Tonight everyone would depart and the work would began again. But as dawn came over the sky, their coronation—their offical coronation—would begin.
Myra stood on the makeshift stage, watching the gathered faces. Freed valkyrie citizens, army members and even some elves and Tarua Teris—mostly those on the council, who were obliged to be here for politics' sake—stood to witness the naming of two valkyrie queens and an heir. She spotted Jasper in the crowd as well, seated near Rose and Kestra, who would be called up next.
She had known this day would one day come ever since she took the position of War Heir. She just hadn't expected it to come now, in the midst of the valkyries' darkest time, when their country was barely reclaimed and still under threat from the empire that had only days ago enslaved all the citizens standing here today.
Myra stood in ceremonial armour, an exact replica of Viktoria's apart from the Dragon markings on her shoulder. Where she had once worn a dark purple cloak with claw-like clasps, now the cloak was the deepest blue, the colour of the ocean. The highest level of status in Miras. Something only a War or Keeper Queen could ever wear. Her people watched, some still unbelieving that an Heir of Sarai had risen yet again. When Viktoria died and Myra was imprisoned, all hope had been lost.
Myra began the words of the ancient War Queen's oath, already memorised. It would hardly do to have her reading off paper. Too lacklustre.
"I, Myra Feriusdaughter Isidore nee Lluvia, She who is Named the Dragon, War Heir of Viktoria and High General of Miras stand here today to take the sacred oath of War-Queenship. As my predecessor, War Queen Viktoria, She who is Named the Gryphon, hath fallen, I now humbly take the Crown of Steel as she intended. I swear to defend Miras with honour, to watch over it in times of peace and to fight for it in times of war." Myra suddenly remembered Viktoria repeating those very words after Celia had been killed, feeling herself being hurtled back in time. "I swear to protect the Keeper Queen-to-be, my sister queen, with my life. I swear to give all that I am to my people and to be devoted to my country, above life, limb and love." The words echoed, ripping into her. She had thought she could do it. Say those words, swear all herself to Miras. To choose her people above love, above a daughter. She had done it all before, of course. Watched her friends die, killed her own mother, all for her country, all for her people.
But could she do it again? Could she really give all herself to her people when part of her belonged to Jasper? He didn't deserve this. Neither did Kestra. They could never truly have her when she swore as War Queen. "I swear to serve my country and people to my last breaths, as all War Queens hath done before. I swear to fight and die with my people, to see them as sisters rather than subjects. So I take the crown humbly and to serve my people only, and ask my own daughter, the Keeper Heir, to crown me." Kestra walked forward, moving through the crowd to climb onto the stage.
She took the Steel Crown, a plain band of harsh, enchanted metal and placed it on Myra's head.
It felt heavier than she thought it would. An ironic symbol of the burden and glory now resting upon her. Her cage and her pride, as it always had been.
Her duty. Her honour. Her destiny. Her doom.
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Rose
She had been dreaming, waiting for, imagining this moment from the time she first saw Viktoria and Myra march through the streets of Zerena during the Firework Festival. She had heard her mother's tales of the valkyrie warriors and generals and longed to join them. To earn glory. To fight for her people. For Miras. She had spent hours she should have paying attention to teachers imagining this. This glorious ceremony, her coronation to War Heir. Cheering spectators. Myra welcoming her as her heir, listing great things she had done and achieved in her time as a general. Her rich, beautiful imaginings were coming to life. It was every warrior novice's dream.
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Queens & Liars-Sequel to Three Broken Kingdoms (Completed)
Fantasy'She was a blade, forged in the flames that had burned her kingdom.' Book 2 of the Lost Continent Asriel and Miras have fallen. Their legendary armies are gone, their cities burnt to their ground, their people enslaved or murdered. The Empress now r...
