Makarovia! Yes, I Know Where That is! Sophomore Year - 107. Schnapps!

Tahnee Shuman was on the plane, but not talking to anyone. Truly, I felt pity for her. To be so alone had to be torture. It wasn’t her fault. Not entirely. She didn’t think there was anything wrong. Not enough to seek professional help. Content to be where she was seemed to be her stance on things. I spent too much time thinking about her. If she didn’t see something was wrong. Fine. I doubt I’d see much of her in the future. That didn’t mean she would not be harmful to us in that future. That was why she would be watched by Makarovians and Germany! Germany would not let her jeopardize their uranium!

“You know,” Peter began out of the blue. “We can have Drew to cover the rediscovered Makarovian treasure. He and Wayne could both come to Makarovia, and we take them back on our way back to Boston.”

“Drew is known as the BBC’s reporter for anything to do with Makarovia now.” I grinned.

“He is,” Peter nodded. “He and Wayne are also our friends but also friends to Makarovia.” He sat back a little and looked at me. “You also know, this all happened since I met you. I think you are a good luck charm.”

“Me?” I asked. “You found the uranium before we met!”

Peter chuckled, “And after we met, it has been good!”

“The Consortium and the pirates…” I asked.

Peter nodded, “Yes, but overall, it’s been good!”

“I hope it will always be,” I said.

We landed in Berlin and Tahnee was unloaded. One of the men assigned to stay I Berlin to watch Tahnee looked at me with a pitiful look. I smiled at him and touched the man’s shoulder, “Your sacrifice will not be forgotten or unrewarded.” I chuckled.

The man grimaced and said, “I love Makarovia. I love King Olek. I will do all I can to keep them safe.”

“By keeping the Queen’s mother safe and out of trouble.” I said firmly.

There were three agents staying in Berlin. There was an apartment near Tahnee’s house. There were also several German agents assigned to watch as well.

If everyone else had a problem, but you didn’t…that was your first clue that something was definitely wrong with you. Keeping Ms. Shuman safe was going to prove to be expensive. Other than letting her off the plane and arranging for her ride home, no one was bothered to tell her goodbye. This was not going to be only by Makarovians, but Germany’s agents as well. They wanted our uranium, so they were helping as well.

Once she was off the plane and being taken home a huge weight was taken off us.

“That is a shame,” Edger muttered. “She just never seemed to understand.”

Barry shrugged and grinned, “That’s her loss.”

 

The Makarovian plane could fly faster than sound! We didn’t go that fast. The sonic boom would be a problem over populated areas. Over the Atlantic, we would go supersonic. It was a fast flight.

The airport was southeast of Athens, and we were guided to an area where there were a few hangers, but away from commercial traffic. There were the customs agents that greeted us, but Mikell and Alec took care of it explaining we were returning three of Greece’s citizens. We all had our passports, so there were no problems. Arrangements had been made to have an SUV take us from the airport to the Big Bar. We would take them home, but they had not really been away this long for a while. Not since Edger’s heart attack a few years ago.

Big was closed today, but there was a car nearby where someone was there now. Entering the bar, two men were working. Both were Greek, one was behind the counter and the other was sweeping the floor and straightening the stools around the tall tables.

The one behind the counter looked up and let out a sigh of relief and said, “Doxa the Theo, epestrepes!”

Peter and I looked at Pano, Barry and Edger.

Edger grinned and chuckled, “He said, thank God you’re back.”

Pano was looking around his bar. “What happened?” Then he remembered his manners, “Oh, you remember Prince Pedro and Prince Eric…and their large men for security Mikell and Alec.” He waved from us to his two friends. Both were in their forties. “The one behind the bar is Christos and the one sweeping is Leo.”

Christos nodded and waved, “Hi.” He waved at the bar. “This is all your fault!” He said in accented English.

“Our fault!?” Peter balked.

I added, “What was our fault?”

“All this!” Christos claimed. “We had a line out the door to get in here Friday night and Saturday night!” He waved and said again, “Out the door!”

Leo was chuckling, but nodded, “He’s not joking! And we had women here!”

Barry’s eyes widened, “Women? Here? At Big’s?”

Pano grinned at Barry, “Well, we don’t ask them to leave, but this is a bar for men.” He shrugged. “They don’t normally come!”

“They were asking for Fuzzy Navals!” Christos waved out in exasperation. “What the Hell is a Fuzzy Naval?”

People will tell me there were no similarities between Greek and Italian men. I was seeing some very familiar behaviors between the two right now. Christos was feeling overwhelmed and wanted us to know that. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing! He was funny! “It’s a drink made with Peach Schnapps and Orange Juice. Not on my preferred list of drinks.”

Peter looked at me, “Schnapps. You like Schnapps?”

I grudged a nod, “Some, yes. I love Butterscotch Schnapps.” I grinned, “That makes some great cocktails such as the Butterscotch Martini, the Buttery Finger Cocktail…” I bumped into Peter lightly. “I love a Butterscotch White Russian!”

Peter’s eyebrows rose, “We need to tell Dimitri and get them to serve it at the Grotto.”

I nodded, “It’s more of a dessert drink.”

