Page 69 of Dueling the Suitors

Maybe… maybe they were chanting on his command. No one in their right mind would cheer for him from their hearts.

Just then, a different chant rose from the crowd, then another. Astoria realized that people were calling out to him individually. She picked up on some of them.

“May the Creator be gracious to Your Imperial Majesties!”

“May your generations be blessed and sit on the throne of the Draken empire for the ages to come!”

Astoria staggered back slightly, but Cyrus’ arm around her kept her in place.What?

“May Your Majesties’ descendants be as gracious and just as His Imperial Majesty!”

“May the Creator bless your golden soul!”

Astoria gaped at the crowd as they continued shouting different blessings to her and Cyrus.

This wasn’t an illusion, was it? These people wereinsane.

“May the Creator strike down anyone who rises against you! May the empire of Draken reign forever!”

Cyrus cleared his throat and called back to them, his voice amplified by magic. “Thank you, my people! I am humbled by your love. You have overwhelmed mine and the Empress’ hearts with your blessings. May the Creator show us all His favor and continue to bless the empire of Draken!”

“YouareHis favor to us!” someone shouted from the crowd. Others joined him in agreement and chanted, “Bless the Creator! Long live the Emperor and the Empress!”

Astoria placed a hand on the stone railing to brace herself. Her knees shook.

Cyrus raised a hand in the air and the crowd’s chant died out.

“This day marks the beginning of a new era in my reign as I give you my beautiful wife, Astoria, as Empress of Draken. In her honor, for the light she has shed in my life from the day I laid my eyes on her, we present you with the new flag of the empire.A symbol of hope, joy, and love. This should’ve been my first choice for the flag when I rose to the throne six years ago, but then again, everything has a time as the old saying goes. And I couldn’t be more honored to do this together with my Empress.”

Cyrus turned his eyes to her at his last words, his voice dropping into a gentle tone. Coos and sighs rose from the crowd. Astoria fought the urge to glare at him and forced a smile instead.

“I know what you are doing, and it’s not going to work.”

He matched her grin, but it didn’t look forced. “Trust me, darling. You don’t know what I am doing.” Before she could respond, he added, “Shall we raise our new flag?”

Astoria put on her best smile. “Lead the way.”

Cyrus led them towards the flagpole, where the newly designed flag of the empire waited to be raised. They both grabbed hold of the rope and on Cyrus’ count of three, they pulled on it together. The flag flew up and danced proudly in the air.

A black dragon against the backdrop of lavender-grey.

Gasps of awe rose from the crowd. The chanting proceeded.

“Your turn, Little Dragon,” Cyrus murmured in her ear.

Astoria leaned away from him and faced the foreboding palace, her back to the crowd. She raised her hands in the air and swapped the colour of the flags.

She turned to Cyrus. “Your turn, Big Dragon.”

Cyrus gave her a crooked grin and turned to the crowd. He formed a lavender-grey ball of light between his hands, stroking it until it grew bigger and bigger, and released it heavenward. It exploded like a firework. A thousand sparks hovered above them and shot in different directions. Some of them rained downward and swapped the colour of every flag in the square.

The crowd’s chanting went wild. Astoria was astonished, too.

Then, the chanting took on a different note.

“Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!”

Astoria’s eyes widened in horror, but she masked it before anyone could notice. Cyrus chuckled, slid his arm around her waist, and turned her to him.

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