The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 137: A crown on her head.

Chapter 137: A crown on her head.

After hearing what had happened, Kai summoned everyone to the throne hall. He despised that place, once, his father had sat on that throne. Yet, to rule... to make his people remember who he was before he departed, he had to make a certain move. One that would be brutal. They must know that it didn’t matter how far he would go, Shadow would watch everything.

In their chambers, he donned his royal attire. Ren stood nearby, her gaze fixed on the golden crown that had sat untouched for so long. It was simple, shaped like woven vine branches, with a single ruby at its heart, like a drop of blood frozen in time. And her husband as always stole her breath.

"Why don’t you wear it more often?" she asked, her voice soft. She could already picture how breathtaking he’d look with it resting on his head.

"To look like boastful humans who love to flaunt their authority over everything?" he replied dryly.

Ren chuckled. "That one," she said with a teasing smile. Rising to her feet, she cradled the crown in her hands and stepped toward him, eyes shining as she tilted her head back.

"Come, let me set it on your head."

"I should be kissing you and enjoying this evening," Kai growled, his voice thick with mischief and longing. His eyes gleamed, not with teasing, but with raw, unapologetic need.

Ren blushed, her heart fluttering. He never seemed to tire of kissing her, did he?

"Shush, husband. Here," she whispered, lifting the crown with reverence.

Kai knelt before her. Carefully, she settled the crown into his hair, her fingers lingering for a heartbeat. As she’d imagined, he looked every bit the King he was born to be. Her heart skipped, then quickened into a wild race, and Kai heard it.

He rose and bent down, capturing her lips in a kiss. A low growl rumbled from his chest into her mouth. "I had another plan for this evening..." he murmured against her lips.

She gasped as he pulled back. "Hmm? What was it?"

"Having my sweet dessert," he replied with a wicked smirk.

Ren arched a brow. "You don’t even like sweets."

Kai shook his head, eyes darkening with hunger. "Not that kind. I’m talking about my delicious wife."

Her cheeks flamed. Wanting him after words like that wasn’t just natural, it was inevitable. Denying the fire in her core would’ve been absurd, no matter how ridiculous other people’s reactions to their closeness might be.

"I promised Master Arcane I’d finish scribing Nimoieth’s diary," Ren murmured. "So after your speech, you and I must go there."

Kai snorted. He already loathed the tale of the four fallen saints, and now, he had to deal with a diary. An ominous relic steeped in dark magic, filled with ingredients and instructions that reeked of curses and corruption.

With a grim sigh, he strode to the table where Coran had arranged the item he’d requested.

"I have a gift for you," Kai declared. "I should have given it to you sooner, but... the handcrafted for the Queen took time."

He opened a polished wooden box, revealing a delicate crown glimmering with green gems, each one catching the light like forest dew.

Ren gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in awe.

"It’s beautiful!"

"Come here."

She didn’t hesitate. Rushing to him, she didn’t simply stand, she threw her arms around him, burying herself in his embrace. A lump swelled in her throat, too thick to swallow. Tears slipped free, warm and unstoppable.

"Promise me something," she whispered, her face pressed against his chest.

Kai froze, startled by the sudden surge of emotion rippling in her voice.

"What is it, love?" he asked gently, his fingers tracing slow, soothing circles on the small of her back.

"In this entire world," she whispered, "I just want to be with you. Always remember, wherever you are, you have to come back to me."

Kai lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I promise," he murmured. "Not even death could keep me from you. Of that, I’m certain."

He chuckled softly, but Ren pulled back, her eyes fierce through the shimmer of tears.

"I’m serious!"

Kai brushed the teardrops from her cheeks with his thumb and kissed them, reverent. These tears were so priceless.

"I know, sweetheart. I’m serious too."

He kissed her forehead, then lifted the crown. With steady hands, he placed it upon her head and stepped back to admire her. His breath caught.

"You were born to be a queen... to be My Queen."

Ren giggled, heart beating in joy. That last part... made her swoon, helplessly.

Kai extended his arm to her, a boyish grin tugging at his lips. "Ready to sit on that cold, hard throne, My Queen?"

