Chapter 196

A week later, the wolves flew to Lycan territory again to attend

Lucianne’s coronation. Every living creature from Blue Crescent flew

over, and they left the safety of their pack to the warriors from an ally

pack.

Every Lycan and werewolf who wasn't at the ceremony turned on their

televisions or went online to watch the live broadcast, even the

prisoners. Greg sat in the cafeteria with a few new friends he made,

beaming as Lucianne’s face came on screen.

In a separate prison, the Aphaels and Tanners stared at the screen with

zero enthusiasm. Livia was the only one with a scorn when Lucianne’s

face came into view.

In each of their solitary confinement units, the Kyltons were barking

expletives when the police brought in high resolution televisions in

compliance with the order of His Royal Highness. Their legs were tied to

a chair, and their hands were tied together a s two policemen held each

of their chairs from behind. Although distasteful to their sights, none of

the Kyltons thought to close their eyes to avoid having to watch the

coronation.

Kelissa shouted and screamed as her tears of anger continued to

stream down her very-flustered face. Her nostrils flared and beads of

sweat appeared on her forehead from how much strength she exerted

when she screamed like a mentally-unstable patient. When the

policemen with her decided that they didn’t want to go deaf, they got

some duct tape and taped it over the heiress’s mouth, appreciating the

more tolerable muffles as they watched the coronation on the

television with her.

At the ceremony, Lucianne walked down the red carpet in a lilac gown

designed and made by Hale. Her half-tied hairstyle showed her full

face. Many from the press took the liberty to point out that Lucianne

disregarded royal tradition when she smiled and waved to attendees

who were mostly her friends and allies instead of looking straight

ahead and walking down the carpet with a poker face like past Queens.

Her favorite nephew, Liam, suddenly had the physical strength to pull

his tiny hand away from Hale, and he dashed towards Lucianne before

his parents could stop him.

Instead of asking him to return to his seat, Lucianne held Liam's hand

and continued walking down the carpet. Russell came shortly after,

taking Lucianne’s other hand. These two boys who succeeded in

breaking away from their parents’ hold seemed to have encouraged the

other kids to do the same.

Many more children left their parents side, and dashed towards the

Queen without knowing that it violated the formalities of the ceremony.

The guards could only catch and stop a few of them but most of the

children got through with their small size, and they crowded around

Lucianne, walking with her with wide grins and cheeky smiles,

disregarding their embarrassed parents who were hissing at them. Juan

himself hid his face in his hands before Lucianne mind-linked him that

it was okay.

Christian and many others in attendance were already laughing at how

the guards were struggling to scoop up a few kids at once. Only when

Lucianne told them that it was okay did the guards set the children

back on the ground. The sight of a group of children around Lucianne

was humorous for some like Christian and Toby: was heartwarming for

those like Annie and Hale; and was beautiful and amazing for Xandar. 2

Before he met Lucianne, he had only ever scared kids away. This was a

sight that he could never conjure up even if he stretched his

imagination to its limit. “Thank you, Moon Goddess. You've given this

Kingdom your most precious gift, and I swear that I will love and

protect her for as long as I live’, Xandar muttered in gratitude. The

crown and cloak he wore were bothersome on a warm day but his mate

seemed to have melted away any discomfort that he was feeling.

When Lucianne reached the raised platform where Xandar and the

archbishop were, she told the kids to wait for her on the lower step,

and they all nodded obediently. Liam let go of his aunt's hand, and

Russell did the same when Xandar came to offer Lucianne his hand. As

soon as she stepped on the elevated platform with his help, the

audience went wild, cheering and clapping even though Lucianne

wasn't technically crowned yet.

The archbishop had a microphone pinned to his robe, so he

commented in amusement, “Looks like my services are not needed

after all. How about we just skip to the buffet, everyone?”

The crowd burst out laughing, and the journalists took note that even

the archbishop broke tradition when he joked like that. The archbishop

then got Xandar and Lucianne to stand a meter apart facing each other.

After requesting Xandar to thrust his right arm and holding it straight in

Lucianne’s direction, the archbishop asked Lucianne to do the same

with her left arm. Their hands held the area below each other's wrists,

and the archbishop opened his small notebook and began reciting

from it.

Xandar's gaze of pride never left his mate's black and lilac orbs, which

she held with honor. At the end of the archbishop's short recital, he got

Lucianne to repeat after him. “I, Lucianne Freesia Paw, solemnly promise

and swear to rule and gover the creatures of this Kingdom in

accordance with its laws, alongside His Royal Highness, King Alexandar

Thomas Claw.” 1

“I promise and swear to protect the Kingdom and the creatures herein,

doing what is needed and required of me.”

The archbishop then said, “...as I have always done before this day.”

Lucianne blinked in surprise before she turned to the archbishop, a way

of asking him whether he made an error on that part. That

wasn't in the rehearsal when they practised two days ago. He simply

smiled and waited for her to repeat after him, and when Lucianne's

sights returned to her mate, he was looking at her with a cheeky glint in

his eye and a more visible upward curl of his lips. This was his doing.

She pressed back a smile and repeated, “As I have always done before

this day.”

The archbishop beamed and continued another set of lines that were

neither in the rehearsal nor were they in any oath taken by rulers before

Lucianne. Christian's not-so-subtle chuckle in the background and

Xandar's glowing smile showed that they planned this with the

archbishop.

The archbishop came to the end, which was the cue for Lucianne to

repeat everything he just said. She blushed, and couldnt press back her

smile any longer as she repeated those words, the very same set of

words she uttered in the dining hall after Xandar spoke about the Jewel

Pack incident, “You can be assured that I will not stop until every last

threat has been neutralized. I will not give up even when I'm weakened.

I will fight alongside you, and together, we will win.”

A roar of enthusiastic and deafening applause and cheers followed, and

the media was excitedly taking note of the modified oath. The oath was

never altered in any way for centuries, so it was a surprise for it to be

changed today.

The fifth tradition that was broken was the fact that Lucianne remained

standing when Xandar began lowering the crown over her head Xandar

explicitly told her and the archbishop that he will not have Lucianne

kneel and bow to him like past Kings. If she did so, even by an inch,

they would have to redo the entire ceremony.

When the crown had been placed on his mate's head, the King planted

a deep kiss on her forehead, which was the sixth tradition that was

broken. The final one broken for the day was when Xandar held onto

her small hand, and got down on one knee before tilting his head

downwards. His voice rang through the microphone pinned to his robe

and amplified through the speakers when h e said in a firm, thunderous

voice, “My Queen.”

Everyone knelt and bowed to their Queen with nothing but eagerness,

devotion and admiration. Lucianne bowed to the crowd in return, and

everyone stood when she stood. As the King rose, the Queen pecked a

kiss at the back of his hand, a gesture he returned by pecking a light

kiss on her forehead.

When the ceremony was over, everyone adjourned to the dining hall

for the buffet. Lucianne and Xandar took off their crowns and the King

slid off the cloak before they joined the others. Xandar was speaking to

Ken and many other retired pack leaders, whereas Lucianne was

mingling with Yarrington and the wolves who were talking about

education.

As Lucianne listened to Gamma Benedict, she noticed her vision

blurring. Her legs got weaker before she heard Xandar yell her name

from across the hall as she passed out.