Makarovia! Yes, I Know Where That is! Sophomore Year - 27. Chapter 27

The Fourth Semester. Part 2

Peter smiled at her. “Thank you for inviting us, Ms. DeGeneres. After the initial introductions, just Peter and Eric will be fine.” He said taking her hand and shook it. “My future husband is having to get used to the titles.” He said with his accent heard clearly as he spoke English. “He is having some adjustment issues.”

“Then I insist on the same thing. I’m Ellen.” Then she went into this...not droll, because it wasn’t mocking, but this tone…a sort of ramble kind of distracted talk which made her famous. “Adjusting must be hard…to living in a palace and having things done for you…”

I chuckled. “You have no idea.”

She smiled and then went to a more serious face. “That’s why you’re here.” She said in her way. “We don’t have any idea.” Again, that was just Ellen.

I laughed with a nod. “Right.”

“So…” she said moving her hands slightly, “is there something I shouldn’t ask about?” She asked us.

Peter looked at me and shrugged. “I don’t believe so.” He said more confirming to me and looked back at her. “Most of anything with Makarovia is pretty well known now…”

Ellen nodded. “Okay. Well, someone will be coming to take you to the set.” She turned to leave and stopped turning back. “What you two are doing…” she said, “is pretty awesome.” She smiled again and walked out.

“You see, Yuri?” Peter looked at Yuri with a grin as he waved at the door Ellen had walked out of. “It will be fine.”

Yuri just grunted his reply. He was still going to be suspicious.

The show was being readied to begin. The studio audience was getting into place. Once they were in position, mostly, there was a man that went through an explanation of some precautions, nothing major, but explained the need for the added security and they all knew why. Then another man came out to warm them up, get them to laugh and he was pretty funny. He had to be, this was Ellen! Of course, they were all seated and there were monitors facing them above their heads that had a large digital countdown. Those numbers went red when it was down to five minutes. The numbers went to zero and then the music started and no one needed prompting to applaud…they all did it anyway.

Ellen began her opening monolog or speech from the circular sitting area, instead of amongst the audience as she did sometimes. She waved at the crowd, using her hands to get them to stop. “And I feel the same way about you.” She said to them as she often did. “Welcome to a very special show today. My two guests today you may have heard about recently…” she slipped into that ramble again, “unless you've been living under a rock or something…you know of the upcoming marriage for His Highness, Prince Petro Ivanov who is next in line for the crown in Makarovia.” She got this expression…a little bewildered…but clearly Ellen. “I admit it…I had to look it up! When I first heard about it…I was saying…Makarovia? Where the Hell is that!?” There were light laughs from the audience as Ellen was nodding. “Yes, yes…see? You know.” She pointed at some of them. “I wasn’t by myself with that. We were all startled by the announcement of the discovery of this large uranium deposit beneath their soil, but even before that…we were all stunned, just stunned when it was announced that Prince Petro was not just getting married…no, he was marrying a commoner,” she was nodding again with the audience, “yes,” there was a little applause, “it’s been done, but he was also marrying an American he met in school,” she nodded again as there was more applause, “I know, it could happen and did before with Queen Kate, but he was marrying…a man!” She said putting her stunned face on. “What!? That has NEVER been done.” She was nodding as the audience was reacting to either her face or the news they all knew and they were now applauding harder. “And! It’s not being done in secret or anything but broadcasted around the world! Yes, and the Proposal was broadcasted around the world, too! And not only that! King Olek himself and Prince Petro’s mother, Queen Alla, not only didn’t object but endorse this marriage! They were proud of it!? The whole country approves!” The screens now showed Olek on the raised portion of the ballroom in the Makarovian palace. It was a good camera angle and you could hear us pretty clearly.

“About a year ago, my brother went to school in the West…where he met someone very special. Having gotten to know Eric, I was so happy my brother found someone to love who is smart, but clearly loves my brother.” His eyes narrowed angrily. “For what happened last night, I will say this…no one attacks me, my family or my country. I don’t care if you don’t approve. Mind your own affairs!” Then he smiled again. “Since we got to know Eric, he has proven he will be an asset to Makarovia. His plans will go forward. This marriage will happen.” He looked at me. “Do you have words for Makarovia?”

