The protagonist who made His Royal Highness "fascinated" was receiving cheers from the crowd.
"Her Majesty!"
"Her Majesty!"
"..."
Amidst the shouts like waves, on August 23, the Queen's coronation ceremony came as scheduled.
At dawn, people gathered in the square of the summer palace early. This is the front of the main house of the castle. It has a curved balcony. Important members of the royal family will appear in front of the public during festivals and celebrations.
The outcry reached a peak when Queen Adele Roland made her debut.
The young ruler of the empire wore a long taffeta dress with jacquard embroidery embroidered with silver and gold threads, and a short cloak as white as snow on his shoulders. The pearls inlaid on the edges were round and soft in the sunlight. The long hair was half-coiled by Mrs. Kelly and tied behind her head, and then a total of twelve shiny diamond hairpins were used to fasten them together with a thin silver veil. The translucent veil was studded with tiny diamonds—a gift from her mother.
Under the sun, her face was illuminated by the brilliance of stars, and the corners of her eyes were dotted with the divine light of angels.
— There is no doubt that God sent her to the world.
Whatever attitudes people have had toward the Queen in the past, at this moment, at least, they firmly believe it. When the Queen waved them, they cheered loudly and willingly:
"God save the queen!"
"God save the queen!"
…
The queen only stayed on the balcony for a brief moment, but people's regrets will not last long, because soon she will appear on the stage at the gate of the summer palace, from where the much-anticipated parade will start.
Accompanied by everyone, Adele walked down the corridor.
Thousands of dignitaries and dignitaries were waiting outside the east gate of the Summer Palace. They were all dressed in luxurious clothes, and it could be vaguely seen that these people were divided into several factions, large or small.
Heinrich stood in front of the House of Representatives, wearing a bronze double-headed snake badge on his left shoulder. The snake's eyes were inlaid with emeralds, reflecting the dim light in the sunlight. Standing on the other side, Dalton was still dressed as he was when he was made a knight by the queen that day, but with a striking golden rose on his shoulder.
Dalton nodded slightly to the Queen.
After that day, he disappeared from the queen for a while, and did not appear until the queen called. Even so, he did what he was supposed to do very well—the Queen glanced across the crowd, and could only intuitively identify which musketeers in disguise.
As the archbishop of the empire, Rodri must play today. He stood at the exit of the stairs, and when the Queen passed him by, his lips squirmed very quickly and said "Be careful".
Adele smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
Of course she will be careful.
The bells of the church in the distance echoed over the city, and thousands of white doves were released at the same time. In the shadow of the white doves' wings, she saw the shadows of crows.
It was the anniversary of her coronation and the day of her trial in her previous life.
"Article 1: The National Assembly declares that Adele Roland has shamefully stolen the power that does not belong to her, and has brought disaster to the Empire as a heretic."
The clerk's voice rang in his ears as he pronounced the verdict, and they made the day of her coronation the day of her trial.
Adele walked down the steps, her skirt scraping the rough rock.
"Article 2: The National Assembly declares Adele Rolland to be sentenced to death."
Her eyes flicked across those familiar faces, they were dressed in black and stood like a flock of crows, standing like ghosts. They stripped her of her crown, stripped her of her glory, imposed upon her shame and guilt without cause.
Adele walked to the bottom step, and the majestic shadow of the palace stopped here.
"Wearing a crown as a woman is my only original sin."
No, it wasn't her original sin, it was theirs.
Adele moved forward, breaking away from the long darkness.
The noisy crowd suddenly fell silent at this moment. They stretched their necks, widened their eyes, and were shocked by an inexplicable force.
——Behind the queen is the summer palace shrouded in shadows. The window lattices, thin columns and minarets rise vertically like iron guns, piercing the sky, and the zigzag walls sweep across like an unfolding Great Wall of beacon fire. In front of the queen were nearly a thousand members of parliament, monks and guards standing in awe, and hundreds of horses dressed in platinum silk and satin hung their heads and waited.
She stepped out step by step, stepping on the dividing line between light and darkness.
The wind lifted the queen's veil, and the last white dove fluttered across the sky. Organs, trumpets and bells sounded together, majestic as if the world was coming to an end.
After a brief, strange silence, the crowd, as if summoned by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, erupted into louder cheers than ever before, "God save the queen!" "Long live the queen!" "God save the queen!"... The overwhelming sound , the Queen raised her arms high and responded with the same voice:
"God bless my people!"
God bless my people!
"... Her beauty will always remain in the hearts of everyone present, whether they hate her or respect her, whether they are her enemies or her friends, they are all conquered by her beauty at that moment. That is A breath-taking, trembling beauty that cannot be compared, cannot be looked at directly, but can only be surrendered... It seems to be an omen."
Years later, a historian who witnessed this scene wrote this in his memoirs.
Prince Arthur doesn't know how many letters, biographies, and documents have been traced by later historians to restore this scene. He only knows that at this moment he has lost his language, his thinking, and his senses.
