The Coronation
Empereur, C'est ton règne que nous honorons
Par cette chanson, dans tout Orlaïs
Nous glorifions ton nom!
Empereur, Qu'importent les saisons
Nous te défendrons
Et nos cicatrices
Grâce à toi se tairont!
Nous sommes
À jamais tes obligés
Empereur, Viens nous délivrer
Vos heures sont comptées
La nation dérive
L'espoir prospère!
Empereur, Ta force est en nous
Nous prenons les armes
Et levons nos dagues
Viens, délecte-toi du sang qui coule
Nous sommes
À jamais tes obligés
The new Emperor Vladimir von Carstein awoke at 8:00 a.m. to the sound of a great bugling arriving at the palace at Val Royeaux by 11:00 a.m. in a white velvet vest with gold embroidery and diamond buttons, a crimson velvet tunic and a short crimson coat with satin lining, a wreath of laurel on his brow. The number of onlookers was estimated to be between four and five thousand, many of whom had held their places all night through intermittent showers that cleared in the morning, leaving a thick haze of cloud cover that had become nigh-omnipresent in the reign of the man many were now calling the Moon King.
The coronation ceremony itself began at 9, when the Divine's procession set out from the Grand Chantry led by a Mother Superior on a mule, intoning the chant of light amidst braziers of smoking incense. The Divine Beatrix entered the great hall first, and took her seat on a throne near the steps to the Imperial Lion Throne. Vlad's and Isabella's carriage was drawn by eight black nightmares, and escorted by the new Regiment Maison militaire, part of the ongoing reorginization of the army from its feudal levee roots.
Before entering the Great Hall itself, Vlad was vested in a long white satin tunic embroidered in gold thread, and Isabella similarly wore a white satin empire-style dress embroidered in gold thread. During the coronation he was formally clothed in a heavy coronation mantle of crimson velvet lined with ermine; the velvet was covered with embroidered golden bats, by his own request. The mantle weighed at least eighty pounds, and yet he carried it effortlessly . Isabella was at the same time formally clothed in a similar crimson velvet mantle embroidered with bats in gold thread and lined with ermine, which was borne by her newest daughter, the former Empress Celene. There were two orchestras with four choruses, numerous military bands playing heroic marches, and over three hundred musicians. A 400-voice choir performed the new coronation march "Hail Emperor".
The coronation of Vlad and Isabella also differed in this respect from the pattern observed in other Thedas coronation rites: usually, in joint coronations of sovereign and consort, the sovereign is first anointed, invested with the regalia, crowned and enthroned, and only then is a similar but simplified rite of anointing, investiture, coronation and enthronement of the consort performed. However, for the Coronation of Vlad and Isabella, each of those steps was performed jointly, so that Isabella was anointed immediately after Vlad, and each item of regalia was delivered to her immediately after being given to him, a procedure that found no precedent in either Chantry or in the secular rites of the land. In addition, and unusually for any ruler of Orlais, he crowned both himself and Isabella with his own hand.
After the Coronation Rite was finished, the Divine retired to the Chantry, as she objected to presiding over or witnessing the civil oath that followed, due to its contents. The oath red as follows:
I swear to maintain the integrity of the territory of the Empire, to respect and enforce respect for the law of the land; not to raise any tax except in virtue of the law; to maintain the institution of Chevaliers and to govern in the sole interest, happiness and glory of the Orlesian people.
After the oath the newly appointed herald of arms proclaimed loudly: "The thrice glorious and thrice august Emperor Vlad is crowned and enthroned. Long live the Emperor!"
As a response to this, all remaining non-vampire lords have been outraged and have called for their soldiers and peasantry to restore order to the nation. With the backing of the Divine herself.
Half of the forces of Orlais stand ready to combat the other half. As the nation descends into a war for its very identity.
Centuries you say? This is most unusual. Most believed that the secret to immortality was lost to your people ages ago. This is deeply concerning.
However, there are matters at home that require my attention more at the moment and the Chantry is now deeply interested in continuing this conversation at a later date.
