Book 1: The Crown Prince (The Kid Emperor of Occultoria)

Chapter 15 - Coronation and Enthronement

When Max returned to the Imperial Capital, the archbishop was standing at the landing tarmac with a group of soldiers.
Trumpets greeted him.
He disembarked from the griffin.
Ariel and Eddie got off and went their separate ways.
The archbishop greeted him with a triumphant smile.
"I knew you could do it," said the archbishop.
"How did you know I won?" asked Max.
"I could see it in your eyes."
"Thanks for believing in me," said Max. "Even when I didn't believe in myself."
Max summarized what had happened with Jessica and the Queen.
"I always knew you had it in you, Your Imperial Majesty," said the archbishop. "But when you saved Jessica and inadvertently persuaded the Queen to rejoin the Empire, well, that's just killing two birds with one stone. Very impressive."
Max showed the Queen's piece of the Imperial Puzzle to the cleric.
"Excellent!" exclaimed the archbishop. "We must head to the throne room right away!"
When they arrived in the throne room, the archbishop pointed to the Puzzle. "Why don't you put it in yourself?"
So Max stuck the Queen's piece of the puzzle into it.
The piece sparkled.
He grinned.
He felt competent. He felt fine. He felt good.
Like a proud grandfather, the archbishop beamed. "Are you ready for your coronation and enthronement ceremony? We have a banquet after."
Max nodded. He had earned it.
He was ready.

