Chapter 56: Coronation
"Oh would you look at that. They look so good together." A woman said.
He looked at the painting that the woman was looking at. What he saw was a woman with golden hair in a dark blue dress, standing next to a man with auburn hair in a blue shirt and cloak. He didn't see how they fit together. But he remained silent. His job was to wait and listen.
"I've heard that they fully intend to be crowned in the Great Sept of Baelor." Another woman said.
"Really?" A man asked. "I heard that the King wanted to be crowned in the Godswood."
"Oh, I don't think so. The King knows that doing so would not go over well. After all, he is half Tully and he was raised with a knowledge of the Faith." The woman said.
"Will he keep to the Old Gods?" The man asked, something like disapproval in his voice.
"I don't think so. Not if Lord Tywin has anything to say about it." Another woman added.
"Do you think they'd be able to rule things without him? Lord Tywin that is." The man asked.
"I think so. I heard from Bess, my cousin who works in the kitchens that Lord Tywin doesn't have as much power as he'd like. That the King and Queen discuss everything together and then present their decisions to the council." The woman said.
"As it should be." The man said approvingly. "Lord Tywin's issue has always been that he acted like a King when he wasn't. Do you remember what I told you my father said?"
He leaned forward then, intrigued to know what the man's father had said about Lord Tywin. But he was to be disappointed for the women said. "Yes, yes, we all know what your father said. That's not relevant now. The Queen is the man's granddaughter."
"What do you think Lord Renly will do?" the man asked then.
"He'll try and come for the city, starve us out." Another man said. He saw that this man was heavyset, with a scar over one eye.
"Aye, he'll starve us out and then try and convince us that he's saving us. Fucking Stormlander." The man who'd asked the question replied, spitting into the ground.
"Surely he knows he can't win? The King has never lost a battle, he defeated Ser Jaime and he defeated Stannis Baratheon. Renly has never fought a battle before, and the only battle that Lord Tarly fought he lost to King Robert." A woman said.
"He has more men and more food." The man with the scar on his eye said.
The people turned the conversation to discussing their own issues then, and he decided to leave. He had learned enough. Some of the commons were quite keen on Robb Stark and Myrcella Baratheon then. That was not surprising, they were certainly good looking. But if Renly did try and starve them, maybe then he could act.
He stopped and looked around then opened the door to the brothel, he stepped inside and nodded to the women near the bar. He walked up the stairs, opened another door, then sat down.
"Well?" The other man in the room asked.
"I have an idea." Gendry said.
Myrcella exhaled. This was the big day, the moment she and Robb had been preparing for, for what seemed an age. After handling Joffrey and Stannis, it had felt right to have the coronation now. She wore a simple dress of blue, she would wear a coronation cloak before she departed for the Great Sept. But for now she just wanted to think.
Everything was going as it should, the great lords had all gathered for the ceremony-apart from Uncle Renly and his supporters and the Arryns-what made it even more special was that Bran, Robb's brother had come to swear allegiance, he would be the first one to swear, as the soon to be confirmed Lord of Winterfell, and thus head of the oldest house in Westeros.
There had been just one issue with everything, and that was that Uncle Tyrion was missing. Uncle Jaime had been the one to discover this, and whilst they'd searched everywhere, they could not find him. Surprisingly grandfather had seemed unconcerned by this development, which made Myrcella wonder if he'd had something to do with it.
She pushed that thought to the side as the door opened. She turned and smiled as Robb entered. He too wore a simple blue shirt and trousers; his hair was not unruly today. He smiled at her.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"As ready as I think I'll ever be," Myrcella replied. "You?"
Robb nodded. "About the same." A pause, then. "Shall we?" He extended his hand to her, she took it and walked with him into another room where they would wear their robes.
They put their robes on in silence, they were heavy things, weighed down in cloth and velvet, hers had a little trail of gold, whilst Robb's had gold and silver. Once they were securely fastened, she and her husband walked out of the room, down a flight of steps and then into the courtyard.
There, they were greeted by their household. All of whom wore the Royal Blue. Men and women were gathered there in their finery, smiling with what seemed pride. Myrcella smiled at them as did Robb, then they entered the coach which would take them to the Great Sept. The moment the doors closed; the carriage got moving.
