CHAPTER 487: CORONATION DAY PART 1

The day of Kaiden’s coronation arrived. He was to be a crowned king in the morning then marry Eleanor that night.

That morning, Kaiden was curled on the bed with Ariel in his arms. They just held each other. He wasn’t certain if what frightened him the most was the new responsibility that was about to fall on him or the fact that his life was drastically about to change.

"I wish it could be just us." He mentioned holding onto her waist. Ariel stirred, then turned towards him. She held his face. Her touch was gentle. "It will be fine. This was what you always wanted. Power and influence."

Kaiden sighed, then rested his head on her bosom. Her hand started to rub his head, brushing through the thick locks of his strawberry blonde. She wondered if they had a son whom he was going to take after.

The faint thought of a mini Kaiden made her smile. "How about we run away to Zeravon, maybe ask some witches to change our faces then start all over again, away from all this chaos." Ariel shook her head. His childish thoughts never stopped.

At times with Kaiden, she felt like she was talking to her little brother, but he was ’ older’ than her, as it seems.

"Is that what you always wanted, Kaiden? To be king has always been your dream. Why throw it away now?" She asked him.

"I was raised with one goal: to exceed all my brothers, including the queen’s son, to be king. Schemes and wars filled my years. I genuinely thought it was all I wanted because if I didn’t get it, my brothers might kill me because of the threat I pose." he paused as memories rushed into his head.

"But then I stumbled across a girl one day being chased by a magistrate’s son. I never thought much about that meeting nor did I imagine we might share a bed later on. After meeting the girl who loved running from me, I realised power isn’t the only source of happiness."

A drop of tear fell on him. Kaiden glanced up, his breath hitched. Tears were running down her eyes like an endless stream.

He moved closer to her face and then cupped her cheeks, his thumb trying to wipe off her tears. "Please don’t cry." He begged her. He hated himself for making her cry.

Ariel sniffed, her voice choked as she tried to look away. He stopped her, forcing her to stare back at him.

"I don’t want to be the reason you gave up on your dreams." His lips parted; he wanted to say his dream was to be happy, and that would be fulfilled only if she were happy.

She did not let him finish. "We can’t run away, only the authority of the king can protect me. Do you prefer I die?" She asked him.

His eyes darkened, he would never let that happen. "I would never." He said firmly.

"Then be the man you are. Besides, you can’t give up on your dreams after all the sacrifices you have made for today." Her words resonated with him.

All his sacrifices. He pulled away and sat up. He felt Ariel also sit up. She cosied up to him, then hugged him from behind. Kaiden was staring at his palms.

They were covered with the blood he had spilt. His fingers curled into a fist. "I am no saint. I took life out of duty, because of survival, because of my ambition but also in cold blood. At times, I can hear his final cries when I am alone." Kaiden muttered. His voice was laced with pain, regret and something more.

Her heart squeezed for him. "Whose voice do you hear?"

Kaiden didn’t answer, "Gwen, my brother. The late crown prince also saw me as a threat and tried to kill me amidst battle, but had miscalculated. He was the one who fell instead, cursing me out." He sighed then closed his eyes.

"The path leading to the throne was covered with blood and betrayal. This will be the same path my children– our children might take."

Ariel laid her head against his back. "The future is hard to predict."

*****

Kaiden left the castle earlier to undergo a final cleansing ritual in the Von Drakkar family’s ancestral temple, a journey he must take before his coronation at noon.

Multiple carriages arrived at the palace. Ariel sat in her carriage, just watching, scared of going in. Her thoughts went back to Kaiden.

This was his brother’s last chance to kill him during the cleansing ritual because once Kaiden ascended the throne, he was going to execute him for all the failed assassinations, even if he didn’t have solid evidence.

From her window, she spotted a carriage arriving. Eleanor stepped out dressed up for the occasion. She already looked like the queen. Ariel felt a pinch in her heart. She has convinced herself over and over again that it didn’t matter, yet the subtle pain was there.

Eleanor entered the palace unaware of Ariel’s gaze on her.

A loud bell rang from the mountain behind the palace. It was the ancestral temple. Kaiden had passed the final ritual. All Ariel could pray for was that he arrive safely.

"My grace, it is time. " A soft voice said beside her. Ariel glanced at her handmaid Giselle. She was in her late teens now, Giselle later became Cedric’s nanny and eventually his head maid.

"It is," Ariel answered then also proceeded out of the carriage. The sun was blazing from the clear blue sky. Ariel had a lacy face veil covering half of her face. It was Kaiden’s request, to hide her resemblance to the wanted posters and hide her beauty

Unfortunately, it only made her more alluring. Ariel made her way up the stairs to the grand hall where the coronation would be held.

The doors opened, and she gracefully stepped in. Each step was refined and enchanting, it looked like a goddess descended on the human realm. The hall dropped silent, and every eye was drawn to her.

Her presence was magnetic. Eleanor didn’t want to look, but could not take her eyes off Ariel. Ariel’s posture looked nothing short of regal. It made her wonder how a village girl could have such air and demeanour.

Envy was a poison eating her up. Ariel walked past Eleanor to the front. She sat on the royal family side a row behind the king and queen.

Time ticked, seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours. Two hours went by and there was still

No sign of Kaiden. Mumurs started to fly. What was taking him so long?