ELARA’S POV

The music had stopped. The murmurs quieted. And all eyes turned to me.

I stood at the edge of the dais, heart thudding in my chest like the drums that had opened the gala only hours ago. My palms were damp inside my gloves, and for a moment, I couldn’t feel the ground beneath my feet. My eyes swept over the crowd—nobles in glimmering brocade, foreign envoys with measured stares, and courtiers waiting, watching, whispering.

I took a breath, and I stepped into the light.

The grand court ballroom of Verdana glittered with golden chandeliers and silken banners, but nothing in that room shone brighter than the expectation burning in their gazes. This was more than a gala. This was a reckoning.

A slow hush fell over the crowd as I walked to the center, the train of my midnight-blue gown trailing behind me like the night sky itself. Caden’s presence behind me grounded me. His hand brushed mine as I passed, a quiet promise. I didn’t need to look back—I knew he was watching with that fierce, steady pride that had never wavered, not once.

I reached the podium. My fingers gripped the edges, just to feel something solid.

I scanned the room once more—then I spoke.

“This kingdom has been torn apart by greed and ambition,” I said, my voice ringing clear through the chamber. “And I’ve been just as guilty of that as any of you.”

A ripple went through the crowd. Gasps. Stiffened shoulders. Some looked confused, others curious.

“But tonight,” I continued, “we have a chance to change that. To rebuild. To rise above our past mistakes.”

I paused to let the silence breathe.

“Let us work together to ensure that no more lives are destroyed for power. Let us work together for the future of Verdana. I accept my place fully as the heir to the throne of Verdana, and as the future Queen of Verdana!”

There was a standing ovation and I let out a slow breath as the room erupted in claps, cheers, and voices calling my name.

“Elara!”

“Elara of Verdana!”

“Our queen!”

From the crowd, a lone voice cut through the noise. “Long may she reign!”

I laughed—not out of amusement, but out of pure, unfiltered relief. The tightness in my chest loosened. I had stood in the fire and come out whole.

And then I saw my father. King Dorian. Towering in his royal black and silver, but with his heart fully in his eyes as he stepped forward from the upper dais.

“Elara,” he said, and I descended the steps without thinking, and in a moment I was in his arms, wrapped in a fierce embrace that held three months of distance and decades of unspoken understanding.

He whispered into my hair, “You were always meant to come back.”

“And I have,” I murmured, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. “Not just to return… but to reign.”

He smiled—no, beamed, like the sun had finally broken through storm clouds. “You were magnificent.”

I gave him a knowing look. “That was the easy part.”

“Was it?” he chuckled.

“I’ve faced dragons more polite than our court.”

He barked a laugh. “Fair enough. But I think you’ve finally won them over.”

“Maybe,” I said, glancing back at the applauding crowd. “But I’m not here to win favor. I’m here to lead.”

“And I couldn’t be prouder.” He reached for my hand again, squeezing it. “Three months in Verlada have made you sharper. Stronger.”

“I needed that time. To find myself. And to let go of the fear.”

He nodded, the weight of that sentence not lost on him. “And you’ve come back with fire.”

“I’ve also come back with news.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “News?”

I gave him a measured smile. “Do you want the mild version first or the full shock?”

“Good gods,” he muttered. “Just say it, girl. You know how I hate suspense.”

I drew in a slow breath and lifted my chin. “I’m back with Prince Caden.”

He blinked. Once. Twice.

“Back?” he echoed. “As in…?”

“As in,” I said slowly, “we’re together again. Committed. Entirely.”

He looked over my shoulder. I followed his gaze. Caden stood there in full royal regalia, watching us with quiet confidence. When our eyes met, he gave me the faintest nod.

“He asked me not to announce anything until after the gala,” I said. “But I couldn’t wait.”

“And he… accepted you back? Just like that?”

“No,” I replied. “He fought for me. Even when I gave him every reason not to.”

My father exhaled, his shoulders loosening. “That man. He’s got more patience than I ever did.”

“You’re not wrong,” I said with a grin.

Then I hesitated. My fingers toyed with the jeweled pendant at my collar. My heart thundered again—not from fear this time, but from anticipation.

“There’s more,” I said softly.

“Oh, gods,” my father groaned, half-laughing. “There’s always more.”

“I’m pregnant.”

The words hung between us like the still air before a storm.

He stared.

And stared.

Then, his mouth parted. His eyes bulged.

“You’re what?”

I fought the smile creeping onto my lips. “With child. Caden’s child.”

His eyes flicked from my face to my stomach—no visible bump yet—and back again.

And then—he laughed. A full, hearty, kingly laugh that echoed through the hall.

“By the Ancients,” he said, voice rich with emotion, “I’m going to be a grandfather?”

“Yes.”

He grinned. “Does he know?”

“Yes, he does.”

He beamed again and pulled me into another tight embrace. “Oh, Elara. This is the beginning of something new.”

I closed my eyes, sinking into the warmth of his embrace.

“Yes,” I whispered. “It truly is.”