Chapter 13 (Coronation)

First off, I want to point out that I do not want to reference the symbol above as for any sort of religion because I really don't want to be put on like that. So, please do not hate me for that symbol. Anyway, the symbol above is the seal of Edward and his kingdom.

I also want to thank everyone sooooooo much for getting me to 1K reads! It means so much that everyone has liked my story so much and I can't believe that it has come so far! To be honest, I thought this would be a flop. xD Alright my lovelies, onto the story.

Edward (POV)

"I can't believe he hit you!" Nana shouted as she rushed around my room, preparing everything for my ceremony. "And in front of everyone too!" She gave a muffled shout behind her clenched teeth as she rushed around in search for something. I had told her about the incident with my parents' yesterday afternoon about half an hour ago, and she was still upset over it.

"It's alright Nana," I told her again and sighed. I watched her mutter about missing shoes and kept her frantic search. "I was strong. Plus, it's not like he could do anything else." I pulled on my suit jacket and fitted my buttons loosely together repeatedly. Due to the ceremony, Albert had decided to get me a very nice suit. I was pretty much used to wearing these suits by now, but I still wasn't very fond of them. For one, I felt like I could hardly move. For another, they make me feel better than everyone, and I don't want that.

Today, I was wearing a totally black suit and even a black undershirt. The only things that weren't black were my tie, a deep green color that helped bring out my eyes, and the hanky in my pocket that was totally white except for the black inscription with my initials on it. It was a gift from a women who had watched me grow up that worked at a sewing shop. I know that everyone will know my name, but I still wanted to wear it as a calming symbol.

I watched as Nana finally found my last shoe on the floor, a triumph shout the only thing giving it away. I gently moved her out of the way as I noticed she was about to pick it up. I didn't want her to though; afraid that the baby would pop out as she did so. That is what would happen, right? I had tried to convince her to go home, but she has been waiting for this day since I was 15. She wasn't leaving unless the baby was actually on its way.

"Just because he couldn't do anything else, doesn't mean he won't tonight." Nana continued out conversation, deciding to rest on my bed with a loud sign after I forced her away from the shoe. I frowned at that thought. Would my father really do something like that? On a day like this? I mean, he wouldn't want to embarrass himself or his reputation right? "What if..." my Nana started, a slight tremor to her voice, "What if he decides that you can't stay here, Edward?" She asked, sounding like a kid. I gulped at that thought. Would he kick me out? Banish me? Just because I wasn't Alexios? Yes. I thought glumly. Yes, he would.

I guess Nana saw the glum look on my face and got her answer, because she gasped and got tears in her eyes. I shook my head and gave her a forced smile as I got down on my knees to be eye level with her.

"No, Nan." I started, gripping her arms in mine. "Don't worry ok? He won't do anything, alright? You can't worry ok? First, because it would cause you to be pregnant and as excited as I am to see my new sibling... I kinda don't need 'em on my floor." She laughed a little at that as she wiped at her cheeks. "Secondly, it's a big day! No crying. Well, unless it's happy tears." I told her sternly. She laughed a little more as she calmed herself down; fanning her face as if she couldn't get enough air. I gave her another smile before I leaned in to kiss both her cheeks. I then bent over to tie my black dress shoes before standing up to go over to my floor mirror. I started to fix myself up as Nana hopped up with me and stood next to me. Her 5'6 height wasn't even close to my 6'2 one as she helped me with my tie.

"My little baby is all grown up," she said her eyes watering again. She fixed my tie then smoothed down my non-existing wrinkles before stepping away so we both could watch one another in the glass. I could feel my heart beating quickly at the actions coming up. I was, either, about to become officially the king, or, I was about to be kicked out of my kingdom for good. Whatever happens from here, is my own doing. I get to be the voice in my future. I get to choose what will happen to this kingdom. It was my responsibility... Could I really do this?

A small knock was placed on my door before it opened slightly so Albert's head could poke in. I watched from my mirror as Albert took in my sight. "Are you ready?" Albert ask, his voice low; either to not show the slight tremor in it or to not startle me.

I gazed at myself for a little while more. Could I really do this? I asked myself once again. The room was filled with silence as I took a deep breathe. My hand drifted to my suit jacket and I touched the small recorder.

