Chapter 2 Coronation.

Thomas, Lucian's valet, stood as a quiet support amid the busyness of the tailors. They wrapped Lucian in Ash Gold Cloth. They also put on some extra silk cloth to go with the robe he was already wearing. The fabric was heavy and stiff.

He had moved to another room, no longer in the king's bedchamber. The old man's dead body had been moved to the funeral home and prepared for the ceremony.

“Lower your chin, Your Majesty.” A tailor said as he pinned a high collar that was rubbing against Lucian's throat. Thomas stepped in to help, taking over from the tailor as he sorted out Lucian's clothes.

He gave the royal servants the signal to leave them alone.

The Crown Prince looked a bit uncomfortable, and now several palace officials were calling him ‘Your Majesty,’ even though the coronation wasn't happening yet.

Lucian stared at his reflection in the big mirror. His worn and pale face was easy to see after he refused to eat breakfast. His head was throbbing from staying up all night listening to those awful noises.

Thomas looked at the red-haired Crown Prince who had been following him around since he was knee-high to a grasshopper because the little Crown Prince didn't know where else to go. From the way Lucian stood and the look on his face, Thomas knew the boy was very nervous, “Just breathe, little cherry. You'll be fine.” He said softly, almost whispering.

‘Little cherry’ was Thomas' nickname for Lucian since he was a kid. His bright red hair looked like a cherry when he was born with his perfectly round head. “Don't let this place get you down,” Thomas added with a slight smile, finishing up tidying up the silk Lucian was wearing.

“The bell sounds really loud to me, Thomas,” Lucian said, his voice trembling without him realising. The pressure made him lose control of his body, his hands sweating and getting cold.

Lucian never wanted to be in this position. To be a king.

Thomas, though, knew exactly what Lucian was going through. But it was Lucian's responsibility. He was the crown prince of the Veridian Empire.

After that short talk,Lucian followed the instructions from Grey Marshal, the highest-ranking official in the royal ceremony department. There was a whole protocol for Lucian to go through before his dad's burial.

The burial site was right behind the main royal building where the Mother Tree was. The whole royal family was buried near the Mother Tree because, for Veridian, the royal family was part of the Mother Tree. So, when they died, they had ‘to go back’ to the Mother Tree.

Only family members and high-ranking members of the kingdom could attend the ritual of returning the bodies to the Mother Tree.

Outside the palace, people sang prayers for their king during the funeral ceremony. They raised white and gold mourning flags high to show that the palace was in mourning.

The ceremony started with Lucian placing flowers on his dad's chest, who was lying in the coffin. He walked slowly towards the coffin, with four royal funeral attendants, and he wasn't exactly pleased as he approached.

The crown on his head looked sturdy, but he wasn't. Mr. Grey Marshal gave him a flower, and he held it in his hand. Lucian looked at his dad one more time and, with trembling hands, placed the flower on his chest for the last time.

With his eyes closed, Lucian quietly prayed for his dad. Forgiveness is a main principle of the religion he believes in. In his prayers, he tried to forgive his father for what he had done to him.

He went back to the place where he had to sit, even though the steps he took felt so heavy that he felt like his feet weren't even touching the ground. Lucian sat on the throne, wearing a golden crown. He stared straight ahead, his expressionless face focused on the steel coffin with Veridian symbols carved into it and placed near the Mother Tree. The gold tree with a massive size, wide, spreading branches that create a dense canopy, and aerial roots.

The tree had been there for hundreds of years, with leaves that were golden all year round. The people of Arboris were super devoted to the Mother Tree that was in the palace, and thanks to her, Veridian has been a kingdom ever since.

Because of the Mother Tree, Arboris never lacked anything.

The Mother Tree has its own special features, it only bears fruit every ten years. It's called ‘the Marrow-Pear.’ looks like a regular pear, but it has a unique color. Blue. It's light blue when it's not yet ready to ripen and turns dark blue when it's time to harvest. It can only harvest the fruit at night. In the morning, the fruit goes back to its light blue color, like it's still unripe. It smells sweet and fragrant at night.

And when it's fully ripe, that's when the Mother Tree picks the Queen, who'll then marry the king and become the next 'Bearer of Life'. Only the Queen who will become the 'Bearer of Life' is allowed to eat it.

Next to Lucian, a number of councils were sitting solemnly, watching the burial ceremony of their king. The Grey Marshal started the final rites of the funeral by telling the officers with the trumpets to play them, to let the people outside the palace know that the funeral procession was almost over.

Lucian's eyebrows twitched as the king's coffin was lowered into the grave. Another trumpet's sounds echoed through the air, letting everyone know it was time to cover the coffin with the ground. The winter air hit Lucian's skin, and he couldn't help but scrunch up his face, holding back all the feelings that were rushing through him.

The unfamiliar feeling made his throat feel tight, and the crown on his head felt heavier and heavier, pressing against his scalp. His seat was pretty uncomfortable by this point, and he couldn't see his coffin anymore. It was completely buried beneath the ground.

Oh, he was an orphan now. Just like he had hoped for when he was little…

Lucian clenched his fists. The feeling didn't exactly bring him any relief.

After the king was laid to rest, the ceremony continued with the coronation of Lucian, the Crown Prince. He's the only one of King Caelum High Veridian's heirs.

The councils were already in their places, looking a bit annoyed with Lucian sitting on the throne. It was pretty clear that the councils didn't like him, even though everyone adored Crown Prince Lucian. He'd been hanging around with the people in church since he was a kid. That’s why to them, Lucian was a weakling who wasn't fit to sit on the throne and become king.

But they couldn't do anything about it. The King and Queen were chosen by the Mother Tree. They're high-ranking officials in the kingdom, but they don't have the authority to do anything about it. Children born through the power of the Mother Tree are the absolute heirs of Veridian.

“We hereby announce the ascension of Prince Lucian Sol Veridian to the throne of Arboris. It is my humble opinion that the Kingdom of Veridian has the potential to continue existing for a long time under your leadership. May the legacy of King Lucian Sol Veridian continue to thrive!” Everyone cheered when Malakor, a High Alchemist and intermediary for the Mother Tree, put the royal family's ring on Lucian.

Another trumpet fanfare sounded to mark the end of the new king's coronation. Lucian stood still, watching the crowd cheer for his coronation. He felt a range of emotions.

Just a few minutes earlier, they'd all looked pretty sad and mournful about his dad's death and burial, but now Lucian could see the light of joy on their faces, even though some seemed a bit lost in the excitement of a new king taking the throne.

“KING LUCIAN!!!!!! May the legacy of King Lucian continue to flourish.”

Lucian took a deep breath. He wasn't a fan of this, he felt like he was in the wrong place. His dad had just been buried, and the people in front of him were chanting his name over and over, asking him to live a long life.

CRACKLE.

Everyone stopped cheering once they heard the sound. Everyone froze when they heard the loud noise coming from the Mother Tree, they looked pretty tense. Malakor turned his head, and his eyes widened instantly. Everyone was making noise in their own places, and Lucian stood still. The fruit, which was usually dark blue at night, changed color in the afternoon. Its blue color became darker and a sweet smell started to come out, especially since the fruit was slightly cracked.

“The sound came from The Marrow-Pear fruit…” One of the royal officials said in a half-whispered voice.

Lucian looked a bit concerned. His eyes opened wide when he saw the pear-like fruit slightly cracked open. Malakor ran towards the Mother Tree. His arms are wide open, yelling, “The marrow pear is ready to be harvested!!!”