The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 190: The Threat in Coronation Ceremony

Chapter 190: The Threat in Coronation Ceremony

The Day of the Coronation...

The Averion Palace was opened to the common people to witness the coronation of Princess Eve. News of King Solomon’s abdication quickly spread throughout the kingdom.

Some loyal subjects questioned why the third princess was being crowned as the new ruler instead of Crown Prince Stefan. Many were curious about the current state of the royal family.

The reason for King Solomon’s abdication was still hidden from the public. While some viewed this development negatively, others chose to believe in Princess Eve’s kindness.

Her efforts in rebuilding the slum village had reached the ears of citizens across the Kingdom of Averion. Many admired her for her compassion toward the poor.

People from the slums and members of the 5th Battalion supported Princess Eve by spreading news of her good deeds to other citizens, hoping to help her gain positive acceptance during her coronation.

"I want to see Princess Eve. I’ve heard she is the most beautiful princess of Kingdom Averion."

"Will she become a good ruler?"

"What happened to Crown Prince Stefan?"

The citizens started to gather inside the royal courtyard. It could accommodate thousands of people.

On the grandstand of the palace courtyard, the high-ranking officials were already seated in their respective chairs, awaiting the arrival of the royal family. The area was heavily guarded, and the presence of the elite knights served as a strong deterrent against any potential uprising during the coronation.

Unknown to the citizens, those guards wearing Averion’s armor were former elite knights of Kingdom Zephyra who pledged loyalty to the late King Arthur. They were headed by Captain Alucard.

Meanwhile, the other generals, aside from General Artemis and General Ravenmoor, couldn’t make it to the coronation. They were still guarding the borders from potential enemies’ invasion. They were also shocked to hear the sudden news of King Solomon’s abdication.

It wasn’t long before the Chancellor announced the arrival of King Solomon and Prince Stefan, who were promptly escorted to the grandstand. Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.

"Where are Queen Amara, Princess Alessandra, and Princess Aliyah? Are they not attending today’s coronation?"

"What’s going on here? Something is not quite right."

"Is there a disagreement between the members of the royal family?"

The people became more curious when they didn’t see the Queen and other princesses. They started to speculate that those three were against the idea of passing the throne to Princess Eve.

"But all the members of the royal court are here. This only means they are in favor of Princess Eve becoming the new ruler of this kingdom."

The presence of the four great noble clans of Averion and high-ranking officials in the grandstand only meant they had already pledged their allegiance to the incoming ruler, Queen Eve.

As everyone continued to speculate, Princess Eve was preparing to make her grand entrance. Gideon stayed by her side.

"Are you alright, Eve?" Gideon asked her, noticing her troubled expression.

Eve shook her head, rubbing her temples. "I didn’t sleep well. I had a nightmare."

Gideon looked at her worriedly, gently patting her shoulders. "Is it about Alaric?"

Eve simply nodded in response.

She dreamed about Alaric dying in her arms. She could no longer go back to sleep because of her nightmare. She was so scared. Her dream felt so real. The unpleasant memories still lingered in her mind.

She couldn’t forget Sylvana’s vision. The vision of Alaric’s death.

"Hey, don’t overthink. It was just a dream." He tried to comfort her. "You have to smile. Today is your coronation day. Your subjects are waiting for you in the royal courtyard."

"I understand," Eve replied with a faint smile.

"You look stunning today, Eve. The Queen’s crown suits you perfectly," Gideon said, complimenting her to lighten her mood. His eyes lingered on her face.

Eve hadn’t expected him to say that. Her cheeks flushed as she bit her lower lip.

Gideon let out a soft chuckle after seeing her embarrassed look. He extended his right hand in front of her and said, "Let’s go, Eve."

She nodded and accepted his hand. He escorted her out of her quarters. On the balcony, Aerin, Silvester, and five dire wolves were waiting for her. The tamed magical creatures were going to escort Eve to the royal courtyard, displaying Eve’s power.

As Gideon and Eve left her pavilion, someone had been watching them secretly.

"She is surrounded by the beasts and the Black Hunter. She has strong guards. It will be difficult to kill her up close. We need the right timing and the right method," Princess Aliyah said to Gerard.

"You don’t have to worry, Your Highness. I have three methods to kill her," Gerard reassured her confidently.

