Chapter 636 — The King
Blade of Dawn · Page 5 of 5
Pairs of astonished eyes watched this sudden, unforeseen turn of events. They watched the "deputy" commander of the knights—renowned for possessing both transcendent knightly and mage powers—stride into the hall, watched him step without expression over Earl Lukere's corpse, and seemed at last to begin to understand what was about to happen here today. And by now Wilse Morn had reached the seat at the deepest end of the hall. This crown prince, who had left Silverhold for twenty years, turned around, slowly sat down in the place that was his own, and swept his gaze over everyone.
Earl Lukere's blood stained his face, and that countenance, despised by all for twenty years, now seemed terrifying in this moment.
"From this day forth, I am crowned King of Ansu."
At the sound of Wilse Morn's flat voice, whispers rose in the hall. People looked at one another in doubt and alarm; some still doubted the truth of it all, while others instinctively voiced the question: who would perform this coronation?
Just then, a noble near the hall's entrance exclaimed in a low voice, "Archduke Franklin has come!"
People craned their necks, every eye fixed on Bo Yu Franklin as he entered the doorway. The regent duke had been absent from the entire council, and once people saw clearly what he held in his hands, an indescribable silence settled over them all.
In Bo Yu Franklin's hands rested the king's golden crown.
The Duke of the West stood a moment at the doorway, then set his feet in motion, step by step toward the far end of the hall—toward the throne.
Only then did some come to their senses:
This was the Golden Oak Hall—not merely the place where the highest councils of the nobility were convened, but the site of the king's coronation;
Wilse Morn's splendid attire was in truth the ceremonial raiment of a king's coronation;
That patterned long sword which had executed Earl Lukere was the ceremonial blade a king received at his crowning.
Under the gaze of countless eyes filled with nervousness, dread, anticipation, astonishment, and other tangled emotions, Bo Yu Franklin crossed the final stretch of distance. He came before Wilse Morn and raised the golden crown slightly into the air.
But there his motion stopped. He did not continue; he did not place the crown upon the new king's head.
Wilse reached out his own hand, took the heavy diadem, and slowly set it upon his head.
In the hall, every capital noble knew what this meant.
From this day forth, Ansu would have no more regent duke.
Wearing the new crown once prepared for Edmund, Wilse Morn gazed silently over all that was in the hall. After a few seconds he rose and slowly lifted the bloodstained Sword of the King:
"Hold Saint Sunil!
"This is the king's command!!"
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