“You should sleep,” Luke said.
He pushed back my hair and tried to kiss my forehead. I pushed him away. I didn’t want him. If it weren’t for him I probably would’ve punished Ellie, but she had been his friend. I didn’t want to upset him.
Luke left and Claire set my leg, then, she too, left me to sleep. They promised to come back first thing when they woke up, but I didn’t want Luke’s promise.
I tried painstakingly to fall asleep, but I couldn’t. I didn’t understand why an Light would betray their kind. She had to be an Light; she’d gone into the shrine. I decided I needed to start reading more people’s minds.
After thinking for a long time, staring at the ceiling I fell asleep. Even then, it was a light sleep, a restless sleep.
~~~~~
Luke was sitting next to my bed when I woke, watching me. While I was asleep I’d been moved back into my room, my bed. My hurt leg was in a cast propped up on a pillow. I remembered my anger at him last night, and, although it had faded, it was still there.
“Do you feel okay?” He asked.
“My leg does,” I said.
He sighed. “Are you mad?”
“Are you kidding me? I let her stay for you, Luke, because you something good in her! She could’ve done something like this to anyone and it would’ve been my fault!”
“I wish it had been someone else,” he mumbled.
“Oh, don’t you dare!”
He stood angrily. “You didn’t see yourself last night, Leigha! It was terrifying! I was so worried, but then, it was all my fault!”
“Luke-“
“No,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. “Don’t try to make me feel better because I know you’re mad. If I had just told you to make her leave…” Luke came back to the bed, sitting down again and leaning over me. “You could be fine right now,” he whispered, brushing his fingers across my cheek.
I caught his hand. “I am fine, okay? Just calm down.”
“Bad things just keep happening,” he murmured.
I knew he wasn’t talking about my getting hurt anymore. He was talking about Ellie, Cece and Alex, maybe even Allie.
“It just got worse,” Alex said, as my window disappeared and she flew in.
Her face was grim as she landed next to Luke and her brown hair was unsettled. She looked very unhappy.
Cece flew in behind her as I shouted, “Alex!” and tried to move.
Luke held me down and said, “No.”
“Well, one good thing came out of what Ellie did,” Cece said, smiling falsely, “we came back!”
“Yeah,” I said unenthusiastically. “Now tell me the bad news.”
Cece sighed and began to explain, “When Ellie attempted contact with the Darks Queen Leamathia was notified instantly. She came here, to Earth, but, oddly, she landed much too far away from here and much too close to a Dark base. They knew it was her somehow and attacked. What’s really strange is, she went alone. She was overpowered by Dark Siders and they, Leigha, they killed her.”
“No, not my mother. Anyone else,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry, Leigha,” Alex said, “Something very weird was going on with our queen, though. We think she was being manipulated by a Dark or part of her mind was possessed by one. She made some terrible mistakes.
“We also think part of the plan was for you to be distracted. That way you couldn’t come to her aid. The mission couldn’t be completed, though, because Ellie couldn’t contact base.”
I breathed raggedly, a sob stuck in my throat and I took a deep breath.
How could this have happened? I asked myself, not even thinking about how Alex and Cece mysteriously knew everything that had happened last night here and there. All I could think about was my mother’s death. I knew it was going to happen someday, I just never thought so soon and right now. She was two thousand something years old, but I still needed her guidance. I didn’t think I would take the throne at such a young age. Most queens didn’t until they were at least five hundred and Bound, which was the Creatures of the Light’s form of marriage.
“Leigha, you’re the Queen of the Light, now,” Luke said intently.
I stared at him, “Wha?” I shook my head, “Sorry, I’m a little bit out of it.”
“You heard me?”
“Yes, I know. It’s just too overwhelming.”
“Another good thing is that you’re healing faster than normal, even for you,” Claire began, walking in, she had bags under her eyes and her blonde hair was messed up, “Sorry, I was eavesdropping. I heard the whole conversation, but I didn’t want to interrupt. Leigha, you do know what this will do to your magic?”
