Coronation of the Kaiser

[Kaiser Ayreon IV]

Raynor's Keep, Shirekeep, 01.IX.1661

Early morning, around five in the morning, the Kaiser was awakened from his sleep by a nameless minder. He was given a simple breakfast, washed, and clothed in a red and gold-embroidered coat-like garment. The events of the day would go on from sunrise till sunset.

When the sun rose, bells rang across the Imperial Capital, and when the sun was at its zenith, the actual crowning would occur. And from then, the Radiant Sun would govern on his own.

Until 10 am, however, several smaller ceremonies would take place. These referred to the more mystical elements of the Cedrozurvanist Holodomatic school. But the first one stood out. It was a small one, initiated by the Church of Elwynn, where the Sagart of Eliria and the Kaiser walked together to the very small Elwynnist chapel in the Keep (it could seat about 15 people), along with the Chamberlain, a few Sentinels, the court archivist, and other especially invited guests.

At this Elwynnist ceremony, the Sagart Brounkind and his fellow lesser sagarts, chanted passages from the Book of the Orchids, in Elw, seemingly boring everyone except the Kaiser who quite enjoyed the musical rhythm and the poetic use of Elw. He knew that the Book of the Orchids was originally written in Istvanistani, but the Elw made it all so much better.

That said, he did not quite understand the ceremony itself. The chanting semeed to last forever, and then there was a quite scary part. The Sagart drew a drop of blood from the Kaiser's finger, placed the drop in a golden cup, lifted the cup above his head, chanted things in the Treesian language (which no reasonable human still spoke), and turned to the Kaiser, whispering: "My Lord Kaiser, your Radiance, you have bled for your people. They now owe you their loyalty and devotion, in the customs of your Elw ancestors."

Finally, the Sagart ended the ceremony, by lifting his hands up, and blessing the congregation: "May the Sun bless you, and the Earth keep you," before letting everyone leave.

The next minor ceremony would quickly follow. It was still not even six o'clock, and a long day had just begun.

The following ritualistic ceremonies, although small, were quite tolling for the young kaiser. The many incantations in Præta by priests with weird faces, drugged voices, and awful breath smell bored Ayreon, but he knew he had to endure them to finally take charge of the throne. He decided to simply go on with them, as if he were in trance, just like the priests were, he mused. When they were done, by 8 am or so, the Kaiser had very few recollections of them.

The more stately version of the coronation had now begun. First, there was a procession to the Palace of the Zirandorthel. A carriage carrying the Kaiser was drawn by hand by a dozen of the strongest most exulting Sentinels throughout the streets of Shirekeep, along with the marching and solemn drumming of a thousand of their colleagues leading the procession. Denizens lined the streets, dutifully cheering the Kaiser on, as the Imperial Marshals had demonstrated to them hours earlier. Banners proclaimed:

• "All Shall Make Merry - Upon Pain of Death - Death Spare the Kaiser"

In the skies above the city the ominous hum of wave after wave of Bandersnatch gravtanks reverberated, marking the passing of regiment after regiment of the Palatini Corps. In the broad thoroughfares carved through the chaotic tangle of Old Shirekeep the blue-coated Paladins of the Scholae legions marched in lockstep, their jackboots clacking in unison upon the metalled roads, as thousands upon thousands of the finest guardsmen of the Imperial Republic paraded through the capital of Benacia's Imperium - a potent reminder to all that even in these days of increasing provincial disorder there was no force on the continent that was the equal to the Kaiser's Imperial Forces.

The overbearing presence of the Imperial Forces was a reminder that, regardless of what the astrologers and prognosticators might say, it was an unusual time to be holding a coronation. The Benacian imperium was enduring a civil war in Elwynn, and another one now underway in Malarboria, whilst in Goldshire discontent festered between the Democrat followers of self-exiled Aldric (now in Brookshire), on one side, the Golden Order on the other, and with the Lunatics, as usual, going about things in a lunatic manner. Discontent was all over Shireroth. Yet, today was the day the Imperial Advisory Council – despite being bitterly divided on numerous issues, indeed, so divided that members were on opposing sides of all the civil wars – decided to hold the coronation. It was the last day that their representatives could all agree upon, and the consensus was that for the Kaiser to remain uncrowned this far into adult life was becoming unseemly.
At the Palace of Zirandorthel, the Kaiser first entered the chamber for the Folksraad, which has been in a special session to pay homage to the Kaiser. The Speaker of the Folksraad had, unbeknownst to the Kaiser – and indeed the organizing committee for the coronation – arranged for an orchestra and choir in the galleries, and once the Kaiser had entered the chamber, the orchestra and choir sounded out an anthem in Istvanistani – never heard before:

