STEEL BORN

THE CROWNING

It had been two weeks since the Princess and her father returned from their tour around the Kingdom. The remainder of the Royal family had come to welcome them. They were lined side by side outside the Palace in the Royal city. There was the three Queens accompanied by the chief of Worth and the chief commander of the army. The Royal Eunuchs and servants had been standing far behind. The King and his daughter were surprised to see the arrangement, they had expected to be received at the gate by either the chief or the commander. The Queens had ran towards them immediately after they had finished bowing to the King, the slaves who were holding umbrellas over them had hurriedly followed. The King kissed each of his wives. Talish held Cara's face with both hands and studied it, as if she expected to find a scratch, turning it from one side to another. "Oh, my baby, I'm glad you are home", she said.

Queen Euria hugged her daughter, "how was the trip?",

"Very well mother",

"You must tell me all about it", Queen Euria had said.

The chief of Worth and the commander bowed once again in greeting as the Royal family approached where they stood.

"You are welcome my King", the chief said. Queen Wicca held on to the King as they proceeded into the Palace, she followed him to his quarters. Queen Euria took her daughter to her quarters accompanied by Queen Talish, Amand and Morinda. The tour had lasted a total of one month and two days.

Cara awoke to the sound of music coming from somewhere in her large bed chamber, Morinda was standing by the bed smiling, "Greetings my Princess". She greeted as she began to help the Princess out of bed, she was lifting the heavy covers and rolling them to the foot of the bed. The Princess was happy to see Morinda, she had sent her home five days ago to visit her family. Morinda led the Princess to her wash room, she had to be prepared for the day. It was the day of the crowning ceremony, there were a lot of activities to be done.

The Royal city was filled with visitors once again. According to the custom, the entire Royal families of the Kingdom must attend the crowning ceremony. The Royal city was busy, there were people everywhere.

Every chamber in the visitor's quarters was occupied, there were the various Chiefs of the three regions and their families and Dukes of the various cities and their families. The entire city of Worth was also filled with visitors, people who could afford to attend the ceremony from all over the Kingdom.

The first activity was to visit the Chapel of the goddess of light located in the the Temple, only the Royal family were to attend. People were on the streets outside the Royal city cheering the Royal convoy and throwing flowers as they headed to the Temple. They were accompanied by a dozen Royal guards. The King rode in front in a carriage, followed by the open carriage carrying the Princess. They were followed by the carriages carrying the other Queens. There were more people at the front of the Temple waving to the Princess. Cara noticed that the Temple had been decorated for the occasion, there were tall flower stands on the entrance with flowers snaking to the floor. The convoy stopped and the Royal family alighted. Two Chapel guards dressed in white held open the large entrance doors to the Chapel of the goddess of light, they closed it after the Royal family had entered. The Priestess was standing with her hands raised, in front of the alter at the foot of the giant golden statue of the goddess of light - Aura. She was backing the visitors. She was flanked by her apprentices who were dressed in white. There were few young men also dressed in white carrying musical instruments at one corner of the Chapel. All the candles surrounding the statue had been lit, the air carried the aroma of a sweet smelling incense.

The Royal family stopped at the center of the Chapel where seats had been arranged, they knelt and worshipped before taking their seats. The Priestess performed some incantations and the young men began to play their instruments, she bagan to twist with her hands still raise, while her apprentices began to dance. When the dancing ended, the Priestess turned around facing the audience, "Princess Cara, please come", she said. The apprentices went behind the Princess as she approached the alter, one was carrying a golden bowl another carried a golden tray. "Please kneel", the Priestess commanded. The floor before the alter had been covered with fur rug similar to the ones on the floors of the Palace. The Princess knelt facing the floor. The Priestess turned towards the statue and the music resumed, she raised her hands and began to twist again making incantations. Her apprentices danced behind the Princess.

The Priestess suddenly stopped twisting as the music increased in tempo, the dancing apprentices also stopped, they stood enclosing the Princess. The Priestess removed the small golden crown on Cara's head and placed it on the empty golden tray on the hands of one of the apprentices, then undressed her to the waist. She took a small sharp blade from the alter and began carefully shaving the hair on Cara's head. She was placing the hair in the golden bowl carried by another girl. She shaved the hair until Cara's scalp became clean, she returned the blade to the alter and collected the bowl containing the hair, set it on the altar and burnt the contents.

