Makarovia! Yes, I Know Where That is! Sophomore Year - 103. Helga for Queen

Barry was right. This was going to be an exciting week. It should be. Makarovia was getting an heir for the throne by someone who was going to be queen. The Proposal was a traditional step and in a year she would be named queen. All of Makarovia knew that Olek and Helga were married already and that she was pregnant. They also knew this wasn’t to be a traditional Proposal.

Edger, Pano, and Barry continued to be amazed by our underground in Stryia. This was Urbania down here. A city under the capitol of Makarovia. It was looking more and more like a mall that just kept going and going. Makarovians also kept adding things of beauty down here. There was the fountain where several tunnels intersected.

“It’s Summer now,” Peter explained. “There will be so many more people down here in the late Autumn and Winter. The city of Stryia is lovely now. Care to see it from up there?” Peter pointed up.

“We’d love to!” Barry answered.

There were street access points throughout the underground. We took one up and exited what looked like a subway access port in New York, London, or Moscow. Cars were still somewhat rare in Makarovia, even in Stryia. Most Makarovians preferred to walk. In the Summer months it was cherished. The street-level sidewalks were more crowded with people enjoying walking and being outside. Alone, in couples, families, men holding hands, women holding hands. People. Stryia was modernizing but was taking its time. That was to say, there were the occasional car both parked and going down the street. The inner-city streets were narrower than streets in the United States, England, or many countries in the West. The streets here predated cars, remember? Stryia did retain that “storybook” feel and appearance. I smiled when in the skyline had one thing that overshadowed everything. The castle-fortress just loomed!

Pano looked back at it and his brow wrinkled, “How do we take this?” He pointed at the castle-fortress. “Is it that the king is watching everyone or watching OVER everyone?”

Peter looked back at the towering structure and shrugged, “Yes. It’s both.” He chuckled, “It the past, it was a means to watch over everyone and watch out for everyone. If an invading army or just a band of troublemakers came, the palace and guards could more readily see them and sound an alarm. We could defend ourselves from above with arrows, spears, or even vats of boiling hot oil, though oil was needed for lights and cooking. In those cases, boiling hot water was used. Oil was harder to come by and harder for the enemy to get off and wouldn’t cool down easily. The citizens of Stryia could see the palace and knew where to come for protection. Yes, they also knew the king could watch them, as well. They knew to behave themselves.”

Barry frowned, “Has there been a king that wasn’t that nice?”

Peter nodded, “I know there was. There were a few in the past that were a bit mad.” He circled his temple in the sign of crazy.

“Every kingdom in every country has those,” I grinned taking Peter’s hand. “Currently and in the past.” He looked at Pano, “You don’t think Olek’s a bad king, do you?”

Pano’s head retracted slightly, “What!? I’m not saying that at all. What I’ve seen tells me he is a very good king. I don’t think anyone doesn’t like him here.” His hands went out in frustration. “I can’t imagine anyone in the world who can’t like him.”

I gave a shrugging nod, “There are some who will not like Olek because he won’t sell them weapon’s grade uranium.” I smiled, “Or his permissive approach to us, allowing not only a marriage, but allowed to be broadcast on television, Peter’s and my wedding.”

Peter nodded, “Some just want the money. That’s why we brought the other countries into Makarovia. In exchange for some uranium, they help to defend Makarovia against the Ukraine, Russia, or any other country that in the past occupied Makarovia.”

“We’ll take you to Skoal,” I said. “Introduce two generals who have been leading a group of militaries from not only the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Spain…”

Peter nodded happily, “You saw some of those young people at the Grotto!”

I grinned, “We’ll introduce you to General Burke from the United States and General Hammond from England.”

“And we will introduce you to Winston Churchill!” Peter’s smile grew as he poked Pano gently on the chest.

All three men’s eyes grew, but Barry blurted, “Winston Churchill!? He’s dead!”

I shook my head, “Not in Skoal. He’s alive and friends with everyone in Skoal and loved. Peter and I are included! I love him!”

“We can take you there this afternoon,” Peter offered. “If you want.”

Edger knew there was more to our Winston Churchill story, but he’d wait. We took them first to the center of Stryia and showed them the Ivanov Royal Park which was that big round flat patch of ground that was five to seven acres. There was the center fountain that shot water from the center of the fountain a good twenty feet in the air as lesser shots of water shot surrounding the main water feature. Citizens sat around the fountain on the concrete side. A sidewalk surrounded the fountain where sidewalks led away from the fountain like spokes in a tire, dividing the park in quarters that led to another sidewalk that circled the entire park. Each quarter had flower gardens that edged the park where many different flowers were in full bloom. Red, white, champagne color, yellow from roses. A few grounds keepers were seen working in one area of the garden while other citizens picnicked, or just relaxed on the green grass and visited, read, or just liked laying out in the sun. There was a game of soccer (what they call football) was being played. There were even several games of fetch being played by some dogs and their Humans I had wondered about.

“The warm days are so precious here,” Peter explained. “When Summer arrives, hardly anyone wants to be inside, but out here.” He waved at the people and the park.

Edger looked back in the direction of Makarovia’s castle and palace, “Yep, it can still be seen from everywhere.”

 

We got back to the palace where Peter and I checked on Cosmo. He had his two-hour therapy session with Ryna. I could tell he was getting antsy and close to being annoyed.

“You’re not a prisoner in this room,” Peter told him. “If you want, you can wander around the palace. Or you can go through Stryia’s underground, or above ground. It’s beautiful outside.”

“But do what you know you’re supposed to do,” I cautioned. “We will never forget you and we want you around. Understood?”

A ghost of a smile from Cosmo who smiled, “I know. Thank you.”

Peter shook his head, “No, thank YOU! What happened only happened as you did your job.”

