Page 214 of A Courage of the Chosen

Her love has been the only thing that’s kept me together, and when a fresh wave of grief surges and it feels like I’m drowning in it, she’s there, holding me through it.

I’m desperate for her, and every chance I get, I bury myself inside Elsie to remind me that she’s here, we endured, and I get to be hers for all of eternity.

Erin’s hand tugs my attention where it’s gripped in mine, drawing me from the memories of the last few days. Dressed in a blush-pink gown, with her brown hair falling in delicate curls around her, she looks as though she belongs in a palace.

“When is Elsie coming?” she whispers.

“Soon,” I reply. “It won’t be long.”

Erin had got ready with my mother while Elsie was occupied.

“I’ll bet she looks beautiful, she always does.”

I smile down at the little girl who has become just as much part of our family as those born to it. “Aye, she does.” I agree.

“Don’t forget to curtsey,” I remind her. Erin doesn’t think of Elsie as the queen, I’m not sure she ever has, and I’ve had to tell her a little bit about court politics. That she needs to show Elsie respect when it’s a special day like this, but not all the time.

Erin scowls up at me, and reminds me that while she might be a child, she is incredibly smart, and sometimes older than her years. “I know. I won’t forget. Today, she’s my queen, not my family.”

That word lodges somewhere tender. When Elsie asked Erin this morning if she wanted to live here, that’s what we had in mind. That the three of us would become a family one day, if Erin chose us. It sounds as though she already has.

The bagpipes begin blaring before I can reply, a wave of butterflies erupting in my chest. A path is formed so Elsie can walk straight to the throne, and a hush sweeps through the throne room and out into the courtyard beyond as the tune reaches its crescendo.

The entire realm waits in suspense for her arrival.

When she appears, Reyne and Cait each carrying one corner of the massive train of satin that flows from her waist, my stomach bottoms out, and my heart thunders so loudly it’s the only thing I can hear.

Her dress is of the deepest green, and the full skirt cascades down her long legs in ripples of shimmering fabric. The bodice is strapless, showing off the refined slope of her shoulders, and the Craobh Beatha gleams proudly above the structured folds that sluice across her form diagonally.

The scars she once tried to hide now proudly on display for everyone to see. She’s not afraid of them anymore.

Elsie’s hair is piled into an elegant twist onto her head, and adorned with small gems that catch the light as she begins to walk forward. Her court have dressed in the finest silks to honor her, and as she passes them, their wonder-filled gasps rise in a symphony.

She’s never looked more like a queen to them.

And she’s never looked more like mine.

Elsie’s eyes are wide. Not with apprehension, but rather surety, that joins the sense of peace along our bond. They’re framed by thick lashes that, paired with the dress, make them seem like the palest of green. They flick between the faces of those assembled to greet her, and she beams serenely at them.

She nears the dais, gathering her skirts to navigate the few steps, and I’m already there, offering my hand.

“Allow me, Your Majesty.” There’s too much heat in the way I say it, and the pink that blooms across Elsie’s cheeks adds fuel to the fire burning in my gut for her.

Only her. Always her.

“Thank you,” she replies with a smirk.

Reyne and Cait fan out the back of her dress as Elsie turns to face the crowd, so that it falls around her in a satin waterfall.

Lord Garside approaches with a rare smile on his face, leaning in to ask, “Are you ready?”

She beams back. “I am.”

He takes the crown, that has been cleaned and polished to within an inch of its life ready for tonight, the emerald at the center balancing perfectly with the Craobh and the shade of her dress.

“Elspeth Aitken-Darrow,” Lord Garside begins. Elsie added her surname to her formal title, not wanting to forget where she came from. “Do you promise to lead the Seelie of Elfayne with fairness, honesty, and compassion?”

“I promise.” Her voice rings true.