At dawn, Couronne awoke from its peaceful slumber. The thousand-year-old capital of the Knightly Kingdom had not seen such excitement in years. Since the arrival of Emperor Karl Franz and his massive delegation, the city's streets buzzed with activity. High-ranking nobles from the Empire explored the city's sights, while the retainers of Bretonnia's dukes and nearly all of the kingdom's nobility filled the capital, making it a lively place.
The old knight-king, Richard, had already retreated from the palace with his retainers, leaving behind only a portion of Lauen's attendants, the traditional Couronne Palace guards, and the servants brought by Sulia. Despite this, the palace felt empty. If one looked closely, the grand corridors and halls, steeped in history and resplendent with gold, showed signs of decay in the corners. Some towers had ceased to function, with three towers in the southeast and southwest largely out of use.
The palace itself bore witness to the rise and fall of the Knightly Kingdom, reflecting how much strength Bretonnia still possessed.
That morning, a finely dressed Veronica was touring the Couronne Palace under Morgiana's guidance. The thought of her man about to be crowned filled the Garland Witch with excitement. She even considered moving her wizard tower here, but Morgiana quickly informed her that this was impossible. Apart from the Prophetess of the Lady or the Lake Witch herself, no other spellcasters were allowed to reside within the palace. Veronica would be lucky to have a room.
"Oh my~" Veronica felt her legs go weak after just a few steps and had to ask Morgiana, "Lady Morgiana, can we take a break? My legs... feel a bit weak. I think I need to rest."
"…Alright." Morgiana nodded somewhat awkwardly, gesturing for Veronica to follow her. The two opened a room and sat down to rest. Veronica massaged her waist, "Lady Morgiana, don't you ever feel tired? I feel like my legs are completely weak."
She adjusted her skirt to sit properly and hide her embarrassment, and in a deliberately cool tone, said, "That's because your shoes are too high. Your heels must be at least eight centimeters high, right?"
"Ten centimeters," Veronica replied with a chuckle as she removed her high heels from her black-stockinged feet. "Why, is that a problem? I just like wearing these. As if you weren't wearing similar shoes last night."
"Is it always like this with you two?" Morgiana's face flushed as she asked, "I mean, ever since you and Ryan met?"
"Not really," Veronica shook her head. "Our relationship was quite innocent early on, though his preferences have always remained the same."
"Is that so?" Morgiana seemed very interested in Ryan's personal life. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "I always feel like Ryan is different with you. He seems to trust and indulge you more than he does with me."
"Heh~" Veronica laughed mischievously. "Jealous, are we? Too bad, Lady Morgiana."
"I don't want to argue with you, but I must admit, Lady Veronica, you do have a knack for stirring up trouble," Morgiana replied, unwilling to quarrel. "Perhaps it's related to your early experiences. You may call me Morgiana… now that the three of us are together."
Seeing Morgiana unwilling to take the bait, Veronica's expression shifted slightly, showing a bit of interest. "What about you?"
"My past cannot be shared," Morgiana replied, shaking her head. Her beautiful oval face seemed to be lost in memories. "I can tell you that my life has not been as eventful or magical as you might think. When the Lady chose me to be the reincarnation of the previous Lake Witch, Mariana, my fate was sealed. I inherited all of Mariana's magic, knowledge, and power, becoming Morgiana. I've lived this way for decades, mostly spending my time in the Tower of the Lake Witch in Carcassonne, studying and practicing magic. Each year, I gather those with magical potential, boys and girls, and mediate disputes among the dukes until I met Ryan."
"It's rare for you to share such things," Veronica noted. She knew that this was the limit of what Morgiana would reveal. The Garland Witch curled her long, black-stockinged legs up on the chair and opened the window, enjoying the view of the palace courtyard. "Ah, what a refreshing breeze."