"Yes." I spoke, answering all my questions.

Jack (POV)

The trumpets played for a few seconds before the rest of the band kicked in; playing the kingdom's national anthem. I could barely hear it over the roaring sound of my blood pumping through my body.

A few moment passed before the anthem ended, giving the courtyard an eerie silence. Then, it kicked back up again as a balcony/stage door opened up where Edward and his parents would be standing for the crowning. It was shaped in a giant half square, wide enough to fit at least 20 people. On it were deep red, plush chairs with golden colored trim for the king and queen to sit and also a black microphone stand.

The balcony was opened and a bellhop came out, holding out a deep red pillow with gold trills that the crown would be placed on from the king's head. Then, a moment later, the king and queen came out, both arm and arm. The queen was dressed in a shining gold color that danced in the fading sunlight. She had see-through sleeves that fight her skinning arms snuggly and her dress flowed all the way down to the floor. The top half, down to her waist, was tight against her body and was covered in sparkles and designs and then flowed out from her waist down: covered in the symbol of the kingdom.

The king was dressed in a dark blue suit that was almost appeared black and buttoned up almost like a turtle neck around his throat. He had two rows of gold buttons on the front lapel and a sash that held a symbol that looked like multiply pentagrams put together. It had little symbols written inside that no one really knew what it said. It was a symbol that King Solomon had a trillion years ago. It was a symbol of wisdom and it had been around for generations. The Kings of this realm all claimed that King Solomon was an ancestor of theirs, (though they really don't know), and have kept the symbol in their family line ever since. It was the seal for the whole kingdom.

Applause roared around me and the excitement finally picked up on everyone around us. The noblemen and women, who were closets to the balcony and glaring at all of us who had come in, were even clapping in excitement and respect. The king and queen both waved to everyone in the crowd before they sat back down. I noticed the stern look on the king's face that caused him to look terrifying. All the stories I heard about him were true. It looked like he might want to kill all of us the second he got the chance. The queen, though looking like she would rather be somewhere else, had an almost kind look in her eyes as she waved to her adoring fans.

The applause died down as we waited for the person of the night. I could feel my heart beating even louder, almost as if everyone in the courtyard could hear it. The silence dragged on as we all waited for the prince to arrive. I felt like I was almost going to pass out as Edward finally made his way out of the door. I couldn't even clap as the cheers rose among me. Edward looked stunning in his outfit and I watched as he licked his lips nervously, causing a certain body part of mine to twitch. His green eyes popped due to his outfit as he scanned the faces of the crowd, searching for someone. I barely forced myself to start clapping before his green eyes seem to draw themselves to me. His gaze collided with mine, causing my heart to stutter and my breath to hitch. A moment passed, though no one seemed to catch it, as we both watched each other. Then, he did something that made me ache.

He winked at me.

Edward (POV)

The cheering that arose after my parents left to the balcony made my heart pound nervously in my chest. Neither my father nor mother took a look at me before they made their way onto the stage. Though, I wasn't surprised, even though it did hurt a little. Couldn't they at least tell me to not 'fuck it up'?

The cheers slowly died down and my breath froze in my lungs. I can't do this. I thought to myself bitterly. This was supposed to be for Alexios, the true king of this realm. How can I just take that away from him? What would he think if I went out there and did this? What would happen to me out there anyway? I turned to my Nana and Albert, a proud gaze in their eyes told me to go on. It told me that not only were they proud of me, but they also believed in me, and that was what I needed. I touched the necklace that I had gotten from all those years ago. The one Alexios was supposed to give me on my birthday, but never got the chance. Alexios would want me to do this, so I would. I gave them a smile before making my way onto the stage.

The cheers roared around me and I grinned a little nervously. Then, I looked down at all my people and smiled for real. This was what I was born to do. I was born to give these people hope. To run them and let them be their own people. I was here for this. My gaze scanned across the crowd in search for that one person that hadn't quite been on my mind, but always in my thoughts. I searched for a familiar hair color, almost giving up before my gaze found him. The familiar dark blue/purple eyes were gazing up at me in wonder and his attire caused me to freeze. I could feel myself getting caught in his gaze but I couldn't pull away. He was absolutely stunning. A sharp whistle caught through the crowd, pulling me out of my daze. I didn't give it another moments thought as I did something that I wouldn't normally do. I winked.

