The coronation ceremony was lavish, ostentatious, and carried out with great fanfare.
No noble was bold enough to ask why it was Liam who was to be coronated and not Theodore.
Emily realized halfway through that nothing could have prepared her for it. From the ceremony itself to the forced smiles, the boring mingling, and everything that followed… she wouldn’t have been able to withstand such pressure.
“Are you okay, dorogaya?” Theodore asked her as she was about to retire to the balcony for some fresh air.
She let out a strangled “I’m good,” and rushed out of the ball-like ceremony.
He naturally followed after her. She could sense him. Thus, when she arrived at the balcony, and peered down at the gardens, she said through her tears, “I am so sorry, Theo.”
He trapped her body from behind, with his arms on both sides of her. “What’s the matter?”
“I feel so inadequate here, so out of place…” she inhaled deeply, trying to get his addictive scent to calm her down. And it worked, if only slightly. “I truly am a commoner,” she said after a while.
“Who cares?” was his sweet retort. “I know I don’t.”
“Yes, but you come from royalty,” she objected on a sigh.
“I should apologize for allowing you to endure that damned training the past month,” he told her stiffly.
She turned in his hold to face him, and looked up into his troubled face.
“Your blood bears responsibilities.”
“That is my burden to shoulder,” he shrugged.
She shook her head negatively. “No. I am the one who’s unfit to stand beside you sadly enough,” she said. She paused, inhaled deeply and then said, “You should probably find someone more fitting to be your partner,” she flashed him a bleak smile even as his eyes hardened. “I am sorry but I am too selfish to let you go.”
“And that is how it should be, dorogaya,” he told her gruffly, eyes flashing crimson briefly. “I bear your mark, and you bear mine. There is no going back now.”
She nodded and even hung her head. He lifted her chin up with hand. “I love you,” he told her.
“I love you too,” she admitted softly, readily, seemingly unable to contain her words. “I love you so much, I ache. I love you so much, I cannot bear the thought of being separated from you.”
“Then stop entertaining such thoughts,” he growled at her. “I have no wish – absolutely none – to leave you.”
She stood on her tiptoes and softly pressed her lips against his at his words.
There were footsteps approaching them, and the couple broke apart for air.
“Your love runs so strong, I cannot help but envy you,” Serena said as she appeared on the balcony.
“You’ll find your fated one, by one twist of fate or another,” Theodore told her with a small smile.
“I sure hope so,” she mirrored his smile. And then, in a more chipper tone, she said, “Mother and father are about to toast to the new king and queen. You should be there, lest you want to appear as an envious brother.”
“You know fairly well that I do not care what the public thinks of me,” Theodore drawled flatly.
“Wrong tactic, my bad,” his sister giggled. “Liam needs you by his side. He may have always dreamed of this day, but he is nervous. And it shows.”
Theodore heaved a sigh, and then looking into Emily’s eyes, he said, “let’s go, dorogaya.”
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
It was close to 1 am when the ceremony came to an end. The nobles took their leave and the royals retired to their respective bed chambers.
“You do not get to sleep in this bed tonight,” Emily iced out at Theodore as he got ready to join her.
His eyes widened and he tried to protest. “But the ceremony was hardly the place for an apology…”
She shrugged at that and then told him, “I am a woman of my word.”
He gulped down, looked at her pleadingly, and then gave up with a sigh.
“Up. Up. Up,” he urged her.
“Why?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I’m going to apologize,” he told her briskly.
“Now?”
“Yes, now,” he assured her.
And with that, they headed to Liam’s bed chambers which were a good walk away from Theodore’s.
Once they were within earshot, they could hear the couple’s heated argument.
“You tricked me! You and your brother tricked me!” Tatiana screamed at her mate no doubt.
“That was never my intention,” was the barely audible reply she got.
“Right!” She scoffed angrily. “And you think I will believe you, right?”
Emily nudged Theodore forward. He didn’t bother knocking on the door, and rather opened it directly.
A vase came flying his way and he dodged it effortlessly.
“Is that any way to welcome your brother in law?” He asked in a teasing tone.
“You… you… don’t you dare try to play it cool with me,” she spat out at him. “I didn’t forget what you did!”
“Yeah, about that,” he began almost hesitantly. “I wanted to apologize. I acted rashly and selfishly. All in order to protect my beloved mate whom I love with all my heart.”
“That doesn’t explain shit!” She went on, casting Emily a scathing glare.
Emily smiled at her awkwardly and then said, “You are a much better fit to rule than I am. I was not born into this lifestyle. You, on the other hand, are deserving of the title and a great fit – not to mention Liam’s mate.”
“So you…” Tatiana addressed Theodore in an incredulous manner as seemingly all fight left her. “You abdicated the throne for your fated mate?”
He nodded.
Her eyebrows shot up and almost disappeared into her hairline, before she turned to Liam and said, “See? This is how fated mates should treat one another – with love and respect. You wham-bam-thank-you-madam’ed me four years ago.”
“I recall you doing that to me, not the other way around,” Liam said almost angrily at the memory no doubt.
“That’s our cue to leave, dorogaya,” Theodore announced as more vases started flying.
Emily agreed with a nod and then smiled at the pair. It was obvious they had feelings for one another – and not feelings of hate mind you. “Again, congratulations,” she told them softly. “I wish you all the happiness in the world.”
Upon their return to their bed chambers, Emily said, “They have one hell of a connection.”
Theodore told her almost distractedly, “Liam was ready to put an end to the arranged mating after meeting her by chance in Roma. I don’t know where their misunderstanding regarding their one night stand comes from or who left who, but one thing is for certain, he loves her already.”
“Why wouldn’t he just tell her already and get it over with?” She asked, troubled and worrying her bottom lip.
“We weren’t exactly brought up by loving parents,” Theodore shrugged before laying on the bed.
He crossed his hands under his head and then said, “And it’s not my place to tell her such things either.”
She agreed with a nod and then joined him on the bed.
“Since Liam and Tatiana are now king and queen, are we free to leave?” She yawned.
“Theoretically yes,” he conceded. “But I am afraid we cannot leave just yet, dorogaya.”
She nodded with another yawn as drowsiness caught up with her. “Sure, as long as I get to stay by your side, I don’t care where I am. You are my home.”
“You are mine as well,” she vaguely heard him say in response.