Makarovia? Where The Hell Is That? Freshman Year - 11. Chapter 11

We came back inside after a few minutes. He was right, it was still chilly outside even with it being the end of spring. After returning the jackets to our rooms, we went to the dining room. Peter led me through the corridors which he knew well. I needed to learn where things were in the palace. There was the dining room and a grand banquet hall. The difference being the dining room held twelve at a long table in the center, five on one side, five on the other and one on each end for King Olek and the other for Queen Alla. The grand banquet hall could hold much more which we would dine in a few times that summer. The dining room was pretty…okay, most of the palace was pretty. I’ll try to be…more expressive using other words. The table was in the center, again a lot of polished stone on the floor with decorative rugs. There was a fireplace on the opposite wall of the entrance. On the table....which was an elegant polished wooden table with everything needed, china, silver, crystal, but all assembled this time at one end to ease conversations. The three students that came with us were eating with us tonight. King Olek and Queen Alla came in and greeted the students.

“We appreciate your coming to help us with our new web page,” Olek said to each of them in English.

The only girl smiled. Her name was Becky and a senior. She had dark hair she had pulled back and hanging down her back. About five feet and five inches tall and was young enough she was pretty without makeup. “I hope we’ll do things well for you. This is a great country, Your Majesty. Your kingdom is so beautiful!”

“We are pleased you see it that way.” Olek smiled.

“That’s why Dean Sutton chose them,” I said. “They have good eyes and can capture anything on film.” I looked at Olek. “And since I’ve never been here, I can’t show them around.”

Olek chuckled. “Not to worry, I have someone to take them around Makarovia that speaks English just fine.”

I grinned. “I knew you would!”

“We can all speak English.” Queen Alla said smiling. “And while you are here, we will, too.”

The one named Daryl, blonde and blue-eyed and sort of lanky at six feet and some inches was a junior smiled. “Good, because I don’t speak a word in anything but English.”

The one named Kenny was stocky and dark headed about five feet and eight inches tall, also a junior gave his friend a little shove. “And he’s not that good in English either.” He laughed.

Daryl jabbed him back lightly. “And you can do better?”

Kenny grinned. “I speak English gooder than you!” He teased.

They were college students, the eldest was maybe twenty-two. That was Becky. Daryl and Kenny were about twenty.

“I’d love to see around Stryia, it’s beautiful the way it is.” She smiled. “I promise we’ll capture that. It seems this whole country is unspoiled.”

Olek smiled. “Most of our country’s exports is mining, so much of the land was not…spoiled. The mountains have a lot of mines. You will find some are dangerous, but the two I chose to guide you around know that.”

“This six hours difference will have an impact.” Queen Alla said knowingly. “How long are you staying?”

Becky smiled. “Six weeks, plenty of time to see a lot.”

Olek nodded. “You can work out where to go. Go as a group or even separately.”

Becky nodded. “Well, Kenny’s best at landscapes, while Daryl is good at natural things…like flowers and wildlife. We should probably stick together for the first few days. And in the next six weeks, we need to get pictures of the four of you. We can do posed and candid. I know it will work out just fine.”

Conversations flowed easily with everyone. It was toward the end of the meal Olek sat forward a bit.

“I know with the time change…you might not be tired yet.” Olek said. “And since you are our guests, there is a little nightlife here. If you’re interested?”

I smiled. “I asked Peter about that. If they’re not interested, I sure am.”

Olek gave a shrug and did what Peter did. “It may not be like you’re used to…”

“Olek,” I smiled. “What this kingdom does have, you seem to have in plenty. We don’t need all that…chaos.”

Olek smiled and nodded. “I’m just warning you.”

I got the feeling Olek and Peter would do that a lot. I understood that they were self-conscious about what wasn’t in Makarovia. They needed reminding about what was here.

“We do have Wi-Fi.” Olek said brightly. “Were you given the password?”

The three nodded, but I was surprised. Of course, they did. Olek and Queen Alla communicated all over the world. I found out most Makarovia didn’t have cellphones. Most of the cellphones owners were in Stryia. Many throughout Makarovia had a computer, but they were all connected to those satellite dishes on the castle’s rooftop. To have all those cellphone towers to connect Makarovia with the world made me worry again about cluttering the landscape. I inwardly sighed thinking that was inevitable. Things were going to change here. I wondered if they had a T-Mobile or Verizon in Makarovia. I supposed they could order a phone or even got it on vacation. I knew that in Skoal there would be all that…cellphones and towers. All would be transmitted here.

