“You can’t have it both ways, old man.” Benny’s use of earth English was really improving – much to the consternation of his parents.
At that point, Ezra raised his hand to be heard.
“Yes, Ezra?” said Benny.
Everyone went politely quiet since the man’s speech was still much impaired. “I . . . I . . . waz wond’ring if you have decided on a nnnamme?”
“We have,” answered Benny. “However, I will let my blushing bride tell you what we have decided.”
“I’m not blushing . . . I’m trying not to barf.”
“How delightful,” he replied teasingly.
She stuck her tongue out at her love. To Ezra she said, “Her name is Ellie Rose.”
And right on cue, Grammy began to tear up. “Oh dear, oh dear.”
Ezra smiled and managed to say, “I like it.”
Rose was trying valiantly not show her emotions . . . then threw in the proverbial towel. “Now you have done it,” and she burst into tears of joy.
“What did I do?” asked Egg.
Meggy replied, “You made my mother cry in public. It has never been done before.”
Syl let the sniffling continue for a minute then stood up with her glass of juice. “I would like to propose a toast,” and everyone picked up a glass. “To my best friend in the universe and to the pretty great guy she married, I congratulate you on the first of at least two daughters you will have. With both your family lines finally joined, your offspring can’t help but be extraordinary. The Myst Tree has foretold that your youngest daughter will be the next Flying Girl. I will be even bolder and predict that Ellie Rose will be her Feminion. And I can tell you from personal experience, trying to think for two is no easy task. May the courage of her younger sister provide the same inspiration that my best friend gave me. To Ellie Rose . . .”
And they clinked glasses and took a sip.
Egg’s sip made it about half way down when it came right back up.
Sylvia shook her head in amusement at her heroic friend’s losing battle with breakfast. “Was it something I said?”
*****
“Come in.”
“Hey Princess.”
“Hey, Xara. Thanks for coming. Would you slap me if I gave you a hug?”
“Normally yes. But I’m told you have a little princess growing inside.”
“I’ll take that for permission,” and Egg walked up to her former nemesis and gave her a great big hug. “Thank you.”
“Don’t make a big deal about it. I was bored and was looking for something to do,” she lied.
Egg smiled. “That’s what I figured. But, I have to pretend to be thankful now that I’m going to be a mother. My daughter’s listening.”
“Well, you’re just making me uncomfortable so I should leave.”
“No, you don’t. It’s time you came in from the dark side. I want to give you a job.”
Xara’s mouth dropped open. “Does pregnancy make you crazy?”
“Apparently yes but not in this instance.”
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“Let’s see. You risked your life to warn me and you saved my husband. I think that’s worth something.”
“That silly hug was enough. See you around, girlfriend.”
“If I have to call the guards to force you to hear my proposition, I will.”
“I’ll give you one minute . . . starting now.”
“I want you to go to the Outer Reaches and help them negotiate the sale of the ships they appropriated during the rebellion. Somehow I think you might get more for them then they could.”
“How much?”
“How much what?”
“I’m not doing it for free. How much will you pay me?”
“I’ll give you fifty percent of any money over the fair market price of the ships. I want you to gouge them . . . really make it hurt.”
“Princess, I love this side of you. Sounds like fun so I’ll do it.”
“Go see General Zwam. I’ll let her know of our agreement.”
“Fair enough. Thanks.”
“Xara.”
The woman turned around. “Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Xara stared at Egg obviously struggling with some thought or emotion. To Egg’s shock, she walked over and gave her a hug. “You’re welcome, your Majesty.”
*****
She wanted to visit the Myst Tree but the stupid coronation ceremony got in the way.
“Can’t you just put the crown on my head and shake my hand?”
Meggy laughed. “Not hardly. And do not forget, you get to give an inspiring speech at the end.”
“Oh joy.”
“First things first. You need to choose a crown.”
“What about the one I’m wearing?”
“That’s fine for after. But for the ceremony, it must be large and gaudy otherwise the people feel cheated.”
Egg took a deep, calming breath then let it out noisily. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
“That’s the spirit.”
They went to a wing of the palace that Egg had never seen. They walked up a spiral stairway then down a long corridor to a large, ornate door. “Here we are.”
“What is this place?”
“This, my dear sister, is the room where my grandfather kept the Crystal Egg.”
“Oh, cool.” Egg smiled and said mischievously, “You weren’t even born yet when I sent Aeri’elle here to steal that evil thing.”
“And now I am ten years your senior.”
“More like twelve years.”
Meggy stuck out her tongue then turned and opened the door. The room was well appointed with maybe ten pedestals spread throughout the room. “Feel free to try on any that catches your fancy.”
“This is like the Tower of London where they keep the British Crown Jewels.” Egg sauntered from pedestal to pedestal examining the crowns. As she was doing this, Meggy said, “After you make your decision, we will choose an appropriate gown for you to wear.”
“I’m wearing my red dress. My baby bump doesn’t show yet.”