Ren didn’t hesitate. She grabbed his arm with both hands and walked beside him, side by side, as they left their chambers, together, heading toward the throne hall.

~*~

All the Alphas and generals stood in their official uniforms, a sea of solemn faces hardened by resolve. Orders had already been given. Every warrior was prepared for war.

This ceremony wasn’t just tradition, it was a warning. A silent oath that must be fulfilled in his absence. If even one of them broke the rules now, the entire nation could collapse. The situation in Thegara was hanging by a thread.

It wasn’t the first time Luther had set his sights on this throne. But this time, his hunger had deepened. Greedier than ever, he no longer wanted power over just one kingdom, he wanted the entire world.

Everyone in that hall knew the truth. The treaty, the bride, the fragile diplomacy, it was all a veil. A sweet excuse to light the fuse. Luther didn’t just want conflict; he wanted chaos. To blame one person, the King of Alvonia, to spark division, and let humanity destroy itself from within. That was how his army grew. Not by conquest. By corruption.

Ren and Kai strode through the grand hallways, their steps graceful, and purposeful. Guards and vassals bowed low as they passed, momentarily caught off guard, utterly distracted by the sight of them. The two looked like something out of legend, a perfectly matched pair, regal and radiant. It was a moment too beautiful to overlook. It was a moment of history.

Arkilla and Orgeve arrived just as the couple approached. Both froze, stunned by how majestic the Alpha King and his Luna Queen appeared. There was something in the air around them, immense, warm, and commanding. It nearly brought tears to Arkilla’s eyes.

The golden light of evening spilled through the windows, casting a soft, crisp glow across them, as though the sun itself conspired to make them shine brighter.

They bowed deeply.

"Your Highness," Orgeve said, "everyone is waiting for you."

Ren glanced around. "I don’t see Gloria or Rail..." she murmured, a flicker of worry passing through her. Had she made a mistake in sending him after her? Perhaps Gloria truly didn’t want to speak to him, or worse, was only pretending not to care.

"Gloria was tending to the guests," Arkilla said gently. "And Rail is speaking with the goblin in the dungeon, making sure he didn’t miss anything crucial. You’ll see them soon."

Ren nodded, but her thoughts swirled. She was determined to help them, if they loved each other, shouldn’t that be enough? But still... maybe it wasn’t. The issue of species loomed like a shadow. What would happen if a human married a werewolf? What about their child? What would it become? She could remember how frightened she was the moment they told her about marrying Kai. All she could think about was the child and pregnancy.

And what about her own? After last night, the thought terrified her.

~*~

~An hour earlier.

"Gloria, please wait!"

She sprinted, desperate to avoid facing Rail, but no matter how fast she ran, he kept coming. She staggered as they reached the edge of the castle walls, where the houses thinned and the thick, looming forest trees stood like silent giants. The air here was dense and heavy with the scent of pine and earth.

"I won’t repeat myself," Rail’s voice cut through the silence, loud and dark. Yet, his threat didn’t shake her resolve to keep a wide distance between them.

Her feet tripped over and root and she stumbled to fall on her face.

Without warning, Rail leaped, his movements swift and powerful. He grabbed her, and then swung her body, and pinned her to the ground, his temper surging like a wild, untamed beast. Why did she look where she was stepping?

"Ouch!" Gloria gasped, the impact taking her breath away. It hurt, but not unbearably because he caught her. She didn’t struggle; instead, tears welled up in her eyes.

Rail’s heart jolted at the sight. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He just wanted to make her and then talk, to make her see how he felt.

"You... you’re crying!" he stammered, his arms flanking her head protectively as if to shield her from a menace.

Gloria sniffed, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. "How can you ignore me... and then shout at me?"

His chest tightened with frustration. "Good gods... I can’t..."

Then, in a blur of desperate longing, his lips found hers, soft, sweet, and pink like cherry blossoms. The kiss was everything he had kept restrained for months. The kiss he had longed for since the moment he realized how deeply he loved this frail, beautiful human girl. So innocent.

Gods, this... this was beyond anything he could have imagined. His heart was a storm, breaking through the walls he had built, pouring out every emotion he had tried to contain.

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