A/N- We're now seeing the day from Elijah's POV. Love how excited everyone is for this story, if you want to see Katherine's outfits, palace rooms etc check it on my tumblr blog klaro-addict.
My knowledge of Norse traditions/rituals comes from the tv show Vikings and what little information I can gleam from the net, however if anyone knows a good site let me know!
Also- I didn't realise Aiden was spelled with an E as opposed to an A but I've made the change.
Long Live the King!
Long Live the King!
Those cries are still ringing in Elijah's ears.
Two hours earlier
Elijah frowned and blinked, staring at the pillow under his head, rolling over and staring at the heavy curtains through which a sliver of the window could still be seen.
There wasn't any light filtering through, so it clearly wasn't morning.
Why the hell was he awake then?
He raises his head and squints to see if he can see the antique clock on the mantel above his fireplace.
It's still so dark he can't even make out the fireplace.
Flopping back onto his bed with a curse he wonders if he has any sleeping pills in his room, probably not. There'd be something in Kol's room but he's too tired to make the trek down two hallways and taking a pill from Kol's room was a game of Russian roulette, he could end up unconscious but it'd likely be because he was choking on his own vomit.
Dammit, he's nearly awake now and he has a breakfast tomorrow morning at the British embassy, which was not something he could half-arse.
The damn Brits had an superiority complex when it came to the Valhallan Royal Family, something along the lines of 'Our royals are better than yours'
Better at inbreeding, religious persecution, sex scandals and fascism perhaps.
But if you wanted your royals to be unbelievably handsome you had to look to the north, to the Vikings.
He yawns and kicks the blankets with a curse, where had he left that report sent over from the Ministry for Culture and Tourism? Maybe reading about the predicted tourist influx for the upcoming Winter nights festival would put him to sleep.
Or he could beat himself over the head with the seven hundred page document.
He sits up and sets one foot on the floor before stilling, electricity running up his spine.
Something is happening.
He stops and listens, straining his ears. He can hear it, sounds of activity in the Palace. Which wasn't strange considering that it was the Royal Palace in the capital city but this was different, at night the activity wound down, the servants went home or to bed, people retired to their rooms and it was a weekday with no events planned.
And Kol and Rebekah were out of the country so there was no wild partying going on.
But people were awake, moving around, he could hear voices in the hall, they were getting closer.
In a rare moment of panic he wondered if there was a revolt happening, or a revolution, if the mob had come to tear his family apart?
Fortunately logic quickly returned to his brain.
The Lothbroks were popular in Valhalla, the Republic and Anti-Monarchy movements were weak or fringe groups who failed to gain mainstream popularity.
And if people had managed to storm the palace, as the heir to the throne, Elijah would have been the second person notified and taken to safety.
Protocol aside, Elijah was confident that Ansel Wolfsbane would have personally attended to him before Mikael.
The man's loyalty was to the Royal children, not to the King.
So it wasn't likely a coup d'état but it was something. He got to his feet and looked about for a dressing gown, or even a t-shirt.
The heir could not be wandering the palace half-naked, it was inappropriate.
Even as he considered all the events that could be taking place it never crossed his mind that whilst he'd slept, his position had changed from that of Prince to King.
Not until he heard the first cry.
"The King is dead!"someone- a woman- screamed at the top of her lungs,
"Long live the King!"
What?!
The t-shirt slipped through Elijah's suddenly numb fingers, he stared dumbly at the grey material on the carpet as the cries grew louder, more people joining in as feet began to pound on marble and wooden floors, as they begun to converge into a wave and surge towards his rooms,
"The King is dead!"
"Long live the King!"
"Elijah!"
The call comes from behind the walls and for a moment he wonders if he is simply in a bizarre dream.
But the call comes again and he realises that it's from the secret passage that connects all the royal chambers to an escape route that leads under the city, built after the French Revolution had the Valhallan monarchy deciding that they would benefit from having contingency plans in place.
Of course the passage had caused trouble in recent years when the royal children had realised that there were niches along the passage wide enough to fit a mattress and thus be turned into a love nest.
Which was why Ansel regularly patrolled the passage and knew all the access points, hence the reason he was able to enter Elijah's rooms through the panel now.
"Elijah" he says his name again, approaching quickly and Elijah frowns at the lack of decorum. Ansel never called him by his given name, nor any of his siblings, they were always 'Your Highness' as was befitting a servant addressing a member of the royal family. He opens his mouth to chastise the man before connecting the dots.