“But everyone has seen you in it. No, that will never do. My seamstress can design whatever your heart desires.”
“I desire my red dress. It’s either that or I’ll wear my jeans.”
“You jest.”
Egg turned from looking at the display and faced her sister. “Red dress or jeans. Do you have a preference?”
Meggy sighed in resignation. “I do believe the red dress will be perfect. It brings out the evil in your heart.”
Egg laughed. “My heart is pure. I do have a wicked stubborn streak however.”
“I have never noticed,” and they giggled.
“Let’s try on this one,” and Egg opened the case and put the crown on her head. “Is there a mirror?”
“Of course” and Meggy pointed.
Egg walked over, looked at herself and laughed . . .
“I look like a clown.”
“You most certainly do not. You look every inch a Queen.”
“Nope,” and she took it off and replaced it. When she reached the next display case she snorted. “Looks like something a jester would wear.”
“It is the one I wore.”
Egg grimaced. “Sorry.”
“As Sovereign, one needs to be a bit more circumspect in her comments,” chided the Queen-Regent.
Egg shook her head. “This whole queen thing might be a big mistake.”
“Given time, you will learn the subtler points of being a monarch. You may even grow to enjoy all the pomp and circumstance.”
“Yeah . . . not so much.”
Meggy turned serious. “This world needs you Lady Eloise. There is so much good that you can do. Please do not let silly things like this dissuade you from your true destiny.”
“Meggy, you’re the only person on this planet that I can vent my frustrations to. Please don’t take that away from me. If Aerian
na needs me; I need you just as much.”
The girl had been feeling relieved and sadden by this transition. Hearing Egg’s words made her feel less like yesterday’s news. “I shall always be here for you,” and yup, they hugged it out. “Come over here, I think I have the perfect crown for you.”
They reached another display and Egg looked it. “Oh, I like it. But I thought it had to be big and gaudy?”
“Not in this case. This was the crown my grandfather wore at his coronation.”
“Really? Then I can’t possibly wear it. No one can replace King M’earth in the history of Aerianna. It would be sacrilegious for me to put that on my head.”
“Egg, you are the only person that can wear it. Please . . .” and she took it out and handed it to her friend.
Egg refused to touch it. “You put it on me.”
And Meggy did. “Come take a look.”
Egg walked over to the mirror and smiled. “He had good taste.”
*****
The coronation was the usual affair . . . though with some variations insisted upon by Egg. The procession began with the Monarchs of the Dragons and Serpents and their mates, then the Queen Mother Rose’Alynnia and her husband Lord Z’kkk followed by Egg’s parents, her sister, and grandparents. Behind them were the Hameggattic Sisters (even Spirit had come from Paradox to be there for the ceremony) and Zazzi, Waldo and Jynx – the three honorary members of the sisterhood (each wearing their green scarves). In a complete break from tradition, Egg insisted that the next group were others that she felt very close to: Molly, Kreed, Skotti, Aero, Rap’tor, Grex and Kon’dor plus the husbands of I’za, Soo and Sassi. Finally, came the heads of the other noble families. As part of this group, the current members of the Citizens’ Council were also included.
Normally this parade of dignitaries would be accompanied by trumpets and drums and whatever other instruments they used on Aerianna. Egg replaced it all with the music (without the voices) of Fandango Sally. It was totally inappropriate and perfectly Egg. It took every ounce of self-control for Lord Z’kkk not to take his own life when he heard the music.
The members of the procession made their way (painfully slowly) to the front of the hall and took their seats. The music stopped and the traditional trumpets announced the arrival of the Queen-Elect. The Hall’s great doors opened and there was Egg, framed by some colorful trees, looking radiant . . .
The music switched to the traditional Aeriannian royal march and our heroine walked slowly towards the dais where M-egg’Alynnia sat upon the Throne for the last time. Next to her was Prince Ben’Edikk holding the legendary sword Dazzle which would be used in the ceremony.
Egg’s face was a study in concentration. She was willing herself not to laugh at all this foolishness and, more importantly, not to trip and fall either on her face or on her royal butt. She had decided that if either event happened, she would turn and run out of the Hall and transport herself to Earth and join a convent. Some humiliations were simply too much to bear.
The five-minute walk down the aisle took approximate three years by her reckoning. There were thousands of folks all staring at her with various expressions upon their faces. She kept looking straight ahead – Meggy had told her that’s what a Queen should do. Stupid queens.
An eternity later she reached the steps to the dais and her husband walked down and offered her his hand. She absolutely refused to look at his face because she could feel him smirking at her discomfiture. She vowed he would be appropriately punished that night.
As she reached the top, Meggy stood then went to her knees – bowing before the new Queen. She rose (while Egg knelt) and read the simple statements that would transfer power to her sister.
“Eloise Grace Graystone, nee Lady Eloise of the House of M’earth, do you of your own free will accept the duties and responsibilities as supreme monarch of Aerianna?”
