Chapter Sixty-Six

Louisa Ruth Emilia Catherine had been born Princess of Leister, daughter of the second son of King Richard V. For the first twenty-eight years of her life, she never imagined she would end up here. She heard tell that little girls all wanted to grow up to be princesses. Well, Ruth was a princess and she was perfectly content with that most of the time. She had never wanted more. She dreaded more, in fact.

But then, of course, the line of succession had been thrown into disarray as King Edward III died suddenly with no child. Ruth's father became king and served the role wonderfully for seven years. And from the moment King James V acceded to the throne, Ruth knew that it was only a matter of time before she ended up here. Being officially crowned queen. At her own coronation.

The whole thing had taken months of planning and rehearsal, but luckily Ruth had a long memory of how things had gone when she was with her father eight years earlier. There were a number of differences between Dad's coronation and now Ruth's. She tried to keep herself focused, but her mind could not help wandering.

Dad had been in all the formal regalia, wearing a beautiful uniform of his position as Commander of the Armed Forces and the ancient cape modeled after that of Albert the Emancipator. Ruth now wore that same cape, and it was hot and quite heavy over her shoulders. Underneath it, though, was no formal uniform. Instead, she wore an exquisite gown. She normally hated things like this. It was white and glittering with intricate beading all over the bodice and on the overlay of the full skirt. It was almost as enormous as the gown Ruth had worn for the ball celebrating her twenty-fourth birthday. This gown, like that one, was off her shoulders, showing off the expanse of her neck and collarbone. At thirty-five, her skin was not as flawlessly beautiful as it once was. Luckily the cape covered a lot of it.

The throne room of the palace, where the coronation took place, was filled to the brim with all the proper people. They'd all gone in first, and the Leader of the Legislature began the ceremony. Ruth entered rather grandly with the grand cape flowing behind her. She had managed not to trip over it or over her own clumsy feet as she made her way to the throne. This was not the first time she'd sat on that throne, not by far. She'd been queen for thirteen months now, and she'd held court every week. But after today, she would do so wearing the crown.

As the Leader went through all the formalities with Ruth waiting for her big moment, she gazed around at the crowds. Right up front were the members of the royal family. Juliet was there as Dowager Queen. It still felt so strange that she had been the last person to be called 'queen' before Ruth. She was still Queen Juliet, in fact. Though as much as Ruth had dreaded becoming queen, she knew it was better than having Juliet reign over the country.

Beside Juliet was Graham, now Captain Pearce. He had completed his officer's training, and, to Ruth's eternal joy, he had also finally finished university and gotten his degree. He wore his formal uniform and looked very handsome. It was miraculous to Ruth that the exuberant young boy she had first met was now twenty-three years old. Before they knew it, he would be receiving his first assignment and he'd be sent overseas far away from them.

Catherine was beside her brother, looking beautiful. She had taken a position in the palace as an assistant to one of Ruth's advisors. Her education and her travel made her quite knowledgeable on foreign affairs, and she was proving a valuable asset. Ruth counted her stepdaughter as her best friend in all the world, and having her around to help with the girls and with Ruth's duties was a godsend.

Next to Catherine, being quiet and still in a manner Ruth had never imagined was possible, were Emilia and Charlotte. Harry and Ruth and Catherine and the nanny had all drummed it into the girls' heads for weeks that they had to be present at the coronation and they had to be on their very, very best behavior. So far, so good.

Harry was at the end of the row beside Charlotte. Ruth couldn't look at him too long or she'd get too emotional to pay attention to what she needed to do. He was in his formal uniform, which she never got to see him in, and he looked absolutely gorgeous. He also had a cane with him, as he couldn't yet walk without it, but he was walking with it quite well. She thought he looked so dashing and distinguished. She might be queen of the realm which was likely seen as the height of glory to some, but she was even more unspeakably proud to be his wife. That he was her husband.

