by Holly Hook
"I'm alive, and that is what matters." Her voice vibrated through his chest. "It was my idea."
"I will never let anything like this happen ever again," Jacob said. Suddenly, he knew that if he could, he'd kill Ivan again, another time for Riley and another time for his sister, until there was nothing left of him at all. "I was so close to losing you."
Riley loosened her hug on Jacob and looked him in the eyes. She slowly gave him a long, passionate kiss as the crowd behind them applauded and cheered.
Chapter Twenty-One
The throne room stood empty as they entered. Riley looked around at the red carpet and the two thrones, both waiting for their occupants. Another golden crown, a little smaller than the Emperor's crown, waited on a pedestal near the second throne. It fizzled with white-blue energy as she neared, making her jump back.
"It's okay," Jacob said, pulling her close as Kiki and Damon trailed behind him. "It's because you're near. You're the one the people want to wear it."
Nervous tingles raced through her body. Riley couldn't imagine herself an Empress. She'd always thought such a lofty position would go to Kiki, maybe even Ryan, before her any day.
A breeze wafted in through the balcony, and excited voices floated in from outside. The plaza seemed to still be filled. Jacob separated from her and rushed to the side of the room, where a golden bell hung on a silver pole. He pulled it out of its mount and came closer, close enough so that Riley could see the lizard--the Varanus--engraved on the front of it. She reached up and felt the lines of her necklace as he walked up to her.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"It's beautiful," Riley said. "What is it for?"
"This bell is only rung during special occasions. Ivan kept it here all these years, because Lateine's magic prevents it from being removed from the palace or destroyed." As if responding to his words, the bell shimmered with white-blue light for a split second. "It can only be rung during a special occasion."
"Which is--" Kiki asked before Riley could.
"The death of an Emperor or an Empress. It's meant to symbolize the end of an age and the start of another." He motioned Riley to the balcony, smiling as if he had found peace for the first time in his life. "We need to ring it together. Damon, bring the other crown."
Most of the crowd had filtered back outside from the palace now, rejoining the sea of people already there. Thousands of faces stared up at her from the darkness, going silent. Someone flicked a lighter to life. It was a tiny spot of brightness in the gloom, but to Riley it seemed to grow by the second, warming her being as she joined Jacob in ringing the bell. The sound echoed over the heads below them and the city of Constance beyond.
“It is done!” Jacob shouted, his voice amplified over the microphone and into the night beyond.
The crowd cheered louder than they had ever cheered before. Flashlights blazed to life and waved. Rice exploded into the air. Guns even went off, this time fired in celebration instead of in war.
Riley didn't know that Damon was even behind her until she felt the crown being lowered onto her head, seeming to conform right to her shape. A moment later, a surge of something rushed down through her body, bathing every cell and infusing every particle of her being with something she had never felt before, as if a tsunami of energy were racing through her. It faded a second later, leaving her with a strange sense that she was glowing.
Next to her, Jacob now wore the Emperor's crown, which shined brightly on his head and shimmered with a new life. It had looked so sinister on Ivan's head, glowing with malice and greed, but not on Jacob. They were in this together.
The crowd below began bowing down to their new Emperor and Empress, sinking in a wave that spread from the wall and outwards to the city itself.
"You…you may rise," Jacob said.
The crowd rose. Cheering continued throughout the streets of Constance. Jacob put his hand up to signal the crowd to silence.
Jacob sucked in a nervous breath. "I am pleased to say that the former Emperor is no longer with us. I am honored that the military has chosen me and Riley to guide Lateine to a happier future! Welcome to the new age!”
The crowd cheered loudly as the streets filled with confetti and lizard floats. Jacob and Riley waved at all the people below--now her people.
Jacob turned to Riley and stared deeply into her blue eyes, smiling with joy and excitement. He took both of her hands and held them tightly.
“Now,” Jacob said. “we can rule this country together for as long as we wish.”
* * * * *
Two weeks had passed.
Kiki awoke to the sound of construction going on outside of the Lateinian palace. Somewhere, a jackhammer went off as crews repaired the damaged roads of Constance and bulldozers grumbled as they worked at tearing down Ivan's old statues. Closer, a loud crash signified another hole being blasted in the palace's concrete wall. More of the city's shacks went down each day, and crews from Keilara and Delainia had come in to help replace them with actual houses. The noise level wouldn't be dropping for a long time to come.
"When can we go back to Keilara?" Damon asked, rolling over next to her. "I'd kill for a good night's sleep."
Kiki slapped him. "After Riley's married. I'm not missing this for the world. When are we planning our own wedding?"
Damon groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. There was no swaying him when he wanted his sleep.
Kiki dressed--this time in an actual dress, a forest green one like the ones her mother favored. The middle hugged her a little tightly and made it difficult to breathe. Luckily, she'd only need to wear it until the wedding had finished. Jacob had announced that the celebration afterwards would be informal.
The maids of the palace were busy tidying up the halls and rooms of the palace, taking down the last pictures of Ivan and moving the contents of his mini golf course down into storage. Kiki weaved around them, waving as she went, though some of the maids seemed afraid to look her in the eye. They were so used to Ivan pushing them around, poor things. With Jacob and Riley around, the tension would eventually melt. She knew it.