• O can you see the great Benacian beast,
  It wards off our enemies always,
  It cares deeply for us and our sacrifice,
  That beast, we shall love it always, Shireroth,
  We shall overcome the monsters in the east,
  And undo the evil which they have wrought;
  
  We are always reborn ever greater,
  We are without peer to match our strength,
  Never will our homes be overtaken,
  For we are the ones who overtake;
  
  Gravtanks protect us in land sea and sky,
  The daemons beneath us do cower,
  The only Balgurd spawn which lives with us all,
  Is Malarbor from whom we draw our power,
  We shall overcome the monsters in the west,
  And undo the evil which they have wrought;
  
  We are always reborn ever greater,
  We are without peer to match our strength,
  Never will our homes be overtaken,
  For we are the ones who overtake;
  
  The states and dominions serve only the throne,
  Always keeping each other loyal,
  When one might begin to step out of its place,
  The whole of this beast shall fall upon it;
  We shall overcome the monsters in this world,
  And undo the evil which they have wrought;
  
  We are always reborn ever greater,
  We are without peer to match our strength,
  Never will our homes be overtaken,
  For we are the ones who overtake.

The Folksraad erupted in spontaneous cheers and applause after the anthem, and once it all quietened down, the Speaker told the Kaiser to stand before the Folksraad. By now, it was evident that all chairs and seats in the Great Hall of the People – the hall where the Folksraad meets – had been moved away for one purpose alone: the act of the collective prostration of all the members of the Folksraad. As by a push of a button, suddenly all the members present were lying with their stomachs on the floor, prostrating in complete silence. At this point, it was clear that there had been significant rehearsal in the Folksraad for this very synchronized act, but that the rehearsals couldn't have gone beyond that, as there appeared to be no way for the members, in this solemn occasion, to know when they were to rise. The Kaiser had not expected the prostration, and no one wished to be the first one to rise, and as such the prostration lasted for a minute or two before the Kaiser, his pride turning to awkwardness, blurted out "Ladies and gentlemen of the Folksraad, I acknowledge this act of respect, and I ask you all to kindly rise."

After that, the members rose, and cheered once again. The Kaiser and his entoutage then left the Chamber to go to the Adelsraad.

When the Kaiser entered the Adelsraad, all the members there stood silently in respect until the Kaiser reached the centre of the chamber room. A voice from the back spontaneously broke out in the first words of the national anthem, whereafter all other members joined in:

• Bless the realm and Death spare the Kaiser; long may his strength increase
  May he slay all demons of Balgurd, keeping the land at peace
  May he slay all treacherous Babkhans, vengeance both just and swift
  May he be both mighty and noble, bringing his people nift.
  
  Shireroth, the land of the nifty, hallowed by Gods and Fate
  Where small clods of soil and filth merge into something great!
  Shireroth, the land of the rebel, breaking from ways of yore,
  Shireroth, the land of the noble, Death spare thee evermore!

Once the song deafened, the whole assembly prostrated themselves too for the Kaiser for exactly one minute before they all rose again.

The Kaiser then departed the Noble Chamber and moved in a procession back to the Keep, where he was taken to a room and dressed in a white robe such as one would expect a holy man of Cedrism to wear.


ACT 2

The Members of the Landsraad, the Kaiser’s family, the Imperial Advisory Council, the Imperial Household Agency, representatives of the Imperial Dominions and the regional governments of the Imperial States, and the high command of the military were, along with heads and representatives of foreign states and governments, most importantly the Kaiser’s companion Emperor Nathan II of Natopia and Queen Elizabeth of Caputia, and members of the diplomatic corps, present in the Great Hall of the Keep when the Kaiser, flanked with sentinels, entered the throne room with a procession first consisting of Cedrist priests in the old-school style, then the Holodomatic ones and Zurvanist ones in their big beards, black frocks, and funny headgear. Thereafter, representatives of the Bovic church, led by the Pentheros – the Kaiser’s uncle Prince Aldin – and bosarchs and priests of the same church followed, whereafter representatives of smaller religions came, such as the Church of Elwynn, the Ocian Orthodox Church of Amokolia and Elwynn, and the Association of Sanhedrin of Benacia.

