“It's gorgeous. For me?” he said.
“Yes, for you. I had it made from materials that came from our own mine. I figured you'd need a crown to be a king, and the game agreed. It gave me something called a Partner Quest, partnered to your quest to form a kingdom. Mine was called 'A Crown for a King'.”
“Hold up, so that's what I'm waiting on? My king's quest just told me quest awards were delayed until completion of a partner quest.”
“So, you like the crown? It works for you?” Tiana asked.
Eddie nodded.
“It's gorgeous, like I said. What do you need to do to complete your quest?”
“Just get your approval for the crown and present it to you,” she replied.
She held the circlet out on both hands, proffering it towards him. Eddie reached out and took it, finding out that it was a bit heavier than it looked.
Tiana's eyes went distant as she read something and a moment after she refocused on him, his notification light started flashing.
Success:
Partner Quest completed, quest awards now given. Bonus reward to be delivered after coronation.
Global Broadcast:
Congratulations to King Eddie Hunter for creating the kingdom: The Meadowlands.
It wasn't quite dinner time yet, but there was still a few adventurers in the inn, so Eddie was surprised a moment later when he heard a smattering of applause. He looked around to find that everyone was staring at him.
“King? Really? King Eddie? Why, oh why, didn't I listen to my instincts and follow you around,” said one of the adventurers.
Eddie ignored him.
Before I forget, add one point to wisdom, one point to agility, and one point to heartiness, Eddie thought.
“Hey Eddie, let me have that back now,” Tiana said, gesturing towards the circlet.
“Huh?”
“Don't worry, you'll get it back at your coronation, but who better to crown you than the High Priestess of the local temple?” she said.
“Oh, yeah, right. Coronation?” Eddie asked.
“Don't you worry about it, we've got it on track to go ahead in just a bit. We've still got a few things to work out, but a couple of days and we'll get to it,” Tiana said.
“Wait, is that another quest?” Eddie asked.
“Well, it wasn't. At least not until we just got the announcement that you created a kingdom. Now it is though,” Allie said, grinning.
“Why didn't you guys tell me about that other quest?” Eddie asked.
Tiana shrugged.
“I wanted to surprise you, plus who knew when you were going to actual manage to finish yours. So, we just waited. Sorry, I didn't realize it would hold up your own completion.”
“Not that big a deal, it was only a minute. But I practically had a heart attack when I first read that notification. I thought they were going to make it into one of those huge quest chains, you know seventeen parts or something?”
Tiana smiled.
“Nope, just had to wait on me for a minute. Am I forgiven?” she asked.
“Nothing to forgive,” Eddie said. “On the other hand, if the coronation quest ends up taking seventeen parts...”
He trailed off and she started laughing when she saw him struggling not to laugh himself.
~ ~ ~
Instead of getting right to work on what would be needed for the coronation, they made lists. They assigned tasks to everyone, and Eddie felt left out. They made the lists, not him. They assigned the tasks, not him. And they didn't assign him any tasks.
“Come on, what do you need me to do?” Eddie asked.
“Nothing, you aren't to do anything towards this quest,” Karl said.
“What, you want me to twiddle my thumbs while you work?” Eddie asked.
“Yes, that's about right,” Allie said.
Eddie grimaced, but listened closely to what they were listing out as needing to be done.
Hah! I bet that's something I can do, they didn't list anything at all that wasn't directly involved in the coronation. So I can work on things for anyone witnessing it. Because it sounds like the game intends it to be a big deal, which means at least NPCs in attendance. Maybe some players also, depending, Eddie thought.
So the next morning, when the rest of the group split up to take care of their parts in the coronation quest, Eddie went and tracked down the carpenters who were responsible for the furnishings. Knowing that the three of them might not be enough, he'd also brought a few of the other more competent carpenters and a few of the laborers that did the hauling as well.
The haulers arrived with the rough planks, and Eddie and the others started making benches, lots of benches.
He'd gone into the castle and gotten a rough idea of how many they'd need to fill the room the coronation was taking place in. He knew he had the right place because Jern was in there building a dais of finished stone. That was where they were planning on placing a throne.
A freakin' throne. What the hell do they think I'm going to do with a throne? Eddie thought. Why couldn't they just toss a chair in the courtyard and crown me there. It'd be more comfortable for everyone in the long run.
He'd heard their plans though, and he knew that there were a bunch of stages for their quest. The dais for a throne, the throne itself, a ceremonial cloak for him, the crown they already had, and so on and so forth.
And I can't complain because they all got a quest for it and they always helped me with mine, so I'm not going to mess up theirs, he thought. But I'll be damned if I have to be happy about it, and I'll be damned if I don't add my own little touches where it won't mess up their quest.
Eddie spent most of the day making benches, although he sent the laborers in to place them. If any of his group were in there doing their own quest stuff, he didn't want them telling him to stop doing things. If they saw the laborers moving benches in he hoped they wouldn't even associate it with him.
