Lumieri Chronicles: Rise of the First Empire (Book 1)

Chapter 12 The Coronation

Finally! Coronation Day has arrived. I hurry out of my room past the servants making preparations. The castle is in such a festive mood that anywhere you go, there's just someone or even a group organizing here and there. Streamers hang up the columns, tables being carried to the main hall, and the fresh carpets are being replaced with extravagant ones just for the occasion.

"Leo!" I hear my brother call and I run to him.

"Big brother, it's finally time right?" I say while looking at the servants running around.

He gives me an excited smile after I refer to the coronation. "Yeah, after today, we'll rebuild our kingdom to the glory she once was."

"Yes, make sure it does...and afterwards maybe you'll finally find someone to love brother..." my voice trails off remembering what he said back at the balcony.

He laughs and pats my head. "My little brother, looking for a bride even when his big brother hasn't found one yet."

I chuckle while heating up as I imagine that moment. The only question is, will the woman I choose accept?

"Well, I need to see father first, I'll see you at the coronation okay little brother?" He says as he waves goodbye.

"You can count on it!" I reply and proceed to head to town.

I wander the town and see that everyone is in such a festive mood. Children are laughing and playing while the adults hang decorations as a means to welcome my brother as the new king. In the midst of the celebration however, I notice some people I've never seen before. And they're all entering one at a time. I stare at them and have an unusual feeling. The guards at the entrance however are doing an adequate job as they thoroughly check each of the strangers as well as their belongings. Seeing them do their jobs with utmost vigor makes me feel a bit more at ease.  Probably just more guests that have come to congratulate my brother on becoming king and seeing as they don't have weapons, that makes them seemingly harmless. And seeing the vast number of soldiers jogging around also alleviates my worries so I shrug off my concerns and travel throughout the town.

...

That night, the castle is in a festive mood. The leaders of many towns and cities from both Lumieri territories as well as independent ones attended the coronation after rumors spread that Louise has already started strengthening the kingdom. Seeing as there have been numerous projects in several towns that are being implemented. And what's more is that there was a really huge stockpile of wealth from the times of our past that was more than enough to pay for those said projects. Wealth that we've gathered and hidden for the past three hundred years waiting for this moment. As for the remainder, we saw fit to put them into our reserves and plan to spend them when we've received positive results from the first wave of projects.

"Looks like a lot of people also want us to grow stronger," I look around and notice several representatives from independent territories that were once occupied by us. Those territories were separated from Lumiere in accordance to the peace treaty signed with the Coalition. We expected them to occupy those territories but they just left them either out of fear of rebellion or perhaps because the territories are too far. Or the far more accepted theory among us is that we damaged the Coalition so severely that they didn't have the capability to occupy them. And as time went on and they eventually recovered, they just lost interest or perhaps feared that if they force themselves on the independent territories, then they might gather under Lumiere's banner once more and start another war.

As I contemplate on this, an elderly voice calls out to me. "Hello there lad, long time no see,"

I turn and see General Erwin Caster. Despite reaching old age and his entire hair colored gray, he still moves like a middle-aged man and has the strength of one. I always considered him a grandfather figure since my grandfather died when I was still a baby. He's also the oldest and most experienced general we have. And adding to that, his army is probably the most experienced one out of our entire military as they've been known to be capable of fighting of forces larger than them despite just numbering to about three thousand men with the rest being comprised mainly of militia who'll only join in times of emergency. Proof of this are his campaigns to put down various rebellions and bandit raids which he always did splendidly.

Though not as strong as General Frederick, or lacking great tactical abilities to create extravagant and unpredictable plans, General Erwin has always possessed a great gift. And that is being able to master fundamental tactics as well as knowing the different strategems used in war. Due to such knowledge, he's able to know what strategy the enemy is doing and counters it nicely.

Despite being by the book and his army not too flashy in battle, they still do their work well enough and accumulated vast experience through their years of fighting under the old general and earned their reputation within the Lumieri Army.

I go to the old general and give a hug. "Hey there grandfather, I haven't seen you in a long time too."

He laughs and pats me in the back. "Look at how you've grown lad, your grandfather would be smiling so much seeing as you've become a fine young man."

I smile at him. "I'm still thirteen."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean what I said will change."

We both laugh as we look around.
"Say, big brother sure is taking his time."

General Erwin nods. "Aye, but maybe he's just nervous. You know, cold feet. I remember during your father's coronation, he hung to a pillar refusing to be coronated that your grandfather had to pull him off it," General Erwin laughs so loud at the memory that some people are looking at us.

I chuckle nervously at the attention. "Yes, um..."

"Oh, looks like Frederick's calling me, I better go there lad, see you." General Erwin states as he heads to Frederick who's waving at him to come over.

I look to the side and notice Captain Robert and Talia talking and the captain has a dumb smile. I laugh silently and leave them to their business.

On the corners of the hall, I see my mother's personal guards, as well as my father's. Seeing my mother's guards makes me confirm that she's finally here.

I see my father and run to him and he smiles when he notices me. "Leo, my boy."

"Oh Leo, I've been looking for you son." A voice beside my father states and I look to see it's my mother.

She always disappears to look at ruins of the Old Kingdom of Lumiere along with her own unit of female bodyguards who call themselves the "White Roses" which are one of the most elite troops we have. Formed by the First King of Lumiere to guard over his wife, Queen Lunoire. They say he was so protective  that he would always have guards watching the queen. But he also disliked the idea of male guards watching the queen for an entire day which gave birth to the White Roses which he specifically formed to be an elite guard that will never leave the Queen's side. And now, they guard my mother.

She's still beautiful for her age, with long black hair and eyes that match my own. Men still regard my mother as the "Jewel of Lumiere" even after aging that I guess you could call this graceful aging.  I immediately notice my father beside her and see him wearing another one of those smiles he has when my mother's around which makes me slightly grimace.

"Mother, when did you arrive?" I ask happily leaning into a hug.

"Just last night, I looked for you this morning but the guards said you were wandering around town," she states with a pretend pout. She was always playful which eventually rubbed off on me a little. Father seemed to really love my mother's playfulness while my mother loves his clumsiness in return. Luckily, I managed to inherit my mother's playfulness and not Father's clumsiness.

"Anyway, speaking of looking for someone, where's Louise? Shouldn't he be here by now?" I ask in confusion. It's not like him to be late, especially on his own coronation.

"Don't worry, he's probably-" my father's words are interrupted when a servant suddenly runs through the doors and collapses right in front of us.

The entire room is utterly shocked by this development as the room is in complete silence.

Two guards move forward to help the servant stand up and he grasps their arms to stand. The servant is panting and covered in so much sweat that he looks like he ran as if his life depended on it.

"What's happened to you boy?" My father asks in worry.

"Your majesties, Prince Louise is being attacked."

The servant's words process through the three of us, not believing the statement. "What?"