It was later Peter and I came into what Peter called the family room. Where Peter, Olek, and Queen Alla spent free time and saw other family members. Olek was there at the bar getting a drink. He looked up and smiled as Peter and I came in.

“Help yourselves.” Olek waved at the different bottles of assorted alcohol. He wandered back to a chair sitting with a sigh.

“We were thinking we might go into Stryia tonight,” Peter said. “We’re still on Eastern Time.”

I was looking at Olek and seeing him be…just Olek. He let his guard down briefly with us before. I smiled. “This has been a busy five years or more for you, hasn’t it?”

Olek let out a breathy laugh. “You could say that.”

I always try to be caring…and tactful, but I saw a weariness in him that just wasn’t…just fatigue. “Olek,” I said softly. “Please, I’ve grown to love you and I do love you the more I know you. Maybe it’s because of my upbringing, but…when I say this…know I care about what happens to you, Queen Alla and…” I chuckled taking Peter’s hand, “and of course Peter, but you know I care about him.”

Olek chuckled and looked up surprised. “Of course.”

“Whenever I ask something inappropriate, just tell me, but…” I smiled. “I’ve not known you that long, but…I hope you’re taking care of yourself during all this.”

Olek smiling softly. “I try.” He said sadly.

Peter walked closer to his brother. “I wasn’t much help to you in the past.” He confessed quietly and regretfully. “My own feelings of not being to be with people and…my fear,” he sighed, “…part of the reason I wanted to go to Northeastern was to be a help to you. I saw what was happening and I couldn’t just let you and Mom do it alone.”

Olek smiled and got up, walking to Peter. “You were uncomfortably shy, incapacitated really, yet you went to a university in another country to help me?” He grinned even bigger. “When you said you wanted to go, I was happy you wanted to go, but you did it to help me?”

Peter nodded. “You’ve done so much and all I did was hide in my room! Eric’s right about you, I saw it.” Peter said. “You and Mom were off trying to make things better…you were trying to keep Makarovia from being taken control of and our uranium. I was doing nothing. You’ve sacrificed so much. I know you’ve sacrificed any personal life. I thought I couldn’t be out in the world, but that’s why I’m taking all those courses, Urban Development, Urban Planning…I thought I could take some pressure off and help here in Makarovia.”

“To help me!?” Olek was…in shock, disbelief and he brought Peter in, kissed him hard on the cheek and didn’t just hug, but a long embrace! Keeping Peter as close as he could as he rocked gently back and forth. “That is the nicest thing you’ve ever done for me, Peter.” He held Peter back a little as tears were forming his eyes. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me.”

Peter smiled. “I love you, Olek. You can’t do this alone. My feelings about being out with people couldn’t keep me from helping you. I couldn’t let you do this alone. I still feel fear sometimes.” He smiled at me. “But not as bad anymore.”

I smiled back and squeezed his hand.

“You’re both your father’s son.” Queen Alla said coming in having heard what had been said. She was smiling at both of them. “Always considering others first.”

Peter looked back at his mother. He shrugged a nod. “I suppose I am like Dad.” He looked back at Olek. “We will help you. Going to the university was scary, finding Eric was…unexpected, but he’s helped me...” He looked at Olek. “He got through to me.”

I gave a sudden, somewhat embarrassed bow from the praise. “Peter’s right. We will do what needs to be done and take some of this burden off your shoulders.” I said. “You worked hard. There are people here that will protect what you’ve done. I hope you know, I’ll help as much as Peter will.” I got closer to Olek as well. “Have you had a day off?”

Olek’s eyes widened. “A day off…I’m busy!” He smiled, “I didn’t dare take one.”

“You need one, Olek.” Peter moved his head so Olek had to look in his eyes. “They are here…the military, the people to help train our people to get the uranium is coming. Mining will begin. Isn’t there a lull in what’s going on for you to take a few days off? Maybe go somewhere and just relax?”

Olek chuckled. “I don’t know if I remember how.”

Peter smiled. “We’ll go with you…or you go alone…anywhere you think would be good.” Peter shook his brother lightly in affection. “You’re stressed, it will kill you if you don’t slow down. What happened with Yvonne?”

