Coronation

The Council had offered Serana and I the used of the Imperial Chambers, but I said it wouldn't feel right to take them until we were crowned. Even that earned comments about my respect for the throne and all the trappings that would come with it. But, once the High Councillor shared the news with the Council as a whole about an agreement being reached, the news quickly spread across the Imperial City, and it was suggested that I should remain in the palace until the ceremony. I didn't particularly like that idea, but Serana stated that would be our lives going forward. Very little privacy, apart from our personal quarters, and my life as a warrior was over, for the most part.

The next morning, we were in the dining room. We being myself and Serana, but also Lydia, Mjoll, Aela, Karliah, Brynjolf, Vex, Delvin, Delphine, Esbern, plus General Tullius and his subordinates, who had chosen to remain within the Imperial City for the time being. My closest confidants and those from the army who backed me. Despite the seriousness of the situation outside the four walls of the dining room, there was plenty of laughter in the privacy of the dining room.

I received a message from a steward during breakfast, explaining what would happen. I looked up upon finishing, seeing everyone looking at me. "It will take a week before everything will be ready for the coronation."

"A week?!" Lydia exclaimed.

"The Council has already sent riders out with invitations. They have invited all the Jarls of Skyrim. But they have also despatched riders to High Rock and even Hammerfell, despite the fact they are no longer part of the Empire. Add to that, the Council feel they need time to spread news of my succession and allow time for everything to be brought together."

"So what are we all to do until then?" Aela asked, "I think most of us will go crazy."

"What are you plans for when you become Emperor?" Karliah wondered.

I couldn't help the smirk. "Not just yet. You'll find out soon enough. But I do have a little job for the Nightingales, if you're interested." The four nodded. "I'd like you to head out into the city and find out what the people think about me. The Council will be issuing statements about who I am, my achievements and what I will do for them as Emperor. But I'd like to hear what they think. Do they think I'll be a good Emperor? But the more important question I feel is; what do they want? What do they want me to do for them?"

"I think we can do that, Dragonborn," Karliah replied.

"Give us a few days and we'll have a report ready," Brynjolf added.

"And the rest of us?" Aela prodded. Everyone could see she and others were already restless. I guess they were expecting more.

"I guess we'll just have to continue training." There were a few groans and I couldn't help chuckle. "Hey, I didn't promise excitement to begin with. Once I'm on the throne, I'm sure I'll have plenty of jobs for you." I leaned forward and looked down the long table. "Even you, General."

He just smirked as he returned my look. "Oh, what do you have planned, Dragonborn?"

I tapped the side of my nose. "All in good time, General. All in good time."

The Nightingales disappeared after breakfast, as did nearly everyone else except Serana. General Tullius said he would go check on the army still camped on the other side of the water, taking all his men with him, figuring they could wait as well. As for Lydia and the rest, they wanted to explore the city. After a little pleading, I eventually relented and said they could go. That left Serana and I with little to do except explore the palace itself, though once we found the enormous library, we quite happily picked out a number of books and agreed to be content for the week, simply reading everything we could, much of it about the history of the Empire itself.

It was a quiet week except for the occasional meeting with either the High Councillor, or the entire Elder Council if they wished. I tried to be as open and honest as I could in regard to my ideas, but to be honest, I hadn't thought that far ahead regarding many things. And I told the Council in general terms that I would rely on them, and other advisors, to help me when I eventually took the throne. Though the Emperor had ultimate power, and nearly everyone worked for his or her desire, it took more than one person to run an Empire. I was going into the role with eyes open as possible.

Two days before the coronation, I sat down with the event organiser, head of the Imperial City guard, General Tullius, the High Councillor and my own friends, who I was now calling advisors, in regards to the events of the day. Karliah and the Nightingales had reported back, saying plenty of people were curious to who I was, and having learned of what I had achieved in Skyrim, were wondering what sort of Emperor I would turn out to be. And the fact I was of the same blood the Septim Emperors meant I started out as far more popular than the previous dynastic line.

