Page 61 of Queen of Fire

“I’ll see you tomorrow for our gifting ceremony, husband.”

31

Kira

In accordance with Fire tradition, the royal couple should hold a gifting ceremony within a week of the wedding. This gives the people of our Kingdom the privilege of presenting their new rulers with gifts befitting of their new status.

My skin crawled uncomfortably as I readjusted myself in my throne.

The air was heavy with unshed rain when I awoke this morning, and the pit in my stomach had been a constant presence throughout the day. My breakfast had gone down like lead, and even Gracie’s usual chatter as I was getting ready did not manage to shift the feeling of dread that had come over me during the night.

I knew today was going to be testing, with every civilian from Zalas expected to arrive at the castle throughout the day to present Cyrus and I with gifts and well-wishes,and after the argument we had yesterday evening, the thought of sitting next to Cyrus for hours on end today did not bode well.

The sun had not yet risen when Gracie arrived at my room with Rosa, the two of them helping me dress and prepare myself as I tried to swallow toasted bread with berry jam. My hair had been pulled into an up-do unlike any I had ever seen, and if I thought about how heavy it was too often, I could not ignore the throbbing in my scalp from where it had been pinned into place.

Cyrus had made no such effort. He arrived looking as he always did, with his shirt untucked and unbuttoned, and his hair wet as though he had just climbed out of a bath. He smirked at me, throwing a wink in my direction as he took his crown from Cirro’s hands and put it on top of his wet hair. I felt foolish, being as done up as I was when he looked as though he could not care less.

I tried to roll my neck subtly, attempting to lessen some of the tension on the backs of my shoulders from the weight of my hair and from the hours of sitting. Cyrus had slumped in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest and his face looking bored as he stared at the gathered crowd.

People had been gathering outside of the castle walls since last night, itching to get in and present us with their gifts, and the more I thought of how lovely these people were, and how horrid Cyrus was being to them today because of his mood, the more I felt the rage bubbling inside of my stomach.

Sucking in a breath through my nose, I closed my eyes for a second. It had been four hours so far, and we had barely made a dent in the long line of visitors. I turned my head, catching Gracie’s eye where she stood by the wall and gesturing for her to come closer with a nod of my head. She blinked at me, taking a minute to decipher what I was asking of her, and then pushed herself off the wall in a hurry, holding her skirt in one hand as she jogged up the dais to where Cyrus and I were sitting.

“Were you somewhere else?” I laughed quietly, leaning over to speak into her ear. She flushed, the colour of her cheeks darkening, but she nodded her head.

“I was. I’m sorry,” She smiled lightly, “What do you need?”

“A break,” I sighed, shifting in my seat slightly and wincing at the sharp pain in the base of my spine. “Can you tell Cirro to hold the line? I will only be five minutes.”

Gracie nodded, standing up straight and curtsying to me. It was odd seeing her curtsy, and it made the whole day feel even more surreal, but we both knew if she did not do it, it would be seen as disrespect, and she would come under fire for it.

I watched as she walked across the room quickly, weaving between the people already gathered inside the space and reaching Cirro, who was standing at the door. He had brought himself a small podium and set up ascroll full of the names of everyone who lived in the centre of Zalas and was checking them off as they came through the door. I had rolled my eyes when I saw him earlier, muttering to Gracie about him taking his job far too seriously.

Cirro looked at her now, his face screwing up when she reached him. I saw Gracie’s shoulders stiffen, as they always did whenever she had to speak to the repulsive Fae male, and wished I could hear what she was saying. Gracie was very rarely serious, and when she was, the tone of her voice always gave me a shiver. With the right encouragement, and given the right amount of power, I had no doubt that Gracie could lead better than even I could.

It was all part of my plan.

Cirro rolled his eyes but nodded his head. Removing himself from his pedestal with a grunt and shuffling to where the line rounded the corner at the door. His voice was not quite loud enough to carry over the people already gathered inside the throne room, but the people outside the door all started to shuffle backwards just enough for the door to be pulled closed with a heavy thunk.

Cyrus sat up on his throne, his eyebrows raised as he looked from Cirro to me.

“What is he doing?” He asked me, his tone sharp even though he had seemed uninterested until now.

“I need a minute.” I said only to Cyrus, using my hands on the arms of my throne to push myself up, struggling slightly under the heavy weight of my dress.

I turned to the crowd of people in the throne room, all of whom had bowed their heads when I stood.

“If you’ll excuse me, I am in need of a small interval.” My voice carried around the room, making people’s heads snap up, smiles on some of their faces, complete awe on others. “I shall be back in a few minutes.”

Voices all mingled together as I stepped down from the dais, Gracie waiting to greet me at the bottom.

The back door of the throne room was hidden behind large, velvet curtains. A guard I recognised, a large man called Lars, pulled the curtains to the side for Gracie and I to pass through, and then followed us through into the small, dark hallway. I had gotten to know Lars over the last few months and had gotten used to his constant presence in the background of whatever Cyrus and I were doing.

It was hard to dismiss the image of him with Maeteo’s blood covered hair in his hand as he presented him to us like a hunter presents his prize after a successful day, however.

Lars’s heavy boot steps followed us through the back passages of the castle until we reached the private living area, and then he stopped, taking us his space beside the entrance, and crossing his arms over his chest.

I let out a sigh as Gracie closed the door behind us. There was, thankfully, a jug of ice water sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the room, and a small plate of different cakes. I had been informed before the ceremony this morning that there would be a place for Cyrus and I to retire to for a break if needed, and I was immensely thankful for it.

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