Olek’s eyes widened again. “Yvonne!?” He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her in five years! She’s married now with a kid or two.”

“Kids, that could have been yours.” Peter reminded. “Think about it.”

Olek nodded. “There’s still so much happening. We have other governments here…more people from the west…I can’t! I’m busy!” He said again.

“Peter’s right.” Queen Alla said calmly walking over to us. “We often go places together when visiting, so I know before I ask the question. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?”

Olek gave another grudging nod. “As much as I can, I have things to do!”

Queen Alla smiled. “As much as we do, I get at least six to eight hours of sleep a night. I’ve taken days off on weekends often…granted it is often where I’m visiting, but I take time for myself. You don’t.”

Peter smiled. “I know there’s a lot of pressure.” He said. “But we’re here for two and a half months! Now, you’re going to pick somewhere…and we go!”

“How can I?” Olek asked helplessly.

“You have to!” Peter said firmly. “When Dad died…not much older than you are now…you were in college, younger than I am now. Who took charge of Makarovia until you finished?”

Olek looked at all of us, but Queen Alla waved to Olek. She had.

Olek let a frustrated breath out. “But things are different!”

“I know.” Queen Alla nodded. “But I’m not going to doing anything to upset things. We have a few days to let things settle into place. You pick somewhere and go.” She took Peter’s hand. “They come with you to make sure you go and relax.” She smiled again. “They go…and you go. You’ll be a phone call away if you’re needed.”

Olek’s mouth dropped open and he was about to protest.

“Olek,” I said to him. “Why did you do all this?”

“To make things better for Makarovia!”

“Makarovia needs you.” I nodded. “But Makarovia needs you…alive.”

“I’d like it to be two weeks.” Queen Alla said. “I’ll settle for one.”

“I have meetings scheduled!” Olek protested. “I can’t leave.”

“We’ll have those meetings rescheduled.” Queen Alla said. “They will understand, Olek.”

“But...but…” Olek began.

“You’re going.” Queen Alla said firmly.

“And we’re going with you to see you do relax. Mom says.” Peter grinned. “Besides, we haven’t spent time together in a while. You can get to know Eric!” He said happily. “Don’t you want to spend time with me?”

Olek smiled. “Of course, I do…”

“Pick where we go…and we’ll be off!” Peter smiled. “We go.”

Olek threw his hands up in defeat. “Fine.”

Peter and I took the elevator down to the ground level.

“You were five when your father died.” I knew from reading it and Peter had told me.

Peter nodded. “I was. Olek was in college in Switzerland. He became king.” He smiled. “Mom stepped in as Queen after that. Regent really, since she was Queen Consort, but she did a great job and the people love her. After Olek became king, she just never stepped down. They don’t want her to.”

I smiled. “She earned her place as Queen.”

Peter nodded. “She’s good. She can charm anyone.” He waved his hand stating fact simply. When the elevator stopped Peter walked off walking backward. “Now, I’m sort of new to Styria’s nightlife myself. We can investigate together.” He smiled as two men came behind us. Clearly, they were security. Not the security I had become accustomed to in Boston, but security nonetheless. “We aren’t threatened here, are we?”

The one smiled. “There are others here now. Your brother didn’t think it would be…safe anymore.”

I nodded and looked at Peter. “There were Russian military exercises just on the border. There are dangers now.” I reminded him.

Peter nodded. “I suppose.” He sighed. “I guess this comes from having something others want.” He looked at the security sadly.

“That’s right,” I said. “You’ve become a power in the world…and a target.”

Peter shook his head. “I hate that things will change, I wish that didn’t have to happen.”

“I wish it didn’t, too.” I looked up the clear night’s sky. “I haven’t even seen much of Makarovia yet, so the change won’t be as shocking for me.” I took his hand. “It will be a change that hopefully will be worth it for everyone in Makarovia. It doesn’t have to be all bad.”

“Not everyone here will be…as tolerant of us.” Peter said. “I mean Makarovians, not us…”

“There will be some here that may not be tolerant of us, Peter. The more people thrown in the mix will bring trouble.” I said waving at the two of us.

Peter frowned.

“The people here have lived here a while and they learned to be tolerant because they weren’t tolerated themselves.”

Peter shook his head and turned to our two security men. “Okay, where do you go for entertainment in Stryia?”

The two security men looked at each other and then smiled.

“We know just where to go.” One smiled.