Morgiana pointed out the window, indicating a round tower in the center of the palace. "That's the Round Tower, built during the reign of the third Knight King, Guillaume, known as the White Death. It was originally used to imprison criminals and political prisoners. After the Dol Tower incident, it was repurposed for storing books, historical documents, and conducting clerical work. Regent Lauen typically works there."
"To the west of the Round Tower are the Chapel of the Grail, the Lady's Chapel, the Chapel of Arthur, the Bretonnia Cloister, the Louis Courtyard, the Guillaume Courtyard, and the small farm built by King Louis himself," Morgiana continued. "After Richard's meeting with Emperor Luitpold, he allowed a room in the castle to be used for worshiping and praying to other deities."
"To the east of the Round Tower is the King's main area of activity, a horseshoe-shaped complex that includes the Diplomatic Hall, where last night's banquet was held, the main keep where the King resides, the Royal Court, the Parliament Hall, and the Bretonnia Bell Tower," Morgiana explained, gesturing eastward. "If Ryan chooses to live in the palace, he would only control the main keep. The rest of the areas operate under their own rules and systems, but the keep alone has over a hundred rooms, which should be more than enough."
"Ryan would have to be out of his mind to stay here for long," Veronica scoffed. "I still think it's more comfortable to live in my own castle or wizard tower."
"Actually, ever since the Dol Tower incident, Knight Kings haven't spent much time residing in Couronne," Morgiana understood. "As for what Ryan will do, that's his decision."
"By the way, the Royal Zoo is also within the palace, in the northwest corner. It houses the Royal Gryphons, Royal Pegasi, and the purebred elven warhorses, which now belong to Ryan," Morgiana added. "Though I don't care much for Richard, I must admit he managed the Royal Zoo well. Lauen continued this tradition and maintained the zoo admirably."
"Wonderful!" Veronica's eyes lit up. "I've always wanted a purebred pegasus of my own."
"…You'll have to wait until Ryan is crowned, formally takes the throne, and grants you permission," Morgiana said coolly. "If you attempt to acquire a mount without authorization, I have the right to detain you."
"He won't refuse me!" Veronica retorted.
"You still have to go through the proper channels. That's the rule," Morgiana thought to herself that Veronica was like a porcupine—always ready to show her thorns even when unprovoked.
"Yes, the proper channels must be followed. Exporting purebred elven warhorses is against Bretonnia's core policy. To change this, you would need to obtain at least a two-thirds majority vote in the Ducal Council, as well as Lady Morgiana's approval." Ryan was leading the Bretonnian dukes and the Imperial Electors on a tour of the Royal Zoo.
The Electors were captivated by the sight of the purebred elven warhorses in the stables and began to suggest that, as a gesture of friendship between the two nations, Bretonnia should gift them a few of these horses.
Ryan replied that he had no objections, but they would need to seek permission from Lady Morgiana. If she agreed, he wouldn't oppose it.
Wolfram Hertwig, the Elector of Ostermark and Speaker of the Bekafen Alliance, laughed. "Come on, Lord Ryan, if you don't want to give us the horses, just say so. No need for these games."
"If you know a way to bypass these rules, I'd love to hear it, Lord Hertwig," Ryan countered with a smile. "Remember, this land was blessed by the Lady. This country doesn't belong to me alone. Even if I were king, I would have to answer to all my people."
"Personal gain must never come before the kingdom's interests, Hertwig. Don't push Ryan too hard," Karl Franz interjected in Ryan's defense. The Emperor was no stranger to the Electors' demands and shrewd tactics. "For instance, would you be willing to share your Griffon's blood feathers with others?"
"Hmph, that wasn't my intention. I was just asking," Wolfram grumbled, maintaining his tough stance.
"So, Lord Hertwig, what's the latest from Kislev? With so many troops lost, their finances must be in dire straits, right?" Ryan was not surprised by Wolfram's attitude. The Elector was known for being sensitive and irritable, but he was also a skilled warrior and a competent ruler. However, after suffering heavy losses in his youth due to ignoring the advice of the Grand Master of the Knights of the Eternal Light, his personality had become more defensive and hardened. He felt a deep sense of guilt for the soldiers who had died because of his youthful foolishness and had spent years fighting on the front lines, trying to atone for his mistakes.
