After I returned with the boys, I read what my sovereign scribed on the scrolls. It was truly heartbreaking, with such sorrow, such pain. I knew she should not have taken Carissa into the household to be her consors. It will never work, it cannot. Please understand, I do love the boys, but Carissa is another story entirely. I was truly hoping that with time and effort, she would change from her past, but it does not seem to be.
The sovereign seems so distraught now. She follows Carissa into the bathing chamber and reveals her heart. If Carissa does not accept this . . . then . . . well, no one knows the answer quite yet.
“Carissa, please listen to me. Listen to me as I tell you I love you. I am sorry for the fighting, the arguing. It seems to never end.” Is she crying? Is the sovereign crying? “I love you, Carissa. I truly love you. I am a stranger here in this strange world that you call home. I cannot understand your customs, your ideals. I fail to understand the American mentality. My sole purpose for being here is to find my consors, my companion. I believe I have found my companion. Please, Carissa . . . please . . . bear with me as I struggle to understand this world that you call home. I know you and I are of the same species, but our worlds seem so different, yours and mine. I was unprepared for this. I did not realize that my consors would possess such a broken heart and shattered soul. I know there is a little girl in there somewhere waiting to come out. I know she is there, because I see her in everything that you do. A long time ago, I trusted someone. I trusted someone so much that it hurt when she betrayed us all. Since then, I have found it difficult to believe in love, to believe in hope, to believe that I am able to trust again. Hear me, Carissa . . . please hear my words as I tell you I love you. I did not lie to Tristan. I simply told him the truth. You see, it is not that I do not trust your words or your belief in this family. It is a need for me to understand, for me to know that I can, indeed, trust them with a member of my household. Though I rejected his request, I offered an alternative, an alternative that was gladly accepted. Today, during the afternoon meal, they will join us, and it is then that I will be able to see, to learn about these people. After that, you are free to do as you wish. I have no right to keep you prisoner here in the manor. Go and do as you wish, and when you return . . . when you return we will tell each other our stories . . . hmmm . . . my sweet one. You are adorable, so beautiful. I do not understand why your mother put you in servitude to please the sexual desires of others, especially when you were so young. I do not have the ability to speak with the dead, neither does Alarica. One day you will meet her. That will be the day that I will proudly announce you as my consors. Tristan’s friend will be here soon. Bonus bye, meus amor, EGO mos animadverto vos nunc. Goodbye, my love, I will see you soon.”
==========
She approaches the sovereign cautiously as she enters the sleeping chamber “Um, Bell, I mean, Bellona, I . . .”
“Yes, my Carissa, what can I do for you?”
“I’m not quite sure what to say after that. Um, do you have any idea what we’re having for lunch?”
“If I recall Tristan’s menu, it is hot dogs, French fries, and chocolate shake, I believe. I attempted to persuade Tristan to change to another dish other than hot dogs. However, he said thems good stuff.”
“I take it you don’t like hot dogs?”
“I have not yet learned to appreciate them, as they leave a funny feeling in my mouth, and they also resemble something else too closely. So I try to stay as far away from them as I possibly can.”
“What do you mean you don’t like hot dogs? Everyone likes hot dogs. With a little catsup they’re good.”
“I suppose so, however, let me just say that hot dogs will be a dish that I may never learn to acquire the taste of. Sausages, however, are completely different. The texture and seasonings, with a little pickled cabbage and mustard, is a meal I find worthy of a king.” She giggled at her own statement. The reason . . . no one knows at this time. However, it was only a short time later that the laughter finished and the seriousness began again.
“Carissa . . . Carissa . . . how is it that you came to be an egre femina?”
“Translation..?”
“Have you forgotten your lessons so soon?”
“But, Bell, I . . .”
“Yes?”
“All right, I know this . . . I think. Let’s see . . . femina sounds like feminine. Egre . . . um . . . egre . . . I don’t know.”
“It means scarlet woman. It is an old term for prostitutes.”
