Under the Roses

124 - There's Blood in the Crown

ALICE

"Where did Red go?" Alice hissed, craning her neck to peer around at the crowded and ever-filling room. They'd managed to snatch the last few seats, and the rest of the people were being forced to stand to the back, the alcoves to either side being taken by the nobility.

"I think she went to find Rapunzel," Whit whispered. He looked nervous, fidgeting. He smoothed the front of his suit for the twentieth time and straightened his tie for the hundredth, but Alice couldn't see how he could be uncomfortable when he wore this sort of thing on a daily basis. What was there to be nervous about? Everything was going according to plan.

"Did you find Vanessa?"

"There, in the red." He pointed surreptitiously across the aisle to where Alice could see the back of a dark head and the hint of a red cloak. Vanessa was sitting between a woman with a woolen scarf and a boy with dark hair.

As if Vanessa could sense them looking at her, she turned and gave them a tight smile. Alice smiled back, pulling her coat tighter around herself. It was another garment conjured from Vanessa's satchel, but now the ice in her heart was so piercing, it hardly helped. She tried not to shiver too much and catch the attention of anyone who happened to see.

Alice surveyed the room again. The dais at the front of the room was decorated for the coronation ceremony, but she knew that after it would serve as the altar for Rapunzel's wedding to Prince Ivan of Eilyste. He was standing up at the front with his father and the rest of the royals, who had all come to attend the crowning of a new monarch.

Even Amoret and Amabel were there, in the back with their enormous wings. All of Amoret's children were there, but they occupied a portion of the alcove reserved for nobility. It was mostly full of the lesser royals, princes and princesses and such. Each kingdom was represented by its monarch on the dais except for Virane. There was only Princess Jun-Li, but Alice hadn't realized she wasn't asleep either.

There was a throne up on the dais as well. Alice had no idea where it had come from, but it was beautiful, sparkling in its gold and bronze. That was a throne fit for a queen.

Alice finally spotted her brother amongst the Auvish royals. She hoped he had brought his bodyguard, but, looking around for a hint of Rome, the tip of a black wing, or a flash of dark hair, she couldn't see him anywhere. Though perhaps he was hiding, which made sense. The crowd was tense enough with the presence of Amoret and Amabel.

Finally, the movement in the room stilled. Alice held her breath. Even her body stilled as if it knew what was coming.

The doors opened. Rapunzel strode into the room, led by a tall woman. Cecilia, Alice remembered. She went all the way to the dais but did not step up. Cecilia retreated to the side as Rapunzel stood and faced the other monarchs.

Alice was practically giddy with excitement. Excitement and dread. She'd never seen a coronation before—well, she had. She'd been present at Isabelle's coronation, but she'd been much smaller then and couldn't remember a thing.

She was about to watch history be made.

This was even more momentous than a typical coronation because Rapunzel would ascend to a fallen throne. A coronation would typically be officiated by the previous monarch or other members of the monarch's close advisors. This one, though, was to be officiated by Queen Amabel. She was the queen of South Auvyn and the oldest being present. Alice couldn't think of a single person, present company or otherwise, who was older than Amabel.

Rapunzel stepped up onto the dais, taking her place in front of the throne. She stood there as Mab stepped forward, the tips of her wings brushing the floor like the train of her dress.

"Princess Rose of Ailthe," said Amabel, her voice soft yet firm. She drew in a breath, and when she spoke again, it was in a language Alice recognized but did not know, Ancient Auvish. Alice only knew what she was saying because she'd memorized the translations long ago. "Will you have faith in your people?"

"I will." Rapunzel spoke in Ancient Auvish as well, and though her pronunciation wasn't quite right, the eloquence of her voice masked the flaws. She must have only memorized the lines to recite after every time Amabel spoke.

"Will you honor the laws of the kingdom?"

"I will."

Alice was sure everyone else in the room was holding their breath as she was.

"Will you be loyal to your people?"

"I will."

"Will you love your people?"

"I will."

"Will you set your people free?"

Rapunzel drew in an audible breath, but her face remained impassive. "I will."

"Swear on your soul, your blood, your body."

Rapunzel's face twitched slightly. She placed her hand on her heart. "I, Rose of Ailthe, swear on my soul, my blood, and my body. I will."

She sucked in another breath, and Alice could only imagine what she was feeling. Rapunzel dropped her hand.

Amabel gave a little nod. She turned to face the monarchs behind her. "Do you accept her as Queen of Ailthe?"

One by one she asked each of the monarchs, and one by one, they each replied, "I accept."

Finally, Amabel turned back to Rapunzel, who was positively shivering by now. Alice couldn't tell if it was from nerves or excitement. Or just the cold.

"I accept," said Amabel. Then she faced the crowd. "Do you accept her as your queen?"

The response was a loud chorus. Alice mouthed along with it. "I accept."

Amabel held up the imperial robe and draped it over Rapunzel's shoulders. Then she held up the crown—it was more of a diadem, really. It was gold, and where there would typically be rubies or gems, there were none.

"Alice." It was barely a whisper in her ear. She turned to look at Whit, who whispered, "I need to go."

"What?" Alice hissed, trying not to attract the attention of the people around them. "But you're going to miss the best part."

"I know. Tell me all about it, okay?" He slipped out of his seat and disappeared so silently and stealthily, Alice had no idea where he'd gone. Frowning, she turned back to face the dais.

Amabel handed the ceremonial knife out to Rapunzel. The blade was polished silver, the hilt studded with rubies. Rapunzel took the dagger and, taking another deep breath, wrapped one hand around the blade and yanked.

Rapunzel, wincing, held her hand over the diadem. Alice knew what was supposed to happen: the blood would fall onto the crown, crystallizing into blood-red gems in their place.

But that did not happen. Rapunzel's blood only slid off the diadem like any other liquid.

Rapunzel was frowning. The silence in the crowd had turned to something like shock.

"But I took the vows," Rapunzel said. "I swore and everything! Why isn't it working?"

"Well," Amabel said calmly, "it can only mean that you are not the heir."

"What?" Rapunzel stared. "But who else could it be? It has to be me—you saw for yourself. I am my mother's daughter. I am Princess Rose of Ailthe!"

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Amabel said, still calmly. Too calmly. "But you were missing for ten years. No one knew you were alive. Would it be that much of a shock to believe that maybe...someone else survived the Revolution as well?"