Alright then, what else can I do? he thought. Hm, I wonder if they're planning refreshments. Maybe let Liv get in on a little of the action? Hey, drinks too. I'll check what we've got in the basement of the inn and bring a cask up maybe?
Liv wasn't adverse to making some sort of refreshments for the ceremony, but she was less sanguine about it when Eddie couldn't tell her exactly when the ceremony was going to take place. She was also a little feisty about Eddie just stealing a cask of ale, until he paid her the full value for it. The inn had lots and lots of extra wooden mugs though, they'd replaced those with metal ones from Opron before he'd left, so Eddie made off with all of the wooden mugs and a cask of ale.
He carried them up to the castle in his inventory and found an out of the way room to put them in until they were needed.
That evening, he got a definitive date for the coronation. Not the next day, but the one after. He slipped off to tell Liv the date, and she confirmed that she could get things done for then, but she'd probably recruit the baker to assist her.
The next day had Eddie unable to think of anything else to do to add to the ceremony, so instead he tried to help build houses.
“I don't think that's quite right, Eddie,” Griff said. “You shouldn't be doing that, not with your position and all.”
“Griff, it's still me. I'm no different. Just because I have a different job title doesn't mean I'm any different.”
“Eddie, you're a king now, in all but name. Once you're crowned it'll be completely official. It isn't right for you to be out working on houses like everyone else. You should be above that.”
“Oh no, Griff. That's not how this is going to work. You win for today, but you'd better plan on me still helping with building things around here. I don't know what you think you know about kings, but it'll all be wrong if you try to apply it to me,” Eddie said. “You're warned, I won't push it today, but next time? Count on it.”
Eddie gave up, for the moment. If he had to do it that way, he'd just start building houses on his own wherever it looked like it
would be a good place for one to go. Then he'd just move some refugees into it and go around Griff entirely. But for the moment, he'd let it slide.
He went back to the inn and, with Lucky sprawling across his lap, started casting his makeshift fishing rod into the pond out back. For a while Lucky was happy to eat the fish he pulled in, but eventually even she got full and he started setting the fish to the side to deliver to the kitchen inn.
He did manage to increase his fishing skill, twice, something that hadn't happened in what seemed like forever since he hadn't had the time to fish for a while. At least not when he'd been thinking about it.
Eventually Lucky tired of lying on him, which was a relief because she'd been getting heavy but he didn't have the heart to chase her off. She took off back into the light woods and Eddie took the fish up to Liv.
He ended up just wandering the roads and looking at all the buildings that he'd either built or had built over the last few months.
I don't know if it actually looks like a city to me. With all the buildings on the two existing roads, it's kind of stretched out, but at least if we continue to expand we can do it right. Lay cobblestone roads through the gaps I insisted be left between the houses and fix up the existing roads. Once we get some depth as opposed to just building along the roads it'll look more like a city to me, he thought.
He had the inhabitants waving to him left and right. It seemed like just about everyone knew him, even if he only knew some of their names and some of them by sight.
He continued out to the west beyond the houses because he saw the areas Paul had been building for groups and guilds out that way. They were on the south side of the road, as opposed to the north side where Paul's house and sawmill where, but started about the same distance out from the crossroads.
Eddie was impressed by the compounds and buildings that had been constructed. They looked like medieval mansions or even, in one case, like a little self-contained village with a bunch of smaller houses, one larger building, and a wall surrounding all the buildings.
Finally he headed back to the inn. Dinner left him feeling rather left out since the others were all talking about the coronation quest. Although he was happy to note that they hadn't realized that he'd done a few things towards it as well.
He went to bed just wanting the coronation to be over so things could get back to normal.
Or at least closer to normal anyhow. I'm still going to be butting heads with people when I want to do things myself, but they'll have to get used to it, because that's how it's going to be, he thought. Whether they give in gracefully to my doing things or I have to order it, that's how it'll be.
He remembered back to the last few times he'd been working with others, and how they'd tried to give him plenty of room, only step in to help him if he asked, and the like and realized that if it was building he'd be doing, it'd be just him, or him and his party since he was sure that none of the regular building crews were going to be comfortable with him working alongside them.
Well maybe that original crew that stepped in to help finish the house recently would still be good to work with, but that was before everyone knew I was about to be a king, so maybe not, too, he thought.
He sighed heavily. Tiana was already mostly asleep and when she heard his sigh, she just rolled over and draped her arm across his chest.
And here I am bitching about things to myself when I may just be the luckiest player in this game, he thought.
That was the last thing he thought before drifting off to sleep.
~ ~ ~
In the morning he was up early and down in the common room for breakfast, Tiana actually having woken up with him.
They were eating when Bjorn came into the inn. He motioned Eddie over.
“Excuse me, Tiana. Bjorn wants something,” Eddie said.
Bjorn led him well away from Tiana before speaking.
“Eddie, Liv told me you had her making food for the coronation? How were you serving it?”
