The Selection of Prince Creed

CREED

"Creed Taylor Schreave."

My mouth was completely dry. Glancing up at Patrick, I tried to swallow. His eyes were kind and I was thankful that it was him who was crowning me. Patrick has known me since I was a young boy. He knew exactly what I was feeling.

"Please kneel."

Kneeling, I bowed my head. My heart was racing. Never in my life had I pictured this moment. Never had I imagined myself kneeling here.

About to become King of Illeá.

The throne room was completely silent. No one was moving, even the little kids. Their support meant the world to me.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern and care for the people of Illeá according to their respective laws and customs?"

Chills ran over my body as I listened to the question. I had always thought Sebastian would be answering these questions. Not me.

"I do promise to do so."

Luckily my voice was steady. Despite my wavering insides.

"Will you in all of your power exercise Law and Justice with Mercy in all of your judgments?"

"I will."

"Will you in all of your powers maintain the Laws of the country?"

"I will."

"Will you fight to preserve all that Illeá is and will be?

"Will you maintain and preserve the rights of the people? To care with Justice and Mercy for the people?

"I will."

A weight was placed on my head. My father's crown was heavier than I expected. But it wasn't only a weight on my head.

I felt it on my shoulders and on my chest.

"Rise."

For a second, I doubted that I could get to my feet. I had read in a college English class about a man called Atlas who carried the skies.

This is how it felt. Carrying part of the world on your shoulders. Knowing that people depended on you.

"Creed?"

I flinched at the calling of my name. This wasn't in the script that Patrick had shown me.

I stood, hoping that my shoulders were strong enough to carry this country.

My eyes flew to my family as I turned to face them. There was pride and hope on their faces. I hoped that I wouldn't disappoint them.

"I now present, Creed Schreave, King of Illeá."

There was a moment of silence. And then my dad started clapping. And soon my mom and brothers followed suit.

I blinked back the stinging in my eyes as I stepped down the stairs into the crowd. These people were now my people. It was up to me to lead and guide them.

My dad grabbed my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. We had never been super close, like mom and I had been, but I loved him. I looked up to him. And he had tears in his eyes as he met my gaze.

Written in his eyes, I saw everything that I was feeling. He knew. He understood. He had lived it just as I was living it now.

"Dad." I whispered and pulled him into a hug.

He held me and I fought back tears. Suddenly I was six again, coming in from playing with a skinned knee and wanted someone to comfort me. And dad always gave the best hugs for those kind of moments.

When had I forgot about that? I tightened my grip, feeling his skinny body close and regretting every moment he spent as a captive. Every moment he should have spent here.

"I'm sorry, dad."

Dad pulled away from me, his dark eyes stormy, "Creed, you don't have to be sorry. You have done more than I could ever imagine for me. If anything, I'm sorry."

If we kept talking like this, I wasn't going to be able to hold back my emotions any longer. My gaze flickered over to the selected girls. And I really didn't want to lose control of my emotions before I had that conversation with them.

"Creed." Dad's voice pulled me back to him, "It's up to you now to make the hard choices. I wasn't here to help you before, but I'm here now. And we can make the hard choices together."

Hard choices.

I glanced again at the selected girls. This would be hard choice number one. Ending the selection. Giving them the chance to choose. Laying part of my heart out there for them.

Trying to trust them to not trample it.

I felt a hand intertwined with my own. Mom had come and taken my hand, love and support in her eyes. Sean and Tristan stood close too, each of them, a vow in their eyes. We were brothers.

I nodded at them, knowing that they understood.

Annie came into view and my heart ached to see the misery in her eyes. She could never hide it from me. But I also saw hope and pride in her eyes. And the burden of bringing my brother home again felt like a million tons on my shoulders.

Thea stepped up to Tristan's side and she smiled at me. Her smile reminded me of simpler times. Of the days when she and I would walk the gardens together, chatting about everything under the sun. But mostly of Tristan.

It seemed in those days that I had lost a close friend to my brother. I knew now that I had gained something much better. A sister.

They were my family. Each with a story to tell and a heart that broke a little more each day. We weren't complete yet. We were still missing one piece.

Sebastian.

Straightening my shoulders, my gaze flew to Sean. He nodded, understanding my meaning. I could trust Sean to set our plan in motion while I talked to the girls.

I'd talk to the girls in a minute. Taking off the crown that was just put on me and returning to just Creed. Because it was Creed who was asking them to stay.

And then I'd put the crown back on.

And be King.