Chapter 50: Coronation

Xuchang

Galatea quietly and discreetly fled the Throneroom, her bemused, high-heeled stride slightly stunted and uncertain. Only several hours ago, she had eavesdropped on the wrangling between Cao Cao and his high officials whilst standing behind the screen facing the back of his throne. Protesting the couple's coming marriage was the majority of the Wei court, composed of men who fought fanatically for Cao Cao's vision. Men of talent, and men of passion… great souls built their lives around similar philosophies, and it was for this reason that Cao Cao never suffered from a lack of capable, brilliant personages to mastermind the conquest of the land.

But they had never expected this manner of change.

"Your Highness! Please reconsider!" Man Chong had begged. "In the ancient past, Emperors sent princesses to make peace with the foreign Huns. We are not in that world epoch! The prospect of a foreign Queen is unthinkable!"

"Please do not act on a whim," restated Tian Yu. "Remember that Lady Galatea will now be an intimate member of the royal family – alongside Crown Prince Cao Pi, and Princess Zhen Luo. His Majesty surely has prepared for potential tensions between his other wives and concubines – "

"Tensions? Should anyone lay a finger on her, I will execute them myself," countered Cao Cao coldly.

"My King!" cried Xin Pi. "I beseech you… no, this Court that devotes its life to you, beseeches you. Answer us this one question. Are you certain this is the right decision to take? For Wei, and for our people?"

Silence.

At last, Cao Cao spoke. He rose from his throne, well aware that Galatea stood behind him, separated only by a sheet of silk. "I have always told you, my ministers, that those imprisoned by their feelings and the past will miss the future. So let me assure you…" He suppressed a grin, as if enjoying the expressions on his followers' faces. "Galatea is the future that I seek."

Xin Pi slumped, and the other officials had no choice but to slowly bow in obeisance as Cao Cao completed his verdict with finality. If that was what their Lord had decided… then who were they to protest? They would not fight him. They could only entrust themselves to his better judgement, as they had done in so many of his military campaigns. "Your Highness…" bowed Tian Yu. Of the men that had gathered in the chamber that day, he was perhaps the quickest-witted. "This silver-eyed woman truly has found favour with Your Highness…"

Cao Cao nodded in agreement. "Let the world kneel before her. She shall be my wife, and China's first foreign sovereign."

His words… they were too much. No matter how deeply she desired to meet his expectations. No matter how intensely she hoped to match his passion. Galatea clutched at her left breast, sighing silently, and slipped away from behind the throne screen. She hurried out through the side curtains and past the reverse door, carefully concealing her aura as she exited the convocation room.

*

It was all rather flattering. Perhaps such flattery was what softened her answer to his proposal. That no one could uphold the duty that she was tasked with.

"Is… is this really what you desire of me?" Galatea had asked him, kissing him lightly as they snuggled under the blankets of his bed. "To be your Queen? But I do not know what the land desires from me," she added, resting her cheek against his lean chest. "I am most certainly a queenly woman, but I do not know what the people's expectations of a Queen are."

"It is regrettable that you will no longer act as my Tigress Guard," admitted Cao Cao, "but you do know you will always be my tigress, yes? I only hope you will not object to my intention to have Alicia and Beth succeed the post of your former duty."

"Not particularly. But would the land expect of me? What would you expect of me?"

"Your authority, your eminence… will represent the hopes of Continental and Chinese alike. You will guide the reunification of China and the silver-eyed women. Beyond my love, our union spells something even more profound: it spells the beginning of a new epoch in which two worlds find liberation in the talents of the worthy ones, who show us the way. One who seeks to lead must soar higher than those she would command. And this is your ultimate burden – to conquer all for the benefit of all, so that you can unfetter the shackles of bondage to the old world."

She stroked his body, trailing her fingers along the contours of his skin. "A rather demanding calling for a woman like me, don't you think?"

"I am a man of lofty standards. I have said it before – I want nothing less than for you to command and lead the people of the realm to a new stage of progress and advancement… a stage in which people of talent can change the world without the restrictions of delusions such as birthright or inheritance. Trample all that underneath your feet, Galatea. Lead your silver-eyed brethren to glory, no matter how childishly they resist. Be the true heroine in this nation's history. And…" He smiled, closing his eyes and clasping her wandering hand. "Comfort me, my beloved. You are a woman unlike any other, just as I am a titan amongst men. Comfort me like the bodhisattva that you are."

"How uncharacteristic of you, to say something like that," she whispered in wonder. She returned his tightened grip. "So this is the burden you've given me. Beyond Isley, Lu Bu, and our endless campaigns against Shu and Wu, my greater task is to bring that dream of 'all under one' to fruition… and to spread the dark wing of your shadow across the land."

