The Carnelian Tyranny: Savino’s Revenge (44 page)

“Yes, well, I shall grant you a do-over for that one. Just do not ever do it a
gain.”

She giggled. “That’s worth more to me than you’ll ever know. I am so honored to call you my co
usin.”

“And, now, I think perhaps I should take you inside before you become sick again and are forced to miss your coronation tomorrow. I do not want to be the one to explain to Darian why his betrothed is sick and cannot be cro
wned.”

As they approached the stone arch leading to the Knight’s Hall, he opened the door for her, bowing respectf
ully.

“See you tomorrow, dear cousin.” He paused. “Oh dear. After tomorrow, I shall not be able to call you that anymore.” His tall, broad frame strode down the corridor, his step lighter than it had been in many mo
nths.

“You may always call me cousin,” she answered over her shoulder. “Good night, Count da R
ocha!”

“What was that all about?” Darian a
sked.

She jumped. “Oh! Why are you always sneaking up o
n me?”

“Force of habit. What did Savino
want?”

“Do I detect a note of jealousy, Mr. F
iore?”

He shrugged. “I have the right to know with whom my future wife is occupying her
time.”

“Oh. In that case, he asked if I’d reconsider marrying
him.”

“
What!?”

When the servant polishing the sconces down the hall turned to stare, Marisa giggled at the woman’s startled expres
sion.

“It seems that I was briefly engaged to Savino.” She placed his Academy ring into the palm of his hand and watched in amusement as he stared down at it with a puzzled expres
sion.

“What! You two were engaged? With my
ring?”

“Oh, I’m just teasing, Darian. We aren’t really engaged. It’s a long story and maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime when we need a good laugh. In all seriousness, though, I need to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day, after
all.”

“That it is. One I’ve been waiting for all my life. Come, I shall walk you back to your cham
bers.”

They ascended the grand staircase leading up to the royal apartments. Marisa walked slowly, taking a few moments to admire the royal portraits hanging along the walls. She stopped when she came to the life-sized painting of her mother that had been completed just before her corona
tion.

“I guess this means I’ll have to have my portrait done as
well?”

“Of course,” he answered. “You are a member of the royal family, after all. We shall have one commissi
oned.”

She looked around, puzzled. “Why don’t I see one of yours here? Everyone else seems to be here except you. Why is that? Camera
shy?”

“It is really rather silly, to be ho
nest.”

“This I gotta hear. Why isn’t there a portrait of you
here?”

He smiled at her sheepishly. “I never wanted to have a painting of myself standing up there alone—immortalized on canvas for posterity for hundreds of years. So, I told myself that I would wait until I found the right woman and married her so that we could have one done toge
ther.”

“And if you never mar
ried?”

“Then I would never have a portrait up on that
wall.”

She kissed him softly. “Has anyone ever told you that you are quite the romantic, Darian F
iore?”

He shrugged, embarrassed. “It is not romantic—it is just the way I
feel.”

“Whatever,” she said, smiling at
him.

They headed upstairs, stopping just outside the door of her chambers. He took her in his arms, slowly wrapping a soft wave of chestnut hair that cascaded over her shoulder around his fi
nger.

“I am so thankful to have you back alive, safe and sound. I don’t ever want to quarrel again,” he
said.

“Well, that’s bound to happen anyway, but I agree with the general sentiment.” She stopped, turning serious. “But I won’t take you for granted ever again. My heart was shattered when I thought you were dead. There was no hope left in me, but Eman put it back at a time when I needed it the most. I’ll always be grateful to him for what he
did.”

“We are all grateful to him,” he said. “And, now, I must leave you so you can be rested for the biggest day of your
life.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “That will be on your birt
hday.”

His eyes twinkled as he kissed her. “Good night. I shall see you again in the morning. Sleep
well.”

“Good night,” she whispered, closing the
door.

Spotting her dress and coronation robes hanging near the window, she walked over and stroked its thick softness. She ran her fingers across the plum velvet, suddenly realizing that it was the same fabric that covered her mother’s diary. She thought about how pleased and proud her parents would have
been.