“Good morning, Kiki,” Jacob said behind her.
She turned. “Good morning, Jacob. How's the housing project going?"
Jacob already had his suit on, tugging at the bow. He seemed as uncomfortable as she felt, and more nervous, too. “That's not what's most on my mind today. But yes, it's going well. We're going to have a subdivision going up next month near the new school. I'm also getting ideas for some new parks."
Kiki smiled. Ivan had squandered so much wealth over the centuries, there would be no problem funding any of these projects.
A butler came out to serve them coffee as Riley came into the room, not yet dressed for the wedding but still looking elegant in her white-blue gown. Her own crown shined with a glow that somehow matched it perfectly. She sat, thanking the butler for her coffee and handing him a few bills as a tip. The butler nodded as if this had happened before as he turned and left the room.
“What did you do with Ivan's body, anyway?" Kiki asked in a low voice. "I mean, after the guards took it away. I know it seems a bit late to ask this, but there wasn't anything in the news about it.” She had to make sure Ivan was truly gone for Riley's sake, and didn't think her sister would want to ask.
Riley froze and stared down at the sound of Ivan's name. Jacob rubbed his hand down her back. "He's gone now," he said, barely loud enough for Kiki to hear. “His body was burned early the morning after, and his ashes were dumped in the river and flowed into the sea. Many Lateinians haven't forgotten our old beliefs entirely, so some still believe there is a life after death. But whether he'll stay in the afterlife or come to live in a new form is a mystery." He glanced at Riley's worried expression. "Even if he did, it's…it's highly unlikely he'd even remember his previous life.”
"A person like him should never be able to live ever again," Kiki said.
Silence hung over the dining room as the sounds
of servants rolling carts and trash cans by floated in.
“I have invited your relatives to a late afternoon lunch,” Jacob said, trying to lighten up the mood in the room. “I have even invited Darren and Gracie of Delainia, so it's a huge event.”
Kiki took a sip of her coffee, glancing over at her sister again to see that she was staring off into space. Riley wouldn't heal in the same way she would. It would take time.
“Anyway,” Kiki said, breaking the long silence. “I am having some hotel owners let some Lateinian citizens stay in Keilara until their houses are finished enough for them to return. I believe Darren and Gracie are doing the same thing."
Kiki excused herself and made her way to the courtyard, where she admired the early morning sky. It was so clear, so crisp. Lateine was really a beautiful country, and now she'd get to visit often. She took a deep breath of the morning air, and turned to face Damon, who had also made his way out to the courtyard.
"Finally made it out of bed?" Kiki asked.
"Yep." He stifled a yawn.
"There's coffee being served in the dining room if you need any."
"No thanks."
"Are you sure? You still look like you could fall back asleep while standing up." Kiki said.
"Okay, I'll grab some in a minute."
Damon rubbed his eyes and yawned again. He wasn't a morning person and needed caffeine to energize him for the day.
"What time does your sister's wedding start?" Damon asked.
"Seven," Kiki said. "You need to see her wedding dress. Fall colors. It looks more like a prom dress. My mother tried to push a traditional dress on her, but she refused."
"At least your parents are okay with this." He scratched his head. "Hard to believe she's getting married at the age of eighteen."
"It's her choice. She'd old enough."
"I just think it's a little weird. You know, we never discussed our wedding."
"What season do you want it to be for the wedding?" Kiki asked. It was about time he got to this. Maybe he'd heard her this morning after all.
"Spring time would nice."
"Indoor or outdoor?"
"I'd prefer outdoor."
Before they could get any further with discussing the wedding, the sound of helicopter blades rang through the air, signaling the first of the guests: her parents.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Both of Kiki's parents arrived with Ryan a few minutes later. Kiki led them to the nearest guest room, a huge den with a roaring fireplace, perfect for this time of year. All three wore their most formal outfits: her mother in her peacock dress that she reserved for balls, her father and Ryan in their stiffest suits. Jacob waited in the middle of the room, swallowing.
“Congratulations on your success,” Morris said, shaking Jacob's hand. His smile was genuine.
“Thank you,” Jacob said happily.
The three them sat down on a couch and nearby chairs, making themselves at home. Kiki couldn't help but notice that Ryan was being very quiet. He was jealous. She could tell. Not of Jacob, necessarily, but of his sisters. Both she and Riley were getting married. They both were now something more than human. Nothing had really happened for him.
“So, where is Riley?" her father asked. Even from the other side of the room, it seemed like his frown lines had faded a bit.
Riley slowly emerged from the doorway her family came through a few moments ago, wearing a golden Royal Lateinian robe decorated with white lizards. Kiki couldn't help but stare. It was beautiful. Her hair was neatly placed in a low bun, out of the way of her shimmering crown. She seemed so much older now.
Jacob stood up to kiss her and lead her to the rest of her family, where she hugged them and told them how much she missed them. She then sat in a chair next to Jacob.
