Chương 42: A Crown for a Queen.

This pillow sucks. She tried to turn over… just to flop out of the chair onto the floor. Groggily raising her head, she realized she was still in Marco's. What happened last night? She staggered to her feet and took sight of the bar… cleaning was nearly done and no one remained at any of the tables. A dull murmur permeated the bar from outside. Blood rose to her face in embarrassment and she made her way straight out of the bar. A throng of people occupied the plaza, packed back to back, no space remained.

Are these people crazy? The sun's only just risen over the horizon… Sadly she was too short to see over the masses, she could barely make out people standing on an elevated platform in the center. Is this some circus act? Seriously Lance, what the flux is going on here? The crowd hushed, the chatter dying in an instant.

"Hey, what's going on?" Nythera tried whispering to the people around her, but they ignored her.

"Now, for the Coronation Ceremony to begin!" Lances' voice boomed. The people before her suddenly parted off to the side and she was left with a straight path to the platform. Lance pointed directly at her.

"Coronation ceremony? By Kronan what is going on here?" Nythera said to no one in particular, her voice petering off into a whisper. Can I just disappear? Somewhere with less people and maybe some of Edwin's tea.

"Oi, get your ass over here" Ollie called from next to the platform. Realizing she could not hide, Nythera darted through the crowded passage, trying to shrink in on herself.

"Excuse me" "coming through", "dont mind me" she mumbled before reaching the platform. Coming to stand before Ollie, "ok im here, now can I go home?" she asked, the surrounding silence made her feel as if she was shouting. He gestured at the stage "Get up there already.". I want to die. A pout crossed her face and she pulled herself up onto the platform. Lance pulled her to the center of the stage.

"Nythera Vel Aurendor!" he shouted, raising her fist into the air. The crowd cheered. As her hand lowered, the volume subsided. Ollie sprang up onto the platform, reached down and hoisted Noah up onto it. Felix and a man she had only seen briefly last night, hopped up from the other side. Lance pulled a silver crown out off a satchel on the stage and held it up into the light.

"The Crown of Myrraval, forged with a stone from Grandport, Halsbury, Amplewoods, and Rustreach!" he proclaimed. A gasp spread throughout the crowd. For the crown, though rather simple, was a thing of beauty. The stones of each town seemed to come from deep within the bedrock and the silver strands wove together with great complexity. Ah shit. Behind her a wooden throne was placed onto the platform. Ollie and Felix navigated her to the chair.

"We don't actually know how this ceremony is supposed to go" Felix whispered apologetically.

"Don't worry, just trust Lance, he's good at these kinds of things." Ollie whispered in assent. Lance came to stand behind her, steps thundering on the loose wooden planks.

"And now we Coronate!" he bellowed and lowered the crown onto her head. Three wooden torches on either side the platform shot forth fire up into the air as the crown met her head.

"Three cheers for the Queen of Myrraval!" he shouted.

"HERE HERE" "HERE HERE" HERE HERE" The crowd joined in, fists raised in celebration. Lance raised a cage of wood into the air above her head, and let loose a flock of croaking Lizigeons, which immediately fled the scene. Four old ladies in white dresses hobbled up stairs and onto the stage, each carried a silver sword. What in the blazes… She could only stare. The four mayors, Ollie, Felix, Noah, and the yet unknown one kneeled before her, heads down.

"We proclaim our loyalty to the Queen of Myrraval, they chanted in unison. The four old ladies had come to stand before them, they laid the silver swords down on their shoulders with slow grace.

"Careful Eliza, you'll take his ear off" one whispered.

"Oh shut your trap or I'll take your ear off" she whispered back. Concern painted Felix's face, as he was completely helpless. Her heart stirred, the weight of her title resting on her shoulders. Together, she would take revenge, together with these people, she would rule the island. Nythera stood up.

"Sit back down, we are about to roll in the ballistas." Lance whispered urgently. What do they need ballistas for? She ignored him and proceeded before the mayors.

"Thank you kindly, ladies." She curtseyed. The old women with the swords smiled toothy grins and left the center of the stage. She pulled on the authority invested in her by the system, by this point her authority far exceeded that of common knights, but she had no way of knowing so." I, Nythera Vel Aurendor, Accept your Fealty. Work, in service to the people of Myrraval and in service to me, and we shall create a greater future for our people." Nythera smiled. For a moment people could swear she seemed…

almost regal, like an empress looking down on her subjects with love in her heart. For her children. This is what I need. To accomplish my goals, revenge for Father, revenge for Will, the Tianshiang Empire will answer for what it did. This is my power. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. A glimmer of conviction entered her eyes." Rise". She commanded. The mayors stood and turned to face the crowd to thunderous applause.

"That's our Felix!" someone whistled. The old woman in white dress stood on the ground in front of the platform, pointing at the mayors and whispering to each other. The mayors bowed to the crowd in unison, as if a stage act and then hopped off the sides. Felix circled around and came back up behind her throne.

"Alright sit sit, we got the next part now." … Lance, the Priest of Veymur and several business leaders in the area all swore fealty. By then the crowd was thinning Can I go home now? She swiped the system notification back away again. It had been getting more and more insistent over time. There's no limit on this right? I can just keep pushing it away forever right? A shiver crossed her spine. She recalled the old tales of a boy who had ignored system-notifications for 3 days and lost his soul to the Level Reaper.

Merely tall tales… As the last round of oath takers left the stage, mostly businessmen-looking for credibility, the crowd started to disperse.

"Alright, you can go home now Lord." Felix said, sighing as he looked over the mess.

