In the central square of Gilneas City, banners fluttered in the wind. (There were no drums or gongs.)
King Genn Greymane stood atop a temporary platform, sunlight falling across his graying temples.
At his side stood Darius Crowley. The former rebel lord wore formal attire embroidered with his family crest, his expression solemn. He had now become the King's most favored confidant and might even become kin to the royal family in the future.
Below the platform, rows of Royal Palace guards stood in neat formation, armed with weapons of all lengths and types, separating the crowd from the King.
There was also a hidden chamber beneath the platform, concealing another group of guards prepared to handle emergencies.
The square was packed with people who had come to witness the ceremony. There were nobles, but even more commoners. Goffrey and the other great nobles naturally had a canopied area prepared for them to sit.
More than a hundred Gilneans afflicted by the Werewolf Curse stood in one corner of the square, isolated from the other residents of the royal capital.
Seeing that the time was right, Genn stepped onto the platform accompanied by a royal mage, preparing to deliver a speech.
The royal mage would not only use magic to amplify his voice, but also protect the King from sneak attacks by ranged weapons. He had already cast an anti-arrow barrier around the King.
"People of Gilneas!" Genn's voice echoed through the square. "Today, we stand here not to celebrate victory, but to declare a new beginning.
"The Werewolf Curse is no longer the shackle that divides us, but a fate we face together!"
"Werewolves are not merely a curse. They are also a barrier within our hearts, setting us against one another. Today, I, Genn Greymane, stand here to