Coronation

The courtroom fell silent for a brief period as all of the advisors and guards gathered in the room. The courtiers sat in their assigned seats. Ezekiel took a seat a few steps away from the king's throne. Savannah, who was sitting beside Ezekiel, came next. King Alaric looked over at the empty throne that was Diona's, his concubine who accompanied him to all court events. For the first time in a long time, he let out a deep sigh, as if he was finally embracing the truth. He rose from his throne, and his courtiers bowed before him, honoring the king. Alaric motioned for them to take their seats while tenderly cradling the sleeping baby in his arms.

"We're assembled here for an important event. We are all aware of the tragic incidents that occurred in this realm, but as the queen had often emphasized," He stopped and turned to see the vacant seat once more. " The way we hold on to one another and go on is what matters in the end, by this harsh truth of life." The courtiers' faces were painted with anguished smiles as they nodded. The fact that the queen passed away at such a young age, and in such agony, was difficult to accept. The event that day's scenario stuck in the maidens' minds. "And it is our responsibility to stand by her statements."

"For the Queen, for the Kingdom." One of the courtiers rose up and shouted, loud enough to be heard in every courtroom ear but not loud enough to wake the baby. The man sat down once more when the king nodded and smiled slightly.

"The forbidden land must remain forbidden, by my command, if we are to keep this realm safe." The territory had always been off limits ever since King Timothy passed away, and the courtiers started to whisper among themselves. Only a few human activity were observed; nobody else sought for that place. Some women and children traveled to the queen's graveyard because it was located in the heart of the forbidden land in order to light a few candles and scatter roses there in honor of the queen. Other than that, no one traveled through that area.

"Our kingdom owns the forbidden land; therefore no one will attempt to invade it, and I ask that everyone obey this directive." The noble who was hurriedly recording everything the king said created a scroll to be circulated as quickly as possible across the town. "The court has been dismissed."

The king's friendly demeanor was replaced by the same icy eyes, and he ordered the courtiers to exit the court. The courtiers began to leave the hall. A voice interrupted Ezekiel and Savannah as they were standing up from their seats.

"I need both of you to stay here, Ezekiel and Princess Savannah."

The courtroom quickly became empty save for a few of them who had been told to remain back. The prince and princess faced the king with puzzled looks. The king descended from his throne and moved toward his brother, and the advisor followed him. The infant in his arms was now completely awake, her eyes sparkling with pure joy. She gave her father a bit of focus before smiling.

"She has her eyes and she looks exactly like her." The king spoke quietly, and the newborn smiled as if she understood. She was just a week old, so she didn't move her hands much, instead tilting her head to gaze about. Savannah was smiling at her when she caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of her eye. The king caught hold of his daughter's every motion and asked Savannah to hold her. "Thank you." Savannah held the baby with tenderness and care. King Alaric turned to face his brother, his gaze fixed on him.

"Mr. Liven, could you please hand the scroll?" He approached the advisor, who was a few steps away. The adviser bowed and moved forward a few steps before pulling out a blue scroll that was securely fastened with a ribbon. The scrolls are distinguished by the color and method of ribbon binding. Each color had its own meaning.

White is reserved for marriage proposals.

Muddy to handle state affairs.

Black is used for mourning and,

The color blue represents coronation.

Ezekiel was surrounded by an unsettling silence. His thoughts replayed former incidents from the previous few days nonstop. The prince's head was covered in clouds that were nothing but questions. Whose coronation will take place? What happened this morning behind closed doors? What does the blue scroll mean? The king had the impression that Ezekiel's tendency to overthink things was something he was well aware of.

"Starting immediately, you must manage state matters,". And as the ground disappeared beneath his feet, Ezekiel glanced at his brother, his eyes wide open. Savannah's face replicated the same expression as the infant in her arms, who was smiling and making baby noises. " It appears that she approves." While glancing at his daughter, the king remarked. Quickly shaking his head, Ezekiel responded.

"Why?"

"There are still things I need to do." A little disheartened, the king spoke.