"Why did Lance have to go get those fucking ballistas involved?" he said with the tone of a disappointed parent. Six ballistas sat throughout the plaza, ropes covered in flowers connecting them to the bolts they had launched into nearby buildings, including through the second floor of the town hall and straight into Marco's roof. If I ever want to make use of Cascading Fire, I'm going to need to get them making proper cannons.

Nythera made her way back alone through the streets, darting to and for as fast as she could. I do not need more food, well-wishes, or offers of courtship. She scanned the alley and bolted down it once the coast was clear. Without much incident she scraped her way back to Edwin's and slipped in through the door, sighing as it finally shut.

"Had fun?" Shelly asked, taking another sip of the tea as she watched from the table. Yeah, very funny.

"No, no one warned me that this was going to happen, did you know?" Nythera asked.

"Yeah, only the entire island knew, except you apparently." She snorted. Nythera gave Shelly a death stare as she went upstairs and crashed onto the bed. She tucked her new crown into Boxy. Hm this thing doesn't seem to have any special effects, probably best that way, my Ember-Frost score was getting all messed up before. Talvik flew through her window and landed on the shelf as usual. Huh. He's back. She put her hand on the glass and searched around for a hole. Nope no holes, window was definitely shut.

"You just flew through the glass." She remarked, staring at Talvik, who was proudly pruning his feathers. She cocked an eyebrow, as if demanding an explanation. He ignored her. Actually I don't care. She hit the pillow and the exhaustion of the week's events rolled through her and set her to sleep. …

"Hey miss, wait no, hey miss lord! No wait, hey lord! Wake up, we got big things to do today, real big things, Lance and the other old guys with fancy clothing are waiting for you! Lets go lets go. Aint no time like now!" Leo's voice came through in her dreams. She woke groggily, trying to fall back asleep. Seriously? He's now part of my nightmares? A fist rapped at the door aggressively.

"Lets go! Lance is going to make me do something boring if we don't get there fast." Leo said through the door. Nythera begrudgingly followed Leo out and into the town, Talvik nowhere to be seen that morning. She lifted her head and donned the crown as she strode through town. I've got to be careful or that ass Rowen is going to scold me for not looking the part. They made way with haste to the townhall and Leo flung the doors open with bravado.

"MAKE WAY, the Queen is here!" he declared to a mostly empty lobby.

"Watch it kid." A guard who had just been hit by said doors glared at him.

"Oh I'm really sorry, it was her idea you know, not mine, please forgive me, won't happen again." and apologized profusely. Nythera walked around the mess and brought herself into the council chambers. They had dragged another table in, although at a different height, giving a strange, haphazard image. At the table the four mayors, the priest of Veymur, and Lance were all seated. Lance seated Nythera in the center of the two tables, "Alright, lets begin the first official meeting of the uh…"

He stopped, a pensive look behind his eyes.

"What's the issue Lance?" She inquired.

"What is the name of our … country? We have a Queen now, does that make us a kingdom?" He voiced his thoughts out loud. She sighed. I'm going to have to deal with shit like this from now on, aren't I?

"Let's call ourselves the Kingdom of Myrraval for now". She suggested. We should avoid the name Aurendor until I fully understand what happened to them.

"All in favor, say Aye" Lance started a vote.

"Aye" everyone said… except the Veymur priest.

"Would you add one slight addendum to that?" He asked cautiously. Lance shot him an eye, as if asking what he dare suggest.

"Holy Kingdom of Myrraval?" he replied sheepishly, "I could go ask Veymur for his blessings.".

"Denied" Lance replied, "All in favor of Kingdom of Myrraval?".

"Aye" With the exception of the priest, the rest of the room filled with Aye's. Once the first act was confirmed, Nythera stood up.

"I have my own proposal as Queen of Myrraval.". She breathed in. This is my moment, these are my people, all of them. It's time to start acting like it.

"I, as Queen, propose a new system to link together the towns of Myrraval." she began.

"We will start with a low 3% island-wide tax rate which we will use to fuel two new systems, I know taxes aren't popular, but if we are going to be a country we need to start acting like one." She met the eyes of each and every mayor there, daring them to challenge her.

"The first new system will be a ferry, one or two ferry ships will cross constantly from town to town, if a new town is added, the ferry circuit will be extended to it. The costs for the ferry will be free, fueled by tax money to help interconnect the people and economy of the island.". Nythera gave them a moment to let her idea sink in.

"The second plan is to establish the Delver's guild more formally, any town with a dungeon will get one, delver's will give up a portion of their loot to fuel the guild, which offers appraisal services, lodging, food, and healing. My intention is to expand on this once I reach Baron Authority Level." She nodded at Lance. Now for the hard part. She grit her teeth. Slammed her fist on the table.

"The last part is to build a new town on the Mirrowake, I'm aware that the frontier by Halsbury is a battlefield, but if we push up to the lake there will be less fluxspawn coming down to Halsbury. We can send delver's to start hitting the quartz dungeon and use the town for its central location and lumber access." Nythera took a huge breath as she finished her proposal. Everyone at the table had a contemplative look as they considered her three part proposal.

This is just the start, if I'm going to do anything I need Myrraval to have a roaring economy.

"Aye" Lance said, "This is the kind of endeavor we must pursue, if we ever want to stop fearing our own island.".

"A town on Mirrorwake? Waketown?" Felix looked at the ceiling with a puzzled expression. Ollie raised his voice "Aye, less pressure on Halsbury would be welcome, taxes be damned.". A glimmer appeared in Felix's eyes.

"And just where will the taxes be collected?"