80. Jace

Chapter eighty

Jace

It had been a month since the battle decimated the land directly beyond the Islan Gates—a full turn of the moon since we defeated the malevolent beasts that usurped their way to my mate’s throne, and since their people chose to bow before her, pledging their allegiance to the rightful queen.

The city itself had been partially destroyed thanks to the battles of witches and wyverns that took to the skies. Entire towers of the castle had crumbled to the ground, and their lashing tails and power had slammed into the terracotta roofs spread throughout Isla, bringing buildings down with them. Thankfully, the civilian casualties were minimal from inside the city walls, but any loss was too great for my Lia.

She had desperately tried to prevent the fighting and destruction from entering the city, but an aerial war was unavoidable upon arrival.

She had spent every moment of the following days out in the streets with her people, getting to know them further. And for every life lost, she personally visited the homes of their families, offering condolences from the crown, and aid if needed.

Every moment I thought to myself that I couldn’t possibly ever love her more, she proved me wrong—which, of course, was her favorite thing to do.

The sirens had lingered in Isla’s harbor the following days as we worked to clean the disaster created. None of the soldiers would even near the docks, fearful that they might catch the sea-witches’ attention and fall into a lulling song.

Lia had confidently swaggered down the longest dock that sat in the bay, twirling the conch shell she had stolen from them between her fingertips as I watched from the port. Of course, she taunted them with it before handing it over, making them swear to only feast upon the flesh of the wicked that sailed the sea, but she took it for what it was—a battle for another day. In that moment, the sirens were allies, and that was what mattered.

Veli's ascension to High Witch was both terrifying and relieving, though it was clear she mourned her old self. She originally expressed her nerves regarding the power she now exuded, but quickly learned it didn’t change who she was—for magic was merely a reflection of its wielder’s nature. And she now kept the book, Tinaebris Malifisc, under lock and key, hidden away from the rest of the realm.

The witches who remained hidden all this time were still nowhere to be found. Even Empri was missing, who vanished from the battlefield after her sister’s death. We didn’t blame her for her reaction, but she caused casualties on our side from her explosion of fury, and it was unacceptable. Veli searched for them throughout the realm with her newfound power, but they were now hiding the use of their magic, just as she had for centuries.

Whenever they were brought up, Lia and Veli both wore menacing grins, stating that they couldn’t hide forever—and may the gods help those traitor witches if they were found.

If there were ever two females that I would never want to be on the receiving end of their wrath, it would be those two—and where they went, Zaela followed, which made them even more terrifying.

Now that Veli held the nearly untapped power of High Witch, she was able to summon portal rifts effortlessly and opened a bridge from Isla to beyond the mountains, where Alaia Valley awaited. Our mortal soldiers were able to return home to their loved ones and heal in comfort. However, there had been one reunion that held nothing but shattering pain and sorrow.

Lynelle was the first to walk through the rift, Nyra trotting at her side. The wolf’s eyes landed on Lia, pushing her into a sprint across the short distance between them and tackling her to the ground. She planted kisses all over Lia’s face as she whimpered in happy excitement.

Zaela had stepped up beside me, her face etched with grief as her mother approached. The moment Lynelle’s steps faltered, it revealed that she had pieced together Leon’s fate. We told her of the sacrifice he made and that her daughter stood before her now because of him. That is the price of loving a warrior , she had said once she caught her breath .

My heart lurched for her as my gaze drifted to my own warrior queen while she stepped up next to me to give her condolences and support to Lynelle.

Now, a month after the Battle of Isla, I stood off to the side of the dais with Finnian, Gage, and Landon as the newly appointed castle guards funneled the realm’s lords and the families of noble houses to their seats, awaiting our queen’s coronation.

The throne room was decorated intricately, all of Avery’s doing, who couldn’t wait to direct the staff to the gardens to handpick her sister’s favorite flowers.

The once blood-stained room now sparkled with an ethereal glow, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the high, reforged stained-glass windows that depicted the scenery of Velyra.

At the center of the dais stood the throne of her father, though there was one change made to the royal seat. Wyvern wings, crafted from steel by the city’s finest blacksmiths, were fastened to its back, protruding out at its sides.

