Zenora, The Dragon's Fury

No, this can’t be. Did Nicolai just coronated me as Queen? This was not appropriate right? No ceremony, no signing off a signature in some old book, no person of importance to have a speech and put a crown on my head or anything…

“Is this really legit?” I whispered.

“Yes it is, you heard Evian. Only the attendance of certain people and showing their allegiance is required.” Nicolai spoke up again, while pulling Evian next to him.

“Yes my Queen, Nicolai is correct. Although I have to take the people from administration to our library now, to put you up in our registry, this has to be done by ten people, and we would normally have made preparations!” He said a bit angrily towards Nicolai and I chuckled at it.

“I’m terribly sorry Evian, that it happened this way. I didn’t plan on doing it like this either. Nicolai surprised us all.” I said to Evian, while glancing at Nicolai as well.

“Yes, I’m completely aware. But nonetheless, let me be the first to congratulate you with becoming our Queen.” Evian said and he bowed to me deeply.

“Thank you Evian.” I said to him.

“I assume you to take our former General and your husband, to be your King?” Evian asked me, when he finished bowing.

“Yes, of course.” I didn’t realise it, but yes, Brock is officially King now. And that makes our sons, the new Princes.

I looked at Brock and my boys, they were gleaming with pride, but also astound of their new status as well.

Evian bowed gracefully again, and noted for the people of administration to follow him to the library. They left the room and I sat down in my throne again.

“Mommy, are you really Queen now?” Tyler asked me.

“Yes, it seems that way, my little Prince.” I took him on my lap and hugged him dearly.

Brock came closer and gave me a kiss.

“You have to inform the citizens of Terralon as well.” My King said to me.

“Yes, with a party!” Kaden and Tyler yelled.

Brock and I laughed, they both love having people around and Tyler specifically loves to celebrate things.

“It would actually be a great idea guys. Why don’t you ask Aunt Tally to organise one?” I said a bit out loud, for Natalya to hear it.

She sighed to organise such a big event, but smiled as well. She was happy for me.

All our loved ones came walking towards us, just like every other person that was still left in the room. Everyone congratulated us on our new ranks, they all bowed and said a few words.

We patiently waited for all of them to finish, and leave the room once they were done.

“I can’t believe you are actually Queen now!” Cirilya had said at the dining table, before she continued her conversation with Anna.

I was smiling. It had been a long time ago that we were all seated as a family, around the dining table.

Again I was looking at everyone here, seeing that our boys and Amelia were having fun talking to Natalya, discussing about how the upcoming party should look like. Anna and Cirilya carefully listening to them, and coming up with ideas as well. Tom tried to reel them in a bit, thinking about the financial part and how much their ideas must cost. Dennis however, didn’t care about the party at all, he was just talking to Brock and William about the Royal guards and their advanced training and such. Axel and Mila were feeding each other bites, they are still a young couple and their love for each other was still fresh. And last, Nicolai, he was using his magic to make the mobile of Winston move, making the little boy laugh in joy.

Archeops wasn’t here this evening, he went home to his wife and children. Celebrating their own new status in life. They were also packing their stuff, as they would be moving in to the castle, so our new General would be close by for meetings and emergencies.

He was reluctant to move in here at first though, because he had to bring in his five children also. But that was never going to be an issue with me. Our third child was going to be born soon, and I wanted more myself too. Not sure if Brock does, but that was something to discuss later.

As we have plenty of rooms in the castle, we can house them easily. And besides that, I was still planning on building a school, so the children of our city and castle, would be busy during the day.

But as I looked around the table, watching each and every one being busy with their conversations, I didn’t want to look to the left of me.

Brock and I were seated across from each other, and the others were all sitting at the right of us. But the most important chair of all, the one where my beloved father used to be seated in, was empty.

I tried to imagine this dinner with him being included. Thinking about how he would eat his steak, or smear the mashed potatoes across his plate, because he didn’t want to eat that. Remembering how he only drank one glass of wine, and continue with water after, because he didn’t want to get drunk. Also remembering how I had to wipe off his desert from his shirt, because he always messed with pudding. At which now I come to think about, he probably did that on purpose, maybe he liked the attention I gave him for it.

I smiled, thinking about him, still reluctant to look at his chair, I looked down on my own plate.

“Love, you should eat something. Are you alright?” Brock asked me.

I looked at my plate again, noticing that I was the one smearing my mashed potatoes across my plate. Unintentionally doing just the same as my dad used to do.

“Yes, just thinking about me being Queen.” I lied.

“Is that why you are doing the same thing as your dad always did?” Brock said to me in a hushed tone.

I looked up at him with wide eyes, he knew I was lying, he knows me so well.

Then I realised that the last time we sat at dinner like this, I was holding in my thoughts and emotions as well. Which didn’t turn out to be good. Back then, I wanted to be strong and not bother anyone with my weaknesses. But that’s the thing, not telling them about my thoughts, just made me weak!

So, as the Goddess said ‘share your thoughts and talk with your friends’ I sighed and told Brock the truth.

I spoke about all the things that I remembered from him, and as I did, the others around us, heard me talking. They stopped their own conversations and pitched in with mine.

At the end of the evening, we had all shared our memories of dad, laughing and crying about all the things we had been through with him.

It felt so good to share my thoughts! I felt relieved that we could do this, such a spontaneous act of reliving my dad’s memories. In a way, this was the thing I needed, as I missed the burial ceremony. My own moment of sharing, my own personal little ceremony and closure.

I know that my dad is proud at me, I have to think of it that way. It is time for me to act like the Queen. The Queen of Terralon.