Chapter 30 The Coronation Prepares

• The palace buzzed with a tense but lively energy as preparations for my coronation resumed. It felt surreal to think that I was just a few days away from becoming a true princess, and, soon after, the bride of Grey and Blue. The weeks since Darius’s disappearance had left me unsettled, but as my training resumed, I found myself oddly grateful for everything he’d taught me. He may have left with more questions than answers, but his lessons had stuck with me in ways I didn’t expect.
• Each morning began with a rigorous schedule designed to refine every aspect of my future role. Every step, every tilt of my head, every word I spoke was carefully scrutinized by the royal teachers. But this time, I didn’t falter or feel overwhelmed. I moved with a confidence that I hadn’t felt before, and I knew, deep down, it was because of Darius. I silently thanked him every time I felt myself slipping into that calm, controlled state he’d taught me to embrace. The emotions that once threatened to consume me felt more like passing clouds now, something I could watch from a distance instead of getting caught in the storm.
• Still, there were things I missed, especially the combat training. While I had grown to tolerate the lessons in royal etiquette and diplomacy, the idea of sitting out the combat sessions left a lingering sadness. The elders had decided that I was powerful enough and that continuing my combat training was unnecessary, even potentially dangerous. I suspected they feared my strength more than they were willing to admit. It was flattering, in a way, but it also left me feeling constrained.