Page 81 of The Dark Rises
The double doors open wide, and we enter the great hall together. Madoc insisted I be on his arm tonight. He refused to listen to any advice on the contrary from his council of advisors. In his words, he wanted everyone to know my importance. When they insisted, he threw them out of the room. Whether he’ll let them in again depends on whether they prove themselves to him.
All eyes turn toward us. There are a few sneers from those who aren’t happy seeing the former light Fae queen on the arm of their soon-to-be-crowned king. Madoc stops in front of one of the dissenters, tilts his head, and orders him to get out.
The Fae opens his mouth, but I shake my head and whisper to him, “Banishment or death. He’s an all-or-nothing kind of Fae.”
He swallows hard and walks stiffly out the door.
There’s a gleam of approval in Madoc’s eye when he looks at me, although his face remains set in its usual harsh lines.
We begin the procession to the throne again. This time, there are no sneers from the crowd. They can try to hide, but I’m sure he’s already taken note of them all. Arden and Theron, or rather Lady Arden of Winter and Lord Theron of Winter, dip their heads as we pass by. Her blond locks are coiled in an elegant chignon at the base of her neck, and the teal of her straplessballgown picks up her green eyes. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Theron matches her dress in a suit of the same color. Blond and elegant, both of them.
Fallon stands regally on Arden’s other side in a formal navy outfit with a teal cravat. His dark hair and startling green eyes have all the females around him twittering, not that he notices. Beside him, Astor’s auburn hair is a great contrast to the outlandish blue ombre suit he wears with a teal flower in its lapel and a devilish smile on his handsome incubus face. Valerian, who usually towers over most of the crowd, actually fits in with the tall Fae. He’s striking in his official royal-blue suit that announces his own kingly status to everyone. His only concession is a teal cravat.
On the other side of Valerian is Daire. Almost austere in a deep-navy suit, Daire’s blond hair and blue eyes stand out. His teal shirt proclaims him as Arden’s companion.
Lucifer is next. Both he and the gorgeous redhead and goddess, Evren, are wearing black, but they’ve added a small blue star to their outfits to pay homage to Madoc. Lucifer’s arm is possessively around her waist as his eyes scan the males nearest to them. She winks when I pass, and I smile in return.
Oryn is every bit as elegant and formal as his brother in a navy suit, which suits his blond hair and brown eyes. Riona, beautiful in a royal-blue dress, holds tightly to his arm, unsure of her place in this gathering. I smile at her, and she flashes a tremulous smile in return.
Torin, Arden’s father and King of the Dark Elves, in his official uniform is next. Surprisingly, Odin stands with him, looking extremely uncomfortable in a modern suit, his hands tugging at the shirt around his neck. I glance at Madoc and see the corner of his lips twitch.
Inhaling sharply, I stare at the last two men and lick my lips. Dressed the same as Madoc, there is no doubt we’re all together.Both their eyes widen when we get closer. Cormal’s appreciative glint is full of wicked intent, and Rivan’s amber gold eyes are full of heat.
Moving to the dais, Madoc sits on the throne. Unlike the light Fae ceremony, the crown is simply placed on his head. Once he activates the power inside him, the crown becomes his.
Similar to the throne, the spiky crown is made of black obsidian and shines in the light. There is no other adornment. It’s harsh like the land and the king who will bear the crown. I pick it up and place it on his head. Blowing him a kiss, I take Cormal’s hand and step off the dais.
Madoc stands and murmurs the incantation to call forth the power. Darkness whirls around him, languidly at first, then with increasing urgency. His body begins to transform, getting larger and larger, until he stands considerably taller than the rest of us. Black hair cascades down his back. Muscles bulge across the length of him. He roars, and a spear appears in his hand. In this form, he’s one of The Wild Hunt. Stepping from the dais, he makes his way to Odin and bows.
Odin reaches out his hand and places it on top of his head. “King Madoc of the Dark Fae Kingdom and Magni of The Wild Hunt. Two names. One body. Called to serve both.”
Rising, Madoc makes his way back to the throne. His eyes meet mine on the way, and I murmur the word he loves to hear. “Obsessed.”
He growls, and my breath catches.
Reversing the magic, his body transforms to his Fae form, scars and all. But instead of returning to the throne, he remains standing in front of the audience.
The entire room begins to bow or curtsy, but he stops them by holding up his hand. “The Dark Fae Kingdom is the only thing that keeps the Fae lands from being overrun with the creatures of the Wilds. We will not fail in our stewardship of this sacredduty to protect them and the people of this land. Nor will we allow our people to force the will of one group over the other. This has been allowed for far too long. The aristocratic lords and ladies have a duty to the entire kingdom, not just the ones they choose to acknowledge. As king, I hereby decree that we are Dark Fae. All of us. No one will be called Lesser. Titles will be held by those willing to find solutions for this kingdom, not given by the right of birth.”
He looks at Lucifer and Evren. “Changes are coming. We will learn from the light Fae and The Underworld, building schools for learning and the trades.” His eyes find Fallon, who’s been building a coalition of trades people in his land. “The days of old are waning. We must be ready to meet the dawn with new ideas and a willingness to serve the entire kingdom. There are plenty of resources and wealth in this land. Enough for everyone to carve a piece for themselves. I plan to create the opportunities, but to succeed, the people must be willing to work and contribute. More to come, but these are the tenants of my promise to the people as their new king.”
His words strike a mixed reaction in the crowd, but he knew they would. Nobody likes change. The Fae least of all. But like it or not, they must embrace the needs of the people with a world that better fits with this modern age.
He steps down from the dais and stands at the foot. All three of us walk over, showing solidarity with him. Lucifer walks forward, with Evren on his arm, and reaches out his hand.
“Well done,” he assures him. “The Underworld is your ally and will be available if you should need us.” It’s apparent he thinks war is coming.
Evren reaches out and clasps his hand. “I’m almost done with our university. When you’re ready to start planning, give me a call.”
Lucifer sighs. “The projects never end, do they?”
She elbows him in the side. “I would drive you crazy without them and you know it.” She laughs when he winks and vehemently disagrees with a carefully tossed out “never.”
Arden and her men come up, along with Torin, her father.
“I have a feeling we’ll be seeing you soon,” Torin says with a rueful look. “Even the small rights I’ve established have caused riots and upheaval, but we don’t have an army at our door waiting to wage war.”
“If we’re going to survive the next millennium and flourish, we have to put a stake in the ground,” Madoc states firmly.
