Makarovia! Yes, I Know Where That is! Sophomore Year - 21. Chapter 21

Peter was very happy now. I turned the shower off and turned the faucet on in the big tub.

“I think you need to soak,” I said as I began taking my clothes off.

Peter smiled at me as I did. “You’re joining me.”

I nodded. “I am. The hot water will help your muscles relax.” I shrugged. “It has been a while since you played hockey and you played pretty hard. Rough, but hard.”

“That’s how we play here,” Peter said simply.

“Right. I know you’ll be sore.” I came to stand in front of him. “I’ll massage the soreness out, too.” I looked closer at his eye. “There’s plenty of ice out, but you need some to stop further swelling.”

Peter came forward kissing me deeply. “Yes, it will.” He said softly. “I know you’ll take care of me.” He said running his finger over my jaw and cheek. “You always do. You are always so good to me.”

“Sure, I am.” I smiled. “I love you. Our lives have joined, Peter. I’ll always take care of you. You do with me.”

“We will always take care of each other.” He said kissing me more bringing me in and then stopped with an, “oooh.” He put his hand on his back.

I chuckled. “Okay, Prince Petro Ivanov…hockey champ of Makarovia.” I turned him toward the tub. “In you go.” I smiled and gently helped him in the tub.

We came to dinner and saw Queen Alla sitting at the table waiting for us as she looked up. She wasn’t surprised at what she saw, but her frown told me she wished it hadn’t happened.

“Did you and Olek have a good time?” She asked tolerantly…barely.

Peter nodded. “I did.”

We saw Olek and Helga come in slowly due to Olek’s slower pace. Helga was smiling but holding Olek’s arm helping him get there as they came to the table. The bruising and cuts were now more evident on both of them.

“We did enjoy it,” Olek said sitting with more care that normally and let out a little groan. “I can’t do it too often now like I used to, but it was fun.”

“We’ve had this conversation.” Queen Alla said holding her hands up to stop what she knew they’d say. “I know you like it. Why I will never figure out.” She looked at Peter and then at Olek. “Just don’t get yourselves killed. Please.”

As I said, there was a combination of West and East Europe traditions and decorations. It was actually spreading the Holiday all the way through January the 14^th! Peter and I were having to fly out before the festive week ended to go back to Northeastern, but we would enjoy the beginnings of it! Those from the West were gearing up now to celebrate the secular parts of Christmas. Santa, elves, and carols like Jingle Bells and all that. Don’t forget there were some Hebrew in Makarovia, so there were the menorahs and Stars of David…decorations of silver and blue for Hanukah. There was also the green garland with the bells, red ribbons and colored glass ornaments hung. Trees were going up decorated with the decorations and the Chrismon Trees, depicting the Christian religions. All beliefs were represented and no objections were raised by anyone. That was the greatest part. Tolerance and acceptance!

Even our rooms were being decorated for the Holiday. The new heating elements installed was making it warmer so we didn’t have to hurry to bed to keep warm. Peter and I were relaxing on the floor in front of the fireplace in the living portion of our rooms. Spread out on one of the great furs, covered by another great fur and the fire keeping the air warm as Peter and I rested after some good loving.

“I will never get tired of this,” I said resting my head on his hairy chest, my fingers running through the hairs.

I felt him hug me a little more. “Neither will I.”

And of course, this marvelous afterglow was interrupted by my phone ringing. Looking over, I picked up the phone and saw the identity of the caller.

Touching the face of the caller on the screen, I said. “Drew!!!”

“Hello!” Drew said happily. “How are my two favorite Makarovians?”

I looked at Peter. “We’re fine. How are you and Wayne?”

“Great as always,” Drew replied. “I called to ask if, on your way back to the United States, you might like to stop by here?”

“Well, we will be leaving on the 10^th of January,” I said. “The week of Christmas here is later.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Drew said and I could see him nodding in my head.

“Well, that’s the Eastern Orthodox Christmas,” I answered. “What are you two doing for Christmas…or even New Year’s?”

“Christmas here, we’re going to Wayne’s family to celebrate…for the regular time of the 24^th and 25^th.”

“And New Year’s? Let me just say it. Why not come here for New Year’s?” I asked him. “Makarovia will be celebrating the upcoming Christmas. It will still be going on. You can see how they do it here.”

I heard him talking to…it had to be Wayne, in a muffled voice as he covered the microphone on his phone. Then his voice came back. “It’s cold there, right?”

