Chapter 22

Ellery

There werefew things in the world I dreaded more than going to the coronation. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to refuse.

I didn't think about what would happen to anyone who dared to try, but I doubted anyone would do so. My mother and I certainly weren't about to say no.

I wanted to stomp my feet while complaining about the unfairness of it all, but whining wouldn't get me anywhere; we would still have to go, and I was twenty-three, not three. Still, every part of me dreaded this as we descended the stone steps of the manor and strolled across the cobblestone drive to the waiting carriage.

The carriage had seen better days. The chips in the maroon paint were getting bigger and more frequent. The step on the other side was broken, and a tear revealed the stuffing in one of the seat cushions, but money for paint and supplies was almost nonexistent.

Mother was barely making our increased tax payments every month. Like many others in the realm, we had nothing to spare for such trivial things, but we still had more than most, and for that, I was grateful.

When the door closed behind me, it was with a finality that reminded me of someone shutting the lid on my coffin. I resisted tugging at the collar of my dress and tried to keep my breathing steady as I battled my impulse to jump out the door.

At one time, we had a footman and driver for the carriage, but those days were gone. Scarlet's father would take us to the coronation, which meant he would also miss work on the manor today, and only Scarlet, her mother, and brother would remain to take care of the animals and crops.

He could at least return via a portal after we arrived and return in a few days to bring us home, but I would be trapped there. It would have been so much easier if we could have opened a portal to the palace, but the prince's invitation stated that he expected everyone to arrive in carriages.

He probably wanted to witness the spectacle of all those carriages rolling across the land, through the woods, and up to the palace. I hated him.

The horse's harness jingled as it started down the dirt road toward the city. We would have to cut through some of the Revenant Woods, but that didn't concern me. No Hooded Robber hunted the woods today, and we'd be on the outskirts where there weren't as many creatures looking to eat us.

There were other thieves in the woods, but I doubted any of them would be brave enough to try to rob someone going to the prince's coronation. The sheriff had ordered extra guards on the roads to keep the prince's guests safe as they traveled to the palace.

And the Hooded Robber was taking a break. After my close call with Ryker in the woods, I'd decided to call it quits.

He'd come too close to capturing me, and while I wanted to help others, I couldn't keep stealing while he was hunting for me. If anyone could catch me, it was him, and I wasn't ready to die.

Swallowing, I stared out the window as the carriage rattled down the road. I heard the other horses before our carriage slowed and our horse went from a trot to a walk.

I'd known the street would be crowded; there were too many going to this ceremony for it not to take a while to get there, but I'd hoped we'd make it further before having to slow.

Sitting back in my seat, I caught the quirk of my mother's eyebrow while she looked pointedly at my tangled skirt. "It's only a few days where you have to act like a lady."

"You didn't raise me to be a lady." Still, I fixed my skirt.

"I raised you how you were meant to be; you were always wild, Ellery, so I let you be wild. However, you have to do this."

"I know."

I stopped myself from grumbling those words; she was right. I had no choice in this, but I'd been given many of them throughout my life.

There were a lot of immortals who couldn't say the same.

"The days will pass quickly," my mother said.

"Are you excited about attending?"

Her grin lit her blue eyes. She'd styled her pale blonde hair into a meticulous updo with curled tendrils framing her pretty face. "I am."

We couldn't look or be any more different than each other, but she'd never done anything to make me think she was disappointed in me. She'd always accepted our differences and nurtured them.

I was lucky to call her my mother. I would do everything I could to ensure she had fun during this celebration… including not complaining the whole time.

I wouldn't do anything to ruin her good time.

The carriage bumped and rattled along at an excruciatingly slow pace, but at least it meant we weren't there yet. It wasn't until the carriage stopped that my anxiety shot through the roof.

I could hide in the trees, steal from some of the wealthiest immortals in this realm, and barely feel my pulse spike, but the idea of this coronation had turned me into a rattled mess. But then, I was about to socialize with some of those I'd robbed.

"Are you okay, Ler Bear?" my mother asked.

I gulped, but my smile wasn't fake when I turned toward her. My childhood nickname, from her and my father, created a burst of joy and a pang of longing inside me. We could never return to those simpler, better days, but recalling the love and security that surrounded me filled my heart with joy.

"Everything's fine, Mother."

"I know you don't like crowds."

I leaned across the small space separating us and rested my hand on hers. She'd lost weight since my father's death, and I hated how much her bones stood out against her ivory skin.

"I'll be fine," I assured her.

When the carriage door opened, I kept my smile in place as I followed my mother from the vehicle and into the throng of people. We fell into the crowd as it surged toward the palace.

I glanced back at Scarlet's father standing beside the open doorway and contemplated diving back inside, but it was too late to escape. Plus, I'd vowed to make this event fun for my mother, and I would, even if it killed me.