“For us,” I added.

“That’s right,” Peter agreed. “We will do anything and everything to get you up, moving, and back to work! We love you.”

Cosmo chuckled, “I’ll do what I’m told.”

“Well,” Peter grinned. “If you have an appetite, there’s a new fast-food place down there. Makarovian Royal Burgers! Its new and they are very good!”

“They have fries and onion rings,” I said happily. “I recommend them highly!”

Peter looked at me, “I think Cosmo looks like a King’s Burger with its two hamburgers.”

“Or…” I began. “He might prefer the Prince’s American Burger with cheese! I’m sure he’d make you a King’s Burger with the cheese.” I said helplessly, “It’s cheese!”

Cosmo’s eyes grew a bid as we told him, “I can always eat,” He chuckled. He looked at Ryna. “Feel like a burger?”

Ryna didn’t even hesitate, “No, I still feel Human, but this Human can eat a burger or two.” He grinned, then pointed at Cosmo. “You go in the chair! Any walking there you use that cane.”

Cosmo saluted Ryna sharply. Yes, they would be fine.

I texted David and Edmond to let them know we were coming. They were two very busy generals.

 

We went through Yuri to arrange some security agents to take us to Skoal. Three arrived to take us. An odd number, but they were Rolph, Mikell, and Mercea.

“Three agents?” Peter asked Mikell.

I touched Peter’s side and pointed at Mikell and Mercea and waggled my eyebrows.

Peter looked at them and quickly understood, “Oh.” He nodded understanding the need for the “three” agents.

We went down to the garage level and Barry saw something that appealed to every man with the Y chromosome, “Is that a Mustang Cobra?” He pointed at my red car.

“Yep,” Peter smiled. “That’s Eric’s toy. He pouts from not being able to drive it.”

I frowned at Peter, “Well, even Queen Elizabeth got to drive! She is the one person in England that could drive without a license. I bet King William drives.” I waved at my Cobra. “I know he misses me.” I looked at our three guests, “tell you what. I’ll drive you to Skoal!” I pointed at Peter, “You can ride with Rolph, Mikell, and Mercea!” I looked at Pano, “I was going to say there is plenty of legroom in the back, but I think you’ll have to ride up front. With the passenger side front seat, I don’t know how much legroom the back passenger side will have.”

Barry shrugged, “As you’re driving, and I am the shortest of three of us. I’ll be in the back.” He almost sounded like he was complaining. “We’ve done it before.”

Peter smiled at me, “See you there.” He leaned in and kissed me.

Okay, royalty was often spoiled. I was spoiled. My car was shiny as it was often washed, waxed, and maintained in optimum conditions. When we got in and I started it. My Cobra growled to life. It sounded like brand new! We hadn’t even gone anywhere yet. My prediction was correct. Pano did fill up the seat and he even scrunched his legs to fit more easily in the seat. Barry had room, if he sat sideways a little. His legs went toward Edger’s side so he wasn’t smushed.

“She sounds great!” Pano commented.

“Yes,” I nodded. “He does.”

“Oh.” Pano nodded understanding the correct pronoun use and chuckled. “He. Got it.”

Once we were on the way, with the SUV of agents and Peter coming right behind us, my baby purred and whipped through the Makarovian countryside. As before, the roads in the countryside were exposed to the snow and ice of winter, so there were eroded portions that had to be avoided. Potholes and cracks that had to be patched. And I didn’t want my precious car knocked out of alignment.

Makarovia was beautiful now. The mountains that surrounded the long valley in which Makarovia sat were always majestic. The dark color had a dark green from the many trees. We passed farms where many crops were being grown.

Pano pointed at something he saw, “What are those long buildings? Are they greenhouses?”

I saw the long, plastic covered houses underneath I knew were many more crops. “Yes, they are. Much of the land here is very rocky making it difficult to plant and grow anything. By adding these greenhouses, we’ve stretched the growing season and increased the amount of land we can use. It should help decrease our dependence on imports.” I smiled, “General Burke was raised on a farm and…” I shrugged, “My suggestion was terrace farming where we can use the mountain sides. I’m going to suggest so we also do vertical farming where rows and rows of crops can be grown in smaller spaces.” I smiled again, “Even hydroponic farms. They can be done indoors.”

Pano’s eyes widened and he sat back a little, “Wow, YOU thought of those things?”

I nodded and chuckled, “I DID. I’m more than just a pretty face.”

We got in the outskirts of Skoal, and the roads were better paved, so I could open my baby up more. It looked more and more like an average suburb in the United States, Canada, England, or anywhere in Europe. Fields had been cleared and teams of young people, grouped by ages were participating in sports. One group I guessed were Americans as I recognized the huddle, break, and adversary teams stood in their lines to attempt to take the football, the oblong pigskin ball through the opposing goalposts. The people from the United States loved that game. I’d been to Skoal enough to know where to go. I pulled in front of a building that now had a parking lot! Yes. When I drove here before, it was a gravel lot. I smiled when I saw it but was also surprised. Written in Makarovian said, Predstawnik Makarovsky Uryadu. (In Cyrillic which doesn’t transfer well on this site.) Makarovian Government Representative in English. There were three spaces up front, and we only needed two. I chose the middle one.

They had done some beautification outside, too. There were hedges around the outside of the building now. Two stories with uniformed men and women going and coming.

“How was the ride?” Peter asked as he got out of the vehicle he was in.

“Great!” Pano answered quickly, then got serious a moment. “I think I’ll ride in that vehicle on the way back though.”

“Why?” Peter asked puzzled.

“I drive a truck back in Athens,” Pano grumbled. “I looked a long time for a driver’s cab that I could feel comfortable in. Not for hauling anything, but just to fit in.”