Therefore, I suggested I should enter the city on horseback, dressed in armour, not as a conquering hero, as I wasn't, but at least in triumph, having been one of the thousands upon thousands who had ensured the Empire remained whole. There were murmurs of objection, but I said if someone was willing to try and kill me, then they were welcome to try.

The coronation ceremony itself would take place where I demanded. In the Arboretum, near the statue of Talos, with the other eight Divines circling around. I wanted the civilians to watch the ceremony. Again, there were murmurs but the organiser said that seating could be built very quickly in preparation. Other than that, the ceremony would be as one would expect of a coronation. One last thing I requested is that, once I was crowned, I wanted to meet and greet the people. That caused an enormous argument, so I relented and said I would ensure my advisors would be close by in the event someone was dumb enough to try something.

"Can't sleep?" Serana asked the night before the ceremony. She found me standing on a balcony overlooking the city.

I couldn't hold back the chuckle. "Of course I can't sleep. Our lives will change forever tomorrow."

"Are you worried? Thinking we've made the wrong decision?"

"I'm sure every Emperor would suffer moments of self-doubt, wondering if they've made the right choice."

"What do you think of the Council? Do you think you'll be able to work with them?"

"They've been helpful so far. I guess it's a case of wait and see once reality hits home and I'm on the throne. But I'm going to need help as I cannot run this by myself." I glanced her way. "But I will need to watch my back, and have others watch it for me. I remember the name Amaund Motierre. There will be those who desire the throne for themselves. I'll need people to watch the Council. Then I'll probably need people to watch the people watching the Council." I couldn't help sigh. "Honestly, I think the only people I'll be able to trust once all this is done and you and perhaps a dozen others."

"Why not get rid of the Council?" she asked bluntly.

"What?"

"Get rid of them. Bring your own people in, those you trust, and establish your rule that way."

"Nice idea… But I can't surround myself with 'yes men'. I know some of you are not like that, but there are plenty of sycophants out there. No, it's an idea, and perhaps even a good one, but I'll keep them around. The High Councillor has proven to be a good man so far. If I can establish a good working relationship with him going forward, then perhaps we can keep the peace here too."

"Well, I'll just have to watch your back then, ensure no knives are sticking out of you at the end of the day."

Leaning across, I kissed her cheek. "I'd expect nothing less of my queen."

She sighed. "How did I get here, Ragnar? A vampire, having been asleep for a thousand or more years, to meeting and falling in love with the Dragonborn, marrying said man, and now on the verge of being his wife as he becomes Emperor."

"Not a bad journey, eh?"

She grabbed my hand, locking our fingers together, as we leaned forward, continuing to overlook the city. "Best time of my life, Ragnar."

I'm not sure what time we got to sleep, but we were awake at dawn, though only because we were woken by Lydia banging on our bedroom door, telling us to get up. We were at least able to relax at breakfast, though I think all my friends were far more excited about upcoming events than myself. I must have been quieter than usual, as there were questions in my direction if I was okay.

"I'll be honest, just a bit of nerves," I stated.

"Everything will work out fine, my thane," Lydia replied.

"What are you going to call me after today?" I wondered.

"Sire. Sir. Your highness."

"No."

"No?"

"I definitely do not want to be called 'Your Highness'."

"I thought it was 'Your Majesty'," Mjoll offered in reply.

"Your Majesty is the correct term, Ragnar. And I think you'd better get used to it," Serana explained.

I looked around the table at my friends. "Can we agree that, in privacy between us, you just call me Ragnar?" Looking specifically at Lydia, "And I'm asking as your soon to be Emperor?"

"Of course, sir," Lydia replied, unable to hold back the smirk that formed.

I sighed, simply stating, "Fine."

After breakfast, we all disappeared to our rooms to dress. It was agreed that I would be dressed in my finest armour, that designed and built by Eorlund for when I had led the defence of Whiterun. I would also carry the banner we had designed, as that would hang on the wall of the palace once I had taken the throne.

Escorted out of the city through a series of secret passages, we were greeted by the army that had escorted me into Cyrodiil. "General Tullius, will you be accompanying me too?" I wondered.