He had touched her with his final entreaty. Her heart swelled with pride and warmth as she felt her fingers relaxing completely within his hand. "Worry not, Mengde. I understand your expectations, and the things you desire. I am the one who understands you better than anybody else."

*

Her final instruction before her coronation was to pay a visit to the swordsmith. To accomplish that, she was to descend underneath the palace premises, into the underground city that lay beneath Xuchang. It was a subterranean conurbation that mirrored the Wei capital, although its sole purpose was to serve as an impregnable stronghold in the event an enemy ever managed to break past the capital's defences. The cavernous counterpart of Xuchang offered a labyrinth of traps, reserve troops, and secret passageways that Wei officials could seek shelter in. It was also here that new weapons were built and tested, before being deployed against the enemy Kingdoms. In other words, it was a city built entirely for the war machine of Cao Cao's legions.

"I can't believe he never told me about this," she muttered, passing by dark, ominous replicas of the surface world's buildings. She did not entirely know what function they served, and was somewhat relieved that she didn't. The swordsmith was not difficult to find, but his cave dwelling was secluded, hidden away from even the soldiers' barracks. The weapons forge was a giant chamber in which anvils, hammers, lay scattered around, with one particularly large furnace at its centre. Standing nearby the roaring furnace, Galatea narrowed her eyes at an old, geriatric blacksmith that hobbled over to her. He seemed eager to help – or at the very least, to catch an eyeful of her long legs. "Good afternoon, my sweet," he greeted, his voice a hoarse bark. "I assume you have come on His Highness's request? I received his edict, too. I have been hard at work all night!"

She nodded in recognition. Her eyes had fallen upon a jewelled, one-handed sword of Continental design. Its glimmering blade was double-edged and by her estimation, slightly longer than that of Cao Cao's Sword of Heaven. Its guard was ornately decorated, engraved with strange words that were not of Chinese origin. "This?" she asked.

The blacksmith kneeled before her and offered a toothless grin as he lifted it from the anvil, supporting it with upturned hands. "You have an eye for items that are intended just for you, my Lady. This sword is named Euangelion, the first Continental sword forged by Wei artisans. Its fashioning was commissioned by His Majesty himself, who wishes for you to wield a sword even more powerful than that of your current Claymore. However, he understands that you do not feel comfortable with Chinese swordfighting, and commanded me to construct a longsword of the Continental tradition instead."

She slowly took this gift in her hands, brushing by the blacksmith's calloused fingers. She lifted it to her face, examining it closely. "I will thank our King for his thoughtfulness later. But surely he understands that I already own a perfectly competent one. What gives Euangelion such a significant advantage over my current greatsword?"

He nodded proudly and stood back up. "Firstly, it is an enchanted blade, possessing the ability to control the local climate in any immediate vicinity – wind, lightning, fire, or ice – and direct it against the enemy. Secondly, it is constructed with blessed Macedonian silver from Christian Greeks. The metal of your Claymore is mysterious indeed – it seems indestructible, and against many conventional Chinese weapons, it is unstoppable. But the Macedonian silver blessed by the Greeks has allowed me to forge a sword according to its predecessor's physical design while remaining unbound by the latter's actual metallic structure. In other words, Euangelion possesses the mass and strength of a Claymore whilst maintaining the dexterity and weightlessness of a one-handed sword." He hissed in anticipation. "Imagine cleaving apart Awakened Beings with one beautifully timed counterattack! Imagine slaying an entire army with the flick of a wrist!" He looked up at the stalactites in glee. "Such efficient, iron power makes me – "

"Impressive, indeed. But what are Christians?" she asked.

"Oh, they are devotees of a foreign religion. Apparently, they believe in some Supreme Being or whatnot whose son was born in a land called Palestine. Pilgrims of their faith travel along the Silk Road and sometimes recuperate from the route's rigours at Chang'an. Me, my Lady? I do not believe in their Deity, although some of us like the idea."

"I see." She stared at Euangelion, admiring its unparalleled craftsmanship, its lustrous, enchanted glimmer. "And just why did Mengde commission you to forge this? Why did he confer Euangelion on me?"

"There are two reasons for that, my sweet. Firstly, your recent defeat at Shu's hands has highlighted the fact that you require a weapon capable of destroying the enemy more effectively. In fact, it is imperative that your powers remain above that of your Shu-Wu compatriots. I'm sure you would agree!

"Secondly, this is none other than our King's wedding gift to you: a token of his gratitude for your efforts as his Tigress Guard, and a memento of appreciation for your warmest affections." His prostrate form shook, unable to suppress its mirth. "Congratulations, my Lady… oh, I mean… Your Highness-to-be."

Galatea could only stare at the blacksmith as he cackled good-heartedly and kneeled again. "Take this sword, Your Highness. It belongs to you, just as you belong to His Majesty."