The walls were draped in luxurious evergreen tapestries, woven with threads of champagne and silver, depicting the new Valderre crest. A series of tall pillars lined the sides of the room, holding Avery’s chosen florals, while torches bathed the shadow-draped parts of the room in their flickering light.

The atmosphere crackled with excitement as Avery, Veli and Zaela appeared, walking along the sides of the room, to their place on the opposite side of the dais from where us men stood .

“Are you ready to see your queen, brother?” Gage whispered from behind me.

I couldn’t help my smile. “Always.”

Music sounded from the small orchestras set off in the throne room’s corner, and as if on cue, the great doors swung open. The opened, arched entrance revealed the most beautiful sight I had ever witnessed—my Lia standing before us all, Nyra at her side as a guardian. The crowd collectively held its breath as we watched her take the first steps toward her throne.

She moved at an elegant pace, at such odds with her usual swaggering facade, while her gown flowed behind her like a river of ivory silk.

The fabric of her gown cascaded around her in layers of pearl, and when it caught the light with each step, it showed a hidden luster of green—a testament to her house and kingdom. My warrior queen had never been accustomed to dresses and was sure to have that reflected in her coronation gown, as its shoulders bore silver embellishments that resembled both wyvern scales and armor atop her shoulders.

Her long, dark hair was unbound in curls as beautifully wild as she was, while those stunning green eyes were locked on me, threatening to bring me to my knees before the masses.

As Lia advanced with Nyra at her side, the crowd gazed at her, eyes wide with admiration. Lords bowed as she passed, their wives curtsying beside them. The air buzzed with murmured praises and gasps as they took in the sight of her .

Nearing the dais, her eyes remained on me, and mine on hers, and then the corner of her lips tilted in a menacing lilt. Her steps halted as she stood directly before us all, the wolf taking her place at her sister’s feet. Avery quickly wiped tears as they slid down her cheeks, and Zae’s lower lip trembled at the sight of the soon-to-be crowned queen. Then Veli stepped forward.

The sorceress was not in her usual attire of onyx, flowing robes, but now instead was adorned in an ethereal gown of violet that would have once matched her eyes. Her scarlet gaze looked over my mate and then drifted over her shoulder to the crowd at her back.

“You may all be seated,” she announced, and the sound of groaning chairs echoed through the room as the orchestra softened their music.

She exchanged a glance with Lia, and then my wife gave her a subtle nod to continue.

“Elianna Valderre has lived a life of secret, riddled with hidden torment, torture, and betrayal. Her throne and crown stolen from her the moment her soul entered the realm. Both of her parents, our late king, and his love, murdered in cold blood, all because of a tyrant. She bore the last name Solus, disguised as an orphan of the realm, all while living a lie within the castle walls.”

My heart cracked at the witch’s words as she retold Lia’s story to all in the room.

“ It’s old news ,” she whispered in my mind.

“ That will never make it any more bearable to hear, my Lia ,” I answered, and she sent a loving caress through our tethered souls .

Veli continued her speech. “She fought her usurper's war blindly and found the means to end it, uniting enemy races that had been at odds for over a century. Elianna now fights for that of her people, and all creatures of the realm, who call Velyra their home. Her skin bears her earned scars and will for the remainder of her life. Let the markings upon your queen’s skin be a reminder to you all of everything she has done for the realm, and what she has sacrificed to get you here.”

The queen’s aide lifted her taloned hands from her sides, hovering them palm open before her. Then, a crown manifested within her grasp, but not just any crown. The one she wore on our wedding day—and all she wore that night.

“Do you, Elianna Valderre, swear to justly govern and defend the Kingdom of Velyra as its rightful queen, protecting the sacredness of all the gods’ creatures who call it home?”

Lia’s lips curved subtly, as if in mockery of what her aide had asked—for everything that she had asked of her, the realm’s rightful queen had always done just that.

Veli lifted a brow in her direction, and a breathy chuckle slipped from my mate, earning a grin from me as I remained at the side of the dais.

