Within the hour, the Change of Rule's set up had been completed. Bouquets and shields now riddled the courtyard before the entrance to the main palace. The ever-growing crowd began to cheer and whoop at the prospect of a new leader, even if his takeover was a little more sudden than most would have liked.
Anders changed out of his riding attire, and stepped into clothes that helped display his status. A thick bear coat draped atop his shoulders, with armor that could've made a warlord jealous hiding underneath it. Unni had also changed into a slim, white dress, though her battle-hardened figure was only enhanced by the tightness of the dress. "This is so fucking uncomfortable. I can't breathe," she murmured, testing the limits of the seams. "I didn't choose that dress," Anders said, turning to look at her.
"I think it suits you," he said after a few seconds of observation. Her eyes turned into little more than a pair of thin lines. "Wh-what? I'm no longer allowed to think you look nice in a dress as a woman and not as a warrior?" he asked, lifting his hands up slightly. She blushed mildly, taking in his words like an ant to honey. "Well, when you put it that way," she said, cracking a bashful smile. "Still, this dress is far too tight for me, beautiful as it may be. I'm changing into armor as well," she said, finally releasing her taut muscles, tearing the seams in the process.
Anders could only shake his head. "I should've guessed that would happen," he sighed.
After a wardrobe change, Unni and Anders walked out into the vast hall of the palace. Numerous skulls of fallen, legendary beasts hung overhead, witnessing all those who have ruled since the dawn of Odensby itself. While there were no stained-glass windows like in Coltend, there was no shortage of natural light beaming through the expertly crafted windows that riddled the walls. Unni gawked at all of these, but Anders held his gaze forward as they went.
"I've never seen this many skulls before," she noted, staring at one of the ancient wyrm skulls that hung a few meters above her head. "I tend to forget you didn't spend much time here at Odensby," he noted. "Well, I was always at Grundsvollr, and never got to live here like you did," she said, gently nudging his arm. "Grundsvollr wasn't a bad place to be, either. After all, I spent many of my formative years training there," he said as memories flooded his mind.
"The palace had its own issues, though, and none of them were ever fully addressed by the ruling family. They swept countless issues under the rug, pretending like everything was fine. In reality, like King Truls' reign, it was a nightmare," he explained.
"You don't talk about your time here often," she said, her eyes beginning to squint with the bright sunlight bouncing off the polished, stone floor. "There are memories I'd rather not keep of this place. Right now, however, I'd prefer to make newer and better ones than stay stuck in the past," he said without looking at her.
"That's… fair," she noted, lowering her gaze a little. "Come, love. Let's bring about a new era for this country together," he said, facing her with a warm smile. She met his gaze, kissing him before the pair stepped into the sunlight.
The gathered crowd cheered with their appearance, waving and jumping to try and be seen by the two, new, rulers. Both waved their hands as they walked towards their thrones that were placed on an elevated stage in front of the crowd. Trina watched from afar, as Wien moved into his position near the foot of the stage, nodding subtly at each other.
The new rulers were met by a druid in traditional garb. He stood atop the stage with an oversized cloak, painted face, and antlers atop his head. His outfit was accented by beads and other such trinkets of stone and bone, while he mumbled in some ancient language of mud and rock only he understood.
He raised his staff which was adorned with a deer's skull, antlers still attached, and mana seeping from its eyes. "Odensby! Hear me now!" he shouted, enhancing his voice with mana. The crowd immediately quieted down, listening attentively. "As the former king, Mads Oden, has fallen at the hand of Anders Ulvensson in battle, we anoint him Ruler of Odensby. May he rule justly and fairly, bringing peace and prosperity to our lands for as long as his line remains intact!" the druid shouted, raising his staff high into the air.
The crowd responded to this by cheering more loudly than before, as they watched the druid place the crowns atop Anders and Unni's heads. They arose from their kneeling positions, and greeted the crowd once more. Trina tilted her head at the sight of Unni, but merely clicked her tongue in disgust. The druid raised his staff once more, silencing the crowd. "We will now hear a few words from King Anders before he takes the throne," he stated.