“Oh, and my mother worked for an escort service. At the very beginning, when she was younger, she was really beautiful and made all kinds of money, truckloads even. They kept her pretty busy with one client after another. Pretty soon it took its toll, and she went downhill really quickly. The only way she would be able to keep up with everyone else is with the drugs and booze. That’s where all the money went. One of her clients used to be a mob boss, true or not, I don’t know, and I really could care less. Anyway, she got her drugs through her dealer Razer, who is the broker for this region of the country. He ain’t cheap, either, he is really demanding, and he comes complete with a well earned bad rep. The manager of this escort service found out about the drugs and the booze, and fired her. She lost her money, dignity, and her beauty in one fell swoop. She got me into the business because of the comments she used to get: ‘Look how pretty she is’ or ‘Look, doesn’t she look like an angel.’ She stopped with the high profile clients, gave them to me. She, in turn, started doing everyone and everything under the sun, literally, just to see if she could still do it. Looks were not going for her, at all. She was lookin’ like that old witch that you see during Halloween, or pretty damn close. Anyway, that’s how I got into the bizz.”
“Your mother did not think to educate you? To provide lessons so that you may succeed to be more successful than herself?”
“Nope . . . As far as she was concerned, it was a waste of time.”
“Prostitution is against the law, and yet there you were at the party with a government official. How did that come to be?”
“That’s easy. You pay someone enough, and they turn deaf, dumb, and blind in an instant. You should know that, you’re a government official.”
“I do not take bribery. If this had occurred on Andromeda, I would take immediate action, starting with the removal of yourself and your brothers from your house, placing you in a secure home until all the facts have been found. Here, though, I am lost and confused. Nothing is as it should be. As you say, money will render anyone deaf, dumb, and blind in an instant.”
“Would you really have taken us away? Where would you put us? No one wants an uneducated kid, never mind three kids.”
“Yes, I would have taken you away. If there was nowhere else, I would place you in the palace. And the other issues do not matter. Everyone has the potential to learn, Carissa. Come now, it is time for the guests to arrive.”
==========
“I wonder if she will ever be able to lead a normal life,” the queen told her little friend as he scurried away.
Tom’s family says goodbye as the sun starts to set. Carissa leaves the manor after the boys have gone to slumber. The sovereign, however, stays in her study, stating that there is much work to be done. What that work is or was, no one knows, but it is what the sovereign has said. The historian leaves the scrolls in the study when she leaves for her sleeping chambers for a good night’s rest.
It is nearly midnight, and still, she does not return, my consors does not return home. I have to trust that she will find her way home, believe that if we were meant to be then what I set free will come back. I had fun today with Tristan’s friend. The meal was not as Tristan had ordered, but being the good lad that he is, did not mind. I had some of that so-called beer that Carissa asked one of the guards to buy for her. I have to say that it is not something that I would enjoy on a daily basis. I was even more surprised to see my queen drink some, but in true lady fashion, she discretely threw the rest of her bottle away after only a few sips. Curiosity rings true in everyone, no matter the age.
Finally, the clock chimes midnight, and my consors has come home. She smiles and waves at me as she passes by the study. Perhaps our conversation will begin in the morning. I will replace these scrolls with new ones for my historian in the morning. Tomorrow will be a new beginning.
==========
This is strange. I thought there was more room on the previous scrolls. Perhaps my sovereign has written on them. Perhaps all of this scribing is clouding my memory. I am not that old of a historian . . . am I? ...the historian questions herself
It was during the morning meal that the conversation began again, with last night’s excursion being the topic of conversation.
“Where did you go last night, Carissa?”
“Just some of my old hangouts, that’s all.”
“Has anything changed since the last time you visited those places? Do you miss them?”
“No and no, and why are you asking these questions?”
“I am rather curious about your old life. The more I know, the more I may understand.”
“Okay. I was propositioned last night, though.”
“You were offered money in exchange for gratification last night. Is that what you are telling me?”
