Atop the Dragon Platform, the dragon court homage ceremony concluded, and the Shadowflame Dragon returned to Shadowflame Volcano, while Russell slowly descended the steps from the platform.
"Your Highness!" called the nobles.
"Back to the great hall," Russell lifted his hand.
The enthronement ceremony's procedures had all been completed, but that did not mean there were no matters left to attend to; on the contrary, there were even more important tasks ahead.
"Your Highness, it's time for you to accept the oath of loyalty from the Dragon Blood Knights," said Chief Steward Lord Kunbei, as the overseer of many aspects of the ceremony, "After the Knight Regiment swears allegiance, all the nobles must follow."
It was an expected part of the process.
After all, the Shadowflame Grand Duchy had already undergone a de facto political succession; the knights who had originally sworn allegiance to the Flamecrest Dragonblood Family naturally needed to reassert their loyalty to Russell.
