50: Decisions of the new king

Decisions of the new king

Music Recommendation: Mothers Voice- Johannes Lehniger1

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When the day of the coronation arrived, most of the important people gathered in the royal courtroom. The palace was decorated to welcome and celebrate the arrival of the new king. Every pillar in the room was adorned with red and golden curtains. 

Anastasia stood behind Princess Emily on the balcony of the floor above, waiting with the other women, except for the Mother Queen, who stood below them next to the throne with Prince Dante and Prince Aiden. 

"Everyone rise!" The Vizier announced. 

The people in attendance stopped murmuring, and the room became quiet as everyone turned to face the door. Soon Prince Maxwell stepped through the open doors of the courtroom. He was now dressed in a velvet attire resembling what King William had worn, along with a white cape attached at his shoulders that swept the ground he walked on. 

Prince Maxwell bowed at the Mother Queen and the eight Elder ministers. 

"Now that Prince Maxwell is here, we shall begin his coronation," the most senior of the eight Elder ministers spoke, who had a beard and narrowed eyes. "Bring me the sword," he ordered, and a servant came forward, handing the sword to him.

As the coronation began, Lady Evin, Prince Maxwell's soulmate, asked, "Lady Maya, will you be the new queen once Maxwell is crowned king?" 

Lady Maya smiled as she watched the floor below and said, "Now that Maxwell will be the King of Versailles, it automatically changes my position and status. Isn't that right, Queen Sophia?" She asked, as if to confirm. 

Queen Sophia offered her a tight smile, "Yes, that's how it is. After all, it would be odd to have a concubine as the king's mother." 

Princess Niyasa was going to retort when her mother caught hold of her arm. Lady Maya smiled and whispered, "Not now, Daughter. Don't miss your brother's coronation," she smiled, looking below. 

The eldest minister continued to speak loudly for everyone to hear, ending his words, "… and with this, you are now the King of Versailles. King Maxwe—"

Suddenly, someone from the crowd in the royal courtroom threw something, which smacked Maxwell's face. It was a piece of bloody meat, which smeared down the newly appointed king's clothes. 

"You don't deserve to be the king! You are a murderer!!" A woman shouted, bringing attention to herself. She was a courtesan who had known Marianne and was upset after receiving the news of the deceased's death. She threw another piece of bloody meat, hitting Maxwell's head this time. 

A collective gasp was heard from the people gathered in the room, who did not expect any interruption to occur. 

Anastasia felt a little bad for the prince to be treated like this in public. Not to mention, every time she saw him, it brought memories of her late sister. 

"Someone capture this woman!" One of the ministers ordered the nearby guards. "The audacity of her to come here and humiliate our king!"

The guards quickly caught her while she struggled, shouting at everyone, "The Blackthorns are cursed! You are all cursed and your blood is damned!"

Maxwell's face had turned red. First, from the embarrassment of being hit by the meat, which slowly turned to anger. The Vizier asked him, "What shall we do with her, Your Highness?" 

"Kill her," Maxwell responded with his chin raised. He added, "Anyone who speaks ill about the Blackthorns shall receive the same punishment. Hang her head at the Paradise Tower, so no one dares to do such a thing again!"

Anastasia, who was watching from the balcony, felt her heart slip when one of the guards swiftly drew his sword. Not a moment later, the courtesan's head was severed from her body, which rolled near Maxwell's feet. She no longer felt bad for the man.

Not liking how her soulmate was treated, Lady Evin remarked with a huff, "How dare the woman disgrace the king! She should have been tortured." 

"It is good that her head was severed," Lady Maya stated with a grim expression as she watched a maid come forward to help her son wipe his face. She said, "Since King William's death, it has left the palace shaky and the ministers have been questioning our authority. This action shows that the king isn't scared to do what is needed."

"That's one concubine and one courtesan less than before in the palace," Lady Noor murmured. 

Anastasia turned to look at Princess Emily, who wore a serious expression on her face and didn't look away from the dead. She realised the way the royal family thought was very different from what she believed in. Their laws were strict, and they had no room for correcting errors. They were cold and cruel, but that was how they were raised, surrounded by like-minded people. 

Was that why King William was dead? Because of his nature? But then Marianne was nothing like these people, Anastasia thought to herself. 

Once the courtesan's dead body was dragged out of the room along with her head, and Prince Maxwell's face was clean, the minister once again announced, 

"I present to you King Maxwell Blackthorn of Versailles, son of William Blackthorn."

Everyone bowed at the new king, who smiled at them. The Mother Queen, who stood next to Dante, whispered, 

"His pride appears more fragile than my teacup."

"I thought you loved your teacups," Dante replied, before they all raised their heads. 

The Mother Queen's lips twitched at her grandson's words, and said, "I do, but I like them to be strong no matter how fragile they look." 

Maxwell raised his hands and said, "I would like a word with my family and the Elders alone now. Zion and Aziel can stay." 

As the others started to leave and the rest of the Blackthorn family members made their way to the floor below, the Mother Queen turned her head and said in a low voice, "It isn't the reaction, but the situation. If it were you, it would be different."

"You think I wouldn't kill her for her disrespect towards the family?" Dante raised his eyebrow at his grandmother. 

"I do not doubt that. In fact, I believe you would be the one to kill her yourself rather than wait for someone else to do it. But if it were you," the Mother Queen raised her eyebrows and said, "The situation would have never arisen."

When everyone arrived on the ground floor, Maxwell raised his hands from the throne he sat on and said, "Please take a seat." 

Anastasia followed wherever Princess Emily went, and when the princess took a seat, she stood behind her, but in the shadows, while watching Maxwell and the others. With everyone settled, Maxwell addressed, 

"When my father talked about me becoming the king, I didn't expect it to happen this soon. Not this way at least," he looked at everyone, meeting their gazes. He then continued, "The reason why I asked everyone to gather here is because I will be making a few changes. For one, when it comes to the decisions made in the palace, I, the king, will take the reins and will not have to wait for the approval of the Elders."

"Okay," the eldest minister agreed, then added, "Though let me remind the new king that there are some crucial matters which will still need the involvement of us Elders."

"I am aware of it," Maxwell responded, and he said, "If that is approved, I will be elevating my mother's position to a queen. She will no longer be a concubine."

"Agreed," said the minister, and Lady Maya couldn't be any happier. 

Maxwell then looked at his family and stated, "One last thing., I believe too many queens under one roof will cause trouble. With that thought and everyone's best interests in mind, I would like to have Mother Queen Ginger, Queen Sophia, Lady Noor and Lady Lucretia moved to the three old palaces by tomorrow morning."

Everyone's faces fell, as they hadn't thought he would order everyone's swift removal from the palace. 

Dante's face hardened at this news, and he said, "My mother isn't a queen, Your Highness. I request you to reconsider your decision." She was sick, and she needed constant care where he could check on her. 

But Maxwell was firm and said, "I won't, Brother Dante. But my siblings are free to stay in the palace, if they so wish."

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