Ruby
"Are you nuts? I still can't believe you went out like that. There are freaking guards everywhere!" Vexon banged his hand on the wall behind him.
Thinking he must be hurt, I ran towards him and held his hand. "What the hell? You're nuts, not me! Who bangs like that? Of course, Vexon Bevine!"
Is he freaking nuts?
He glared at me and tried to pull his hand away from my grip, but I held it tightly, glaring back at him.
He groaned. "Did anyone apart from my mom, see you like this? Ruby?"
Should I tell him about Kace checking me out?
"Ruby? Did anyone see��" I interrupted him.
"I crashed into Kace." As soon as I said, his eyes darkened.
Rest in peace, Mrs. Ruby Bevine.
"What? That's..." He ran a hand through his hair, controlling himself, and heaved a sigh. "Keep in mind next time. You are my wife and I don't want anyone to see you like that apart from me. Please."
I nodded.
"Now, leave my hand, will you?" he asked roughly.
When I realized I was still holding his hand, I released his hand. Why was he still being cold? Was his sweetness just a facade to woo me?
Silly me. Why did I think a kiss on the cheek would melt him?
The room went dim all of a sudden. I realized that Vexon turned off the lights. Without waiting for a second, I jumped into the bed and got inside the blanket, getting scared.
After some time, I felt like someone was watching me, which made me shiver. Vexon was sleeping peacefully beside me. Whereas, I was an owl by staying awake, thinking of haunted things.
Why do I feel I saw a shadow? Is it a ghost? Is he here to take me away? How can one see a shadow in a dark room?
Stupid imagination!
All of a sudden, the balcony glass door creaked, making me gulp. I tried not to look there, but my eyes continuously fell on the door.
The door was opening wide; I was feeling scarier than before, so I decided to shift closer to Vexon.
As soon as the door opened, I wrapped my hands on Vexon's chest and closed my eyes, preventing a squeak, which made him wake up at that instant.
"What the hell?" his annoyed yet cute voice echoed through the room. I felt a gush of relief that he was awake. He turned on the lights and rubbed his eyes before looking at me."What's wrong?"
We both were still lying on the bed. He just turned to face me.
"I'm...I��"
"Just spit it out already," he said, groggily.
"I'm scared," I managed to say. My mind was hallucinating all types of ghosts.
Valak.
Bloody Mary.
I closed my eyes.
"What? What's there to be scared about?" he asked in disbelief.
I knew he was looking at me, yet I didn't open my eyes.
"The balcony door creaked open," I mumbled.
"It's just the wind. You know, the weather here is now kinda rainy most of the time. Maybe it's raining," he explained. "Now, sleep."
I nodded but never opened my eyes. My mind pictured the Annabelle doll.
God!
I felt Vexon intertwining our hands. I missed the first few days when he used to keep our hands locked. He stopped doing that the day I refused to wear the wedding ring. This was the first time after that incident, he willingly intertwined our hands.
"It's okay," he whispered.
I raised my head a little with the hope to find a comfortable pillow with my eyes closed. Soon, I met a hard pillow. It was hard yet peaceful. I felt so much more comfortable. I laid there and the pillow tried to move a little. But I tightened my grip on Vexon's hand and miraculously, the pillow stopped moving. Weird.
Within a few minutes, I was fast asleep.
___
"Ruby, get up," Vexon mumbled, but I shook my head, still not opening my eyes. "Ruby, today is the coronation day. Wake up."
My eyes instantly opened up at the mention of the coronation. I started getting nervous already. However, it didn't last long when I realized the position I and Vexon were in.
Our hands were still intertwined and my head was on his...chest?
How come my head was on his chest? It was supposed to be a strong comfy pillow. That was when realization took over me. Getting afraid last night, I slept on Vexon's chest with my eyes closed. And here I thought it was a nice pillow. How smart!
"You know, I can't stay here all day," Vexon's voice snapped me out of my trance.
I could feel my cheeks heating up. Quickly, I got up and was about to run into the washroom but Vexon held my wrist and pulled me towards him.
"You aren't going to the washroom. If you go, the coronation will be postponed," he retorted, and I glared at him.
Did he just insult me?
"I��" before I could say anything, he slightly pushed me away to his left side and got up from the bed, leaving me above the blanket.
Vexon fixed his hair before going inside the washroom.
Why did he have to fix his hair when he was going take a shower? Why was he being arrogant in the first place? How long would he stay like that?
___
"Why is everyone decorating the mansion?" I asked while walking through the stairs along with Vexon. I intertwined my hands with him. He was taken aback at my movement, but he didn't try to remove it.
"Because of the coronation," he replied curtly.
I mentally facepalmed myself. Why did I make the mistake of even trying to escape?