“Speaking of dessert!” Christos added. “Then there were the requests for a light beer! I never heard of one! The brewers I know of don’t do that,” he looked at me, “Do they?” He waved at the small menu board. “I tell her, if it’s not up here, we don’t have it!” He shook his head. “This is a men’s bar! We aren’t watching our weight! We come here to be with friends!”

“Were they from the United States?” I asked.

“Who knows and who cares?” Christos asked irritated. “They were from the United States or Canada, they all sound the same to me.”

Leo was laughing at his friend’s histrionics. He was unashamed for laughing. “We ended up hiring Luke…” he looked at Pano, “He knew what to pour and could take money.” He smiled sadly, “You may have to move the bar to another location.”

“Move Big!?” Barry wailed.

Leo nodded, “Move or expand. We had this place crowded with over two hundred customers. We had Phil act as a bouncer and crowd control to keep the line from just coming in here.”

Christos waved at the big picture of Peter and me with Pano and Barry, “They were hoping to see you two!” He pointed at Peter and me. “It was all over the internet with those pictures by those…paparazzi. About the attack and they wanted to see you!”

Edger smiled and waved his hand, “Hold on. You can’t blame them for this.” He waved at the picture, “Why else would you post a picture of them? To bring in customers. It worked. I’ve always been impressed with my son’s ambition for greatness. I don’t think he really has one other than the need to make others happy. That was his only goal. Family was the most important, then friends and finally any business. A giant of man of deep compassion. My success in life is you!”

Pano’s eyes widened, “Me?”

Edger nodded. “I miss your mother every day, but we did one thing very well. We had you.” He smiled at Barry, “Then he marries you and it just got better. Then we come back to Greece, and you open Big!” He pointed at Pano and Barry. “This is the success for the two of you. I’m proud of you…only…” he hesitated.

“Only?” Barry asked.

Edger grudged a nod and shrug, “Well, the world could use more like you two!” He threw his arms out. “Generations of people before you got together and made you! It’s a crime to have it just end!” Edger nodded, “I could stand a grandchild or two.” He pointed at Pano and Barry, “From either of you.”

Barry nodded with a sad smile, “It’s not too late.”

Pano smiled at his father. “This could be a fleeting thing. With time, we could see a return to how it was.”

“Now,” I added. “With our return here the third time…if the internet continues to cover our going and coming…it may last a while longer.”

“Hopefully the novelty will die off,” Peter said.

“We’ll take you home,” I told them.

As we got ready to leave Peter looked at me, “Can we have one of those butterscotch drinks?”

I shook my head, “I doubt Big carries Butterscotch Schnapps.”

Peter looked at Pano, “Where do you get your drinks? Would they have it at the store?” He looked at me. “You know how to make the drink, right?”

I nodded, “For the Butterscotch White Russian, Butterscotch Schnapps, Vodka, half and half, Coffee Liqueur, and caramel.” I shrugged. “Vanilla Vodka for the martini…”

“We’ll get some on the way home.” Pano smiled. “You can make us all one before you leave.”

“I’m no bartender,” I smiled. “But I know those drinks. I can even make Buttery Fingers! I just need to decide what to serve with them like cherries or even butterscotch candies!”

Peter’s eyes widened a bit, “How long have we known each other?” He shook his head. “I had no idea about this side of you.”

I shrugged, “I even make a great buttery butterscotch milk shake!” I grinned. “It’s very fattening and not something you drink all the time.”

Mikell leaned forward, “And of course you know you can’t go in a get these items.”

I sighed and then brightened, “But you can!”

Christos smiled and handed Pano a piece of paper. “Here is the inventory sheet,” he handed another small sheet to him, “and this is the deposit I made this morning.” He grinned.

Pano saw the second sheet and again his eyes widened, “That much!?”

“Yep,” Christos chuckled. “That much.”

Pano looked at the first sheet, “We almost have nothing left in inventory!”

Christos nodded, “I know. I know how you work. You drop this off at the supplier and pick it up in the morning.”

Pano showed Barry the deposit slip and Barry almost lost his footing.

“It could have been more, but we ran out of nearly everything!” Leo chuckled.

 

We did stay to help get the Big Bar back together. It was Peter’s and my fault this happened. It just made sense. It was Monday and most of Athens had begun their work week.

Peter and I had come to Athens and toured this ancient city, but we didn’t really see the real Athens. Now, we were. Taking the inventory sheet with him, Pano took us to his supplier for his business. The trick here was we only had Mikell and Alec with us. The SUV had tinted windows, so no one saw who the passengers were. Mikell and Pano were the ones that went in the warehouse. The stop only lasted perhaps half an hour. Mikell returned to the SUV with a package.

Mikell grinned handing the package to me, “I think I got what you need.” He chuckled. “I got two bottles of the Butterscotch Schnapps.”

“Why two?” Peter asked.

Mikell shrugged slightly and pointed at everyone in the SUV, “A drink for everyone here. Perhaps a second drink.” He grinned, “And one bottle for the plane! I’m sure Dimitri has some, but that’s at the Grotto. Maybe not. The palace may have it, too. Maybe. I can’t imagine too many people ordering the Butterscotch Cocktail.”

