Chapter 232
Chapter 232. Coronation
The stone-paved streets of the Royal Capital had been swept spotless. Shops along the roads hung colored banners embroidered with the lion crest, and when the wind blew, they snapped sharply in the air.
The news of the succession seemed to have grown wings, spreading through the glow of communication crystals to every inch of the kingdom. Yet wartime caution outweighed jubilation, and only within the Royal Capital did a faint air of celebration drift.
The chimneys of the bakeries smoked for two hours longer than usual. The oak barrels in the taverns were opened ahead of time. Even the armor of the guard soldiers had been polished until it shone with unusual brilliance.
William stood on the palace terrace, gazing down at the scattered commoners moving below. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the sword at his waist.
Three days ago, when his father had handed him the succession edict, the first thought that had flashed through his mind was that he had to give Mary a proper status on the day he ascended the throne.
That young woman who had silently stood behind him should become the Queen of this nation.
A palace attendant stepped forward lightly and reported in a low voice.
“Your Highness, the three long-established Dukes have arrived outside the city gates. The two newly promoted Dukes will soon enter the inner city as well. Nineteen Marquises and fifty-two Counts are also arriving one after another.”
William nodded, his gaze turning toward the inner court. Mary was there, learning etiquette from the court ladies. The hem of her dress swept across the corridor tiles, leaving behind a faint, delicate sound.
He knew that this coronation ceremony was not merely a transfer of power. It was also a gathering of the kingdom’s hearts.
Those nobles who had traveled day and night to arrive here carried the hopes and doubts of their fiefs with them. What he had to do was let them see clearly that the new king’s shoulders could bear this heavy trust.
The afternoon sunlight passed through the clouds and fell upon the spires of the royal palace. The gilded patterns gleamed with a gentle light.
Craftsmen were laying the red carpet inside the great hall, while ceremonial officials held the investiture documents and checked them again and again. The air was filled with the mingled scent of beeswax and sandalwood, and within that solemnity lay a warmth so faint it was almost impossible to notice.
William walked down from the terrace and met the Minister of Military Affairs hurrying toward him.
The man held a register in his hands, his face filled with joy.
“Your Highness, the Heart of Steel Legion has finished replenishing its ranks. Five thousand recruits are lined up outside the city, awaiting your inspection after the coronation.”
“Good.”
When night fell, the lanterns of the Royal Capital lit up one after another, like stars descending into the mortal world.
The carriages of the nobles formed a long line before the palace gates. Wheels rolled over the stone roads, making a steady sound.
William stood inside the palace doors and watched Mary’s figure approach from the far end of the corridor. Her long white dress glimmered faintly beneath the lamplight.
“Is everything prepared?” he asked softly.
Mary nodded, the lamplight reflected in her eyes.
“Yes. It is just... is this not too sudden?”
“It is not sudden.”
William held her hand, and the warmth of his palm passed through their fingertips.
“The baby in your belly is almost due.”
Outside the hall, the ceremonial official’s chanting voice rang out, announcing that the auspicious hour had arrived. William took a deep breath, held Mary’s hand, and walked step by step toward the center of the great hall.
At the end of the red carpet stood the throne his father had left behind, and beyond it, a kingdom he would have to spend his life protecting.
Outside the window, the sounds of celebration in the Royal Capital were soft, yet they flowed like a warm current through the hearts of everyone awaiting the dawn.
Inside the great hall, candlelight reflected off the gilded throne, and the air was filled with solemnity.
When William led Mary by the hand up the steps, the nobles on both sides rose and bowed. The rustle of fabric intertwined with their breathing, and the hall was so quiet that one could hear the faint crackle of the candle wicks.
“We pay our respects to our king.”
The ceremonial official’s voice pierced the silence and echoed through the hall.
William stood beside the throne, his gaze sweeping over the familiar and unfamiliar faces below.
The three long-established Dukes already had white hair at their temples, and their eyes held both respect and joy.
The two newly promoted Dukes were in the prime of their lives, their faces carrying an eager sharpness.
As for the nobles of lower rank, most of them watched with curiosity and caution.
He suddenly remembered something his father had once said.
The throne was not meant to be sat upon. It was meant to be carried.
“Everyone.”
William spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it reached every ear clearly.
“Today, by my father’s command, I inherit the throne. I only hope that I shall not fail the kingdom, nor fail its people.”
He paused, then looked toward Mary.
On the high platform in the center of the great hall, Mary wore a silver-white ceremonial dress. Dark-gold thorn patterns were embroidered along its hem, reflecting the faint Legendary aura flowing around her.
When William handed her the jeweled scepter symbolizing the Queen’s authority, she raised her hand and accepted it.
Her fingertips were steady, without the slightest tremor. Her gaze swept across the bowing nobles below, composed as though she had already stood here countless times before.
“This is Mary, my wife, the Queen of the Kroll Kingdom.”
William’s voice spread through the entire hall through the Magical Amplification Array, every word striking the ground with weight.
Among the crowd, Duke Tuso pressed a hand to his chest, his eyes slightly hot.
He thought of his daughter chasing butterflies in the back garden when she had been a child. He thought of the focus in her eyes when she held a magic book and read deep into the night in the study.
He had never imagined that one day, she would stand at the summit of the kingdom as a Legendary powerhouse and become the Queen of this nation.
He quietly raised his eyes toward the outside of the hall, as though he could see the map of the Eastern Continent unfolding before him.
Perhaps after William took power, the unification that their ancestors had only dared imagine in dreams might truly become reality in this generation.
The coronation ceremony continued.
The ceremonial official stepped forward with a crown inlaid with a huge sapphire. William lowered his head slightly, and the crown settled upon his hair. The cold touch of the metal instead brought warmth to his heart.
He turned around and, beneath the gaze of all present, sat steadily upon the throne.
In that instant, every magical lamp in the hall lit up, their radiance dazzling as daylight.
The three long-established Dukes were the first to kneel on one knee, their silver hair falling before their chests.
“Long live our king. Long, long may he reign.”
“Long live our king.”
“Long live the Queen.”
The waves of praise rose one after another, almost overturning the roof of the hall. The nobles paid their respects in order of rank, and the sound of their robes sweeping across the floor gathered into a solemn tide.
Mary stood beside the throne, her hand holding the scepter resting gently on the back of William’s chair. Their gazes met in the air. Without a word, they understood the heavy responsibility and quiet trust in each other’s hearts.
When the bells marking the completion of the coronation rang out, sunlight happened to pass through the stained-glass windows, casting two intertwined shadows at their feet.
One belonged to the king, and the other belonged to the Queen. In the end, they merged together upon the ground, as though foreshadowing the future shape of this kingdom: royal authority as its bones, unity of heart as its blood, moving firmly toward a broader land.
With the coronation ceremony concluded, everyone moved to the banquet hall, and the banquet officially began.
The crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall refracted countless points of light, and the melody of a waltz flowed through the air.
The nobles gathered in small groups of two and three. The crisp clinking of wine glasses intertwined with laughter, forming a lively scene.
William and Mary sat side by side upon the throne on the high platform. Their fingertips occasionally touched, and they exchanged glances that needed no words.
Mary held a glass of champagne, her gaze passing over the figures spinning in the center of the dance floor. She said softly, “It seems everyone is enjoying themselves.”
William gave a soft hum, his gaze falling upon the entrance.
The Shadow Guard Commander stood there, his posture straight as a pine. His eyes signaled that he had important matters to report.
William tilted his head slightly toward Mary.
“I will be back soon.”
Mary nodded.
“Be careful.”
William rose and left the banquet hall through the side door. The Shadow Guard Commander immediately followed. The two passed through the silent corridor and stopped inside an empty lounge.
“Speak.”
William went straight to the point.
The Shadow Guard Commander lowered his voice.
“We found something. The Marcus Family has been secretly contacting the Orc Kingdom. Last night, a secret letter was sent from their estate. Its destination was Earth Valley.”
William’s fingertips tapped against the tabletop, and his eyes darkened.
“The contents of the secret letter?”
“We have not been able to intercept them for the time being. The other side used an ancient Orcish cipher.”
“Keep watching them.”
William ordered, “Also, intensify the search into the recent movements of the head of the Marcus Family. Find out exactly where Marcus has fled.”
“Yes.”
The Shadow Guard Commander accepted the order and withdrew.