Noami And The Ten Chosen - Part Two : A New Reign

A Coronation Gift

"Celeste...she...but we burned her body...the funeral..." Elli choked, tears streaming down her face. Raven who was closest to the severed head was still on the floor, sobbing hysterically.

"I touched it...I saw...the blast...and it hit my back...and the..." Raven wailed in anguish and continued sobbing. Raven who was the toughest of us all. Raven who rarely let us see her cry. Mark was desperately trying to calm her down, fighting back tears himself.

I stepped forward with a gasp, but it was all I could manage. I was too shocked to say or do anything. Seeing Celeste's severed head on the floor before me, her hair and pale face stained in blood, her long elf ears bent in a painfully unnatural angle, and her white eyes staring straight at me. The memories flooded back. The pain rose up to my chest, clawing away at my heart as I remembered that night in the caves of Perditia. When my own bewitched mother shot an arrow at me. When Celeste dived forward to protect me.
The memory of the arrow sticking out of her chest made me crumble to my knees next to Raven. It should have been me.
The thought made my stomach churn. My mother shot that arrow at me. If I had taken the arrow instead of Celeste, this would have not happened.

No one moved, too scared to even go near it. Other spirits had seen the head and were once again screaming. Guards were trying to usher the confused crowd out.

"How is this possible?" rasped Silver. "Elli is right... we burned her body... it cannot be her..."

"Then why am I seeing her head in front of me?" I managed to choke out in between tears. The pain amplified and I felt a sudden surge of anger. Who would do this? How?

"Is it possible to resurrect someone?" asked Ryan.

"Yes but-" Luna didn't finish her sentence.

"Tenebris did this." I snarled. I wasn't thinking straight. I stood up. The parents who were silent the entire time looked at me in alarm at the sudden change in my tone. I shook in rage. "He did this... I know it..." I clenched my fists.

"Noah dear, calm down. We just need to figure this out, it makes no sense. How could he-"

"HOW COULD YOU ASK ME TO CALM DOWN?" My father stopped talking, staring at me in shock. I didn't care. I kept yelling at him, drowning out Raven's sobs with my voice.
"CELESTE DIED TO SAVE ME! I OWE HER EVERYTHING! EVEN IF SHE'S DEAD, I MADE SURE SHE WOULD LEAVE THIS WORLD PEACEFULLY. AND THEN SOMEONE HAS THE NERVE TO BRING HER BACK JUST TO MUTILATE HER AND RUIN THE CEREMONY? HOW CAN YOU ASK ME TO CALM DOWN DAD, WHEN TENEBRIS TOOK EVERYTHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME?"

"THAT IS ENOUGH WALKERS." Master Aelius cut me off sharply. "Do not loose your temper. Haven't I told you this multiple time before?"

"Easy for you to say. The entire fate of two worlds aren't in your hands." I snapped.

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I instantly regretted it. The rage vanished, replaced by guilt. Aelius turned a shade of red, obviously ready yell back at me. Just as he opened his mouth, another sharp voice cut him off.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Lady Faiza let out an enraged shriek. She had just finished escorting the last of the spirits out and was running up the platform steps, three shades redder than Aelius. "I WAS PLANNING ON LEAVING WITH HONOR. GRACIOUSLY! I PLANNED THIS CEREMONY, EVERYTHING! AND NOW...-" she let out a string of swear words in a different language, sparks emitting from her fingers.

"Honor? Is that really all you care about?" growled Indigo. The rest of us glared at her. "What about the fact that a severed head was thrown through the window?"

Just as Faiza opened her mouth, yet another voice cut her off.
"QUEEN NOÉMI."

I felt my stomach lurch unpleasantly and turned to see a Noble climb up the platform stairs. He was an elf, very elegant and just as beautiful as Celeste. He had long black hair, and piercing gold eyes. Unlike Celeste, his skin wasn't pale, but a dark almond color. His long ears were adorned with gold piercings and he wore white formal robes. He bowed before speaking in a clear floating voice.