After a short walk filled with stares of awe, Lilly and Eolande had arrived at the plaza. At this point, Lilly had been repeatedly instructed by what she liked to call the 'prim and proper committee' about how to act during the ceremony.
She wasn't very fond of that particular branch of the local government. They were constantly reminding her of what she was doing wrong in social situations, and she received more than enough comments about her usual style of clothing.
'I guess it's better than them saying it behind my back…' was her optimistic take on it.
" --Then you bow like this before exiting the stage to your right."
"Yes, thank you, I think I've got it now," Lilly responded, trying her best to sound like the third repetition wasn't a waste of time.
"Are you sure, Lady Protector? You've been awfully distracted during my instructions."
"I think forgetting my speech will be more impactful than forgetting the pose of a bow, Miss Instructor, so please excuse me while I continue to practice it."
'No, bad Lilly, she's just trying to do her job!'
She sighed and corrected herself. "I appreciate your help, Miss Instructor, and I'm sure you will make a fine Lady of me eventually."
The instructor gave her a slight smile as she curtsied and left her and Eolande alone.
"You want me to take care of her, Lilly?" Eolande asked with a smirk.
Lilly smiled, but shut down her suggestion."No, appearances are important in the end. I just don't feel like learning everything right now. And please word that differently in the future, whatever you meant."
"Aww, where's the fun in that? The ambiguity makes it interesting."
Now that the start of the ceremony was approaching, the crowd could be heard on the other side of the stage. Lilly hadn't dared to take a look yet, but she could hear that there were scores of people.
A commotion started sounding out around them behind the stage, signaling the arrival of other participants in the ceremony. Lilly could spot Princess Adelia and her butler Claude walking towards the stage, followed by the city's major, Mr. Altbeck.
Lilly had never met the man before, but she had seen him from afar. He was a middle-aged gentleman with black hair and a charismatic face. The mayor was elected by the people to listen to their problems and forward them to the head of the city, which was the role Lilly had accepted reluctantly, Lady Protector.
He also handled many other tasks under Selene's administration, like finances and minor criminal cases. And Lilly was fine with letting that arrangement continue, at least for the foreseeable future.
'The princess never seems to bring any security as she's walking around… Is Claude secretly extremely strong? Or does she have some incredible protective measures on her?' Lilly pondered, knowing the importance of security better than most.
The ceremony was about to start now, and Mr. Altbeck, as the announcer, would be entering the stage first. Princess Adelia noticed Lilly looking over at them and waved at her with an enchanting smile. Lilly waved back, and felt a bit better seeing how casual the princess was about the whole thing.
Then, the trumpets announcing the start of the ceremony sounded, and everyone, including the crowd, quieted. Mr. Altbeck shook his hands energetically, seemingly preparing himself mentally to enter the stage. 'Perhaps it never gets easy,' Lilly thought.
The fanfare ended, and he entered the stage. The crowd sounded pleased to see him, showing his support from the masses. Lilly could hear him greet the audience with a practiced tone, saying something about how this appearance would be more joyous than the last. That one had been to announce the war, so Lilly hoped he was right.
Then he started introducing Princess Adelia, saying she was the youngest of the three royal children and the jewel of the capital. Lilly glanced over at the princess and noticed a slight frown on her face. 'I guess being called a rare beauty constantly gets tiring... especially considering how intelligent she seemed during our talk.'
The introductions were over, and Princess Adelia stepped onto the stage, receiving excited applause from the crowd. Lilly also walked over to the entryway of the stage and got a nice view of the stage and the crowd. She immediately felt a heavy lump in her stomach, seeing tens of thousands of people looking up at the stage. The total population of Thundrel was around 40,000, so a significant portion of the populace had met up today, to see her.
She looked back at the princess, who had started addressing the crowd. After a few words of gratitude and some nice words about Thundrel, she stepped to the side, ready to hand Lilly her medal and title.
