by S G Read
I was to have another night the same, starting alone but ending with a full gathering. It was a cruiser for fighting so there was little to do in the way of playing but we amused ourselves and I got to know king Luchen quite well, away from all the royal trappings and accepted ways of doing things, he was a fairly normal man.
Day 157 but no longer on the island.
A crewmember told we would dock at noon. The girls all appeared in pretty dresses and we played more games until a little before noon, then for some reason they all went. I found out when I took up my position where the girls were to line up. They finally appeared in their island clothes. They had kept them, washed them and they were wearing them. They looked over the side of the ship to see where who's mother and father was, I was pleased to find out they were all here, none of them were too busy to attend. The cruiser docked, it seemed to take ages then we were ready.
'Now remember king Walter etcetera etc that you walk us down then say, first two break ranks and so on so forth until we are all with our parents! Go it?' Sarah ordered.
'Got it.' I replied. 'Are you in the right order, I don’t want this to be a shambles!'
'We are alright, just make sure you don’t get it wrong!' She answered.
We walked down the companion way to the dock and marched like an army. At the first parents I said 'First two disembark!' And two ran to their waiting parents. I did the same until it was me and the two princesses. When I saw King Luchen in front of me in all his regalia I bowed, then said. 'Last two disembark.'
Only then did I see the queen, she swept forward in probably what she would have thought was an undignified way and greeted them like any mother would. I smiled and walked on.
The crowd of well-wishers and other family members opened to let me through as I walked forward and then closed behind me. I felt totally alone. In front of me I saw a stretch limo with a driver holding up a placard which read. 'Richer King Walter of Horseshoe Island.' He saw me and stood the placard down to open the door for me. I had no idea where we were going but I hoped it was a good hotel. We drove for twenty minutes before I asked over the intercom.
'Are we nearly there?'
'Soon be there sir.' He answered.
Twenty minutes later when we travelled back down one of the first roads we had come up I smelled a rat. He stopped out side a hotel we had passed earlier and carried my few possessions inside. My treasure was still on the boat, in the safe. I followed and at one door, he stopped and motioned me forward.
'After you sir.'
I walked into a dark room and he did not follow. The lights came on and there they were all of them, their parents, and their relatives. The girls were in pretty dresses by now, or trouser suits whichever they wanted.
'You didn’t think you would get rid of us that easy Richer King Walter, etcetera etc.' Natasha asked and once more I was surrounded!