The Peacekeeper

Long live the Queen

Gage's POV

After weeks of planning, the coronation of Queen Rae Ann is tonight. It is early afternoon and she is pacing the Council chambers. I can feel her nervous energy through our mate bond, but nothing I do calms her. The High Council is complete, the vampire rep is Gaston, the witch rep is a bubbly woman named Persephone, and the human rep is a very serious man named Peter. We are meeting with them before we get ready because they basically want to give Rae a pep talk.

"Rae, calm down, you are going to be fine." Ralph tells her gently. "For the love of Pete, how can you say that? You know I am a hot mess, but now I am going to a hot mess in the public eye." She rants. Peter smirks, "Why, Rae, I didn't know you cared." The makes Rae laugh, in fact all of us laugh, because Peter is usually very serious. It does seem to calm her a bit, for which I am grateful. They all tell her how proud of her they are and how important she has always been and then send us off to get ready.

Rae steps out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel, "You know, if I am the Queen, that makes you the King." She smirks at me. I grab her by the hips and pull her to me, "Only in title, you have all the power, and I am glad. I will help you, but I don't want the power, I just want you." I kiss her deeply then pull away. "Now, get dressed or we will be late." She grumbles as she turns to walk to the closet and I smack her on the ass earning me a squeak and a glare. I laugh and put on my black tux. My shirt is black, my pants, jacket and shoes are black and my bow tie is white. Rae comes out of the closet in a strapless long white mermaid style gown. Her beautiful red hair is down in large loose curls and pinned up on one side with a glittery comb.  She's breathtaking. She looks at me with love and lust in her deep blue eyes, "Very sexy, Alpha." she grins and I smirk at her, "You are pretty sexy, yourself, my Queen." She blushes slightly and takes my arm as we head towards the limo waiting outside for us.

The guys are waiting for us downstairs, Rae wanted everyone together. She has made us all her family and I like it. When they see Rae they start whistling and she playfully glares at them. She looks them over  and grins. "You all look mighty fine in your evening wear." They all laugh and we load up. The ride is full of laughing and joking, making Rae calm down. She notices that we are here and her pulse climbs. "Calm down, my love. We are all here for you. You are never alone in this. " She smiles and kisses me gently before I climb out. I offer her my hand and she takes it, rising from the limo with the grace of a Queen. Arm in arm, we enter the grand ballroom.

"May I present your Queen, Queen Rae Ann Delaney accompanied by Alpha Gage Hunter." The announcer booms. Rae smiles and we join the HC on their platform. Each council member makes a long boring speech about the changes in our government and how this new leadership will help each species grow and flourish. I tune it out because they are boring and I am completely focused on Rae. She notices me staring at her and winks at me, saucy minx. I smirk at her and return the wink. Now it is her turn to speak and I know this is what has her nervous. Her Royal Guard is placed around the platform, watching the crowd very carefully.

"Hello everyone. As you know I am Rae Ann, but most people call me Rae, at least to my face." She winks, causing the crowd to laugh. "I am here to help you, to serve you, to make sure that things change for the better. The High Council has made many mistakes over the past thousand years, but we are taking steps to change that, to help repair some of the damage and to help heal the scars caused by greed and the lust for power. Some of these changes will be hard and will cause conflict. Some will cause pain, however, we are here to help you. All you have to do ask us, talk to us and your leaders. I have seen some of the great pain and devastation that the segregation has caused and I will see more before we all learn to live together and of one heart. No one is perfect, I certainly am not, but we learn from our mistakes. We become stronger, smarter, and better prepared. I implore you all to embrace each other, celebrate in your differences, learn from each other. Please, do not push someone away because they are different, it doesn't make them better or worse than you. Acceptance, love, peace, and unity is what we need for a bright and better future. Those things depend on each and every one of you. You have to want those things, no one can force them on you. I understand that to some of you this is scary, and that is ok. It is ok to be afraid of the future, but don't let your fear rule you. Face it, you may just find out that there wasn't anything to fear after all. Be strong of heart, courage is not the absence of fear but the judgement that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all. For now you are traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. "