He watched the Queen walking towards him in radiance, his heart beating like thunder.
Every nerve, every blood vessel, every living signal went away from him.
At the moment when the female dynasty extended his hand, he knelt down on one knee without hesitation and kissed the back of her hand reverently.
Strictly speaking, he now represents the emperor of the Root Empire, and his status is equal to that of Queen Roland. It would be a loss of dignity to take the lead in making such a move in public. But no one scolded him, no one laughed at him, even the Lute envoys who should have been dissatisfied with this.
Wherever the queen passed, all the accompanying officials bowed deeply.
"Set off."
With the support of Prince Arthur, Adele sat in the open carriage fixed with gold-plated nails and crimson leather. Prince Arthur sat next to her instead of her fiancé Orsis.
The procession begins to move forward.
... ... ...
The parade route of the celebration starts from the East Gate of the Summer Palace and ends at Santa Maria Cathedral, taking the famous Royal Avenue. Heinrich couldn't change the queen's decision to insist on the parade, so he could only shorten the distance from the palace to the church as much as possible, choosing the straightest and most spacious route possible.
Dalton, as the commander of the knights, followed the queen on a steed.
Under his black cloak over his crimson jacket, the flintlock was fastened to his waist. Except for the moment in front of the palace gate, he tried his best to avoid his eyes from falling on the queen and Prince Arthur... you deserve it... the voice of the queen, the face of the queen standing in front of the summer palace crossed in his mind .
He pushed those down with amazing tenacity.
Now is not the time to think about that.
Dalton's gaze scanned the crowd on both sides of the parade avenue like a falcon, occasionally making a quick covert gesture or two. And with every gesture of his, one or two people in the queen's huge entourage would disappear secretly into the crowd. Afterwards, one or two figures in the crowd by the street were covered and silently dragged down.
Those who stand up and resist will have their throats cut without hesitation.
Every section, every street is a battlefield.
Neither Heinrich nor Dalton could say for sure whether there would be a crossbow sitting quietly behind a certain window, waiting for the Queen to pass by and kill it with a single blow. As a result, spies from the Heinrich family took control of all the windows facing the street. And they also couldn't tell whether there would be some crazy old god, carrying a sawed-off shotgun, disguised as a happy crowd, approaching and shooting.
Snakes and wolves move at the same time, when the queen smiles and answers people's cries, blood and death threaten her life in the shadows at the same time.
This parade is actually a war covered under the sun.
A war between the Queen, the Empire, them and Old God diehards, and all enemies who want to fish in troubled waters.
Among the people taken away by the Heinrich family from behind the window, one-third of the Old God believers had contacts with the spies of the Kingdom of Yager, and one-third of the believers knelt down and kissed the wax from the Papal State It is believed that only a third of people are true religious fanatics.
That's why the queen decided to use the most ruthless means to complete this purge.
The Roland Empire is too close to the Pope, so close that when it declines, those people who wear crowns and gowns, like the Kingdom of Jager, cast their coveted eyes on this ancient empire, trying to make it a subsidiary city like the "Free City" . And the Old God Sect has existed in the empire for too long, so long that it has long been decayed, falling into the mud day after day.
"... This part of the old gods believers is like the carrion of the empire's wounds. Applying ointment cannot heal it. It can only be completely cut off, and then supplemented with good medicine to help it recover."
— These are the Queen's words.
When she said this, she was sitting on the throne, closing the scriptures that the Old God sect respected, and covered her face with a bloody veil under the sun.
It was the first time he saw her since the quarrel that day.
Years of battlefield career made him hear the sound of the horn hidden behind the Queen's soft words, which was the signal to declare war. The queen at that moment, like all kings, was not only the ruler who dealt with government affairs, but also the invincible general on the battlefield.
"Robert Dalton."
The queen said his name slowly, her hands on either side of the throne.
"In the name of the Queen of the Empire, I ask you, are you willing to fight for me with a sword? Are you willing to defend me with a shield?"
Their eyes collided in the air, she didn't mention those words that day, and he still had the letter of appointment of the Imperial Marshal signed on July 15 in his pocket.
This is the last chance.
Dalton understood what she meant.
The blood-red sun fell on the western horizon, he knelt down on one knee slowly, and raised his hand to strike his heart.
—My sword is your sword, and my shield is your shield.
The queen touched his shoulder with her hand.
There are no priests, no swords, no witnesses, but that is the real betrothal.
The sun was shining brightly, Dalton pursed his lips tightly, and followed the Queen's carriage expressionlessly, his eyes patrolling non-stop, like a falcon hovering in the sky.
With extraordinary courage, the queen has placed herself as a bait in the most dangerous place, and the rest of the battlefield should be fought by her subjects and generals.
If you can't even do the rest of these things well, what qualifications do you have to call yourself—
knight.
... ... ...
Dalton lost count of how many times he had gestured when the steeple of the Cathedral of Santa Maria came into view, but... Gods, this was the first time he had actually seen a cathedral , so grateful. This means that the queen's first war will usher in victory.