"Katarin and her court did discuss whether to attend your coronation in Couronne," Wolfram said bluntly, showing no remorse. "But no one thought you could do anything for Kislev, so the proposal was quickly dismissed. Empress
Katarin believes the priority is to reorganize the army. As for your coronation, who cares? Promoting Crazy Ivan to general is as much congratulations as you'll get."
"How very Kislev," Ryan chuckled. Bretonnia was far from Kislev, and the two nations had little contact. While some Questing Knights might have reached Kislev, and Bretonnia occasionally offered assistance, the icy kingdom's attitude was always clear—they didn't appreciate it. The cold-hearted Katarin rarely showed gratitude, even to the Empire.
The group continued their tour of the palace, arriving at the Parliament Hall. This grand hall, richly decorated with red seats, stained glass windows, and six murals depicting religious, knightly, and legal themes, was where the Kingdom's Knights' Assembly was held. Whenever Bretonnia faced a crisis, or the dukes were unable to resolve a situation, or the king needed to hear the nation's voice on a major decision, the assembly was convened here. The kingdom's great and lesser nobles would gather, debate, and vote on whether to pass the proposed measures.
Of course, the Kingdom's Knights' Assembly hadn't been convened in over thirty years. The last time was when Richard had just ascended to the throne. After the disastrous failure of John II's expedition to the Badlands, Richard found that Bretonnia's knightly ranks had been severely depleted. He called the assembly and proposed a fifteen-year moratorium on chivalric wars, which was ultimately approved.
All the seats in the Parliament Hall were red, and the upper walls were adorned with stained glass and six murals depicting religious, knightly, and legal scenes. At the southern end of the hall were the golden thrones and canopies, where the king and the Lake Witch were seated. However, the Lake Witch rarely attended the assembly, and when she did, it was usually just for the opening ceremony.
"You'll be crowned right here," Karl Franz said, pointing to the spot in front of the thrones, smiling broadly. "Tell me, Ryan, where will we be seated?"
"You'll be seated in the right gallery, while our nobles will be seated in the left gallery," Ryan indicated the balconies above the hall. "As for other guests, some will be placed up there, and some outside."
"Will I get to see the Lady of the Lake then?" the Emperor asked, still curious.
"Assuming nothing goes wrong, you should," Ryan shrugged, suddenly struck by a playful idea. "Gentlemen, I've always wanted to do this. Can you humor me for a moment?"
"What do you need from us, Ryan?" Boris Todbringer asked, fixing his one eye on him.
"Here it comes," Ryan said excitedly as he stepped up to the spot in front of the thrones, the place where the crown prince or kingdom regent would sit.
Ryan picked up the small gavel on the table, tapped it lightly, and, with a stern expression, uttered a single word:
"Orderrrr!"
"Hahahahahahaha!" The Imperial and Bretonnian nobles burst into laughter, reminded of the heated debates in their various national, ducal, and provincial assemblies, where they often found themselves shouting for order. For a brief moment, from the Emperor down to the accompanying attendants, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
"Noooo!" The great lords below playfully protested, even the normally serious Boris and Duke Hubald of Carcassonne couldn't suppress their smiles.
"Orrrrder↗↗↗"
———I am the line of order———
That afternoon, as Ryan and the others toured the Lion Ring Racetrack in Couronne, another group of guests arrived in the capital. They carried a large amount of cargo, having traveled through Seagate to Le Angoulême and finally here.
The Border Prince, Black Prince Blackheart Rep, and another allied Border Prince, Durant, arrived in Couronne with their retainers. Accompanying them were the Primarch Angron of the World Eaters and the Saint-level mercenary Brenner, who had been invited to attend the coronation.
The coronation ceremony was drawing nearer.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]