“It’s Makarovia! It is cold. So, you won’t come due to the weather?” I asked.

“No, that’s not…planes and ice? They don’t work well together.” Drew said hesitantly.

“We have an airport here.” I groused.

“In Skoal!” Drew said.

“And in Styria!” I pointed out. “You can fly into Budapest if you prefer, but you can get here! We’re flying in and out!” I growled. “You owe us a trip anyway, you didn’t come to Boston!”

“I know,” Drew said uneasily. “I know we promised. Okay, we’ll be there. Can we arrive on the 27^th?” He was talking to Wayne, too. “What commercial airline goes there now?”

“The RAF!” I said. “I’ll ask General Hammond, he’ll get you on a Royal Air Force plane. Supplies come in almost weekly for personnel and equipment…and what happened to the rough and tough reporter?”

“I am!!” Drew defended loudly and added weaker. “It’s just that…” he stopped.

I sat up grinning at my friend. “Drew! You’re afraid of flying, aren’t you?”

“If the weather is nice and no complications…I’m fine, but…”

I heard some noise and a little struggle and then Wayne’s voice came over. “He can be such a big baby sometimes,” Wayne said in the phone. “We’ll be there. I know how to deal with him.”

I laughed. “I’m sure you do after all these years.”

“We look forward to seeing you and Peter, Eric.” Wayne said. “Say good-bye, Drew.”

“Good-bye.” Drew’s voice came back a little distant.

“See you soon.” I chuckled as the phone call ended.

“I heard.” Peter chuckled taking my phone and laid it aside. “Now, where were we?” He grinned moving to come over me as he again, was kissing me deeply, his tongue not having to ask, was taken in and welcomed and the kiss just intensified as arms went around each other’s bodies.

Helga was had gotten one of the small nuclear power stations operating that was feeding Styria which was needed with the increase of power demand. All the new businesses and the new underground were most of the reason. This led to Olek’s and Helga’s first…argument wasn’t right, it was a disagreement. Not heated, but we got there was a problem. Her time was demanded now. Not only as the engineer she was but as the future Queen of Makarovia. She would be Queen!

Peter and I were coming out of our rooms to go down for dinner as they came out of their room to do the same.

“…I have to be there.” Helga said. “The new station is working, but I have to…” she stopped as she saw us.

Olek grinned at us. “We’re just having to work out this whole…working Queen thing.” He explained to us.

“Olek?” Helga said to him questioning as she stopped.

“I tell these two almost everything,” Olek explained. “Do I keep us more private? I trust them above anyone else, besides you! I listen to what they say even more than my advisors. We have no secrets.”

“About everything!?” Helga asked a little bothered by that.

“Not about personal moments with you, but…yes!” Olek said. “Hell, they knew I was jerking off before you! I didn’t hide it. I’ve never hidden a thing from them.”

I reached out to Helga touching her arm. “When I first came here…I was bothered about how open these two were with each other. It took me a while to get used to it. Their father was just as open and honest with Olek and would have been with Peter. It’s a family trait.” I said hoping she would understand. “Olek knows Peter and I are intimate. He doesn’t know the details…” I looked at Peter, “does he?”

Peter chuckled. “No. I don’t tell him that.”

I nodded. “Okay.” I looked back at Helga. “I know you two are intimate, but I don’t want to know the details.” I sighed. “This kingdom works as well as it does because Olek shares a lot with Peter and me. No surprises. He’s a major part of our lives.” I smiled at Olek. “Not because he is king, but because of who he is.” I ran a hand over Olek’s arm and shoulder. “He’s a special person. He will tell us things. Perhaps you should talk to Mom. She knows about the Queen that works. You worked hard to get where you are. What role this takes now, you and Olek with have to work out. He will probably tell us unless you tell him not to. You can do the same with Queen Alla.”

Helga sighed with a nod. “I guess I should.” She shook her head. “I want to be here, Olek, but I have a job that is taking me away that day. Getting from here to there and back takes a while. I have to be there. That reactor’s stable, but I need to be sure.” She turned to Olek. “I have a responsibility. I can’t put it off for the day.”

“So, what is Georg here for?” Olek asked and she was going to say something she had obviously said before. “I know…” Olek said holding his hand up to stop her again. “You’re signing off on it. I understand…I just wish you were here.”

“We’re not even officially engaged, Olek.” She said. “Right now, I am the king’s mistress!”