"And being a king is going to stop you?" With angry eyes, Ezekiel posed a blunt question. Alaric had never discussed it with him once, therefore he was upset in his brother's rash choice. He didn't consult him before making this choice. He was so depressed, hurt, and disappointed that even words could not express it. It's true that he had wanted to serve the kingdom, but he had wanted to do so with his brother, not by himself. There was so much for him in such a short period of time. "I disapprove,"

"You cannot, it's an order."

"And I'm not going along with it."

The air was becoming heavier. Two brothers exchanged glances with one another. Ezekiel was enraged and fervently tried to avoid it. He was going to query his brother. Ask him what pushed him to move in this direction? And why didn't he talk to him about it? Ain't he worthy of being known about? Ezekiel kept shaking his head in disbelief. "I need answers," Gritting his teeth, Ezekiel said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't answer any of your questions right now." Ezekiel was ready to respond once again when Alaric interrupted him and added, "For the time being, until Aura reaches the legal age." The pieces finally started to fit together properly. The king was buying himself some time. He wanted Ezekiel to fill in for him until his daughter come of age. But a question stuck in his thoughts. What will the king do at that point? "This scroll represents your partial coronation. Never let the kingdom or the regions know that the throne is unattended." Before replying, he giggled gently while keeping his eyes away from Ezekiel as if he were embarrassed by himself. "It's too much to ask. I'll go over everything when I get back."

"Going?" Ezekiel softly muttered. How long will you be gone, and where are you going?"

"I'm not sure; it might take weeks or months, but I'm promising to return for my family. All I want is for you to trust me."

"I trust you, brother, but-"

"All I can say is that I'm doing this for this kingdom and our family because that's all I want." His lips trembled, and he let out a sob, but he restrained himself as he turned to face his daughter. "And I can only trust you."

"I'm afraid I can't."

"Yes, you can."

The king then gave Ezekiel possession of the scroll. Ezekiel reluctantly accepted the scroll while wiping a tear from his eye. Alaric then turned to face his daughter, who was now closely observing everything as though attempting to understand what these grownups were saying. " "I'll take care of my unfinished business tonight, but I won't be returning for a month, and then we'll plan the coronation," said the king. Ezekiel, who detested the idea of coronations in general, suddenly nodded. He wishes he was a regular person far away from the nobility.

"I'll be back in a month, so please wait for me." Alaric told Aura while cradling her in his arms. The infant smiled, carefully observing each feature of her father's face that se would probably forget after a month. The king then departed the court with his daughter, leaving the three of them there. He knew his brother well enough to know that he needed time to think everything through. He regretted suddenly placing all of the burden on Ezekiel, but he had no other option.

Ezekiel remained motionless in the courtroom while holding the scroll in his hands. He didn't budge even an inch. The king's command was still ringing in his ears. He thought back to his brother's eyes just then; they had appeared to be screaming for help, as though he wanted to sob aloud but was holding back. Savannah remained by Ezekiel's side, allowing him room as the thoughts raced through his head. The royal advisor arrived and gave him a gentle back rub. He knew the Josen brothers better than anyone else.

"Have faith in your brother." He stroked his shoulders as he spoke in a hushed tone. Ezekiel looked him in the eyes, seeking to discover the answers he didn't have. There was no one else who could give the answers; only his brother could.

His veins were beginning to rise with anxiety of the new responsibilities. Even when everyone left for their rooms after dinner since it was a lot to manage, he maintained his composure. The king did not come out, not even for dinner, because he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his daughter before leaving. With the scroll still in his hands, Ezekiel was silently seated at the edge of the bed. Savannah sat next to him with her hand on his shoulder since she was worried about his mental and emotional dilemma.

"Why? Does he not believe in me?" No matter how many times he rubbed his eyes and pinched his arms, it wasn't a nightmare. His voice was a little shaken, and he prayed that everything was a nightmare.

"More than anything, he has faith in you. He is entrusting you with the most responsibility as a result." said Savannah. " He is your brother, whom you admire, so don't question him." She added while smiling.

"How heavy will these be for me to bear on my shoulders?" In need of certainty, he turned to face Savannah. In order to convince himself, he needed to hear something. Savannah was surprised by the sudden question, but she knew deep down that there was no room for doubt. The Josen brothers were people she knew and trusted because she had known them when she was a young child.

"I'm sure you will."