“Good morning, ma’am, do you have a couple minutes, there’s something I want to ask you?”
“Good morning, and who might you be?” Alarica greets as she leads Carissa to the study, where both take seats, the sovereign behind her desk, and Carissa stood in front of the desk.
“Oh, I’m sorry. My name Carissa, and officially, I’m Sovereign Bellona’s consors.”
“It is all right. What is it that you would like to discuss?”
“Did you hear about last night?”
“Last night, what happened last night? I am not aware of the events that occurred last night. I was told only that everything was fine. I have not had an opportunity to review the reports as yet.”
“I suppose, for the most part, it was fine. However, after we made this big a . . . um . . . presentation, there seemed to be a problem. I was just wondering what the problem was. Seeing as how you’re here, I thought that maybe you‘d know. Bell told me that she was going to explain something to someone called Sovereign Cyan Alarica so she would know what happened.”
“I see. I am afraid that the Prime Minister had a family emergency to attend to, therefore, is not able to answer your question directly. As for the other, I am Sovereign Cyan Alarica, and anything that happened last night, any indiscretion, needs to be addressed immediately so I may see that proper measures are taken.” The sovereign stands from behind her desk to come around to face Carissa.
“Do not be frightened. This will not hurt. Words can change, memories cannot. I must see what happened last night. I need to see the events as they happened. Do I have your permission?”
“Yeah, you’re just . . . going to . . . um . . . look at what happened last night . . . right?”
“Yes, I will only look at the events as they occurred last night. I need you to close your eyes and think of last night. Think of the events from the time you left your home to the time you left the party. Think only of those events.”
Carissa stood absolutely still as Alarica placed her hands on both sides of Carissa’s head with her fingertips touching the temples. Not much time passed before she was released, maybe a minute or two at most.
“Thank you for allowing me to see. The gift was given with the sort of gallantry that I would expect from Bellona. Is Sovereign Bellona at the manor now?”
“Yeah, I think so. She said something like take the day to rest and reflect or something. I can call and ask?”
“Please do and I will return in a moment. Tell Bellona to meet with me here, will you? There is a lot to discuss, it seems.”
“Okay.”
After a brief phone call, refreshments, and a bit of time, Bellona, with a worried look on her face, and the historian arrive.
“Carissa, I understand your need to find the answer, but calling upon Sovereign Cyan Alarica was not necessary.”
“Actually, she did not. I am here substituting during my Prime Minister’s absence.”
“Sovereign Cyan Alarica, I am sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“Old friend, you are not, and will never be, rude. Please make yourself comfortable while we discuss last night’s events.”
“How much has Carissa told you?”
“She has told me enough to feel the need to investigate further into the matter of last night’s party. She has shown me what I need to see as well.”
“I do not understand what or if we did anything wrong. I followed etiquette according to the Scrolls of Protocol. Did I miss something? I do not wish to be held responsible for severing the ties between our two nations.”
“Yes, you followed protocol, no, you did not miss anything, and you will not be held responsible for severing the ties between us, so calm down, Mugio. You have trained your consors well. My, what a beautiful shade of crimson I see.”
“Bell . . . don’t just sit there and laugh,” Carissa says in exasperation. By the look on the historian’s face, she seems to agree with the assessment of the shade.
“She is much more powerful than I, Carissa. I have to agree with her as well, my dear consors.”
“You’re no help. I hope she turns you into a frog so I can have frog legs for supper.”
The two sovereigns laugh, as Carissa’s face burrows into the cushion even more so.
After things calm down a bit, Alarica states, “The events, as they were explained to me, would explain why I found the described gift in the pile set aside to be thrown in the garbage.”
“I was afraid of that. If you are willing to give me some time, I am willing to replace the gift.”
“Of course you would be willing to replace the gift. You would not be you, Mugio, if you did not offer to replace the gift. The wine has not been damaged. I will bring that back with me to be set aside for a special occasion. Mother will be looking forward to drinking the wine. The cheese has not been damaged either. If I read the marks correctly, the cheese comes from your eastern territory, an area that is known for their cheeses. My girls enjoy good cheese, so this will be a special treat for them. The bread, however, I am sorry to say, did not fair well. The gift of Andromeda has been acknowledged, accepted, and appreciated.”
