Glory in Our Defiance • Zarry

21. - Long May They Reign

July 1485, Windsor Castle

The morning of their coronation reminds Harry starkly of the morning of the battle of Bosworth. With the sun shining and July heat appearing since the early morning, it's the picture perfect summer day. But unlike the day of the battle, Harry doesn't wake up alone. He rises along with his husband, the love of his life, the man he will rule over England with. There are no uncertainties, no fear and anxiety over his life. His hands don't shake, his throat doesn't close up, his eyes don't burn with tears. He is right where he's supposed to be.

Apart from their coronation, they decided to publicly renew or rather affirm their vows. Since the Bishop of Canterbury is already there, it's fairly simple. It isn't a big affair, the even taking place in the St. George's chapel in Windsor Castle. Only the court is in attendance, and not even absolutely everyone. They're already married after all and their coronation is the more important event of the day.

They decided to finally choose a name for the dynasty their children will carry on because trying to pick one of their names would cause another war so the better choice was picking a different name altogether. Since there wasn't any word or name in particular that would speak to them, they decided to have their children carry the name Plantagenet - the original name of the dynasty both their houses come from. No one can argue against it since it's an already established name connected to the royal family and them both.

Any secrecy before the ceremony is dismissed. They wake up together, leave for the chapel together, and they even decided to walk to the altar hand in hand because it's not the first time they've done it. Before the ceremony in their chambers, they showed each other the letters they had both hidden, from the time they were apart. Zayn said that despite the danger that their discovery could pose, he had taken them from Skipton to Nottingham and from there to Bosworth, even taking them with him after the battle. Harry had done the same because they meant too much to be simply thrown into the fire.

The ceremony itself is terribly short due to their coronation taking place just a few hours after it. They walk to the altar together, holding hands and looking over the courtiers in attendance. Their mothers are sitting on the opposite sides of the chapel, not surprisingly. Harry's stomach turns when he sees Melisende and remembers what she told him in that same chapel just a few weeks earlier. He didn't dare to speak to her alone since then.

They repeat the same simple latin vows as they did in the Abbey church, looking at each other with clandestine smiles and their hands interlocked. Having another wedding just two months after their first one, purely to please the nobility, is ridiculous but what can they do? Better have two documents confirming their marriage, one signed by the highest ranking religious official in England, in case the Pope starts causing trouble like he usually does when a monarch dares to do something without his approval. Harry's actually quite surprised that they haven't heard from him yet. He's unsure whether that's bad or good, but he tries to ignore it. In case there's some bullshit with the church coming their way, Harry wants to put it off for as long as possible.

When they kiss in front of nearly the whole court, it's impossible not to laugh afterwards because for two moths, there were rumours about how they don't love each other and everything about this marriage is just politics. There could not be a craziest thing when they strangely live in the same chambers, unlike most monarchs and countless of guards and servants have caught or heard them fucking. The nobility can always muster up some insanely creative rumours.

After they leave the chapel, they get into a carriage right outside of it and make their way to Westminster Abbey, where everyone is gathering to witness their coronation.

"Twice married within two months, how fun?" Harry laughs when they get inside.

"No one can doubt our marriage now," Zayn nods.