A cheer rose among me as I did so and I watched as Jack looked down in a faint blush. I smirked and waved to my people once more before making my way to my father's side. My back was soon rigid and I had my hands clasped behind me as we waited for the crowd to die down. I couldn't wipe away my smile as they cheered for a few more minutes. My father had to finally wave a hand to get them to rest. A moment's pause told me that I was supposed to speak. So, I made my way back to the microphone. I adjusted it so it was angled towards my mouth and swallowed a little nervously. Though, when I glanced at my father, he gave me a smile, which only meant that things were going to go downhill. I felt my smile start to dip as I cleared my throat. I then turned back to my people. My gaze traveled back to Jack's once more as if I needed to gain strength from him.

"Hello everyone." I spoke, my voice echoing and sounding disoriented. A cheer rose up quickly, causing me to chuckle before I rose my hand to silence it. "I understand, this is a new experience for everyone, so, please, let me speak." Another small cheer rose before it was silent. "I know this is very exciting to some and I know you guys maybe thinking this as a joke. But, I assure you, it is not." I paused in my speech and turned my gaze to every single one of them. "The night Alexios passed," I started off, my voice grim and a little wavy, "He told me 'everything happened for a reason'... and so far in my life, I noticed that he was mostly likely right. Everything that has ever happened to me, was for a certain reason." I paused again as I watched the crowd become enchanted in my voice. "The other thing he told me... was that I would be a better king than he ever would." I watched as I few people swiped under their eyes. The fact that some of them were becoming emotional made my heart clench. They really do care. "Though, I don't know if that would be true, because Alexios was an incredibly great man, I hope that I could do him some justice.

"The reason I brought everyone here today is to bring in evidence to this day. To know that everyone witnessed me, becoming a better person... a better person than my father was." This time, a gasp spread throughout the crowd and I raised my hand to keep them on track. "I know people fear my father. I know people are scared for their lives and I don't want that to happen anymore!" I told them sternly and forcefully. I could feel my father's anger and I knew the only reason he wasn't getting up was because it would force him to act upon my words; making them true. I spoke quickly to try to get everything in. I hadn't planned for it to come this far, and I hopped everything would work out. "My father is mean and ruthless and no one should have to live under that! I want to change the way we work around here, but my father won't let that happen! I have a recording that proves that he doesn't want me to be king and –" I couldn't finish my sentence as I shoved away from the microphone. I barely caught myself as I whirled around to gaze into the anger filled eyes of my father. I noticed the hatred filled in them and smirked. He was falling right into my plan.

"He is lying!" My father bellowed, turning off the microphone as if it would stop me from telling them anything. My father's voice was loud and demanding as he continued. "This is exactly why I know he would be an awful king!" He shouted.

"And this is why I know exactly why I would be a great king!" I shouted right along with him. "I know everyone isn't fawn of my father but I promise you guys that I will change it!" I then turned back to glare at my father. Our gazes caught as we both glared at each other. The silence in the courtyard rang through my ears as everyone waited to see what would happen next.

"Guards!" My father finally called. "Take him out! Send him away!" I could feel their hesitation and I took that chance to call back to my people. I turned to give my people a finally saying but was cut off by a loud ringing voice from behind us:

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The crowd gasped and I watched as my father whirled around in anger. Once he glanced at the subject of the voice, his face paled considerable. I spun around and I felt my breath catch. "I've been gone for 8 years and this is what happens to the kingdom?"

Alexios.

Hello again my lovelies! So, how did you guys like the chapter? I've been planning this to happen since I first started writing this book to be honest. I am honestly not that happy with the way the actual ceremony played out but I don't know really how I want to fix that so...

Anyway, thank everyone again so, so, soooo, much for getting me 1,000 reads! It's so exciting and I can't wait to share more with you guys! I'm already writing the next chapter and want to give it to you guys soooo bad! Please don't hesitate to comment below on how you liked it! I love reading everyone's comments! (2771)