Ansel was calling him by his given name so that he wouldn't have to call him by his new title.
Your Majesty.
The man is flushed from running and suddenly moves past him to grab two chairs and jam them under the door handles, preventing anyone from being able to open them.
"We don't have much time" he tells him with an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry, I tried to hold them off but one of the attending nurses started the cry and everyone jumped at the chance…"
They've entered his apartments now and he can hear the shouting, and by the gods it's almost sickening how excited they are for this opportunity to be a part of history.
"Who…" he swallows, "Who is attending to the King?"
Had his father just been left abandoned, for the first time in his life left alone?
"Dr Petrova is staying with the body" Ansel assures him, "You need to get dressed now"
Elijah nods slowly, "Yes, of course"
He blinks as Ansel fumbles and manages to turn on one of the lamps, the man stands to face him and Elijah brings himself to move to his closet where his outfits are hung together. Suit, shirt, socks and tie. Sorted by season and function.
He pulls the pants on over his boxers but his hands fumble when it comes to buttoning up his shirt. He takes a breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly before calloused hands complete the process for him, Ansel takes the tie and grimaces,
"I know a basic knot and that is it"
Elijah manages to turn his lips up into a faint grin,
"Did you know what I am not legally King right now" he tells the Head of Security as the man knots the tie for him, taking comfort in his knowledge of the ancient customs, "By Valhallan law and tradition, the heir is not the King until the first midnight after the death of the last King, so for the next day I am neither Prince nor King, you could kill me now and it wouldn't be a crime because legally, I have ceased to exist"
Ansel looks him in the eye, "I will dedicate the rest of my life to ensuring your safety. If anyone wants to harm you they will have to go through me first"
He nods, "I know…Thank-you"
They both jump as someone tries to open the door, once, twice, trying to force it open now and Ansel clenches his fists.
"Go around" Elijah orders him, setting onto autopilot. "Take the passage and go through the hallway, make your way through the crowd"
He waits two minutes, during which time the cries of The King is dead! Long Live the King! Begin to falter as the mob realises the haste of their actions. With his back straight and his shoulders set, Elijah marches over to his bedroom door and pulls away the chairs, throws it open and steps through.
"The King is dead!" they scream at him like members of a cult. "Long Live the King!"
A woman comes forward in scrubs and a white coat, she makes a grab for his hand and he tucks them both behind his back, she flinches at the coldness of his actions and repeats the two phrases, this time with uncertainty.
"You come bringing me news of my father's death" he addresses the crowd, noting those who were in state of undress, those who had not yet gone to bed and those who had risen only to throw a dressing gown over the top of their undergarments,
"Which of you stood by him at the last?"
"I did!"
Ansel's voice breaks through the crowd and he makes his way through, those who weren't making way for him being pushed aside. This time Ansel Wolfsbane kneels before him and Elijah offers him his hand, the man kisses the knuckles and waits.
For the first day following the King's death, the heir did not exist in Valhallan law, he was not a citizen of Valhalla, this rule had been made in the interests of those who would seek to usurp the throne. However, tradition stated that the heir was still to refer to themselves as King and that those loyal to him were to, on the occasion of their first meeting to go down on one knee and wait until he uttered the phrase, "Rise and greet your new King"
"Rise and greet your new King" Elijah tells Ansel and the man rises slowly, his knees cracking and people start to take to their knees but Elijah stops them,
These vultures weren't deserving of the privilege.
"I will be seeing to matters of State now" he announces to the crowd, "As per tradition there shall be a delay between the King's time of death and the public announcement, I ask that you refrain from spreading the news until midday today. Those of you that do will be reprimanded"
He straightens his cuffs, looks up and sees that they're all still staring at him, "You may go"
They file out, disappointed and embarrassed to have been caught and called out on their hunger for power and attention, pumped with adrenaline over the historic moment and unsure what to do next. Ansel waits until the room is empty before addressing him,
"Shall I bring your siblings home Your Majesty?"
His siblings.
Klaus, Kol, Rebekah, Henrik.
The Princes and Princess of the Royal Blood.
"Yes" he rubs his chin, "As soon as humanely possible"
The tie is tight around his neck and he removes it, reaching to button his collar when his hand brushes the chain around his neck,
"Ansel?"
The man looks up from his phone, "Your Majesty?"