Barry nodded, “Uh, huh. That’s why you had to get that Silverado 2500? Just to make you comfortable?” Barry’s tone said he knew better. His hand flew out. “You got it because it stroked your manhood! You know it!”

I laughed, “Just like my Cobra does,” I grinned. “It’s a guy thing. Don’t you feel good driving the truck?”

“I can’t reach the peddles easily!” Barry grumbled. “If I adjust the settings,” he pointed at Pano, “he bitches!”

Pano just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

We entered the building and again they had beautified the inside with plants around. The young female Royal Air Force Corporal, Great Britain’s Air Force (Senior Airman in the United State’s Air force) stood immediately.

“Welcome Your Highness, and gentlemen,” she stood and bowed. “The generals are expecting you.” she waved at the stairs.

“Thank you,” Peter nodded and led the way up the stairs.

We entered the office where a new man stood immediately and bowed, “Your Highness.” He looked at Edger, Pano, and Barry. “Gentlemen.”

He was a Staff Sargent. A four striped United States Air Force enlisted officer. His name plate said Austin.

“Hello, Sargent Austin,” I greeted sticking my hand out to him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I was at the Grotto and saw that dance you did,” he smiled. “That was great!”

He had an accent. Not as thick as Ted Dawe, but it was Southern. I grinned, “A Southerner! Where are you from? Somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains is my guess.”

He nodded, “North Carolina. Saluda.”

I smiled, “Yes, I know where it is. Below Asheville, just across the South Carolina border. Between Asheville and Greenville!” He was nodding as I spoke.

“We tried that dance when we got home,” he grinned. “My husband Tom and I worked on it a few hours.”

Now, I was smiling even more, “Good for you! Don’t give up. It will come.” A very slight whine at my leg was asking for my attention. I looked down at a happy face Peter and I knew. “Churchill!” I greeted the bulldog kneeling down and was greeted with happy licks. Picking him up was a possibility, but he was about fifty pounds of solid muscle. Plus, I didn’t know if he would welcome being picked up. “THIS is Winston Churchill.” I introduced.

Edger chuckled, “I thought this might be the case. He knows you. Can I assume he’s friendly?”

General Hammond walked over, “He is. I can assure you. He loves every man, woman, and child he’s ever met!”

Then Churchill got what he always wanted, to be the center of attention.

I grinned at my general friend and stood up and hugged the man. I looked back at Edger, Pano, and Barry, “Guys, this is the Human Churchill owns,” I said making Edmond chuckle. “This is Brigadier Edmond Hammond.” I saw David Burke smiling at us as he walked over, “And this is Brigadier General David Burke. They’ve been great friends to Makarovia and to both Peter and me!” I pointed at our three friends from Athens and introduced them to the generals.

When I told them Barry and Pano were married, David shook his head and grumbled, “Boy, you notice one and then you guys pop up everywhere.” He looked at Sargent Austin.

“We were always there,” I smiled knowing what David said was just him being funny now. “You just didn’t see us.”

David said what everyone did as he looked up at Pano, “My GOD!! You’re big!”

Peter glanced back at Pano, “Is he?” He looked back and shook his head, “We hadn’t noticed.” He ended by giving David a sarcastic look.

David shrugged not bothered by Peter’s sarcasm, “Just wanted you to know I was observant.” He grinned and hugged me tightly. He hugged Peter and looked at me, “I got your texts, emails with the photos. You two had a good time.” It was a statement, not a question. “The ones you sent while on your honeymoon.” He looked at Pano, “And brought back some souvenirs! One is a very big souvenir!”

“We were showing our friends what’s happening in Makarovia,” Peter smiled. “We were showing what’s above and under Skoal. The soon to be activated submerged train…can we do that?”

“Certainly,” Edmond nodded. He waved us out the door of the office.

“Before we leave,” I turned to Sargent Austin. “You’re first name wouldn’t be Steve, would it?”

Sargent Austin smiled probably having heard the joke before. He nodded, “In fact, it is,” he chuckled. “Dad was a huge Six Million Dollar Man fan. He begged my mother to name me that. I use my middle name Anthony, or Tony for short.”

“How long have you and Tom been together?” I asked.

“Seven years,” Tony answered. “We were married three years ago.”

“It’s always nice to meet other happy couples,” I said, but stopped. “You are happy, aren’t you?”

“Very,” Tony nodded.

 

We did walk a little around Skoal and I saw where it indeed was very much a Western style of neighborhood now. New houses were still going up for the military and those who worked in the mines. We then went through one of the passages and saw what was under Skoal. We showed them the new red bullet train that was yet to be activated.

“The underground tunnel should be finished at the end of Summer, maybe Fall. The undergrounds will be more crowded during the Winter,” Edmond informed. “Then during the Fall and Winter passage between Skoal and Stryia will be much simpler.”

“This is impressive,” Barry nodded.

“You are coming to the Proposal, aren’t you?” I asked them. “It should be the last one for a few decades.”

“We wouldn’t miss it,” Edmond stated.

“Tell me,” David began. “King Olek is married to Helga now. This Proposal is not for the marriage. They are already married.”

“Yes,” Peter nodded. “This is a Proposal for Makarovia to accept Helga as Queen.” He shrugged.

David nodded, “And your mother. She IS Queen.”

“Yes,” Peter nodded. “She will be stepping back as Queen. She promises to keep doing what she has, but at a lesser work ethic.”

“She’s doing a Proposal?” David asked.

“No,” Peter answered. “They will probably be married somewhere outside of Makarovia. Mario is going to be her husband, but not part of royalty.” I looked at Peter. “Will he earn a title?”

Peter shrugged, “Maybe. Olek and mother can give him one. Mario doesn’t seem to want one.”