I sighed, “Yes, Claire. I believe we all know.”
I could see past her perfect composure. This had left her disheveled, just as it had done to me. It was completely unexpected.
She walked up to my bed and touched my leg, although it was in a cast. She grimaced, making the dark circles around her eyes more noticeable, “It’s already kicking in, just like I thought. With this fast healing rate you have about an hour or two until you’re completely healed. I just wouldn’t go on a raid for the rest of today and you’ll be good.”
“The coronation will be in about an hour or two then,” Alex said, and tried to laugh.
I sighed again, I didn’t know if I was prepared for this responsibility. I’d always taken care of my family, but now I had to run all of the Creatures of the Light and still take care of myself. Everything was happening to me so fast.
“You should sleep until your healed. We’ll come back to wake you,”Cece said, herding everyone out.
I grabbed Luke’s wrist to keep him from being ushered out of the room. “Stay,” I whispered.
He nodded and we watched everyone leave us.
I stared at the ceiling for a long time before I finally fell asleep with Luke’s presence as my only comfort. I couldn’t stop thinking about how dangerous this could be for us all. How very, very dangerous.
Chapter Thirteen
He paced his office happily. The First Obliviator had just received news that the Queen of Light had been killed. He’d known his plan to infiltrate her mind would work. He would now have to think of ways to punish those who hadn’t believed him. There were no known descendants to the queen that could replace her, so everything was going perfectly.
“Sir,” an assistant walked in.
“This better be urgent and important,” He growled. He was not in the mood to be interrupted.
“It is, sir,” the assistant replied.
“Then, speak!” said the Obliviator impatiently.
“Well, first thing first, sir,” began the assistant, “The Second Obliviator wants to know what he needs to do about the empty prisons. Second thing was that our spy, Ellie, wasn’t able to contact us last night. She got caught, so we no longer have a spy.”
“She got caught?” the Obliviator growled. “Stupid fairies. Did she have information that could put us in danger?”
“N-no sir. She was on a need-to-know basis.”
“Then let her rot. Oh, and tell the Second to deal with it on his own.”
“Yes, sir,” the assistant stood there awkwardly.
He needed a new spy, but no one on his staff would work. Soon, he would think of something, something always came to him. The Lights were without a leader, so things would get chaotic for them and easier for him. All he had left to do was find the shrine. That, at the moment, was his biggest problem.
“Wake up,” Marie chimed.
I sat up with a gasp. I couldn’t completely remember my dream, but I thought it had something to do with the First Obliviator and Ellie. I shook my head furiously; my new powers must’ve been starting to kick in.
“I’m getting up,” I said, swinging my legs over the edge of my bed and noticing Luke was already gone.
My cast had been taken off and nothing hurt at all anymore. Claire was right, nothing was effecting me, not my leg
or even the events of the past couple of days.
Claire, Cece, Marie, and Alex stood around the trunk, leaving a space for me to join between Cece and Marie. I opened the magic lock on the trunk. We stared at the contents for a moment, then, everyone turned to me.
“Fairy time!” Alex exclaimed.
I had to change from my human form to my Light form. I closed my eyes and felt myself change. I now looked like I was meant to, my real identity. I had waist length golden-blonde hair that curled in ringlets. I had side bangs tipped in the blue of my eyes. Streaks just like it fell through the rest of my hair. My blue eyes were even brighter and had flecks of silver splattered through them. My facial features were a bit sharper and more elf-like. My skin had moving silver swirls starting on my hands and covering my entire body, other than my face. My wings now unfurled to their full size.
“You look beautiful,” Marie said with a smile.
I smiled softly and pulled out a floor length ball gown from the trunk. The cloth was shimmering blue that looked like water when I moved. A silver ribbon went around the waist of the dress, separating the tight bodice from the puffed out A line skirt. The dress was strapless and showed off the swirls covering my arms. Two slits were cut in the back for my wings.