I nodded, “Smart man.” I looked at Edger. “Where are your major shopping areas in Athens?”

Edger frowned, “There are several. The Octopus Mall, Athen’s Millennium Mall, the Atrium…” He looked at me. “I assume you want a place that’s popular if you want to open a Makarovian Royal Burger.”

“Right,” I nodded. “We want Athens to get to know us. It makes sense to open one where Athenians go the most.”

“There are two or three right in the heart of Athens,” Pano added. “They are close to the Parthenon.”

“Will there be space available?” Peter asked. “Will we build a standalone restaurant?”

“The first one was built out of a tunnel under Stryia,” I pointed out. “A space in a mall would be perfect. I don’t think there will be much resistance to our opening a restaurant here. We have what Greece wants. To get more of it, I’m sure they’ll cut us a deal.”

Arriving at the address where Pano and Barry lived, I was pleased. Why? It wasn’t a house, but a group of homes stacked on each other. It was a nice-looking building. Not a skyscraper, but perhaps six stories tall. Pano and Barry lived on the fifth floor on the Southern side of the complex. The first level was elevated because with any city, residential parking was important. The first level was over the covered parking area. Our driver let us out at an elevator that would take us upstairs.

When Barry opened the door he told us, “Remember, we have been gone a week.” He gave an uncertain look. “It’s not a palace…”

“Barry,” I grinned. “Peter’s and my first apartment in Boston was way less than half of this!”

Peter nodded, “But I felt at home there the first night.”

“Really?” Pano grinned.

Their place had one major thing in its favor. Open space. The next thing was it looked lived in! The furnishings were nice and held the masculine touch. It was not cluttered at all. There was a lot of polished wood, and the wall color was a deep green. Not grass green, nor was it hunter green. Somewhere in the middle.

I got out the things Mikell had gotten at the supplier. Mikell had bought the half and half, Coffee Liqueur, Vodka, caramel, and the precious Butterscotch Schnapps! “I guess Butterscotch White Russians is the drink of the day.” I labored quickly and had enough for everyone to have two nice glasses of this great drink. As I handed them out, I said, “There are many other forms of this drink, but I know how top make this one best…” I grudged a nod, “and the Salted Butterscotch White Russian.”

We stood near each other, and Peter grinned holding his drink up, “To a long, happy friendship with our very good friends in Greece. You are all examples to follow. To a long and happy friendship!”

We clinked our glasses as we all said, “To very good friends.”

As I said, I was no bartender, but I knew how to make these drinks. It only took a swallow and everyone there was holding their glass out and smiling.

“Damn!” Pano exclaimed with a huge smile. “This is great!”

Barry leaned into Pano and said, “I think this is one cocktail we will have on the menu at Big! This is delicious!”

“And not for someone watching their weight!” I chuckled patting my stomach.

Edger gave a grudging smile, “It’s not Ouzo. There is no bite.”

I grinned, “It’s not supposed to. I don’t think even Butterscotch Schnapps will work with Ouzo.”

“If I may ask,” Edger began. “Why did you come to Big that first night?”

“He chose it,” Peter pointed at me.

“I was looking for a club or bar that allowed us in.” I waved at Peter. “Men that identify as gay.” I shrugged. I pointed at Pano, “That picture of you, even though it was a drawing appealed to me. The play on the word Big helped. Then we meet you and find it was true.”

Pano nodded, “Not all the people at Big are gay.”

Peter shrugged, “Maybe not, but they are gay friendly.”

Pano nodded slightly, “We try to be friendly to everyone. I’m glad you chose us.”

 

We did have one more before we left promising we would return again. Having potential business here for Makarovia, even though it was to get the world acquainted with us, I knew we would see them again.

We took off to return to Makarovia when Alec asked a question.

“Do you think these Greek men became friends because you two are royalty?” Alec asked.

Peter frowned, “I think quite the opposite.” He sighed, “The idea of change distressed Barry a great deal.”

I shrugged a smirk, “Making friends with Pano, Barry, and Edger was not planned. Its great we are friends, but I don’t see a motivation based on money or political ambition. It is the sudden change Barry didn’t like.”

Mikell nodded, “We knew when we came onshore from the Duchess, we were followed everywhere. We can’t do that in the future. This trip, we left the airport and came directly to the Big Bar.”

“We need to do that when we come here again,” Peter nodded.

I grinned at Alec, “Are we friends, Alec?”

Alec nodded and chuckled lightly, “Yes.” He held his hand up, “But not at first. When we first became your security agents, it was our duty. Our job.” He grinned, “That went away shortly thereafter.”

“A fact I insisted on,” I added. “It took a while to get through to Yuri about that. That personal connection is very important.”

Peter looked at me, “We became friends with Drew and Wayne.”

I nodded, “Yes, and when we go to England I need to make us the Butterbeer they made famous!”

Peter shook his head, “I don’t know what it is!”

“Neither do I!” I shot back. “But I’ll be ready when we get to London.”

He looked at Mikell and Alec. “This is like those Christmas traditions he has I knew nothing about.” He looked at me, “Are there other things I don’t know?”