At this point, the Imperial Mother, Liv Dravot, having just gloriously returned to Shirekeep after the Landsraad slammed down the arrest warrants on her for allegedly orchestrated a series of terrorist bombings in Eliria, a civil war in Elwynn, and for being considered generally an unpleasant woman to deal with, quipped:

“Who invited the Bovics? Did you invite them?”

“No”, said Li Naomiai dryly. Having lived in Natopia for so long that she'd practically gone native to the extent that she was married to the Pentheros, and to make matters worse was the widow of the un-lamented pro-Vanic Emperor Zakkyr, she would have seemed the most likely suspect in the gaggle of notables with latterly constituted the Imperial Advisory Council.

“Ask Ryker if he invited them,” Liv retorted.

“Ryker, did you invite the Bovics?” asked Li Naomiai rhetorically, annoyed by Liv’s presence.

“Who invited the Bovics?” replied Ryker.

“It wasn’t Ryker,” said Li Naomiai.

“Of course it wasn’t me”, said Ryker.

“I was talking to the Imperial Mother.”

“Who let them in then?” said Liv.

“The Kaiser,” replied Mira Octavius-Aryani, the Steward, who for the first time joined in the senseless discussion.

“The Kaiser? Our Kaiser?” asked Liv.

“Well, through the official channels…” replied Mira.

Liv Dravot whispered to Ryker, “What can you expect of a clone?”

Unfortunately for Liv, Mira heard that and spoke tersely into the air “What can you expect from a sour bitch?" by way of an answer.

"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be skulking in the woods?" asked Li Naomiai.

"Apparently there are those who decided - on balance - that statehood for Brookshire was more important than pursuing a vendetta over a few dead Jing." Liv sneered in response.

"The Kaiser's a clone?" asked Ryker, increasingly perplexed by the snatches of whispered conversation reaching his aged ears.

"How are you even alive still?" exclaimed an exasperated Imperial Mother.

"I could easily ask the same question." Mira mildly enquired, of all present.


ACT 3

Once the Kaiser has reached the centre of the Great Hall, the Cedrist priest to the God of Music, Ayreon, has the honour and duty of performing the Cedrist rites of coronation. It has after all been a tradition in the Imperial Republic that a kaiser with a Cedrist namesake would be especially cared for by the priests and cult to that god.

Ayreon bows before a basin of fire in the middle of the hall. The priest, who by tradition remains nameless, as he is there only as a representative of his god, mutters quiet prayers, scooping ashes from the basin, and sprinkles the ashes onto Ayreon. Ayreon does not sneeze nor attempt to brush off the ashes.

Ayreon ascends the dais, led by the Sentinels, and stands in front of the Golden Mango Throne.

A file of pages, junior staff of the Imperial Household, step onto the dais from a side passage. Each wears a long tunic of black velvet with gold trim, the colors of the House of Ayreon-Kalirion. With them, they carry several items of clothing. Ayreon extends his arms to the side so that the pages may dress him.

First, over the plain white robe, a tunic with open sides. Black silk, heavily embroidered and edged in ornate gold thread. Two pages lift it over his head and rest it upon his shoulders, then crouch down to fasten the buttons which close its sides and sleeves.

Over this, a second tunic, little more than two squares of bluish white silk chiffon, again embroidered and edged in gold. Buttons secure the fabric together at his shoulders, elbows, and hips.

A heavy cloak, deep ruby silk with a textured pile-on-pile pattern woven into it. A golden, jeweled brooch pins the cloak in place on his right shoulder, and is draped around him to allow him free use of his right hand.

The pages, all but one, lower themselves to the floor of the dais in a deep bow, then withdraw in a file back through the side passage.

The Steward, Mira Octavius-Aryani, steps forward to the base of the dais, and lifts the Sword of State, sheathed and hanging on a shoulder belt, off of herself, and lifts it up high. Mira pulls at the sheath to reveal the shining steel of the blade.

Ayreon extends his hand forward, placing it upon the flat of the blade, and recites an oath in Præta, saying:


“I swear upon this Sword, in the presence of the Divine and the Noble Lords and Ladies here assembled, that I, Ayreon the Fourth, Kaiser of Shireroth, shall protect the People of Shireroth against all evil and against all enemies, foreign as well as domestic, for as long as I shall live.”

