Diamond Stones

"Are you ready for the coronation, Your Highness?" Nina asked as she helped Agatha into her wedding gown. Nina, her lady-in-waiting, was young, barely eighteen, but she knew every corner of the palace. She had served Amethyst, Eva's child and the late princess of the Water Kingdom, since she was barely five years old.

Even now, Agatha could hardly believe she was about to be married. It felt like just yesterday when she first saw Liam at the edge of the forest, too fearful for Aiden's safety to even look at him.

Although it had been almost three months since that day, whenever she was with Liam, it felt as though she had known him her entire life. It was a contradiction, but that was how she felt.

Two weeks ago, they had been consumed with rebuilding the town. A quarter of it had been destroyed, including parts of the forest, during the chaos. While Liam was busy securing funds, Agatha visited the citizens, tended to the children taken to the orphanage, and checked on the wounded in the infirmary.

Agatha shuddered at the memory of Ryle and Leonel's conditions.

Ryle had been in constant pain, screaming and moaning despite all the healers Liam summoned. None could explain why Ryle suffered so intensely, even though his injuries had been treated.

Leonel, on the other hand, lay silent. If Agatha hadn't known better, she would have thought he was merely sleeping. But that wasn't the case—he lay unconscious, unresponsive to any efforts to wake him. It was as if he existed in a state between life and death.

Liam's eyes always held sorrow and regret after visiting Leonel and the other wounded knights.

It took a week for Aiden to stop crying. He had grown close to Liam's knights, especially Leonel, and seeing him in such a hopeless state had shattered the boy.

They tried to reassure Aiden that Leonel was still alive, but it was difficult when the only sign of life was an occasional groan of pain every few days.

Their wedding ceremony and coronation preparations had been overshadowed by these concerns. Thankfully, Alexa and Louise had taken charge, handling everything from the wedding gown to the decorations.

Initially, Agatha had expected Hiyasmin to assist as well. Among the three of them, Hiyasmin had been treated most like a princess growing up, but surprisingly, she had little interest in dresses, preferring instead to assist the knights in rebuilding the town.

Despite all their worries and the pressing problems, the moment still felt surreal. It seemed like just yesterday she had worried about where she and Aiden would sleep and how to find enough money to buy food.

And now, here she was, preparing to marry a king above all others.

The pale blue gown hugged her body perfectly, the most stunning dress she had ever seen. It shimmered with tiny diamonds that sparkled in the sunlight.

The fabric was incredibly soft and stretchable, allowing her to move effortlessly. The sleeves were adorned with diamond dust that added to its brilliance, while the back was laced with intricate detail.

The front was elegantly simple, yet the entire skirt gleamed with stones, golds, and diamonds—details Agatha hadn't known could be woven into a dress.

Despite its length—ten feet of trailing skirt—it didn't feel heavy at all. Nina had explained that the fabric was imported from Citadelle, renowned for its lightness, stretch, and natural glow.

After dressing, more ladies arrived to style her hair, dust her face with foreign powders, and apply a sweet gloss to her lips.

Agatha was surprised to find even her hair adorned with diamonds.

"Why all the diamonds, Liam?" She had initially questioned the necessity, considering it purely aesthetic, but he had been insistent.

Liam had explained that past queens had worn similar gowns as an unspoken tradition, speaking of it with such solemnity that Agatha had relented.

She hadn't wanted to seem disrespectful of their traditions, only learning later from Louise that it wasn't entirely true. Louise herself had been married in a simple red dress, exotic in its own right but without the extravagance of diamonds.

"Now that I think of it, mine was adorned with gold dust," Louise remarked as they examined the newly arrived gown.

"Royalties!" they both exclaimed, shaking their heads in amusement at the quirks of royal traditions.

"Let it be. Despite being royalty, my cousins didn't grow up in sophistication. Liam was raised as a thief, and Ludwig endured neglect within the castle until emerging as an Ascendant and being banished. They didn't know the grand life, so they strive to give you every luxury they never experienced."

It was Alexa who, surprisingly, was eating while riding on the broomstick. She often seemed closed off, jovial and strange, full of life only around her relatives.

Agatha stepped out of the carriage that had brought her to the outskirts of town, immediately greeted by nervousness. Standing alone, a few meters away from her, were Liam's knights parading.

Their impeccable uniforms shimmered in the bright, hot noon sun, though she felt an unexplainable chill. Louise assured her it was normal to be nervous, much like Agatha had felt on her wedding day with Ludwig.

The knights lined the entire street with swords raised overhead, extending all the way to the wedding venue. Agatha wondered just how many of them were truly Liam's knights.

