Chapter VI: A Crown and a Throne

On the days before my coronation, I had left the Red Keep and King's Landing behind and removed myself to Dragonstone and its ancient keep, where I spent seven nights in fast and quiet contemplation. The reason of my exit (not pursued by a bear), was to return. It is a quite obvious reason, but one in need of an explanation. My coronation was to begin with a procession through King's Landing, towards the Red Keep and the Royal Sept. It was thus necessary to leave the city the day before and return to it – but I would grant no single lord of the Crownlands the honor of hosting me, and slighting the rest. And whatever place would suit more than Dragonstone, the home of my ancestors? And nothing seemed more fitting that returning for my coronation, I would follow in the steps of the Conqueror, and set foot on the mainland of Westeros, and be crowned king.

Having sailed back to the city, the natural start of my procession was the docks. But it would not do for a king to enter the city through the Mud Gate and Fishmonger Square, for some would be quite scandalized. And so I rode beneath the walls, not before I gave the captain that ferried me a gift of gold in thanks – seven times seven dragons, and entered the city through the Gate of the Gods, more suited for its purpose. The notables of King's Landing, the high and mighty lords of the realm, the Small Council and various courtiers greeted me at these gates.

As I advanced towards the Red Keep, the Goldcloacks lined the streets, their cloaks newly furnished, for it would not do for dusty and patched coverings on this day. And with them, the people of King's Landing too, eager to get a glimpse of their king, riding in all his finery. I would not bore you with all the displays of pageantry, orations, speeches and the like. It suffices to say that their number was many, that a great deal of coin was spent on those (though to the joy of my uncle, it was the city's guildmasters that paid the coin), that all the mummers to be found in the city were gainfully employed this day, and that they were but half boring. I was not that self-centered that I delighted in the repeated strokings of my ego, so the final pageant was met with much joy.

And in the sounds of crowds and trumpets, I left behind dragons of cloth, and mummer who played at dragonlords, oaks dressed as genealogical trees, processions of maidens, Seven Pointed Star-gifting septons, allegories and tableaus of virtues and valor, and little children declaming speeches, and at last I entered the Keep and made my way to the sept.

Once in the sept, I made my way to the altar, dressed in crimson velvet and robes of silk, furred with hermine and vair (a nod to my grandmother's house). The High Septon walked before me, and before him Joffrey Arryn, made High Steward for purpose of the coronation, carried my crown (a circlet of gold encrusted with rubies and polished dragonglass, with seven sharp spike of iron and two bands over the head, a seven-pointed star above them), Olyver Baratheon carried my scepter, and Loreon Lannister with the Hand of Justice. Robin Tully was given the honor of carrying Blackfyre. Bernard Tyrell carried the royal ring and bracelets.

I knelt before the altar and the High Septon spoke: Baelor rightful and undoubted inheritor by the Laws of the Seven-Who-Are-One and by the laws of man to the Crown and all royal dignities comes in this prefixed and annointed day to take upon him the said crown and royal dignity. Whereupon he shall be annointed and crowned.

One of the Most Devout held before me the Seven-Pointed Star and I rose and swore an oath:

I swear that as far as it is in my power I shall maintain true and holy peace and rightful justice for the Faith, that I shall protect, defend and maintain it. I swear that I shall maintain the profession of the Seven, the Old Gods and the Drowned God, and I shall use no royal might and dignity to force upon any man to set aside his faith. I swear that I shall not permit in my Realm the worship of foreign and queer gods, unknown to my people.

I swear that I shall profide equal and rightful justice for the subjects of the Realm, from the most high to the lowest, and provide judgements with equity and mercy.

I swear that I shall observe the customs, laws and liberties of this Realm.

The things wich I have before promised I will perform and keep, and may the Stranger strike me if I stray.

I knelt again again and septons took of my robes, and I was annointed with the seven oils, on my hands, my breast, my back, my shoulders, my elbows on my head. And the Father of the Faithful spoke again, and thus he spoke of the sevenfold gifts of grace: And the spirit of the Seven-Who-Are-One shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the One-Who-Is-Seven. Govern ye hereby and let wisdom act upon thy will, let the Crown enlighten your mind and incline you to charity. And let understanding come to you, that you may see the truth of the Divine and fortify your faith. And keep counsel with the Father, so you may judge with prudence and righteousness, and with the Mother, so your judgments be merciful. And be mighty, so you may stand firmly for what is right in sight of the Smith and in the doing of all goodly arts and deeds and provide succour to the afflicted in the name of the Maiden. Allow into you the spirit of knowledge, , so you may see men as the Seven do. Spend your days in piety and reverence, and hope for the rewards of the Seven Heavens, to whom one day the Stranger shall lead you to. And be always frightful of the One, and look upon the Seven in wonder and awe at their glory and majesty.