“This Proposal thing,” David began and looked at Edmond. “You guys in England don’t do that.”

“Not exactly,” Edmond shrugged and shook his head. “Kings, queens, princes, and princesses usually were presented with whom they were to marry. Often they didn’t really have a say as to whether they wanted it or not.” He grudged another nod, “With modern media, future kings and queens were followed and everything was recorded on cameras both seen and unseen. Then when these modern phones came out…” he waved out at the surroundings, “everyone could record what was happening. A formal Proposal didn’t happen, but population opinions were made clear.” He grinned, “So, there is a Proposal of sorts. Potential additions to the royal family were approved of or disapproved.”

“Such as Princess Diana,” I nodded.

“Precisely,” Edmond nodded and smiled. “At that time, the Monarchy operated as they always had. The people of Great Britain let them know THEY didn’t approve. The Queen had to change her approach. Especially after Princess Diana was killed. The people insisted Princess Diana was their Princess.”

I nodded, “I saw the clip where the hearse passed the Queen who bowed to her.”

“A very big step for her after Charles and Diana divorced,” Edmond agreed.

“Which wouldn’t have happened if the Queen had allowed Charles and Camilla to date,” I said. “Forget marriage.” I raised my finger and added, “They did marry anyway, though.”

Edmond nodded, “They certainly did.”

I looked at the two generals, “You are bringing your wives to the formal dinner Friday night.”

“We’ll be there,” David said leaving no doubt.

 

We did entertain Edger, Pano, and Barry. We did have commitments and Cosmo was just that. We asked them to stay, so yes, we felt it important to keep them entertained. Peter and I sat with Ryna as he taught us what we needed to do to stimulate Cosmo’s nerves and see that they were working correctly. He was healing and he did okay. Not good, just okay. That was why we had to do the therapy. The more we did it, the better it was supposed to be.

Thursday began with a mixture of emotions. I was excited to meet Maria and Alexi von Bar. Mario was, too. He was almost too excited to sit still at breakfast. Almost. Mom was happy that they were coming, as well. Olek was pleased about that, but worried about Helga. I knew there was a problem when she didn’t come down for breakfast. Yes, she probably had the usual morning sickness she had the other mornings. I knew there was more. However, with Edger, Pano, and Barry at the table neither Peter nor I could question Olek about it.

Jori was coming to do a final fitting so when he arrived, we told them we would see them after Jori was done. It was while Jori was working with all four of them, remember Ryna was getting fitted, too. We went to locate Olek. He was in his office. We knocked and Olek looked up, didn’t smile that big, but motioned us in.

He didn’t even wait for us to mention anything when he asked us, “Did I do the right thing?”

Just to be sure, I asked, “About inviting Helga’s mother?”

“Is that why we didn’t see her at breakfast?” Peter asked.

Olek nodded, “She said she didn’t feel like coming down.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t insist she come down. She has had morning sickness lately, but I know it’s her nerves that are making her sicker.” He shook his head, “That can’t be good for her to be so sick. And her nerves and being upset CAN’T possibly be good for the baby!” He put his head down on his desk. His voice was a little muffled while on the desk. “I was so worried about doing the right thing…I didn’t think about how hard this was for Helga.” His head shook even while on the desk. “It was all about me.”

Peter’s eyes grew, “That is stupid, Olek.”

“That is just..” I said the next word in English. “BULLSHIT!” Certain words just were better in certain languages. I almost never cursed and never, NEVER to King Olek or anyone in Makarovia. Olek’s head rose with his eyebrows rising. I went back to the Makarovian language. “Sorry, I had to make sure you were listening. You are such a good man, a great king and a great brother. You love Helga! I don’t doubt that one bit. You were right.” I pointed at him, “Her mother is going to be the grandmother of a future king or queen of Makarovia! If you hadn’t there could have been so many adverse reactions.”

Peter was nodding and thrust a thumb in my direction, “What he said.” He got closer to Olek, “You’re doing it again. Taking things on that you shouldn’t be held responsible for.” He pointed in what I assume was in the direction of Germany. “Her mother is responsible! She did this! I don’t know how much Helga is responsible for and that doesn’t matter.”

“Peter is right, too.” I added. “Her mother was invited. That part was the right thing to do. If Helga speaks to her or doesn’t spend any time with her, that’s Helga’s choice. We can easily deny anything taken out of context!”

Peter smiled folding his arms over his chest determined. “Helga will not spend ANY time with her mother unsupervised.”

I smiled a bit evilly, “I don’t believe anyone in Makarovia will allow Helga to be abused without bloodshed.”

Olek started laughing and nodded, “Yes, they love her.”

“We love her. She’s family,” Peter said firmly. “No one messes with our family!”

“And we won’t let that happen!” I added.

Olek got up and came around the desk and grabbed us in a double hug. “Thank you.” He chuckled, “We’ll know soon enough. The plane is already on its way to Berlin then it comes the short way up to Luxembourg and then returns to Makarovia. Mario went with the plane to meet his sister and brother-in-law and I told the men flying the plane to obey Mario.”

“About what exactly?” Peter asked.

“Leaving,” Olek answered. “Alexi is providing their own transportation to the airport with their luggage for the long weekend or perhaps longer. I invited them to stay as long as they liked. However, I’m sending Mario with the car I’m sending to Ms. Schuman’s home to pick her up along with a handler to help get her luggage in the car and on the plane.” He grinned, “We are so used to the mild-mannered Mario. Always kind, thoughtful, polite…” Olek leaned in, “the man has another side he apparently uses for business and other less than honest people that can be cold and just plain mean. In these situations, Mario, or so I’m told, can be terrifying! He holds no prisoners and can be just as cold and mean as those people threatening HIM!” He chuckled. “I told Mario to make note of the time they arrive at her home, have it witnessed, verified, and leave at the agreed upon arranged time. And to make note of THAT! If Ms. Schuman is not ready, give her half an hour and then leave. His sister and brother-in-law can NOT be kept waiting. He is to give verbal warnings and stick with those warnings.”

