Willow POV
The phone is ringing. I hear Lazarus answer it. “Good Good She will be pleased,” he says.
This is all so weird. I do not think I can get used to this. I am not anyone of importance. At least I have never been. Now I have a future of responsibility.
Lazarus comes to me. He places his hand in mine. He pulls my hand to his lips. He softly kisses my hand. He smiles.
“That was the funeral director. All the arrangements have been made. We will bury your father at sunset per fairy tradition. The council will be here for the funeral. After that, they will want to meet with you. I know it is not the most appropriate time, but it has to be done,” Lazarus says.
“I understand. I know some things have to be done. I will do my best to have myself pulled together,” I say.
Lazarus looks deeply into my eyes. His eyes are so understanding. His heart, his soul, he exhibits nothing but love and understanding for me in this situation. How could people ever think he is a monster. I know vampires have a reputation for abusing fairies, but he and his mother have been nothing but kind.
“Willow, no one expects you to be a stone wall. If you are hurting, you take your time. They will go over every single detail as quickly as possible. You will have to meet with them several times before your coronation,” Lazarus says.
“How long is it until sunset?” I ask.
“You have a couple of hours. People will start arriving soon. What should we do with your mother,” Lazarus asks.
“For today, I will be a good daughter. I will do as my father would have wanted. We will deal with her tomorrow.” I say.
“I am not looking forward to dealing with her. I know you are not either. The children Willow think about them when you make your decision. They have to be protected at all costs,” Lazarus says.
I know my siblings need to fall under my protection. I do not understand why we cannot protect them and her without crowning her or giving her money. We can take care of all of their needs. I cannot worry about this now. For today I need to bury my father. That is where my mind needs to be for now.
“Willow, everything will be fine. I will be with you the entire time,” he says.
I lay my head on his chest. He pulls me into him closer. “Everything will be okay, my queen. I promise you I will take care of you,” he says.
“I know,” I say. I look up to Lazarus. I take my hand to his face. I pull him down to me to kiss his lips. How can I already be so in love with him?
“Hey, love birds, the council members are arriving,” Prissy says as she walks toward us.
“We are coming,” Lazarus says to Prissy.
Lazarus takes me by the hand. He walks with me to greet the council. I am nervous. The fairy council will be easier to meet with and handle than the vampire council, but I am still apprehensive about everything that is to come tonight.
We walk into the entryway of the house. The council members are coming in the door. Lazarus’s housekeeper and the butler is greeting them and taking their coats. Lazarus leads me to them. He releases my hand after kissing my hand. He smiles as he takes his place behind me.
“I present the fairy queen to be Willow councilmen and councilwomen,” he says as he moves behind me.
“No need for formalities; we are here to console her as she buries her father. We have all the time in the world to be formal,” Rudan, the council head, says.
Rudan rushes to greet me. “Willow, how beautiful you look,” he says.
“Thank you, councilman, for coming to show support for my father,” I say.
The compliment is complex for me to take. I am not accustomed to being called beautiful by anyone except my father. He would tell me every single day. Now to be hearing it from Lazarus and others is unusual for me. I have never had a stranger tell me that I am pretty. Brooklyn was the adorable child, not me. I have always been too skinny and pale.
“Let us go into the main room. Abraham is prepared for viewing if the council would like to pay their respects,” Lazarus says.
The council follows the butler to the main room. I stay behind with Lazarus.
“You are doing fine. Please relax. The fairy council does not bite. The vampire council, on the other hand, they bite,” he says with a smile. He is trying so hard to help me relax.
“Not funny. Do you bite Lazarus?” I ask.
“I will show you when things settle down,” he says.
He takes my hand to walk with me side by side to view my father. I feel a sudden dread making the walk. I am terrified of how he will look now that the funeral director got a hold of him. It was evident I wanted him to look like himself. I hope he did right by him.
There is no sign of my mother as we walk into the main room. Lazarus had chairs lined up for people to sit in a semi-circle pattern per fairy tradition. The French doors are open that lead into the garden where he will be buried at sunset. The pallbearers are lined up behind my father. They must stay with him from the time he is placed here until he is laid to rest. I can see a sparkle on my father’s wings from where I am standing. They probably haven’t been cleaned in years. In fact, I know they have not. He never had the time. I honestly cannot remember the last time he displayed them.
I take a walk through the semi-circle to see him. I am terrified. Lazarus holds my hand tightly. I need him at this moment. I need his touch. I need his strength to help me get through this day.
I take my hand to touch the side of his casket. The beautiful wood with fairy markings and purple symbols fit him perfectly. Each of my siblings has a ribbon attached to his coffin. It is my turn to tie my ribbon. I select a ribbon from the box of ribbons. I choose a purple one and a teal one.
“Why did you select two?” Lazarus asks.
“You are to be my husband. I want you to pin a ribbon as well. You are his family as much as me. You did try to save him. Please pin a ribbon,” I say.
I hand Lazarus the teal ribbon. I take my purple ribbon. I attach it to his casket. I wait as Lazarus secures his. I look to see my siblings sitting in the front. They are all clean and well dressed. There is still no sign of Luanne. Where can that bitch be? She needs to be here helping me bury the husband she pretends to care so much about instead of hiding like a spoiled child.
I touch my father’s wings. They are silky and clean. I feel his sweet face. He is dressed in a traditional fairy robe. It is purple and teal. It is adorned with jewels of the tribe. The funeral director did not go overboard with it. He knew I wanted him to be humble and modest in his final rest. My father would not want to be over-embellished. The funeral is perfect—everything within the tradition but not overly done.
I take my seat with my siblings to wait for the ceremony to begin. Where is Luanne? Her missing the funeral will make it so much easier when I tell the council she will not be crowned. Thank you, Luanne, for being the overdramatic bitch you are.