[Saint Elijah's Basilica] Coronation

[Neoptolemus]

The Basilica of Our Beloved Saint Elijah had been decorated in green, blue and purple bunting. Hundreds of balloons filled the dome of the church. By the time of the ceremony at noon, sunlight would shine through the dome's occulus and fill the altar below in green, blue and purple light. The altar itself was arranged with the many relics of the church.

The Children's Choir of Doza sang Onward Bovic Soldiers constantly, rotating through shifts.

Neoptolemus was standing at the altar in his whitest robes, the Pentheral Tiara on his head. The silver yolk of the Butter Cow's suffering was hanging around his neck. Arranged in semi-circles radiating out from himself, the 100 bosarchs were reciting prayers in what was sounding like a low rumble. He looked out throughout the crowd and saw the faces of strangers and friends.

====

Nathaniel Andre Utas had been parading through the streets. At the appointed time he appeared at the doors to the Basilica. He knocked four time and the doors were opened for him. As he walked down to the altar, the Children's Choir sang the national anthem.

When Nathaniel was at the altar Neoptolemus gestured for him to kneel.

"Nathaniel Andre Utas, child of the family Ayreon-Dariolin, head of the royal House of Waffel-Paine, king of Ziegeland and raja of Tasneemia, you are the one destined to rule two lands and serve as the living symbol of unity and progress. The history of the ages weigh down upon you. Draw strength from them!"

Neoptolemus then took each of the holy relics, held them aloft, and touched each one to Nathaniel's forehead, imbueing him with the power and history of each object.

"You, Nathaniel, are the one named by Bous himself to lead us into the future. Let him fill you!"

The pentheros then took a spoonful of blessed butter and placed it Nathaniel's open mouth and said, "Eat of our god and become one with him."

"Now, your body has been blessed and purified. You are ready to receive the Imperial Crown."

Neoptolemus then held the Crown over Nathaniel's head, "Nathaniel, repeat these sacred words:

"O Bous, I freely give my life to you, so that I may give my life to my people. I will lay down my life to protect the people of Natopia and their way of life. I will serve tirelessly in the service of this Nation."

[Nathaniel]

The butter melted in his mouth (the taste was beyond this world!) and the soft liquid slowly went down this throat...

He swallowed...

and then repeated what the sacred words.

"O Bous, I freely give my life to you". He paused. A deafening silence was around him in the church, and then he continued, " so that I may give my life to my people. I will lay down my life to protect the people of Natopia and their way of life. I will serve tirelessly in the service of this Nation."

He bowed his head, whispered softly "Acow."

[Rei Milharna]

[Neoptolemus]

Neoptolemus then placed the Imperial Crown upon Nathaniel's head, "Now, Your Most Bovic Majesty, rise as Emperor of the Natopians, Ruler of the Twin Realms, Lord of Yellow Island, and the Uniter of the Demesnes, rise and face your people, rise and face your destiny!!"

As Nathaniel stood up and turned to the crowd Neoptolemus rose his hand in a gesture of prayer, "My calves, bow your heads in reverence as your Emperor speaks to you for the first time!"

[Lord Erion]

[Raz]

A low-ranking Jingdaoese envoy is present at the coronation.

"So far nothing too weird has happened..." he mumbles but does not relax, "One never knows what these heathens have in store though."

[Verion]

the soft liquid slowly went down this throat...

He swallowed...

[Tokaray al-Osman]

He likes the taste as well.

[Nathaniel]

Nathaniel heard some noise around him. Were people actually kneeling? He couldn't tell... He wasn't prepared to say anything special. No one had told him about this part of the ceremony.

Facing the people (at least it seemed like he was, he thought), he started saying a few words.

"Brothers, sisters, we are all one." Oh bugger, did he really say that? He felt so screamingly stupid, but the congregation let our a roar of jubilation-sounding noise.

"Thank you for your belief in me. I will pray for you, brothers and sisters, and I will always thank Bous for you. It is an honour to serve you, and I am humbled by your affection to me. As your emperor, I will always, always, always be Natopia's servant."