Their swords formed a makeshift canopy over her head, and as she walked beneath it, her nervousness only grew. Once past the knights, they would lower their swords and follow behind her in four lines, keeping a respectful fifteen feet distance to avoid stepping on her wedding dress.

At the heart of the town, where all the royalties of the Water Fae Kingdom gathered, stood a massive tree near the palace. Legend had it that four trees had grown simultaneously, once serving as portals to the Human World. As a Fae guardian of the Portals, known as Transcendence, these trees held great significance in their world.

It was tradition for the bride, the future queen of the kingdom, to parade from the outskirts to the very heart of town, then to fly to the wedding venue. Agatha felt nervous, having learned to fly just days before from Liam. With trembling feet and a pounding heart, she took a deep breath and followed Liam's instructions.

"Imagine yourself in a dark place, tied to the ground by a yellow rope—gravity. Picture water surrounding you, buoying you up. As you float higher, the yellow rope slips away. Imagine a feather floating, and you are that feather. Feel the air, the breeze kissing your cheeks. Envision it, feel it, then breathe."

Liam's voice soothed her nerves, giving her comfort and strength. Despite shaking, she did as he instructed.

"Invision a feather floating, and you are that feather. Float. Feel the air around you move. Feel the breeze kiss your cheeks. Imagine it, envision it. Feel it. And then breathe."

A few moments of silence followed. She thought Liam would say something more, but when he didn't speak, her nervousness returned.

"Liam?" she called out.

"Hmm?"

"What's next?"

Liam chuckled and took her hand. "Open your eyes, Aggie."

Slowly, Agatha opened her eyes to see Liam smiling at her. He was always handsome, but there was something particularly endearing about his sweet, genuine smile.

"I thought you were going to teach me to fly," she said. "So what's next?"

Liam adjusted her hair. "Look down, Aggie."

She did, and her eyes widened in shock as she realized they were nearly as high as the trees. Her knees trembled, heart racing. Suddenly, she felt cold and sweaty with nervousness.

Agatha almost lost her balance from the anxiety, nearly falling, but Liam caught her just in time.

"Careful, Aggie. Just calm down. You won't fly properly if your emotions are all over the place."

"How am I supposed to calm down if I'm falling?" she exclaimed.

"You're not falling, Aggie," Liam reassured her. "Trust me, you won't fall. Just relax and trust me."

Liam looked away. He knew she struggled with trust, so he chose his words carefully. "I won't let you fall, and even if you do, I'll catch you. I know how it feels to fall hard and deep."

A smile crossed Liam's face, though sadness lingered beneath. He understood how significant it was for Agatha to trust him, appreciating that he hadn't pressured her to abandon her principles and blindly follow him. He had given her options and allowed her to adjust at her own pace, comfortable with what she needed and wanted. The one thing he couldn't change, even if she asked, was their impending marriage.

They had to marry quickly; the forest was dying, and they needed to restore the Ones to the Throne to heal the lands.

"I…" Agatha tried to meet Liam's gaze as she breathed slowly. "I trust you, Liam," she whispered, gripping his shirt tightly. Despite her trembling, she summoned the courage to begin flying.

Knowing Liam wouldn't let her fall gave her confidence. It helped her start flying without worry or anxiety.

Liam's face registered shock when her words sank in. "You do?" he whispered softly, and she shyly nodded.

Agatha wasn't used to trusting someone, but Liam had proven himself worthy of her trust. She was willing to take the risk for him; he was worth it.

As she slowly made her way into town, she realized how different her life was now compared to before Liam entered it. Citizens awaited her arrival eagerly, curious about their future queen. They knew she was the King's fate and the daughter of the late Prince Henry.

She felt nervous about the responsibilities of royalty; she didn't know how to lead the kingdom. If there had been any other options, she was sure they would have preferred someone else. But with no choice, she resolved to do her best to serve them, to show she could care for and protect them as a queen should.

She wanted to honor her father's legacy. She had already testified in court against Philippe and Eva, even though they were dead. She wanted everyone to know who had murdered her parents. They deserved the truth; they deserved justice.

Agatha nearly lost her balance when she caught a citizen staring at her from a corner. Being queen didn't mean everyone would automatically like her. This fact added pressure and work, but if she wanted to stay with Liam, she knew she needed to help him shoulder the responsibilities he had accepted.

Floating slowly, afraid of getting lost or accidentally bumping into someone, she hovered just a few feet above the ground. Her gown, long and adorned with diamond stones that shimmered in the sunlight, brushed against the pavement.

Agatha swallowed hard as the platform came into view ahead. A sweet smile spread across her face. "This is it," she whispered. "I'm really getting married."