“Yeah, got a problem?”
“No, I do not have a problem. I just need to be sure I understand you correctly. The American way of butchering the English language is a bit puzzling to me, that is all. Did you accept this offer?”
“All right, sorry about that, and I’m here, and sober, aren’t I? That should give you the answer. He said he was very cold and so was his bed. I was just the right little thing to warm him and his bed up last night. He even offered me ten grand.”
“That must have been very difficult for you, not to accept the offer of $10,000. Am I right?”
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. I’m not used to walking around with empty pockets . . . yet. Besides that, he was far below my old standard. I wouldn’t have said yes back then, either. Shit eating . . .”
“I will remove my hand from your mouth when you agree to a more acceptable vocabulary. All you have to do is nod your head.”
After Carissa nodded her head, she apologized. “Sorry.”
“Please continue, and remember your agreement.”
“After that I just came back, didn’t miss anything anyway. Same old sh . . . um . . . stuff, anyway.”
“Now, it is time to begin your studies. We will start with reading literature, studying the annals in the archives, arithmetic, writing exercises, to finish with language and speaking skills.”
“Awww, but, Bell, do we have to?”
“Yes, you do.”
“But . . . um . . . couldn’t we just . . . I don’t know . . . maybe . . . well.”
“Was there a question in there somewhere, Carissa?”
“Oh hell, couldn’t we just skip it?”
“Skip what, exactly?”
“Skip the school stuff.”
“No we cannot, as you had said, skip the school stuff. There is much to do, and learn, especially the language and speaking skills. When I feel you are ready, we will proceed with teaching you the skills necessary to be my consors. You are not at that stage yet, Carissa.”
“Yes, sir, aye, aye, sir, general sir, whenever you are ready, sir, whatever you say, sir. . .”
“Then let us continue in the study, shall we?”
“I don’t suppose we could fit a lesson in about the pleasure principle, could we?” Carissa asked in a sultry tone.
“The pleasure principle you said. 6The pleasure principle in psychoanalysis: The demand that an instinctive need – usually sexual or aggressive – be gratified, regardless of the social or practical consequences. Sigmund Freud held that the id was dominated totally by the pleasure principle, but that, with the development of the ego and superego, individuals become aware of the demands of social reality – the reality principle – and thereby learn to temper and regulate their quest for pleasure. That pleasure principle?”
“Party pooper . . .”
“Since you had brought up a subject on your own, let us read this story today.”
“What is this? This isn’t the story we’ve been reading.”
“Look at the cover.”
“Cle . . . Cle . . . o . . . pa . . . tra. Wait a minute! You want me to read Cleopatra!? Have you gone crazy? Look at this big ass book. It’ll take me until retirement to finish reading this.”
“It will not take you that long, and I feel Cleopatra would be a wonderful study in the pleasure principle, do you not think so?”
“But . . . but, Bell, I was just kidding. You didn’t take me seriously, did you?”
“Carissa, I will go easy on you this time. Next time, however, I suggest you take heed of my warning. Be careful of the words you speak, kidding or no, somebody will always take you seriously. Do you understand?”
Gulp, “Yes, ma’am, I understand.”
“I have a feeling, though, that it will be a lesson that will need constant attention. Here is the book that you have been reading, start where you left off.”
The rest of the day continued with Carissa being a little more . . . compliant?
==========
“What? You want me to do what? Write a speech?”
“Yes, I would like you to write a short speech expressing our gratitude, no longer than one paragraph. You are able to do this, do not worry. I will be here to assist you, should you be in need.”
“Can’t we just say thanks and be done with it? People don’t give speeches at parties. They get drunk.”
