Dang!
The great bells of Lumièrea rang out one after another. Faint golden lines flickered along the masonry at the first chime, and the whole kingdom seemed to hold its breath.
Far inside the largest inn of the capital, a polished crystal orb resting upon the main table flared to life. Soft light swirled across its surface until a clear image formed: the long length of the Great Hall, and walking down its center aisle was Lucian.
He moved with steady purpose, flanked on either side by a double file of royal knights in gleaming plate armor. Lucian's deep royal-blue robes glowed faintly where silver thread caught the light, the heavy wolf-fur cloak settling across his broad shoulders.
At the far end of the aisle stood two massive oak doors bound in bands of hammered iron. Two knights stood guard there, their hands resting upon the hilts of drawn swords. As Lucian drew near, they stepped forward in perfect unison, seized the heavy iron rings, and pulled the doors wide open. One called out in a voice that carried all the way back down the hall:
"His Majesty Lucian Westergaard, rightful heir by the will of Prince Adam, chosen of the Eternal Covenant—enter and be received!"
The doors swung wide.
The air inside smelled of frankincense and polished wood. A choir sang high up in the rafters in an old, forgotten language, their voices echoing down rows of stone pillars. Torches burned bright.
Before Lucian stretched the throne room in full glory. The great throne of dark stone and gold stood at the center of the raised dais.
Yen Sid stood to its right, his long gray beard neat, his sorcerer's hat tall. To the left stood Chancellor Pensworth, holding a velvet pillow upon which rested the golden rose circlet. Beside him another official held a second pillow bearing two ancient symbols of rule: the Sovereign's Orb, a golden globe topped with an opening tulip-like finial, inlaid with star engravings and blue gemstones and the Royal Scepter, matching the orb's design but ending in a larger rose-shaped head.
Along both sides of the hall stood the remaining nobility of Lumièrea, their posture stiff. Opposite them, closer to the front, stood Lucian's companions: Hiccup, Merida, Ariel, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, the twins, and Mor'du. Their faces showed a mixture of happiness, pride, worry, and quiet support.
Knights lined the aisle, raising their swords high in a glittering arch of steel as Lucian passed beneath them. When he reached the base of the dais, the knights lowered their blades and stepped aside in perfect unison.
Yen Sid stepped forward. He took the golden rose circlet from Pensworth's pillow with both hands. The old wizard's voice was clear and strong.
"By Prince Adam's trial, by worth, and by the will of this land. I place this crown upon you." He set it gently on Lucian's brow.
The second official approached. Lucian accepted the Sovereign's Orb in his left hand and the Royal Scepter in his right. The weight of both felt heavier than metal alone.
Lucian turned to face the gathered crowd. The nobles and citizens rose as one.
He drew a slow breath, the new crown steady on his brow, and spoke the oath in a voice that carried to every corner of the hall.
"I, Lucian Westergaard, stand before the people of Lumièrea and before the memory of the one who came before me. I swear to guard this kingdom, its people, and its future with all the strength I possess. I swear to lift the remaining shadows of the curse that bound us. I swear to rebuild what was broken, to protect what remains, and to stand between this land and any who would see it fall again. Let my word be iron. Let my will be the shield of Lumièrea. From this day forward, I am yours, and you are mine to defend."
A deep silence followed the final word.
Yen Sid raised both hands.
"As he holds the symbols of sovereignty and is crowned in this sacred place, I present to you… King Lucian of Lumièrea!"
The hall erupted in applause and cheers. Outside, the same cry rose from every street and square where the projection orbs glowed. Citizens who had only hours earlier been statues now wept, laughed, and shouted the new king's name.
______
On the western edge of the Dark Forest, a lush, sheltered bowl valley lay hidden within a ring of steep, impassable peaks. Verdant lower slopes rose into jagged rock faces, and distant snow-capped summits watched over fields of green, coffee bushes, ferns, and vibrant tropical blooms.
In the center of the valley stood a town where people went about their lives with quiet happiness and with quiet strangeness.
A woman lifted an entire brick-walled church on her shoulders while a priest directed her toward a new area. Another woman waved her hand over newly planted seeds, and the plants surged upward into ripe vegetables within moments.
Mirabel walked along the street beside her cousin Dolores. Mirabel had chin-length curly black hair, round glasses, dark freckles across her nose and cheeks. Dolores wore her dark hair in a bun tied with a big red bow, and had warm cinnamon skin and russet eyes.
"Abuela said I should ask you to listen for any more strange news from the mountains," Mirabel was saying, adjusting her glasses. "She's been worried ever since those big lights appeared last night. She thinks something big is happening out there, and she wants—"
Dolores suddenly stopped walking.
Her eyes widened. She turned sharply toward the distant peaks that separated Encanto from the outer world, one hand rising to her ear as if the sound had grown too clear to ignore.
"A king…" she whispered. "A king has just been crowned."
Mirabel blinked. "Huh? Did you say something?"
Dolores glanced around to make sure no one else heard, then leaned close to her ear. "On the other side of those mountains, there's another kingdom and right now, a new king has just been crowned there."
Mirabel's own eyes went wide. She looked toward the great wall of peaks that had always seemed to be the edge of their world.
"We have to tell Abuela right away," she said quickly.
Together they turned and hurried back toward Casa Madrigal.