Olek’s eyes widened. “You are not!” He said quickly. “You are my fiancé! You’re going to be my wife! I love you, Helga!”

She smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. “Yes, I know you do, Olek. I love you, too. Just see…I was originally brought here to do a job. I have to do it. I want to do it. This new role as your friend, partner and soon to be wife is fine. I will be here for you. Not to be the Queen. I just will be.”

Olek smiled. “I can be disappointed.” He shrugged.

Helga smiled again chuckling. “It’s good you are. That proves I mean something to you.” She took his arm. “Now, let’s have a nice dinner. We’ll talk later.” She looked at me and Peter as we headed on to the dining room. “He tells you two everything?”

Peter smiled. “He does. I tell him everything.”

Helga sighed. “This family will take getting used to.”

The day in question was coming on the 19^th, where St. Nicholas Day is celebrated. Western Europe and several areas in the West was on the 6^th, but it was a tradition in Eastern Orthodox. It was really for children...and their parents, too. It was a tradition that all the children that could make it, came to the palace. This would be done in the other villages and towns where they could not make it, but there was a special dinner for them and they brought their letters to Saint Nicholas and gave it to King Olek to pass on to Saint Nicholas. These were not letters like in the West. No requests for that toy alone or something like that…the requests for the toy were in there, but it was more to request the joy, health, and happiness for the parents, friends, and family. He was a saint, not Santa Claus. Whether they got those things…all of those things depended on the behavior of the child during the year. The toy was given and there were a lot of sweets, usually, these cookies called mykolaychyky, a round cookie with different fillings put under the child’s pillow…duh, isn’t that what all holidays were about? Food you didn’t get any other time? Queen Alla, of course, would be there as her focus had always been the welfare of families and the children of Makarovia. I knew it as it was a big tradition in the Ukraine. Makarovia was a part of Western Ukraine for a long time off and on. The Russians didn't like Christmas but did something on New Year’s Eve, but…it was still alive and well in Makarovia. Was it an important event in Makarovia? It was to the children and they were the future of Makarovia!

The fact that Helga might not make it was…well, it would be nice for her to be there. I would be there and so would Peter, Olek, and Queen Alla.

The new units to heat the palace were prepped and ready to go to make things warm for our littlest citizens and their parents.

As the day got closer, we ended up having more people work to prepare for this first Holiday event. To make the kutya, a wheat portage…that was made of nuts, wheatberries, poppy seeds, and honey. Dried fruit and raisins were sometimes added. It was done traditionally to ask for good weather. Hah! Maybe Makarovians weren’t eating enough kutya! Who am I kidding? It was just cold here, but kutya was eaten also in the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Russia…it was eaten a lot many places. It was the first of the Twelve-dish Christmas Supper or Sviata Vecheria as it was called here. Now, I’m sorry, this all is East Europe things, but there were other dishes like chicken borscht, dumplings galushki, cabbage soup or kapusniak, salo (pork) and the pampushki (small buns or donuts to be served with the borscht). You know Makarovia is a country of mixed people consisting of dishes and traditions from the Ukraine, Russia (which were the most influential), Romania and Hungary as well as Germany (thanks to World War II) and a few others. America calls itself a melting pot? Makarovia was that for a long, long time.

The real new thing was these new underground passages! A lot more children and their parents were arriving than ever before.

I watched from overhead with Peter as they were gathering in the great gathering room of the palace like most arrivals for a palace function. Adults were noisy…but children! The volume level was getting higher and the adults were having to talk louder to be heard and…it was noisy! Happy noises, but noisy because kids were kids.

“With the new transit system going in…” I began smiling as I watched children chase each other and being called down by their parents. “We may have to move this to somewhere else. I don’t think the Makarovian Palace is big enough for all of them.”

Peter smiled and chuckled. “I don’t think there is a structure bigger than the palace in Makarovia.” He looked at the gathering families. “There were maybe a few dozen before, but there is a few hundred down there!”

“I guess the outer parts of Styria were not as easy to traverse.” I speculated.

Peter shrugged. “Yes, but even if they could, bringing small children on a cold night, the parents just wouldn’t do it.”

I nodded. “Well, now they are!”

Peter hugged me. “This is the beginning of a whole new Makarovia.”

“And we are going to be a part of it,” I said kissing him. “I love you, Peter.”

“I know you do,” Peter said. “I love you, Eric.”

“I know.”