21 The Coronation

After Roland conquered the Eastern Region, he decided that it was time to formally take on the mantle of king. In a break from tradition, the ceremony would not be held in King's City. Instead, it would be held in Neverwinter which was to become the new capital.

The coronation of Roland I, King of Graycastle began. The remaining nobles were in attendance as was emissaries from the Kingdom of Dawn and the church. The Kingdom of Dawn sent Prince Appen Moya to represent them. The church sent its new prime minister, Steven.

There was a big military parade to show off the might of Graycastle. Roland was in the middle of the parade and he stood and waved to the crowd. The parade circled around Neverwinter before arriving at the castle.

Finally, Roland reached the castle and went inside. A red carpet had been laid out and Roland walked toward the throne. The crown was placed on Roland's head and he was proclaimed King of Graycastle. Anna and Nightingale were by his side and Roland held Anna with his right hand and Nightingale with his left hand. In full view of the public, Roland named Anna and Nightingale his queens.

While Roland's support for witches had been well known, people didn't expect that he would actually decide to marry a witch as a witch would not be able to have children. So, it came as a shock that Roland would take two witches as his queens.

Roland gazed at the crowd with a smile as the assembled people all began clapping and cheering for their new king. Roland then went on the balcony of the castle and delivered a speech to the people.

"Citizens of Graycastle, this is truly a momentous occasion, both for me and for the entire nation. I would like to thank each and every one of you for making this possible. While I lead, it is you the people that are the true backbone of the nation. It is thanks to all of your hard work and dedication that Neverwinter has achieved what it has. I provided direction and guidance and it was you the people who worked the factories that have produced the clothing you wear, the bicycles you ride, and the weapons that we fight with. Know that your contribution is meaningful and valuable and that each person, regardless of status, has a role to play."

"All of you must continue to work hard and put in the same dedication and effort into your work that you have done so far. We have already come so far. Merely a few years ago, Border Town was a poor mining town. Now, we have built the city of Neverwinter that you see before us. See what you all have accomplished. Know that when we come together, we can do great things. Feel proud in your accomplishments."

"Yet, we are not done. This is not the end of our struggle. There are always greater goals to pursue. Under my leadership, Neverwinter shall grow into a shining city of towers that seem to scrape the sky itself. Every citizen will have access to food and clean water. We will get there, step by step and it is up to you all to make it possible. Follow me and I shall promise you a brighter future, a future worth fighting for."

"The road ahead will not be easy; there will be obstacles that we will need to overcome. Chief among them, the demons are the greatest threat to humanity. They have come to destroy all that we hold dear. This war will be a battle of life and death. The survival of you, your family, and your descendants will rest on this. To defeat the demons will require the united effort of mankind working toward a common goal. We must set aside our differences and reconcile with old enemies. Even the church itself has given up on persecuting the witches. Through cooperation between witches and the common people, we will gain the power to transcend all boundaries and achieve limitless potential."

"We will have great and powerful war machines, but the ones producing them will be you - the citizens who work in the factories to make what our soldiers need. So take pride in your work, know that every hour you work will be for the betterment of mankind. You do not need to be a skilled warrior to help protect your family. All you need is the willingness to work."

"The future lies in our grasp. It is up to us to seize it. Under my rule, humanity shall step out from the shadow and enter a radiant future. It begins here!"

The crowd erupted into cheering and they began yelling, "All hail King Roland". The people were invigorated with a new sense of drive and purpose.

After the coronation, there was a great celebration in Neverwinter. A great feast was prepared with all sorts of different foods. The people partied throughout the afternoon and into the night.

During the celebration, Steven approached Roland. "Pretty nice speech you gave. Very inspiring."

"I do try my best on these things", Roland answered. "So, how have you been doing since we last met. It seems that you have been doing quite well for yourself. Prime minister of the State of the Church I see."

Steven chuckled. "I can see that you have been doing quite great as well. In the original timeline it would have taken another year for this to happen."

"I suppose I have you to thank for it I guess." Roland took a sip from a glass of wine. "What do you plan on doing now?"

"That is quite a broad question", said Steven. "There is so much more to do, so much to develop. So much to prepare for. It seems the hard part starts now."

After discussing some minor topics with Steven, Roland returned to his room for the night. He had quite an enjoyable night Anna and Nightingale.