Omake #9

 

Omake 9

 

“Long live King Remi the Second!” came a cry from the crowd.

Jarema frowned, and paused, turning towards the shout.

“I thank you, friend, but not ‘Remi’, for there has only been one Remi, my beloved grandsire. If you would give me a nickname for your affection for me, let it be ‘Jeruś’ perhaps, or ‘Ironfingers’ or ‘Steelfist’ in honour of my grandsire’s necessarily iron fist in a time when war was ongoing, not a rare occasion, and for my dabbling in iron and steel production. For I am the product of my upbringing. I learned from my grandsire the statesmanship and diplomacy, to be able to hold a peace as only a strong man may; from my late grandmother, no less a diplomat than her husband, I learned too of foreign policy. From my other grandmother, I learned folk tales, and what a Sarmatian needs to know of our roots. From my father... what did I not learn from my father, aye, and from my mother too, who were together in my raising... shipwrighting, sailing, engineering, grandstanding, how to be a warrior and an officer, how supplies are more important than what weaponry you use, and that the flow of commerce and supplies are vital in peacetime too. This too I learned from my late father-in-law, Onufry Zagłoba, who taught me how to handle myself at feasts without over-eating or losing my sobriety. From my dear wife, I learned that the most important words to know are ‘I love you’. From countless others, my brother Michaś, honorary uncles like the famed Michał Wołodyjowski, many others, I learned weaponry skills, tactics, discipline, self-discipline, duty... and how to have fun without losing sight of duty. And thus, I come to you as king, moulded by many, on this bittersweet occasion. Sweet in your confidence in me, bitter that my parents do not stand with me as supporters, bitter that my grandsire feels the need to relinquish the reins in his eld, in his grief for his beloved wife.”

There were cheers, people trying out the feel of ‘Jeruś,’ ‘Steelfist,’ and ‘Ironfingers.’

Jarema went on.

“Thirty years ago, my grandsire swore to you that he would do his best to serve the Commonwealth. Today, I swear the same thing, that my life is dedicated to my duty to my people and my Commonwealth, to rule without fear nor favour, to serve without complaint or skimping of my duty, confident in the support of my people, who are the Commonwealth. Without the people, there is nothing to rule; and so you are the will of the king. Pray for me, all of you, for me to know what is right, to do what I might, and to have the wisdom not to interfere with what does not need interfering with.”

He was cheered.

The people appeared to have compromised his suggestions, and the legend of Jeremi II ‘Steelhand’ was born.