Chapter 73 The Bastard
The throne room.
Olivia wore a gown belonging to Lady Marisela. Their sizes were similar, and the maid Patricia had altered them to fit the younger, less curvy body of the princess. Olivia insisted that Monika, Lupita, and Marco be present at the ceremony. They were all dressed in the clothing of some noble or another. The royal court, except for Count Octavio, was in the grand hall decorated with marble, gold, and gems. Standing in the enormous entrance in front of the throne were the representatives of each noble house of the kingdom.
The princess stood to one side of the throne, and Guillermo stood to the other, holding a delicate crown. The crown belonged to Queen Esperanza. It was a golden circlet with a horn in the center and a wing on each side. The horn was decorated with purple amethysts and the wings with pink opals. The bastard princess would wear the crown of an unfaithful queen.
Esteban, Marisela, and Valero formed a line next to the princess. Forming a line next to the herald were Danilo, Emiliano, and a woman dressed entirely in black with a gabled headdress and a veil covering her face. Lupita, Monika, and Marco were in a corner, trying to be invisible. A woman who had loved Olivia with all her heart and two peasants, the first friends of her own age, watched the ceremony with reverence.
Guillermo spoke loudly and clearly: Count Octavio regrets his inability to attend due to health reasons. We now begin the coronation ceremony of Olivia of Costa Lunas and of Blasser Hafen, daughter of King Aloisio, granddaughter of King Reynaldo the Conqueror, and great-granddaughter of King Gutierre the Wise. Priests, guardians of the oaths, fulfill your duties.
Danilo stepped forward to look at the princess: Peace, the people ask the queen for peace and the abundance it brings. Honesty, the people ask the queen for the opportunity to earn their bread through work. Kindness, the people ask the queen to make her decisions as if they were for her family.
Olivia with a tremble of her voice: I hear the people.
Danilo returned to his post.
Emiliano approached the princess: Courage, the people ask that the queen bravely defend the kingdom. Honor, the people ask that the queen reign justly. Strength, the people ask that the queen be strong when the kingdom faces difficulties.
Olivia spoke louder and more confidently: I hear the people.
Emiliano receded and the woman dressed in black approached. The mother of the Sisters of Shadow.
An aged but strong voice emanated from beneath the veil: The goddess of shadows reminds the queen that she will die like her people. But that she can live for centuries in the hearts of her people if she is a good queen.
Olivia said loud and clear: I hear the people.
The woman approached until she almost touched the princess. She took the ends of her veils, opened them, and placed them on either side of the face of Olivia. The two women could look into the eyes of the other, and no one else could see them.
The high priestess whispered: I am the face of death. Your father saw me. All the kings before you have seen me. You will see me again. Remember your oaths.
When the woman returned to her post, Esteban approached the princess. He placed a belt over her left shoulder and adjusted it until it was comfortable but snug. The sword was almost as tall as she was, and its weight affected her posture. The hilt rose above her head and the scabbard stuck out next to her legs and almost touched the ground.
Esteban stepped back slightly and knelt on one knee: The sword of King Gutierre the Wise. The king who honored the cult of Pegasi and the cult of the Unicorns equally. May the wisest of kings guide the queen.
The count returned to his post.
Guillermo: Princess Olivia of Costa Lunas and of Blasser Hafen, please sit on the throne of the kingdom for all the nobles to see.
She sat on the red wooden throne decorated with silver, gold, and all types of gems known throughout the kingdom. At that same second, Count Valero turned and left the hall along with Lord Bartolo and almost thirty other lords from noble houses.
Guillermo looked at the other members of the royal court and when they nodded, he placed the crown on the head of Olivia.
The Herald: Nobles, Olivia, Queen of Costa Lunas, Princess of Puerto Blanco, Princess of the Royal Isles, War Chief of the northern tribes and Mistress of the Ridges of King Gutierre Lake. Long be her reign!
Many voices: Long be her reign!
A meeting hall in the west wing.
Octavio spoke without looking at the men: Did the bastard defecate on the throne when you left?
Valero: Almost. Her eyes were the size of royal gold coins.
Victorino smiled: Those of Esteban were bigger. He is a soldier. He must know they cannot win.
Octavio: That cunt wife has his balls in her hand. Sit down. Our queen is going to have the shortest reign in the history of Costa Lunas. Valero, where are your men?
Valero: They are moving in small groups and cautiously. I have not wanted to show what I am doing. Now. I can have them move faster. After sunset tomorrow night, we will begin the attack inside the castle, and they will surround the east wing and the tower.
Victorino said confidently: We can win in the corridors and push their forces towards the soldiers outside.
Valero scoffed: What happened with the herald?
Octavio held up a parchment: He sent a message before the ceremony. If necessary he will support her and become our spy.
Victorino: Can we trust him? He has a lot of information that he could use to gain favors from the royal court.
Valero grunted: No. He is going to play on both sides.
Octavio: Fine, we can consider what he says and whether or not it is true. I will send him a message asking about the number and location of the guards near the bastard.
Victorino: Do you think he is going to tell them about our plan? If they have this information, they can bring in reinforcements from Colinas Gemelas.
Octavio: The nobles closest to the peninsula are monitoring the movements of her soldiers. Guillermo has provided potentially useful information. There is a fleet coming from Puerto Blanco that will likely attack the ports . Once the castle is ours, we can attack and seize the ports.
Victorino: I can change my plans depending on where the forces are after tomorrow night. We need to save our army for the war against Aurelio.
Valero: Yes, but I need to be on the throne on Unification Day. And that bastard must be dead.
Victorino: I have a special plan for her. We will attack the tower from the roof of the west wing and capture it while they are fighting us in the corridors. Queen Olivia will die at the beginning of the battle.