I shrugged and grinned, “I’m sure there are. The Butterscotch Schnapps thing is not really sought out by many. It was Grandpa that taught me about milkshakes. I have a peanut butter milk shake I add the Butterscotch Schnapps to.”

“Peanut butter in a milkshake,” Peter repeated in doubt.

I nodded, “Use the right ingredients, such as French vanilla ice cream and Peter Pan Peanut Butter! The schnapps just makes it better!” I looked at Alec and Mikell. “Stick around, I’ll make us all one!”

“Peanut butter?” Alec repeated. It was not as well known outside of the United States. Definitely not in East Europe.

“I grew up on peanut butter sandwiches!” I stated firmly. “I love it! Especially Peter Pan!” I chuckled, “For you coming with us to the United States, you have got to try some.”

 

As difficult as things were at times, we had a quick flight back to Makarovia. One more time, I felt I was coming home. We left early in the morning, gone to Germany and then to Greece. We spent a few hours in Athens. At last we stepped into the palace again. Dinner was normally about seven in the evening, and we got back in time for dinner later. We ate lunch on the plane.

We gathered with the other members of the family in the gathering room. Everyone was there except for Olek and Helga…so far.

Peter looked at his mother, “Where’s Olek and Helga?”

Mom smiled, “Helga was visited by the doctor today.”

“She went to the doctor?” Peter asked. “I hope nothing is wrong.”

Grandmother shook her head, “Not a thing. This is the end of her first trimester. They were doing an ultrasound.” She smiled, “Perhaps to find out what the baby’s gender is.”

I nodded, “The doctor came here. She didn’t go to him…or her.”

“That’s right,” Mom said. “We don’t know yet because those two haven’t resurfaced yet.”

“And you two were off jetting around Europe,” Mario smiled. “I think they waited for you to return before they came back.”

“To save anyone from missing out on the news,” Alexi chuckled.

It was just a few more minutes when we heard two people come in the gathering room. Olek and Helga were walking together and no, they weren’t unhappy about anything. In fact, from the hushed conversation and looks they gave each other, I think they were very happy!

“I hope my mother didn’t give you too many problems,” Helga said to Peter and I.

“Not one,” I answered.

Peter’s enthusiasm was proving too much, “Well? Is it a boy or a girl?” He blurted impatiently.

Olek chuckled, “Yes.” He said and left it alone.

Helga shoved Olek slightly, “Don’t tease your brother, Olek.” She looked at all of us. “I’m having one of each.” Her hand went over the swell that was growing under her clothes.

“One of each!?” Mom gasped.

“Twins!?” I asked as my mouth dropped open. “A boy and a girl? You’re doing the heir and a spare in one pregnancy!?”

Olek laughed, “We don’t want a repeat of the Man in the Iron Mask.”

“No identical twins,” I nodded. “That made a good story.” I shrugged.

Peter smiled, “The French King Louise…” he looked at me, “The fourteenth, I believe. Where his identical twin took over the throne because his brother was so corrupt.”

I grinned at Peter, “That is the debate. Was it just a book or movie?” I shrugged, “Who knows?”

“But won’t be repeated here,” Olek stated clearly.

“And if the girl is born first?” I challenged.

Olek looked flustered, “I would prefer they both take the throne at the same time.” He grinned a little evilly at Peter and I, “We Makarovians are known for being nonconformists.”

I looked mockingly puzzled, “Whatever do you mean?”

Mom laughed, “This has to do with Makarovia, more than just your marriage to Peter.” She nodded a shrug, “Though right now it is, but after I married Olek the First, I became queen consort. When he died, I stepped in as an active Queen.”

“No one in Makarovia was bothered that she did,” Olek added. “She was not born as a royal, but proved smart and took the throne with knowledge and showed she was queen!” He smiled at Mom. “And when I was able to take the throne, she didn’t back down. She was still queen and still is.”

Alla smiled again, “There were always queens that were mothers of their sons who were kings,” Mom said. “But I didn’t believe Olek could do it alone.”

Olek nodded, “And I couldn’t .” He stated simply. “Is Royalty going to survive in the future?” He shrugged. “Maybe not, but when my son and daughter are born, they will both be on the throne.”

Helga nodded, “Olek and I both discussed it.” She smiled. “They will share the throne.”

“Yes,” Peter nodded. “This is great, but let’s not forget.” He chuckled coming up and hugged Olek. “You’re a papa!!” Then he hugged Helga, “And you’re a mama!!”

“And you and Eric are uncles!” Olek added hugging me.

 

A family of three now had more at the table. The noise of conversation grew.

“I would like it of you two contacted Drew about a date we can plan on for revealing to the world our rediscovered treasures.” Olek said. “We also need to plan for the exposé about the Consortium and that pirate that attacked you.”

“We have pictures of the Beauty and the Beast Pirate.” I said. “That should end her rise in the Consortium.”

“We have pictures of Nelson Carter and that Penelope woman,” Peter added with a nod. “It’s a case with evidence. There is no doubt about what they did.”

“Calling attention to what happened is not what they want,” I said. “We will only tell what we know about.”

