Babel Novel
Chapter 78
“Crowns belong to those who serve.” (! Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel
The doors opened to the throne room and it took all of my willpower to prevent myself from visibly shaking.
Deep breaths, Clark.
Every eye turned to look at me, and there were a lot of eyes. People were packed into the throne room like sardines with
guards at every corner, but in front of me, the path had been cleared with a thick red
velvet carpet. Not a single person stood between me and the throne, Except Griffin.
He stood at the base of the King’s chair and dressed in an elaborate military uniform that looked similar to Ivan’s but
covered in even more ribbons and medals. I’d never seen him dressed so formally before.
I’m not sure when Ivan sl*pped into the crowd, but halfway across the
room, I realized I was walking alone.
Deep breaths. Chapter 78
Although I could feel the stares of what must’ve been more than a hundred wolves, the only eyes I cared about were Griffin’s. Looking at him made everyone else in the room fade away like background noise — like it was just the two of
us.
I continued to look up at him even as I reached the base of the throne, standing a step below him. Slowly, I kneeled
down, my dress spreading out around me. For the first time, I was grateful they’d carpeted this part of the room for my
coronation. It cushioned my knees and kept me from having to kneel on cold marble.
Griffin kept his face neutral as he looked at me but his eyes were soft, softer than I’d ever seen them. |)
Well, the hard part is over. I made it across the room without tripping or falling on my face.
Nadia had explained the coronation process a hundred times, even brought me to the throne room and physically
walked me through it. This was the part where Griffin would swear me in as Queen.
Even though I knew what would happen, my brain seemed to turn to mush as I stared up at Griffin. Despite how many
people were standing in the throne room, it was silent. They were all watching and waiting, their eyes trained on Griffin
and me.
“Clark Bellevue, daughter of Alpha Marcus,” Griffin’s voice boomed across the room. Griffin’s power fell across the room
as he spoke – that raw Alpha power I’d only felt a handful of times before. It was Chapter 78
manageable for me, but I could see a couple of the Alphas stumble out of the corner of my eye. “Today, you are sworn in
as Luna Queen of werewolves. Do you promise to be a just ruler, to uphold your duty to those you’ve sworn to serve?”
Luna Queen.
Hearing that title left goosebumps on my skin. This was it. I wasn’t just promising to be Griffin’s mate or live in the castle
today ~ I was promising to be their Queen. To rule them, to make decisions for a group of people I’d never met. There was something utterly terrifying about that.
The weight of Griffin’s words hung heavy on me, but I swallowed down the lingering anxiety. I didn’t want these Alphas
to think I was nervous or unsure of my decision. If I was going to rule, I needed to look strong.
I looked up at Griffin. “I do.” As silent as the room was, my words echoed throughout the crowd.
Griffin’s l*ps twitched like he was holding back a smile, and he glanced over at a council member standing a few feet
away. The old man placed something into Griffin’s hands, and | realized it was a crown.
My breath caught in my throat. Nadia had told me that Griffin would crown me, and yet, I hadn’t thought much about
the crown itself. This
‘was so much more than I could’ve imagined.
As elegant as it looked, the crown was smothered in diamonds that Chapter 78
encircled rubies and sapphires. I was pretty sure I’d never even looked at anything so expensive in my life.
Still, it looked delicate in Griffin’s hands – like the wrong move or flex of his fingers would break it in half.
As pretty as that is, I’m hoping it’s just for show. If I had to wear that all the time, I’d be too worried about breaking it.
“With the Alphas that stand witness today,” Griffin continued, his voice carrying over the room, “I crown Clark Bellevue as
the new Luna Queen.” A moment later, | felt the weight of the crown on my head, Griffin’s fingers lingering in my hair.
“Rise.”
As he spoke, Griffin outstretched his hand and helped me on my feet. It was a welcome gesture considering how many
layers my dress had. There was going to be no way I’d be able to gracefully get up without a little help.
So, with Griffin’s hand in mine, I rose and faced the crowd as Nadia had instructed me to.
One by one, the stone-faced Alphas sank to their knees and bowed to me. There was no hesitancy, no distaste on theirNôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
faces that they were bowing to a human ~ just subjects bowing to their ruler.
My eyes scanned the crowd and then a moment later, I spoke, “Rise.” I tried to make my voice as commanding and as
powerful as a Queen’s should be. I wasn’t sure I succeeded, but the Alphas listened to me. Chapter 78 They rose, staring
back at me with something foreign.
It was respect, something I’d never gotten from werewolves before. “Long live the Queen!” (2
I wasn’t sure who shouted it, but a moment later, someone else yelled, “Love live the Queen!” That started a chain of
voices, with every Alpha
in the crowd echoing the phrase until it rippled across the room.
For the first time since I’d walked into the room, confidence stirred in me.
Beside me, Griffin murmured just low enough for me to hear, “Long live the Queen.”
Long live the Queen indeed. (*)
Chapter Comments POST Mariel Joseph
thank you for this update. clark is officially the queen @ can’t wait 6 for the next, her parents’ interaction @
Lina Fullbuster o
beautiful @ love this chapter. thanks for the update