Author's Note: I don't know much about coronation ceremonies, but I'm basing this one off what I vaguely know of Britain's coronation ceremonies and whatever I can pull off the top of my head that sounds somewhat official. Sorry if it sounds like a load of crap. That's what my mind is. .
SDA
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Can Love Conquer All?
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Chapter Six: Coronation
Who would have thought that being coronated would be so nerve-wracking? Well, it was. Zechs Merquise, aka Milliardo Peacecraft, paced the floors to his bedchamber in the Peacecraft manor over and over again as he awaited the proper time to descend the main hallway and join Relena in the fanciful carriage that waited to take them to the Coronation Center. In true Sanq Kingdom tradition, he and Relena had both spent all of yesterday and so far all of today alone, not seeing anyone, not even each other, or, in Relena's case, Heero. Traditionally, the time spent alone was to give them time to reflect on their life and what the future held. All it had done for him was make him more nervous.
Things wouldn't be so bad if Noin were here, he thought, and he meant it with all of his heart. He'd even be willing to forgive her for the Thanksgiving trespass if only she could be there by his side. He'd forgive her for everything, and beg forgiveness for everything he'd done, and then pull out the diamond ring he had had made for her back before she left and beg her to marry him. He'd kiss her senseless and they could all live happily ever after.
But he had to face reality. She wasn't there, she was on Mars, and had absolutely no idea that his and Relena's coronation was taking place today.
A knock sounded on his chamber door, and Pagan stuck his head in. "It is time, Master Milliardo." Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Zechs straightened his traditional Peacecraft outfit one last time before following Pagan out the door. Relena and Heero were already there, Relena looking much like she had when she was declared Queen of the world, in a much similar dress and hairstyle. Heero was wearing a tuxedo, the outfit ever looking out of place on him.
Relena took Zechs' hand and gave it a squeeze. "Good luck," she whispered to him.
"Good luck," he whispered back. It was time.
Light help them all.
****
Heero was out of the royal carriage first. Holding his hand up, he helped Relena down, Zechs following behind them, hopping down on his own accord. Thousands of Sanqites (people who live in the Sanq Kingdom) were lined up behind ropes, silently watching their future monarchs walk up the red carpet to where the Pope was waiting to perform the ceremony. Zechs was sure that under his white gloves his hands were sweating profusely. For the first time since the war he was grateful for his military training and that he could keep his face void of all emotion, despite whatever turmoil was roiling around on his inside.
Reaching the base of the steps, Milliardo and Relena Peacecraft ascended together, Prince Consort Heero Yuy trailing two steps behind them. Once arriving on the platform, Relena and Zechs knelt before the Pope as Heero trailed off to the side to be out of the way. The Pope gave a long and boring speech about responsibility or something of the sort. Zechs couldn't say for sure. When asked later the entire ceremony was a giant muck rolled together in his mind. Thank goodness the entire thing was recorded so he could later go back and watch it and pretend he remembered it.
The Pope finally finished his speech, and the crowd erupted into earsplitting cheers. The cheering went of for five minutes before the crowd could be silenced. Zechs shared a look with his sister. If they came out of this with their hearing intact, that would be the miracle.
Bringing forth Holy Water, a long, elaborate and elegant prayer was said before Relena and Zechs dipped one hand in the water (after removing one glove) and recited prepared answers to the Pope's scrutinizing questions. Zechs noted how some of the questions he asked Relena were not repeated to him. These were the questions dealing with a peaceful past, and a promise for a peaceful future. How ironic. Refrain from asking pacifist questions to a former soldier. Zechs couldn't help but wonder if Pagan had had time to warn the Pope.
Pausing briefly from the two Peacecrafts, the Pope turned to Heero and asked him a minimal amount of formal questions. Heero answered them all with pre-determined answers. The Pope declared him worthy to be consort to Princess Relena, but didn't give the crowd a chance to cheer. He charged head on into the next part of the Coronation process.
This was the part that Zechs feared most. He and Relena would in turn place a hand on the King James Version of the Holy Bible and swear to follow the rules of Pacifism and keep this country out of war. There may not be a war going on right now, and there may not be one again in his lifetime, but Zechs was a soldier through and through, and nothing in the world was going to change that.
Much to his surprise, the words of the oath had been altered, no doubt because of his special condition. Instead of swearing wholeheartedly to be pacifist and keep the country from being plunged into war, he and his sister both had to swear to do their best to be pacifist. Swear to do their best. That was easy enough. Zechs felt as if a large weight had been removed from his shoulders. He wouldn't be disappointing his father by lying, but he would instead be able to help keep the Pacifist reign of the Sanq Kingdom by that small and simple change in the oath. Zechs couldn't help but wonder if the people would care or even notice.