Olek grinned, “Wait until you see the treasures! The gargoyles alone are priceless. Eih and the others are solid gold! They are so heavy!”

“Increasing our need for security,” Peter said.

“Without a doubt,” Olek nodded. “We need to have somewhere any Makarovian can see these wonders. Pride was never a problem, but now Makarovians have even more to be proud of.”

Grandmother cleared her throat, but not necessarily other than to get our attention, “Don’t forget. Tomorrow, you two and we get a new dance for you!”

I chuckled, “We haven’t forgotten.”

 

I texted Drew and Wayne asking that one of the both them to call…tomorrow or his earliest convenience. There was a three-hour difference between Makarovia and London. Drew texted back that it was to be kept secret, otherwise I would have said what it was. My reply was it was. We weren’t so important to need the security, but what we had was. I knew that Yuri had made our communication encrypted and almost impossible to tap into. Scrambled. That was on our end. For Pano, Barry, Edger, Drew and Wayne, it was not. It may be viewed by some as overkill, but all of the royal family in Makarovia were potential targets. Not just by the Consortium and pirates, but other nations and political groups. Anyone that wanted us to change our ways. They were right and we were wrong. That’s how they saw us. Those that were just greedy wanted what we had to make themselves rich. Simple. We weren’t going to make it easy on anybody.

When the morning came, Peter and I went to where my grandmother normally went to exercise in the palace. We beat her! We were dressed in loose exercise suits normally worn when working out.

It wasn’t too long before grandmother came in carrying her portable stereo. Dressed to workout in one of those loose-fitting suits, but not to perform, that was clear. Grandmother looked to be far younger than she was. Living an active life was the reason. Her body still had definition and she was still thin. She was an athlete! She was also teaching two groups of young dancers in Skoal and Stryia.

“Are you ready?” Grandmother asked us.

Peter nodded and pointed at me, “I’m not a dancer like Eric is.”

“Nonsense,” Grandmother smiled. “I’ve seen you dance, and you do very well.” Her left eye narrowed, “That dance you two did at the Grotto requires coordination and a sense of rhythm. You have that.” She waved at me. “Eric did learn a lot from me, but he took what he learned and ran with it in his own direction. He made what he does his own dance!” She walked over closer. “There wasn’t a lot of footwork.” She shrugged, “Practically no footwork at all, but a good sense of balance and some athletic moves.” She smiled. “Let’s start there and add some footwork and a few new moves. The main thing is you two need to be in sync.” She laughed, “Which you are, but we will go from there and have it so together you two will be one in the dance. Unlike some dance partners, you won’t move and countermove, but coordinated moves.” She went to her portable stereo and pressed the button to play. “So, start the dance you two have worked out.” No Doubt’s Hella Good began.

Peter grinned at me and shrugged. “Let’s do it.”

We did and we danced the whole dance, then Grandmother started it again and stopped it in different places and made suggestions on what to do. One of the suggestions was to turn and face the same way with our leg movements done together the same way. She wanted the world to see us as one. Arm movements. A ballet dancer is more than standing on pointe! No, her holding of the arms and how was important. The dance Peter and I came up with involved the image of no touching, but moves we put in the dance that made you wonder how we defied gravity. Now, we were moving our right legs the same way in perfect union. Another movement did have us face each other and we have moves that were move and countermove. It was about four hours later when we stopped. My phone rang.

I answered the call as I fought to regulate my breath. “Hi, Drew!”

Drew chuckled, “Did I catch you at a critical moment? Should I give you and Peter an hour and call back?” His not even subtle hint we were doing something intimate.

“Drew,” I grumbled but smiled. “You might want to add time if that were true. Grandmother is working with Peter and I on a new dance to keep everyone entertained.”

“Oh, come now.” Drew said back. “There are times when the hard, frantic, impossible to resist passion strikes and fast unbridled passion just happens. You can’t deny that.” He chuckled again, “You two are newlyweds! Surely those moments when you can’t keep your hands to yourselves aren’t over.”

I laughed, “No. They aren’t over.” I glanced at my phone and saw “secured” was activated. “You’re using a secure line. Thank you.”

“With you two!?” Drew said back, “And the fact that you told me it was a secret, sure it is. What’s up?”

“Are you busy in the next couple of weeks?” I asked. “We have some things to tell the world. We found some valuable lost Makarovian treasures. We want that to be known. We also want to present the world with what we know about the Consortium and the pirates. We have footage to back it up. Like in London.”

Drew only paused a moment to think, “I see. To remove yourselves as targets. I can see that.”

Peter was grinning at me as he heard my half of the conversation, “And another one.” He did the exaggerated swell over his abdomen to indicate pregnancy.

“Yes, Peter,” I nodded, “But we’ll let those directly involved tell that one.”

Drew was a reporter, and his curiosity was pushing him forward, “And I get no hint?” He was also our friend, so he held back.

“Of course not!” I shot back.

“And the Makarovian Royal Burgers!” Peter inserted quickly.

Drew heard what Peter said, “The what?”

“You’ll find out when you get here,” I chuckled. I looked at Peter, “Would Olek have a problem with our picking them up in the plane and dropping them off?”