They talked about small things: housing projects, the weather, Ryan's graduation from the Academy. Kiki couldn't help but tense as the conversation floated around her. There was one thing missing from the conversation, one thing that remained unsolved, that no one wanted to talk about with her mother in the room.
"I need to get up and walk around," Kiki said, rising from her armchair.
She passed Darren and Gracie Storm being led down the hallway by a few guards, dressed in formal wear. Kiki stopped to greet them and shake hands, able to feel the tension in Darren's handshake as he stared into her violet eyes with his own black ones.
"Any luck tracking him down?" she asked at last. Her throat felt dry.
"No. He seems to have left Frelladon, at least," Darren replied. "Perhaps with his war over, he has given up."
His war. Without Patrick, Delainia never would have invaded Keilara. At least, not so soon. Kiki let out a breath, still unable to shake the tense feeling that had fallen over her. Stalkers didn't give up unless they wanted to. It was true before the invasion, and was likely still true now.
She let the Storms pass and enter the guest room, and continued down the main hallway, watching the fish swim under her feet. Her stomach rolled with tension, like this was only the calm before the storm. But she wasn't having that weird hallucination of Patrick anymore--whatever it had been. Maybe that was a good sign.
"Hey," someone said behind her.
Kiki whipped around, taken by surprise, ready to attack whoever was addressing her. A man with brown hair. No. She threw a punch, but he dodged, whipping to the side in a blur of motion.
"What is wrong with you?" he asked angrily.
Alexander. Not Patrick. Damon also stood behind him, giving her a wide-eyed stare.
"I'm sorry," Kiki said, looking away. "I thought you were Patrick."
Alexander's eyes widened a little. "You've seen him?"
"No. Just a bad feeling. We haven't seen any trace of him since Ariel disappeared. It's not like him to give up."
"We haven't seen him in so long that it seems like we've all forgotten about him," Damon said. "What did Darren have to say?"
"No news."
* * * * *
The wedding began after a late afternoon lunch.
Kiki could barely move in the highly-packed Grand Hall of the palace, where it seemed to be standing room only. Her gown tightened on her with every breath she took, and her father looked just as uncomfortable as her in his suit. Ryan stood next to him, biting his lip and glancing down at the floor every so often. Kiki wished she could manipulate him to cheer him up, but she couldn't. It was wrong, and something Patrick would do. People had a right to feel what they wanted.
A low classical piece floated through the room, relaxing her and chasing away the unnerving feeling she'd had only an hour ago. A good mixture of Lateinians and Keilarans stood around, including her grandmother, who had come from the estate where Riley was supposed to hide so many weeks ago. Even Darren and Gracie Storm looked right at home in their formal attire.
The nervousness that she had felt the other night had disappeared and she was able to enjoy the event with ease.
"Are you excited?" her mother asked next to her, twisting around in her peacock dress. "I can't wait to see Riley in her wedding gown. I can't believe how fast you all grew up."
"I'm excited," Kiki said, barely able to keep her happy tingles under control. "To think that Damon and I will be married in the spring..."
"Places!" her father shouted, parting the crowd around him as he waved them back. "It's about to begin." He rushed back through the crowd and out a side door, out to meet Riley in the hall.
Jacob ran up to the altar, nervously adjusting the bow on his tuxedo as silence took over the entire Grand Hall. He looked strange wearing it, almost boyish.
The musicians stopped their calming classical music. Then, with almost a roar, the wedding music began, the main doors to the Grand Hall were pulled open by a pair of Lateinian palace guards, and Riley stepped through, arm interlocked with her father's.
Her dress was orange and tan, with no veil, but her crown shined brightly as she passed Kiki, smiling the entire time in Jacob's directio
n.
A prickling sensation, almost like the one that she'd gotten when Emperor Ivan had tried to watch in on Jacob's radio broadcast, fell over Kiki as the priest began to read at the altar. But this was different: this was from within. The priest's words seemed to die in the air as she struggled to shake the feeling away.
No use. Someone shifted next to her. Kiki turned to see if anyone else was noticing the weird sensation.
She jumped. Patrick, purple-eyed but without wings, stood next to her.
The wedding seemed to fall away as Kiki instinctively reached down for her guns, which of course weren't there. Her hands brushed only the silk of her dress. The Patrick didn't move, didn't smile, didn't take its eyes off her. The apparition. It was the same apparition she'd seen all the times before Patrick had showed up to hurt her and those she loved.
It stared at her, utterly emotionless, raising its hands to its neck as if it were choking itself.
Before she could give it any thought, the apparition disappeared. Kiki caught her breath, checking the whole room for threats. All faces around her were turned towards Jacob and Riley. Kiki forced down panic as she searched the crowd for anyone who looked even remotely like Patrick. Nobody except Alexander, who shared the same brown hair and violet eyes, even came close.
Patrick was somewhere near. It was all the vision could mean. Even with her new abilities, he had Ariel and Marcus on his side. Ariel might still even be in Lateine.
"Do you, Emperor Jacob Ortiz, take Riley Endicott to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest's words cut into her worry.
"I…I do," Jacob said.
"Do you, Riley Endicott, take Emperor Jacob Ortiz to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," Riley said happily.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."