But, soon, the smile on his face disappeared, and he subconsciously pressed his hand on the handle of the gun.
"Dalton."
The queen is turning her face sideways, saying hello to the welcome citizens on the left side of the street—Heinrich has always disapproved of her being too friendly to the common people, and believes that the ruler should always maintain majesty, so as to maintain the fear of the people.
But the queen cares more about what the people want.
At this moment, out of the corner of her eye, she happened to catch a glimpse of Dalton's movement, and immediately stopped it in a low voice.
Dalton slowly removed his hand from the butt of the gun.
Adele restrained her smile and stared straight ahead.
On the last section of the stone road leading to Santa Maria Cathedral, three figures stood quietly. — Three old priests. They were dressed similarly to Archbishop Rodri, wearing dark smocks, rough hemp ropes around their waists, and straw sandals on their feet.
Dressed after the legendary sage who asked the tyrant where his power came from.
Adele thought about it.
"His Majesty."
Heinrich rode up to the queen and asked in a low voice.
"I drive them away."
Adele shook her head slightly.
The Old Gods are not useless, at least their last move was precise and ruthless. Three old priests are far better than three thousand brave Templar knights in front of the people.
"Keep going, then stop."
she commanded.
The carriage stopped in front of the three priests, and Dalton stepped forward calmly. If they were priests trained by the Knights of the Temple, even if they looked old and dry, they might not be without a blow.
The uproar gradually subsided, and the crowd quietly watched the scene, watching the young queen.
Not only did she not get angry, but she extended her hand to the three priests according to the etiquette and asked them to salute: "Gentlemen, you are waiting under the scorching sun. If you have anything to say, I would like to listen to it with my utmost sincerity." .”
The queen's friendly and humble attitude made people smile, but soon their smiles became disturbed.
Because, the leading priest did not bow down to salute.
At the same time, Heinrich recognized the two priests behind him.
Known as "Brother John", they were the spiritual leaders of the northern ascetics. It is said that they were called by God in the place where the saint appeared. They felt that people always deceive each other with lies. The tongue evolved from a snake, which is the root of sin, so they pulled out their own tongue and preached with actions.
People believed that they were blessed by God, that their eyes could see omens that no one else could see.
Unexpectedly, they were also members of the Templar Knights.
Heinrich's face changed slightly, and he wanted to step forward to stop the leading priest from speaking.
But it's too late.
"God took a man's rib and made his wife. She was his bone in his bones, flesh in his flesh, and blood in his blood. A woman instigated a man to commit original sin. In order to wash away that sin, she should obey her spirit and flesh. Master." The old priest said, his voice hoarse like a night owl, "and God gave authority to His incarnation on earth, and a crown to His chosen kings, and they ruled the world. This is the natural order, it is God. will."
The queen withdrew her hand, her gaze gradually turned cold: "God bestowed upon me the crown, this is the right and status I was born with."
"You stole it! A woman's ruling is against the laws of nature and God's will. In the doctrine, write this clearly! The wrath of God came early for this—the drought was caused by you! This It is God's judgment and punishment!"
Brother John behind him stood up silently and took a step forward. Amid the exclamation of the people, two lines of blood and tears rolled down their faces.
"You heretic who inherited the eyes of the witch, you blaspheme the laws of God, you are not worthy to be the king of Roland, you have defiled that throne, you have brought disaster to the empire, you have blasphemed the gods! What kind of face do you continue to wear? The crown? What reason do you have for continuing to sit on that throne?"
exclaimed the old priest, and he opened his arms.
"Aren't you still clear?! Aren't those eyes a symbol of hell and evil?! Didn't the wrath of the gods have already fallen on us! One day when the heretics and witches occupy the throne, Roland will struggle in the disaster all the time Day! Are you going to continue on the path of offending God?"
He was old and withered, and when he hissed and roared, it was so shrill that it pierced people's hearts.
Several Old God believers hidden in the crowd followed and shouted—"Heretics are not worthy of governing Roland!" "Witches!" "Evil Eyes"—the voices became louder. Dalton made a gesture, and the guards around the queen drew out their muskets. The assassins of the Heinrich family quickly grabbed the instigators in the crowd and dragged them into the shadows.
The old priest was still roaring, and Dalton drew out his gun without hesitation and pointed it at him.
One hand held down his gun.
The Queen didn't know when she stood up.
She stared at the old priest coldly, her voice was still steady and powerful despite the confusion and accusations.
"You are wrong," she said, "my mother is not a witch, she is the king of Keleli, the rose of Keleli."
The old priest spat heavily on the ground, and he stared at the queen: "Witch!"
"I will judge you, not for me, but for insulting the honor of a venerable dead." As if an iron mask had been cast over the queen's face, and there was an unshakable majesty in her voice, " In the meantime, I am determined to refute you. I will prove to you, to all the people who support me—"
"God gave me the crown, and I deserve it!"