Avernus || Book 1 ✔️

||Crowned||

My brows pulled together as my mind raced to conjure a possible explanation as to how she would be privy to that information.

"Azrael." I breathed in quick realization.

Mama looked at me with a sad smile, and then nodded, confirming my conclusion.

"He sent someone to invite us to your crowning ceremony, and then he told me everything, Rose. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before, I was only trying to protect you."

Tears welled up in my eyes once more but this time I didn't let them fall, even if I did want to cry just at the thought of what my mother went through all those years ago.

"When I heard that he got to you, my heart collapsed. I thanked the Gods many times over that your mate was able to save you from that evil soul. And I nearly cried in relief when I was soon after told that, that man was dead."

I recoiled slightly at her words, but I knew that deep down, I too shared the same thoughts no matter how much I convinced myself otherwise.

"You could have told me." I whispered; my hands squeezed hers as empathy flowed past my lips like a river. "I would've understood everything mama. W-Why you were so protective over me, why you hated Avernus so much—the daemons. I feel so horrible inside... I didn't know and I was so ungrateful of your attention."

Despite my distress, mama only smiled at me and stroked my cheek in an affectionate manner.

"I didn't want you to understand. I didn't want you to share that burden. What kind of mother would I be if I let my daughter grow up knowing the horrors of how she came to be. I wanted to protect your innocence and shield you from the dangers that I was exposed to."

"But—"

"Never mind any of that now, Rose. Today is your special day. You have a very loving mate waiting for you along with all of these other people, your people. Are you ready?"

My mouth gaped, my lips parting open and closing as I didn't know how to respond to her question. I found myself suddenly struck by a sharp rush of adrenaline mixed with anxiety to form a nerve wracking, heart stopping cocktail.

Mama linked my shaky arm with hers and gave me an encouraging smile before leading me down the wooden aisle. I didn't even realize that Azrael was standing at the very end until I was up there, right beside him, my hand being passed over to his after my mother shared a grateful glance with him.

"You look ethereal" He murmured into my ear as his eyes drank in my figure.

My body tingled as he watched me, but I couldn't break eye contact, as I feared the anxiety from before would claw its way back up if I truly saw the amount of people that were sitting there.

"Omnes oriri!"

I withheld a gasp as a voice suddenly yelled a string of words in the old tongue. But it seemed as if his exclamation prompted the mass of people to stand, as I caught the endless stream of bodies do so in my peripheral.

The owner of the voice in question soon made his appearance in front of us at the altar. He was clad in a long, black, floor length robe with gold trimmings and hand-woven designs. There was a line of red paint that trailed down the bridge of his nose, over his lips, and crawled over his chin all the way to the base of his neck. Around his eyes was smeared charcoal that extended down to the tops of his cheekbones.

"In the face of our Gods, before me stands the future Monarch of our world and Kingdom, Prince Azrael Zaccharrio. Although withheld from his birthright, the Gods have gifted him with a soulmate pairing, Primrose Guinevere who will soon be our Queen."