My eyebrows rose, “That’s a lot of power. He was willing to do that?”

Olek grinned again, “Secretly, I believe he hopes she will give him trouble so he can descend using the given power. I know Ms. Schuman will give him no trouble because she’ll know she’ll not be catered to. She will know she’ll be left behind.”

Peter nodded and smiled just as mean and a little sly as Olek was, “And with her reputation and wanting to impress, if she were left behind it would look bad for HER! Very nice, Olek.”

Olek smiled at Peter, “Thank your mother and my many dealings with Germans.” He got an angry face on and said, “Nicht annehembar!” He said in German for “unacceptable.” I had been studying the other languages such as French, Spanish, and German. German more because my dear sister-in-law was German! I know, technically Peter was her brother-in-law, and I was just married to Peter. Really? So, the child she was having wouldn’t be related at all to me by biology but just by law? I doubt any court in Makarovia, Germany, England, or the United States would split those hairs! And German and French were the official languages of Luxembourg! Mario told me that Alexi and Maria spoke English as well, not to mention Italian. I was depressed only a few minutes, jealousy about the many languages spoken freely in this part of the world. Another of the many words of wisdom from Grandpa Theodore. “Are you just going to sit and stew about what’s bothering you, or are you gonna do something about it?” I was doing something about it! The computer had wonderful programs that taught languages. Really, most languages had roots in similar languages. English had roots in German! That’s why Old English looked and sounded like German! My study of Chaucer and even the original Beowulf were in Old English. You remember how much I loved those. Sarcasm aside, it did help me with modern German. I was nowhere near fluent or even proficient, but I would be.

The idea that Mario could be a cutthroat businessman wasn’t surprising. Yes, he had been born into a family with money. Italy’s corruption was not restricted to politics, and I had no doubt that was true in the business sectors. To navigate that shark infested waters, he had to be as equally ruthless.

“Their time zone is a couple of hours behind us,” Olek said. “Dinner might be later than you’re used to.”

I waved that worry away physically, “Everyone knows France, Germany, and England eat late. No big deal.”

Olek nodded with a chuckle, “Just warn our guests from Greece.”

“Did Mom go with Mario?” Peter asked.

“No,” Olek replied. “That idea nearly gave Yuri a panic attack. With the chaos this weekend, he was sure there might be an attack by some militant group to kidnap Queen Alla. He was going to allow it, but only if she were accompanied by a dozen security agents.”

I smiled, “Maybe you should have let them. Ms. Schuman would understand we mean what we say!”

 

We kept things local for that day. Taking Edger, Pano, Barry, Ryna, and Cosmo down to the underground Stryia. For the one reason that the tunnels down there were paved and level. Cosmo was again cautioned to stay in the chair and use the cane if he needed to walk around for some reason. We went to the Coffee Shoppe and got the desired coffees. I’m not a big shopper. I’ve said it before, I know what I need…I knew where it was and went, got it and was done. There were boutiques and that sort of things down here now. Granted, most of what they had was upstairs and you had to go up to get to see more, but there were some samples of what they had down here. We needed to talk to them about handicap accessibility. About two o’clock we went to Makarovian Royal Burgers. Our new friend Pylyp was again behind the counter as before. I noticed some new items on the overhead menu.

“You added hotdogs!?” I pointed to the many choices. Not just hotdogs, but sausages, kielbasa, and bratwursts. Footlong hotdogs!

Pylyp nodded and thumbed over his shoulder at his employees, “I had to!” He said helplessly but with a smile. “I toyed with the idea of offering frankfurters, but they told me with the number of customers from the West I just HAD to. We’ve got several kinds and all the toppings from chili, cheese, slaw, sauerkraut, onions, relish…what we sell the most of I’ll keep on the menu.”

I grinned, “Then could I have one of those footlong hotdogs with mustard, chili, onions, and cheese?”

“Sure!” Pylyp said nodding. “Is that what you like?”

I nodded, “If I have to give you an answer, yes. I like the spicy Tex-mex versions with jalapenos, siracha and other hot things.” I leaned forward and thumbed back at the Makarovians moving about down here at the moment, “I don’t know if these good people could handle the spicier hotdogs and sausages. If a choice, the one I ordered is first.”

“Can I quote you?” He pointed up to the menu, “Up there?”

“Absolutely!” I held my hand up, “And some of these great onion rings?”

“Certainly,” Pylyp nodded.

Only Peter got one of the sausage dogs with mustard and sauerkraut. The others stuck to the burger choices with French Fries and the usual condiments.

 

What was six in the evening in Berlin was eight pm in Makarovia. It was shortly after that when we were told the plane landed at the airstrip in Stryia. (Remember? It was just for THAT plane.)

Everyone in the Ivanov family gathered at the base of that grand staircase to wait after we were told the cars had pulled into the access to the elevator. When Helga came down, I was stunned. She had dressed, her hair was fixed very attractively cascading around and past her shoulders. Her makeup was perfect, not heavy such as she might wear in the evening, and she wore a coral color dress that hung down between her knees and her ankles. It was lovely. I didn’t know much about fashion for women, but I knew you couldn’t find that dress on any rack. Mom came after her looking usual glamorous self, but not as glamourous as she could. I think Mom did that on purpose. Helga was just as beautiful as Queen Alla, but this was Helga’s weekend. Olek took Helga’s hand and brought her closer to him and stood protectively by her. Helga’s face held no worry.

