A Jottie Romance - The Rosewood Chronicles

Epilogue: Part 1 - The Coronation

Author's Note: This is the first of a two part epilogue for the story. Thank you so much to everyone who has read up to this chapter so far; I am extremely grateful for all of the support.

Ellie's P.O.V:

Eleven years later...

"I feel sick. I can't do this. What if I mess up?" Ellie could feel panic suddenly taking over her body.

Because the day had finally arrived. The day of her coronation.

Ellie used to have a Portman, (Lottie Pumpkin - her best friend, who had been living with her in the palace recently) but Ellie had been announced to the public as the real princess of Maradova several years ago. As the sole heir to the Maravish throne, she had no real way of truly avoiding her future. She would have to become queen of Maradova, and it had been constantly drilled into her by her parents for as long as Ellie could remember.

"Ellie!" Lottie chided. "You're going to be fine. More than fine - you'll be amazing! There's nothing to worry about. Look, all you have to do is just walk down the room and wait to be crowned. There's virtually nothing to mess up."

Ellie tried to be grateful for Lottie's words of advice, but she still didn't feel reassured. What Lottie didn't understand, even after all of these years, was that with the Maravish royal family, there was always something to mess up.

"Okay then...but what if I do something wrong?! What if the press judge me for what I'm wearing?!" Ellie looked down at her clothes; she had flat out refused to wear a gown or a dress, which was why she was wearing an outfit fit for a king instead. The trousers were woven with real gold, and embroidered with an intricate design, custom made.

Ellie was set on trying to break as many 'stupid traditions' as she could, but now she was regretting that decision slightly. What if it all backfires?

"No one's going to judge you for the clothes you're wearing. Besides, you're Ellie Wolf - since when did you care about what the press says about you?" Lottie replied, a sympathetic expression on her face.

Ellie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying her hardest to ignore the noise of the guests on the other side of the white doors. I can do this.

She opened her eyes again to see Lottie looking over Ellie's shoulder, and the princess turned around to see Jamie Volk, her royal Partizan, and childhood friend since birth, standing at the door.

"I'll leave you two alone." Lottie said quietly, walking past Jamie to leave the room. Ellie caught a brief, meaningful look shared between the Partizan and former Portman.

Jamie stepped forward, meeting Ellie's gaze. "Are you ready?" He asked her, a look that Ellie couldn't quite place on his face.

"I- I don't know. I should be, but I don't think I am." She paused, the dreadful, heavy feeling at the bottom of her stomach sinking in. "Honestly...I just feel so nervous." She spoke quietly, as if she was confessing a secret, her hands trembling. She looked down at the floor, as if she was ashamed of herself.

"Ellie, look at me." Jamie's stern, unwavering tone somehow felt reassuring to the princess - like nothing had even changed over the past eleven years. "I know you're nervous - so am I, but the nerves will disappear before you know it. You'll be fine."

Ellie was taken aback. Jamie's nervous too? She had been so caught up worrying about herself and the duty she had to fulfil, that she never once stopped to think about how Jamie must feel too. His whole life had also been leading up to this very moment; he was trained from birth to protect her so that Ellie could take her rightful place on the Maravish throne. This was just as significant to him as it was to her.

She felt her furrowed brows relax and soften a little as Jamie said this. I have to be brave for the both of us. Her troubled anxiousness was replaced with a sudden feeling of burning determination. Ellie looked up and held Jamie's gaze.

"Okay, I've got this. I can do this." She took another deep breath to steady herself. "Jamie, I won't let you down."

Suddenly, the voices in the ballroom fell silent and hushed. Ellie turned around to face the the white doors, glimpsing Lottie behind her who had slipped into the room, just in time. She gave Ellie a reassuring look on her right side. The princess then looked over to her left, where Jamie stood, and he gave her a single nod.

"Be brave." Lottie whispered, her voice floating through the silent room. Ellie looked over her shoulder briefly to give her former Portman a small side smile, before turning back in preparation for her entrance.

"We are delighted to announce the coronation of the sole heir to the Maravish throne, Her Royal Highness, Princess Eleanor Prudence Wolfson of Maradova."

And then the doors opened.

Ellie stepped forward through the flood of shining, white light. She heard a few stifled gasps at her unique choice of attire, and she resisted the strong temptation to roll her eyes. She started her descent down the marble staircase, the crowd parting as she walked through the room to reach the other side, where her parents stood. The ceremony so far reminded her of when Lottie was announced as the Maravish princess. Except Ellie was no longer watching the 'princess' from the sidelines; this time, she was the princess.

Ellie turned around, facing the crowd of guests who had gathered to watch the heir of Maradova's coronation. Her coronation. Then, finally, the king stepped forward.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here today to witness the coronation of Her Royal Highness, Princess Eleanor Prudence Wolfson of Maradova." A loud, unfamiliar voice boomed through the hall. Ellie turned her head slightly to face her father, trying her hardest to remember everything Jamie had taught her about coronations and etiquette the night before. Though she hated all of this, she didn't want to badly mess something up.

The king was wearing his gold, glistening crown on his head, adorned with countless jewels. It was an ancient Maravish tradition for the current ruler to personally crown the heir at their coronation, removing their crown from their head before placing it on their child's as an act of generosity, significance and authority.

There was also an ancient Maravish tradition for the king to crown the prince, and for the queen to crown the princess. But Ellie had requested for her father to crown her personally, with not the queen's crown, but rather the king's.

The words from the booming voice in the hall was drowned out in Ellie's head by all of her thoughts. The only thing she could truly focus on was when her father, the king of Maradova, carefully removed his crown and placed it gently on Ellie's head.

A burst of applause and an eruption of cheering broke out, along with a standing ovation, though, of course, Ellie hardly thought that she did anything to deserve it. All she could focus on was the weight that now lied heavy on her shoulders. This kingdom was now going to rely on her, and she had to fulfil all of her royal duties. There was no backing down.

Ellie tried to feel happy, she tried to feel satisfied, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. She saw her mother, who had a dazzling beam on her face, and her father, who had a light sheen of tears in his eyes. Yet Ellie still felt unnerved. 

It was only when she looked over to the back of the room, when she saw her two most loyal friends - Lottie Pumpkin and Jamie Volk - who were endlessly applauding her and giving her reassuring looks with proud grins on their features, did the new Queen of Maradova finally let her face break out into a genuine smile.