by Renee Carr
Now that the flames were lit, it was time for the rings. Leah hadn’t realized how much she wanted a ring and how much she wanted to tell the world she belonged to Joshua, until this very moment.
“The wedding ring is a symbol of the unending power of love between two beings. Its circular shape has no beginning and no end, representing a boundless spiritual connection. The rings should be worn proudly as a symbol of the commitment between you and your spouse. Even when you find yourselves apart, your rings will provide a powerful reminder of the eternal love you share.”
Cory had been charged with keeping both the rings, and he stepped forward, his smile wide, and handed each of them a box. Joshua opened his and turned to Leah, picking up her hand to slide it on.
“With this ring, I, Prince Joshua, commit my love to you, Leah, for all time, giving you all that I am and all that I will be. Please accept it as a symbol of my love,” he whispered. She nodded her acceptance and then drew her hand away to pick his ring out of the box. It was similar to hers, wider and stronger, but it had rubies everywhere, and it sparkled in the light, as hers did.
“With this ring, I, Leah, commit my love to you, Prince Joshua, for all time, giving you all that I am and all that I will be. Please accept it as a symbol of my love,” she said and he squeezed her hand.
“Family and friends, by the power vested in me by the Kingdom of Knorpp, I now formally pronounce Leah and Prince Joshua to be wife and husband. Let us celebrate their union! Prince Joshua, you may now kiss the bride.”
He leaned in to kiss her with such passion that she felt every cell in her body refresh with a life she thought she would never have. She grinned and hugged him tightly as the applause came.
“Leah and Prince Joshua, may you enjoy a lifetime of sunrises and sunsets together. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present, for the first time, Prince Joshua and Princess Leah, the heirs to the Kingdom of Knorpp.”
Chapter 21
“Can I see her?” Nathan asked and the doctor nodded.
He had been up since early this morning, and it had been a complete disaster of events. He thought Ivy was dying; he thought he would lose her and his mind with her. But when the doctor came out of the med bay and told him that she was not dying, but in fact bringing life into the world, he was stunned into half silence.
An heir to a throne that had previously felt so broken was his dream. He didn’t think they would ever make a child. In one moment, their future went from uncertain to rock solid. His father would be proud.
John would be proud. At least, he hoped he would.
“She’s in the suite,” the doctor said, and Nathan took off down the hallway before he could even finish talking.
Ivy was sitting up in bed with an IV in her arm. Her face had more color and when she saw Nathan, she grinned.
“I take it he told you?” she asked.
“He told me,” Nathan said, moving forward and kissing her fully on the lips.
“And I take it you are happy,” she beamed when they finally broke apart.
“My darling, I can’t tell you how happy I am,” he said. “I have wanted this for so long. Are you happy?”
“I am,” she said as he sat on the bed beside her. “It feels like the perfect end to a perfect story.”
“It’s not the end,” he assured her. “It’s just the beginning. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said. He adjusted to sit behind her so that she could lean against him. She snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes. But Ivy knew that this perfection could not last. She knew that she needed to say something to Nathan—now, when things were well and safe.
“Listen,” she said quietly. “I want you to be around to raise this baby. I want you to be happy and well. I want this baby to have a strong father.”
He turned to her, confused. He had been so deliciously happy in the moment before, and now he felt defeated.
“What are you saying?” he asked.
“Nathan, there’s no question that the weight of the crown is a heavy one,” she said. “But it seems to be weighing on you particularly. These past few months...”
“They’ve not been the best,” he filled in the words she couldn't bring herself to say. “I know. I know. I’ve been trying my best, Ivy, and I’ve been...”
“My love, I don’t blame you,” she said, and put her hands on her belly. “But if this child is born while you and I are still on the throne, it will inherit the same burden, the same stress, the same... cage as its parents. And I’ve been thinking for a few months, that if I were to get pregnant... I’m not sure that I want that for my baby.”
“Do you want to leave me?” he asked hesitantly.
“No,” she said. “I would never want to leave you, especially now. But there are other options, both to secure Knorpp and raise a child away from all of this...”
“Are you saying...” he asked and then shook his head. “John would have never wanted that. When he died...”
“I think you know as well as I do that John didn’t intend to die,” she said. “He had no control over it. But if your brother wanted to leave any message behind, from what I know of him, it certainly wouldn’t be a message that you should take on all the burden he had and never let it go. At the very least, he might have intended the three of you to share it. And frankly, Nathan, you’ve held it long enough.”
“You think I’m going mad?” he asked. “Like my brother?”
“I don’t think that,” she replied quietly. “But I think that we should do something about it... while we can. You would not be doing your planet a disservice to share John’s crown. Leah and Joshua are newly married, and they are warriors—strong and full of passion.”
“I couldn’t do that to him,” Nathan said and Ivy reached over to put her hand on his.
“I think you might have to, my love,” she said. “If you want a happy future for all of us.”
Nathan knew that the words she was saying were true. He knew that she had been more than patient, and more than strong for the past few months. He also knew that he saw the same darkness in himself that he saw in John, and he needed to be careful, or there would be no way out.
