God Save the King

It had been about a week since Pen Stroke approached me and informed me of my royal status. The word had been spread throughout Great Griffin that I was the heir to the throne, and preparations were quickly made for my coronation ceremony. Aristocrats and other well-to-do griffins and ponies from all throughout the Isles flocked to Trottingham for their chance to see the ceremony and be introduced to their new monarch. There was, of course, a lot of negative reactions from the fact that a bastard was going to become King, but there was nothing I could do about them. I just tried not to think about the folk who questioned my legitimacy as monarch, and focused on my coronation, which was mere moments away from starting. It was a sunny day, for once; a good omen for my rule.

"By the King, a proclamation: Declaring His Majesty's measure touching his royal coronation and the solemnity thereof, that all his realm shall know the King is to be crowned." the royal criers proclaimed throughout Trottingham. Trumpeters throughout the city sounded their horns, music filling the streets, as the announcements were made that I was to be crowned.

Normally, the coronation of the new King would be much later; it was traditional to wait until several months after the death of the last monarch before holding an official coronation. By holding an early coronation ceremony, I was breaking tradition, which was quite fitting for me; my ascension to the throne at all was a break from tradition, on account of the fact that bastards were normally ineligible for inheritance. The more traditionalist nobles weren't happy about the early ceremony, but they weren't going to support my reign to begin with; they were the kinds of ponies who would reject my legitimacy on account of the fact that I was a bastard, and wouldn't like me even if I upheld every other tradition, anyway.

With the proclamation made throughout Trottingham, I was escorted out of the castle and into a fancy pony-drawn carriage that carried me down the streets of Trottingham towards the famous Westmanester Abbey, one of the most prestigious churches in all of Great Griffin, which was where the coronation of monarchs was held. Soldiers of the Crown lined the streets as I traveled to Westmanester, dressed in red uniforms, most of which were carrying bayoneted muskets. Crowds of ponies formed throughout the streets, demonstrating a mostly positive reaction to me; there was a lot of cheering as my carriage was pulled through the streets, though many ponies just remained silent. Most of the common ponies weren't too fussed over me being a bastard; it was primarily the nobility and, to some extent, the Church who cared about my bastardy.

Upon arrival at the church, I departed the carriage and, with several guards surrounding me, entered the large building. The church choir and organist performed I Was Glad as my procession and I entered the doors; it was a tradition for the song to be played at the beginning of coronations, dating back around two hundred years. As I walked, listened, and looked around the interior, I felt...at peace, for the first time in a long while. Being the house of the Lord always did wonders to calm my anxieties, but Westmanester Abbey was an especially soothing environment. Everything about it, from the music to the ornate stone arches to the carvings and stained glass murals which lined the walls just created an atmosphere that dissolved away the nervousness I had been feeling. Feeling the grace of God, I felt the strength within myself to face the crowds.

I walked up to the oaken throne, upon which every Griffish monarch had been crowned for over four hundred years, standing in front of it. The crowds quieted as I did so, and the Archbishop of Canterpony, a light-tan unicorn stallion with a light-gray mane and a blue cross for a cutie-mark (wearing ivory-colored robes, emblazoned with golden crosses, in contrast to my own custom-tailored robes which were colored a mix of white and red) approached me and stood in front of me. Turning to face the crowds, he made the following proclamation.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, I do hereby present unto you King Valiant, your undoubted King: Wherefore all of you who are come this day, to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" the Archbishop asked.

"God save King Valiant!" the crowd responded.

The Archbishop repeated the proclamation three times, asking in each direction, being met with the same response each time. Whether the ponies in the crowds actually meant what they said was a matter for debate, but it was still a nice gesture. With the Archbishop's proclamation complete, I was led to another chair, this one having a red cushion, that I sat down in. The Archbishop then proceeded to administer the coronation oath.

"Sir, is Your Majesty willing to take the oath?" the Archbishop asked me.

"I am indeed." I answered.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the Kingdom of Great Griffin in accordance to our laws and customs?" the Archbishop asked.

"I do solemnly promise." I answered.

"Will you, to your power, force law and justice to be executed in all your judgments?" the Archbishop asked.

"I will indeed." I answered.

"Will you, to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you, to the utmost of your power, maintain and preserve the Church of Trottingham, as, by law, established in Great Griffin? And will you preserve unto the bishops and clergy of Great Griffin, and the churches they maintain, all rights and privileges that, by law, shall appertain to any of them?" the Archbishop asked.

"Let all of Great Griffin bear witness that I do solemnly swear to do all of this, and always uphold the will of Providence." I answered. I wasn't entirely certain that the clergy was going to be amenable towards my reign, both because of my status as a bastard and because of...other factors about myself, which were beyond my control, that the clergy would highly condemn. Still, I was a God-fearing griffin and, as King, it was my duty to oversee the Church and bear the title of Defender of the Faith. I would try, to the best of my ability, to appease the Church of Trottingham, but I knew it was not going to be an easy affair.

With the vows completed, the Archbishop and I walked to the altar, where the priests laid down an open copy of the Bible. Kneeling in front of the altar, I made a promise before God to fulfill and uphold my vows.

"May Providence bear witness that I shall always uphold the promises I have made today." I declared before kissing the book. Ordinarily, I would have been expected to give a royal signature backing up my oaths, but that part of the ceremony had been omitted on account of me not being able to read or write (although everyone else hadn't been informed of my illiteracy; Pen Stroke had conjured up some excuse to warrant skipping it, something I was grateful for).