The elevator sounded and the sound of footsteps could be heard as a group approached. Mario of course, along with a woman who was clearly Italian about five feet and six inches tall. She was a pretty woman with dark brown hair in her mid-fifties. She watched her weight. She and her husband were billionaires, but she dressed nicely but not flashy. Light pastel green was the color of her dress. Beside her was a tall man about sixty that had at one time, blond hair which was now turning white that could be seen in the yellow hair. He was about six feet tall and also thin. They looked amazed at the palace now around them. The other woman…well, have you ever seen a woman that was very pretty and at the same time you would NOT trust her? Her makeup was perfect, her hair done up on her head was lightly brown…almost blonde. Her affect was completely flat. No surprise, no shock, no sadness or look of disapproval. Helga was right, she had no emotions anyone would pick up on. I knew of some women who didn’t smile or laugh because it caused things like laugh lines around the eyes and mouth. Her face was flawless. She had to be in her sixties, but she looked like…well, I couldn’t tell. No wrinkles or creases on her face or on her neck. Another wisdom from grandpa was avoid the pretty women that had hard faces. Hers wasn’t hard exactly, but there was no feminine softness on that face either. There wasn’t even a perpetual frown. Nothing. She wore a dark blue dress, and she had a figure. She could be attractive but wasn’t. Understand? Think about any evil queen in those Disney movies or movies based on the tales like sleeping beauty. Very beautiful, but just…evil. Well, maybe not evil, but damned close!

Mario waved at us and spoke to all of them, “Here they speak Makarovia, Ukrainian, Russian, and English.” He spoke to his sister and brother-in-law, “We also have guests from Greece, and they speak English, too. We all should speak English when together.” He took his sister’s hand. He touched Olek’s arm, “I wish to introduce you to His Royal Majesty, King Olek Ivanov the Second, King of Makarovia.” He moved to Helga, “This is Her Ladyship Helga Ivanov, soon to be Queen of Makarovia.” He moved to Mom. “This is Her Royal Majesty, Queen Alla Ivanov. She is the Dowager Queen, but still very much a queen.” He moved toward Peter and touched his arm lightly, “This is her son, His Royal Highness, Prince Pedro Ivanov, the king’s brother.” He walked to me and touched me, as well. “This is Peter’s husband, His Royal Highness, Prince Eric Ivanov.”

I looked at Helga’s mother who had no perceptible reaction.

Mario motioned for Helga’s mother to come forward, “This is Ms. Tahnee Schuman.” She came forward and did bow a curtsy to each as she shook our hands, everybody but Helga’s. She was Helga’s mother, but she didn’t shake hands with her daughter. Olek’s face I could read. He let it go for the moment, but he wouldn’t let it go much further.

“Welcome to Makarovia,” Olek smiled with a slight bow. “I hope your stay here will be a good one. I trust your flight here was pleasant.”

Alexi was still marveling over what little he had seen from his limited visual exposure to the palace so far, “We had a quick and comfortable trip.” His accent was heavily German sounding to me. “This palace is amazing. You would never guess this was here!”

“That’s how it is built to look,” Peter explained. “So, no one would guess.” He chuckled. “If you’re tired or want to relax in private…” he began as two women came up. I recognized them as palace staff, “these lovely people are going to show you where your rooms are. Your luggage will be brought up to your rooms and these two will even help you unpack.” He nodded to the two women, “Thank you for that.”

“It will be our honor, Your Majesty,” the older of the two dark-haired women bowed her head quickly.

I nudged Peter gently, “It’s a wonder there aren’t cases of back and neck pain in Makarovia. They bow to Olek, Olek bows to them…if I hadn’t insisted they stop bowing to me, they would.”

Peter chuckled as he grinned, “And yet they still do it to you. It’s a sign of respect.”

“Yeah,” I nodded slightly. “I think it’s great that Olek gives back the same respect.” I looked at Ms. Schuman. “I’ll be interested to see how this visit with Mother Tahnee will turn out to be.”

“You saw her snub of Helga,” Peter whispered. He could do it almost as well as a ventriloquist. His mouth didn’t seem to move!

“I did,” I replied. “You saw Olek’s reaction to that snub.”

“Yes, I did.” Peter said back.

“You may remain in your rooms until dinner if you choose,” Olek continued, “the meal will be served in an hour.” I held a hand up. “I know there is a slight time difference. It maybe earlier than you’re used to at home. You can use the computer in your rooms and order something from the kitchen, order from someone verbally and it will be brought to you in your rooms. Before dinner we usually have a cocktail before dining, as is our custom. There will always be someone to lead you to where that happens.”

The truth was this explanation was for Helga’s mother. I knew Alexi and Maria would stay with Mario. They loved each other and being together for them was desired.

The guest quarters for the palace were just as fancy as Peter’s and mine, Olek’s and Helga’s. Ms. Schuman’s rooms was a good distance away from the Royal Family’s quarters. She was brought to her quarters first. Once she was in her rooms we moved on.

I moved closer to Mario, “How was Ms. Schuman on the flight?”

Mario gave a tiny shrugging nod, “She tested us. We had to wait for her to finish packing. She has three suitcases and a garment bag.”

“Three suitcases?” Peter repeated asking.

Mario shrugged, “My sister and Alexi are staying a week. They had two each and a garment bag. Ms. Schuman hardly spoke on the way here.”

I nodded, “A prima donna.”

Mario’s eyes widened as he smiled, “That was almost Italian! She does consider herself a primary woman!”

“Sto imparando…e quello era Italiano!” I spoke Italian and said I was learning and that was Italian. I switched to German, “Ich lerne auch Deutsch!” Telling him I was learning German.

Mario knew German and again his eyes twinkled, “I yo vivcayu Macaroviana!” He said in Makarovian that he was learning to speak it. He went back to English and shrugged. “We have to.”

