A Tale Of Shadows (Wattys 2023) - REPLACED BY DIVINE ASCENSION

Chapter 6 - The Coronation

The war between Obscuria and Eade was hardly a war. Although there were some battles in which Melinda could not win, Eade was not much of a militant state, and that, combined with Melinda's experience in battle, ensured their defeat. She would then go on to conquer the rest of the continent with ease, especially because the resources of Eade, which was one of the bigger states, were in her possession. Iuvat was one of the largest continents in the world, which was why she considered three years an impressive timeframe to conquer it within. It was not as if she could do it for much longer either since all that conquering had its cost, and she was immensely glad to be able to stop warring for a while. And, several days after she took control of the last defiant state, she woke up early to get ready for her coronation.

The sun shone through the curtains in her bedroom, putting a smile on her face. As the birds started singing under her windows, she yawned and stretched her hands, getting out of bed without hesitation. Her maid came in right after, carrying a blue and golden dress, for those were the official colours of Iuvat. She had some difficulties thanks to the enormous length and width of the skirt, which was reflected in her stilted movement, and, for a moment, the soon-to-be Empress saw her shiver when she was about to drop it on the floor, which, luckily, did not happen.

"Jane," Melinda spoke while the maid was helping her put the dress on. "After the preparation for the coronation is done, we must pay a quick visit to the concentration camp Randall Carson is in. I am certain that you must be confused, but let me explain. I know that no one respects the poor, and for a good reason, but even criminals deserve our sympathy from time to time. They are people too, after all. I would not want them to miss out on a celebration like this. You see what I am trying to do now, right?"

Jane smiled at her. "I see it now, madam. You are so kind."

Melinda giggled. "Thank you, Jane. It is my honour to serve this country."

"You are welcome," said Jane, and soon after, they were finished with the dress.

That, together with finding the right gloves, shoes and makeup, took an hour to do. Upon looking at the mirror, Melinda saw that she resembled a majestic peacock, and her smile widened. Her eyes were shining like stars, which Jane complimented together with her attire. But there was no time for idleness, so the two of them rushed to the concentration camp in a carriage, not noticing that Gilbert was glaring at them this time as well, and he and Jane stayed in there, waiting for Melinda to do what she had to do.

She accidentally slammed the door when she walked in, making the heads of all the slaves turn towards her as soon as she entered the building, their faces pale and their eyes wide open. There was a radiant smile on her face, at which they raised their eyebrows, turning to each other to whisper about why she could be smiling. Somewhere around a minute later, she reached Randall, who had just finished his porridge, the smell of which she had gotten used to. Staring at her blankly, he asked the following question:

"What are you doing here, Mrs Bellerose?"

She laughed. "There is no need for concern, sir. All I want is for you and your friends to come with me because I am feeling kind today. You do not need to change, and I will explain everything to the other guests."

Randall furrowed his eyebrows. "Is this a trap, madam? What are your intentions?"

Melinda laughed once again. "Even if it were a trap, I would not tell you. Besides, do you not have faith in me? Is there any harm in letting you enjoy a celebration for once?"

Randall placed two fingers on his chin. "I suppose you are in the right. After all, it is only natural to be kind at least sometimes, even when it comes to the worst of us."