Peter shook his head, “It’s all for Makarovia. He won’t object. We can afford the jet fuel.”

“I heard that!” Drew said quickly. “I’ll tell Wayne and we’ll both come with no regrets.”

“We need to coordinate the time of the showing of the Makarovian Treasure,” I said.

“It has to be within four weeks so we can be back at Northeastern.” Peter qualified.

I nodded, “And we’ll take you to our favorite bar not in Makarovia or the United States.”

“The Big Bar in Athens?” Drew chuckled.

“How did…” I began.

“Please,” Drew said. “It was big news on the internet. People like you can’t just go somewhere unnoticed.”

I nodded and smirked, “Right, the internet.” I sighed and then brightened. “We’ll introduce you to the owners!”

“Is a week enough time?” Drew asked.

“Doesn’t Wayne work?” I asked.

“Yes,” Drew said back. “He has businesses he owns!”

“Fine,” I said. “Is Saturday or Sunday best this week?”

 

It was decided Saturday morning coming was best. Even I had to admit it, Peter and I had done a lot of traveling that summer. I remember the term “jet set.” Some wealthy people flew around the world for social reasons without thought of the cost. Ordinary people could not do that. I never thought I’d be one of them.

I hate also to admit, I had become like Olek had been. So used to being busy, it just felt wrong when I wasn’t.

Maria and Alexi von Bar had to return to Luxembourg.

Peter and I worked with Ryna, Cosmo’s therapist. We told Ryna that we would be taking him back to Greece after the big showing of the Makarovian Treasure. Okay, it was also an excuse to go back to the Big Bar! It made sense. We take Ryna back to Greece and show Drew and Wayne the Big Bar, Pano, Barry, and Edger, then we take Drew and Wayne back to England, and lastly Peter and I go back to Boston! Simply one, two, and three! I kept my mantra of “I didn’t deserve it.” I didn’t. Neither did Peter or anyone else. Remember? The trap some fall into thinking they do deserve it?

We landed at the Gatwick Airport, but Peter and I didn’t get off. Wayne and Drew were waiting on the tarmac. I chuckled when I saw the luggage by them. We weren’t a commercial plane. They didn’t need to go through English Security to board our plane. When they came back? Perhaps an inspection of anything they brought back into England.

What can I say? I was a hugger, remember? I loved that Drew and Wayne were equal huggers. The myth about the stoic, stuffy Englishman is totally false. Drew and Wayne were Englishmen but were in no way stoic or stuffy. They hugged us both tightly.

Another question you may or not have…when I was born in the United States, Dad thought I needed to be circumcised. So I wouldn’t stand out with the other guys at school. Now, I was just the opposite. No boy born in this part of the world was circumcised unless there were religious reasons or health concerns later. Olek, Peter, Yuri, Boris…any male over here were uncircumcised. Being circumcised was unnatural. Who cares? Mine worked just fine.

Anyway, I no longer saw the differences between men from Makarovia, The United States, England, Russia…all these countries were all the same. Men were men!

We got their luggage onboard and took off again.

“So,” Drew grinned, “Nothing about the other thing the others need to share?”

“Drew!” Wayne called his husband down and shook his finger at him. “Stop it.”

Peter and I both laughed. I held up my hand, “It’s okay, Wayne. We know who Drew is.” I shrugged.

“Fine.” Drew grumbled resolution. “What about the Makarovian Royal Burgers?”

“Again,” Peter grinned. “We won’t tell you, but I promise you’ll find out. Today.”

 

Landing in Stryia, we were driven to the palace. Drew and Wayne knew their way around but there were a lot more activities than usual. Displays were being set up in the gathering area in the palace’s main floor. Olek and Luca Kovacs, the Makarovian Historian were discussing where things were being set up for the best visual exposure.

I walked up and said to them both, “How’s it going?”

Olek smiled. “I think it is so exciting! We’re arguing on how to display the treasure.”

Luca frowned, “I think the newly rediscovered Crown Jewels should be more prominent.” Then he smiled. “There are three crowns, scepters, the…” his brow wrinkled, “what’s the word in English?” He asked Olek. “That round thing…” he held a hand out cupping a round something, “the suverenna kulya?”

Olek chuckled, “The Sovereign’s Orb?”

Luca nodded, “Yes, that’s it!”

“Various necklaces and rings,” Olek added. “Now, those things will be closely guarded! The crowns weight a ton! The Makarovian Guardians are very heavy. No one will just walk off with those! The gold coins and various gems would be easy to pocket…”

“But we’ll have guards watching very closely,” Danylets Braveman, Makarovia’s military leader. Sort of a Yuri kind of guy, but in Makarovia alone. He was a man in his forties with the seasoned look of a military man. Handsome with hair cut short, not the United States Marines close, but close. He had dark hair that had the male pattern baldness spreading from the crown of his head. The dark hair was peppered with gray and would take over what hair he had left. He was between my height and Peter’s. Six feet?

“The Makarovian Guardians,” I said. “They are so detailed.”

