Chapter Text
Lumine stands in front of her mirror. Sapphire earrings hang from her ears, glinting in the lamplight. Her blonde hair is tied in a braided chignon, and golden star pins along with the inteyvat Dain gave her sit nestled within the braids. A slim, gold tiara rests across her brow.
Her dress is a pale blue, with glitter and accents of lace inteyvats. She looks much like the queen Khaenri’ah waits for with open arms and anticipation. Even so, imposter syndrome has its reigns on her mind, and with each hour closer to the coronation, its claws sink in more and more.
Her maid is making tiny adjustments to her hair and dress when a knock sounds at the door, pointed and familiar. He always knocks the same.
“Come in, Sir Dainsleif,” she calls. The title is proper. Professional. As it must be in the presence of others such as a maid. So that they won’t be let on to what’s really happening between them.
It hurts to hide like this, but it’s what they have been doing since they were children. Only now, there are more stakes. Dain slides open the doors, but stops in his tracks with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. His eyes rake over her. It is not how a knight should look at his Princess. Even so, Lumine smiles to herself and basks in the attention.
“Wow…Lumine, you look…”
Lumine sends a glance at her maid, heart pounding. “Could you leave us for a minute?”
She thinks her maid is trying to hold back a smile as she nods and scuttles out of the room.
Dain stalks forward, his hands coming to encircle her waist once the doors have shut. “Thank gods I don’t have to hide behind clipped compliments any longer, or else I’d likely explode.”
He lays a kiss on the skin below her ear. Tingling zips of electricity spread from her neck down. “You look absolutely amazing, Princess. I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my eyes off of you today.”
She preens at his attention, tilting her head so he has more access to her throat. “Mm, so that must be what all the intense stares you send me are about.”
He chuckles low against her skin. It’s illegal. It’s so terribly disassembling. He should be locked up for that.“I thought perhaps I could express my love and attraction for you telepathically but I guess it did not work.”
Lumine laughs and turns in his hold to kiss him fully. It is still as sweet and shocking as the first time. She is unsure she’ll ever get used to it.
When she pulls back, he’s looking at her much more seriously. Anxiety falls over her like a shadow. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, still nervous.”
Dain squeezes her waist with his large and warm hands. “Everything will be all right. You’re going to be an amazing queen, I promise you.”
She laughs a bit half-heartedly. She wants so desperately to believe him, but the only way she’ll truly know if she’s a good queen is when she actually takes the title.
“Remember, you’ll have me and Mona and Pierro to help guide you.”
“I know, I know…” She pulls away to continue adjusting her hair. “Did you hear anything more about Celestia?”
“Not quite, only that they are laying low for a while after having three of their men disposed of. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t planning their next attack.”
“I suppose we should be planning our next moves too, hm?”
“Of course. But don’t worry about that now. Pierro and I have things under control. All you need to worry about is not tripping on the way to the dais.”
Lumine laughs genuinely this time, turning to face Dain. He’s smiling at her softly, eyes roving down her figure again. “You truly are beautiful.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
A bell sounds distantly through the castle walls. Foreboding. Dain glances at the door then back at her, annoyance and pouting regret playing on his features. He sounds dejected when he says it. “It’s time to go.”
Lumine takes a steadying breath and checks herself once again. Her eyes catch Dain’s in the mirror.
“Once I’m queen, we won’t have to hide anymore.”
He lays one last kiss on her skin. “Even if we did, I’d endure it for you, my love.”
***
The crowd in front of the dais is one Lumine only remembers seeing the day her parents’ deaths were announced to the kingdom, and grief strikes her like a slap.
She looks to her side as if Aether will still be there. As if his twin amber eyes will shine with teasing mirth. As if he’ll tickle her side again to make her smile. But he is not there. All who is here as she waits behind the curtains is Pierro speaking to a knight, and a maid readjusting her dress over and over as if she’ll never be satisfied with how Lumine looks.
Lumine’s hands wring together in her white gloves.
Her subjects are waiting for her. The country is waiting for her. Celestia is waiting for her, with her head on a stake.
She wishes Dain could wait here with her, but he’s in front of the curtain somewhere. Looking. Protecting. Keeping an eye out. Watching for any other Celestian lackies.
She may hate the prospect of becoming Queen, but Celestia’s disrespect and threats are enough to make her gut through it. Deep down, she vows that she will protect her people. She will protect her country, even if she feels she is not adequate enough.
She will not let them down.
Pierro turns to Lumine and squeezes her hand comfortingly. “It is time, Princess.”
She takes a steadying breath and watches the curtains swish behind him as Pierro steps into the light of the crowd. Immediately, the sounds quiet down. Their excited jabber dims to nervous whispers.
The maid adjusts her trail again, and then finally leaves Lumine be, bowing into the shadows.
“Thank you, citizens of Khaenri’ah, for attending the crowning of Princess Lumine. Today, we stand in solidarity with one another and watch as a new ruler ascends to the throne.” Pierro booms, his voice echoing throughout the throne room.