Mr. Altbeck had a bit of a sad expression as he started addressing the crowd again, telling them Selene had lost her position as Lady Protector. He did note that she was happy about it since she would get to fight in the war now, which got a laugh from the crowd. It seemed like her character was well-known by the people of the city.
As he started announcing the replacement as someone everyone would be satisfied with, Lilly felt faint. This was it. She would soon be on that stage, facing thousands of faces she would be protecting in the future.
A sudden slap on her behind brought her back to her senses. She yelped and turned around to see Eolande standing there with a grin. "You seemed out of it, Lilly, so I thought I'd help."
Lilly felt indignant, resigned, and somewhat violated. But not nervous, at least. And she knew Eolande only meant to help her with the nerves she was feeling. She turned back to the stage, feeling a lot better, and reluctantly thanked Eolande for her help.
"So please join me in welcoming the hero of Thundrel, Lilly Baker!"
After a final tap on the shoulder from Eolande, Lilly slowly walked up to the stage, now in full view of the crowd. A deafening cheer followed, and countless faces showing joy and gratitude pointed at her. She couldn't help but smile, feeling the energy the crowd was giving her.
Not only did they accept her, they loved her. The crowd was jumping with their hands in the air, cheering for her and following her every move. Some even had signs with red birds on them, showing the image she had in their minds as the fiery bird that saved the city.
'Oh gods, oh gods, what was I supposed to do now again?' Lilly wondered, filled with so many conflicting feelings that she felt like two different people. 'Title, medal, speech, right?'
She walked as steadily as she could over to the princess. She was smiling at Lilly, which made Lilly smile back at her before kneeling in front of her.
Princess Adelia started speaking, adressing Lilly directly, but loud enough for the entire crowd to hear, "Lilly Baker, your deeds during the attack from our enemies have moved all of Eldoria. My father, King Holtar, has therefore decided to grant you a title, and a medal of valiance, for your deeds."
She held her palm in the air, and after a bright flash, a medal appeared in it. It was golden and had a simple heart-like design with a red and white ribbon on top. The metal seemed odd, though, Lilly thought. It looked like gold but somehow seemed to be glowing a bit.
"Rise and accept your medal, Lady Lilly, and accept your title; Enchantress of the Vermilion Flame!" There was so much authority in her voice then that Lilly stood right up, almost too fast. The crowd was louder than ever, cheering wildly for their new hero. Princess Adelia attached the medal to her uniform, right above her heart, and with a genuine smile said something only Lilly would have been able to hear; "You really deserve it."
Lilly smiled back. "Thank you, Your Highness, I hope to live up to the role."
She walked to the front of the stage, getting ready to deliver her speech. The people seemed to understand her intention and immediately went quiet.
"Greeting everyone! I am truly honored by your welcome here today. I will do what I can to live up to the title of both Enchantress and Lady Protector.
I would like to say that the result of the attack had nothing to do with miracles, but not even I can argue that anymore.
If I hadn't awakened the ancient power of my bloodline shortly before the war started, the attack would have succeeded. If I hadn't been at Lady Selene's side during the attempt at her life, I would not have known what to do when the bells rang, and I would not have been able to save her from the poison in her blood.
My actions that day were a result of lucky coincidences, but they also reflected who I was raised to be and the values I hold in my heart.
I saw the faces of some of you on my way to stop the attack, and I saw the fear that the bell so clearly instilled. But regardless of fear, I think any of you would have done the same in my position- if not to protect the entire city, then to protect your community, neighbors, and family. I think so because we were raised in the same city with the same values.
As Lady Protector of the City, I promise to do what I can to hold those responsible for the attack accountable and to keep improving as your protector. Thank you!"
She ended her speech with a bow, and once again the crowd erupted in cheers. They were perhaps louder than ever, so the speech seemed to have landed well.
With a final wave and a glance to the crowd looking for any 'Go Lilly!' signs, she turned around and left the stage. She was soon followed by the princess and mayor, and soon the stage was empty once again. The crowd continued their cheers, showing their support for their new Lady Protector, and Lilly felt warm inside.