“We sure do,” I nodded.

 

Alexi and Maria loved their quarters but were happy to be with Mario and his new family. They were approachable.

Peter and I came up to Maria and Alexi as we were getting our pre-dinner drinks.

“Excuse me, Countess,” Peter bowed to her, “Count von Bar, we want to thank you for allowing us to use the Grand Duchess on our honeymoon.”

They both smiled at us, and I added, “That is a wonderful ship! The crew quickly became good friends. Luke Agius was a great captain and became friends with us.”

Peter chuckled, “Not to mention Henri! That man is a savant with cooking!”

The word savant threw them only a second and Maria laughed, “He is a genius in the kitchen.”

“It was our honor to give you the Duchess for the two weeks,” Alexi smiled. “If you wish to use it again, just let us know. You’re welcome to it.”

“Having the Duchess,” Maria said, “only works if it’s used. The people that work on it need the jobs.” She shrugged. “That’s why we don’t deny people who want to use it.”

I smiled, “I am so happy you came. Would it be presumptuous of me to say I consider you two family?”

Alexi looked surprised, “I thought we were.”

Peter grinned and warned, “Beware, my husband is a hugger!”

Maria smiled, “They’re better than a handshake!”

Peter smiled bigger and pointed at me, “That’s what HE says all the time!”

My grandmother, Edger, Pano, Barry, Cosmo, Ryna, Boris and Yuri came to join us. As expected, Pano’s size was a big surprise to Maria and Alexi. We explained their presence here and introduced them to everyone. Ms. Schuman was the last to arrive having changed her clothes and we introduced her to our other friends.

I saw Katrina Sams look over Ms. Schuman and knew Grandma would not just let things slide where Ms. Schuman was concerned.

When the meal was ready we sat and enjoyed a conversation…with everyone but Ms. Schuman.

We had a traditional Makarovian meal with borscht and fresh, flaky rolls. Borscht isn’t just Russian, but there were many Russians here, so it was fine), Stryian Chicken (which was similar to chicken Kiev) and a delicately crisp potato side dish, different vegetables and ended with Stryia Cake (a sponge cake in layers with a chocolate buttercream frosting and topped with chopped hazelnuts) that is sinfully delicious.

I was guilty of judging Ms. Schuman, but she invited the judgement. I didn’t just do it. She had made Helga suffer and that was a crime. Helga had been raised and turned out to be smart, attractive, and a very kind person. How? I could tell that was done without Ms. Schuman’s input in anyway. Her father and nannies, I suppose. Why was she like this? I was convinced there was a mental illness, but I also saw it was a choice. Again, why?

It was growing late, for us from Makarovia, at least. We separated for the evening as tomorrow night was the formal dinner.

I knew my grandmother and was not surprised she began talking to Ms. Schuman as they walked back to their rooms. I know eavesdropping isn’t the right thing to do, or just plain wrong. I had to know what they spoke about. Fortunately, grandmother’s abilities to speak other languages did not include German. They spoke English. At first I didn’t catch what they spoke about until grandma stopped and turned to her.

“I would advise you to never speak like that about King Olek or Queen Helga,” grandmother told Ms. Schuman. “They are both loved in Makarovia.”

“She is not Queen yet,” Ms. Schuman stated simply.

“Yet?” Grandmother asked. “She WILL be.”

“She will be Queen because she got pregnant,” Ms. Schuman said.

Grandmother got the look she gets when she’s pushed against the wall. A smile was there, but there was no happiness in it. “Do NOT disrespect King Olek or the future Queen Helga! She will be queen. She has done so much in her life. She has a doctorate in Structural Engineering and has brought power to all of Makarovia! She met King Olek and he fell in love with Helga quickly. What accomplishments do you have? Who loves you?” She almost demanded. “I don’t know what made you this way but know this; your opinion of Helga puts you in a minority of one! ONE! You are ALONE!”

“You are okay with your grandson’s marriage to Prince Pedro,” Ms. Schuman said.

Grandmother wasn’t surprised, “You are aware the Paragraph 175 was repealed in 1994, aren’t you? You Germans revised it in…what? 1963? Again in 1973? Your people finally repealed that ridiculous article! It was a STUPID law! The number of innocents killed is staggering. For such smart people, you’re so dense!” She physically waved this subject away, “This has nothing to do with Peter, my grandson, Pano, Barry, Yuri, or Boris…I’m talking about Helga. Don’t you dare disrespect her or Olek or you maybe spending more time in Makarovia than you planned. Olek has absolute authority in Makarovia. With one word, you could be spending that time in the DUNGEON!” She nodded, “Yes, they have one. Now, good NIGHT!”

I watched my grandmother walk back to her rooms and smiled. I knew she’d be able to handle Ms. Schuman.

 

The following night, we began about eight in the evening. Pano, Edger, Barry, Ryna, and Cosmo were dressed in very nice clothes. The tuxedos would be worn tomorrow. I did notice Ms. Schuman did not approach the table reserved for family and friends. She sat off at a table with strangers that quickly knew Ms. Schuman wanted to be left alone. She would always be Ms. Schuman. No name could be used with affection. I felt sorry for her. She had done this to herself. She could have gotten help but didn’t get any. Grandma was right, Helga had done a lot with her life. Even without her marriage to Olek, she had made a name for herself. I had yet to find out what Ms. Schuman had done. She was born into money. She hadn’t earned a single Deutsche Mark or Euro! I was sad for her. Her priorities were wrong. I feared she would get in trouble health wise and die alone. Again. It was her own fault.