*

It was snowing on the day. The sky was a dull grey, and the winter air was chilly to the bone. Only the warmth of the lanterns of the palace provided some form of solace to the guards who readied themselves for their sentry and warden duties.

She would never don her Claymore uniform again; there remained nothing else except to bid it a casual but fond goodbye. She had folded and placed the grey garments in her cupboard, along with her silver pauldrons and faulds. They would no longer serve any use, now that she had reached this milestone in her veritably immortal life. The uniform did not befit royalty, after all. In its place, she had donned a tight, deep blue Chinese dress, laced with gold satin at the seams. As per her preference, her long, high-heeled legs were exposed at the slits beside the thighs. Completing her new attire as Queen of Wei was a splendid, long black coat with fleece at the collar, worn by Chinese northerners during the cold winter seasons. It also served to restrain her otherwise rather revealing, flaunty one-piece. On the back of her coat was emblazoned the Cao family's name, embroidered by the city's finest seamstress.

"What decorum must I assume for this ceremony?" she had asked him. He gave a casual, nonchalant answer – it was "merely" a coronation; she was required to smile as a Chinese diadem was delicately placed upon her head, nothing more. Somehow, she felt that he identified with her disdain for pomp and ceremonial ritual, and had commanded for the entire procedure to be simplified dramatically. But of course. He was not only the King of Wei, but also China's Imperial Chancellor. The weak Emperor Xian was nothing more than a puppet that he used to issue edicts with the Son of Heaven's authority. If he could control the dukes in the Emperor's name, what was reorganizing a coronation ceremony to him?

The hour was fast approaching. She slowly strolled in the direction of the Throneroom, her heart beating unusually rapidly as she passed by awestruck concubines and servants. A thin red veil, mounted on a silken cap, covered her face for this sole occasion, proclaiming her status as a new bride of the King. The crimson obstruction to her sight was mildly irritating, but she would endure it for as long as was necessary. But the serene and poised woman she always understood herself to be had fled, at least for the moment. How she despised this nervousness, this anxiety that only Cao Cao could suffuse her with.

I know the love he nurtures for me is sincere. But… I…

She blinked. She was already here, after having traversed like a sleepwalker through the palace corridors. She stepped past the open wooden entrance and into the Throneroom, inwardly composing herself even as she assumed her usual aloof countenance. The chamber was already filled with more than a dozen nobles who had assembled to attend the ceremony. They filed in two lines, standing beside one another imposingly and in silence. Clad in his dark, brooding apparel was Cao Cao, seated upon his throne of brilliant blue and yellow silk. Beside him were a chief courtier and an attendant, whose hands clutched at a consort crown: an anachronistic, tinkling diadem encrusted with jade and gold.

She made her way before the King, her long coat swaying slightly in tandem with her waist. She slowly lifted the red veil from her face, casually letting it drop to the floor and looking deep into her new husband's demonic eyes. "I assume that crown is for me," she said audaciously, prompting quiet muttering among several nobles.

Cao Cao nodded and smiled. "You are more beautiful than ever."

"I know." She paused. "I thank you for bestowing Euangelion upon me."

"Think nothing of it. This was only a matter of time. At least, that is what I believe." He waved his hand outwards and gestured for her to stand beside him. She awkwardly made her way forward until she was inches from his armrest. She turned to face the aristocrats and nobles of the realm. A multitude of apprehensive, somewhat suspicious eyes met her defiant gaze. She inwardly winced. She was not accustomed to this choking formality, this stifling of her free, sarcastic spirit. Quite frankly, she hoped this damned ceremony would be concluded as soon as possible. She hated these courtiers, these small-minded, small-eyed men who fawned like sweet-tongued whores at one moment notice but stabbed you in the back of the neck at another. Doubtless, there would be some who opposed her ascension.

Let them try to kill her. She would not hold back her strength and her love for life, not even in the face of Wei officials.

Cao Cao smiled to himself, as if he could surmise her disrespectful thoughts. Elder Sister… are you watching? he wondered, his own musings wandering to Nu Wa, the creation goddess he adored. Are you shaking your head, or smirking as always?

"All kneel!" came a sharp, severe cry that caught Galatea off-guard. The entirety of the court suddenly bowed before the couple, commencing the first stage of the service. The attendant at the forefront straightened, and the courtier began to read aloud from a scroll. "Long live the King," he prompted loudly, opening the assemblage with a loyal salutation to Wei's founder.

"Long live the King," chorused the ministers and noblemen, and Galatea chimed in almost indifferently.

You may wish Mengde long life, but I wish him happiness. It's a big difference.