She collected a sharp nidddle from the altar, lifted Cara's face and pierced the columella of her nose, she also pierced the antihelix of her ear using a different niddle. Cara had been well tutored on the requirements of the ritual, but nothing had prepared her for the pain she felt. The Priestess took a nose chain similar to the one on the face of the King from the altar and put it on the Princess, she hooked one end on the piercing in her nose, and the other end in the piercing on her ear. She also wore her a golden body chain which passed between her breasts, her armpits, her back to her abdomen. She placed two golden bracelets on her wrists and two more on her ankles. She brushed her from the scalp to her waist with a soft fur brush from the alter, cleansing her of hair particles. She then replaced her clothes and the ritual was completed.

Outside the Temple, the crowd roared when they saw the Princess. She smiled and waved inspite of the pain coming from her nose and her ear. The small crown was not replaced on her head, the tray carrying it had been handed to Euria - Cara's mother.

The crowd sang and danced as they followed the convoy to the arena. Some of the rows of bleachers above were already occupied, the Chiefs and their families, Dukes and their families and the noble families of Xion were seated at an area set apart for the Royals. They welcomed the Royal family except the Princess. There were dancing and acrobatics performed in the center of the arena below. Servants were milling around among the the Royal area filing emptied cups as the Royals and the nobles drank.

The performers cleared the ground and a loud trumpet sounded, the crowd arose, a carriage was seen entering the arena, it stopped at the foot of the area where the King and his wives were seated above, the Princess alighted and the crowd roared, she gently climbed the stairs towards her father's presence. She knelt when she arrived, a golden tray carrying a medium golden crown was brought in carried by the Princess of Worth - Sia. King Raul lifted it and crowned Cara - Princess and Hair to the throne of Xion. The crowd bowed when she arose and faced them flanked by her father.

* * *

Cara's carriage had left the convoy when the Royal family arrived at the back of the arena, she had been taken back to the Palace in the Royal city. She needed a bath and a change of clothes. Morinda and Amand received her at the entrance to the Palace bowing for the first time since she was born. Kudo had received the King at the arena, as did the other Royal eunuchs and personal servants assigned to the Queens.

Morinda had a lot she would have liked to say to the Princess, but she dared not speak from now on unless spoken to. She understood the pain the Princess was feeling, she had arranged for a cup of medicine to be brought to her in the wash room. The Princess collected the cup from the tray with a sigh of relief gupping it down at once. She observed herself n***d in front of the mirrors when she came out of the bath tub, the gold glittered on her body. She was looking different, her full hair was gone leaving her scalp clean. The golden nose chain had a circle covering half her lips, the chains dropped below her cheeks. Her body was crisscrossed with gold, there were gold on her wrists and ankles. She felt different, this was going to be her appearance even in her grave when she dies.

The Princess was silent, she sat on the cushion beside her vanity table and Morinda served her a cup of tea, the slaves were carefully applying ointment on her body, they understood she was in pain. She was carefully dressed in the clothes Morinda had selected from the closet. When she arose ready to be taken to the arena, the gold on her body was visible between her breasts, her neck and her back. No crown was placed on her head. She rode in her carriage accompanied by Morinda and Amand, back to the arena where she was crowned.

* * *

That evening was the crowning banquet, it was held at the Great hall. There was a lot of dancing, eating and making merry. The Princess was announced, she walked to the throne without smiling, and sat on the throne beside her father. She looked at the crowd above and wished Santux was around to witness all that had happened.

Santux knew about the crowning ceremony, the Princess had informed him at Kastaly. He would have attended, but the Princess had instructed him in the note that was attached to the small bag of gold, to wait until after the crowning to come to her. Faro had been amazed at how much gold a bag could contain, he considered his friend wealthy and struggled with a pang of jealousy - Santux had told him about the friends he had made during his visit, and how he had missed them. When they returned to Ludia, he had pledged to serve Santux till his dying day.

"Get up my friend", Santux had responded, "there won't be any serving, nothing is yet revealed".

"If all you said is true, then fate might have knitted me together with the future Prince of Xion". Faro stubbornly responded.

"Oh shut up Faro, you're beginning to fill my mind with dreams",

"It's yet a dream, but take me with you on your journey to Worth",

"Definitely, I'll be needing a companion", Santux had responded.