All of the representatives from the neighboring cities and towns were there and all talking with Olek and Helga. Mostly Helga. It was not the big crowd that had attended before Peter’s and my Proposal or wedding, but it was well attended. I was pleased that the mayors and leaders were now dressing more formally and in better clothes. There was an increase in money that was flowing into Makarovia. I was pleased the Klaus Ordan showed up and not alone! Generals Burke and Hammond came with their wives. I stopped worrying about Ms. Schuman. She could be miserable if she wanted to. I did notice she saw and understood the many people that hugged Helga and it was sincere.

There was music and dancing…ballroom dancing. None of Peter’s and my energetic dances like we did at the Grotto.

 

The next day was the Proposal. This time, Helga wore this gown that looked like what Queen Alla would wear. It sparkled gold. The single pendant that hung around her neck was a nice sized diamond. There was one on each earlobe, and a thin bracelet around her left wrist above her left hand where her wedding ring was, and all those diamonds caught the light and sparkled. My grandmother and mother taught me to judge them by the color of the light’s refraction. Hers was whitish and blue! And it sparkled…a lot! She was regal. Queen Alla wore her signature tiara crown of gold and sparkling stones. I didn’t ask if those were real or zircon. That would have been rude. Yet, she was not as grandly dressed as to take away from Helga.

The processional sounded as we, the immediate family went to stand on the platform.

The whole ceremony was supposed to be in Makarovian. However, with the many here that didn’t speak Makarovian, English was the language chosen. That said, the ceremony was being broadcast on a channel any computer or television could pick up in Makarovia…and some other countries that had internet.

Olek came forward and using his lapel microphone smiled and addressed those here to witness. “My dear friends, those from Makarovia and from other countries now in Makarovia. This is not too different a Proposal. There have been kings and queens who have married and THEN proposed to have their spouse accepted as a king or queen of Makarovia. Today, I am proposing that you accept Helga, my wife, as Queen of Makarovia. Queen Alla is stepping back from that role, though I have no doubt she will still be acting as Queen to continue the improvements in healthcare and education. There was only one wife of a king that was refused as Queen.” He held his hand out for Helga who stepped forward and took his hand. “After a few words from Helga, I will ask you to consider her to become your Queen.”

He stepped back from the center and Helga stood alone and looked up. I’d say she was nervous. Who wouldn’t be when giving people the opportunity to deny you?

“I came to Makarovia almost two years ago,” Helga smiled. “I quickly fell in love with this wonderful country.” She turned to Olek, “I meet King Olek and I was attracted.” She admitted and waved at him, “Just look at him!”

That brought laughter from those others here.

“Then he asked me to dinner,” she smiled. “And then he asked me on a date.” Her head wavered at the ramifications of that, “How could I say no?” she asked. “COULD I say no?” Then her smile softened as she looked back at Olek, “And then he asked me something I will never forget, and I never have. Could I see him as a MAN, not a king?” She nodded again, “His family is so close, and I was amazed how accepting they are of me.” She looked at Olek, “Though I would have preferred you NOT be so open and honest with your brothers, but I got used to it.” She smiled at the crowd. “I do see him as a man. A man I love very much. I will say, my first priority will be Olek. Making him happy will make him an even better king. He is already a GOOD king. I will continue to improve Makarovia by designing a safe refinery and power stations around Makarovia. Olek first, my children second, and my job third. I promise to be the best Queen I can be.”

Olek stepped forward and took her hand again, “So, I ask you. Do you accept this Proposal?”

The mayors and representatives looked at each other then all of them shook their heads and said together, “No!” Every one of them said it. I was shocked. Those who weren’t these mayors or representatives here gasped. I saw generals Burke and Hammond were outraged and their wives were shocked.

“No!?” Olek repeated. “You won’t even consider it?”

Helga looked as if she was going to cry.

A man who was the mayor of Skoal, Mativy Kozak came forward and smiled holding a hand up to Olek. “That was mean. Funny, but mean. I’m sorry,” he said to Helga. “Let me explain.” He took a handheld microphone and held it up to be heard. “We talked about this as we planned to be here and last night we reached a consensus.” He looked at Helga, “As you said, you’ve been here almost two YEARS! Our way of approving who wears the crown is unique. It makes the kings and queens born to rule think hard about bringing someone to sit on a throne next to them.” He waved at me. “Prince Pedro did a fine job choosing Prince Eric.” He looked at Olek, “Your father did a fine job when he did it with Queen Alla and your mother.” He pointed at Olek, “And you did a damned fine job choosing Lady Helga! She literally brought us out of the darkness! We decided that there was no need for the additional YEAR! Its our vote and we say, Lady Helga. We welcome you,” he knelt before her on one knee, “as the new Queen of Makarovia.”

Someone was walking up the center holding a pillow with a sparkling crown on it. This was one I had not seen before. I found out later every Queen had their own crown. These were crystals? They were highly refractive and were tightly packed, the front one about four inches tall and each lessening on either side as they circled the crown.

A priest from the church in Stryia came forward, put a stole on around his neck to hang down the front of his shirt and took the crown and turned to Helga, “If you will kneel, please.” Helga kneeled before the priest and the priest put the crown on her head. “By the power given to me by God, the laws of Makarovia, and the overwhelming approval of the subjects of Makarovia, I crown you, Your Majesty Queen Helga Ivanov, Queen of Makarovia. All Hail, Queen Helga!” He bowed kneeling before her. Peter, me, and Queen Alla knelt. I turned to see all people, Makarovian and guests were bowing on their knee and said, “All Hail, Queen Helga. Long may you reign!” That included Ms. Schuman!

Now Helga WAS crying, but these tears were tears of JOY! She was covering her mouth with both hands as the tears came freely as she was getting up, helped by Olek who was smiling even more broadly. Then HE bowed like everyone else did.

“My Queen,” Olek said to Helga still holding her hand.

Helga was now Queen.