The ceremony was being held a lot later than was customary in order that Hawk could attend. He had remained in Eshden forest with Sam and Brin and had found living with the elves to be very satisfactory. He joined the Home Guard and, though there was a lot of hostility towards him initially, the elves soon learned to respect him and came to admire his unique abilities.
He was standing beside his wife, Elbe, holding her hand. He had become good friends with some members of his squad, especially this one particular female, and when she had sustained life threatening injuries from a serious fall, she had begged him to turn her into a vampire in order to save her life. After seeking permission from the King, he had done as requested and they were now inseparable.
Sam and Brin had been away during these events, visiting Patrick’s island, and had sought out Nisse as soon as they heard the news upon their return. Nisse was still head of the Home Guard and Brin wanted to know how the accident had happened. Nisse could offer no explanation. Elbe had been at the top of one of the highest trees and inexplicably fell to the ground. She claimed to remember nothing between climbing the tree and waking up on the ground in a great deal of pain. No foul play was suspected, so he had not investigated further. Sam had her suspicions and had sought out Elbe for a little ‘girl talk’. It took a lot of pushing on Sam’s part, but eventually the elf admitted that she had fallen on purpose. She had been trying for months to become more than just a friend to Hawk, but he refused to get involved with a non-vampire, so she did what she needed to in order to make herself accessible to him. Sam never mentioned this to anyone, but could not hide her smile whenever she saw the two of them together.
Sam glanced across to those seated on the other side of the clearing and it suddenly dawned on her how unique this coronation really was. Never before had non-elves been allowed to attend and now, not only were there many species present, but also the rulers of many other kingdoms. Cirren and Tibia were seated next to Helen and Alate, with Allias and Hetta seated close by with Tallon and Selene. Yeland had died the year before so Tallon was now King. Brodin was also present, accompanied by his mother. He had married an Armenian duchess, who was pregnant with their second child and suffering too much from morning sickness to face the long journey.
There were also some surprise visitors. Yafen was there to represent the skelk and one of Modo’s relatives had arrived the day before, bringing along his three children. Sam had cried when she saw them. She missed the vexen greatly and they all looked so much like him there was no doubting their parentage. Even Salabine and Gladrel, the dragons, had flown in for the event, causing a great deal of concern until Nosmas had assured the elves that he would be able to clear enough space to accommodate the dragons without harming the trees and that the area would be changed back to how it looked originally the following day.
Sam’s attention was brought back to the present by a horn sounding and the royal couple came into view. Brin had his hand out formally in front of him with Brianna’s resting lightly on top. They really did look good together. All of the elves knew and accepted the real situation, but anyone who was unaware of the true nature of their relationship would easily be fooled into thinking the two elves were husband and wife in more than just name.
“I bet you wish you were the one walking beside Brin right now,” Dean whispered in Sam’s ear.
“Actually, no I don’t. I would have hated all of the attention. I much prefer remaining in the background. Brianna may have him officially, but I have him in all the ways that matter.”
They watched the royal couple approach the twin thrones, which had been temporarily moved outside, and as soon as they were seated, Fay made her way towards them, accompanied by Zanthir. Officially he was supposed to be escorting her, but he was so old and frail he was having to lean on her arm. Brin’s eldest son, Orkar, followed behind, the elven crown resting on a red velvet cushion.
Without a word, Fay stood in front of her niece-in-law, removed the crown from her head and placed it on Brianna’s. “You will make a great Queen,” she whispered in her ear before bowing and moving away.
Zanthir then gave a speech. It was long and boring and Sam found her mind wandering. She glanced across at Brin just as he looked in her direction and he winked at her. Even after all of their years together, he still had the power to make her stomach flip and she suddenly found herself uncomfortably hot. Brin saw her face flush and could not supress a smile.
Finally Zanthir stopped talking and took hold of the crown, which Orkar was holding towards him. He placed it on Brin’s head, then called out in as loud a voice as he could manage, “Everyone please rise for Brin and Brianna, King and Queen of the elves.”
The cheer that arose was deafening as Brin stood, took Brianna’s hand and helped her rise, kissing her as he did so. Once the noise had died down, the new Queen sat upon her throne once more as it was time for Brin to give his speech. He had spent the last week working on it with Sam, making sure it flowed right, then he had memorised it. Now that it was time to deliver it, he was nervous.