[Christo Eucalyptos]

Christophos was in the crowd, he opted for no special seating arrangement feeling that all Bovics were now equal in their devotion and loyalty to the new emperor. After the emperor's new speech he stood up and began to mingle and snack as ushers appeared out of nowhere with trays of bagel hors d'oeuvres and juice cocktails.

He did not see Neoptolemus anywhere, he must have slipped away during the speech. What a strange man... never around when I am...

[DES Senya]

The Senyan President, Barnaby Hands, was in his trademark suit. He was listening intentively, that was, between though the football updates which would feed into his earpiece every ten minutes or so. However, the Senyan leader was enjoying the coronation, and was starting to contemplate himself as a monarch.

[Nathaniel]

Nathaniel mingled around. He had slipped on a juice-soaked bagel on the floor but still managed to keep his posture respectable.

"Your Majesty, allow me to introduce Mr Barnaby Hands, President of the Democratic Environmental Society of Senya", Nathaniel's secretary said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr President. So great to have you here. I trust you are enjoying yourself?" said Nathaniel.

A few pleasantries were exchanged and Nathaniel was introduced to many others in the Basilica, eating bagels, drinking juice...

[Imaia Vauqi]

One Imaia Vauqi, the Safirian foreign minister, was also there, being careful not to get juice or bagel crumbs on her brand-new, figure-flattering black dress, contrasting perfectly with her blue skin and white hair.

[Nathaniel]

"Ms Vauqi!" exclaimed Nathaniel when he sensed the safir standing close to him, "they tell me you look absolutely stunning today. I wish I were able to see you myself. I do hope you are enjoying yourself."

[Butter Cow]

Nathaniel [...] slipped on a juice-soaked bagel on the floor but still managed to keep his posture respectable.

The Butter Cow saw this and he was sad. "Ok, maybe if I show up in the middle of the party and fix this that would be something people would talk about. Usually not my style, but whatevs. I'll have Neo jazz it up when it gets converted to scripture in a few years."

And so the Butter Cow caused himself to be formed on Micras yet again, this time from the butter on the catering tables. He was only about 1/3 of his usual size though.

"That is just embarrassing, Nathaniel," gesturing to the trail of smushed bagels left in the new emperor's wake, "as the living symbol of my dominion and rulership over certain portions of Micras I just simply can't have you bumbling around slipping on bagels... That's like the pope trampling on Communion wafers.

Here, Nathaniel, have some eyes!"

And thus, thanks to the power of buttermancy, the Butter Cow caused all the remaining butter in the room (with some of his own butter-flesh too) to rearranged inside Nathaniel's eye sockets and reform into fully functional eyes, not dissimilar to the power used to resurrect Nathan's body that one time.

[Tokaray al-Osman]

Sure, it's a miracle - but unless you're planning on spending the rest of your life in the high Arctic, you'll have to keep those eyes refrigerated somehow; unless you want them melting into congealed pools of goo in your eye sockets.

[Christo Eucalyptos]

Mr. Freeze-style goggles?

[Nathaniel]

"My God! I can see!"

"Of course you can, I just gave you eyes."

"Thank you...."

"Yeah, yeah... just don't get wobbly anymore."

And with that, Emperor Nathaniel could see the grandeur of everything. He actually was not wearing the clothes he dreaded, Ms Vauqi was indeed beautifully dressed, and the light around him was a blessing.

"I'm gonna go out to the garden a bit..." he said.

He walked to one of the temple's atria and seated himself there. Alone, he just looked at the sky, his smiles never ceasing, and he loved the sun...

"Thank you, Bous," he prayed. "Thank you for letting me serve your people better."

[Imaia Vauqi]

Imaia Vauqi walked out into the same atrium, taking a seat next to Nathaniel and projecting the feel of contentedness.

"Yes, Nathaniel-seuvi, I am enjoying myself, and I hope you are as well."

[Nathaniel]

Nathaniel looked at the Safirian minister bemused.

"Of course I am enjoying myself! I can freakin see now!"

And he jumped up and then bowed infront of Imaia.

"Please allow me the honour to dance with you, my lady." Nathaniel grinned as big as he could.