The Dragon King's Heart

"Isn't there a rule on no weapons in the Throne Room?" Laina pondered as she looked over to the general, "Just on that alone I could have you arrested, General Tobias."

"I do not need to explain my actions to any of you. My decision is final. Guards, please send our guests out of the Throne Room," she continued. 

With her direct order, the castle guards got to work immediately, escorting the nobles and the ministers out of the Throne Room. All who remained were those who had been loyal to Laina since her time as the Crown Princess. Based on the information she had gathered, each of them had done everything they could to ensure that all citizens of Kinshearth were taken care of. 

Laina clapped her hands together. It was time for her to get to work. But first and foremost, she had something very important to plan. 

Her coronation!

In the following days, a huge change took Kinshearth by storm. Laina's return to the capital was the hottest topic of gossip, alongside her coronation. Ethan's step down from the throne was met with surprise and shock. 

But it was a welcome change. The citizens of Kinshearth had been suffering under Ethan's rule. Now that Laina was back, the people could not be happier. True to Laina's words, huge changes were being made. 

Laina invited a long list of people for the coronation. Those whom she did not like were not invited. This undoubtedly cause many ill feelings amongst the nobility, but Laina paid them no mind. This was her coronation after all. As the future queen, should she not have the last say in who gets invited?

It was going to be the happiest day of her life 

In fact, she did not have time to think about them either. 

"Let me help you with this," Margaret offered as she picked up an accessory and walked over to Laina. 

"You don't have to," she reminded her, "You're not my handmaid anymore, Margaret. But..."

She held onto the hands of her best friend and sat her down, "I am so happy to have you here, sharing this moment with me."

Margaret smiled. She had been waiting for the day Laina would return to the castle in Kinshearth and take her seat as Queen. At Laina's request, Margaret took on the role of Royal Chancellor in Lucinda's absence. Many roles in court had to be filled and Laina wasted no time in hiring the right people for the job. 

Much to the surprise of her enemies, everything was running smoothly in a matter of days. As Laina made the finishing touches to her hair, she was beaming with excitement. With a bit of luck, she hoped her coronation would go smoothly. 

A knock on the door caught their attention, "It's time," Kol's muffled voice could be heard through the door. 

Laina slipped on her shoes and got up on her feet. She walked over to the full-length mirror to admire her reflection one last time. As she checked on her hair, make-up, and dress, Laina could not help but wonder what the future had in store for her. 

The locket Dante and Laina had exchanged hung around her neck. She gently clutched the locket in her right palm. At that moment, she felt as if Dante was there right next to her. But Laina was not disappointed. She would see him soon enough, in the royal gardens.

It had been Laina's wish for even the common folk to be able to witness the coronation of the new monarch of Kinshearth. Needless to say, the Throne Room would not be big enough to accommodate a large audience. As such, Laina ordered for the ceremony to take place in the royal gardens instead. 

The venue was elaborately decorated from head to toe. Everything was done to Laina's request. Amongst the guests who were invited to attend was Queen Victoria of Wolfenheim. She had been exchanging letters with Laina since the last coronation. 

When Werewolf Queen received the invite, she could not be happier for her friend. This time, she was once again seated next to Dante in the front row of the ceremony. 

"King Dante, we meet again," Victoria greeted him first. 

"It has been a while. Thank you for coming to the coronation, I know Laina is most excited for you to come," he replied cordially. 

"I would not miss this for the world. Hopefully this time it would be smooth sailing," Victoria hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "I hope your relationship with the future Queen is going well?"

Dante chuckled. He did not know that his relationship with Laina was such a hot topic. For the Queen of Wolfenheim to ask him about it was a first for him. Especially since she was not known to enjoy idle gossip. 

Victoria noticed how surprised he looked. She quickly explained that Laina had mentioned the fun adventures the couple went on together. As such, she felt it would be appropriate for her to ask. Worried that he might have misunderstood the situation, she apologized. 

"Thank you for your concern. It's going well," Dante replied as he brought out a small square-shaped box from his pocket. 

He toyed with it in his hand for a moment before placing it back in his pocket. Victoria noticed it immediately. It did not take her long to realize what the box contained. 

"With a bit of luck, I hope that she would say yes," he hinted. 

Victoria could not help but smile. She was rooting for both of them since the beginning. Though she had not witnessed their many interactions with one another, from the ones she had seen she knew they were perfect for one another. 

"I guess I should wish you all the best, " she added, uncertain of what else to say apart from offering a helping hand, "If you need help with anything, do not hesitate to ask."

"How kind of you, I'll keep that in mind."