***

Later that day, Max sat on the golden Occult Throne in the throne room dressed in flowing imperial purple robes, wearing his silver ring (which represented his marriage to the state and the Empire) and clutching his scepter (which symbolized his right to govern and a staff to guide his people).
It was his coronation and enthronement ceremony and he was very excited.
The throne room was crowded with people - various dignitaries that murmured and coughed and giggled like a crowd would.
Max inspected his throne. The symbol of the Ergon and the symbol of a griffin was embedded right on the seat.
He was in awe. His father had sat in that very chair. He knew the throne represented his seat of power as the Ruler and Sovereign of the Empire of Occultoria.
He felt so regal as he sat on the throne.
As he stared out at the mass of people, he also felt humbled.
Here he was, the liege lord and master of all the realm. Everyone was staring at him. Everyone was depending on him.
He felt so alone.
In the background, 100 lead musicians sang and a chorus of over 500 provided backup.
As the sonorous and solemn church hymns washed over Max, he felt giddy yet somber. This was one of the most important moments in his life. It was a landmark moment, one that he would remember forever.
Max scanned the crowd. He recognized Ariel, Eddie, the Duke of Demonia, the Queen of Purgatorio, Count Wai Da, and The Lord Mayor of Occultoria City Sir Edmund Petit. There were foreign dignitaries, such as leaders of the parts of the Supernatural World that weren't a part of his Empire and therefore, outside his control.
Max could even see a woman dressed completely in white robes, wearing a bishop's miter and a holding a shepherd's pastoral staff. She had kind eyes and a wide smile.
He assumed it was the Matriarch herself, head of the Holy Universal Faith. Flanking her were the seven cardinals of the College of Cardinals, all dressed in scarlet red.
Behind them were three large men, all wearing black hoods so that their faces were hidden. They were all carrying gavels, but they weren't ordinary wooden gavels. They were gavels made of metal, with sharp ends, presumably to punish unruly litigants.
Max assumed they were the Justices of the Occult Supreme Court.
The only person missing was Jessica.
It was the only thorn in his perfect rose of a day.
He was determined to find out what had happened to her. Now that he was to be crowned Emperor of Occultoria, he would have endless resources at his disposal. He would use them to find out her fate.
The solemn hymns ceased as soon as the archbishop entered the room.
Carrying the Double Crown, Archbishop Julius Pius walked up the red carpet to the dais where Max was sitting.
A hush fell over the room as the archbishop raised the crown high above Max's head. Then, he slowly placed it down.
As the crown was lowered, the archbishop said, "I place upon your head the Double Crown of the Occult Throne and crown thee His Imperial Majesty, Maximilian I, By the Graces of the Eternal Mother and Father, Emperor of Occultoria, Supreme Ruler of the Supernatural World, Protector and Defender of the Holy Universal Faith."
Max's heart swelled with pride. He knew that in theory he was the Emperor but his powers and authority would be limited until he came of age at 16. Until then, the archbishop would remain the Regent and Lord Protector of the Empire.
He felt so exhilarated yet so alone. So many pairs of eyes were on him, depending on him to make their lives easier and prosperous.
After the crown was lowered onto his head, it sank down, the weight of it crushing him, much like the weight of enormous responsibility that now fell on him. He was now in charge of over a million citizens in his Empire. What would he do if he let down over a million citizens in his new empire? He couldn't bear the thought.
In the silence of the room, the archbishop made the sign of the Ergon. "In the Holy Names of the Eternal Mother and the Father. Amen."
Everyone else followed suit.
Then, he announced the meaning of the Double Crown, as was tradition.
"The Double Crown has two meanings. The bottom layer, the one with the sword on it, represents His Imperial Majesty's status as the protector and defender of our religion, our most Holy Universal Faith. The top layer, the one with the Ergon on it, represents His Imperial Majesty's status as the Emperor of the Supernatural World."
He turned back to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your new Emperor of Occultoria, Maximilian I!"
The room erupted in wild and noisy cheers and applause.
When the crowd grew silent again, the archbishop announced, "Now let's all drink ambrosia and get drunk to celebrate!"
A burst of laughter rippled throughout the room.
As the crowed began to disperse, the cleric turned back to Max. "Congratulations, Your Imperial Majesty. Now, please begin preparing a short inaugural speech for the people. You will address the House of Lords and Ladies later today, before the banquet. The Lords and Ladies will sit in the House while the people will listen from the door."
Max barely heard what the archbishop had said.
He had spaced out.
The archbishop nudged the new Emperor. "Did you hear what I just said, sire?"
Max nodded. "Yeah. But what happened to Jessica?"
He quickly described how she had ascended to the sky.
"To be honest...." the archbishop said. "The Supernatural World is so large and so ancient that it's impossible to know everything about it. From the way you described it, Jessica is most likely a supernatural being herself."
Max's eyes widened. His suspicion had been confirmed.
The archbishop continued, "And the fact that she ascended to the sky aided by hail implies that she is perhaps associated with ice. Maybe she's the descendant of an ice goddess. In all likelihood, she is still alive."
Max's head swirled with all sorts of thoughts. He was happy that Jessica was probably alright. He could sleep well that night with that comforting thought.
The cleric shrugged. "As for where she is...she could be anywhere."
Max's eyes hardened.
I will find her, he vowed.
The archbishop gave him a sheepish kind of look. "I'm sorry to tell Your Imperial Majesty that you should probably forget about her. She is not royalty and so you'll never get to marry her. You will have to marry a princess of the royalty of this world, for political purposes, of course. Daughters of kings and queen and dukes and duchesses. Marriages here are used to form political alliances, and rarely having anything to do with love."
Max was dismayed. He was beginning to realize just how much he was sacrificing for the sake of his people.
Cupping a hand to his mouth, Archbishop Julius whispered, "Of course, you get to keep an imperial harem and have as many mistresses as you'd like."
He winked. 
 Max was disgusted by the thought. Although he was too young to think about marriage, once he married, he intended to be faithful to his Empress Consort.
The archbishop leaned in closer. "And don't forget: You have a lot of responsibility now. A whole empire is counting on you to lead it to its golden age. Forget about Jessica. You have much more important matters to think about. For one, you will have to get married before you turn 16. After all, you are the Emperor and you must have heirs as soon as possible. Once you are 13, you will be betrothed, or engaged, to a nice girl from the nobility. The match will most likely be made out of political reasons."
Max looked at his adviser.
So he would have to get engaged to a girl not of his choosing. He knew there would be pros and cons to his position.
The archbishop pointed to the disbanding crowd. "Don't forget: the people put you on this throne. They can just as easily take you down. Without their support, you are nothing. Now that you have power, you have a responsibility to use power for good, for the sake of your people. You are the head of state and government. If you don't act out of the common good, no one else will."
Max swallowed.
The position was going to be demanding, but he was up for the challenge.
After all, it was his birthright.

