after the fiasco in the council room, elle had at least another two stacks of paperwork delivered to her desk. one stack of confirmation on the training programme and the other to do with the the mass destruction the black bulls caused.
elle was elbow deep in her last stack when yuno walked in. though things were mildly awkward for him right now with her new status and all, yuno still came to visit when he could, knowing that elle couldn't leave very often. he didn't hold it against her, he knew how busy she was. he just hoped she would have more time for him after her coronation.
speaking of which, it was midday tomorrow.
"take a break with me, you'll never be able to concentrate fully if you work nonstop," yuno said, closing the door behind him before making his way to elle's desk, waiting for her to finish her signature before slipping the pen out of her fingers, replacing the object with his own hand, interlacing their fingers and bring them up to his lips to kiss her hand.
"hello, love," elle smiled tiredly, standing up and stretching out her arms with her hand still holding his. she walks into his arms after the stiffness of her joints wore off, relishing in how secure it felt to be wrapped up in the arms of the boy she loved.
he placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled away from the hug, leaving his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.
"i got promoted today. to vice-captain. langris quit." yuno said, a familiar proud smirk on his face.
"really? that's amazing yuno I'm so proud of you!" elle cheered, moving her hands up to cradle his face, planting a small kiss on his lips. "it's a lot more work, are you prepared?"
"I'm prepared for everything" yuno smirked, leaning in for another. he spoke again as he pulled away. "you know what happens in 7 months?"
"what happens in 7 months?"
"you and i will both be 18. remember on the rooftop when you told me about how your family tricked you into a contract where you're not allowed to date until you're 18? only 7 more months until that contract is over and we can be together." yuno reminded her "only if you still want to of course. i know our statuses are on opposite sides of the spectrum and you're going to be queen as of tomorrow, but i want to be with you..."
for the first time ever yuno looked embarrassed of his status. he was never one to believe his worth was based on his position in society but he found himself desperate. he loved her so much that it was sometimes all he could think about and the thought that she would maybe reject him because she was a royal and he was a peasant truly broke him. yuno didn't think he could face rejection.
"yuno there's never been a moment where i've doubted being with you, i don't care about your status, you are you and i only want to be with you. no one else." elle reassured him, a blinding smile on her face as she gazed into his eyes lovingly.
yuno smiled at that. a wide, genuine smile as he brought her in for another kiss. it was an awkward clash of teeth as they both smiled into the kiss but it was filled with love for one another.
"oh yeah, i met your assistant lance outside your room. he wanted me to let you know that your final dress fitting is in ten minutes."
"and i'm guessing he told you that ten minutes ago?"
"uhh, yeah"
—/<3/—
elle was nervous on her coronation day. she didn't get a wink of sleep beforehand, rather spending the majority of the night pacing or distracing herself with the reminants of her paperwork.
her father came to collect her early that morning since the preparation would take hours. she had been fitted into a gorgeous green dress that her mother designed for her before she passed away. a clover monarch must always be coronated in green and though it wasn't exactly elle's favourite colour, the shade her mother picked out was ethereal.
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[art by LONARY]
the whole capital would be gathered to watch her coronation, she was the monarch the clover kingdom wanted on the throne the most after the death of maelie, and to make things even better she was also the daughter of the wizard king which would make her the most poweful monarch to take the throne since lumierre silvamillion 500 years ago.
"i'm so proud of you, my darling," julius began, his voice significantly higher since his transformation into his prepubescant self. "i'm so sorry i cant be there to guide you through it, but just know i'll be there watching where no one can see me. you've practiced this, you know what to do, just don't drop the orb or the sceptre, i know your hands shake when you're anxious..."
elle giggled "i wont drop them i promise, what type of queen would i be if i broke the kingdom's most prized artefacts?"
"if only your mother could see you now. she would be so proud of the woman you've grown up to be... please never change elle, no matter how much pressure the nobles put on you don't ever let your moral compass be led askew." julius smiled, his eyes wet with tears as he spoke of his late wife. she was the love of his life and he could never love again.
"you're gonna make me cry papa... i can't become queen with smudged makeup!"
julius chuckled, bringing his daughter in for a hug before sending her off.
they could hear the people chanting through the door and on her cue, the doors swung open. elle took one last deep breath before holding her head up high and walking elegantly down the red-carpeted platform, stopping before dr owen, who was posing as her father wrapped in bandages. the crowd collectively gasped at her beauty and regality as she awaited their silence.
her eyes found yuno's in the crowd and he nodded, silently encouraging her from a distance as he took in how beautiful she truly was. he was one lucky guy.
dr owen began once the crowd was quiet. "almighty and everlasting gods, we beseech thee of thy abundant goodness, pour out the spirit of thy grace and blessing upon this thy servant, her majesty queen elle novochrono-kira; that as by the imposition of our hands, she is this day crowned queen of the clover kingdom, so she may, by thy sanctification, continue always thy chosen servant, through our gods until the day she dies."
the orb and sceptre were handed to elle by william on a velvet pillow and she took them in shaky hands, though her face remained the picture of calamity and grace. she then knelt and the crown was placed upon her head. she had been warned by her father that the crown would be heavy but she had never expected it to be as heavy as it was. still she didn't let is phase her as she rose to her feet and faced the crowd once again.
"ALL HAIL HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELLE!" the crowd yelled. they began to cheer and throw white roses and orchids into the air as the sceptre and orb were safely retrieved from her hands.
the after party would ensue shortly in the palace banquet hall with the magic knights and important personel like councilmen, though after the incident in the council room a few days prior, elle wasn't sure she wanted damnatio's men there.
elle curtseyed to the crowd, her eyes meeting yami and william's, who were smiling widely, before she headed back down the platform to change, her heart warming at the welcome the kingdom gave her.