“You’ve never shown this to me before,” Cece said in awe running the shimmering fabric through her fingers.
I laughed and Claire said, “I don’t think she ever showed anyone.”
Alex pulled out elbow length silver gloves and a pair of heels that matched the ribbon. I closed the box, but didn’t lock it. We would need more out of it.
I stepped into the dress and Claire zipped me into it. Then, I pulled on the gloves and slipped my feet into the heels. After that, Marie and Claire sat me down in my vanity chair.
“Now,” Marie and Claire said, while Cece played a drum role, “make up!”
I groaned.
They leaned over and began to work on my make up and hair. They messed with my hair and face for what seemed like hours, but what were probably only fifteen or twenty minutes. By the time they were done I was about ready to scream for not doing anything for so long, but, finally, they were done.
“Alright, you can see now,” Claire said happily.
I walked into my bathroom to look at my full length mirror. I stared at myself. I wasn’t used to seeing myself like that. My bangs still hung in my face, but a bun was on top of my head. Curls spilled out of the center and down the back of my neck. A single blue and gold ringlet hung by itself beside my face.
My eyes were lined with a charcoal color and a sparkly silver powder covered the rest of my eyelids. My eyelashes had been made blacker and longer than normal and my cheeks and lips were a slight shade redder. I looked, well, like a queen.
“Now,” Alex said like an announcer, “the finishing touch.
She opened the trunk and pulled out the tiara that had belonged to my mother when she was the princess. The tiara was silver and encrusted with diamonds. In the highest point at the center was a mini heart shaped Light stone with a deep blue sapphire in the center. Alex placed it on top of my head so it fit perfectly around the bun.
“Luke’ll be here any second to escort you to the ceremony,” Cece said.
“What?” I said in shock.
“Yep, he’s taking you,” Cece smiled. I thought she didn’t like him.
Claire opened the door as Luke was lifting his hand to knock.
“Oh,” he said, with a nervous laugh, “Is Leigha-,” He began, but then he saw me. His jaw dropped open, though he quickly closed it. Looking at him, I felt like making the same face.
Luke’s skater-boy hair was still long, but it didn’t look so shaggy and there were slight blue highlights throughout. His blue eyes were speckled with white and it had a really stunning effect. He was wearing a tux with a blue tie. His wings came out of the back, just like in my dress.
“Um, are we just gonna stand here?” Alex asked.
I shot her a “shut-up now” look.
“We should go,” Luke said, holding his arm out for me.
I looped mine through it and walked out the door with him.
“We’ll see you there!” I called over my shoulder as we made our way down the hall.
We had to walk a bit to the courtyard where they’d opened the portal to the Land of the Light. Lights that were Earth Bound couldn’t stay long in the Land of the Light unless they were the Queen of the Light, King, or part of their families because a portal would be left open. (The Light bound were people who chose to spend their lives almost completely in the Land of the Light. The rules with the portals for Earthbound Lights were opposite for them.) The one Luke and I were using wouldn’t be left open because I was going through, but there would have to be guards there anyways for the next one opened.
Luke and I stepped through the portal at the same time. I looked around. Normally, the Land of the Light wasn’t nearly this busy, but Lights ran about everywhere. They were all preparing for the ceremony.
Luke and I searched for a certain Light: my mother’s advisor. I would get to pick my own, but I trusted him and he would be helpful with set up. Finally, we found him. I waved to him and called out his name. When he saw me he bowed.
“How may I help you, Your Majesty?” He asked me.
I waved my hand, “It’s unnecessary, the title. You’ve know me all my life.”
“I must call you that, you are the queen.”
“Technically, not yet, Ben. Anyways, we need to go to the Auditorium Room.”
The unicorn turned and trotted towards the castle. I bent my head back to look at my childhood home. There was no wall, like normal castles, just a huge castle with a market place built around it. The castle was made completely of Light Stone and it was beautiful. There were no windows, only open spaces. Bad weather couldn’t touch the buildings, and rain only came when the Lights wanted it.