"My fiancé, Katerina, she'll need to come home as well"
Ansel nods, "I'll have her collected after Kol, on our money of course"
Elijah hadn't thought of that.
"Thank-you, now I wish to be alone until…" he checks the grandfather clock in the chamber and realises that it's earlier than he realised,
"Nine am. I have the traditional nine hours and I intend to use them"
Ansel bows, "Your Majesty"
The King is dead!
Long Live the King!
King of Valhalla.
Elijah V of Valhalla.
King Elijah.
It felt like a dream.
He was suspended in the air, held high and aloft and any moment his strength would fail and he'd plummet to the earth, the ground racing up to meet him and…
The sound of his antechamber door creaking open startled him, he spun away from the window already furious,
"I said I wanted to be alone how dare…!"
Cautious crystal blue eyes set above dark purple shadows were wide with fear, fear of violence, fear of punishment, fear of rejection,
"Forgive me brother" the quiet voice cracked and struggled to cross the vast space of the luxurious room well-lit to keep the darkness at bay,
"Your Majesty…I"
Remembering that his brother is King now, Niklaus begins to kneel but doesn't even manage to bend his knee before Elijah's body collides with his own, unbalancing him and sending them both into the wall. Only by luck is he able to cup his brother's blonde head with his hand, cradling and providing barrier between skull and plaster. His arms are wrapped tightly around him, gripping to him for dear life and the sign of such fierce love and loyalty shatters the ice around the young Prince's heart, Niklaus holds him in a vice and gasps for breath,
"I have missed you so" Elijah whispers, "I am so glad you are home"
He releases him unwillingly, stepping back to categorize every minute difference in his brother since he had seen him last. His eyebrows shoot up when he sees the blue and red uniform of the Valhallan army.
"What is this?" he murmurs with half a smile, touching the silver badge on his collar "My brother the warrior?"
Niklaus grins with shy pride, "I'm a member of the Night Wolves, decorated and I earned it too, just me Elijah, not a single privilege was sent my way"
"I am glad of it" he crosses the room and pours them both a drink, drawing his brother over to the fire crackling merrily in the marble hearth,
"But I'm afraid you'll have to take a leave of absence and come home"
Niklaus nods, "I…when I received word about…did he ask for me, or mention me at all in the end?"
Elijah swallowed, "No, he died in his sleep little brother, I have not even seen him yet"
He gestures towards the door, "Outside my rooms stand every leech and power hungry rat in Valhalla. Every last one of them is waiting on tenterhooks for me to emerge so that they might throw themselves at my feet and bewail father's death as they swear me eternal loyalty, all the while glad that Mikael is gone and eager for the slightest show of weakness on my part that they could exploit" his lip curls with disgust when he contemplates this, even as his mind whirs with activity.
"So I have given myself the traditional nine hour window before the Death announcement to prepare, to consider my allies, my enemies and my first steps in my reign"
Niklaus nods and sits down, turning the fine crystal glass in his hands, "Aside from myself, Ansel will serve you loyally"
He had already proven this with his earlier actions. Elijah nodded and sipped at his drink,
"My father's Councilmen will all- to a man- be ready to fight me on any front, to try and bully me into playing the role of a puppet king. They're men like Mikael was, the only strength they recognise is violence and I plan to be a better King than our father was"
He considers the monumental task of disbanding the Council and finding men- and women- he could trust to serve him without corruption or treachery.
He has a long road ahead of him.
"The Petrova's?" Niklaus queries and Elijah smiles ironically,
"Ah yes, the epitome of loyal subjects" he quips, "All of them ambitious as sin and having hitched their star to mine, know that their greatness comes only through me they would lay down their lives to see me safe"
His brother frowns, "You and Katerina were in love once, completely, foolishly and madly infatuated with one another…surely some of that still remains?"
The new King shrugs miserably, "Do you know that she and I haven't spoken in five years? Not since the night before she left for America, half a decade and all that I have of her is this"
He reaches into his shirt collar and lifts out the silver chain that hangs permanently around his neck, on it sits a pendant, the Viking rune for love. The token Katerina had thoughtlessly requested from her parents for her birthday and then gifted to him so that she might always be with him. Back in the day when they'd both believed themselves far too clever to be caught, not realising that eyes far sharper than their own would notice the sudden transfer of the jewellery from one neck to another. He'd worn it for so long now that he couldn't remember the feel of his neck free of the light weight.