“I do.”
“And do you solemnly swear to protect and defend all citizens equally – be they dragon, serpent or human?”
“I do.”
“Will you pledge on your life to the people of our great world that you will do everything in your power to make their lives more meaningful, more prosperous and fulfilling?”
“I do.”
Meggy turned to her brother who handed her the sword. “By the touch of this legendary symbol of honor and sacrifice, I hereby anoint you Queen Eloise, the first of that name, and the fourth of the House of M’earth, sovereign of Aerianna,” and she touched the sword to each of Egg’s shoulders.
Egg stood and Meggy removed her crown. The new Queen turned around to face the citizens while her husband stepped behind her and placed the new Crown upon her head.
Meggy said her final lines. “Citizens of Aerianna, may I present your Queen. May her reign bring honor to Aerianna and prosperity to her people.”
And the crowd roared.
*****
The Great Hall was designed so that someone speaking from the dais could be heard throughout the large structure. Egg took a moment to scan the attendees as if trying to make eye contact with each and every one. She had not written the speech she was about to give. For her, it was always easier just to talk from the heart and let ‘the chips fall where they may.”
“Citizens of Aerianna, my family and friends, I thank you for this great honor. I have never felt so humbled in my life. You have entrusted your lives, and those of your loved ones, to me and that is a responsibility I will never take lightly.
As you are well aware, I was not born here. Earth, my former home, is very different from Aerianna. Both worlds would have much to learn from one another. Alas, Earth is not ready for that exchange. Someday perhaps, but not today.
I mentioned this for a reason. I have seen Aerianna as an outsider would. When you wander in the woods, you tend to see only the trees . . . and not the whole forest.” Egg stopped and smiled. “Yes, that was one of those earth saying everyone seems to enjoy (and the crowd tittered). I have experienced your amazing traditions, codified over centuries, which bind the past with the present.
But as an outsider, I have glimpsed the entire forest. What I see is a path that will take all of us to a new future . . . one built upon the best of what was. The promise of that future is great but it can only be achieved through change. However, the universal truth is that few of us look forward to change . . . it frightens us. We are comfortable in what we know, in what has worked reasonably well. The thought of ‘upsetting the apple cart’ for what might be seems foolhardy at best . . . imprudent at worse.
But there are ways to minimize that risk.
First and foremost, we must all agree on our goals. If we could wish for anything, what would our perfect world look like? Naturally, we can never achieve perfection . . . but it can be the beacon that will guide us to a better tomorrow.
Second, we must agree to a plan. There will be many obstacles that life will place in our path to stop us from achieving our goals. We must anticipate as many of these as we can . . . and be clever enough to react to those that surprise us. I am of the opinion that the best way to achieve this is to make incremental changes – small steps that we can easily manage and that will not disrupt our lives too greatly. Further, this will be a team effort. I have no intention of doing these things for you. As we earthlings like to say, “Everyone must have skin in the game.” A casual gift has less value than the same object that you paid for with your hard work and sacrifice.
I know this is a joyous occasion – one for celebration. I do not wish to dampen your spirits by drowning you in tedious details of what I hope to accomplish. To that end, let me just state a few very brief ideas for you to consider.
Another Earth saying – you can’t please all the people, all the time. So, there will be dissent. I only ask that you voice your concerns and not let them fester. However, in the end, please understand that what is good for the majority should be the overriding, though not necessarily the only, consideration.
I will close my remarks with this one thought. Too often we judge others by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions. Give others the benefit of the doubt – afford them the same courtesy you would want them to extend to you.
I see that my Feminion is beginning to fall asleep . . . her not too subtle way of letting me know that I’m beginning to be a bore. So, I end this day by telling you it is actually the beginning. Our future starts now.
Epilogue
Sighing Whorl
Egg flew herself to Sighing Whorl and entered the fog-shrouded woods. In short order, she came upon the Myst Tree.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
The Tree was not easily surprised . . . as in never. At least, not until now. Egg didn’t respond to his greeting. Instead, she opened a basket she was carrying and took out a blanket. She laid it on the ground then sat upon it. She went back to her basket and fished out an apple-like fruit and took a bite.
She began to chew slowly, refusing to look at, or acknowledge, the Tree.
“Have I offended you?” The confusion in his ‘voice’ was evident.
Egg’s answer surprised him again. “Why are you leaving?”
As if composing his thoughts, the Tree took a few moments to answer. “Aerianna no longer requires my assistance. With your coronation, the plan of the Old Ones is complete.”
“They knew that I would be made Queen?”
“No.”
“I don’t understand?”
“At some point Aerianna would reach a path that would lead them to fulfilling their destiny or lead them to ultimate failure. They chose Egg of Earth.”
Ignoring the implied compliment, she asked, “So you were put here to see which path we would choose?”
The Red Queen [Book 7 of Ever After, an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel] Page 11