Corrupt

Chapter 34

Surrounding me, Eloise and Ashia stand amongst a crowd who dart like hummingbirds, adjusting every final detail of my dress. Rebel and Carcaseau people, I notice. They're uniting.

"How're you feeling?" Ashia smiles softly.

"Honestly? Terrified," I reply with a bashful grin.

"Your wedding and coronation on one day is pretty big," Eloise giggles.

She's right. I've been counting down the seconds to this moment. Yet, now that it's here, I find myself daunted by the weight of it all. 

Somewhere nearby, Daeva is probably feeling the same. 

Since the battle, the time has flown, and I've found myself - along with everyone else - rushed off my feet with the rebuilding, the meetings, the endless jobs. In the midst of it all, Daeva proposed. It was hardly a surprise - at least, that's what I'd told myself. My heart had disagreed. Even now, I can barely come to terms with the news. 

On top of that, after a landslide vote, Daeva and I will be crowned today. So, that's... Exciting. 

"You'll be fine," a girl tells me with a smile. I return the gesture with gratitude.

If only Drea was here. Katie. Hetty. 

They should've been here.

Gently, Ashia weaves the veil into my hair. It's growing back now: nearly shoulder-length. 

Eloise holds a mirror in front of me, and my hands fly to my mouth. 

I look beautiful. The pearly pink dress glows against my shining skin, the veil cascading down my back, flowers dotted amongst my hair. Brushing against the floor, the layered skirts are like petals - and I am the rose.

"It's... It's perfect. Thank you." 

My eyes fill with tears, but I refuse to let them fall. 

Eloise and Ashia direct a murmur through the crowd, and it slowly disperses, with people sending final wishes of happiness over their shoulders. After a minute or so, I'm left alone with my friends, and suddenly wrapped in a group hug.

"You look so pretty," Ashia whispers in my ear. "I'm so glad you're happy."

"Thank you," I murmur again. "Thank you. Both of you."

They step back, and exchange a look. Eloise holds out an envelope.

"Lynny, we... We were looking through Drea's things, seeing what we should do, and... We found this. I know now might not be the best time, but... We thought you should have it. It's yours." 

The breath catches in my chest as I take the delicate paper. On the front, in simple ink: my name, in Drea's handwriting. My fingers are tearing it open before I can think.

ʟʏɴɴʏ,

ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴅʀᴇᴀ. ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ, ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ. ʙᴜᴛ, ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ, ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ.

ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇɴᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ɢᴏɴᴇ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀꜱ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ. ɪ ꜱᴇᴀʀᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴄᴀꜱᴛʟᴇ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɴɪᴋᴏʟᴀꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ᴠᴀᴜʟᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴏᴡ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ Qᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ.

ɪ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴀᴜᴛᴏᴘꜱʏ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛꜱ ꜰᴏʀ Qᴜᴇᴇɴ ᴊᴜɴɪᴘᴇʀᴀ. ᴀɴᴅ ʟʏɴɴʏ, ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʜᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ. ɪᴛ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ-ᴅᴇɢʀᴇᴇ ʙᴜʀɴꜱ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴀ ꜰᴇᴠᴇʀ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ'ꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀᴇ. ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪꜱᴇᴅ.

ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ʙᴜɴᴅʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛꜱ. ꜱᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ, ʟʏɴɴʏ. ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴜʀɴꜱ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ. ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʀᴇʙᴇʟꜱ. ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴇᴠɪʟ, ʟʏɴ. ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴏʀʀᴜᴘᴛ, ʟʏɪɴɢ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀᴇʀ.

ɪ ᴡɪꜱʜ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʟᴇꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɢᴏɴᴇ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ'ᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇᴅ.

ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ɴᴏᴡ. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ. ɪ'ᴍ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ. ꜱᴏ ɪ'ᴍ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ. ʜᴏᴘᴇꜰᴜʟʟʏ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴏ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇ. ʜᴏᴘᴇꜰᴜʟʟʏ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɢᴏᴇꜱ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ. ɪꜰ ɪᴛ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ, ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ꜱᴀꜰᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ. ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ.

ꜱᴛᴀʏ ꜱᴀꜰᴇ.ᴅʀᴇᴀ

There are tears flooding my vision as I close the letter, clutching it to my chest. 

"She knew," I say simply. The girls drop their heads, sighing.  "I wish she could be back. I miss her so much. But at least I've done everything I can. Nobody else will die like she did."

"She'd be proud of you," Eloise smiles gently. 

And, in response, I swear I feel the ghost of arms around me.

An hour later, everything has changed. There's a crown on my head. Daeva's hand reaches out to find mine from their throne. The service is just coming to a close. I squeeze their hand, turning my gaze to the ceremony's host. 

"...Queen Lynette Answatch and Sovereign Daeva Korren will do everything in their power to protect Carcaseau from its past and future opponents, as will we. Today is a beautiful day. A day of union, celebration and peace. Today, we celebrate the destruction of lies, the peaceful truth that replaces them. We celebrate a marriage."

My eyes flutter to stare at Daeva. I can't quite believe it. They are dressed, smartly as ever, in a formal black suit, perfectly tailored to the sharp lines of their body, with a dark crown wreathing their gleaming crimson hair. And they're mine. As if hearing my thoughts, they turn to face me with a knowing smirk. I blush, and look away. 

"I believe your Sovereign requested a few final words before we end the ceremony."

Thank goodness. I'm terrible at these events.

"Thank you, yes," Daeva replies smoothly, coming to stand beside him. "Carcaseau, what a journey we've come on over these last few weeks. I imagine we're all grateful for a day of rest. I know I am." Soft laughter echoes across the crowd. I smile as I watch Daeva, perfectly in their element. The burns still gleam red on their skin, and I've seen them wince in pain behind closed doors. But they continue. 

"I am so grateful for each of you. Each of you has overcome treachery, from the sole person that you should always be able to trust. Thank you for choosing to trust us in return. Thank you for supporting one another. Thank you for supporting us. I thought it best that, now, we do not forget the events that have happened. To forget them is to tell lies. It is best that we learn from our past, not erase it. And this is why I have a first modification to the castle."

I frown. I haven't heard about this.

Daeva takes my hand, walking me to the front of the stage, so that I can see as the cloth is pulled down. A gasp ripples through the audience like silk. 

Carved into one of the courtyard's pillars, a statue of the King - the ex-King - stares down at us. My heart jolts. 

"If you don't like it," Daeva murmurs, "I can change it. You can tell me."

"No," I respond, "It's alright. We shouldn't forget. We should learn."

They cradle my face with their velvet hands, pressing a kiss to my lips. The crowd cheers. I turn to look out at them, unable to stop the giddiness rising in my chest. My people. I saved them. He will not hurt us anymore.

I look into the stone-cold gaze of King Nikolas Umber and smile.