"Then why the mansion?" I asked with curiosity. It reminded me of the way Vexon was curious when I was explaining to him about a series I was watching at that moment.
He answered, "It's going to be held here."
I nodded, understanding it. "When?" I tried to keep up the conversation.
"During twilight."
One thing about Vexon amused me. If I were Vexon, I would already get tired with so much answering. Moreover, if I was angry; I wouldn't even bother to answer. But he answered each and every question with immense patience. As if he was liking my interest in his profession��our profession.
Nonetheless, I admired him. Why was he so cute?
We reached the dining area. As usual, everyone was seated. We took our seats as well.
"So, today is the day." Vanera beamed in excitement. "I can't wait! Finally, my dream will be fulfilled."
"Yup. Vexon, did you decide what posts I and others get?" Cason asked and Vexon hummed in response.
I put the Nutella bread on his plate, which he started eating. It was a daily habit now.
"When are you leaving, Pearl?" Newana asked Pearl with an over-sweet voice.
Pearl rolled her eyes. "At 9 PM," she replied while Newana smirked.
"Why so soon? Will you guys keep in touch?" I asked.
Pearl gave me a sad smile. "Of course. I will call you, Ruby."
I frowned but covered it up with a small smile. "How are you going to maintain the company from there, Kendrik?" I asked him.
Kendrik started explaining, "We have another branch of the Bevines' Armament Company there. I would maintain it. Here, mom and Vexon will handle everything."
"What about Pearly? Won't she work under Cason?" I inquired.
"She would, but virtually. Like, Cason is the CTO of both branches, but we have the sub-heads as well. So, Pearl will work under them to be more specific," Kace answered on behalf of Kendrik, earning a nod from me.
"Anyways, I have to check the arrangements. Let's go, Kace," Kendrik said, getting up.
"I'll look at the paperwork," Vexon said. "Join me, Cason."
"Aye aye, boss," Cason teased as he followed him.
"Ugh," with that, Newana got up too.
"Ruby, I will bring your dress for the coronation to your room. Vexon chose it! It's in my room. Wait." Pearly jumped from her chair and ran towards her room.
Vanera held my hand. "Are you ready for this, dear?"
I hesitated before nodding once again. I had to be a part of this forever.
___
I was lying on the bed, feeling lazy until my sister hollered, "Ruby! You have to get ready now!"
"No."
"No? What do you mean by no? You have to! It's a must. You are a woman. You must take your time to get ready. Go and take a shower. Come on!" Pearl tried to pull me from the bed.
I put my hand on my ear, not moving an inch. "Geez, woman. You're talking so much."
"Ruby Bevine, you have to look perfect today! Get up or I'm gonna shoot you," she said sternly.
Groaning, I got up and the bedroom door opened, Vexon entering the room.
"Hey, Vexon! How is the preparation?" Pearl asked.
"Good," he replied before getting inside the washroom.
I thanked God and laid back on the bed. He was seriously my savior. I could sleep now.
"Lucky," Pearl mumbled and got out of the room.
After a few minutes, Vexon got out, all dressed in a tux. His hair was disheveled. I had a sudden urge to run my hand through his soft hair. I wondered how it would feel.
He spoke aloud, "Stop ogling. It's weird." He put on his watch along with his wedding ring. "Your dress is with Pearl��" he paused when he noticed the dress on the couch. Pearl kept it here but it was covered, so I couldn't see the dress yet.
"The coronation ceremony will start after two hours. If you want to change your dress for the celebration party after that, tell Maya and she will bring you a new one," Vexon explained all in one go.
I nodded obediently.
"Did mom explain everything to you about the coronation and other ceremonies? Or do I need to repeat?" he asked.
"Yes, she explained everything," I replied fearlessly. I mean, all the basic things were explained by Vanera. She wouldn't leave anything important. "Are we going together?"
"Yes, and you have two hours maximum to get ready." As soon as he said those words, I ran towards the washroom. I heard him chuckle which made me roll my eyes.
I didn't take much time to get ready, but I spent most of my precious time in the jacuzzi. So I needed to do everything fast.
Argh!
___
I was gawking at the black and red gown; it was so beautiful. The first part had black color and the lower part was of red color.
I must say, Vexon did a great job choosing this.
I tied my hair into a bun and left a few strands of curls in front of my forehead. I put a little bit of concealer, to make my tan skin look flawless. I put on dark red lipstick and black eyeliner. However, I didn't put on mascara. Instead, I put vaseline on my eyelashes, to make it look naturally longer.
I wore the bracelet Vexon gifted me, along with my wedding ring.
"Did you even get out of the was��" Vexon stopped midway when his eyes fell on me.