“What if Joshua says no?” he asked her.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” she said. “For now, we need to think of what’s best for our child.”
They sat in silence for a long moment. Nathan closed his eyes, reaching out to the universe, reaching out to the magic that surrounded them, for an answer. He didn’t get anything concrete, but what he did get was John’s smiling face, standing in front of him and nodding.
That was better than any vocal answer he could have heard.
“Yes,” he said after a few moments longer. “Yes, I think you’re right.”
“Do you want me to ask him?” Ivy asked and Nathan shook his head.
“No,” he said. “This is something I have to do on my own.”
Chapter 22
Joshua still couldn’t believe that he was married to Leah. He honestly felt like the luckiest dragon in the universe. His best friend was now bound to him forever, and they didn’t have to quarrel over separating for missions or try to understand the feelings between them. They were fated mates, and he was happy to just bask in that, sitting in the sun in the same room as her.
At least, he was perfectly happy until he heard that Nathan had summoned both of them.
“What did we do wrong?” he asked Leah as they both got up.
“Nothing in recent memory,” Leah said. “But then... with Nathan these days, you never know.”
“Yes, he has been moody as of late,” Joshua said as they walked. “It’s been...”
“Like John?” Leah asked and Joshua sucked in a breath.
“I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to even think about it, because there is no backup plan if he is. And I can’t go through losing another brother.”
“You won’t be losing another brother,” Nath
an’s voice boomed behind them and they both turned around. He was standing in the library and he looked calmer and more peaceful than he had in years.
“Nathan,” Joshua said in surprise. “I thought we were going to meet you in the throne room.”
“The library is fine,” Nathan said. “Why don’t you two come in?”
Leah and Joshua glanced at each other but followed the Alpha into the library. The sun was slowly setting and the books were aglow with the orange colors of the sunset. Nathan invited them both to sit on the couches, and they did, grasping hands as they leaned forward to listen to him.
“Is everything alright, brother?” Joshua asked.
“Everything is alright,” Nathan assured them. “In fact, I have news that I want to share with both of you. Ivy is with child.”
“That’s amazing!” Leah blurted out. “Congratulations, that’s wonderful.”
“Thank you,” Nathan said and Josh shared his wife’s sentiments. “It is wonderful. But her carrying a child that will inherit the crown... has made us both realize many things.”
“Oh?” Joshua asked. For a moment, he was worried that he was in trouble, perhaps over his handling of Cory’s kidnapping, or perhaps over something trivial. “Good things, I hope?”
“I think so,” Nathan said. “It is no secret to the two of you... and no secret to the universe, perhaps, that John struggled with a darkness in his mind. And it is rapidly becoming not a secret that I am struggling with the same thing.”
The crown prince and princess gulped.
“If you overheard us talking,” Joshua said, “it wasn’t that we meant it. It’s just...”
“No, you did mean it,” Nathan said calmly. “As did everyone else who has spoken such words. It’s been hard to admit it to myself, but this baby has put things into perspective. If I am to remain on the throne, I will possibly end up like John, and likely before my child even comes into this world. Which would mean that the two of you would inherit.”
“What?” Joshua said. “No, it would of course be your child that inherits...”
“Unless we decided that was not the case,” Nathan said. “Ivy has a dream, of a child raised away from the dragon world. Not hidden, not secret, but raised on Earth, without the pressures of the royal crown. And without the temptation of darkness that his father would have from the crown.”
“Nathan, what are you proposing?” Joshua asked, his voice shaking.
“I am proposing,” Nathan said, his voice even, “for the good of my child, and for the good of my kingdom, that the two of you take the crown.”
A pin could have dropped in the room and everyone would have heard it. Joshua felt Leah squeeze his hand, but he couldn’t look at her. He couldn’t look anywhere but his brother’s face, staring at him in shock.
“You want me to be Alpha?” he asked.
“If you would like to do it,” Nathan said. “If you agree it’s the best course of action.”
“I...” Joshua turned to Leah. “I don’t know. I don’t know. What do you think?”
Leah was equally shocked by the proposal but managed to communicate a bit more effectively.
“I want to know, Nathan,” she said, “whether you are asking us because you feel we are the best people for the job, or because we are the heirs?”
A smile came over Nathan’s face.
“A little of both, I think,” he said. “But I do not want you to do it unless you feel it is the best choice. Don’t give me your answer now. Think on it, and perhaps get back to me in a few days. I can surely handle things until then.”
“Oh my,” Leah said and turned to Joshua. “We will think on it, won’t we?”
“I don’t have to think on it,” Joshua said. “As long as Leah is alright with it... this is the burden you accepted from John, with no permission asked, and no choice as to whether to accept. You took it on with dignity and grace, and you are granting me a moment that you never had. I would be honored to accept, brother.”
Leah took a long moment, and then squeezed her husband’s hand. She absolutely felt the same way.
“As would I,” she said. “But with the understanding that if your child ever wanted to reclaim the throne... the choice would be his. And that’s how it will remain as long as our bloodline is on the throne—a choice for yours to take it.”