As she slipped on her nightgown and crawled into bed, her mind raced with questions about what the next day, month and year would bring. But then she remembered Eman’s simple, reassuring words to her about tomorrow taking care of itself and she drifted off to sleep knowing that she would never have to face the future a
lone.

CHAPTER 42

INAUGURATION

The next morning, there was a flurry of activity at the palace like none Marisa had ever seen. Everywhere she looked, there were palace servants scurrying around, making sure that all the preparations for the coronation would be completed on
time.

She received a steady stream of visitors in her room throughout the morning—most of them family members and friends coming to wish her well. After lunch, Matilda and Adalina came to help her dress for the coronation that was set to begin at three o’c
lock.

“So, Adalina, tell us all about Terracina,” Marisa said. “You were there for several weeks and I want to know what you’ve been doing all this
time.”

“Well, let us just say that I was not lacking in male company while I stayed at King Bertoldo’s palace,” she said, bea
ming.

“Tell us!” Matilda sque
aled.

Marisa smiled knowingly. “You saw Gervasio, didn’t
you?”

“Yes. We spent several hours discussing things and decided that it was best if we continued to live separate l
ives.”

“And?”

“That is all. Nothing happ
ened.”

“So what male company are you referring to then?” Matilda pro
dded.

“Well, the men in Terracina do know how to flatter a woman. I never had to lift a finger to do anything—there was always some handsome young man jumping up to hel
p me.”

Marisa looked at her skeptically. “You’re a Crocine princess, Adalina. And a beautiful one, too. The men there are all fully aware of your situation and something tells me you’ll never be lacking in male admi
rers.”

“Maybe I should go to Terracina.” Matilda gig
gled.

“You have absolutely nothing to complain about, Mattie,” Marisa countered. “Bruno is an amazing man and the two of you are perfect for each o
ther.”

“Yes, I know; I was only joking. It is a miracle that he survived the slaughter and I thank Garon that he
did.”

Marisa nodded in agreement. “He went through a lot these past few weeks and I can tell he loves you. He is certainly a keeper.” She glanced at the time and jumped. “But you girls have got to help me get ready ’cause I’m on in just a little more than an
hour!”

The three of them chatted and giggled as they helped Marisa dress for the coronation. Matilda combed out her long, wavy hair and worked it into a half-up, half-down hairstyle that would accommodate the crown perfe
ctly.

And when the time came, Matilda and Adalina carefully brought her gown to her and helped her step into it. The plum velvet dress complimented her peachy complexion and her hazel brown eyes. The gown fit her long, slender curves snugly, accentuating her slim waist and flattering her hips with its gentle flare and cathedral train. The square neckline was edged with Crocine lace and the bust panel encrusted with hundreds of tiny amethysts that sparkled. She slipped on the necklace and earring set she had received from Darian on her eighteenth birthday and wore the slippers that had been made especially for her on that occa
sion.

She smoothed down the dress in front of her full-length mirror, feeling the softness of the very same velvet that had covered her mother’s diary. She glanced at her reflection and smiled. Only a week ago, she had never dreamed that this day would even be possible. And she had to pinch herself to make sure it was not a dream. Forty-five minutes later, Cinzia knocked on her door, peeking in to see how things were progressing. Studying her niece in her coronation dress, she sucked in her br
eath.

“Oh, Your Highness, you look so—so,
r
egal!”

“Thanks, Aunt Cinzia. How much time do we have
left?”

“They have asked me to come and collect you. We need to start down in five min
utes.”

As Adalina and Matilda hurried around tweaking her dress here and pulling the train there, Marisa gazed out at the mountains in quiet contemplation. Although she still had twinges of homesickness for Jacksonville once in a while, Carnelia was her home now. It was where she belonged. And it was to this place that she owed her duty for the rest of her life. The burden of responsibility was heavy, but with the help and hope that came from Garon, Eman, family and, of course, Darian, it already seemed lig
hter.

The bells in the citadel tower pealed loudly, ringing out for the entire kingdom to hear. Cinzia and Matilda walked in front of her while Adalina walked behind to help carry her train. With every step she took, she felt another step closer to the parents who had done their best to prepare her for this day. Though neither of them was there to see her coronation, she carried them both in her heart, and it was en
ough.

