Almost everyone in the Castle who could spare a few hours of time had gathered on the Palace lawns. Many had traveled from far away, some nearly halfway across the world, in order to witness the crowning of Princess Valda Kaur Kaimana Sarai as Queen of the Castle. Although the Castle itself was rather small, it exerted a large influence on the surrounding areas, one that even reached the distance lands of the Eastern SnowPlains, the secretive Big Wild Land Over the Ocean, and their closest allies, the Land of Long Nights.
Enough seating had been provided for everyone who wished to attend. The front two rows were reserved for important guests. Myrus Marcellus Silvers, brother of the Queenling, sat next to a chair that had been left vacant. No one would occupy it. As Myrus glanced at it for a moment, his spirits fell a little further. He was not just without answers as to his mother's death - but his father's fate as well. Behind the dignitaries from various nations - of which a few appear to be absent - are the Wendron Witches. Their leader is nowhere to be seen as well. Five rows back, two twins with silver hair continue to whisper quietly to each other, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
A small stage had been erected, painted white and covered in flowers. It had taken a considerable amount of
Magyk to keep them looking pristine, given the chilly weather. Snow had provided a fine layer of powder on the grounds and there were whispers that the moat would soon freeze. An ornate silver throne rest on the platform, adorned with flowers on the legs. The path to the throne itself was in the midst of the seating, marked with a carpet of petals. Those in the audience rose to their feet as a veiled figure approached the path, barefoot.
"Princess Luna Marcia Mathilda Meredith is symbolically the fallen Queen and all queens who came before," Mavis Moll whispered to one of the delegates from the Land of Long Nights, who then nodded in understanding.
Luna stood just in front of the main entrance to the Castle, she looked towards one of the servants that stood there and proceeded to put on the veil. Which was to represent the fallen queen, and the queens before them she was the stand in for their mother due to her untimely death. Once she was ready Luna looked outside to see the crowd there, she then slowly and gracefully made her way down the aisle of guests she then made her way to the gazebo that was set up there. Once she was there she took her spot next to the throne, her eyes wondering over towards the front row spotting her brother and gave him a soft smile and nodded slightly towards him.
Atkin entered the scene next, head held high and in both hands carrying a small red pillow elaborately adorned with gold stitched patterns. On top of that pillow rested an emerald and gold ring, on the top of which were sculptures of two faces, each facing the opposite direction. Arya had told him beforehand that this was the Two-Faced Ring, which is said to have contained the souls of two men who tried to murder the first Queen. He wasn't exactly sure why they'd do something as off the wall as turn them into a ring instead of just shooting them if that were the case, but that wasn't really a concern here or there. Upon reaching the stage he stepped away to the side so he stood opposite of Luna before he turned to look back from whence he came. Assuming things were going according to plan, Arya should have been walking in right about now.
Carrying the
circlet of the Queen on a near identical pillow, Arya gracefully walked down the aisle. She recognized a fair deal of those in the crowd, even spotting a few familiar faces amongst the ghosts who had gathered. The golden circlet had been a constant fixture at the Castle since its founding, with only one or two Queens forgoing it in favor of a custom crown. Perhaps it was
Magyk, but it always seemed to fit perfectly once the Time Was Right. She then stood next to the others at the front and turned to address the audience.
"Please rise for your royal highness, Crown Princess Valda Kaur Kaimana Sarai, heir to the throne of the Castle." Valda was nervous, but she knew what to do, she had been preparing for this for a while now. It still felt strange, the whole idea of becoming Queen, but she went with it. She had been told what her part in all of this was, and now she walked out, ready to be crowned. She went over to Luna, the one who was filling in for their mother as the past queen. She bowed to her sister, saying nothing, and waiting for what was to come next.
As Valda made her entrance, Lyra rose from her front row seat, lacing her hands in front of her as she did. A soft, reassuring smile came to her features as she looked over her shoulder at her nervous mistress. She consciously made an effort to keep her hands laced in front of her, despite how much they itched to be rested on the hilt of her sword. She wasn't looking for a fight, but she sure as hell would be prepared for one. She was wholeheartedly here to serve, protect, and encourage Valda every step of the way. Her perceptive blue-green gaze did a quick sweep of the crowd before facing forward again as Valda took her place next to her sister Luna.
Arya paused for a moment, before continuing to perform her official duties as ExtraOrdinary Wizard. It was a rare thing, the Coronation of a new Queen of the Castle. The traditions and protocols remained the same, with previous ExtraOrdinary Wizards reciting the same words and not bothering to prepare a new speech. Only the ghosts would know it had been repeated, anyways. Arya, however, had prepared her own words - but the overall structure was the same.
"Centuries ago, we were a small village, threatened by the Darke creatures of the Forest. It was MidSummer Day when a barge arrived, carrying strangers with violet eyes from a distant land. This stranger and her three daughters were welcomed into our village, and despite not speaking our language, they proved to be the apt leaders were required to be lead out of Darkenesse. In this time of grief and sorrow, on the day of the longest night, it is now time for Princess Valda to be crowned and continue her ancestral mission - to guide us into the Lyte." She paused, letting those words sink in.
"Do any in the Royal House object to Princess Valda's claim to the throne?" Luna stood as still as she could be, as she looked over towards her sister she did have to admit she was a little bit jealous it would have been her day to be crowned. But it was out of her hands, she listened to Arya as she started her speech which gave the history of her family. Then her eyes wondered over towards Arya, and then shook her head towards her this was Valda's birthright now as much as she wanted to be the queen.
"I have no objections for Princess Valda to take the throne." Luna stated calmly as she gave Valda a slight smile towards her sister.
And now Atkin stepped forward to come directly center stage with Valda. In front of the entirety of the Castle, he knelt down to a single knee and lowered his head. From that position, he raised the pillow to Valda's chest level. In the back of his head, Atkin resolved that this would be the last time he would publicly prostrate himself like this if he could help it. But this was more important than himself. And if this coronation was going to crash and burn, it wasn't going to be because of him.
Valda just stood there, waiting for the coronation to be over with. She didn't care much for just standing there, sitting still was never really her forte, but she did it because she had to in order for her to become the official Queen of the Castle. The fact that no one was really objecting to her becoming Queen, and she gave her sister a small smile when she officially declared that she had no objections. She waited now, hoping that this ended quickly, and that there really were no people who said she shouldn't be the queen or something.
"Do any of the Castle object to Princess Valda's claim to the throne?" Arya asked, once the Two-Faced Ring had been presented to Valda. Legend told that an ExtraOrdinary Wizard had banished the souls from the gold centuries ago, but it was just a legend as far as Arya was concerned. No member of the Royal Family ever wore the ring, yet it was kept close by, incase any new foe should need to be
Committed to gold.
Silence fell over the ceremony and Arya nodded her head at Princess Luna. The younger sister of the Queenling stepped forward and delicately placed the circlet on her sister's head, crowning Valda as Queen of the Castle. Luna gave her sister a smile as Arya cleared her throat, making what were to be the final words of the ceremony.
"It is my pleasure--" There was a gust of wind and a flash of silver. No one would be able to identify the source, whether it be
Magykal or not.
"--To present Queen Valda Kaur Kaimana Sarai," Arya finished. She blinked, staring at the spot where Princess Luna had once stood, but there was no one there. Her eyes swept out amongst the crowd and no one appeared to have moved. Everyone was in their place. The
Magykal wards were in effect...
Yet Princess Luna was gone.
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