The Lord Tully came then forward with Blackfyre, the sword of kings, and the Sheperd blessed it and consecrated it for the defence of the Faith, and it was girded one with the words Take this holy sword, a gift from the Warrior, with which you will strike down your adversaries. A ring of gold with a ruby, handed by Tyrell, followed, blessed and consecrated and set on the fourth finger of my right hand. And the High Septon beseeched the Seven that whatever I sanctify and bless may also be holy and blessed. Such was followed by two golden bracelets, which were to signify sincerity and wisdom.

Next was the scepter, handed over by Baratheon on my right, and and the hand of justice by Lannister, on my left. The culmination of the ceremony followed. The crown, censed, blessed and consecrated, was placed upon my head, with brief words: Like Hugor, so may the One crown you, the Seven's annointed.

And with it, it was done and we left the sept while holy hymns were sung. I became king when my brother died, but now I was recognised king in the sight of gods and men, before the realm entire. The day would not end then though, for I had not yet sat upon the Iron Throne and received homage from my lords. And from the sept, my steps took me towards the Iron Throne.

I sat upon the Iron Throne, in front of the gathered crowd and a herald read my proclamation:

Baelor Targaryen, First of His Name, by the grace of the Gods, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, to all our most loving, faithful, and obedient subjects, and to every of them, greeting.

Where it has pleased the Stranger, to call unto his infinte mercy the most excellent, valiant and mighty king, Daeron the Brave, of most noble and famous memory, our most dear and entirely beloved brother, whose soul may the Seven pardon, for as much as we, being his only brother and undoubted heir, be now invested and established in the crown imperial of this realm and sit upon this Iron Throne.

That said and done, the Lord Stark stepped forth. Having no part in the coronation itself, on account of his faith, I endeavoured to find him a place in the enthronement. He was to act as the King's Champion, a role which would be settled upon his heirs in perpetuity, as those of the other lords in the coronation. A fitting role for the best swordsman in the realm.

And thus where the words of Cregan Stark:

If there be any person, of what estate or degree whatsoever, will deny or gainsay that king Baelor is not the rightful heir and king of this realm, I, Cregan Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, here his Champion, say that he lieth, and is a false traitor offer my glove, am ready in person to combat with him, and in this quarel will adventure his life against him on what day soever he shall be appointed.

None dared, for Cregan Stark had drawn his sword Ice and looked upon the crown with a terrible gaze, the intensity of a winter storm visible in his eyes. Whether of fright or lack of claim, all were silent.

And then followed the homage of the lords. First where the Wardens, Stark, then Arryn, Lannister, then Tyrell. They climed the stairs of the throne, knelt and bound their hands with mine, and spoke their oaths and I accepted. I reconfirmed upon them their Wardenships and proclaimed good and faithful subjects.

Next was the Lords Baratheon and Tully and Grejoy. To forestall claims of greater prestige and mightier holdings, the lower lords and ladies that attended the ceremony took their oath in turn of their age, from the oldest to the youngest among them.

Once the last of them swore their oath, the herald came forth and cried:

Lord Martell, come forth and swear your oath!

Lady Allyrion, come forth and swear your oath!

Lord Briar, come forth and swear your oath!

…

…

…

Lord Wyl, come forth and swear your oath!

Lord Yronwood, come forth and swear your oath!

But none did. It was to be expected that no Dornish lord came, that no rebel wished to swear themselves to fealty anew. But such display was not without purpose. The heralds did not call forth lords amongst leal subjects that to reasons various did not attend the ceremony. The summoning of the Dornish was to make known in front of the whole realm their treachery.

I summoned my uncle forth and whispered in his ear. The prince Viserys stepped down, and thus spoke and proclaimed the Hand, in the name of the King: In the name of Baelor of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Prince Viserys of the House Targaryen, his Hand, I denounce them, and attaint them, and strip them of all ranks and titles, of all lands and income and holdings, and do sentence them to death. And all their heirs in perpetuity are likewise stripped of all ranks and titles, of all lands and income and holding. May the gods take pity on their soul.

My uncle finished and then I spoke: It seems to me that Dorne must no longer exist. Words inspired from the words of an ancient politician, of another world. I would not speak in Latin, for no Westerosi knew it, but that was the meaning of the words – Dorne delenda est. It was not genocide that I had in mind, Seven preserve me, but the existence of Dorne as an entity. Half of it would be sworn to ther kingdoms, and the other half would become part of the Crownlands, though far away from the rest.

And in the last act of the day, heralds and criers where sent forth in the city. The week in this world had, as in my previous one, seven days in one week. Seven days for seven gods. But because there were seven gods, there was no day of rest – for no god was held above all. It left me an interesting opportunity. Of course, I had consulted before with the High Septon and the conclave of the Most Devout. Furthermore, my proclamation was limited to King's Landing and to the Crownlands.

But as royal men cried in the street, my coronation would become a day that the smallfolk would never forget. For the heralds proclaimed, in the name of King Baelor, that henceforth and for all eternity, the seventh day would be a day of rest:

Six days you shall labour, and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Day of the Stranger. In it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your servants. For in this day just the work of death must be done, and none may labour save the gravediggers or the Silent Sisters. And thus you shall not labour on this day, but to cook your food, and tend your fire, and to your livestock, so that you may enjoy its rest.