June 20, 1998
St. Oramyn Boulevard, Pelagis
It was clear looking at "Big Pappa" Moomintroth where he got his epithet. He stood six foot four and weighed 270 pounds, and had a bulky, grizzled look about him, like a long-retired linebacker. He was of Fendrin's generation, born in the late 1920s. Unlike Fendrin, though, he never touched tobacco and therefore had both his lungs in good working order still, even now as he approached 70. He wore his white hair close-cropped, and only now in his sixth decade was it beginning to thin on the crown.
He sat in the back of an armored limousine, legs sprawled in front of him, being driven to the great temple in Pelagis' city center. Here he would be coronated as the All-House Union's new Sedera. The word was often translated to "king", but to Pappa this was a gross misrepresentation of the position. The Sedera was elected, given the throne by a united consensus of Myroria's nobles. Receiving the honor was never a sure thing. Sederas, picked from the ranks of the aristocracy, did not get lazy like monarchs born in the purple.
Big Pappa knew this better than most. His father and grandfather were both kings. When his father died, Pappa was still "Nelvil" - a man who had not yet earned his nickname or respect as his house's patriarch. Perhaps this is why the Council folded when Fendrin Quarrovth, that upstart, marched on Pelagis with an army more loyal to him than the country itself. Nelvil had to chew on this disgrace for 20 years.
But it mattered no longer. In an hour he would be sitting in the Auspicious Throne of the Spirits and Ancestors. Fendrin's reign was merely a brief interregnum. Peering through the car's windshield, he could see the white walls of St. Oramyn's Chapel decorated with the dark maroon of Myroria's flag and the bright crimson of House Moomintroth's banner. As the limousine coasted to a stop in front of the chapel's tall steps, two footmen released white doves.
Two Moomintroth nobles waited for Pappa besides the massive wooden doors of the chapel. They stood in front of him, one facing each door. The man to Pappa's left, the middle-aged Count of Traval, tapped on the door five times with his cane. The crowd, held back by police, cheered after each successive hit. There was a pause for a few moments that felt like hours. Then the doors were opened and Pappa entered. As he passed the doors he saw an indentation on the left door, worn from centuries of cane-tapping before centuries of coronations in this temple.
Inside the temple, cushioned benches arranged in a giant circle faced a central chancel on which was the chapel's central altar. Depending on the ceremony, the altar could display a meal, a lecturn with scriptures, or a body. Today, it displayed the massive multi-tiered crown that was the universal symbol of the Sedera. Its weight and awkward shape meant it was only worn during coronations, and even then had to be supported by retainers.
In front of the altar was the Auspicious Throne of the Spirits and Ancestors, an equally massive chair upholstered in yellow cloth that had dulled to a golden brown over the centuries. It had been specially transported to the chapel from the Royal Residence for this occasion.
The pews along the aisle leading from the door to the altar were reserved for Myroria's most highly ranked nobles; leaders of the seven Houses and their immediate family.
First he passed Avibel Raviroth, the head of House Raviroth, his wife, two children, two brothers, and one sister. The men and boys dressed in sharp suits in modern cuts, and the women and girls in elegant gowns no less contemporary. Pappa always had an eye for clothes, and as he shook Avibel's hand and made polite waves to each of the people sitting on the pew, he noticed that their aggressive style befitted their reform-minded attitude, second only to Vrotrith's in its zeal.
Next was Massalanit Sershurrith, his two wives, and seven children. They were the complete opposite of the Raviroths - dressed not even in suits, but in the traditional, brightly-covered Myrorian caftans normally worn only by religious teachers and the most conservative believers. Massalanit and his three sons were all (in)famous for being pupils of the ultra-orthodox teacher Mathis Lleritroth, before breaking with him to pursue an even more traditional religious experience. Pappa shook Massalanit's hand and gave him his first genuine smile of the day.
Then there was Erendir Indiotrovth, head of House Indiotrovth, his wife, one child, and three brothers. They could never shake the accusation first leveled 100 years ago that their family was filled with Endirotirosi spies. It didn't help that he wore a particularly Endirotirosi style of suit to the coronation, or a bright teal tie to go with it. Even his cheekbones looked foreign, Pappa thought to himself. He shook Erendir's hand and nodded to the rest of them before moving on.