“I suppose that would be the typical American custom, yes. However, these circumstances are much different, Carissa. As you know, Avalon and Andromeda, many centuries ago, were at war with each other. Peace between our two nations has been commonplace between us for at least that long. It is necessary, in this circumstance, to express our gratitude to keep peace between our two nations. This speech is necessary to help keep that peace. Etiquette dictates that any visit, be it formal or informal, must be appreciated in such a manner that the host not only hears the appreciation, but feels it as well. We do that by doing two things, offering a piece of Andromeda in the form of a possession such as food or gift item that one would only find on Andromeda. The next is by presenting a speech to note our gratitude.”
“Oh, um, okay, will do. One paragraph, you said, a thank you for inviting us to the party?”
“Yes, Carissa, that is correct.”
“Okay, well, let me give it a try and see what I can come up with. Shouldn’t be too hard, I don’t think.”
After many rewrites, corrections, and rehearsals, the speech was finally ready to be presented on the night of the Harvest Celebration. Carissa wondered why the boys were coming along, ‘kids don’t come to parties,’ she had stated. Bellona reassured Carissa that children are welcome to attend social gatherings, as it is an opportunity to both study and learn what is, and what is not, acceptable. Reluctantly, Carissa agreed and gathered the boys to prepare them for the celebration as well. They gathered in formation: Sovereign Bellona would be in the center front, her queen would be on the right, two steps behind, Consors Carissa would be on the left, two steps behind, the boys directly behind them, with three guards following.
After a short stroll, they arrived. The royal couple attended many such social gatherings before, but for some reason, both are nervous for an unknown reason.
All have entered the manor of Avalon, and the sovereign steps aside to let Carissa pass. This is her time, as now is the moment to make her presentation.
“Gratias ago tu, Prime Minister Ethelmona of Avalon. . . This is my Sovereign, Bellona of Andromeda, and this is her queen, Clarissant. I am Sovereign Bellona’s Consors, Carissa, here to say thank you for inviting us to this Harvest Celebration. I present to you a gift: wine, as a symbol of the lifeblood of Andromeda; cheese, as a symbol of the nurturing spirit; farmer’s bread, rich with grain, as a symbol of plenty. I, as a representative of the kingdom of Andromeda, Consors Carissa, present these gifts to you, Prime Minister Ethelmona of Avalon, as our way of saying thank you for granting us the pleasure of your company celebrating the Harvest, a time of family, a time of plenty. Thank you for your invitation.” After she finishes the speech, she bows fully, until she is told to rise, truly remarkable.
I must say I was truly surprised. I remember a time Carissa had difficulty saying thank you and please. Now, to hear the speech, it was truly remarkable. Both of us are proud of Carissa. Everyone is proud of Carissa.
Ethelmona accepted the gift. However, it seems as though she accepts only because it would be rude to refuse. Only the queen would dare say this because the smile on her face does not reach her eyes, it is a false gratuity. Sovereign Bellona notices this as well. And the stiff posture is recognized by those who know her well. This night is not starting out as planned, it seems.
Ethelmona’s reply seems just as cold. “Thank you for your offering. If you would excuse me . . .”
Carissa and the boys are excused to join the party. The sovereign feels it is her time to speak. “Prime Minister Ethelmona, please forgive the intrusion, for I am wondering if there is an indiscretion I should be made aware of. The offering has been made according to tradition, has it not?”
“Sovereign Bellona, what a pleasure it is to see you again. I do hope you and your entourage enjoy the party. As for the present and its presenter, I have accepted both, according to tradition.”
“You accepted a gift of the heart because of protocol, then?”
“It seems as though there is a misunderstanding, as that is not what I said. Now, if you will excuse me . . .”
“Prime Minister Ethelmona, it was not too long ago that a childhood friend reminded me that life is much more than protocol.”
“In most cases, that is true. Protocol does not dictate life; it only dictates how we are to go about our daily lives. However, there are some instances that we must abide by the rules and traditions of our homeland.”
“You are correct in that we must all abide by the rules and traditions of our homeland. It is at this time that I remember etiquette dictating that it is not proper for the receiver of the gift to judge the gift that was presented to them. The presenter is merely the gift bearer, and must not be judged as well. Is that not correct, Prime Minister Ethelmona?”