Out they moved through the grand entrance that her father had had built after his ascension, through the great middleway that had been built by Aegon the Fortunate. There were more courtiers and members of the household present, watching their procession. She could hear their cheers as the carriage moved through.
When they moved down the hill, Myrcella felt a slight lump form in her throat. Robb took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back in thanks and waited. The carriage moved out into the streets. There were more people out on the streets than she'd ever seen before. The whole place was packed. People were shouting and cheering, others were waving the small replica banners of the Royal Sigil, banners she'd ordered made for this very occasion.
Robb gasped, and she knew it had done its trick.
They moved through the streets, Myrcella at turns looking at the people on the street and at her husband. Robb was staring at the people, his mouth opening and closing. She giggled, he looked at her and giggled as well. This was something to savour, and she was delighted that she got to do it with him.
Eventually, the carriage stopped, the towering structure that was the Great Sept of Baelor towered before them. The doors opened; she got out first then Robb did. The moment her feet hit the ground, she swallowed, and looked at the building. It was time. The moment had come.
Robb had seen the Great Sept of Baelor many times before, but now, seeing it today, at this moment, it seemed even more impressive. Baelor himself towered in front of them, a statue wrought all in gold. The Sept was gold and brick, a testament to the man's devotion. Robb took Myrcella's hand and they walked up the slope to the sept, for what was to be their crowning moment.
His heart hammered.
The doors of the sept were flung open when they arrived, and a herald announced. "Their Graces the King and Queen!"
Silence descended upon the sept as he and Myrcella walked down the hallway to the small chairs that were set before the two greater thrones. They would sit in those when all the ceremony was done.
Together they sat down in the smaller chairs and waited. The doors were kept open so that the events could be narrated to the crowds that had gathered outside. An idea that Robb had had when they'd been planning for this.
Lord Tywin as Hand of the King started off the ceremony. "Today, we accept a new sovereign, a King and Queen working together in harmony to bring peace and prosperity to the realm. They have already shown that they are willing to do what it takes to defend the realm from those who would cause it disturbance. It is now for the Gods to recognise them as their true heirs." The man moved back to his seat and the High Septon stood up and came to stand before them both.
"Your Graces, do you acknowledge the Faith of the Seven and your duty to defend it?"
"We do." They said together.
"Your Graces, do you acknowledge the faith of the old ways, and your duty to defend it?"
"We do."
"Your Graces, do you accept this sword and sceptre?" the High Septon asked.
The sword which it was said belonged to the Conqueror was given to Robb, whilst the sceptre was given to Myrcella. One symbolised the role of the knight to defend the innocent, the other symbolised the crown's control of Westeros.
"We do." They said together.
Robb then extended his legs out as spurs were fastened to them, and extended his left hand and took the shield that was offered.
"Do you, Your Grace, accept this duty to defend and protect the virtues of all your subjects?"
"I do." He answered.
The High Septon nodded, then turned to the sept at large and spoke. "299 years ago, Aegon The Conqueror came and united Seven Kingdoms into one. He forged a United Kingdom where there had once been anarchy and chaos. Today, our sovereigns reaffirm the pledge he made at his coronation to defend that unity and to ensure that we all may prosper. You have seen them take the oath, I do ask, is there any here who thinks that they should not take the throne?"
No one answered. The High Septon turned back to them. Robb handed back the sword and shield, whilst Myrcella handed back the sceptre. They both got up and walked past the smaller thrones to sit in larger thrones. This would be the defining moment.
The High Septon appeared with the crown. It was an ornate thing, gold, with rubies and diamonds embedded into it. He raised it high above Robb's head and said. "With the power invested in me by the Seven and the Old Gods, I do hereby proclaim you King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm." The crown was placed atop his head and Robb bore its weight with a silent face.
The High Septon then moved to Myrcella and took another ornate crown, golden with rubies, and sapphires and said. "By the power invested in me by the Seven, I do hereby proclaim you, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men. Lady of the Seven Kingdoms." The crown was placed atop her head.
The High Septon stepped back and said. "My lord and ladies, people of the Seven Kingdoms, I present to you, your King and Queen!"
"Long live the King and Queen!"