***
A while later, flanked by members of his Elite Imperial Guard, Max stood on a platform at the Town Square. Behind him featured a statue of his father. Gathered all around him were citizens of his capital city. They were all hushed, waiting to see why their leader was standing in public in front of them.
Max stared at the crowd.
He loved his people and was bothered by their desperate poverty. He remembered how that little starving green girl with the horns had stared at him from behind the fence when he was in the courtyard. He had tossed her a prenglas, but he felt it hadn't been enough.
As a sign of her submission, the Queen of Purgatorio had sent him 500 pieces of gold. As his first official act as Emperor of Occultoria, Max was going to distribute free gold to his people.
From the treasure chest, Max scooped out gold coins.
"Citizens of Occultoria City," he called out. "Your Emperor has seen your extreme poverty and he is disturbed by it. He has heard your pleas. I will be establishing a Ministry of Charity responsible for taking care of our most neediest citizens."
Many people cried out, "We love you, sire!"
Max surveyed the crowd. Everyone was wearing rags or tattered clothing. They were all dirty and skinny. They looked like they hadn't eaten in days.
His heart ached for them. They were his people and he was their leader. He belonged to them. He hated to see them in need.
Max began tossing the coins into the crowd.
He was unprepared for what happened next.
Like wild savages, the people were whipped into a frenzy. They trampled all over one another just to get to the coins.
Max immediately realized the errors of his method of distribution.
"Wait, stop!" he cried, watching in horror.
But no one paid attention to him.
He watched as that same little green girl with horns was almost trampled to death.
She was standing just below him, and a minotaur-like man knocked her down.
As he bent down to pick up a gold coin, he nearly trampled her.
Max reached down and pulled her up onto the platform beside him.
He asked, "Are you alright?"
She nodded.
She looked so sweet and adorable, with her big brown eyes and green hair in a ponytail.
He asked, "What's your name, little girl?"
"Lucrezia," she said.
And then, realizing her faux pas, corrected herself. "I mean, it's Lucrezia, Your Imperial Majesty."
"That's OK," he said. "Where are your parents?"
 "I don't have any, sire," she said.
Max felt a pang of sadness for her. He knew what it was like to be an orphan.
From behind him, Eddie, a member of his Elite Imperial Guard, whispered, "Perhaps we should go, sire."
Max stared out at the wild crowd and shook his head.
He turned back to the little girl, "What are you?"
"I am a simple ogre, sire."
"Do you have a home, Lucrezia?"
"No," she said.
"Then, you will come live in the palace with me," said Max.