“I thank you,” Nathan said. “Those terms are agreeable.”
The three of them sat in silence for quite some time and then Leah spoke.
“I suppose we have a coronation to plan,” she said.
“What about my position?” Joshua asked. “As captain of the guards?”
“Ah well,” Nathan said. “If you want my advice, I don’t think you should keep it. The crown requires your full attention, Joshua. Do not underestimate it.”
“Who do you think should take it then?” Joshua asked. “Because Cory certainly isn’t, as much as I love him.”
“What about Christine?” Leah asked and Joshua raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“She is quite skilled, no matter what mistakes she’s made along the way,” Leah said. “And she should not be punished for the sins of her father.”
“I support that idea,” Nathan said. “As a final act as Alpha, I would recommend it. It’s a bridge to be mended and a good way to start off your rule.”
“I’ll ask her later today, then,” Joshua said, and then stood up. Nathan stood as well, and Leah watched as the two brothers embraced instead of bowing to each other. “Thank you.”
“I hope you’ll still be thanking me in a few years,” Nathan said. “It isn’t an easy job.”
“I know it isn’t,” Joshua said. “But I have always wanted to serve my kingdom. And besides, now that Leah is at my side, I’m certain that I can do anything.”
“And anything you can’t do, I can do,” Leah said to him with a wink as she rose. She embraced Nathan as well, giving him a long hug. “Thank you. We won’t let you down.”
“I know that you won’t,” Nathan said. “You two are strong and quick-witted and have proven yourselves to be indestructible more than once. Together, I think you’re a force to be reckoned with.”
“Hopefully, the wolves think that,” Joshua said. “Now, we should tell Cory.”
“Hopefully, he doesn’t think it’s unfair,” Nathan said.
“I don’t think he will,” Joshua replied. “Especially when I tell him that the crown prince has the most fun in the entire kingdom. I would know.”
“Do you want me to be with you when you tell him?” Nathan asked.
“I think it’s best,” Joshua said. “A united front.”
“We will always be united,” Nathan promised him. “And I will always be here for you, brother. I promise you that.”
Chapter 23
“I don’t know which order this goes in,” Leah said, in a panic, as they stood in the throne room, staring at the multiple items in front of them.
“Okay, calm down,” Joshua said as they walked through the coronation ceremony again. He pointed to each of them in order, and Leah repeated them until she felt like she had some semblance of order on them. “There, you’ve got it.”
“Yeah, I do,” she put her hands up to her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m such a nervous wreck.”
“Because you’re about to become the queen of a kingdom that you were supposed to be guarding and protecting?” he asked her. “It’s okay to be nervous, Leah... I mean, hell, I’m a bit nervous.”
“Why are you nervous?” she asked. “You were born to do this.”
“No,” he said, and his gaze fell to the floor. “I was not born to be king.”
She realized what she said, and reached to put her hand to his shoulder.
“Joshua, I’m sorry,” she said. “That’s not what I meant. I just meant...”
He managed a smile.
“I know what you meant,” he said. “It’s okay.”
“It’
s not okay,” she said. “It was an incentive. I mean... you’ve watched two of these, haven’t you?”
“I have,” he said. “Up close and personal.”
“What were they like?” she asked. “I mean, I knew what the actual ceremony part looked like. I watched them, recorded. John’s was just after I was promoted and so we analyzed it again and again, looking for flaws, looking for anything that the guards could do differently if we ever had to guard one... we didn’t expect one to be so soon, of course. Were your brothers nervous?”
“Yes,” Joshua said. “John, I think, less than Nathan. You see, he was born to be king. He had prepared for it all of his life, and when father died... it was expected. But when Nathan took his oath... it was frightening. We didn’t know what was going to happen, none of us felt prepared. The second time he was coronated, as a duo with Ivy... we at least felt slightly more prepared. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t biting his nails the whole time, wondering if he made a mistake.”
“Do you feel like you are making a mistake?” Leah asked, and Joshua grabbed her wrist.
“Not for a second,” he promised her. “I just... I hope I can be as good a ruler as my brothers.”
Leah thought that that was an endearing thought, given that both of his brothers had bowed out of the throne before their time.
Joshua was so unlike them, and she didn’t have any fear of him losing his mind, like his brothers had. But if that happened, she knew she would support him and stay by him. She took their marriage vows seriously, and didn’t plan on ever leaving him.
“I think I’ve got it now,” she said and glanced at her watch. “My goodness, we have less than two hours.”
“We should get dressed,” he said, looking at the clock on the wall. “I’ll see you on the other side, my queen.”
“My king,” she said, laying a light kiss on his cheek and then heading out the door.
There wasn’t too much on Leah’s end to prepare, because most of the dressing came during the ceremony. She remembered thinking that the kings and queens of Knorpp must get extremely warm during their coronations, because of the layers and layers of fabric that went onto them. She was stronger, both physically and mentally, but the daunting oaths in front of her were enough to shake anyone, she felt. By the time she reached the back of the antechamber, she was absolutely terrified.