Vanessa took the scepter from the Templar Elder and lowered her head for him to wear the crown on his head.

It's heavy, but it's steady.

Vanessa thought. The crown seemed too sudden and too easy, but compared to the daily abuse of Terrence before, it was already late compensation.

Reina and Rogge stood on either side of the throne, guarding the queen as the royal chief of guard. At the foot of the steps, the Flame Ministers, led by the Great Magician Mees, stood in a solemn line, respectfully; The representatives of the city-states of Liberty Angyi, who came from afar, were dressed in their own costumes, and the hall was full of colors.

And Vanessa's happiest thing is the arrival of Icemarsh Crown Prince Matt. Prince Matt was as tall and slender as ever, and his pale face showed a look of compassion for the world.

Vanessa's coronation was simple and solemn, and because of Deanna's experience, she consulted with the archbishop, omitting unnecessary politeness and complicated etiquette, and jumped almost directly from the coronation to the reception of guests, which was also very short, and then naturally came to the banquet.

Vanessa had never seen such a feast, dish after dish, and at first she intended to taste each of them, but soon dismissed the idea. Roasted bison shanks with leeks, venison pie stuffed with carrots, bacon and mushrooms, lamb chops coated with honey and cloves, spiced duck, peppered wild boar, roast goose, grilled chicken and pigeon skewers, barley beef, frozen fruit soup. The Grand Duke of Windsor brought from his house twenty boxes of seafood sealed in salt and algae: whitefish and snails, crabs and mussels, as well as clams, herring, cod, salmon, lobsters and lampreys. Brown bread, honey cakes and oatmeal biscuits were everywhere, turnips, peas and beets, soybeans, pumpkins and red onions, as well as baked apples, berry cakes and spirits boiled pears. Wheels of snow-white cheese lay beside salt dishes at each table, and pots of mulled wine with spices and chilled autumn malt were passed around the table

The musicians played enthusiastically and gracefully, but the sounds of harps, fiddles, and trumpets were soon drowned out by the laughter, the barking of dogs fighting for leftovers. The singers sang beautifully, and they performed "Iron Tooth", "Halberd Ship" and "Midsummer Light" in turn, but it seemed that only Reina was listening. The clown of Scambrai City leaned over to the flute and bounced on one foot. The noise gradually increased, and combined into a continuous rumbling roar, like a large chorus, making people dizzy.

The maids served each dish to Vanessa, and as queen, she had the right to choose her favorite part of any dish. So by the time the duck was served, she couldn't eat it at all. After that, she had to nod her head and wave away. If a plate smells so tempting, she names it to a nobleman on the high platform, a gesture of friendship and favor.

On the bench below, the people of Sleeping Dragon City, the commoners of the surrounding towns, the visitors of the nearby villages and towns, and the entourage of the visiting nobles sat together. There were many faces Vanessa had never seen before, and many people she knew, but they all seemed equally strange to her.

It's too hot, it's too noisy, and it's full of people who are getting drunk. Vanessa looked back at Reina, who was still standing behind her right with her bow at her back. Now, the bow that hung on the wall of Terrence Hall was rightfully on Reyna's back, but the absence of one man kept Vanessa in her throat.

Creon. Vanessa's eyes darkened. Whenever she thought of the name, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Mees," Vanessa tilted her head in the direction of the Grand Mage, "you said you could control Creon in the Land of the Vale. ”

"Yes." Meese looked at the banquet and immediately understood what Vanessa wanted to say, "I'll do it." ”

"Wait," Vanessa pressed down, stopping Mees, "I want to wait for someone to decide whether he lives or dies." She gestured to Reina, "Go and call the teleporter to the Long Night Hall." Then the queen toasted the nobles and commoners again, and then left the banquet hall.

*************************************************

"Brandt!" Vanessa suppressed the excitement in her voice, trying to make her breath seem calm and natural, "Is that you?" ”

"It's me, my dear princess." Far away from the sea, Brant turned from the walls of Neverwinter, looking much more mature, with a thick silver beard on his face and a burlier build. "Congratulations, today is the day of your coronation, but please forgive me for not being able to come to you because I still have a lot of politics to attend to." His dark blue eyes looked greedily at Vanessa's face, not wanting to take his eyes off her face for a moment.

"I know, I know." Vanessa looked at him intently. May you also know that I love you too. We've been separated for so long that I don't know how to describe how I want to see you! But there are always things in the world that are more important than romance, such as Creon's life and death. "I think it's time to fulfill the promise I made to you." Vanessa turned to look at Mees, "My archmage reversed Creon's magic, and now, his life is in Mees's hands. What to do with this person, I think it's best for you to decide. Speaking of this, Vanessa happily added, "Don't let him die too easily." ”

"Creon," Brandt frowned, "he deserves death for what he's done." But if he dies, the country of Sakatani will fall into chaos again. ”

"You can choose a smooth transition of power or you can take it over by force," Meese said confidently, "and the initiative is in our hands." ”

"What about Winterfell?" Brandt asked rhetorically, "I am the second son of Winevalley, a patricide rebel who was expelled from Creon, and I don't know how many supporters and allies I will have in my homeland. Now that Creon's rule is secure, and the country of Châteaux is not rich or declining under his rule, I have no legitimate reason to usurp him for the throne. ”

"We can force him to tell the truth of the matter." Vanessa is desperate to get justice for Brant, "That's obviously his fault!" ”

"You know he won't do what you want, even if you kill him." Brant looked into Vanessa's eyes, "He's bad, he's stubborn too." ”

"Just like you." Vanessa said deflatedly.

...