“How did they do that?” Drew asked. “As long ago as ancient Egypt they had detailed carvings in gold. How? Gold is metal and can’t be carved.”

“They sculpted a statue of stone,” Wayne explained. “Covered the stone statue with a mold of clay which could be broken in half, then poured the gold in the closed mold.” He shrugged. “After the gold set, they cut away the mold. Simple.”

Drew gave Wayne a look of uncertainty, “Simple?”

“You need to see them!” I insisted.

“Anyone feel like a hamburger or hotdog?” Peter asked out of the blue. “Dinnertime isn’t for a few hours, so…”

Wayne looked puzzled, “What?”

Drew grinned, “They are taking us to Makarovian Royal Burgers.”

“And presenting a business proposition!” Peter added.

 

We took the elevator down and entered the Stryian Underground. It was changing almost daily. The lighting was still bright, but they had brought things from the outside world down here. Green plants of traditional ferns, flowers and other plants were scattered about. The drone of many conversations as people shopped. It was still summer, so there would be a lot more people in the winter down here. Now, there were lighted signs of the many businesses that told us what they sold. The softly played music you hear in malls or stores played…muzak? Don’t be fooled. Muzak was for psychological reasons. The calm sounds soothed, or in some cases, hurried you up if played in a restaurant. “Finish your meal!” Only it was said kindlier with the muzak. There was one establishment that was having a good turnout. The words Макаровські королівські бургери in Cyrillic (Sorry if you can’t see it. This site doesn’t do well with Cyrillic.) or Makarovsky Korolivskyi Bourgherie in phonetic English. However, the smell told everyone what was sold here. Makarovian Royal Burgers!

I grinned, “Now, we will of course have the sign in London in English.”

Peter nodded but held a finger up, “Or, we at least keep the English phonetic spelling with the English translation!”

“Or that,” I agreed.

“You’re opening a quick-nosh in London!?” Drew blurted.

I grabbed his arm and drug him in the direction of the restaurant. “Try it first.”

Getting our burgers, hotdogs, crisps (French fries), and onion rings, we sat and explained what we were trying to do.

“This is good,” Drew said wiping the juice dripping down his cheek.

“I know!” I agreed.

Drew was nodding, “To get everyone to know you, you’re opening restaurants in Athens, London, and Boston.”

“You’re practically giving us the uranium!” Wayne argued.

“It’s a public relations ploy,” I explained. “To show the world we can do more than pull uranium out of the ground or always allowed gay marriage!”

“It puts us in a much better light!” Peter urged them to understand.

“The best way into a man’s heart is through his stomach!” I chuckled. “We’ll be doing it for the whole world!”

“We will be contributing the cost for the starting of the restaurant in Greece, Boston, and London,” I said. “Hopefully it will become an international franchise. The first restaurants are an image ploy.”

Wayne’s eye narrowed. He wasn’t stupid. “But you told us because…” he left the question unfinished.

“To see if you know someone you trust in England who would want to do it,” Peter said hesitantly.

“Or do it yourself!” I waved at Wayne. “Drew is a reporter and I know he’ll always be a reporter.” I pointed at Wayne, “You own businesses and run them. I know you could or know someone you trust to do it. Have you done anything in the food industry?”

Wayne nodded, “I have. I was nineteen when I worked in a pub.”

Drew leaned forward, “He was manager by twenty-two!” He said proudly. He grudged a nod and waved at his husband, “He has been to culinary school, and you know he’s a good cook.”

“No pressure!” I quickly assured. “If you think about it and don’t want it…could you see that the person you recommend does a good job?”

“You’re always complaining when I go on assignment, you’re left alone,” Drew smiled. “That’s why you started those businesses.” He looked at me and Peter. “He took a place that sold pots, pans and other things into a place you go to create gourmet meals! He took a store that sold clothes and turned into a fashion mecca for men! He even calls it Fashion Mecca! For men’s apparel!”

Wayne nodded, “Yes, but a restaurant requires more time. As I did with the Cookware Elite, I started it and left those I trust in charge. Makarovian Royal Burgers will be requiring more time at first.”

I agreed. “We’ll introduce you to Pylyp and Ganna. They understand it better than anyone.”

Drew nodded, “He’s a man of many talents.”

“I recently discovered one of Eric’s unknown talents,” Peter smiled.

“One I will share tonight,” I said. “You two like ales and beer, right?”

Drew’s head went back a little, “We’re British.”

I chuckled, “So, the answer is yes. Have you ever had a butterbeer?”

Drew’s face was puzzled, but Wayne’s was doubtful.

“Butterbeer is what they had on those Harry Potter movies,” Wayne said.

“They don’t really exist,” Drew added.

“No?” I asked smiling.

I held up my “I’ve got a point” finger, “But they do.” I grinned and shrugged. “I will have to say that if they served this on the film, Harry, Harmonie, and Ron would have been snockered!”

“He researched it for two days!” Peter said. “It has vodka in it and...”

“…an ingredient they won’t know about yet!” I told Peter who was laughing. “Tonight I’m making my special White Russian for everyone.”

“Except Helga,” Peter said.