"Of course. Myself and the men. This is your army, after all. I agreed it with the Council. Apologies for any deception, but we knew it would be a symbol of your legitimacy, to ride into the Imperial City with an Imperial Legion at your back, and you are a hero of the Empire after all."

I held out a hand and we embraced as warriors. "You honour me more than I deserve, General."

He barked a short laugh. "And you sell yourself short, sir."

"Sir?"

"Well, I'll have to call you 'Your Majesty' soon enough. You'd better get used to it."

I returned a look. "You too?" He just laughed at my look.

"Told you, sir," Lydia chimed in behind me.

The majority of the army was already organised. A small cohort of men would lead the way in, where I would then follow them in, Serana alongside me, followed by the General and his immediate subordinates, my advisors and friends, and then another cohort of soldiers at the rear.

Mounted upon my trusty horse, Sooty, who had been through everything with me since my very first days in Skyrim, the signal to move out was given and once the men in front of me started to march, I kicked the sides of my horse and we moved out. Serana rode her horse beside me, sharing the occasional glance, and I don't think either of us could stop grinning.

The main gates into the city opened as we approached, entering the Talos Plaza District. The crowds were already thick, people hanging out windows high to our side and, when looking up, there were plenty of people on the rooves above us. The noise was near deafening as people yelled, barely able to understand anything, though the people seemed happy, even excited by the procession. That helped calmed my nerves, as I was concerned about the reception we would receive.

The next set of gates opened, leading into the Temple District. Though I had wanted the coronation in the Arborteum, I knew our procession would lead past the old Temple of the One and the enormous dragon statue. If possible, the crowds were even bigger here, but it was nothing compared to what greeted us in the Arborteum. The city guards were having to hold back the teeming crowds, even though barricades had been set up along the road.

The cohort stopped in front of us near the stage and spread apart, lifting their weapons and Serana and I passed underneath. On the stage was the High Councillor, the High Priest and Priestess, and other local dignitaries. Bringing my horse to a stop, I look around and found the Jarls of Skyrim sat close by, searching and finding Jarl Balgruuf among them. He met my eyes and nodded in my direction. I crossed my arm across my chest and dipped my head.

Walking onto stage, I shook hands with the High Councillor, the Priest and Priestess and the long line of dignitaries. I didn't know many of them, but they introduced themselves as the rulers of the provinces of Cyrodiil, and people I would have to learn to deal with. I was then instructed to take the throne, with Serana alongside me on a similar seat.

The coronation then went about as expected. Rather dull, full of long speeches about the Empire, the Priest invoked the pleasure of the Gods upon my impending rule, the Priestess spoke about the Emperor and his relationship with his fellow man, before there were a series of prayers to the Eight Divines. Once the eighth was finished, I cleared my throat and gestured for the Priest to approach.

"Yes, sire?"

"You forgot the Ninth Divine." I immediately saw the concern. "Are any Thalmor here today?"

"Officially, no. But I'm sure they're watching within the crowds."

I smiled. "Let them watch. Please bless us with the Ninth, Priest."

He dipped his head. "As you wish, sire."

I knew that would piss the Thalmor off, but I also knew it wasn't going to immediately start a war. They knew exactly who I was, and I'm sure my ascent to the throne was already causing plenty of discussion within their Dominion. I did wonder if they were immediately going to declare war, but after plenty of conversations with military advisors, we knew they were in no position to launch full-scale war again. Both the Empire and Thalmor were still licking their wounds, over twenty years later.

The last event of the coronation was the placing of the crown upon my head. Dipping my head to receive what was a rather simple looking gold band, though decorated with a number of dazzling, precious stones, the Priest announced, "I crown thee Emperor Ragnar, First of the Dragonborn Dynasty. Let it be known that this is the First Day of the Fifth Era. May he and this era be blessed by the Gods, and may he live long and bring prosperity to us all."

*****

Celebrations had lasted a number of days as the people celebrated, what I hoped, would be an era of security and prosperity. But while the people celebrated, I got to work almost immediately. Before that, I finally allowed myself a tour of the throne room before I escorted Serana, now my Queen, towards the Imperial Chambers. To say they were breathtakingly exquisite doesn't even begin to describe it.