“From now until my dying breath,” Lia answered.

“Then bow,” she demanded, and our queen carefully lowered her head.

Veli took the silver tiara of twisted, leafy vines and placed it atop my mate’s hair. The emerald sparkled in its center, mimicking Lia’s eyes .

“Then I now pronounce you, Elianna Valderre, first of her name, Heir of the Mother Goddess and Realm, as Queen of Velyra.”

With a dignified poise, Lia turned to the masses, bearing the weight of the realm’s crown, representing the blend of both tradition and the promise of a new era.

The thunderous cheers of the crowd filled the grand throne room, their echoes bouncing off the walls. “Long live Queen Elianna Valderre!” they chanted in unison, bringing tears to all of our eyes.

I watched Lia as she clasped her hands in front of her, her stare remaining on the masses as they celebrated her ascension. After a few moments of allowing it to continue, she wordlessly raised one of her hands, halting their cheers, and placing the throne room into near silence.

“I am honored to be here before you all today, and even more so that you are proud to call me your queen, but there is one other to be crowned before you today,” she started, and my heart nearly stopped in my chest.

She extended her arm toward me, beckoning me to join her in the center of the dais. Gage lightly kicked my foot, trying to get me to move, but it felt as if I was bolted to the floor.

“Go, you idiot,” Gage whispered in a room full of fae, causing chuckles to escape the first few rows of seats.

I shot him a quick look over my shoulder, and then my eyes met the queen’s. A beautiful, delicate smile adorned her face as she held her hand out to me, waiting for me to join her .

I took the few steps up to where she stood before her throne as Veli took a few silent steps back to her place in line with Avery and Zaela.

“ This wasn’t part of our plan, my queen .”

My fingers interlocked with hers, and then her voice filtered to me. “ I love you, and it was always part of mine .”

The corners of my lips lifted at that.

“This man,” she spoke aloud as her eyes remained on me before slowly drifting to the hundreds of pairs on us. “You know this man as the great commander of the mortal armies, who was once believed to be our enemy. The man who helped us win this war, who has protected his people since he swore an oath to them at a young age, just as I had…a very long time ago,” she said with a small giggle, and the crowd echoed it.

“Jace is much more than that, though, for you see…he is everything to me. He stands before you today not only as a commander of war and protector of the realm…but also as my husband and mate.” She paused for a moment, and the crowd remained still and silent. “And your king consort.”

Small murmurs erupted, and she lifted her opposite hand that held mine to silence them again.

“You’ll have to excuse me, for you should all know by now that I’m not one to follow rules or traditions, and I much prefer to make things up as I go along…” Brief laughter echoed once more, and a smirk found my lips. “A private wedding was held. It was special and beautiful, and when we truly didn’t know if we would make it out of the great war alive. So today, I ask one more thing of the realm—to accept my husband and mate…” She turned to me and gave me a quick wink. “Jace Cadoria-Valderre, as Velyra’s King Consort.”

Veli appeared at my side a second later, a silver crown fit for a king in her grasp that I had never seen before. She motioned for me to bow, and I obeyed. The witch placed the crown atop my head, and my eyes flared in disbelief at what was happening before everyone. She vanished once more, appearing back at Avery’s side.

Lia’s eyes watched me intently, a smile adorning her perfect face, with eyes radiating love as she stared up at my crown. Her gaze then scanned over the quiet room. “So, Velyra…what say you?!” she bellowed, every bit the former captain.

The masses of Velyra’s lords, mercenaries, and countrymen, both of fae and mortal heritage, erupted into a booming cheer for her—for us .

I turned to face the queen of the realm. My heart, once so cold and ruthless, beamed with pride and love for the goddess that stood before me atop her dais.

“And what say you, Commander?” she asked softly.

“Long live the queen,” I answered, and then my arms wrapped around her waist, twirling her in a dip before pressing my lips to hers for the realm to see.

If I thought the crowd had been cheering before, it didn’t even compare to the sound erupting from them now. When I opened my eyes, I found hers staring up at me.

“And you, my Lia?”

“Long live the king,” she breathed.