Page 68 of Dueling the Suitors

Only, she didn’t know how.

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It felt like her wedding day all over again. Except, she was alone this time.

Astoria stood in front of the black double doors of the throne room, clad in the heaviest dress she had ever worn. Itwas probably the long black cloak with lavender-grey fur on its edges and the gleaming silver dragon emblem on the back. She couldn’t wait to take it off after the ceremony, flag-changing, and greeting the people from the battlements.

An ache began to form in her temples. Was it frm the hairpins or the elegantly braided bun Emily had pulled over her head to situate the heavy crown that awaited her?

When the doors opened, Astoria took a deep breath and walked in.

Everyone turned towards her, but she kept her gaze forward. Cyrus stood on the dais, waiting for her, in all his glory as the Emperor of Draken. She scolded herself for staring at him like she had on her wedding day. But it was as impossible as not breathing in the oxygen her lungs so badly wanted.

He was clad in black too, a cloak similar to hers clasped around his shoulders. A golden crown that looked too heavy for him rested on his head. Two locks of hair fell over his forehead, touching his dark brows, and adding another layer to the allure of his beauty.

Perhaps… it was time she accepted the fact that her husband was handsome. Alright, he was the most attractive man she had ever seen. And black suited him—very much.

She stopped at the base of the dais, holding his eyes that smiled down at her even as his face remained expressionless. He climbed down the steps to her and stopped on the last one.

“Do you, Princess Astoria of Daliston, swear your allegiance to the empire of Draken? Do you promise to rule with wisdom and compassion, to uphold justice, and to protect the people of this land with all your strength? Will you stand by my side, through triumphs and trials, as my equal and partner in all things?”

“I do,” she said without hesitation, holding his intense gaze.

Cyrus’ lips twitched with the desire to smirk or smile, but he maintained the cold exterior as he turned to Rowan, who held her crown on a silky, black pillow. He took it with care and turned back to her.

“Then, by the power vested in me as Emperor of Draken, I crown you, Astoria of Daliston, as Empress Astoria of Draken.”

Astoria bowed her head and bent slightly. Cyrus placed the bejeweled crown, adorned with diamonds and centered with an onyx, on her head.

“All hail Empress Astoria!” he proclaimed, and chants filled the room.

Astoria rose to her full height, her head surprisingly heavy with the weight of the crown, and locked eyes with Cyrus. He took her hands, led her up the dais, and turned towards the steps leading up to the two silver thrones. A black dragon perched on top of them, each of its front claws clutching the head of each throne, its wings stretched out wide as though ready to take flight.

Cyrus let go of her hand as they reached the thrones and turned to face the chanting crowd before sitting down. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she felt as though the throne was made for her—that she was born to sit on it.

As though reading her mind, Cyrus leaned in and said, “I just knew you were my Empress the moment I laid my eyes on you.” His breath brushed her ear. “Are you ready for the flag-changing ceremony?”

She turned to him and gave him a cold smile. “I was born ready.”

Cyrus had asked her to return all the banners in the throne room to their original colours after the drama with Lord Garrett. Astoria complied without protest. She didn’t know why she had agreed. Was she too weak to fight, or was it because he promised they would raise the new flag together in front oftheir people after her coronation? He also promised her the honor of changing the colours of the flags throughout the empire immediately after.

But Astoria told him he could have the honor himself. She would only change the flags and banners inside and outside the palace.

Astoria still didn’t understand his games.

They stepped out of the palace together and crossed the courtyard to the stairs leading up to the battlements. Astoria could hear the people’s anticipation from beyond the wall. When the trumpet blasted and she and Cyrus came into view, the crowd erupted into cheers.

She was overwhelmed at the sight of them. This—this was nothing compared to the crowds she had seen in her duels. It seemed like the entire kingdom had gathered outside the palace walls to see them, leaving not a single space unoccupied. The crowd stretched out into the distance, their figures so small they looked like ants from her vantage point.

How in the realms were the people in the back going to see them?

“Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!” they all shouted, even the kids who perched on the shoulders of their parents.

They seemed joyous as they looked up at Cyrus with beaming faces. Was this an illusion? How could these people cheer on the man who had overthrown their former king and invaded their kingdom?

Astoria barely hid her bafflement. They all looked up at him likehewas their true leader.

She stole a glance at him and saw him wave at his people with a small smile on his face. Small, but genuine. He even looked calm and relaxed.

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