Niklaus' eyes flicker over the token, "Have you sent for her at least?"
"Of course" he slips the chain back into his shirt and settles it over his heart,
"I ordered Ansel to arrange for her to be picked up and brought back with Kol, at my expense. She is my fiancée after all…and if I have the Petrova's, they'll bring the Salvatore's with them"
Niklaus snorts, "You trust Giuseppe Salvatore, Count of Mörkt trä, Earl of Skydda? The man Stalin called and I quote 'As deceptive as a snake although with three times the venom'?"
"Nobody trusts Giuseppe Salvatore" Elijah retorted, "But if Stefan Salvatore was able to elope with Elena and not be disinherited it means at the least that he has a stake in the Petrova family and will protect them and by association- me"
Niklaus nods and considers this, "Who are likely to be your enemies?"
"The conservatives" Elijah answers almost immediately, "Those who benefitted the most from our father's reign and the old ways. Those who are angry that I'm marrying a woman with Romani blood instead of a 'pure' Valhallan. The Republican Presidential Candidates in America have always pointed to us as heathens and the English Church will condemn me for the upcoming Viking rituals…" he waved his hand,
"For that matter, animal rights groups won't be happy when I emerge from the temple wearing the blood of a stag on my face"
His brother the soldier immediately begins planning on how to fight these enemies and he smiles, enjoying watching his brother sort through these issues logically. In his mind, Niklaus had always been his son. It was he who had spent the most time with him, he who had given him the attention and love he craved, he who had taught him how to be a Prince.
In return, Niklaus had loved him and more importantly, liked him for himself, which very few people truly did.
"We have Giuseppe Salvatore deal with the conservatives and Mikael's friends and supporters. He's old school so they'll believe that he's their ally. The Petrova's will destroy anyone who gets in their way, as they always do. We use the argument of religious and racial intolerance against the Republicans and the British and point out that we offered shelter to those persecuted during the Holocaust when they were still sticking their heads in the sand and pretending that Hitler was a non-issue"
"While completely overlooking the fact that we gave refuge to the Jews in return for their loaning of artwork to our galleries, made the intellectuals work well past their retirement age and took only the Romani that could be trained into areas of the job market where we had a shortage" Elijah commented drily but Niklaus shrugged, "It was us or the death camps, besides our cities are constantly ranked high by Freedom House for religious and ethnic tolerance"
"That's because father would tax every religious building that went up…not that I won't be doing the same thing, it's a healthy little income and the cultural diversity does well for emigration and tourism"
Niklaus chuckled, "You sound like a King" he tells him admirably but Elijah shakes his head and stands restlessly, moving over to the window to watch the beginnings of the dawn on the palace gardens,
"No…I sound like a politician"
"What's the difference?"
"A King serves his people, a politician serves himself" he frowns as he gazes onto the trees and the lake. His mother had been the one to suggest that he be given these rooms,
"You'll have your whole reign to focus on the nation Elijah" she'd told him, "Enjoy this serenity while you can"
And she had been right. There hadn't been much time for serenity in his life, especially in the last five years.
He checks his watch and sees that it's not even four am yet,
"Call the kitchens, and tell them to make us…"he stops and shrugs, "Your absolute favourite breakfast in the world"
Niklaus grins, "Chocolate crepes it is then"
"No" he calls from his study as he retrieves his laptop, "Something that won't have us both on a sugar high all day"
"So by my favourite breakfast you mean fresh fruit, juice and your preferred brand of muesli, which you eat everyday"
Elijah logged onto his computer, "You may have porridge provided you limit the amount of sugar you put in it"
Niklaus hisses dramatically and looks up towards the ceiling, "I'm beginning to think giving you the crown wasn't such a good idea after all"
Elijah searches his email for the draft that had been sitting there in his folder for at least eighteen months now and reads it over before quickly sending it, pressing the button before he has the chance to second guess himself,
"Well…it's either you or me brother" he glances up with a full smile, "Bearing in mind whichever one of us ascends the throne will be the one marrying Katerina, so if you'd rather…"
Niklaus shudders theatrically, "Bedding a Petrova?! I've served in some of the more hostile environments in the world but I'm not brave enough for that"
Elijah tosses a coaster at him.
