Ancient Empire Calendar, Year 1839
The Coronation Ceremony had begun just one day after Ricardo's return from the Fairy Village.
The entire city and the dynastic palace had been decorated dazzlingly. The common people and nobles were enjoying the festivities to the fullest.
For the ceremony, Ricardo had worn special clothes unique to Western Lands culture. Rappa had also donned long, loose golden and white garments that best reflected the culture of the Eastern Lands.
Rappa could not suppress his excitement. Within a few hours, he would receive his crown from Ricardo's hands.
Rappa looked at his wife Selia, who was being prepared and made up with the help of her servants beside him.
Selia was quickly drawing attention with her beauty and elegance, inherited from her mother.
"I am truly very lucky to have her," Rappa thought.
Rappa wanted to share his accumulated feelings and thoughts with his wife. If not with her, then with whom?
"Do you think everything will be alright, Selia?"
Selia had not expected such a question. Her husband had always been prepared and composed for everything. This was the first time.
"Of course it will be alright. Today is your day, my husband. You have dreamed of ascending the throne for years. You have waited for the day you would wear your crown. Why are you worried now?"
Selia had wanted to support and calm her husband as best she could. But a few words would not be enough to suppress Rappa's excitement and worries.
"I'm afraid something might happen. I'm very tense. It's always like this. I'm afraid of making a mistake at a crucial moment. I'm pathetic, aren't I?"
Without ruining her clothes and makeup, Selia stood up and walked towards Rappa with slow, graceful steps. When she reached him, she slowly hugged Rappa.
This was a simple but very effective solution. For a tense and exhausted man, the most effective medicine was not motivational speeches but a sincere embrace. That was exactly what Rappa needed most.
Rappa returned his one and only beautiful wife's embrace. The husband and wife remained like that for a while.
The servants in the room savored this intimate, pleasant, and romantic scene to the fullest.
When Rappa and Selia ended their embrace, they both felt much better and more prepared for the ceremony.
"Thank you, my love," said Rappa, and immediately kissed his wife on the lips.
"Hmm..." Selia had been caught off guard once again.
"He always does this," she thought.
When Rappa pulled his lips away, Selia suddenly burst out laughing.
"Pfft, hahahaha!"
Rappa couldn't understand why his wife was laughing. On the other hand, the servants in the room also seemed to be struggling not to laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" Rappa asked, rightfully.
Selia pointed to the mirror with her index finger. When Rappa looked in the mirror, he understood why people were laughing at him.
Rappa frowned and turned around. His face radiated an extremely serious and threatening aura.
"Listen to me carefully. If this incident gets out, I will wipe out your lineages."
The threat had penetrated everyone in the room. Except for Selia. She knew her husband wasn't serious, that he would never do anything so harsh and ruthless. She held her husband's cheek with her hand.
"I'm sorry, my dear. Come on, our time is running out. Let's hurry, shall we? It would be best not to keep my father waiting."
Rappa agreed with his wife.
"You're right. Let's hurry."
Rappa and Selia made their final preparations and were ready for the ceremony.
Rappa stood up and extended his hand to his wife.
"Shall we go?"
Selia gently took the offered hand and stood up.
"Let's go."
The Ashterah Dynasty Lord and Lady began their procession towards the ceremony area. After a short time, they arrived before the Throne Hall of the palace.
The guards at the door announced the arrival of Rappa and Selia to everyone in the Throne Hall.
"NJASSAR RAPPA ASHTERAH, DYNASTY LORD OF ASHTERAH, AND HIS WIFE SELIA KISLAVEIN HAVE ARRIVED!"
When the guards opened the doors, many nobles who had come from the Five Lands for the ceremony stood up to welcome Rappa and Selia. Standing right before the throne where they would sit was Ricardo.
Rappa and Selia walked towards the throne with slow, elegant steps and stopped before the steps of the throne.
Rappa left his wife's side and climbed the steps alone. When he reached the top step, he first bowed his head slightly before Ricardo, offering his salute, then sat on his throne.
Ricardo came before his son-in-law Rappa. He took the historic crown—a 1,839-year-old artifact passed down from Carl Ashbrum I to the Lords of the Eastern Lands—from a red cushion beside him and raised it high for everyone to see.
"I, KRAEL II KISLAVEIN, THE 66TH DYNASTY LORD OF THE KISLAVEIN DYNASTY, ON THIS DAY, AT THIS MOMENT, DECLARE MY SON-IN-LAW NJASSAR RAPPA ASHTERAH AS THE SECOND DYNASTY LORD OF THE ASHTERAH DYNASTY!"
When Ricardo placed the historic crown on Rappa's head, an avalanche of applause and cheers erupted in the hall. Everyone was chanting Rappa's name.
"LONG LIVE NJASSAR RAPPA, DYNASTY LORD OF ASHTERAH!"
"LONG LIVE!"
"LIVE A THOUSAND YEARS!"
The cheers continued for a while longer. Heralds announced to the city's people that the new Dynasty Lord had been crowned. After that, only celebration remained.
A few months after this ceremony, a larger and more magnificent coronation ceremony—the most magnificent in human history—would take place in Ricardopolis. The Coronation Ceremony of Ricardo Kislavein.