Read Book 1: The Crown Prince (The Kid Emperor of Occultoria) Page 35
***
In the evening, Max dressed in full regalia as he presided at the podium in the House of Lords and Ladies.
It was a separate building in the capital, built in the style of Doric Greek architecture. The room where the Lords and Ladies assembled in was very ornate. Plush green carpets lined the floor. There were ten seats made of silver, all facing the podium. The arrangement very much resembled the British House of Lords.
Max stared out at the small crowd.
There were only two members of the House of Lords and Ladies present: the Queen of Purgatorio and the Duke of Demonia. It was nearly an empty House, since the other eight heads of provinces were still in rebellion against the throne.
The Matriarch and her College of Cardinals, the Justices of the Occult Supreme Court, Archbishop Julius and foreign diplomats were seated in a balcony above.
Since they were not members of the House, members of the clergy and commoners were crowded just outside the door, waiting to hear the speech.
Then, there was a sound of trumpets and then an announcer called out, “His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor will begin his speech!”
Max stood there, his heavy crown almost falling off his head.
An aide had quickly dashed off an inaugural speech for him, but the Emperor felt he didn’t need it.
He wanted to speak from his heart.
His speech was brief but heartfelt.
Clutching his scepter, Max cleared his throat and spoke. “My Lords and Ladies of the House, Members of the Clergy and the Judiciary, Foreign Dignities, Distinguished Guests and People of the Occultorian Empire. I stand before you the newly-crowned Emperor and I do not take this position lightly. I understand that it is a very serious position, fraught with responsibility, which I gladly and most willingly take up. I swear before you all, my loyal subjects, that I will rule with justice, wisdom and compassion. My every thought and action will be for the best interests of the Empire and its people. I swear to do this until my dying days.”
The room erupted into applause.
Max stared out at the crowd and smiled.
This is it, he realized. There’s no turning back. I am embracing my birthright. And it feels good.
It was a peaceful moment for him. He had never felt like he belonged anyone else but there, right beside his people.
As the people gave him a standing ovation, he realized that he had been right to be himself all along, in spite of what his foster mother and his mean classmates had said.
Who cared if he was excluded?
He belonged now.
There was nothing wrong with him. He had been fine all along.
When the applause died down, Max sat down on his throne (brought over to the House of Lords and Ladies for the sole purpose of the Fealty Ceremony).
One by one, the Queen and the Duke came up to swear their undying allegiance to him.
“I feel fealty to my liege lord, the Emperor,” they both said.