We walked through the castle to the rooms.
Ben bowed once again, “People will be let in in fifteen minutes. The coronation will begin in half an hour. All free Lights will attempt to be here. The guards for the portals won’t be able to make it, but other than that, everyone should be here. Will I be conducting the ceremony?”
“Yes, thank you, Ben.”
He leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, while looking at Luke out of the corner of his eyes, “Will I be crowning a king, as well?”
I blushed, “You know that means getting Bound?”
“Of course, I am an Light, you know.”
Binding was a serious thing among Angles. It was very special, especially to royals. All Lights had soul mates, so before you were Bound you had to make sure you’d found them. During the Binding ceremony they ran tests to make sure it was a true Bind. Most of the time when someone became king or queen they were Bound at the same time.
I glanced at Luke, “No, not yet. Perhaps soon, though.”
He bowed again, “I’ll leave you to your preparations.”
Most Lights being crowned preferred to decorate the room themselves. Most Lights in attendance preferred the new queen did, too, because the decorations reflected the Light being crowned. Each Light had two colorsspecific to them that were used to decorate for coronations. Two Lights could share one color, but no two living Creatures of the Light shared both colors. My colors were silver and blue; I shared a color with Luke: blue.
I decided on a way to decorate the room and, then, began. I used my magic to make the tapestries hanging on the walls turn to my colors. In the center of the tapestries was and heart with Light Stone coloring. The Light Stone heart was my symbol. A long, silver carpet with blue swirls covering it stretched across the wood floor from the door to the stage. Blue chairs with silver cushions were set in rows on either side of the carpet. The chairs were made so that any Light could sit there. If a fairy sat there it would support their back, but it would be as if their wings weren’t there. I left the room fairly simple, but it had my colors an
d symbol, so it worked for me.
Once I was finished, we left the room. Luke and I went to a private room next to it with one completely clear wall. We could hear and see through it, but the people on the other side couldn’t. It showed us what was happening in the Auditorium Room.
We watched Lights flow in through the double doors and take their seats. I recognized people who were staying in the shrine, people who had stayed there previously, and people from when I was little. My family walked in last and took their reserved seats in the front row.
Ben stood on stage. He cleared his throat loudly and everyone went immediately silent.
“Lights, before we can begin I have some announcements. First of all, all of your portals are guarded, correct?”
People murmured and nodded their heads.
“Second of all, do not be surprised when there is no Binding Ceremony. Our new queen has decided to wait to be Bound.”
Hushed whispers and gasps went through the room. I would be the first queen in recorded history to not be Bound.
Ben went on with a few more minor announcements as Luke and I walked to the double doors. We waited for a few moments.
“Now, our new queen, Lighteighanne,” we heard Ben say.
We stepped into the room. Quiet gasps went throughout the room. I was breaking some records. I was the youngest queen and I wasn’t being Bound. I was a “minor” in the Creatures of the Light’s eyes, since I was under five hundred and every other queen had been five hundred at least. Even though everyone knew I would be young, they had probably assumed four hundred, not anything lower.
We walked down the aisle and I felt as if I were getting married like a human did, but I wasn’t. When we got to the stage Ben smiled gently at me and Luke left my side.
“You’ll be fine,” Ben whispered to ease my nerves. “Today,” he said loudly, quieting all of the murmurs in the audience. “All of the free Creatures of the Light gather for the coronation of our new queen. In this coronation, due to the war, the queen’s full name will not be used. We apologize for the change in procedure, but the queen’s safety is of utmost importance, especially when she has no heir.
“Continuing,” Ben said, producing a scroll, the scroll of which all our laws and rituals were based off of. It was very sacred to our kind, though few had ever been permitted to read it, and no one had ever read the whole thing. Only the First Light, the very beginning of our kind knew exactly what it said. Everything we knew about it was based on fragments that few had been allowed to see and things that had been passed down.