“Thank you, Timor, for your acknowledgement. It is very satisfying to know that the gift of Andromeda has been accepted, as it should have been.”
“What does Timor mean, and does this mean I have to repeat that long a . . . um . . . speech again?”
Sovereign Cyan Alarica laughs. What she is laughing about, only she knows. The rest are puzzled.
“No, that is not necessary, consors. Timor means Alarica. Mugio means Bellona. I will see to it that the Prime Minister understands the events that took place last night. As a note, consors . . . if I had the ability to turn someone into a frog, there would be a few more frogs inhabiting Avalon’s palace.”
“You saw that, huh. Sorry, it’s just that, when I get angry, my mouth just sort of takes over.”
“There is no need to apologize. Maybe there is hope. It is something that would be very interesting to look into.”
“Thank you, ma’am, for listening, I appreciate it. Well, I should get going before I wear out my welcome. Have a good day.” With that, she leaves the manor.
“Well, old friend, you have found yourself an interesting consors. Now I know the reason for Ethelmona’s sudden family emergency. As soon as Ethelmona returns, I will speak with her to be sure she understands her role as my second. The behavior portrayed last night by her was uncalled for. A gift was presented in full representation of Andromeda, following etiquette precisely. Ethelmona’s behavior was intolerable, no matter the reason. No worries, Mugio, everything will work out the way it should. There is paperwork that must be done, and events to be documented, which means I will be a very busy sovereign. We will speak again soon, Mugio. Good travels to you.”
“Good travels to you, Timor, may the deity protect you, and I am very grateful to you for listening to us. If Carissa has disturbed you, I apologize now and will be sure that it does not happen again.”
“Your consors did not disturb me. I appreciate your gratitude. We will see each other again.”
The sovereign and her historian leave Avalon’s manor to go back to their own manor.
==========
Bellona meets Carissa in the bathing chambers for a chat about the events.
“Okay, so I’m supposed to call you Mugio, is that it?”
“No, you do not need to call me Mugio. They are childhood names, names we would call each other. Mugio is a childhood name. We are childhood friends, she and I. I am still Sovereign Bellona of Andromeda. My name has not changed.”
“How come she has a long ass title and yours is short?”
“Avalon has its own traditions and beliefs. They are a much more stringent society than Andromeda. ”
“Oh. She is going to kick her Prime Minister’s ass, right?”
“I would not say that so bluntly, as there are many methods to teach someone a lesson. What method she chooses is up to her.”
“Right now the only thing I’m looking for is a little satisfaction. Maybe, there would be a way to make her grovel a bit. Don’tcha think?”
“I see there are many lessons yet to teach, and many lessons for you to learn.”
==========
“I came here to see Sovereign Bellona of Andromeda and Consors Carissa. May I speak with them, please?”
After being granted permission, Prime Minister Ethelmona enters the study, with head bowed, asking permission to speak. “If I may say mea maxima culpa, Sovereign Bellona and Consors Carissa, through my very great fault, I have caused you great concern for the well being of our relations. Please, I beg of you, Sovereign Bellona and Consors Carissa, to forgive my actions. I am but a humble servant of the kingdom of Avalon, and seek a pardon for my foolishness. I am a student of the Scrolls of Protocol, which states that, in matters of indiscretion, a pardon must be sought by the foolish party, and a Meum Pactum Dictum document be signed to record the incident, as well as by the forgiving party.”
Sovereign Bellona read the document over. All members of the forgiving party must sign this document, which includes the sovereign, her queen, and Carissa. The scroll is a My Word is My Bond document that states:
The wrongdoer promises the forgiving party, that such an action that had taken place prior to this document being signed, on the night in question, will not happen again. If such an action were to take place again at any time in the future, the forgiving party, in the form of their own choosing, may seek retribution.
The events on the night in question are stated below.
Reluctantly, all agree and sign the document, not because of the possible retribution that would be of the sovereign’s own choosing, but because by signing this document, everyone will be agreeing to, in a sense, forget the incident happened at all. Prime Minister Ethelmona remains standing at the doorway in a bowed position.
