Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother-Chapter 364: The Coronation Ceremony

The next day, NofaFrame issued a statement that the movie Briena was in still had some post-production work left and would be released soon. They even added that there would be various promotional events for the movie before and during its launch.

Briena was definitely over the moon and thanked her fans and the press for their support.

The reporters couldn’t help but go to Natalie once more to take a dig at her, but...

"Ms. Natalie, Briena’s movie will be released soon?"

Natalie looked at them as if they were fools. Wasn’t she the one who had ordered it right in front of them?

"Ms. Natalie, what do you have to say about it now that the movie will finally be released?" a reporter probed further.

"When doom approaches, one’s intellect works against their best interest," Natalie answered them and walked away, leaving them all puzzled.

In the evening, when Natalie reached home, another piece of news was waiting for her.

Justin welcomed her as she arrived and made her sit in his lap on the sofa in the drawing room. First, he kissed her as if he had been starving for her for a long time, and when she was left breathless, he finally spoke. "You have to go to Belvorn once again."

She caught enough air and asked, "What happened now?"

"Your grandmother has declared the coronation ceremony in the next two days, and you have to fly there," Justin informed her.

"In two days? What’s the rush?" she asked. "Is Caryn Shaw ready to accept it so soon?"

"How are you so sure that it would be your mother and not you who would be crowned?" he asked. "They haven’t declared who it would be."

"Before leaving Belvorn, I had already shown my intentions to the Queen, and she understands," Natalie replied. "But I am surprised Caryn Shaw agreed so soon when all these years she adamantly stayed away from her roots."

"There must be a reason," Justin replied, as he thought, or she is just trying to run away.

"When do I have to leave?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," he answered. "The day after tomorrow, in the evening, the coronation ceremony will take place. Only people from their country are invited. No outsiders."

Natalie sighed as she put her head against his shoulder. "I’m getting sick of traveling now."

"You don’t have to go if you don’t want to."

"They haven’t revealed who would be crowned, so my absence would make it clear for everyone. Let me help them for the last time to keep their game going."

"Alright."

-----

The next day, in the evening, Natalie left for Belvorn. She stayed in the same hotel, while Caryn had already moved to the palace. Natalie rested the entire night and went to the palace the next day to be part of the preparations for the evening.

"Natalie," the Queen hugged her the moment they met, while Caryn sat in her chair like usual. "Good to see you back."

Natalie smiled at the older woman, then looked at her mother quietly, greeting her with a light nod. "Good morning, Ms. Shaw."

Caryn simply hummed to greet her back. freewebnσvel.cѳm

The Queen observed their exchange and realized there was nothing like a mother-and-daughter bond between these two. Natalie didn’t even call her mother, but she couldn’t openly point it out to them both.

"Natalie, I have prepared a dress for you — in the style of what Belvorn royalty wears. I hope you like it," the Queen informed her as they settled in the drawing room.

The Queen instructed the servants to bring Natalie’s dress. Soon, a beautiful dress hanging on a stand was brought in. It was an ivory-colored dress with traditional Belvorn flower embroidery crafted on it. The fine artistry made the dress look beautiful.

"Do you like it?" the Queen asked.

Natalie hummed, "It’s pretty."

-----

The entire palace was bustling with preparations for the ceremony.

A certain residence in the palace was unusually calm — as if someone had died there.

"Grandpa, why is Grandma in such a hurry to make Natalie a princess?" Charlotte cried out. "Once she is a princess, I will no longer hold that title."

"Once she is a princess, she has to live in Belvorn. It will be easier to get rid of her," Howard tried to comfort her.

"If you can’t make me a princess, then you have to marry me off to someone powerful — like James Harper, or his son, like you said before. I can’t let Natalie look down on me."

"Don’t worry. I am already working on it."

Only if the knew that those father and son were already taken by the mother and daughter they hated the most at this moment.

----

As evening approached, everyone was ready. The citizens of Belvorn were allowed to enter the palace that day but had to stand in the area designated for them. Some VIP guests and royal family members were seated in a separate section.

The coronation ceremony was going to be held in the center of that vast palace, where a grand podium was beautifully decorated, leaving a huge vacant space around it, allowing others to watch only from a distance.

The Queen, Caryn, and Natalie were to arrive at the podium together, surrounded by a few royal guards, where the Queen would place a crown on Caryn’s head and announce her as a princess.

Before leaving for the podium, Caryn signaled Eric to lean closer and asked, "No signs of James Harper?"

Eric shook his head. "As per your instructions, no guest from another country is invited, so of course, he won’t be here. Our people are stationed everywhere to monitor in case he arrives, but there’s no sign. Even if he comes to the city now, he won’t make it to the palace — all the roads are jammed with crowds flooding to the palace. Also, he doesn’t know you’re the one to be crowned. Like everyone else, he must think it’s Natalie. Now relax."

Caryn let out a sigh of relief and then proceeded toward the podium with the others.

When they reached, and everyone could see them on the huge screens, the crowd erupted with loud cheers. Not just in the palace, but the entire Belvorn was in a celebratory mood to welcome their new princess.

On the podium, the Queen took charge to address her people. As she began, she thanked her subjects for various things and praised them for being the good people of Belvorn. Once she finished praising them, she began to introduce her daughter and granddaughter to everyone, expressing how happy she was to have them back.

Now, it was time for her to announce the next princess.

"In the presence of you all, today I am officially declaring my daughter, Caryn..."

Just then, there was a rhythmic, heavy sound in the air that caught everyone’s attention.

The air around them started to stir heavily as everyone looked up and saw a chopper in the sky, ready to descend into the huge empty space surrounding the podium.

The people thought it was something planned by the royal family, while the royal family was stunned to see what was happening. All the royal guards immediately surrounded the podium and pointed their guns toward the chopper.

The chopper settled on the ground. The moment its door opened, a refined man in a black suit stepped out — a familiar man everyone recognized.

James Harper.

The moment the Queen recognized him, she ordered the guards, "Stand down."

All the guards lowered their guns.

Natalie was shocked to see him, unable to comprehend what was happening.

But the most shocked person was Caryn. She couldn’t believe the audacity of this man.