I smiled. “I do. A year ago, I didn’t even know where Makarovia was!” I said raising my hands helplessly. “Makarovia? Where the hell is that!?” I shook my head. “Which is a damned shame.” I smiled at the faces that weren’t so certain. “I get here. I love this country!! You as a people know about give and take. For a long time, you certainly know about takers. Powers that come in a take what you have…because they want it. The takers will take everything…your things, your home, your freedom and even your very lives! Why? Because they don’t agree with you? You might have been Jewish or a Gypsy…” I looked back at Peter, taking his hand, “or like many here in Makarovia; like Peter and me. What I see here in Makarovia…are givers. Givers of lives, of freedom, a place to get away from the takers…who hid people during a great war keeping them safe. You’ve done this for generations!” I waved back at Olek. “I saw a man, he is a giver. He gives his time and even gave up his personal life for a people he truly loves! No one can deny that.” I waved at Queen Alla. “I see this beautiful woman that gives her time to help the people of Makarovia with education and health services and many other things needed and just as pretty inside as out. She is a giver.” I smiled. “I meet this man…who is kind and gentle that loves me and has the most beautiful soul. I love Peter. He is asking me to marry him and become a part of Makarovia. I will do that gladly, but know this…” I stepped back beside Peter. “I will work hard to bring Makarovia into a brighter future and into the twenty-first century. He and I will work side by side to do whatever we can for this amazing country, but understand…my first priority…” I said, “is always going to be him.” I looked at Peter. “I will be at your side, we will make this country a shining example to follow, but I’m marrying you, Peter. You are Prince Petro Ivanov of Makarovia, but I marry you, Peter…when you ask me.” I grinned. “I love you, Peter. I want to spend my life with you. Together we’ll make this country the jewel to be seen the world over.”

Peter’s eyes sort of glistened as he reached in his pocket and then dropped to his knee and at first, his voice cracked a little. “Eric Richards, will you do the honor of joining my life and becoming my husband? I love you. I need you in my life.” He opened the box to show the ring that had the wide ring with the Makarovian Royal Crest on it. Then he said quieter. “I love you.”

Reaching down I took his face in my hand. “I will definitely marry you, Peter. I love you, too.” I said pulling him up as he took the ring out and slipped it on my left ring finger. He gave a quick sniff and leaned in kissing me gently. “Now, I’ve asked you.”

“You know my answer.” I grinned. “But…” I said loudly, “yes!!”

The room was filled with applause.

Ellen looked at the audience who were also applauding. “The event King Olek was speaking about was the car bomb set off as an objection to this upcoming marriage.” She nodded as the people were letting us know they didn’t like it. “And see? Even Eric Richards admitted he didn’t know where Makarovia was! But he does now! We all do.” She waved her hand off stage toward us. “Welcome my specials guests, His Royal Highness, Prince Petro Ivanov of Makarovia and his future husband, His Lordship, Eric Richards, Earl of Styria…soon to be His Highness, Prince Eric Ivanov of Makarovia!”

Peter leaned in kissing me quickly taking my hand. “Let’s do this.”

The audience here was applauding now and standing up as Peter and I came out! Some were even bowing! Even Ellen bowed as we got to her and we bowed to her. She extended her hand shaking Peter’s hand and then mine, which was taken back by Peter afterward. She waved us to the sitting area which we went sitting, but never let each other go.

“That was some Proposal,” Ellen said. “To do that in front of all those people…who like King Olek, supports this marriage.”

“Yes,” Peter nodded. “My brother and my mother love Eric. I don’t think anyone in Makarovia isn’t supporting this marriage.” He said as the people in the audience applauded again.

“So, why not just do it?” Ellen asked. “Why the year and really…why do it at all?”

Peter frowned and looked confused. “I do not fully understand.” He looked at me. “I found someone I wanted to join my life. I love Eric. Isn’t that what a person does when they find that one special person? Marry them?”

Ellen smiled nodding. “Yes, it is. That’s a very good answer.”

“The year is a tradition in Makarovia,” I said. “Essentially, it was a wedding. I married the citizens of Makarovia. During this year, I am to prove what I will do for Makarovia. I will…like King Olek, Queen Alla and Peter will work to improve lives in Makarovia by supporting Peter.”