Back in the throne room, I had servants bring in a large table and chairs so I could sit with my advisors. I took the head, as Emperor, and then designated where each would sit. I wasn't sure how previous Emperors worked, but Serana was my wife and closest confidant, so she sat closest to me. One of my first acts was to nominate Karliah as the head of my spy network, though would have to explain more later, while nominating Delphine to take charge of my personal guard. That surprised everyone, even myself. But the gratitude she showed, and her promise upon her own death of keeping me safe, assured me it was the right decision.

Lydia, slipping into her new role, what I called 'Chief of Staff', had a handful of scrolls that I would need to discuss over the first days and weeks of my rule. Before that even began, General Tullius grabbed my attention.

"Your Majesty," I couldn't help the groan, "I believe one of the very first matters of business pertain to the resolution of the Skyrim civil war."

"What do you mean, General?"

"A new High King or Queen must be nominated. All the Jarls of Skyrim are currently in the Imperial City, expecting you to nominate before they return home."

I looked around the table. "Is there anything else that require my immediate attention over the next couple of days?"

"The Thalmor ambassador would like to speak to you as soon as possible," Lydia replied.

I looked at Karliah, who understood the unspoken question. "They're obviously concerned, sire. You may need to ease their minds as to what intentions. Your invoking of Talos during the ceremony did not go unnoticed by either side."

"The Thalmor can wait." I held up a hand up as one or two objections were raised. "I will not offend them. But I would like to have the situation in Skyrim solved, once and for all. General, as Military Governor, please have the Jarls meet me here tomorrow at lunchtime, where we can discuss the future."

"Of course, sire."

"After that, I would like to discuss a matter with you privately. Please don't ask what, it is only for your ears for now."

"Yes, sire. Anything else?"

I shook my head and looked around the table. "Unless there is anything that requires my urgent attention, you're all dismissed for now. We discussed prior to the ceremony what I wanted. Lydia, any word from the Elder Council?"

"They are going over the detail of the plans we all wrote up. The High Councillor said they would respond in due time. But, in this era of co-operation, for the time being at least, I don't expect them to push back too hard."

"Very well. For now, most of you are dismissed. Nightingales, please remain for the time being. Delphine, Mjoll and Aela, you too." Once everyone else had departed, including Serana, who I would tell later on everything we would discuss, I had the rest move up the table so I didn't have to raise my voice too much. "I've been thinking since the day General Tullius approached me about becoming Emperor, and I knew I was going to need… certain organisations to keep me and the Empire safe." I looked around the table, all seven hanging on my every word. I shuffled slightly in my seat so I could look at the four Nightingales.

"Karliah, I am reconfiguring and renaming the Imperial spy network and I want you to run it."

She bowed her head. "You honour me, sire."

"You will be known as the 'Eyes of the Dragon'. There was a spy network for the old Emperor, but from rumours I've been hearing, they were incredibly ineffective. I will be expecting far more from the network I will be establishing, though all credit will go to you for the work you will eventually do."

"What is it you wish us to do, sir?" Brynjolf wondered.

"A few things. One, I would like you to retrain any operatives we have in the dark arts. You four have proven your worth to me time and again. If any are as good as you are, use them immediately. Two, I want you to recruit and recruit fast, then begin an in-depth training program. Though please do not rush it. I want only the best of the best. If they're not good enough, then they can do something else. Three, once you have enough recruits, I want them out in the field, beyond our borders. See if you can recruit loyal Bosmer to work in Valenwood. We know there are thousands of Khajit wandering the Empire. I'm sure many of them can probably be bought off, if they are not already loyal."

"What about Morrowind or Black Marsh?"

"Morrowind, I'm not worried about. From what I have learned, our relationship with them is stable. As for Black Marsh, I believe they are simply consolidating their position, and are not a threat. Four, I want feelers put out towards Hammerfell. See if we can establish dialogue with them. Explain that a new Emperor and dynasty now rules and that old agreements may soon be torn up. Hopefully they will understand what I mean."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, fifth and last. Watch the Thalmor. That is the only thing you are to do for the time being. Watch. Learn. Wait. Their time will come."