The formal procedure of her coronation now commenced in earnest. "Lady Galatea has served the Kingdom of Wei as its preeminent Tigress Guard, fighting by His Highness's side as his most trusted protector. She achieved her first meritorious deed a mere three weeks after her arrival in the Middle Kingdom. At the Battle of the Red Cliffs, she rescued and saved His Majesty from the Shu and Wu dogs that relentlessly pursued him. She has coordinated many campaigns against the Awakened Beings stalking China, but her expertise has not remained limited only to her homeland's demons. She defeated Liu Bei's forces at Hanzhong, and helped to smite the Awakened Beings' army at Chang'an, before setting out to lead our Imperial Lancers against the Shu forces. Her feats at Tianshui proved this beyond rational doubt. Even now, His Highness entrusts her with command of our military forces' highest echelon. Such is the trust and love that His Highness has honoured our Lady with."

Galatea smirked to herself. Her ghastly defeat at Jieting had been conveniently omitted from the oration.

"And now, in his beneficent generosity and noble magnanimity, His Highness has graciously requested Lady Galatea's hand in marriage. We, the court of Wei, his humble servants and representatives of the entire Kingdom, kneel in submission and wish the royal husband and wife the harmony that is reflected in the cosmic mirrors of Heaven and Earth, of Yin and Yang, of Man and Woman." The attendant surreptitiously sidled up behind her and raised the diadem, slowly placing it upon her head. "May Heaven bless this union forever!" She felt her hair ruffling and her scalp itching at the alien touch. He was a short man, and had to reach on tiptoes to reach the crown of her head. She felt a nerve beside her temple twitch in irritation as he fumbled around with the diadem for several moments before finally backing away. She reached up and adjusted her new tiara disdainfully to a more comfortable fit.

Moron.

All that remained now was the proclamation itself. The head courtier's voice echoed through the Throneroom again. "All kneel before the new Queen of Wei." The aristocrats, magistrates, and civilian ministers followed his cue and went on bended knee, their heads lowered in obeisance. The shuffling settled quickly, and Galatea's powerful aura was palpable amongst the royals.

"Long live the Queen!" prompted the courtier once more.

The nobles resounded their acknowledgement in unison, and cymbals and chimes began to ring in the distance. "Long live the Queen!"

Cao Cao looked extremely pleased, although he did not move to take her hand just yet. "Well done, good and faithful servants. I shall remember your loyalty. Oh, and…" He paused. "You can take off that diadem if you wish, Galatea. No one will stop you." He stepped onto the carpet between the two lines of kneeling men and made his way outside to the high balcony that gave a panoramic view of the outdoor palace square twenty storeys below. He stood beside the wooden balustrade and beckoned her over with two commanding fingers. "Now, let me show you the future I have planned for you. Come and see."

She walked past the kneeling nobles and beyond the Throneroom entrance. She apprehensively made her way out into the cold air and to his side. As she did so, cymbals began to clash, gongs began to ring, and drums began to rumble. The loud, militaristic melody drifted upwards to the highest level of the palace. She stopped at the sweeping balustrade and looked down, unsure of what to expect.

Her eyes immediately widened, and her ears unpredictably came under the deafening assault of bellowing voices.

"ALL HAIL GALATEA!"

She was staring at a vast host of Wei soldiers who roared and cheered her name. She gawped down at the congested palace square, stunned into silence by their welcome. They lined themselves in square formation: a thousand men per company, numbering in total a thousand massive companies. Completely decked in their military armour and regalia, one million troops had gathered in force, their hands clutching their weapons tightly in eager enthusiasm. Corporals, lieutenants, sergeants, Men-At-Arms, Central Plains Guardians, Imperial Lancers, and even a contingent of the feared Royal Guard stood in the plaza, thrusting up their fists and blades in a fervent greeting, greeting the new royal consort as if she was some angelic revolutionary. Banners, bows, meteor hammers, halberds, swords, broadswords, greatswords, spears, lances, axes, maces, scimitars… they were all hoisted high towards the grey, cold firmament, in acknowledgement of a new milestone in China's history.

In the immediate distance, on the stone palace steps, stood Alicia and Beth, Rafaela, Clarice, and Miata. For a moment, Galatea wanted to call out to them, to have them save her from this mob insanity. But then, she remembered that she was the sole reason for this madness, this national frenzy. In unison with the besotted chanting of the army, the five warriors slowly raised their hands and saluted. Miata merely followed Clarice's lead, whose eyes were wide in awe. Rafaela remained quite expressionless, as did Alicia and Beth. No matter how they felt, they silently recognized their loyalty and devotion to their former comrade-turned-sovereign.

"Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!" The collective army roared her name again and again, one million masculine voices shooting upwards into the cold, snowy sky. "Long live His Highness, and long live Her Majesty!"

"Do you see, my tigress?" smiled Cao Cao, his hands loose at his side as he stared beyond the ornamental parapet. He breathed in the chilly air, savouring her speechlessness. "Does it thrill you? Does it intoxicate you, this indomitable power?

"This is what it feels like… to rule the world."

"Long live Her Imperial Highness, Queen Galatea!"