Peter nodded. “He works very hard. He discovered all those files, letters and pictures that told the stories of many that fled the Holocaust during World War II. Getting them together so they could be on our Website, which again, he worked to get the Website done. He is also going to oversee the safety of the mines and the processors and power stations. He is doing an excellent job.”

Ellen nodded. “I saw some of those files. That was pretty horrible.”

I nodded. “It was, but that’s why there are so many in Makarovia who are Jewish, Gypsies and Homosexual. In fact, the homosexual population is almost half of Makarovians. They were welcomed and never asked to leave.”

“It is that acceptance that is the reason my mother and brother did not object to our marriage,” Peter added.

“I found out later,” I continued, “Makarovia was used to hiding people during those years and was a refuge after the war for Germans who still suffered after World War II ended. Other countries, like Russia, as well as the surrounding East European countries…it became a sort of haven for many. Some of our most trusted work for us here. Yuri and Boris are Russian and came to Makarovia for the freedom to love and marry there.”

Peter smiled with a chuckle. “One couple Milo Weir and Bren Schultz, we sort of fell in love with. They escaped a concentration camp, came and married in Makarovia…they legally married in 1948.”

Ellen looked shocked. “Really?” She shook her head. “I read it briefly, but I had no idea…” then waved, “that’s wonderful, but back to you two!” She waved at us. “You are getting married!!” She looked at me. “You are marrying a real prince!!”

I nodded. “I know.” I grinned with a light chuckle. “I had a tough time with that myself.”

She looked at Peter. “And you…you’re marrying an American!” She looked at me. “A Southerner, too, I believe.”

“And what’s wrong with Southerners?” I groused with a smile.

Ellen went with it. “Oh, come on.” She said in her way making the audience laugh again. “There’s nothing wrong with Southerners, but this is a fairy tale! You’re like…Cinderella or that movie The Prince and Me. Only, you’re the me, and…a man! Cinderfella?” She went into her ramble making everyone laugh again. “I can only imagine what Queen Elizabeth would have said if King William…who was Prince William at the time…had brought home a man to marry…and Harry!? If Diana had lived, she wouldn’t have cared and Charles had Camila, but…” she looked at us again. “You are the next in line! For the throne!!” She said to Peter and held her hand out, “and forgive me, but…try as you might, you two won’t have a child…” she looked at us, “will you?”

Peter chuckled. “We’ve talked about it.”

“Well, talking is fine, but…” she waved at us again, “you both have…” she did a sort of point in our directions and not directly at our crotches.

I was nodded as she hesitated. “Yes.” I grinned.

“And you don’t have…” she said pointed to her own lap and hesitated again.

“No.” Peter chuckled shaking his head.

“Which makes my point…that means you…can’t…you know…” to which the audience was laughing at her.

“There are other ways of having children,” Peter said smiling at her. “We have time. My brother is serious about someone. The burden is not just ours alone.”

“You don’t have…” I did like she did pointing down at my lap, “but you have…” I pointed to her, “but a child is possible.”

“Well, sure…” she said, “but we can stop off at the bank to get what we need. You can’t just stop off at a store and grab a dozen eggs! And even if you could you’d have to insert them after you put your…stuff in them and…”

Peter and I were laughing as was the audience. I squeezed Peter’s hand. “Yes, it would be more complicated, but we could do it,” I said.

“And even when Olek does marry…” Peter added. “Which he will, but there’s no guarantee they will conceive and we will face the same problem.”

“There are many children that don’t have parents for one reason or another,” I said simply with a shrug as Peter nodded. “There are ways of doing this,” I assured her. “We have options.”

We continued to talk about Makarovia and what was planned for the future, touching on the upcoming wedding and how it was going to occur. How Makarovia evolved politically and socially.

Ellen let her act kind of go. “Gentlemen, we are looking forward to this wedding. It truly a remarkable thing you are doing. It is clear that there is love here.” She rose as the audience was clapping again. We rose with her. “I know I will be watching this happen, as will everyone else.” She extended her hand to us. “Congratulations and we wish you the best. This never before done marriage is important to a lot of people. Thank you for coming.”

Peter gave a short bow to her, very European. “The pleasure was ours.”

Ellen shook her head. “Ooh, that accent.” She said almost dreamily. “It’s very sexy.”