“Because she’s pregnant,” Drew said smiling. He shook his head at us, “I follow everything that comes from Makarovia! The rumors about her rapid rise to the throne and reasons they married quickly?” He chuckled. “You don’t have to be a detective to figure that out.”

Peter frowned a little sourly, “No one told you.”

I rolled my eyes and pulled him in for a kiss, “You just did.”

Drew shook his head, “And you, too. Recent events and your saying it wasn’t your news to give. Your marriage was a spectacular event, but not Olek’s and Helga’s. The Proposal wasn’t traditionally done for them. Olek and Helga were already married at the Proposal. The Makarovians decided the year of Helga proving herself worthy of the throne wasn’t necessary. She was crowned queen right then.” His smile became a little malicious. “I know there was some concern about the line of succession. Olek is not a young man, but perfectly capable to father an heir for several more decades. Helga is healthy but not a young woman anymore. “It’s a proven tool that many investigators use. Asking questions to let the person or persons investigated think the investigator knows what they may only suspect.” He raised his finger, “And your reply either confirms or denies what the investigator suspects.” He shrugged, “Which you both did.” He chuckled. “Helga is not the first woman to be pregnant at her own wedding. I know of one personally where the woman was in hard labor when she took her vows and gave birth merely minutes after the wedding was done.” He leaned forward a little to disclose more information in confidence. “Nor is she first queen to be married pregnant.” His shrugging nod and he asked further, “And why? They had sex before marriage!? God forbid!” His grin grew a bit more evil, “You know Wayne and I didn’t wait for the wedding night. I know you and Peter didn’t either.”

Peter nodded, “I know Olek and Helga wanted to set an example to follow.”

“Makarovia is not a traditional European country,” I nodded. “Makarovia is very big on doing things the nontraditional ways.”

Wayne nodded and added, “A reason Drew and I love it.”

“Makarovia is not the first country to accept same gender marriage,” Drew smiled. “It’s not the oldest either.”

“No,” I agreed. “There have been a few in history going back to the Roman times or even ancient Egypt.”

“No one philosophy or religion has the finger on God’s approval or disapproval,” Drew nodded.

“Being sexually responsible is the important lesson,” Peter said. “Not just to prevent unplanned pregnancy, but to stop the spread of diseases.”

“But for now!” I pointed at Drew, “Let them tell you and you better be surprised!”

Drew saluted me quickly. “I will be, but not very. They are married!”

Wayne took another bite of his burger, “This is a great hamburger.”

 

We returned to the palace after shopping around Stryia’s underground. There were no workers down in the underground train tunnel. We would go to Skoal to show Drew and Wayne the progress being made to join the two cities during the winter. The rest of Makarovia would take time, but it would happen. From the first moment I arrived in Makarovia, it has changed…for me. I knew it had for Peter. From our first meeting in the first class at Northeastern, I changed. Because I spoke the language? Perhaps, but I felt fate, or even God had guided us to this point. It had to have been guided.

Drew was good and didn’t hint about knowing what he did.

That evening, after the normal dinner time, I brought out my special cocktails. The tall glass pitcher was brought out. I had made sure we had what we needed before I made anything. Even one for Helga! No alcohol in hers. She had drunk wine at dinner when she got pregnant, and one glass of wine was fine for most doctors for an expectant mother to drink. I’d never seen Helga even tipsy. There was no way she could have a baby that suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or any other problem carrying a baby to term. I knew Olek and I was getting to know Helga. I knew of her miscarriage before she even knew Olek or Makarovia. I would give her the choice. She was smart but she would be careful of her child…or children.

I served them all the special glasses of fluids.

“Eric hid one of his talents,” Peter said holding up his glass. “If he wasn’t a great guy or even a great prince, he’d make a damned good bartender.”

I grudged a shrug, “A bartender that specializes at making one type of drink? Sure.” I looked at Helga. “I’ll make a real one for you if you want. I made a virgin one for you. It does have caffeine, but no liquor of any kind.”

Helga bowed slightly with a smile, “Thank you, Eric. Most of you know…I’m pregnant.”

Drew looked almost smug. I held my hand up and told him, “Wait.” Drew’s eyebrows rose slightly.

Olek took her hand and smiled, “We will have a son and a daughter!”

Drew was surprised. It happens sometimes and it did this time. “Twins?”

I nodded at Drew. “Twins.”

“Another change is they both will inherit the throne,” Olek said. “Or they can refuse it altogether. Helga and I agreed we would not pressure our children but raise them as good people and let them decide.” He smiled a bit sadly. “The future of this monarchy will be determined by them. All I insist on is they be honest, law-abiding people that care about the people of Makarovia and the rest of the world.” He picked up the glass. “We can toast with this, right?”

Sitting next to Peter I raised my glass with the rest of them, “You can toast with anything, but why not?”

“To Makarovia’s great future!” Olek toasted.

“And the future of the Ivanov family!” Mom said. “I feel some great things are just over the horizon!”

“I agree!” Peter nodded and held his drink up.

“To Makarovia!” All said. Our glasses touched and they took their first sip.

“Wow!” Wayne said holding the glass out, “This is great!”

“Butterscotch!” Drew said holding his glass out. “I love it!”