A Coranation

Heron was right that it was a long day that next day after his discussion with his father. That day it was announced that the king was stepping down and he was to be crowned.

The official date was put at the next week, so as to prepare all the traditions and rituals. But just that day itself was a flurry of activity. Which did not die down for a whole week really.

And then the day of his coronation arrived. His father had gotten out of bed for it, though he had to be helped to walk – he was still that weak.

The ceremony was long and boring. A priest of Xi'eli gave a speech on the duties of a king to his people and the duties of a people to their king. Heron listened of course, it was after all not without purpose. He wasn't sure if anyone else really did.

After the crown was placed on his head he gave a speech himself – though a considerably shorter one. His speech though was filled with promises to protect his country and to help it become even a better place to live.

It was met with cheers.

He was kept busy for hours afterwards talking with nobles, more than one of which hinted that he was soon to be of marriageable age and that they had daughters about his age. He just met them with a perfunctory smile and didn't say yes or no.

Others talked to him of politics and these he was a bit more interested in what they had to say. He heard scattered references of certain works he and the K. F. C. P. A. had been getting circulated. That pleased him greatly. It seemed there was some good coming from the slow plan they had initiated.

Finally Heron managed to tear himself away from it all, and retreated to what was now his study. Only one person followed him. Elswyth perched on the arm of his chair as had been her habit in Jarenkul – though she did not do it quite as much here.

"You look tired." She remarked, stroking his hair to tuck it behind his ear. "And harried."

"Its… been a hard few days." He admitted, "And some rough few weeks in general."

"Your father is doing better."

"You sound surprisingly happy about that considering you didn't get along with him very well."

At this she smiled, a teasing twinkle coming into her eyes. "Why of course I'm worried about the man who might end up being my father-in-law."

His eyebrow twitched. It was not the first time she had teased him like this. Ever since his sister had written that in her letter, Elswyth had every now and then been teasing him. It was making him extremely self-conscious around her – though he hated to admit it.

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. "Oh. Stop it." He said it a bit tersely.

She just laughed and kissed the top of his head affectionately. He swatted at her with his hand, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.

He wondered how they looked to other people. People didn't think they were romantically involved did they? He was starting to realize how the distance between them could be interpreted that way.

And all of a sudden he remembered how his father had told him not to do anything he'd regret and he was floored with the realization that that was exactly what his father had thought.

…Heron was not sure what to do about this realization. He couldn't really start distancing himself from this ranger who had become one of the best friends he had ever had. But he didn't want to cause her to suffer from a damaged reputation either.

His ears slightly red, Heron stood up and bid Elswyth a polite but distracted good night. He didn't quite flee the scene but he left fairly quickly.

He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. His thoughts were such a jumbled mess he didn't even know where to begin sorting them.

And, quite frankly, he made little to no progress that night doing so. Except to decide not to worry about it. After all, what could he do if people wanted to draw untrue conjunctures?