“Bow for your Princess.”
That is her cue. She gathers her skirts, and two servants come forward to pull the curtain back. She steps through the velvet, nervous sweat glistening on her neck. In front of her in the Sanctum are the bowed heads of her people. Lumine should feel joy at this moment, but all she feels is foreboding. That something bad will come of this.
Then, blue eyes peering up through thick dark lashes catch her gaze from the side of the dais.
Dain.
“You may rise,” Pierro commands. And they do.
Dain’s eyes do not leave her own as he rises to his height. To anyone else, he would look emotionless. A blank slate. But to Lumine, she can see the tiny quirk in his mouth. The soft and subtle loving furrow in his brows. The foreboding is pushed away by the deep love she feels for him. He is right. No matter what happens, they will be there for each other. She won’t be alone.
She gives him the tiniest smile back. And then she turns to her people who look at her expectantly, and smiles wide and bright. It hurts a little, but she feels it deep within. The joy. She loves her people. She loves this country. She will do anything to protect them. Her heart constricts as they smile back, their eyes bright with hope.
Hope. That is what keeps them going. It is what keeps her going. Hope for revenge. Hope for a better future. Hope that she and Dain can love freely in the face of her accession.
She follows through what she has practiced for weeks upon weeks. She makes her way to the center of the dais where a sage waits to crown her. Lumine takes her seat on her mother’s throne, adorned with inteyvats and carvings of trees and snakes, and the sage stands in front of her in his robes.
He bows, “Princess.” And hands her a sword, silver and sharp. He lays it in her palms. If she were to grasp it, she would be cut. And soon she will, to show them that she is not afraid to shed blood for this country.
The sage then takes the crown from a servant’s reverent hold, and slowly brings it down over her head.
It sits on her braided hair, a bit uncomfortable and quite heavy, but all that is lost to Lumine when the voice of the crowd rings out.
“All Hail Queen Lumine! All Hail Queen Lumine!”
It feels wrong. It feels so utterly wrong that it is her name ringing from their lips and not her mother’s. Not her father’s. Lumine’s.
Then in front of all of them, Lumine grips the blade, cutting her skin. Blood drips from her palms down onto the dais. She stands, bows her head to her people, and that is it. That is the end. She is now Queen.
Something nags at her, pulls at her mind.
Her gaze is drawn to Dain on the side of the dais like a magnet. He watches her with an expression she has never seen him have in public. A smile. A real, big one is on his face. She cannot help but mirror him. When his eyes catch hers, they soften, like pools of calm water. Everything he feels, every single memory, every touch and every thought he has towards her zips between them like an electric current.
He loves me.
Her heart constricts in her chest.
I love him. I love him. I love him.
I love him so much I want everyone to know.
She subtly waves him over. He shakes his head.
What are you planning? His eyes say.
Lumine beckons him again.
Just trust me.
He watches Pierro nervously as he walks over. She can feel her royal advisor’s stare on her back. But she ignores it.
Dain comes to a stop in front of her, and then she turns to her subjects. Her people.
No matter what the laws may say. No matter what they think. Everyone must know.
“I have one announcement! My first order as your Queen: please, I beg you, show me no judgement. Show my appointed knight no judgement when I say this.”
Her heart pounds in her chest, her hands tremble as she takes Dain’s in them.
“What are you doing?” He whispers to her, hushed but not angry. Still there is fear dancing in his eyes, but behind that is a deep longing, a deep want for something he thinks he cannot have.
He can. He will have what he wants. For so long, he has done what everyone has asked of him. Now, Lumine will give him a chance to say yes or no. To be free to love her, even if it breaks them.
“What I have wanted to do since I met you.” She whispers back.
Lumine straightens and ignores the confused look in his eyes to say to him, loud enough that the people can hear.
“Dainsleif Ouroboros: Keeper of Irminsul…Will you marry me and become King of Khaenriah?” Her voice rings out, and the silence of the crowd is deafening, struggling to understand if they just heard right, and so desperate to hear his response.
She can practically hear Pierro’s heart stop beating. She can feel the pressure sinking in on her and Dain. But she meets his stare, silently begging.
Take what is yours. Love me openly and freely. Do what you wish.
His eyes flick between hers. Taking, grasping for anything.
And then he grins, finally understanding. “Yes, I will.”
Shocked gasps and murmurs ring through the crowd, but all she can think to do is pull Dain in for a kiss. It’s a mess, their teeth clash. His nose bumps into hers. They’re shaking and nervous and fearing for their future. But it feels nice. It feels right.
Because who cares?
Who cares if Celestia is planning her death? Who cares if Lumine has caused an uproar? Who cares if her people view her differently now? Who cares if they disapprove? It is her life. She will still do what she can to protect them, even if they do not approve of her. To hell with those who fight against true love. To hell with hiding how she feels. To hell with being afraid.
A Princess must always have her happy ending.
And Dain is very eager to give it to her.