I stood there awkwardly as he eyed me from head to toe. I was liking the way he was looking at me. After an awkward minute, I cleared my throat, to bring him out of his trance.
"Let's go," with that, he went towards the door. I followed him with my black stilettos.
What? No compliments?
"How do I look?" I asked while walking down the stairs with him.
"Fine," Vexon replied, and a frown took over my face.
Geez. Where is my old Vexon?
"Where are the others?" I asked him.
"They are already in the ballroom. We just need to go there," he replied.
I intertwined our hands. When glanced at me, I smiled cheekily. He kept a straight face while we were heading somewhere in this mansion.
We were walking down the stairs. I held the edges of my gown and put every step very carefully because I didn't want to embarrass myself.
How many more stairs were there?
When we were at the end of the stairs, I noticed many men and women in dark-themed outfits. They all turned their attention at us and smiled.
"Finally, this is the moment where you meet our new Mafia Gladiolus King and Queen," Mane announced.
Everyone clapped as we reached the last step of the stairs. I scanned the whole place. Everything was arranged neatly yet somehow it held a dangerous Mafia-type aura.
There was a long chandelier in the middle of the hall. Wine glasses were arranged on a table on the corner with different kinds of wine bottles in the middle.
There were two chairs, looking like the throne of the king and queen from ancient times on the other side.
I followed Vexon towards that place. He held my hand and motioned me to take a step at first. I sat on the queen's chair with grace and Vexon sat on the king's one.
Mane took the mic and grabbed everyone's attention. Whereas I glanced at the crowd. There were only a limited people. The other Bevines were sitting on the chairs in front of us. Once we had taken our thrones, the other people sat down.
"My dear Gladiolus people, as you all know, on this day, our new king and queen will be crowned, which will take our gang to a new level. Moreover, our next king will announce the posts of his trustworthy people. I hope none will object. We have to put our faith in our king for the betterment of our gang. Now, I would like to give the mic to our king to say a few words," Mane said and handed the mic to Vexon.
Without any hesitation, he took it. "I know, a lot of you are happy with this decision, whereas, some aren't. Well, after becoming the king, I can promise you that I will never let you regret your decision. My ancestors built this gang with a lot of effort. Of course, I won't let it go futile. Let me prove it to you that I am willing to give my life for the Gladiolus," Vexon said, passing the mic back to Mane.
A few men brought a table with a paper on it. A knife was beside it.
What was happening? What would he do now? Why didn't Vanera tell me about this arrangement?
Vexon took the knife and cut his thumb all of a sudden. I was about to get up but saw Newana glaring at me and shaking her head.
I remained seated. My heart clenched when I saw Vexon's bleeding finger. I was imagining the pain he might be feeling.
God! It must have hurt him.
His blood fell on the paper. "I, hereon submit myself to my gang," with that, he signed the paper and returned to his seat.
Everyone clapped and cheered, "All hail the King of Gladiolus!"
Mane said, "That was courageous, boss. Now it's turning for our boss lady, as in our queen, to prove herself."
My whole body stiffened hearing that.
Was I supposed to prepare a speech? What the hell?
Mane handed me the mic. My hands were shaking as I held the mic.
Why didn't I know about that? Vanera didn't tell me about this as well. What should I say? What was I supposed to say?
All of a sudden, the lights went off. Everyone started mumbling. Suddenly, someone placed something on my right hand.
I was still sitting, with a mic on my hand.
"What is happening?" Vanera asked.
"Stay here. I'll check," Vexon whispered to me. But within a minute, the whole room illuminated.
Mane took another mic and announced, "Sorry for the errors. It was a technical error. Anyways, back to the ceremony. Please come here, boss lady."
I got up as everyone clapped. I put the mic on my mouth, my eyes falling on my right hand. There was a small notepad. A few words were written there��more like key points.
I looked at the first key point.
? Thanks
Taking a deep breath, I spoke, "Thanks for giving me this opportunity. I'm grateful to you for accepting me as your queen."
I looked at the next two key points.
? Haters
? Queen duties
I further spoke, "I know, a lot of you might be wondering, 'She just got the post because she married Vexon. What kind of queen will she be?' Well, let me answer that. Yeah, when we got married, I didn't know my husband was in the Mafia. I made a lot of mistakes because I was scared. Who wouldn't? But slowly, I am learning a lot of things."
"You might also wonder if I even know the duties of a queen? Yes, I know. It's to support the king in every step. I may not have the training, but there is always a chance. I can be trained. I may not be physically strong, but all I can do is be mentally strong enough to support my king. I can give advice, orders, and help my Gladiolus members. Tell me, what other traits will I need to be a queen?" I said and all remained silent. They were totally into my speech.
I turned around to face Vexon. He had a proud smile on his lips.
Cason gave me a thumbs up.