As they descended the last steps and entered the corridor leading to the Knight’s Hall, Marisa saw Darian at the other end, smiling pleasantly and, as always, waiting patie
ntly.

Dressed in the dark blue formal uniform of a Crimson Knight, he smiled at her, giving her a wink that said he loved her. His charcoal silver breastplate flashed as he lifted his hand to her. She took it gracefully. Bowing formally to her, he turned the handle on the door but then stopped, gazing at her with a solemn
face.

“Although neither of us knew what we would be forced to endure before arriving at this point, I can honestly say that I would face it all again for you,” he said in a whisper. “I am deeply honored to be your witness here today and I am so happy that your time has finally come, my lovely Ma
raya.”

He raised her hand, kissing it so
ftly.

She smiled at him lovingly as Cinzia, Matilda and Adalina moved to take their places in front of her. Darian stepped in just behind them. The door was opened and a symphony of music erupted from the organ bay. A wave of commotion rippled through the hall as everyone in it rose to honor their Q
ueen.

As she walked down the long aisle that lead to the platform, she looked into the sea of faces smiling back at her. So many of them she had come to know as friends in the short time she had been in Carn
elia.

When they neared the front, Matilda and Cinzia took their places in the front bench next to Alessio, Mark and Loris. It was then that she turned and saw her uncle fighting the tears that threatened to erupt from his eyes. Her lip quivered and she smiled, thinking about how much she loved him and how much he had done for her over the last several years. He winked back at her as if to say how proud he was of
her.

Adalina and Darian took their places on the other side next to Helena and Tino. Marisa smiled at her future mother-in-law, noting with pleasure the pride in her eyes. When Darian smiled broadly at her and gave her another wink, she stifled a gi
ggle.

At the end of the aisle near the podium was Eman, approaching her solemnly wearing white robes. She couldn’t imagine a better or more appropriate person to crown her and bless her reign. He motioned for her to sit on the Golden Throne of Carnelia and held his hand out to her, blessing her as the scepter was brought forward. When the music stopped, the voices in the hall became silent and Eman stepped for
ward.

“Queen Maraya Fiore, daughter of Queen Elyse Fiore and King Alano Macario, you are here today to swear a sacred oath to your call of duty. A duty that has been blessed by Garon our Father in Syion to preserve, protect, defend and lead the people and nations He has given you charge over t
oday.

“As Supreme Ruler, do you promise to preserve, guard, protect, defend and lead the lands of Crocetta, Ambrogia, Terama, Ravenna, Terracina, Serrantina, Drychen, Mychen, Bandaline and Tantaline to the best of your abi
lity?”

“
I do.”

“And will you judge fairly with prudence, wisdom and compassion those over whom Garon has given you ch
arge?”

“I will,” she answered sole
mnly.

He took the golden scepter and placed in it her hand. “May this scepter always serve as a reminder of the holy vows you have taken this day.” A young man stepped forward carrying an ornate wooden box. Eman lifted the crown from it and held it in the air high above
her.

“Do you promise to obey the laws of Garon and never forsake the gifts and blessings He has bestowed upon you for as many years as you shall live? Do you accept the authority that He has given to you and confirm your holy ordination, promising to rule over both the weak and the mighty with the same consideration for
all?”

“
I do.”

Then, by the holy authority given to me by My Father, I hereby crown you Queen Maraya Fiore, Supreme Ruler over the lands of Carn
elia.”

He lowered the crown, slowly placing it on her
head.

“May this crown serve always as a reminder of the authority given to you by Garon and may you always follow His true path of wisdom.” She sat on the throne, her eyes meeting the faces of the people to which she would be held account
able.

Darian rose to his feet to lead them in hailing
her.

“Long Live the Queen! Long Live the Queen!” he shouted, as each person in the Knight’s Hall joined in the solemn show of support for the new queen by chanting it with others in one loud v
oice.

Closing her eyes to savor the moment, Marisa marveled at how her sadness and despair had completely transformed into miraculous joy. Although none of them had deserved it, they’d all been given a second chance. And as she sat on the throne for the very first time, she decided that the Wounded Heart flower would become her royal sy
mbol.

Queen Maraya Fiore would be known as the Queen of Second Cha
nces.