Justice for the Forest-Beasts

Chapter Twenty-Nine - In Which Power is Taken

The 30th of the month came frighteningly quick. Estelle and Lucian woke up early, nervous about the election. At breakfast, Lucian could hardly even eat. He mostly played with his food, pushing it around his plate with his fork. He made uncomfortable noises, and he seemed quite restless.

Estelle and Lucian stayed outside for most of the day, despite how frigid and snowy it was. Voting took place outdoors, in the courtyard by the castle. The twins stayed there, so they could greet the voters and slyly encourage them all to vote for them. Of course, they weren't the only candidates with that idea. In fact, everyone except Ludovic, who never did care much about being king, was at the courtyard for most of the day.

Children came and went, disappointed that they couldn't play in the courtyard. A few of them attempted to vote, but were chased away by Royal Guards. The adults, on the other hand, would come and stay for a while. They'd talk to the candidates if they could, and they'd drop in their vote. Many of them broke off into groups to speak with their friends. Voting was seen as a semi-formal event for the townspeople, but there was a mix of formalities among the adults' outfits in the courtyard.

It felt like Estelle and Lucian were certainly losing the election. In the center of the courtyard, there were five large vases—one for each of the candidates. They each had one of their names written on them, so people knew who they belonged to. The voters would come by and put a stone in the vase that belonged to the candidate they wanted to vote for. However, Estelle didn't feel like she and Lucian were getting many people by their vase. Estelle wondered if it was just her mind being self-conscious, and she truly hoped it was.

It wasn't until the 4th of the new year, when Estelle and Lucian would learn who won the election. Until that day, neither of the twins could eat or sleep. Estelle could feel a growing pit in her stomach, as the day slowly creeped closer. On the 4th, everyone gathered in the amphitheater. A spot in the front of the audience had been reserved for candidates. Lucian sat at the end of the row, with Estelle right beside him. Merle was on Estelle's other side. She was the twins' cousin, who was an uptight, young lady who hated any and all fun. But, regardless of how much the twins didn't like her, they had to admit that her grades were flawless and the public absolutely adored her. Sitting beside Merle, Estelle felt like an absolute nobody.

Estelle and Lucian were both happy to see Cecilia, once she finally stepped out onto the stage and greeted the audience. Rather than wearing her court jester getup, she was dressed almost like a queen herself. She was decked out in jewels and gold, and her tunics were thickly layered with animal fur. In Cecilia's left hand, she held a golden envelope, which Estelle knew had to contain the election's results. All of the candidates were nervous to find out who the new monarch was going to be, although the same could also be said about everyone in the entire amphitheater.

Cecilia waited for the audience to quiet down. The people couldn't help but to chatter and whisper amongst themselves in excitement. However, they eventually got Cecilia's memo and gradually became silent. Finally, Cecilia began to speak aloud. "Hello, everyone. Thank you for gathering here this morning," she greeted everyone, "You will all be among the first to learn who has been elected to be Branalum's next beloved monarch. Without further hesitation, I will begin with the candidate who received the least amount of votes. I will then end with the candidate who received the greatest amount of votes."

The anticipation hung heavy in the air around the candidates, as Cecilia opened her golden envelope, painstakingly slow. A smile tugged at her lips as she continued to speak, "With 11% of the votes, Ludovic. With 13% of the votes, Lucian. With 15% of the votes, Merle." There were only two candidates left, Estelle and Helisent. Between each candidate's name being called, there was cheering, booing, and chattering. But the audience went silent as Cecilia hesitated to announce the final two candidates. Estelle was on the edge of her seat, her hand in Lucian's. "With 22% of the votes, Helisent. And with 39% of the votes, Estelle."

The audience was loud, but it was no match for the booming that came from Estelle's pounding heart. She could feel it all the way in her fingertips and in her ears. Her legs felt wobbly all of a sudden, like she'd fall to the floor if she tried to stand. She wasn't sure how to describe this feeling—anxious, perhaps. But it wasn't necessarily bad. Adrenaline fueled her body, and she no longer felt comfortable while she sat in her chair.

Cecilia was gesturing for Estelle to come up onstage, and the people around her in the audience were doing the same. Estelle no longer felt as though she was in her own body. Everything felt foggy, as if she was dreaming. Slowly, Estelle got onto her feet, making sure she was steady, before she made her way onto the stage. She stood tall beside Cecilia, with a prideful grin on her face. It did not feel real at all, as Estelle looked out into the audience. For certain, she did not feel like Estelle.

"Do you know who you would like to rule beside you, sire? Or would you like to decide later on?" Cecilia asked, speaking above the audience. Their cheers were just beginning to die down.

Estelle looked out into the crowd as she thought things over. The only person she could think of was Petra. The two had never truly discussed what would happen if Estelle was elected, but she felt that it was probably obvious that, as Estelle and Lucian's best friend outside of the royal family, Petra would have to marry one of them if they became monarch. She wanted to marry Rain, especially after their conversation about it, but that was completely out of the question.

"I have someone in mind, but I'm not sure if they would like to rule alongside me," Estelle said.

"And who would that be, Your Royal Highness?" Cecilia asked.

"Miss Petra Inorlan," Estelle answered.

Cecilia looked out into the audience, "Petra Inorlan, is that right? Are you here this morning, Miss Inorlan?"

Someone in the audience stood up and began making their way towards the stage. With the spotlights shining so brightly on the stage, Estelle had to squint to confirm that it was Petra.

"Is that your lady?" Cecilia asked.

Estelle nodded, "That's her." Her light skin and hair stood out among the audience, and she had always walked in a very specific, springy way.

Petra hurried her way onstage, standing close by Estelle's side. She smiled nervously at Estelle, then reached to hold Estelle's hand as Cecilia began to speak yet again. Estelle accepted the advance, holding Petra's hand and linking their fingers.

"People of Branalum," Petra said, "Here are your next monarchs, Queen Estelle and Queen Petra of Branalum!"

The audience erupted into their medley of different reactions, cheering, booing, and shouting. As Estelle stood there, basking in all of the attention and light, she felt jittery. There was a long road ahead of her, as watching over a country is terribly hard work. She was looking forward to her crowning ceremony, as well as her and Petra's wedding. She also felt quite a bit of guilt, for both Rain and for Lucian. Rain didn't get to live to be a monarch, and it wasn't Lucian's fault that the kingdom wouldn't vote for him. Surely, Petra would let Lucian help her and Estelle rule Branalum together.