The Leader gave a nod to the royal family. Ruth's chest constricted as she watched, praying for everything to go alright. Catherine came forward holding little Emilia's hand. Part of the ceremony for a coronation was for the crown to be placed on the monarch's head by the next in line. Ruth's father had done so for his elder brother when they assumed that Edmund and Juliet would soon have children. Ruth had done it for her father when he was crowned. And now five-year-old Emilia was next in line to be queen, and she was tasked with placing the crown on her mother's head. She was too young to fully appreciate the weight of that burden. She was too small to even hold the crown itself without help. Catherine had been selected to provide the assistance.

Ruth watched as Catherine led Emmy to where the enormous bejeweled crown sat on a silk pillow. She placed it into the little princess's hands and led her to where she would have to stand beside the Lead. Sweet Emilia watched her mother and grinned. Ruth smiled back encouragingly, even as her heart thundered in her chest with the anxiety of the moment.

When they were all in position, the Leader recited the words that Ruth had heard spoken just eight years ago to the last monarch. Now they were spoken to her.

"I present unto all subjects of the land Louisa Ruth Emilia Catherine, the undoubted Queen of House Everard. Wherefore all shall do homage and service to the Queen. Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of the land, domestic and colonial alike and all possessions and other territories of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?"

Ruth felt like she was about to be sick, but she sat up as straight as she could and spoke as clearly and strongly as possible, "I solemnly promise to do so."

"Will you to your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?"

"I will."

"And will you do the utmost in your power to maintain and preserve the freedom and dignity of all those over whom you rule? Will you pledge your oath to them as their king as they shall to you as your subjects?"

This was the most important part, Ruth knew. Her eyes drifted from the Leader to Emilia and Catherine and Harry and Charlotte and all around to the wider crowd of people who were her subjects. And with all the conviction of her heart, Ruth proclaimed, "All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised and pledged, I will promise and keep, from now until my dying day."

The Leader gave a small nod, and Catherine led Emilia toward the throne. Emmy carried the crown and stood up on the stepstool that Catherine pulled out from behind the throne, placed there just for this purpose. Her tiny arms shook a little to hold the heavy crown, but she managed to place it on Ruth's head without incident.

Catherine picked Emilia up and placed her back down on the ground. The both of them bowed deeply.

"Say it now," Catherine softly prompted to her little sister.

Emmy grinned proudly, somehow understanding that she was doing something very important. "Long live the queen!" she exclaimed.

A murmur of chuckles sounded at that. Ruth nearly began to weep to hear such words from her own child. The unfairness of the life to which Ruth's children had been born was practically unthinkable. Little girls should be running around and climbing trees and reading books and playing with dolls and toy cars and things. But Princess Emilia Fiona Mary Louisa was destined for other things. Ruth wished it weren't so.

After Catherine led Emmy back to her place, the rest of the family came forward to pledge their fealty to the newly crowned queen, as was custom. Juliet came first, bowing and muttering, "Long live the queen." Graham held Charlotte's hand to help her just as Catherine had helped Emmy, but ceremony dictated that after the former monarch came the royal consort.

Ruth had promised Harry that he could just bow like everyone else. The royal consort's role in the coronation was usually more involved, but with Harry's knee still recovering, having him kneel at her feet and kiss her hand and pledge fealty that way seemed like it would be too much.

Harry limped with his cane but he still looked strong and powerful as he made his way up to the throne. Ruth watched him with pride and love. But then, to her surprise, he did not stop and bow. He continued to her side, where he got down on his knees. She gasped quietly in shock, and she hoped he wasn't hurting himself.

He looked up into her eyes as he took her right hand in both of his. The expression in his eyes was one of pride and joy and unadulterated love. He'd looked at her like that before. Most memorably at their wedding. Harry ducked his head to reverently kiss her hand. He looked up at her again, and in his strong, proud voice, he said, "Long live the queen!"

And then he managed to get back up all on his own with his cane and go back to his seat. Graham and Charlotte came and bowed without any incident. Then came the various nobles and Members of the Legislature. It all passed in a whirlwind.

Years later, Ruth would recall only three things from her coronation: the power of the oath she had made sending shivers through her body, the bittersweetness of having Emilia place the crown on Ruth's head, and the overwhelming show of love and devotion that came from Harry kneeling before her. Nothing else mattered.