"People of Odensby," he began, stepping toward the edge of the stage as he did. "I will make this brief, since no one likes long-winded speeches," he said, getting a small chuckle out of the crowd. "Many of you have known me, or at least of me before my exile. Since then, much has changed, as Mads' rule grew increasingly more devastating to the population. I took it upon myself to bring his madness to an end, as he exiled those closest to him after the loss of his wife and child due to unforeseen circumstances. The years he stole from those once loyal to him will never again be regained, but I will do what I can, where I can for those who were affected. I will begin remedying that which he has hurt, and rebuilding that which he has destroyed. Together, we will rebuild our great country once and for all!" he shouted, raising his arms as the last few words left his mouth, receiving cheers from the crowd once more.
First promise to keep his speech short has already been kept, I see, Trina thought, watching the crowd closely for any signs of danger.
The pair sat in their thrones, shifting subtly as the crowd burst into much louder cheers than before.
This is how it's supposed to be, Anders thought, gripping Unni's hand a little more firmly as the smile grew on his face.
She, too, couldn't help but allow for her smile to show, as the pair continued waving to the crowd. Within a few moments, the stage began to roll back into the palace, disappearing from the crowd. "Welcome to your new home, your majesties," the druid said with a bow, creating a root from pure mana to lift him off the stage. The two watched in amazement, as he appeared to float to the ground like a feather. "It's been ages since I've seen anyone do that with mana," Unni said, her eyes still trying to comprehend what she was seeing. "A third stage druid is nothing to sneeze at for sure," Anders agreed.
The stage stopped near the back of the large hall, lowering the thrones gently into position. The pair sat patiently as a few of their new advisors poured in to greet them, as Wien joined the ranks of the inner guardsmen for the remainder of the ceremony.
Meanwhile in the Harutian royal palace, Zari, Bashaa's widow, paced back and forth along her balcony. Her wavy, walnut hair flowed down to her waist, as her pale green eyes contrasted against an olive complexion hidden beneath a turquoise kaftan. "Your majesty, are you alright?" a voice called out from inside the large bedroom.
The thin, fabric curtains that flowed gently in the afternoon breeze faded her in and out of view of the servant calling for her. "I'm fine, I swear," Zari replied. "But you haven't eaten much of anything in the past few weeks. I'm beginning to worry for your health, your majesty," the servant retorted, genuine concern ringing in his voice.
"How can I eat knowing that whore that got my son killed is still alive?" she asked angrily. While it had only been a short while since the incident, her rage still boiled like an unattended pot of hatred soup. "I can't say that I understand your loss because I don't, your majesty," the servant began.
"I did swear to King Bashaa, may Yarathea bless his name, that I would take care of you while he was gone. To what extent, exactly, would be entirely up to you, as I'm sure he told you," the servant continued.
Her eyes became downcast, as she breathed a heavy sigh. "You're right," she said "My love would only have wanted the best for me," she acknowledged, reaching for the plate. "And I think that the best for me right now, is making sure that bitch gets what's coming to her," she said, angrily taking a bite of her food, staring in the direction of Coltend castle. "Your majesty, I'm not sure I'm following. What are you saying?" the servant asked.
"You likely don't know this, but the old stones of the palace walls hold many secrets. Some of which have been hidden from the Continent as a whole to ensure they were kept safe. Harut is an old country, and in times past, many would come to us for more… nefarious tasks," Zari explained, still chewing on a small bite of food.
"You will see, Fazel. By the time your beard grows back out for its next shave, I will have my pieces ready to move," she said, her mood improving a little at the thought of Leona dying.
"By pieces you mean the hashishin?" Fazel asked, his hazel eyes opening widely, raising his eyebrows. "So you do know more than you let off. My husband was right to make sure he left me in your care," Zari said with a wry smirk on her face.