Turning to look at the other three, their eyes all met mine, eager to learn their new roles. "Delphine, I would like you to take over the Imperial Personal Guard. The organisation will be known as 'Claws of the Dragon'. Like my spies, I only want the best of the best. Open recruitment to any and all who serve in the army. I've looked at the recruitment details for the current personal guard. Run your eyes over it and see how it can be improved. Don't forget, the Dark Brotherhood managed to assassinate the previous Emperor, so clearly they were not good enough."

"I'll do that immediately, sire." Delphine paused, before adding, "Thank you, for trusting me so readily again."

"Water under the bridge. This is a new dawn." I looked at Aela. "Aela, you will be my personal bodyguard, at my side at nearly all times. How does that sound?"

"Can't think of anything better, Your Majesty."

"You can cut that out, to begin with. But I will ensure you have personal quarters close to Serana and I. And I will do my best to ensure you are not too bored."

I then looked at the last person. "Mjoll, I would like you to be my personal liaison between me and the Imperial Armed Forces. But it is an open offer. If there is something else you would like to do, let me know now."

She was quiet for a moment. "To be honest, I was hoping to join what you now call your 'Claws of the Dragon'."

"I'd happily accept her now, sire," Delphine added, "I am aware of her prowess in battle."

I smiled. "Very well. I guess Lydia and I can liaise by ourselves." Looking around the table, I asked, "Is there anything else before you're dismissed? I have an open mind, and rest assured you can tell me anything. The last thing I want from any of you is to be 'yes men'. I always want honesty, even if you think I won't like it. If it's bad news, it's bad news." I was greeted only by shaken head. "Very well, you have your orders. Make it so."

"Thank you, sire," was the echo as chairs were pushed back and the throne room was emptied.

"Do you require anything else from me, sir?" Lydia wondered, once the room was clear.

"Not at the moment. Keep in touch with the Council. As soon as we have any reply to any of my ideas, let me know. But, for the moment, I'll head to my chambers and carry on reading I guess. There's a lot to learn."

"You'll do great, sir." I met her eyes and smiled. "And I'm not just saying that because you're Emperor."

"Flatterer." I paused, before asking, "Do you like the role I've given you, Lydia? Be honest."

"Of course. I'm going to be one of the most important people within the Imperial Court, sir. I'll be very busy, with a lot of responsibility, but I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun too."

"If it gets too much, hire an assistant. Or two."

"What would you like for lunch?"

"I'll head down to the kitchens with Serana later and introduce myself. I don't need to be waited on hand and foot. It's bad enough the servants want to try and dress me. I think they might need some new rules explained to them."

"I'll sit down with them, sir."

"They're well paid and looked after though?"

Lydia nodded. "Yes, sir. I've looked at the contracts. They're very fair."

"I'm not sure we need as many as we have. Serana and I are quite capable of looking after ourselves. So see if they can be found other jobs within the Imperial Palace or Court."

"I'll look into it, sir."

Back in my private quarters, I walked into our vast bedroom before flopping down onto the bed on my back, releasing a loud sigh. Spreading my arms wide, I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, unsurprised to feel the bed depress beside me and feeling a kiss on my cheek. That made me smile, at least.

"That's better," Serana whispered.

"A kiss from my Queen always makes me feel better." I then explained everything I'd just organised. "Do you think I did the right thing with Delphine?"

"Are you unsure of her loyalty?"

"No, she's loyal to the Emperor. And, as I said, water under the bridge. I don't hold grudges… Well, except for one group of people. We've spoken, and she was apologetic, and also understanding of my reasons once I'd explained my thought process regarding my blood kin."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. She was a Blade, best of the best. More importantly, she has plenty of experience against the Thalmor. We're going to need all the help we can get against them. But you've had plenty of ideas, Ragnar. And good ones. Very good ones. I think we'll be just fine."

I could only pray to the Nine Divines that she was right.