Not long had the people waited when they saw a stately company of men-at-arms advancing, and at their head rode Kenric, mounted on a white charger.  Not now did he appear in the lowly garments of deerskin or with ill-strung buskins or tangled hair.  He wore a helm of burnished brass, crested with a pair of golden wings; his well-combed brown hair fluttered in the breeze.  Thrown over his shoulder, and half concealing his bright shirt of scale mail, was a plaid of silk.  There were silver buckles on his tanned shoes, and below his bare knees his legs were swathed in fine lawn, cross-gartered with red silk bands.

A great cheer rose in the calm air and echoed and re-echoed far away among the crags of Loch Striven as Kenric sprang lightly from his steed.  The crowd opened a place for him, crying “All hail to Kenric!” and he took his stand in their midst at the eastern side of the court.  No farther did he venture, but stood there with bent head and sober, sunburnt face, resting his left hand upon his sword.

Then when the abbot had spoken a few holy words, Sir Oscar Redmain raised his voice and told what they had all come for to that place, and he asked the counsellors to name the man whom they would choose for their lord.

“Kenric, son of Hamish!” they all cried.

Kenric then stepped forward as though he were unwilling thus to be made ruler over the people of Bute, for the high honour had come suddenly upon him and he had never dreamed of being king, but only a faithful priest of St. Blane’s, serving the Lord and His people.

Sir Oscar met him at the foot of the throne, and took from him his great sword and his dirk.

Then Kenric turned and faced the people, and spoke to them in a loud, clear voice.

“Men of Bute,” said he, “much do I tremble at this great and solemn duty that you have thrust upon me.  I am but a stripling, fitted better to play upon the hills in boyish sport than to rule over men who are my elders.  If it be that I am indeed to be your king, then do I deem your choice made only because I am my dear father’s son, and not that I have any virtue or prowess that would befit me for that high office.  And now I ask you, men of Bute, whether you have ever found any fault with the manner in which the late king, Earl Hamish, ruled this land, and whether you know of anything deserving blame in myself, that should unfit me to be your lord and king?”

They replied as with the voice of one man that they knew no fault of any kind.

Then standing upon the Stone of Destiny, Kenric took from the steward a straight white wand, and the abbot and three friars anointed him king.  At the same time old Dovenald, clothed in a scarlet robe, advanced from the crowd, and bending low before the throne repeated the catalogue of Kenric’s ancestors.

When these ceremonies were over, the young king swore upon his sword that he would continue his vassals in the possession of their lands and defend their rights with his own life, and do exact justice to all his subjects.