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"Her Highness, Keliyah Eisa Anselm!"

Strange.

In front of her were the same doors she'd entered hundreds of times.

And two guards announcing her arrival to those inside.

But this time, it felt completely different.

Perhaps it was because guards hadn't called out 'Crown Princess Adriell' or 'Keliyah of the Guards'.

Instead, they'd shouted a name she'd never heard herself called before.

She'd already learned that sons being given two names--one of their own along with their father's--had become popular in the Serin Empire. And that women commonly adopted their husband's second name as a sort of identifier when they were married.

So it made sense for Kel to receive the name 'Anselm', Calix's father.

But what in the world did 'Eisa' mean?

And why had it suddenly become part of her name?

"All hail, Queen Eisa!"

As Kel stepped through the doors, she was greeted by a sea of kneeling people, fists at their chests and heads bowed as they shouted.

The scene of a crowd eagerly greeting their future empress may have been a moving sight to behold... but who was Queen Eisa?

Kel resisted the urge to glance behind her.

It was the only way she'd be able to confirm that this 'Queen' everyone was hailing was her and not somebody entering the room on her tail--somebody more deserving of such a welcome.

However, years of royal etiquette training easily quenched the burning desire to look back, just once, and Kel began to take small steps forward.

An imposter queen surrounded by swarms of clapping hands and enthusiastic chants.

Briefly, Kel wondered how the Emperor managed to round up such a spirited audience, considering they were in the palace of what had recently been an enemy country.

Perhaps, she wasn't the only imposter wearing a smiling mask.

'Traitor.'

Unpleasant memories suddenly began to echo inside her mind, and Kel no longer felt like an actress on the Dragon Emperor's carefully crafted stage.

Rather, a rabbit, surrounded by wolves who hid their fangs behind their cheers.

The most dangerous predator of them all, however, was the one who stood at the end of her path. The one with smoothed black hair, gleaming blood-colored eyes, and a single outstretched hand beckoning her to his side.

Calix Anselm Orfeo.

The Dragon Emperor.

The continent's most feared ruler.

And, after today, her fiancé.

Kel gulped, blinking slowly as she brought herself back to the present.

The ballroom was decorated more lavishly than she'd ever seen. Golden carpets, glittering fixtures, and all kinds of riches covered the ancient tiles and stonework of Mevani's old castle.

In front of her, stretched the largest carpet of all, shimmering with the golden silk threads woven into delicate floral patterns throughout. It was so plush that her shoes hardly made a sound as she walked, leaving the gentle swishing of her dress as the only noise inside the invisible walls dividing her from the onlookers.

Eventually, she reached the Dragon Emperor, who was unable to hide his satisfaction at seeing his future Empress dressed from head to toe in such extravagance.

The man seemed to have no thought of luxury when it came to himself--based on his usually plain attire and unglamorous living quarters--but, evidently, he was of a different opinion when it came to his fiancé. (Though, for the occasion, Calix was more dressed up than Kel had seen in a long time. His dark-colored regalia was completed by a shining gold crown atop his head.)

"Come," he said softly, gripping Kel's hand in his.

As the sounds of the crowd died down behind them, Calix led Kel to a stone table with two golden goblets and a small tiara laid on it.

The goblets were filled just more than halfway with crimson wine.

Wasting no time, the Emperor took the goblet in front of Kel and turned back around, raising it above his head.

A slow chant arose as he did so.

"Vivat rex. Vivat regina."

Long live the king. Long live the queen.

After a few moments, Calix reached for Kel's chin and gently pressed the goblet to her lips.

She obediently drank a sip of wine as the ominous old chant filled her ears.

Long live the king. Long live the queen.

After the Emperor replaced the goblet on the table, Kel let out a slow breath, her eyes landing on the goblet set in front of Calix.

It was her turn now.

Long live the king. Long live the queen.

She felt as though she were fighting against the weight of a thousand stones as she wrapped her fingers around the cup and raised it up.

Long live the king. Long live the queen.

Her muscles twitching from the strain of the imaginary weight, she turned to face Calix, moving the goblet toward his mouth.

He placed a firm hand on her arm to steady the cup and eagerly took a gulp, his throat moving up and down as he swallowed.

Kel felt relief as she returned the goblet to the table.

They had finished sharing the ceremonial wine. Now all that was left was...

She gasped as Calix's fingers brushed against her hair, removing the painstakingly hung silver diadem. For the amount of time the maids spent securing it into place, the delicate piece of jewelry came off at just a touch from the Emperor.

With a clack, he set the diadem on the table and grabbed the tiara. It slid easily into Kel's hair, clicking as it interlocked with two impeccably placed pins.

"My Empress," he whispered, his lips brushing against her cheek as he pulled back.

Kel's heart began to pound.

Calix grabbed her hand and, together, they turned back to the crowd.

The chant dissolved into cheering once again.

Wine sharing and crowning were traditions among Western royalty. It was largely practiced as part of royal engagements and weddings in Mevani, Vitocia, and parts of Pandreia. As such, it was something Kel was familiar with. She'd witnessed it herself more than once and practiced a few times as part of her princess training.

But now came the part of the ceremony Kel had hardly any experience with. The part that was based entirely on Eastern culture.

It was a genius move on Calix's part to combine elements from both cultures as a symbolic merging of kingdoms.

But Kel felt sick to her stomach.

It was time to perform the dance.