I looked at the last key point.
? Blood and Sign.
"Today, I dedicate my whole life to the Gladiolus," with that, I handed the mic to Mane and grabbed the knife. I kept my eyes glued on Vexon and cut my thumb.
I prevented a squeak.
To avoid Vexon's concerned look, I turned to face others and let the blood drop on the paper. Then, I signed the paper with my left hand because I was left-handed.
Everyone was silent, until one cheered, "All hail the Queen of Gladiolus!" Everyone joined him and hailed in the chorus.
"Okay. That was so intense. Now, the pre-coronation ceremony is done. So is the paperwork. Now it's time for the coronation. We will watch the mistress, as in Mrs. Vanera Bevine, crowning the king and the king crowning the Queen," Mane declared.
Vanera went near Vexon, with a man following her with the crown.
"I was in charge of designing my son's crown. And here, I proudly declare him the King of the Gladiolus, by putting the crown of our ancestors, as in our first Mafia Gladiolus King," Vanera said and all cheered happily.
Vexon was still sitting. Vanera put the crown on his head and kissed his cheek. "I'm so proud of you. You fulfilled my dream." Vanera's eyes were watery.
Vexon flashed her a small smile. Vanera went back to her seat. When Vexon stood up, I was so nervous.
A blonde guy brought a crown. All gasped as its beauty; it was full of diamonds and ruby stones.
I was awestruck at the marvelous crown.
"I designed this crown for my Mafia Gladiolus Queen. It has ruby stones in it, which would represent that she's the only queen of the ling. And she has every right on him," Vexon breathed out and took the crown.
I was so surprised.
He put the crown on my head. "And I want to say, my queen, you look so beautiful. My eyes never left you, ever since I saw you. I love you," Vexon confessed, which instantly melted my heart.
Oh my God!
I could hear a lot of 'aww's from the people, which made me smile with pride.
He was my husband, and I was proud of it.
Vexon sat back on the chair.
"That was so romantic, boss! Boss lady must have melted like water," Mane said. "Anyways. Now to our post-coronation ceremony. This is the time to earn our trust."
I nodded, knowing this was the ceremony Vanera talked about. But then again, she never told me about it. How hard could this ceremony be?
"Our king and queen have to shoot an enemy of ours, to prove that they will protect the Gladiolus from all the harms that will befall on us. That's when we will surrender ourselves to them," Mane spoke up, as I stiffened hearing it.
Wait, what? Do we have to shoot someone? Who?
Soon a few henchmen dragged someone tied with chains. His face and whole body were filled with cuts. It felt as if he was tortured like there's no tomorrow.
I gasped when I got a clear look on his face.
Carter Cowell.
I remembered Cason's words, 'Vexon never killed him.'
So Vexon was actually waiting for this day.
"I wanted to kill him with my own hands but he didn't deserve an easy death," Vexon's eyes darkened as he mumbled to me. He got up and held his hand in front of me. "Come on, my queen. Support me and show them we are worthy of being their king and queen."
With shaking hands, I held his hand and got up. The blonde guy handed him a gun��a freaking gun.
Vexon took it as if it was chocolate. He aimed it towards Carter and glanced at me. He was waiting and so were the others, for me to shoot Carter with Vexon.
Will I kill a human?
No matter how horrible of a person Carter was, he was still a human biologically. I couldn't commit such a sin.
I looked at Pearl, whose gaze was on the floor.
I still had the paper on my hand, which I decided to flip without any reason. It was written, 'You've to support your husband. That's how you will be crowned in heaven.'
Still, I didn't touch the gun.
How can I kill someone?
"Look, the queen is scared. Didn't she say, 'I'll support my king?' What happened to the blabbering, Queen? She's just all talk," one of the women snapped.
"Actually you're right. She has got a big mouth for someone who can't even touch the gun." The other woman laughed.
"I pity the king," a male voice mocked.
Soon, everyone started talking about this. We were becoming a living mockery.
"Ruby." Vexon looked at me, controlling his anger. His self-respect was getting crushed with every passing second before he even started ruling. He whispered, "Hold the gun."
I shook my head and everyone but the Bevines burst into fits of laughter.
I peeked at Newana, who narrowed her eyes at me. I was so scared, and she shook her head in disappointment.
All of a sudden, Newana's voice echoed in my mind, 'And you all decided to make her the next Mafia Gladiolus Queen. Bravo! I can see the future of the Gladiolus.'
No, I couldn't let my husband down. This was his work and I had to support him.
Do it, Ruby!
Vexon was about to put the gun down but I held his hand. Understanding that I was ready, Vexon aimed the gun on Carter's head. He and I, we both held the trigger.
"On counts��3, 2, and 1," I muttered and we pressed the trigger.
