15 The Cleansing Flame

The flames burned high around the altar with nearly a hundred people in attendance. Coronations weren't a simple matter of putting a crown on but a ritual monitored by the priests of Ahmun, the flame god.

The rite took place on the temple grounds outside the city. The Imperial Guard stood watch and Rouya kept Evelyn close by in case of any surprise attacks.

Rouya stood by the gates of the temple and a bed of coals laid out before her, stretching all the way to the temple steps. She wore a simple white shift with nothing but the Nazar. The priests and witnesses were there to bear testimony of her crossing the Cleansing Flame. Only the righteous and pure could become King or Queen of Aequilla, the flames would turn all others to ash.

"Shahzadi Rouya, daughter of the great unifier Padishah Emperor Justinian I, you seek the crown and title of Queen of Aequilla," the high priest announce to the crowd. He held his hand out to Rouya and indicated to the crown on the pedestal beside him. "It is here for your taking. Prove your worthiness to Ahmun and those here before you."

Rouya rose her fist into the air, bringing about a silence in the crowd around her. "I am my father's daughter but we must each find our way in life. Those that seek to harm our people in a moment of weakness will be punished and order restored. My father's vision of peace and union throughout the universe will live on with me. I vow to be just and bring justice to those in need."

Rouya felt the heat coming off the coal bed as she approached and kicked off her sandals. She held her chin high, eyes moving from the high priest to the tiara fitted with jewels, most notably the red ruby at the center. She took her first step, slowly lowering the flat of her foot on the uneven surface. Pain flared through her body but she couldn't afford to wince or pull back, lest she fail before them. She sucked in air through her nose and steeled her mind in an attempt to buy herself some time. All she had to do was take twenty paces. She moved more swiftly, lingering only briefly to prevent onlookers from thinking she was rushing.

All eyes were on her, studying her every movement for any signs from Ahmun that she was not meant to be their sovereign.

Rouya ground her teeth together but forced herself to look poised as she continued striding down the path. She could minimize the pain but it still affected her body. Sweat trickled down her legs and the heat made her feel dizzy.

As she reached the end of the bed, flames erupted around her and cut her off from the rest of the temple witnesses. Rouya balled her hands and shut her eyes, letting the flames wash over and sing her skin.

The crowd gasped as she lost sight of them and forced herself to continue onwards. Her mental barricades broke down one after the other allowing the pain to sweep through her. She took another step forward and planted her feet on the smooth pavement and realized she had come across the end of the bed and hurriedly went through all the way.

The pain vanished instantly, and she held her hands up, taking in her unblemished skin. A moment earlier it had felt as though she were melting but no traces of the burns remained.

"Your crown awaits you, your grace," the high priest said, taking a step to the side and holding his hand out to the tiara.

Rouya blinked, still perplexed by the sudden shift in her senses and still felt the adrenalin from near death running through her veins. She set her jaw and reached out, cupping the tiara on both sides as she gently lift it off the podium. The gold circlet and jewels shimmered in the light. She turned around to the crowd and held it higher for all to see before setting it on her head.

Within a heartbeat the gathered nobles fell to their knees and held fists to their chests. Even the priests and high priest bowed before her with their hands to their chests.

"Long live the queen of queens, bambisnan bambisn, Shahbanu Rouya!"

Rouya glanced over the heads of those loyal to her, a mix of exhilaration and sadness setting in over what happened for her to have come thus far.

Amongst all those gathered, one person remained standing and met her gaze. Evelyn. The Battle Maiden gave her a curt nod to which Rouya smiled. Rouya was already her master. Titles and nobility didn't play a role in the relation the two of them shared. One she planned on deepening.

"By the light of Ahmun, we have our queen."

"I stand before you, not to dictate your lives but to improve the lives of all. When we all work together and put our minds to the task, we can achieve greatness. The light of Ahmun will show us the way and I will guide us along the path," Rouya announced and indicated for the crowd to rise. Her heart fluttered at seeing them do as she wished. "I ask of you only what I would do myself. To prove this, I shall venture forth and challenge Parsa for the crimes committed and to hand over the relic."

Rouya turned and nodded to the High Priest who wished her good luck before she ventured out of the temple grounds. Evelyn held the reins to her horse ready and helped her saddle up.

The Noda River ran along the banks of Aequilla with a bridge crossing protected by the fort from which the temple still stood a mile away. The distance gave the priests the freedom to practice their faith without distractions from the common folk and only those truly dedicated would come out to see them.

"Congratulations, your grace," Markus said as he stepped out of a portal in front of her along with his wife. "I apologize for my tardiness but I freed Adelaxia from Kalim's grip and dealt him a significant defeat."

"You killed him?" Rouya asked in disbelief. She looked to Adelaxia and smiled. "Excuse me, it's great to see you back in good health. You're more than welcome to be my guest and rest after such an ordeal."

"Too kind, your grace," Adelaxia said with a bow. She drew in magic and opened up another portal leading to the castle. "Allow me to be of service. We can't be too careful in times such as these."

"She's right. I might have taught Kalim a lesson but I doubt I've killed him. He'll be seeking vengeance which I hope to use to our advantage."

"I see. We can talk about it during the council meeting this afternoon. I'm sure you two have some catching up to do."