“Prime Minister Ethelmona, you may rise. I will return this scroll to you to return to your sovereign with your promise that you have, indeed, learned what wrong doing was done to warrant such a document.”
“Yes, Sovereign Bellona of Andromeda, I have learned of my mistake. I misjudged both the present and the presenter to be unworthy of the kingdom of Avalon. Avalon is a strong nation, and she always will be. I had forgotten that. It was not Avalon that had surrendered many centuries ago.”
“Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t the General of the Army from Andromeda force Avalon into a retreat. Then after Avalon’s forces recovered, many months later, under orders from the powers on high only felt that, they were brave enough to force Andromeda into surrender, and only because the Sovereign of Andromeda at the time was just tired of fighting and gave in. Or did I misinterpret something?”
The queen has a love for a good debate, and enjoys the smile of victory that graces the sovereign’s face. Carissa did have a point and oh boy, is that a frown that is seen on the Prime Minister’s face? The victory of war can be so sweet.
“There are many variations of the story, therefore many interpretations are available. I will have you know . . .”
“Prime Minister Ethelmona, I do not have all day. Have you learned from your mistake?”
“I am sorry, Sovereign Bellona . . . for my rude behavior. Please pardon me.”
“Prime Minister Ethelmona, do I need to contact Sovereign Cyan Alarica and interrupt her busy schedule to rectify this matter? Or are you capable of answering the question on your own?”
“Yes, of course, I do apologize. I have learned my lesson.”
Sovereign Bellona walks around the desk to come face to face with the Prime Minister. The scene looks a bit like a cat taunting its prey. This scroll is getting even more interesting.
Sovereign Bellona has the intention of giving the scroll to the Prime Minister, but if the queen has read the sovereign’s actions correctly, a little satisfaction of a different kind is what she is after.
“I will give you this scroll back, this scroll with all of our signatures. I suggest you heed my warning, Prime Minister Ethelmona, I do not forget easily, and if something like that ever happens again, I will seek retribution. There are many methods of retribution, Prime Minister, and I am skilled at them all.”
“Sovereign Bellona of Andromeda is not known for threats.”
“You are correct, Prime Minister Ethelmona, I am not known for presenting threats of any nature.” After handing over the scroll back to the Prime Minister, she adds, “You are excused, you may leave.” A gulp is heard emanating from the Prime Minister.
==========
It is now Halloween day, and the boys are excited as ever. Tristan, being the more active of the two, dresses as Captain Jack Sparrow, while Tobias dresses as Harry Potter. Both attend a school function to celebrate the harvest rather than celebrate Halloween. By Carissa’s explanation, the celebration of the harvest would most likely agree with anyone of any religious group who opposes celebrating Halloween. The meaning of that explanation is not quite understood, and everyone is even further puzzled when the sovereign starts laughing. Bellona explained the situation as simply as possible, the school merely wants to make nice with everyone rather than causing an unsettlement among the masses. Perhaps further research is needed in the aspect of Harvest versus Halloween.
Later that evening, Tristan comes home with a prize from the apple-catching contest, which consists of an apple tied to a string that swings back and forth then the person is to catch the apple using only their mouth, not their hands. A simple contest, really, that resembles the training that any warrior of Andromeda has gone through, but the way Tristan described the contest . . . he was the only successful participant. Tobias comes home with a different sort of prize. He has finally won the heart of a special little princess, and they have a play date this weekend. Both boys make the sovereign smile with joy, as well as looking forward to meeting the special one that has caught Tobie’s attention. Life is grand at the moment.
==========
Carissa stays at the manor watching horror movies. When she is asked by Clarissant why she did not care to attend any parties or dress up as the boys did, she explains that she attended enough parties and played dress-up to last her a lifetime, so instead, she stays home to enjoy watching Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The queen attempts to watch these films out of curiosity, intrigued by these films, that is, until the story plot takes on a rather gruesome theme. She stops watching and immediately seeks the comfort of her sovereign. Sovereign Bellona agrees, and once everyone is asleep, they leave for the guesthouse at the back lot, and comfort each other. Neither the sovereign nor the queen go into detail the following morning, only saying they both feel much better, though just a little sore.
It was a very good morning. Perhaps I should keep a copy of these films for the future. One never knows when the inspiration may strike again.