- The Lion -

The moment that Baekhyun and Soomi had been dreading for a long time had arrived. Their coronation was about to begin, and neither of them was looking forward to it. The doors of the throne room were open and allowed them to see the assembly of nobles who were awaiting them inside. The hall was decorated with a plethora of flowers and banners showing the crest of Lux. Soomi felt anticipation hanging in the air, making her tense and nervous.

She had linked her arm with Baekhyun’s as they walked towards the throne room, wearing the finest clothes befitting of a future king and queen. Soomi’s hair had been braided and her silver tiara rested on her ebony locks. It would soon be replaced by a more elaborate crown. Her light yellow dress had a heart-shaped neckline and a long and flowing skirt embroidered with golden roses. The sleeves reached her elbows, fanning out at the ends.

Baekhyun was no less dressed up, wearing a white jacket with golden embellishments and embroidery around the collar. He sported elegant black trousers and polished boots, as well as a silver rapier attached to his belt. The slim crown on his head glinted in the sunlight when they passed one of the large stained glass windows. He was incredibly handsome, and Soomi had blushed when she had seen him earlier. Even though he had been nervous, he hadn’t hesitated to about it, complimenting her on her beauty which had flustered her more.

As they walked over the threshold and entered the richly decorated throne room, all eyes came to rest on them. Soomi spotted many noble families who she knew and a few unfamiliar faces. They were staring at her curiously, not having laid eyes on the princess from Caelum yet. She felt slightly uncomfortable under their scrutiny and kept her eyes fixed on the throne where the Queen and the royal advisor were waiting to begin with the ceremony. Even a small orchestra was present, playing soft classical music. The cheerful melody distracted her from her anxiety and helped her calm down.

When they came to stand in front of the stairs leading up to the throne, they stayed one step below the Queen, waiting for her to begin her speech. She looked serious, but from up close, it was plain to see that she was proud of her son. Her voice was strong and asive, easily capturing the nobles’ attention. Soomi wondered if she would be able to be like her one day—confident in her abilities and a trustworthy queen.

The Queen briefly addressed the passing of the former King, voicing her regret over his untimely death, before she continued to introduce Baekhyun and Soomi as her and her husband’s successors to the throne. The nobles clapped when she fell silent and watched the ceremony begin. The royal couple needed to take their coronation oath as it was customary for the heirs to the throne.

“Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the Kingdom of Lux according to its respective laws and customs?” the Queen asked them calmly, speaking in an authoritative yet kind voice.

“I solemnly promise so to do,” they both answered as they bowed to her.

“Will you cause law and justice to be executed in all your judgments?”

“I will.”

“Will you to the utmost of your power maintain peace and preserve the safety of your people?” the Queen carried on.

“I will,” they replied in unison.

The Queen nodded and stepped aside, allowing them to walk to the throne behind her. They took their seats on the expensive chairs that were layered with gemstones and decorated with golden embellishments. Soomi briefly glanced at Baekhyun, noting that he looked serious, his face a blank mask. He didn’t show his thoughts nor his emotions, but she knew that this situation wasn’t easy for him to bear. Taking the place of his father, inheriting all of his burdens, was something he’d have to do now. Whether he was ready or not didn’t matter.

She directed her gaze to the Queen and Wang who stood next to her. He had brought a golden scepter and a ring that represented the monarch’s dedication to his kingdom. The Queen presented it to Baekhyun who put it on his finger without saying a word. In a solemn gesture, she also handed him the golden scepter which he took, holding it in a tense grip. He was uneasy, but it was barely noticeable since he was good at concealing it.

Finally, the Queen walked to the altar where the former sovereign’s crown lay, picking it up reverently. The dreaded moment had come—the reign over Lux would now be passed on. The crowd watched with bated breath as she walked up to the throne and stood in front of Baekhyun. He took a deep breath and momentarily closed his eyes. She placed the heavy crown on his head, smiling at him as she did. Next, she moved on to Soomi, taking her own crown off. She set it carefully on Soomi’s head before she turned back to the nobles who were watching them.

“I hereby pass on the rulership to my son and his wife,” she spoke solemnly. “King Byun Baekhyun and Queen Byun Soomi of Lux.”

The coronation ceremony had taken a long time since many high-ranking nobles had held speeches and pledged their fealty to the newly crowned couple. Soomi had kept a kind smile on her lips throughout it, while Baekhyun had observed the proceedings with a stony look on his face. He’d surveyed the crowd closely as well as the entrances to the throne room that were guarded by knights. The royal guard was present too, all of them standing close to the throne. They were armed and ready to step in should something go wrong. While their presence was a reassurance to Soomi, the knights wouldn’t be able to protect them as easily once they had left the throne room.

She was worried, yet she complied with what was planned next. Baekhyun and her left the throne room, walking over the red carpet that led through the entrance hall and outside in the castle yard. An open carriage was waiting for them already, pulled by four majestic white horses. An entourage of knights stood in formation, seated on their horses and waiting to accompany them when they would enter the capital. The royal family had taken many security measures to ensure that nothing would go wrong. In addition to those knights, they had several placed in the entire town to keep the crowd under control.

Baekhyun lent her a hand when she climbed into the carriage and took a seat before he climbed in after her. She sent him a small smile and he took her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.

“It has been going well so far,” she whispered as the carriage began moving.

“Indeed, it has,” he replied stiffly, his reaction making her frown.

Thinking of a way to cheer him up, she said, “Your new crown looks good on you, my King.”

Caught off guard, he stared at her and his eyes widened a fraction. He snorted, hiding his smile behind his hand. “Now that’s unusually bold of you, my Queen,” he replied teasingly.

Surprised by his sudden mood change, she got flustered and avoided his mirthful gaze. “I was just… stating my thoughts, nothing more.”

“You should do so more often,” he smirked. “I bet that my adorable Queen has a lot to say.”

Part of her was relieved that he seemed more at ease now while another part was horribly flustered over his words. She didn’t get to answer him since the carriage had already left the safety of the castle walls and made its way into the capital, rolling over the main street.

The area was packed with people from all over the kingdom who had arrived to watch the newly crowned King and Queen with their own eyes. Since it was rare to lay eyes on royalty, they didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Among them, Soomi spotted people of all ages and occupations, cheering for them as they passed by. At first, she was overwhelmed by the loud yells and cheers, unused to seeing such a large crowd, but she soon began to wave at the citizens. Fortunately, the knights weren’t having any trouble in holding them back, and so they didn’t encounter problems either.

She smiled when she saw a group of children throwing flower petals as the carriage reached them and waved at them. They seemed happy about this and beamed brightly at her.

“Very cute,” she whispered, feeling more comfortable now than before. She was relieved that the people of Lux were accepting her as their queen since she had been worried about having to face their scorn.

Unlike her, Baekhyun was tense and kept his hand on the hilt of his rapier, a gesture that couldn’t be seen by people outside the carriage. He kept a cheerful expression on his face, but his eyes were cool as they studied his surroundings. It would be bold of the Alliance to attack them with so many guards around, but it couldn’t be ruled out.

The procession made its way to the market square and back to the castle. Since the situation on the streets was a bit chaotic, they were slowed down and arrived back at the castle a little later than planned. Baekhyun heaved a relieved sigh when they were in the castle yard and the gate was closed behind them. The riskiest part was over—the only things left were the banqu