The second, third, and fourth floors were more or less open, surrounded by spiral staircases and an open floor where all the local lords were in attendance. Like Maddox, most of them had been disinterested in the war, but a few of them no doubt harbored bitterness at having lost to someone who had not lifted a finger to fight. The place hummed with the energy of New York’s most powerful, most refined, and oldest vampire lords. Maddox knew all of them. All of them knew him. If they were human, it would have been a very congenial affair, but they were vampires and all of them would have rather been somewhere else.
“Come with me, boy?” Maddox offered Will his hand.
“As myself, or do you want the spectacle of having a wolf on a chain?”
A smile twisted Maddox’s lips. A lesser vampire might very well have insisted on Will taking his wolf form at his coronation, but Maddox had lived long enough to learn that it was better to let one’s strengths be mythic rather than overtly flaunted. Tales of the wolf were already widespread and becoming more exaggerated over time. “Let’s reserve that little power of yours for life and death situations only. I’d prefer not to torture you senselessly to death.”
“That’s as close as you’re going to get to a grand declaration of love,” Lorien muttered. “Enjoy it.”
Maddox proceeded down the spiral staircase with Will behind him and Lorien taking up the rear. All eyes were on them as he strolled to the thrones vacated by the twins. Now, though there was only the one king, nobody had thought to remove the second throne. It was fortunate, Maddox mused. He had a place for his pet wolf, somewhere as elegant and elevated as he deserved.
“Sit, boy,” Maddox indicated.
There was a general kerfuffle of confusion at seeing a human on the throne. Will was the only human present, a fact every vampire was aware of by merit of his scent and their senses. Still, the king could do as he pleased and nobody was in the mood to question his choices. They were all hoping the ceremony was over quickly and peace restored to New York.
“This is weird as fuck,” Will murmured.
“Agreed,” Maddox replied. Hundreds of powerful vampires bowing to him was weird as fuck. But it was what had to be done to stop the war. Someone had to take the throne. Someone had to bring peace. And that someone was him — for now.
Off to the side of the dais, it did not escape Maddox’s attention that Lorien was smiling like the Cheshire cat. Nobody else in the room suspected it, but by his reckoning Lorien was truly the most dangerous vampire in New York, bar none. Sadistic, manipulative, charming. Everything a potential king needed to be. Perhaps more than a king. Perhaps an emperor. There was ambition in those sparkling green eyes. And though he was yet young, he had already set leviathan events in motion that would continue to echo throughout time.
He would need to be kept close. Very close.
“Hey.” Will nudged him.
“What?”
“They’re trying to put the thing on you.”
Maddox glanced over to see that Alonzo was, indeed, trying to put the thing on him. Alonzo had been turned when he was in his seventies, and so he had a natural venerable appeal which leant itself to moments such as these. It was fortunate that someone did, for the entire ceremony was lacking a certain amount of what might be considered excitement.
Alonzo’s tone was imbued with serious weight and majesty made more evident by Maddox’s absolute disinterest in the proceedings.
“With this ancient crown, forged in history’s fires and worn only by those who have true claim to power, I mark you as leader of our kind, and bestow upon you this symbol of our collective fealty. May your reign be eternal.”
Will snuggled up to Maddox over the arm of the throne as the crown was presented first to the crowd, and then placed upon Maddox’s head.
A cheer of obligation and general relief went up around the room, tinged, of course, with bitterness and envy, as might be expected at any coronation.
It was done.
Epilogue
“Has there ever been a king who wanted to be king less than you?”
The nobles were gone after a swirl of hollow congratulations and insincere doffing of various garments. Now the Library was empty save for Will and Maddox. It felt very empty, but ironically, all the more hallowed for that. When it had been filled with vampires and agendas it had felt busy and performative. Now it felt real, solid, and heavy.
“Plenty, actually,” Maddox replied. “Royal lineages are usually hereditary; there have been endless sons of tyrants who suffer under crowns until they can offload them. I will not be any different.”
“Well, I’ll be here to watch your back,” Will said.