Glass and Obsidian

For once, the third wall belonging to the palace let nobles and commoners alike pass. They flooded in in masses and coagulated on the streets and the grass field before the dome. Everywhere, where they could hope to catch a little glimpse of what was about to happen in the throne hall.

In front of the dome, Nathaniel dismounted and reached his hand out to Katherine to help her off as well. For a second, Katherine remembered how Pete helped her when she mounted Bell for the first time, and her smile grew shaky. Pete and Jack. One retired after suffering grievous wounds, and the other fell in battle when the undead attacked the palace to free the Queen, Emilian, and Helmina.

The burial was in the time of Katherine's long travel back but she and Nathaniel visited the grave two days ago. Still, she could not believe that her funny, one-eyed companion was truly gone. It was delusional but she could not shake the thought that if only she'd been at the Capital, her power might have saved him. She'd seen in Pete's face that the old guard felt a similar guilt.

Lightly shaking her head, Katherine forced herself to focus on today. Today was a once-in-a-lifetime happy occasion for Nathaniel and the last thing she wanted was to ruin it for him. So, she took Nathaniel's hand and hopped down into his arms. She was about to continue her stride to the throne hall when warm arms wrapped around her and lips touched her temple.

"Are you alright?" Nathaniel whispered. The caring tone made Katherine blush. As did the hand that snaked around her waist to brush the little bump on her stomach with the fingertips.

She returned the embrace, lightly rubbing her head on his chest. "Just a bit nervous. Don't worry."

"Hm," he hummed, tilted her chin up with a finger, and lowered his head in an attempt to kiss.

Hastily, she put a hand on his lips. "My lipstick! The new King can't start his reign with lipstick on his face!"

Playfully, he bit her fingers. "It's from my wife."

Pulling her hand away, he disregarded her protest and kissed her deeply. The pleasure made Katherine's spine tingle and she shortly forgot about the many gazes on them. Standing on her tiptoes, she met his hot tongue with hers until the whispers and hooting around them pulled her back into reality.

"Hoodlum," she whispered and lightly hit his shoulder with a brightly red face.

In response, a grin so mischievously dazzling flashed over his handsome features that it made her and the crowd shut up alike. Damn, the red smear on his lips even looked good!

Chuckling, she shook her head. "Shall we then, your Naughtiness?"

"For you still husband," he returned, the red eyes glittering with mirth. And as the whispers around them started rising again - this time mixed with worshipping oohs and aahs - Nathaniel and Katherine entered the palace arm in arm.

As if on command, music began to play. The rest of the royal family had already slipped past them, and King William waited on the podium at the end of the throne hall. What appeared to Katherine as a dark predator's den once, was decorated with silver banners and glittering ice crystals today. Even the black marble seemed to blink and glitter. Despite this, the cold was dispersed by the masses of people that barely fit inside and crowded to both sides of the dark blue carpet that reached up to the podium.

Slowly, Katherine and Nathaniel strode along it, and Katherine was reminded of her wedding. At that time, she only had eyes for Nathaniel and was a mess of nervousness. Today, they took this walk together, and to her, the thrones awaiting them at the end were not half as important as the man next to her.

Yes, the thrones. Once different like day and night, one black, one gold, they were now a matching pair. Nathaniel had made himself clear in this regard: Katherine's throne had to be just as big as his own and of similar form. Yet the craftsman had taken his freedom on the material, surprising everyone. Beside the obsidian throne with the sharp black icicles on top, stood a throne out of glass. Minuscle diamonds, inlaid in the lean, fractured the sunlight that shone through the windows on the left and filled the whole, formerly dark hall with sparkles of light. Just like with the dark throne, the snow wolf's fur softened the seat, yet where it was an imposing show of strength on the obsidian, the sparkles of the glass throne gave it a feminine, mystical feeling. Katherine liked this throne very much.

In front of the podium waited King William with Aston to his right and Liliane to his left. The younger generation carried velvet cushions with two sparkling crowns. The one Aston carried was a dark, roughly cut cliff of obsidian with cracks of glittering blue sapphire, while Liliane showcased a filigree glass crown with diamonds, and white fur softening the rim. Both were beautiful and imposing in their own right.

When Nathaniel and Katherine reached the end of the carpet, the music subsided, and the King of the Icelands raised his voice one last time. "We are coming together today to start a new era of peace..."

Katherine's attention waned when William started his speech. Nathaniel's arm under her hand was warm and strong, and she could not help but think that this was the arm that would lead the kingdom into a better future. This arm had wielded sword and magic, and thousands of lives. But more importantly, it was her arm. The arm of her husband, of the man that loved her. A weight seemed to settle in her heart, together with a certain happiness, and for a moment, she tightened her grip.

Then she had to let it go, as both of them were asked to kneel. Gracefully, Nathaniel sank to one knee before his uncle, the red cape draping over the floor behind him. Katherine followed suit, and both spoke their vows to protect and lead the kingdom.

The weight of the glass crown was heavy on Katherine's head as she stood up again. For a second, she was afraid that it would fall down but it didn't. As William, Aston, and Liliane stepped aside, she took Nathaniel's hand once more and they ascended the steps to the thrones. There were only five, yet it felt like a lifelong journey. And suddenly, like a numbness vanishing or water subsiding from her ears, nervousness washed over Katherine.

What if she stumbled again?

What if she turned around and everyone looked at her with condescending gazes?

She could almost hear them: "What is that little girl doing there? Who does she think she is? Why should we follow such a weakling?"

As a tremble ran through her arms, a hand settled on hers. Just as strong as the arm below, it seemed to bring confidence and security back to her bones. She straightened her back and met the gaze of her husband. He was smiling lightly. Right, she didn't need to face these people on her own. Her family was by her side. Instinctively, her hand wandered to her abdomen. She would continue to stay strong, for her husband, and for her little son.

As if on signal, they turned around together, and as applause filled the air, they sat down on the thrones that identified the leaders of this nation, the King and Queen of the Icelands.