Celestia and Nina sat in the woods, sharing a picnic. Nina looked distant and troubled, and Celestia reached over and put her hand on her shoulder.
“Nina, what’s wrong? Ever since the King was removed from his post, you’ve been distant. You can talk to me, love.”
“The coronation is tomorrow. Then you’ll be a queen, Argall’s queen. You’ll have to spend more time in court and you won’t have time for me anymore.” Nina sighed.
Celestia took Nina’s face in her hands, “Nina, look at me. Nothing’s going to change the way I feel about you. I’m going to spend as little time at court as possible. You know how much I dislike the social nature of humans. I have no desire to listen to the gossip of ladies-in-waiting. I want to spend time with you, and being queen will only give me more power to do so.”
“But... I’ve never seen the prince look so fragile. He needs you, Celestia. I worry that he’s not capable of running this kingdom on his own.” Nina embraced Celestia, stroking her long, golden hair, “I know I’m selfish, but... I want you all to myself. I don‘t want you to have to listen to all his pains and fears, and help him run the country.”
“It will be a good thing,” Celestia said, “With more influence, perhaps I can convince Argall to finally free Navarre.”
“Then you will go home... to a world I do not know. Ravanna...” She almost said that Ravanna would be waiting for her there, but she caught herself in time.
“Ravanna is gone, Nina,” Celestia said, sadly. Nina could still see the pain in her eyes when she talked about her former love, “You are right, I will return home, but you are welcome to come with me... as my equal, not as my servant.”
“But... would Elves even accept me? I am not one of them, and besides, you were with Ravanna there for a hundred years. To them, I will just be an intruder into your life and theirs.”
“Then I will return here,” Celestia said, “Home is wherever you are, Nina. I love you more than I could ever tell you.” Celestia kissed Nina on the lips, a deep, passionate kiss. She let her hands roam underneath Nina’s dress, and Nina let herself enjoy the moment.
Celestia knew she was living for the moment. She would live for hundreds of years, yet somehow, only these moments with Nina seemed to matter. Nina would proceed her in death, yet she did not worry about the future. She had once had a future that had been certain, and she had relied on it, but since Ravanna’s death, she had learned to appreciate precious moments in time, to grasp and treasure them for what they were. Precious moments that would stand out when she looked back at the end of her thousand-year life.
~
Celestia was up early the next morning. Nina was hurrying about, preparing the dress that Celestia would wear to the coronation. Celestia dressed in something simple and left her room, going out into the gardens to relax and mentally prepare herself.
Argall was standing in the garden. He looked up, almost unsurprised to see Celestia there.
“Celia, today is the day you become queen. I hope that you will behave yourself. I do not want any embarrassing secrets to come to light about my queen, do you understand? Do as you will, but be discreet. Some are beginning to gossip, and that is the last thing I need.”
“I am sorry,” Celestia said, “I did not mean to bring any shame upon you, my lord.”
“I am not ready for this,” Argall admitted, “I never saw myself as King. To me, my father was invincible, immortal. A piece of me believed that he would rule forever.”
“Nobody is ever ready for great responsibility,” Celestia said, “It is only by taking on the task that you discover what you are supposed to do.”
“Perhaps that is true,” Argall said, “But I’ve been de facto ruler for three weeks now, and I still feel that so much is out of my hands...”
“Like what?” Celestia said.
“Like Navarre,” Argall said, “I was going to withdraw our troops as a coronation gift to you, Celia. I see little value in its continued occupation. But the Assembly blocks my every move. They have an agenda that I do not know about. I am the King, and things are going on that are beyond my control.”
“You father created the Assembly, didn’t he?” Celestia asked, “Can’t you dissolve it?”
“He wrote it into the laws of the land,” Argall sighed, “I feel as though he planned to be taken from his throne, and is preserving his legacy. He hand-picked all the members of the Assembly, and they’re all his most steadfastly loyal men who will protect his agenda. I don’t know what they want with Navarre, but I can’t do anything about it.”
Celestia looked down at the stones. She had hoped for Navarre’s freedom, even though she knew she might be forced to stay as queen. She thought of her family, of the world she had left behind, and wondered if she would ever see them again.
Nina appeared at the doorway, “Lady Cele...I mean Celia, the coronation draws near. It is time to wear your new dress.”
Celestia looked at Argall, and Argall nodded. Taking her leave, Celestia returned to her room, not speaking a word about Navarre to Nina.
~
The coronation took part in one of the grand churches of the East, an ancient cathedral that had been standing for a thousand years. Celestia couldn’t help but feel reverent at something so much older than herself, and wondered if the humans felt the same way.
As they sat upon the two thrones prepared for them, Celestia saw Solaris waving at her from the side. He was still so young, so innocent and unknowing about his fate. Someday, the throne would be his and he would be here with his queen, about to make these promises that would tie him to the throne of the East. Celestia felt sad. It was a possibility that Solaris would never see Navarre, never come to see the Spire as his home or the trees as his protectors. He would never see the Elven lands as home, when he had been brought up in the East, no matter how much Celestia told him about them.
Interrupting her reverie, the music began, a grand organ filling the church with a feeling of gravitas. The High Priest slowly proceeded down the aisle with his assistant, carrying the two crowns of the East on pillows as the onlookers surrounded them.
Eventually they reached the altar, and the music stopped. The High Priest said a few words, then Argall stood and took the oaths of the land. Celestia could see that he was shaking a little, and when the crown was placed on his head it seemed to weigh him down and make him seem frail and weak. Celestia mustered all the grace she could as she made oaths to foreign gods she did not believe in. A part of her wanted to rebel, to throw off all these trappings and run back to Navarre, but Solaris’s intent eyes were upon her, watching her, expecting this of her. Nina stood watching intently. Celestia was reminded that she was a prisoner, and no matter how much she had made that prison a home of sorts, she was still not free. She still could not refuse.
Indeed, as she took her vows, she felt as though she was locking the door to her own prison cell, accepting her fate and laying down her future not as an Elf, but as a human. She detested herself for taking the vows, but she had no choice. There would come a time for rebellion, but it was not now. Solaris would be king someday and she could take all the freedom she wanted, then. If she still wanted it by then.
As the crown was placed on her head, she raised her head and looked at all her onlookers. They were all looking at their new King and Queen, knowing so little about what went on behind the scenes. As little as they knew, perhaps, about who truly was in control of the East.
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