***

In the evening, Max dressed in full regalia as he presided at the podium in the House of Lords and Ladies.
It was a separate building in the capital, built in the style of Doric Greek architecture. The room where the Lords and Ladies assembled in was very ornate. Plush green carpets lined the floor. There were ten seats made of silver, all facing the podium. The arrangement very much resembled the British House of Lords.
Max stared out at the small crowd.
There were only two members of the House of Lords and Ladies present: the Queen of Purgatorio and the Duke of Demonia. It was nearly an empty House, since the other eight heads of provinces were still in rebellion against the throne.
The Matriarch and her College of Cardinals, the Justices of the Occult Supreme Court, Archbishop Julius and foreign diplomats were seated in a balcony above.
Since they were not members of the House, members of the clergy and commoners were crowded just outside the door, waiting to hear the speech.
Then, there was a sound of trumpets and then an announcer called out, "His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor will begin his speech!"
Max stood there, his heavy crown almost falling off his head.
An aide had quickly dashed off an inaugural speech for him, but the Emperor felt he didn't need it.
He wanted to speak from his heart.
His speech was brief but heartfelt.
Clutching his scepter, Max cleared his throat and spoke. "My Lords and Ladies of the House, Members of the Clergy and the Judiciary, Foreign Dignities, Distinguished Guests and People of the Occultorian Empire. I stand before you the newly-crowned Emperor and I do not take this position lightly. I understand that it is a very serious position, fraught with responsibility, which I gladly and most willingly take up. I swear before you all, my loyal subjects, that I will rule with justice, wisdom and compassion. My every thought and action will be for the best interests of the Empire and its people. I swear to do this until my dying days."
The room erupted into applause.
Max stared out at the crowd and smiled.
This is it, he realized. There's no turning back. I am embracing my birthright. And it feels good.
It was a peaceful moment for him. He had never felt like he belonged anyone else but there, right beside his people.
As the people gave him a standing ovation, he realized that he had been right to be himself all along, in spite of what his foster mother and his mean classmates had said.
Who cared if he was excluded?
He belonged now.
There was nothing wrong with him. He had been fine all along.
When the applause died down, Max sat down on his throne (brought over to the House of Lords and Ladies for the sole purpose of the Fealty Ceremony).
One by one, the Queen and the Duke came up to swear their undying allegiance to him.
"I feel fealty to my liege lord, the Emperor," they both said.
Max nodded.
He was finally coming into his own.

***

Later that night, a sumptuous banquet was held in the Great Banquet Hall. It was an enormous hall, with enough tables to accommodate 300 people.
Max sat at the head table on a raised dais, surveying his guests. In addition to members of the nobility and the clergy, he had even invited commoners to celebrate, much to the chagrin of the archbishop.
On his right sat Ariel.
On his left sat Lucrezia.
Beside her was Eddie.
Beside Ariel was the archbishop.
The Kairuku Grebneffi, imperial servants and cousins of the emperor penguins of the Natural World, began serving dinner.
They rolled out serving trays on wheels. The most magnificent foods were presented to the imperial table.
Apart from common item such as bread and cheese, there were foods that Max had never seen before. There were exotic and expensive birds of every kind, one stuffed in another. These were all smothered in some kind of brown and yellow sauce.
Max took a big whiff. The aroma made his mouth water.
A plate was placed in front of him by the head butler, Steward.
It was a roast dodo baked in ambrosia.
Steward then set down a glass of prenglas juice.
He hesitated slightly, his hand lingering around the glass, but then went back to his business.
Max noticed the hesitation and sensed something off-putting about Steward, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Max picked up a knife and fork and prepared to dig in.
He was about to cut to into the meat when the archbishop interrupted him.
"Your Imperial Majesty," said the prelate. "May I introduce the pontiff?"
He pointed to a woman who had appeared in front of the Emperor. "This is the Holy Mother, Her Holiness Matriarch Eleanor XX, Pontifex Maximus, which means Head of our most Holy Mother Church."
The pontiff bowed before the Emperor. "Your Imperial Majesty. It is an enormous honor to meet you."
She had a soft and cordial yet authoritative kind of voice.
Max looked into her kind blue eyes.
Although she was wearing a white shawl, he could see she had long white hair.
She also had wrinkled skin. Max wondered how old she was.
"Your Holiness," he said to her.
She smiled, revealing almost no teeth. "I was wondering if we could chat later about expanding the role of the Church in the Empire. As you know, we rank under the nobility in the Order of Precedence and I'd like to rectify that. We have very little power...."
As she droned on and on, Max zoned out.
Here we go, thought Max. Everyone wants something from me. Now that I'm the Emperor, I better get used to it.