Standing tall on the altar, Mirabel surveyed the creatures, spirits, and gods who filled the vast mansion. Their grotesque forms once struck fear into her heart, but now, they seemed small, insignificant. Their power paled before the raw energy coursing through her veins.
Chief Mina shifted uneasily, his face etched with uncertainty. He could feel the tide turning, his kingdom crumbling beneath him. All that he had built ;his slaves, his dominion, his power was slipping away, now firmly in Mirabel's grasp.
From her place on the floor, Mrs. Ruth glanced at her daughter. Her voice trembled with pain as she spoke. "So, Mirabel… is this your choice now? Do you truly feel this…"she gestured at the creatures surrounding them "..is your kind? I thought you could be more. Perhaps… I wasn't the mother you needed me to be."
Mirabel turned to her mother, her expression calm but resolute. "No, Mother. They are not my kind," she said, her voice cold but decisive. "But I can make them into whatever I want them to be—just as I was made."
Obianuju, still weak from the battle, managed a strained laugh. "Oh, my daughter. My sweet, ambitious little bride. Perhaps if I had been a better father, you wouldn't have settled for mere scraps of power. But look at us now, this should have been your honeymoon, yet here we are warring with spirits and dancing with death."
Before Mirabel could respond, Mina made his move. Desperation etched across his face, he lunged toward the chocolate box that had been cast aside. Grabbing it in his trembling hands, he let out a manic laugh.
"You think you've won, Mirabel?" Mina bellowed, raising the box high. "I'll end this myself!" He seized the dagger, stabbing it violently into the box before hurling it to the ground.
The room fell silent, everyone stunned by Mina's reckless display. Mirabel broke the silence with a low chuckle, her laughter growing louder and more menacing.
"Look at you," she said, clasping her hands in mock amusement. "A pitiful fool. You wanted this, didn't you? You wanted me as your bride. What's the matter now? Don't you want it anymore?" Her voice dripped with mockery.
Mina's face contorted with rage. "You witch!" he snarled, charging at her.
"Stop there," Mirabel commanded, her voice laced with power.
In an instant, chains erupted from the ground, binding Mina where he stood. The force knocked him to his knees. Gasps filled the room. Mina himself had never wielded such power without physical contact. Mirabel had cast her chains with nothing but a gesture.
She descended the altar, her movements slow and deliberate, circling Mina like a predator savoring her prey. The creatures around her watched in awe, their fear palpable.
Turning to the gathered spirits, Mirabel declared, "Crown me."
The Alpha stepped forward, bowing his head. "My Queen," he began, his voice firm but deferential, "the law states that after the final ritual, a bride must be crowned by her husband. But because you completed the ritual yourself, the law has changed. You must now be crowned by your father, Obianuju, who will serve as your equerry for all time."
Mirabel's brow furrowed slightly. "And my mother?"
The Alpha hesitated. "Your mother cannot remain in this realm as she is. Two parents cannot coexist in this realm. She must take another form, an object or a creature to be able to stay by your side."
The room grew heavy with silence. Mirabel turned to her mother, her voice soft but strained. "Mother, I… I'll dismiss you. It's better this way".
"No," Mrs. Ruth interrupted, rising to her feet. "I'll stay." She walked toward her daughter, her eyes brimming with tears. "What do I have left in the world above? My life was built around you and your father. Without you, it would mean nothing. Let me stay, Mirabel, even if I must change."
Mirabel's stoic composure cracked for a moment. She reached out, pulling her mother into a tight embrace. "If you must stay," she whispered, "then I want you close to me. I want to feel your presence always. Turn her into my throne," she said, her voice steady but heavy with emotion. "Let her be my foundation, my support."
Mrs. Ruth smiled through her tears. "If that's what you want, my daughter. I'll carry you as I always have, even in this form."
The Alpha nodded solemnly and handed Mirabel her wand. "Strike her three times, my Queen. It is the only way."
Tears streamed down Mirabel's face as she turned to her mother one last time. They embraced, kissing each other's cheeks. Obianuju approached his wife, holding her tightly. "I'll never leave your side," he promised.
Mirabel raised the wand, her hand trembling. With each strike, Ruth's body glowed brighter until, on the third strike, she transformed into a magnificent throne. The golden-red chair radiated power, its intricate designs symbolizing her mother's strength and sacrifice.
Mirabel fell to her knees before the throne, her tears soaking the ground.
The Alpha raised his hands, summoning a crown from thin air. The spirits chanted in an ancient language as Obianuju took the crown and approached his daughter.
Kneeling before him, Mirabel listened as he spoke. "By the authority of my ancestors and the spirits of the seven realms, I, Obianuju, declare you Queen of the Seven Realms. You shall rule over all spirits, creatures, and even your husband. Your word will be law, your power unmatched."
He placed the crown on her head, and the room erupted in a deafening chant: "All hail the Queen! All hail the Queen!"
Mirabel rose to her feet, transformed. Her once soft features were now sharp, her eyes glowing with a menacing light. Her nails were long and black, her red robe flowing like blood around her. She drank from a chalice filled with black liquid, sealing her power.
Climbing onto the throne, Mirabel raised her hand, silencing the room.
"This is power," she began, her voice resonating. "This is what I was meant for.
All I ever wanted was to marry right, a future. But destiny chose differently. And now, I am the Queen of all realms."
Her voice darkened as her gaze fell on Mina, chained and broken. "Some wounds don't just bleed—they drain. Some shadows were never meant to be escaped." She paused, a cruel smile forming on her lips. "I was chosen for this. And I pledge to rule with my last breath."
The mansion erupted in a final cry: "All hail the Queen!"
As the spirits vanished one by one, Obianuju stood at her side, her loyal equerry. Together, they ruled the Seven Realms for decades, their power unchallenged and their reign absolute.
THE END