Mervin Mershanith, his wife, two sons, and four cousins were next, the last of the four New Houses. It looked as if his suit, a conservative cut that would have been in fashion five years ago, came from the same closet as Big Pappa's. Pappa smiled enthusiastically as he shook Mervin's hand. "Let's get a beer," he said quietly, keeping the cameras from seeing his lips.
Then, Rothis Vrotrith, his wife, his brother and his wife, and Rothis' two kids. Rothis wore a beard and what must have been the only suit jacket he owned. Pappa shook his hand aggressively, as one might shake the hand of the boy taking your daughter to prom. He half expected Rothis to address him as "comrade" on accident, but instead he said "Your Majesty".
Two pews from the front now, and now he had to play nice with the Quarrovths. It was the miscegenist Fendrina, her foreign husband Petei, the two unfortunate children from this union, Marsilamat Quarrovth, a high-ranking noble in that family, and Gothren Quarrith, the fixer. He shook her hand lightly and then carried on.
In the front pew sat his family: His wife, Lladrina, and three children. Next to them sat his two grandchildren and personal advisor, Rervim Moomintroth. He hugged his wife a respectable few seconds and then released her. The Count of Thanelen approached Pappa, holding a heavy brocade caftan similar to the ones worn by the Sershurrith nobles, different only in its ornate decoration. The Count helped Pappa put the robe on and then stepped back as he approached the throne and stood in front of it.
"Let us begin the coronation!" he announced to the crowds, who clapped politely in response.
June 21, 1998
The Sedera's Residence, Pelagis
Rervim was five years older now, and the politics, spirituality, and economics degree he got from the Royal College quickly got him a job with the Moomintroths' executive office in Traval. The belligerence and argumentative tone he was famous for in school turned, as far as anyone who knew him was concerned, into a more mild trait of stubbornness. Despite this, though, there was still a fire in his eyes that gleamed especially bright when discussing his passion: policy.
This passion was obvious enough to get him a job with Big Pappa as a policy advisor, and when he won the royal election in May, there was little question who would come to Pelagis with him. Was Rervim ready to leave the podunk scene in Traval and head straight for the capital, to mingle with the Moomintroth aristocrats suddenly elevated from repairing fences on their ranches to running a country? He certainly thought so.
"Your Majesty," Rervim began, sprawled in a chair in front of Big Pappa's desk, "The Council of Great Houses elected you because of the program our House promised to them. They saw that the Quarrovths were more preoccupied with enriching themselves than running our country. We have to show them right away that we're different - that you will do something where they did nothing. We have to submit a bill to the Council as soon as possible."
Big Pappa nodded slowly. "Remember," he said, "think of what we have the political capital to do. Quarrovth, Vrotrith, and Raviroth will try to block any bill I submit this soon after the coronation. So we can't afford anyone to defect from our side."
"Exactly. So we should start small, with something that has massive support - not only among the nobility, but among the people."
Pappa nodded again, this time even more slowly. He looked unsure.
"The Quarrovths opened our holy sites up to tourists. This is a travesty that has gone on for too long. People are sick of seeing Ozian women at necropoli or temples taking pictures. Or having to stand in line behind a Funkadelian! to enter a saint's shrine. If we were to reinstate the ban on non-convert foreigners at holy sites we could have the capital behind us to reinstate more of our traditions in the future."
Pappa smiled. "I like the idea," he said, "but we'll need the support of Indiotrovth."
"Simple," Rervim replied. "An associate in the south of County Novrith tells me that Nerendan has been trying to buy this land from an Ozian family for the silver deposits on it but they refuse to sell. Just order them to vacate and Nerendan will vote however we want him to on this."
Big Pappa smirked. "You are a nefarious sumbitch, Rervim."
"I live to serve, Your Majesty," Rervim said as he was standing. "I can have a draft bill on your desk by the end of the week." he continued before slithering out of the room.