Eddie looked blank.
“That's what I thought. She asked me to haul it up there, so I'll bring wagons that I can swing the sides down. Then just place the food along the edge of the wagon beds and people can get to it. That sound good to you?”
“Thank you, Bjorn. I hadn't even considered that. Oh, and leave room for a cask on one of them? I've got a cask of ale up there for that as well and that'll need a spot too.”
“I can do that, Eddie, but now I better let you get back to Tiana. She's glaring at me right now,” Bjorn said.
Eddie grinned. He knew it was petty of him, but he'd been so irritated at being left out over the past few days that someone else, even Tiana, getting a little of it in return only bothered him the slightest.
And to be honest, if it weren't Tiana, it probably wouldn't bother me at all, he thought.
Then he returned to their table.
“Come on, we've got things to do before the ceremony,” Tiana said, dragging him off as soon as he was done eating.
The day was a blur, right up until he arrived at the castle. Then everything seemed to snap into focus. There were crowds of people there already when they arrived and Eddie was worried that Lucky was going to leave simply due to the number of people nearby. Instead she stuck to Eddie like glue.
Eddie was taken into the back of the castle by Audun while people were left to go into the coronation room and take their seats. The older man had taken to his position nicely, enjoying the opportunity to set up the castle from scratch. He'd been working with the carpenters doing the furnishings to get each room set up one at a time. According to Audun, Eddie's bedroom in the castle was ready now, even if Eddie had no intention of using it until the whole place was up and running.
A few minutes later, the dull roar of the crowd, which had been audible even through the walls, softened and a moment later Audun started leading Eddie towards a different door than the one they'd come in.
Eddie was led out onto the platform at one end of the throne room, the door in the back wall opening to reveal the crowds sitting on the benches, and even more people standing in the aisles.
Crap, I didn't expect this big a crowd, Eddie thought. Although even if I did, we couldn't have fit any more benches in here.
Led to the throne on the dais, Eddie stutter stepped and simply stopped for a moment staring at the throne. It was made of some dark colored wood, which let the silver and moonstone inlays on it stand out brightly. Audun tugged his hand again and Eddie finished walking to the throne.
“Sit,” Audun hissed.
Eddie sat and watched as Tiana, dressed in fancier robes than he'd seen her in before, approached the throne. She was carrying the circlet she'd shown him the other day and had the cloak folded over her arm. When she reached the throne, she stopped and turned to face the crowd.
“We're here today to crown Eddie Hunter as king of the Meadowlands,” she said. “You all know that I'm not much for public speaking, so this will be brief.”
She turned back to Eddie and told him to stand. Once he had, she draped the cloak around his shoulders, then spoke. It sounded soft, but Eddie heard it echoing from the back walls of the room even.
“As High Priestess of Freyja, I crown you King Eddie Hunter, King of the Meadowlands and first of your line.”
She had him sit down first, then lowered the circlet onto his head to the cheers of everyone in the room. When the cheers had quieted she glanced at Eddie and give him a smirk before turning back to the crowd.
“And now, a few words from the King of the Meadowlands. Should he so choose.”
She stepped down off the stone dais, leaving Eddie alone on his throne.
Oh, I'm going to so get her for this, Eddie thought. As a matter of fact, maybe I should start now, and not just her.
Eddie stood.
“I'm not one for public speaking either, but I have a few positions that I would like to fill right from the start. To start, while I cannot give the High Priestess a position m
ore suitable than the one she has already, I'd like to declare that the worship of Freyja will be the official religion of the Meadowlands. Understand that this does not mean that the other gods may not be worshiped, but that I, myself, am a worshiper of Freyja.”
There were a few murmurs, but no-one sounded unhappy about his announcement. He threw a smirk back in Tiana's direction only to find her glaring at him.
“Next, since much of the area around here is relatively unknown, should he chose to accept it, I will appoint Karl Rostov as the Royal Cartographer. Likewise, should he choose to accept, I will appoint Dominic as Court Wizard.”
Karl had stood and raised his hands as though in victory, but Dominic was just shaking his head. Eddie continued.
“Jern, my Hammer Dwarf friend, shall we make you the official ambassador to the Meadowlands?”
“Aye, lad, I mean, aye, King Eddie,” Jern called out.
Laughter followed that reply.
Shit, what do I offer Allie? Captain of the Guard, Captain of the Archers? I don't know, Eddie thought. Let's go with Guard captain and she can break them up however she likes and give herself whatever position she wants.
“Finally, if she's interested, I offer my group mate Alirshyn the position of Captain of the Guard for the castle, should she so desire.”
It took Allie a second to realize that Eddie had been referring to her, using her full name instead of her nickname, but once she did, she beamed a smile at him.
“There are other appointments I shall make in the future, but that's enough for now,” Eddie said. “Now, Liv and Bjorn should have set up food for everyone in the courtyard of the castle. Help yourselves.”
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