Having finished the reinforcement of my vows, I, with the Archbishop (levitating the book with him) following me, sat down in another nearby chair. The Archbishop proceeded to lay the Bible down on a stand in front of me, and said the following:

"Most gracious King, to keep your Majesty ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God, that you might forever uphold His traditions and commandments, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world has to offer." the Archbishop said after he had set the book down.

The church musicians played a hymn I had never heard before as the Archbishop and I got up, again. We walked over to the oaken coronation chair, in order for me to be anointed and officially crowned. I sat down in the chair, built around the Stone of Pone (a prestigious artifact from the northern province of Trotland, which had been used for the coronation of Trottish kings and queens before it was brought to Trottingham following the creation of the unification of Great Griffin). Several ponies held a golden cloth canopy in the air over me, and the Archbishop approached me alongside the Dean of Westmanester Abbey (a gray earth pony stallion with a white mane, and brown eyes; I couldn't actually see his cutie-mark, as it was covered by his robes) . The Dean poured consecrated oil into the gilt coronation spoon, which the Archbishop proceeded to use to anoint me with the sign of the Cross on my hooves, forehead, and chest. As he was doing so, the royal choir sang a rendition of another hymn which was new to me.

After the anointing was complete, a second robe was placed over me, this one colored gold. The Archbishop then presented me with the Sword of State, part of the Griffish crown jewels, placing it in my hooves.

"Receive this kingly sword, brought now from the altar of God and delivered unto you by the hooves of bishops and humble servants of the Lord. With this sword, do justice, stop the growth of inequity, protect the holy Church of God, and help defend all the faithful ponies of the land." the Archbishop declared as he presented the blade to me.

I then proceeded to take the sword and walk up to the altar (holding it, carefully, with my wings, so I could properly walk), where I presented it to the Dean, who, in turn, proceeded to place it on the altar. I then turned and walked back to the coronation chair, sitting back down, at which point the Dean retrieved a set of two golden bracelets (known as the bracelets of honesty and friendship) and proceeded to bring them to me. Wordlessly, the Dean placed the bracelets on my front paws.

"Receive the bracelets of honesty and friendship, tokens of the Lord's protection, embracing you on each paw, and as symbols and pledges of the bonds that unite you with the ponies of Great Griffin, to the end that you may be strengthened in all your works and defended against all enemies through the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord." the Dean said.

After the Dean's statement, I stood up and was invested with further vestments. A second golden robe, this one larger and more heavily decorated than the last, was placed over me and clasped in place.

"Receive this royal robe, and may the Lord your God imbue you with knowledge and wisdom, with majesty and power from on high, and may the Lord clothe you with the robes of righteousness, and with the garment of salvation." the Archbishop declared.

I then sat back down in the coronation chair, at which point the Archbishop presented me with a golden orb topped with a cross, representing the rule of Christ over the whole of Equus, setting it my right paw.

"Receive this orb, set under the Cross, and remember that the whole world is subject to the power of Christ, our Redeemer." the Archbishop declared.

The orb was then taken back and returned to the altar, after which the Archbishop presented me with a golden scepter, topped with a jewel-encrusted cross.

"Receive the royal scepter, the conduit of kingly power and justice." the Archbishop said as the scepter was placed in my right paw

The Archbishop then proceeded to present me with a slightly longer golden scepter, this one topped with a dove, placing it in my left paw.

"Receive the rod of equity and mercy. Execute justice that you forget not mercy; punish the wicked, protect and cherish the just. " the Archbishop said.

Then, it was time for the crowning moment of the event; quite literally. The Dean of Westmanester took the Crown of Great Griffin from off the altar, carrying it on a pillow of red velvet, and walked over in front of me. The Archbishop then took the elegant golden crown from off the pillow (with his magic) and, holding it high in the air, slowly descended it down onto my head.

"God save the King! God save the King! God save the King!" the crowds declared while the organist played a dramatic tune as the Archbishop removed his magical grasp from the crown.

The feelings I was experiencing were quite overwhelming. To go from a starving orphan on the streets of Trottingham to King of Great Griffin in such a short period of time was a truly exhilarating experience, to say the least. It was nothing short of miraculous, what had happened to me. I felt as though I had been personally graced by God, who had seen fit to liberate me from my suffering and elevate me to my position. I just knew it couldn't have been sheer chance by which I inherited the crown; I knew that I had been blessed by Providence, and I silently resolved at that moment, with the crown upon my head, to always carry out the Lord's work and spread His good graces across every corner of Equus.

"May God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness, that having a rife faith will manifold through good works, you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom, by the gift of Him, who's Kingdom endureth forever, amen." the Archbishop prayed.

The rest of the event passed by very quickly for me; I was simply too overwhelmed with emotion to properly process and commit to memory the things that were happening around me. I was surrounded by divine grace, and imbued with newfound passion after years of depression. It was as if I had died and been born anew, through power from on high, restoring me to life. All I could think about was how I had been called upon to purge Great Griffin of inequity and injustice, and how the Lord had tasked me with spreading His light and wisdom to the ponies of the world. I wasn't a perfect pony, but I promised to myself and to my Lord that I would do everything in my power to defeat the forces of inequity in my country and bring about a new era of harmony and justice.