Ceremoniously, the Pope took the crown of the King and placed it on Zechs' head, and then took the crown of the Queen and placed it upon Relena's head. Finally, after what had seemed like hours and hours of torture, he and Relena were presented to the people of the Sanq Kingdom as the official monarchs of the country. Zechs felt a great sense of relief that this trial was finally over. He could survive from here on out, he felt sure of it.
After a brief moment of silence, the entire crowd erupted in cheers; what had occurred after the Pope's speech suddenly seemed like a mouse's squeak. No doubt about it, if he got out of here with his hearing still intact, that would be the biggest miracle ever accomplished.
Looking out over the crowd and waving as was traditional, Zechs did his best to make eye contact with as many people as he could while he, Relena, Heero, and their escort made their way to the carriage. One would think that everybody would have some sense of propriety, or at least enough of one to stay behind the ropes. But no, these Sanqites didn't have a sense of propriety. They surged as one past the restraining ropes and surrounded the royal entourage, scaring the wits out of everybody in the center of the circle.
In all honesty, it was hours later that they had fought their way to the end of the seemingly endless sea of people. Zechs was tired and exhausted, and wanted to escape from this madness and get a few hours rest if at all possible before the royal ball to be held tonight in their honour. He and Relena climbed wearily into the waiting carriage along with Heero, and the driver headed off to the palace. Zechs fell asleep before Heero closed the door behind him.
****
It was almost midnight, and the ball had been going on for several hours already. Feeling dead on his feet, Zechs, did his very best to smile as he was forced to dance with the throng of women constantly surrounding him. He didn't know how to dance at all, but nobody seemed to care and would force him into the center of things anyway, just simply pleased to be near a king. Zechs was exhausted and would love nothing more than to collapse onto a bed, or even the floor, but he couldn't, not as long as guests remained. He'd managed to sneak a dance with each of the ex-Gundam pilots' wives and Quatre's fiancée, just so he could dance with someone he knew, but more often than not he was stuck with some simpering lady who flattered him beyond the point that he knew it was mindless. Zechs turned around to try and escape the torture of dancing, but he found himself presented with his next dancing partner. The difference was, he knew this lady. Oh yes, he knew her all too well.
Her name was Lucrezia Noin.
Shocked beyond belief, Zechs just stood there staring at her with his mouth open before she grabbed him up to dance before one of the other ladies took advantage of the opportunity. It took him several second to blink his shock away before he spluttered out, "What are you doing here?"
Noin's violet eyes regarded him. "Relena called me two weeks ago to tell me about the coronation. She invited me to come, but I told her I couldn't make it. At the last second I changed my mind and caught a last-minute shuttle to Earth. I just had to be here for you."
"You were here?" he asked in a strangely quiet voice.
She nodded. "I saw the entire thing, Zechs Merquise. Or should I say Milliardo Peacecraft?"
"Zechs. To you I'll always be Zechs." Noin's violet eyes teared up, and she held him a little tighter, and vice versa.
Holding her as they both moved to the music, Zechs didn't think things could get much better. And he was right. Boy was he right, for at that moment Mister Nicholas Berter appeared out of nowhere and gently but firmly pushed Zechs away from Noin.
"Nick!" Noin said in shock. "What are you doing here?"
"I followed you all the way from Mars, Lu," he replied, giving her the kind of look that made Zechs want to slam his face into the ground.
"All the way from Mars?" she asked, a touch breathlessly. Nicholas Berter nodded his head.
If Zechs had had a gun on his person, it would have been fired at that moment.
"Lu, I just have to tell you this. I love you. I've loved you from the moment I first set eyes on you! You make my soul sing, you are my purpose for living! Lucrezia Noin, nothing would make me happier than to have you be my wife." Nicholas Berter pulled out a diamond ring and held it to Noin.
Zechs, wishing desperately for a crow bar, held his breath, waiting to hear his beloved's answer.
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A/N: HAH! What an awful, awful, AWFUL place to leave off at, wouldn't you say? MUAHA! I'm the WORST! *grin* So what do you guys think? Me, I'm shocked. Shocked that it's only taken me three days to write all this so far! Only three days! Me! That's a record if I've ever set one! (hee, aren't I awful? I write the story in three days and yet make you guys wait to read it. *evil, evil grin*) Review, please! I honestly value your opinion! Thanks to those of you who have thus far reviewed (I'd list y'all, but there's too many! *dies*)
Till the next chapter! ~~Callisto