since they’re dead. I invited ancients who have done a lot to help get us on trackand push peace. A lot of them selfless and tend to the temples because they have the power to. They should be the ones to see me become Queen of Faerie.”

There might have been more I was going to say, but Darby’s hands started wandering. I blinked up at him and he just smirked.

“You’re basically naked in my arms,agra,” he chuckled before kissing me. “Are you really shocked?”

“No,” I gasped as his thumb ran over my pert nipple.

“We’re going to do this all night after your coronation,” he promised. “You’ll get through it all just fine, and then we’ll do a lot of this to worship our queen, okay?”

“Promises, promises,” I teased as I pulled away. I checked how I looked and went to put on the next layer.

“So part of it was to demean you to strip tease for them too, right?” Hudson chuffed as I slid on the sixth layer.

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