The Steward re-sheaths the Sword of State and offers it to Ayreon, who takes it and lifts the belt onto himself, allowing the sheathed sword to rest at his hip. The last remaining page adjusts the cloak so that it drapes over his shoulder but that the Sword of State remains visible, then bows and recedes out the side passage.

The Regent, Hartmut Aldric, steps forward to the base of the dais, and lifts up high the Imperial Crown. Ayreon again extends his hand forward, placing it upon the sapphire jewel that sits atop the crown's arches, and recites an oath in Præta, saying:

“I swear upon this Crown, in the presence of the Divine and the Noble Lords and Ladies here assembled, that I, Ayreon the Fourth, Kaiser of Shireroth, shall maintain justice for the People of Shireroth, and when pursuing justice, make no distinction between noble and denizen, rich and poor, man or woman, old and young.”

Ayreon then places his hands on the sides of the crown and lifts it out of the Regent's hands. He holds it forward for a moment, then rests it upon his head.

All in attendance, regardless of rank, perform a full bow towards the Kaiser, prostrating completely to the floor.

The Kaiser turns to step upon the base of the Golden Mango Throne, and sits upon it.

Attendees then are allowed to rise to the level of prostration permitted by their rank.

Thereafter, the representatives of the states come forward.

First, the King of Goldshire, assisted in walking by his manservant Vili Esposito (who is also the Kaiser's bastard uncle), comes forward to pay homage. While bowing, he says:

“I, Ryker Redquill, King of Goldshire, swear, for myself, and on behalf of my subjects, allegiance to you, Ayreon the Fourth, Kaiser of Shireroth, your heirs and successors, until the end of time. I render unconditional obedience, and as your loyal servitor, I shall at all times be prepared to give my life for this oath, so help me the Gods!”

Ryker then walks up to the dais and stands next to the Golden Mango Throne, on the left side of the Kaiser.

Thereafter comes the Queen of Malarboria, Kizzy, walking alone, gracefully, and makes the same bow and oath as Ryker, but for Malarboria and her people. She proceeds to stand on the right side of the Kaiser.

The Count Palatine of Kezan, Lady Mira Octavius-Aryani, performs the same procedure in the name of her people.

After that came Prince Aldin, as Prince of Elwynn. While bowing, and just after reciting the same oath but in the name of Bous and for the Elwynnese people, Prince Aldin walks up to the Kaiser in his throne, and puts butter on his head.

The Kaiser smiles and rises with his arms reached out, and speaks with a loud voice:

"Although I am but a calf myself, you, you my people, are my calves also, the calves of a calf, as I am the calf of calves. And you are dear to my heart my people by Bous, I accept the enyoke——“

The Kaiser’s words are by now droned out by a fanfare seemingly prompted by the Imperial Mother frantically signalling the orchestra. The Kaiser sits.

Lord Belledin quips to her, “Interrupting the Kaiser, how rude!”

“You must have been hallucinating, Lord Belledin. The Kaiser has not spoken. Perhaps you ought to take better care of your health. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you now, do we?”

That shuts Lord Belledin up.

Thereafter come the officers of the Imperial Republic, not already being rulers of states, led by the Regent and the Imperial Mother, followed by Prætor Lord Sprocket of Machinaria, Arbiter Lord Benkern, Lord Belledin, Armin Jamal-Arminzadeh, Soraya Octavius-Parini, Lady Eki Verion, Lord Michael Verion, James Reuss, and Nona Vasilica, bowing before the Kaiser in accordance with their respective ranks, and swearing the oaths of allegiance quietly but in unison.

Representatives of the Imperial Dominions, in the form of their viceroys and commissioners, come en masse before the Kaiser, swearing and bowing, too, before giving way to representatives of the imperial protectorates – children from prominent ethnic groups of the protectorates dressed in ethnic attire, dancing in, spreading flowers onto the floor, and then prostrating themselves before the Kaiser for a minute, then reciting the oath in their native tongues. It is a cacophony, but it moves the Kaiser nonetheless.

Thereafter the Kaiser stands again, and all in attendance bow or prostrate according to their rank while the Kaiser descends the dais and leads the procession out followed first by the rulers of the states, then by the officers of state, and then all other attendees. The Kaiser processes to another hall of the Keep, where a great banquet is served to the attendees, with good food, good wine, and dances and entertainment

Thereafter, the Kaiser, seated on a chair, will be carried by Froyalanish servants out to the court yard for the people’s inspection and jubilation.