"I'm not comfortable with this Your Majesty"
Elijah grinned as he came out of his ensuite shower, "And I'm not comfortable with you seeing me naked Ansel, I've only been King for seven hours and already here I am, exposing myself to the servants like a despot"
Ansel sighed loudly and turned to face the wall as Elijah began getting dressed,
"Your Majesty, if you wish to meet with someone, I can accompany you"
"If you accompany me people will want to know why. It will have to be put on the official schedule"
"And if Prince Niklaus accompanies you people will notice who you are"
Elijah snorts and slides into his shirt, "I am a Prince of this realm, if I'm not recognised in my own capital I have done something wrong"
"This man is a republican Your Majesty" Ansel argued, "He is against the monarchy"
"He is against the lack of progress in this country and honestly, I agree with him" Elijah zipped up his trousers and Ansel turned back around, "You know how frustrating it is to live steeped in customs that haven't been updated in centuries, to see corruption and abuse of power commonplace because it's tradition. You saw how it stifled my mother"
Ansel flinched and clenched his hands behind his back, "I will start my reign looking towards the future and making the changes my father would not"
Ansel nodded, "Very well, your Private Secretary is waiting in your antechamber for you"
That was as close to voicing his disappointment as Ansel would ever come.
Aiden Woodell dropped to one knee, "Rise and greet your new King" Elijah ordered, wondering how many times he'd have to utter that damnable phrase,
"Your Majesty" he holds a tablet to his chest and Elijah marvels at the modern technology,
"Dr Petrova is still watching over your father's body" Aiden reports dutifully, "Once the nine hours are up the priests and priestesses will be sent for to begin the death ritual. It will be in the Palace for private viewing for the family and yourself for one day before being moved to the Royal Temple. The Lord Chamberlain will manage the funeral arrangements, books of condolences shall be set up within the city and the hashtag #FarewellKingMikael will be used across the Palace social media accounts…"
"Hashtag" Elijah comments, "I will not have news of my father's death released via twitter. This will be done as it has been before, with full respect for tradition"
Aiden nods, "Of course, but we will need to have a presence on social media where the majority of sympathy will be expressed otherwise we'll be accused of being old school and stuffy"
Elijah sighed, Aiden and the young media team had been hired for this very reason, so the monarchy wasn't buried alive in the old ways and tradition.
"Very well…I would like to see my father, have my brother meet me by the garage"
Aiden bowed and hurried off and Elijah resisted the urge to duck into the passageway, instead striding quickly through the corridors, having to stop and repeat the traditional phrase every time he came across a servant. He was actually relieved to reach his father's chambers and was at the bedroom door before his mind caught up with him and he suddenly froze.
He swallowed nervously and his hand quavered as he reached for the door.
He remembered one of the more ferocious arguments he'd had with Mikael, he remembered telling him with furious glee that he longed to see the man dead.
He recalled all too easily that he hadn't said a kind word to the man in five years, or willingly spoken to him.
What was he to do now?
Would he weep over the body? Could he?
Could he face the man who had controlled his life and his kingdom with an iron fist?
He swallowed and rested his forehead against the door, frowning when he heard something strange.
Latin. He thought…maybe.
He recognised Baron Petrova's voice, murmuring softly but audible and struggled to translate the Latin into the Valhallan tongue,
Holy…holy mother…us…pray for us…
Damn.
Alexander was saying a Christian prayer over his father's body.
No.
To say a Christian prayer over the body of a Valhallan King- this was an unforgiveable offense.
His first instinctive response to this was rage. The Valhallan monarchy had avoided conversion to Christianity throughout the ages, despite the best efforts of numerous popes, bishops, missionaries and- at one point- threats of war. They had stoutly defended their religion and to have a man- a man whose family had supposedly converted to the Viking religion decades ago- praying over his father's body…
If Elijah went in there now, if he witnessed the act, he would have to order the guards to have Alexander imprisoned at Evigt mörker towers. He would have to strip him of his titles, his lands…
He would lose Katerina.
Elijah steps away from the door and strides back through the rooms, stopping in the King's salon and summoning a footman,
"Ensure that nobody enters my father's rooms" he orders,
"Knock on the door and let Baron Petrova know that you will be just outside if he needs anything, also tell him that his daughter is returning to the capital"
He releases the man and doesn't fully inhale until he has reached the garage where Niklaus is waiting, dressed in a black coat that made his face seem paler than usual,
"Alright brother?" he asks and Elijah nods, "I'm ready"