“Okay… that can’t be that bad, right?” I ask.
“That’s the spirit,” he says. “Just know that you’re safe in this room, no one here will hurt you.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s begin,” he says before turning to Craig. “You walk us through the ceremony.”
“Let’s have you both stand by the door and we’ll use your office chair as a stand-in for the throne,” he says. “When we do the official rehersal, we’ll run the ceremony in the throne room.”
“Why aren’t we doing it there now?” I ask without thinking as Rhys leads me to the door.
“This is more private,” Craig hedges.
“Hmm.”
“For the ceremony, you will both be dressed in more traditional clothing,” he says, painting the picture. “The King will be in knee pants and socks witha blouse and the cape from the Royal Scottish Order. You will be in a gown and heels under your cape. “You will both be wearing crowns but not the official ones of the realm.
“Now, you will enter hand in hand after you step out of the carriage and make your way into the throne room.” Craig angles his head to address me. “It is important that you stay one step behind him at all times. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. It canno’ seem as if you are usurping the King’s power.”
“Got it.”
“Then you will both be led to your seats. The King will remain standing. He will take several oaths before God. Once he has done so, he will witness you taking your oaths.”
“What kind of oaths?” I ask.
“The kind that you’ve mostly already pledged yourself to, hen.” Rhys leans in and whispers to me. “The kind that go something like love and honor and obey, but this time it’s to rule at my side and serve me in ways that benefit me as the king of this realm.”
“Okay.”
“Then you will be led back to your seat while the King will be guided to kneel on a cushion where he will accept the Sovereign’s Scepter in his right hand, thus symbolizing the King’s power to govern with mercy,” Craig explains, handing Rhys a pool cue as a makeshiftscepter after he kneels on a throw pillow from the sofa. “After that he will take the Sovereign’s Orb, which is a massive uncut emerald. This will symbolize that the rule over this verdant isle is being placed in his hands quite literally.
“After that, the head of state, the head of the royal court, and the head of the judicial courts will each carry in a sword and tap it once on each of the King’s shoulders, pledging him the power over the people, the courts, and the church to all be done so with mercy and chivalry.
“When that is done, the King will be instructed to circle the floor to show his new powers and duties and then go back to the throne where he will sit down. This is where you come in again.”
It feels like the whole room holds their breath.
“All right…”
“Pages will be instructed to raise their screens,” Craig continues, carefully.. “Each of the four screens will enclose you and the King in a sort of box of privacy for the next part of the ceremony.”
“And then?” I whisper, keeping my eyes locked on Rhys from across the room.
“Then you will be instructed to stand in the center of the box, before your king, and remove your clothes.”
“Excuse me?” I snap.
“Stella,” Rhys sharply calls my name. “This is why we’re running through it now so that you won’t shriek and holler during what is to be a silent ceremony.”
“You cannot be serious,” I reply.
“I am,” he says. “Look at me and take off your clothes.”
“But—”