Slave to Destiny

Hundreds upon Hundreds of people were crammed into the room. We were forced to have guards lining the hordes for safety. It was a shocking site. For the most part everyone seemed fairly well behaved, but one could never be so sure when it came to a disgruntled country. Cole and I walked side by side towards the grand thrones that sat at the end of the hall. They appeared to be made out of gold, embedded with jewels, and topped off with satin forest green cushions. Cole lead me to the seat that had once belonged to Mistress Abigail and ushered for me to take a seat.

I did so with ease. Only as a child did I ever sit in the thrones. My father would have me sitting in what should have been my mother’s while he was dealing with official business. Cole took a seat beside me in the late Master Corban’s throne. Daniel was standing beside us taking control of the situation yet again. He would be earning a large position in any new monarchy that we formed today.

“After five minutes of thinking about,” Daniel began his speech. I wasn’t really sure if it was directed towards Cole and I or the crowd, but everybody seemed to hang on his words. He was guiding us through the process like a natural born diplomat. “I figure there is only one way to unite the Otherworld under one rule.” Whispers were spawned among the crowd as they tried to guess at was going to happen next.

Daniel turned towards me with a knowing smile on his lips. He had something tricky up his sleeve. “I feel, and I hope you all agree, that easiest and most beneficial route would be to combine the royal houses through a marriage. Perhaps if Master Cole and Queen Gabriella were to agree, we could skip past all the nasty, unnecessary debates.” The crowd seemed delighted by the words coming out of Daniel’s mouth, whereas I looked completely horror struck.

Stealing a quick glance at Cole I noticed he looked rather nervous as well. Another lesson learned, talk to Daniel before letting him make huge speeches in front of all nobles in otherworld. “What about King Edmund?” someone called out from the crowd. The statement was met with a murmur of agreement.

Daniel looked thoughtful for a second, before responding to the question, “What if, and I’m just throwing ideas out there, we just agree to designate Edmund as a prince, who will be second in line until Queen Gabriella produces an heir. We can declare this a peaceful overthrow. How does that sound to everybody?”

There was yet another murmur of agreement. This was getting crazy. I was screaming profanities at Daniel in my mind as I stared at him. It seemed like everyone, but Cole and I, were getting a say in the next move of the kingdom. I mean who did Daniel think he was talking about my love life and me producing an heir. Daniel grinned at me.

“Now that we have everything in agreement I think it is time to present out treaty to your highness, don’t you agree?” it was clever how Daniel managed to speak to the crowd and play them so they felt they had a stake in what was going on. He was going to a valuable resource to me. It was amazing, someone who could read your mind would always know exactly what to say to make you bend their way.

I took one last glance at Cole, not quite ready to have Daniel ask me the impending question that would decided the kingdom’s future. He looked stone face except for the small smile that played in his eyes, and the ever so slight upward curve on his lips. My wolf could feel his emotions. He was pack after all. Nodding my head, I turned back and looked at Daniel who was waiting expectantly.

“Your highness,” he said to me before dropping to his knees in an attempt to really play the loyal subject role. I knew he was completely amused by the whole show. “Would you be open to accepting such a treaty?” he asked me.

Glancing over the crowd of faces I noticed how alike they all appeared. Every werewolf and every vampire in the room was standing on the edge of their seats desperate to see what would happen next. It was strange how similar they behaved. Only the ones that I personally knew could I decipher as being vampire or werewolf. Their scents were so incredibly mixed it was hardly possible. In one hour of having the crown I realized that the people had been brought together more than they ever had been before. Here they sat completely intermixed without fights or disgust merely excitement.

Perhaps we did have a shot at unison. Daniel was waiting expectantly for my answer. In a loud clear voice I responded, “Of course I would be open to accepting such a treaty. Gladly I would join Royal Houses if it were for the good of the people.” Cheers erupted in the crowd. People were jumping up and down screaming in joy. I could distinctly hear the slight undertone of wolves howling.

Smiling Daniel stood up and announced, “As you have heard my good people, we have a royal wedding to plan. It will in fact be the first royal wedding between wolves and vampires in history.”

The crowd was cheering even louder as Cole and I stood up together and walked side by side together. We exited the throne room hand in hand. It was a silent march up to the royal quarters. Leaving the guards outside Cole’s room, we walked inside. Within seconds he took me into his arms and kissed me again and again.

“Gabriella Storm, I love you,” he told me in a deep husky voice.

A smile played on my lips as I replied, “I love you too, but I’m still mad at you.” He looked completely perplexed.

“Why is that?”

Sighing I shook my head, “Remember on my eighteenth birthday, how you sent me that very rude letter saying you weren’t going to be attending my party,” I told him jokingly. He rolled his eyes in response before kissing me again. Perfect.