He got through the official part without any problems, promising to be a good leader, paying his respects to the work done by the late King and all the usual things that were expected. When it came to the part where he had to thank his guests, he had to pause and compose himself. After mentioning everyone of importance who was present, or at least he hoped he had not forgotten anyone, he got to the part he had been dreading. Like all elves, he usually managed to keep his emotions under control, but he was afraid they may show this time.
“Before I finish talking,” he started, but was interrupted by Nisse cheering. He smiled at his friend, but did not let the outburst put him off. “There are a number of family members and friends who I know would have liked to be present, but are unfortunately no longer with us.” Sam knew what was about to come and had her handkerchief out ready.
His voice rang out loud and clear as he continued. “It is common knowledge that I was not next in line to the throne, for which many of us were grateful. But due to the despicable actions of someone whose name I can no longer bring myself to utter, circumstances changed. I find myself standing before you today because my father, sister and all of my brothers were murdered. Their loss is still felt by many and I think of them every day. I know my eldest brother would have been a King worthy of taking over from King Manta and I can only hope I can do just as well.”
He let his words take effect for a few moments before continuing. “As you all know, I had the privilege of travelling with some of the Remeny Princes on their quest for the throne. Along the way I made some good friends, a number of which lost their lives either on the journey or later on.”
He started the list by naming all of those on Cirren’s team who had had been killed by the dreamweaver in Ukland Maze before getting to those who had travelled with Tor. “Bellak, a great wizard who sacrificed his life to save his son. Modo, a vexen whose bravery and unique abilities will not be forgotten. He was forced to abandon the quest in order to return to his people to give birth. I am honoured to have his offspring here today to share this special occasion with us.” His gaze fell on the assembled vexen and he was pleased to see they were smiling.
“Oak, a tree sprite who was murdered in an unjustified act of revenge. Vitkin, Prince of Remeny and beloved brother of Tor, Cirren and Brodin, who died retrieving a clue from Kaylin’s altar.”
“The next group of people survived the quest, only to be killed later on by an assassin, hired to hunt down and slaughter all those who took part. Ban, a tayman whose heart and compassion was as big as his stature. Torrick, Liselle and Cub, who died peacefully in their sleep when their house was set on fire. Vicky, beloved mother to Nosmas and wife of Bellak.”
“The final two were more than just friends. They were more like family and their deaths continue to cause us pain. Seth and Dal were devoted to each other and could not live apart. Dal died in child birth and her husband died of grief. Please can we
have a moment of silence to remember all of the dead, not just those I have spoken of.”
Silence filled the clearing, other than the soft sounds of sniffing by those not wishing to admit they were crying. Brin remained standing, giving everyone time to think about those who had died. When he felt the time was right, he lightened the mood.
“There is one more name I would like to mention.” He could see a few puzzled looks aimed in his direction and could not help grinning. “Samson was a wonderful wolf who had the misfortune of being changed into a human. We all miss him a great deal and wish he was still with us.”
He glanced towards Nosmas, who growled at him, but his eyes showed he was amused by the comment. Brin could see smirks on the faces of all those who had understood what he had said and was pleased that it had had the desired effect.
With the official part out of the way, it was time for the feast to begin. This was not a formal banquet, but a chance for everyone present to mingle and talk with whomever they chose. Almost the entire elven nation was present and they all happily mixed with the visiting royalty and other dignitaries. The two dragons were very popular, especially with the children, and everyone partied until the early hours of the following morning.
Brin left the celebrations early, taking Sam with him. It had been an exhausting day for him and he desperately wanted to get some sleep. Sam, however, had other ideas. “You can’t go to sleep yet,” she told him. “There is something I need to cross off my bucket list.”
“Your what?” he asked in confusion.
“Bucket list. Things you want to do before you kick the bucket.” He continued to frown at her. “Die,” she explained.
“Alright,” he said warily, not sure where she was going with this. “What is on your list that you are so desperate to remove?”
“I have never made love with a King.”
The smile he gave her told her sleep was now the last thing on his mind. “I think we can do something about that,” he said and kissed her. “Then we can see what else is on your list that we can get crossed off.”
From Trudie:
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Also by Trudie Collins
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The Assassin Page 33