“Yes, that is correct, Sovereign Bellona. Perhaps, though, you have misjudged the circumstance. I am afraid that I must attend to the rest of the party guests. If you would pardon me please, enjoy yourselves.”
Carissa came back towards the royal couple with a glass of wine. She knows her sovereign well. After Bellona finishes the wine, Carissa asks, “Sovereign Bellona, I am wondering if we could have a moment alone to discuss the events?” Bellona gives a slight nod and leads Carissa to the back lot of the property, away from prying eyes and open ears.
“Okay, enough of the bullshit. What happened? We did everything right, didn’t we? I made the kickin’ ass speech, presented the gift, what more does she want, a good fuck?”
“Carissa, remember our surroundings, and yes, we did everything as it should have been done. What more does she want? She was not expecting a former prostitute to be so eloquent in the delivery of the gift. I believe she was insulted.”
“Insulted? Why, because I used to be everyone’s whore? Is that it? Well, fuck that. I’m leaving, and I’m taking the boys with me. Besides, everyone here is a woman. I don’t do nor ever did women. So unless she’s bi, how would she know?”
“Calm down, Carissa, and no, you cannot leave. I am not certain of the reference of which you are speaking of, nor do I know her preferences. If we could leave, we would not be here now. We will have to wait until the end to leave.”
“Why do we have to wait? I say fuck her and all this bullshit. If she can’t accept it then fine by me. I’ve got better things to do.”
“Carissa, we cannot leave because of etiquette. I accepted the invitation . . . and . . . according to etiquette . . . we have to stay, like it or not.”
“All right, fine. She better apologize or I’ll whoop her ass. That’s all I’ve gotta say. Just so that I know, whom did she expect, the pope?”
“Remember, the Scrolls of Protocol state that the gift and the bearer must present themselves in a refined fashion so that the kingdom is presented at its best. Remember also, the Scrolls of Protocol are vague in its description of what is right and wrong, to leave room for interpretation. I do not know much about the Prime Minister, but I would guess that her idea of the gift and the presenter would be of a more refined quality.”
“Okay, so what do we do now, besides gritting our teeth?”
“I will speak to Sovereign Cyan Alarica about the events so she will be aware of what has happened tonight. It would be easy for her to find out the truth of why the Prime Minister did what she did. Alarica is more powerful than me, and knows how to use her powers.”
“More powerful, like what, she can change what’s her face into a frog? If she can, let me know so I can be there to laugh my ass off.”
“All I can tell you, at this point in time, is that the abilities she has surpass all that the known world would define as being normal.”
“You are going to go in further detail later . . . right?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Okay back to what’s her face. In the meanwhile, we just make nice, just lovely. Can I go out and get a keg now? I figure we don’t have that much more to lose.”
“Let us all go back in and make nice, shall we. Let us see how long we can stay out of trouble.”
“Before we go back inside, could I ask you something?”
“You know you have the right to ask me anything.”
“Did you ask how come she was insulted?”
“We did not go into that discussion, no. The purpose of the conversation was to be sure that she was aware of what protocol dictated.”
“And the answer is . . .”
“The answer is she is aware, however, it is like I said . . . the Scrolls of Protocol are open for interpretation.”
“All right, well, let’s go in and get some grub, I’m gettin’ hungry.”
The night finished and the entourage returned to their manor to slumber in the hopes of forgetting the evening.
==========
I felt a prayer was needed to relax me to the let the deity take away all of the unnecessary stresses of the night.
5With
your soothing fingers,
wipe away the lines that worries have etched on our faces.
Surround us with calm;
let us rest in the glow of peace,
as if we were encircled with the Moon's own light.
Let our concerns and tensions drain away from us,
pouring as water into your Earth.
Amen
I always feel more relaxed after a good prayer. Now I feel ready to slumber for the night. I can forget that dreadful event, and with the coming of a new one, lies within it new adventures. A blissful night it shall be.