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“Yes, my queen.”
“And stop saying my queen.”
Raúl grins at me, but his face sobers quickly, and he starts pacing in front of me. “We must return to the castle. I need to abdicate the throne to you immediately. You will need to start learning about our culture if you are to lead us.”
I throw my hands up. “Raúl, stop.”
He stops moving. “Listen,” I say. “I will be queen, but only with you by my side as king. I am not going to sit in endless lessons in one room when I’ve done that my entire life. It will not happen again.”
Raúl sighs and walks to me, pressing his forehead to mine. “You’re right, you’re right. You cannot sit in a room for lessons. If you are queen, I must trust your decisions.” He chuckles slightly. “We’ll tell Henry you’re taking a hands-on approach. He might have a heart attack.”
He strokes my hair, stopping at the middle of my back, then leans away, surprise on his face. “Wait, did you just agree to be my wife?”
I nod with a grin, and he elatedly sweeps me up into his arms. The silver dusting from the moonlight swirls around us as he swings me in a circle.
“Now we must return quickly. Mother will have a fit if she does not get started planning our wedding.”
“Then let’s go home,” I say, my arms wrapped around his neck, giddy at the thought of a wedding.
“Our home,” he replies, whisking me away to the castle. Our castle. My castle.
Chapter Seventy-Eight
At the castle, Raúl calls everyone into the throne room. Hundreds and hundreds of vampires gather, and my heart pounds. I want to move closer to Raúl, but I must stand on my own two feet if these vampires are to believe I’m their long-lost queen.
Raúl stands in front of his throne but does not sit on it. The vampires quiet down, an eerie silence settling over the room. There is nothing more unsettling than seeing a place filled with bodies and hearing not a single sound, not even a cough.
Raúl gestures to me. “I have had the privilege of taking Penny to the tomb of the five queens.”
The crowd stays silent, and Raúl continues. “While there, Queen Selene herself confirmed that Penny is her long-lost heir. She has claimed her birthright and is now our queen. I abdicate my throne to her.”
The crowd erupts into chatter, applause, and gasps. I stand straight, not even twitching when the loudness overwhelms my ears.
Raúl holds up his hands. “I am not done yet. She has also agreed to be my wife. I will not assume the role of king until she has proved herself queen. You will all grow to trust her as our leader, without me in the way. I believe in her. You can, too.”
My eyes widen slightly at his announcement. I expected him to be king as soon as we were married. Raúl turns to me and bows on one knee, lowering his eyes to the ground. Every single vampire in front of me mirrors his movement, bending to one knee.
I step forward, putting my hand on Raúl’s shoulder. “I know this is unexpected. I promise, though, I will work hard to serve you all. Please, rise.”
Helena waves to me in the front, letting out a loud cheer. I can’t help but laugh, and the room erupts into noisy chatter again.
Helena abandons the vampire crowd and is next to me in a second. She grasps both my hands, kissing each cheek. “I’m so happy for you, Queen Penny. I knew it would happen, one way or the other.” She playfully shoves Raúl. “You, go get measured for new clothes. We’re off to have some fun.”
Raúl laughs, bowing to us both, then zips away.
Helena puts her head to mine. “I am so happy for you.”
“Oh, Helena. I’m so nervous. There is too much to learn, to catch up on.”
We stroll out of the throne room, heading up the tower that houses Carmen’s rooms. “You have eternity to learn,” she says. “Stop worrying about it.”
She knocks on Carmen’s door, then pushes it open, not even waiting for Beth to answer it. Inside, Carmen and Beth are already there, on the sofa, with a paper and quill between them. As soon as both of them see me, they get to their feet and bow. “No, Carmen, Beth. Please. You don’t need to bow to me.”
“You are queen,” says Carmen. “It is our way. To not bow, especially in front of others, we are undermining your hold on the throne.”
I grimace. “At least when we’re alone, can you not?”
Carmen smiles as she stands. “Of course, darling girl. We are designing your dress. Would you like to help?”