"Don’t disappoint me, Gerard." With those words, Princess Aliyah pressed a quick kiss to his lips before they parted ways.

They headed to the coronation venue separately. Blending into the growing crowd, Princess Aliyah concealed her identity beneath the humble attire of a royal servant. Her eyes scanned the palace courtyard carefully, every step calculated as she made sure no one would recognize her.

Princess Aliyah gritted her teeth and clenched her fists upon seeing her father and brother sitting at the grandstand.

"Damn it. My father and my brother betrayed us! They chose to support that bitch, Eve! How could they do this to my mother?!" Princess Aliyah murmured to herself.

She looked around, searching for her mother and elder sister. The two women were not there.

’Did she forbid them to attend the coronation?’ Aliyah pondered to herself.

She thought Eve was trying to confine Princess Alessandra and Queen Amara in their respective quarters to prevent them from causing a scene during the coronation.

If she had enough men, she could have already helped her mother escape. However, both pavilions were heavily guarded. Security had been tightened after her own easy escape.

"Loyal subjects of the Kingdom Averion! Behold~" The Chancellor called the attention of everyone the moment he saw the arrival of Princess Eve.

"With honor and reverence, I present to you her Royal Highness— the chosen heir of the royal bloodline, Princess Eve, the new Queen of our glorious kingdom!"

The members of the royal court rose from their respective seats as they watched Princess Eve approach the grandstand.

Everyone gasped in surprise the moment they saw Princess Eve being escorted by mystical beasts alongside Gideon. They couldn’t help but be amazed at the sight of those supposedly wild creatures protecting the princess as their master.

"Whoa! Is that Princess Eve? Is she the one who tames those wild beasts?"

"Princess Eve! She is our hero’s wife!" a group of people from the slums cheered as Eve joined King Solomon and the others on the grandstand. They were overjoyed to see her.

Caleb and the other members of the 5th Battalion were also cheering for Eve. They were so proud of her.

"Who would have thought that she would become our new Queen upon her return? She was serious about taking over the throne," Sera mumbled, talking to Caleb.

"Do you still hate her?" Caleb asked her out of the blue, making Sera frown.

"I didn’t hate her. What makes you believe that I hate her?" Sera punched Caleb’s shoulder.

"Because of Alaric. Because you love him," Caleb blatantly responded.

Sera fell silent for a moment. Her eyes were fixed on Eve.

"I am nothing compared to her. I can’t win because Alaric loves her. He chose her." Sera finally accepted the truth that she and Alaric couldn’t be together.

Caleb gently patted her back. "Don’t misunderstand, Sera. You didn’t lose to her because she’s a princess or because she’s prettier than you. She won because she was Alaric’s first love."

Sera’s eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that. "His first love? What do you mean by that?"

"Princess Eve is the little girl whom Alaric mentioned before," Caleb explained.

Sera was at a loss for words. She could only smile as she looked at Eve.

’I didn’t expect that. I am utterly defeated by that little girl.’

Meanwhile, the Chancellor announced the start of the coronation ceremony. Eve was called to the center to take her Oath of Loyalty and Coronation Vows.

Being a new ruler, she had to uphold the kingdom’s laws, serve the people, and defend the kingdom with honor and wisdom against the enemies and invaders. But she could also amend the law and issue a new decree that would benefit not only the nobles but also the common people.

As Eve took the oath of Loyalty to Kingdom Averion and its people, Princess Aliyah searched for Gerard’s location.

"Can he do this? Will he be able to kill her before my father passes the crown to her?" Princess Aliyah was becoming more anxious. One mistake and Gerard would be captured by Eve’s knights.

Meanwhile, Gerard was already in position, hidden from sight and clutching a crossbow. His first plan was to shoot Eve from a distance. However, he couldn’t get a clear shot—Gideon was in the way.

"Damn it. That man’s on high alert. The moment I fire this arrow, he’ll know where I am. It’s too risky to give away my position. What should I do? Should I take out Gideon first or risk everything to shoot Eve?" Gerard muttered under his breath. It felt as if Gideon could see through shadows.

They didn’t call him the Black Hunter for nothing. Gerard might think of himself as the predator, targeting Eve as his prey, but in truth, he was being hunted too. And Gideon never missed his mark.

’I have to be careful!’