be my royal ♕ chris evans

10 - coronation ball

THREE YEARS LATER

Y/N POV

"You look breathtaking!" Amber exclaimed, gripping my shoulders and smiling brightly.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror and turned around to hug Amber.

"She looks ridiculous. As always." My best friend's annoying voice commented.

Amber giggled, and I faked a laugh, rolling my eyes at him.

"Woah. Don't talk about my girlfriend like that." Darius was standing in the doorway.

He walked towards me and pecked at my lips. "You look gorgeous, my love."

I smiled against his lips and hummed, "You look quite handsome yourself."

"Oh!" Amber gasped, making us all turn around and focus on her in worry.

"Is anything wrong?" Thomas asked, clearly nervous.

She chuckled, "No. She just kicked."

Amber smiled and rested her hand on her stomach, where their soon to be born daughter kicked.

I remember the day when she took the final pregnancy test. She was too nervous to do it with Thomas, so she asked me to give her company.

"It's done." The timer she put on her phone went off.

I squealed and gave her my best smile. "Go check!"

"I can't." She was breathing heavily and rubbed her hands together.

"You do it for me." She looked at me, hoping that I'd save her from the worst potential outcome. She and Thomas had been trying to get pregnant for months, only to get negative pregnancy tests one after the other.

"Ok." was all I could say. I stood up from the floor and walked towards the sink, where she had placed the test.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at the result and screamed at the top of my lungs. I turned around to face her and yelled, "It's positive!"

I chuckled at the memory and shook my head. I have to concentrate on something else. On everything that is about to happen and how my life would finally be mine, and not my fathers.

Today is the day of my coronation. The day I will finally be the Queen and have the liberty to make my own decisions without consulting no one else. Even after everything that happened three years ago with him, my father still made all of my choices for me. My mother stopped him from arranging a marriage with someone else, but he restricted me from doing normal things, unless he approved of them. But after tonight, he'll lose any power he has over me.

"Are you ready?" Darius asked me.

I met Darius a few months after he left. I was still heartbroken and did nothing except sleep, eat, and go to the bathroom.

Darius is the son of one of our Dukes. He came to visit the castle and bumped into a depressed, heartbroken version of me. Every day, he came back to the castle and knocked on my door, hoping that I'd let him in and talk. I guess he wanted to be the one to get me out of there for the first time in months.

One day, after being annoyed at him for coming back every single day, I opened the door and told him off. Turns out he was a pleasant gentleman, so I gave him a chance.

Despite the two years that we've spent together, I'm not in love with him. I will love no one except him. But maybe time will make me love Darius. Right?

No, but it's your fault for letting Chris go that easily. My subconscious snapped back.

I rolled my eyes at her and reminded her to never mention his name again. The simple sound of it makes my heart skip a beat and sends me into memory lane. Which makes me forget about Darius completely and reminds me of the love of my life.

I know I'm using Darius to forget the man I fell head over heels for, but can you blame me?

Yes. Yes, we can blame you, you dumb-

I shook my head to silence that annoying voice inside of me that is calling me out for using my current boyfriend to forget my first love. Well, only love.

"Yes, I'm ready." I responded to the handsome man beside me. Darius is very good-looking, but no one will ever compare to the actor that stole my heart years ago and still hasn't returned it.

Thomas and Amber smiled at us and walked out of the room. Darius took my arm in his and we followed them.

To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I've been waiting for this day for years and now that it's finally happening, I can feel knots in my stomach form. I have to show as much confidence as I can, though. Royalty from all around the world will attend, including some distinguished citizens of our country, and I need to show them I can be the strong Queen in which they'll depend on for years.

~~~

Before my parents gave me the title and the ceremony began, the ball went on for a few hours. That way I could talk with multiple guests and show them I'm prepared to be their rightful Queen.

After talking to a rather strange couple, I walked towards the table where drinks were being served. My nerves were getting the best of me, and some champagne would ease them.

"The day has finally arrived." A deep yet soft voice said behind me. A voice that I knew too well. It was the only voice that could ever make me feel at peace.

I closed my eyes. Maybe I was imagining things and someone else was behind me. This wouldn't be the first time I could listen to his voice calling out to me. But every time I thought I heard it, my subconscious punched me with the reality that he wasn't here, and I was just desperately imagining that he was.

When I turned around, I found myself gazing into a pair of bright blue eyes and a charming smile adorned with a perfectly trimmed beard.

"Chris."