Chapter 334

334 Melody

The moment Cole spent looking regal was short-lived to those that broke out of it in time. Which comprised everyone besides Katie. The Luna was still frozen at the moment, having witnessed an alpha take his place as king. It wasn’t every day she got to watch something like that. Cole called out to the frozen form of his mate, “You’re supposed to be beside me, you know.”

The girl snapped out of her trance and slowly but gracefully took her place in front of the throne the queen had only been seated on moments before them, “Sorry, you looked a thousand times the ruler I thought you would,” she replied.

Cole chuckled and took his seat on the red throne. The Luna followed suit and sat as well. Her eyes finally met the gazes of the crowd watching her and wished she’d only looked up. Katie was not used to getting direct attention from many people at once and this was one of those moments.

Most of the people in the crowd looked at her with looks of fascination and pride. There were a few that had calculating gazes, almost as though they were judging the way she carried herself. The few young children allowed into the throne room, most bearing red eyes, looked at her in awe of her beauty and elegance(however much she thought she wasn’t qualified to receive the last compliments).

What kept her heart from spiralling out of control were two things. The scent and proximity of the man seated at her side. His mind and physical presence were always aware of her presence. If she was to breathe unevenly, he would know... and Katie had no doubt that he would shift his attention from the entire empire to tend to her.

The other thing that set her at ease was the looks on her family’s faces, “From a girl struggling to become a mighty hunter in a remote town...”

“To a queen of the werewolf empire. Quite the tale, wouldn’t you say?” Cole whispered. Caden took the stage after the applause had died down and began introducing the next part of the ceremony. As a form of celebration, performances were held before the king.

It was only after Katie consulted Cole that she realised the day was only beginning. They also had to address all the noble families that would have come to attend the ceremony. Grasping the magnitude of the event, Katie got comfortable in her seat.

They watched all manner of performances that had been gathered for the ceremony. Some were funny, others were thrilling and others were breathtaking. Katie found herself having a blast while they watched them all come and go.

.....

Each performance was unique and the Luna couldn’t bring herself to rank any above the others. Caden and Jason played their roles perfectly as well, introducing the different people with as much vigour as the ceremony commanded... Well, Jason was outshining Caden in that department... no one was judging. The boisterous beta alpha simply couldn’t be matched by anyone.

“And now we shall have someone that the locals have come to know as a rising star in the entertainment industry. She has been seen performing a few times. The audiences that have witnessed her have only been left with good things to say about her. She struck the royal house as a marvel that should be acknowledged. I’d like to invite Ms Candice Turner to the stage,” Jason’s voice was filled with mystery and wonder. He was taking his act to a whole new level and had the people hanging at his every word.

There was mixed applause from the audience, probably from people that knew the name that the beta alpha had just mentioned, “Ah, so that’s her name,” Cole exclaimed.

“What do you mean? Who is she?” Katie asked the king, confused as to who they were talking about. The king gestured to the young girl that was stepping onto the podium before them. She was dressed to kill in a glamorous jade dress that showed her figure yet kept her decency. A delicate balance that had been captured masterfully. Her make-up had been done expertly and she walked with the elegance of an experienced entertainer despite how young she looked.

Katie was about to ask Cole once again who she was when the memory resurfaced. The girl that had been kidnapped by the bandits when she was supposed to entertain people at the king’s coronation, “Oh, so that’s her,” Katie replied, her curiosity soaring high. ‘This should be good...’

The girl took a hold of the microphone from Jason and held it in slightly shaking hands, “My name is Candice Turner. Normally, I would just sing and get off the stage after the applause... but... I would like to offer my gratitude to our beloved King and Luna for rescuing me,” the girl said, turning to the king and Luna.

“I am glad to see you doing well. I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” the king replied, barely fazed by her sudden actions. Katie regarded Cole for a moment. On his throne, he looked like the ideal king and fit the position so naturally that he made it look as easy as breathing.

After the girl had bowed to the two of them, she turned to the audience, “The song I’m singing today is to express my gratitude to the king and queen and my love for our empire,” the girl said to them, her melodic voice almost squealing with excitement.

A band had snuck onto the stage while she was making her introductions and setting up their equipment as well. The music began softly, a flute and soft guitar filling the air in the throne room and silencing the last of the murmurs.

Katie found herself paying more attention to the girl than she had in the previous performances. The girl’s eyes were shut and her head began to sway to the slow music. The rest of the band filtered in and not long after, went silent signalling her cue to join in... Her singing voice, unlike her normal voice, was even sweeter and so beautiful that it had everyone gasping at the sudden transformation.

'

From the very start of the song, the audience belonged to this one girl.

Goddess smiling down from the bright clear night sky

Bless the crown that guides

Protects and Nurtures Your Children

With strength, hope and courage

The King and Queen forge a path anew

For the world to follow

And everlasting peace to keep for as long as they stay true

Lycaon, Sirius, pillars of an Empire

We owe it all to their benevolence

And to the Moon that Watches from above

‘This girl sounds like she’s been living in your mind, Katie,’ Ashley humbly chimed in. Katie didn’t reply... For her ears were paying close attention to the girl’s song, as was the entire audience. For a girl her age, Katie was impressed by her skill.

Her voice was all that could be heard in the entirety of the throne room. It was almost flawless when she sang the notes to perfection and everyone in the room didn’t want the marvel to end.

Just when the song had come to an end and applause had filled the Great Throne Room, the pigeon perched on Katie’s shoulder cooed loudly. This sound wouldn’t have been enough to stop the heavy applause. What joined it, however, was more than enough. The sound of hundreds of pigeons reverberated through the throne room stunning the whole crowd.

The words that came from Darla’s beak... were the last words the girl would have ever wanted to hear from the bird after a performance that enchanting, “They are here. They are within the audience...”