A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

He was getting ready in the king’s suite. According to him, he wanted to see the full effect rather than witness my transformation in stages, and I suspected he wanted the same for me.

“Here we go, let’s get you up.” Leala reached for my arm, and Hadriel stepped closer on the other side, helping me out of the chair with the crown still in place. Usually, they apparently put the crown on when the walk was about to start, but Leala had been worried about the curl she’d done just so.

“I cannot believe this is real,” I whispered, admiring the beautiful, glimmering gown inlaid with specks of ruby, hugging my bust and then flowing down my legs and into a long train behind me, currently held by a couple of chairs. “This has to be some mistake.”

“Just remember,” Hadriel said, pressed into my side, smiling at me in the mirror. “The master is not the true prince either. He doesn’t have the blood of Wyvern’s kings. He fought for his place, just as you did.”

“I didn’t fight for anything.”

“What’s that?” He pulled away a little and put a finger to his temple. “Am I an idiot, or didn’t we take a tour around the demon king’s dungeons and then battle him twice? Leala, is it me who’s the idiot?”

“Yes,” Leala said as she held out a pair of burgundy gloves for me to slip into. “But you did certainly fight for your place, milady. No one in this entire kingdom questions that. There are some very large stories going around about you.”

“You’re welcome,” Hadriel said. “I had no idea the villagers were such gossips. Worse than the castle by far.”

“They just aren’t used to your theatrics,” Leala replied.

Hadriel squinted one eye. “Yes, good call. I better be a little more discreet. I don’t want to blow my load too quickly.”

“For once,” Leala murmured with a little smile.

Hadriel sucked in a breath and put his palm to his chest dramatically. “How dare you! You know I’m no one-pump chump. I’ve worked very hard on stamina.”

She laughed as she stepped back to survey me. Her smile grew wider. “You make a very beautiful queen, milady.”

“Yes, you do, I must say,” Hadriel said. “You’ll easily shine among all the simp queens from the other kingdoms, and when it’s time to swing your tits around, you’ll shock or scare or intrigue them all. I am so excited for going on our tour once we’re official with the council. How many kingdoms have written in and expressed interest in having us visit?”

“Five,” Leala supplied, turning me toward the outer room, something made more difficult by the train. “Calia asked that we visit her kingdom before the council. So four have requested to meet us some time after.”

We’d piqued the curiosity of the other kingdoms. Arleth had said their requests for meetings were basically the equivalent of them circling us. One of those kingdoms was Red Lupine, and Nyfain wondered at their decision to send a note before the council. They had to know we had Weston. I could feel his unease whenever we spoke of it.

Still, none of that mattered right now. Not because of the coronation, but because of where it would lead: the council meeting. It would give us a chance to size up the other kingdoms. After that, we’d have a better idea of which of them to seek out for possible alliances, hopefully with the help of the faeries.

“Other than the demon kingdom, which was a pretty shitty vacation, I’ve never left the kingdom, and I am so fucking excited I can’t even believe it.” Hadriel clapped. “I can’t believe this is real either, love. But it is, so let’s make it official.”

Sucking in a deep breath, I walked toward the outer room where Arleth, my family, and Vemar were waiting. Even though my guard, led by the incredibly competent Tamara, was now set, Vemar hadn’t taken the hint that he was no longer needed. He’d basically taken up the role of hanging around and scaring away anyone who didn’t expressly belong. He was big and powerful and crazy, and no one wanted to mess with those traits in a dragon.

Impatience swirled through the bond, followed by urgency. “Nyfain’s nervous,” I told the others as I crossed the threshold.

“Don’t worry about that, dear,” Arleth said. She came forward as she scanned me with glimmering eyes. “He wants to hurry and make it official. Ever since you gave him back his wings, he’s been looking forward to this moment. My goodness, Finley. The goddess herself wouldn’t look as perfect as you do. You are a dragon queen, through and through. Your dangerous edge cuts through all that sparkle and glamour. Your power and the fire curling across your skin—you are an absolute vision.”