"Reunited..." - Chapter Fifty-Three

Reunited...

Chapter Fifty-Three

By Douglas E. Gogerty

The people of Lakeland were gathering to witness the coronation of the Princess. She was to be crowned the sovereign of all of their kingdom. The town by the castle of Lakeland was crowded with well-wishers. The coronation was going to be the biggest event in Lakeland history. After all, Lakeland was larger and more powerful now than it had been for King Thorbjorn's coronation. Further, the citizenry were tired of war. They looked forward to a celebration.

The castle was being decorated for the occasion. The Princess loved plants, and so the decorators placed pots of flowering plants all around the grounds. Moreover, the stage where the ceremony would take place had been completed months before hand. The vines planted to cover it had begun to take hold. There would be plenty of plants and flowers decorating the castle.

Everywhere you looked, there were crowds. The inns were full. Temporary housing was being constructed in every possible location. It was as if the entire country was gathering in one place to see the coronation. So many of the citizens of the kingdom gathered there, that entire towns stood empty.

Food had been arriving for weeks. The riverboats, that the Princess had ordered, began to run in earnest. They brought up supplies from the southern most parts of the kingdom. Instead of taking the food to the refugee camps, the food went into the town. This allowed the inns to feed the gathering celebrants. Now that the civil war was over, the merchants could use what they learned to manage supplies. It was fortunate that the Lakeland castle sat upon the great river.

The Prince arrived with the group from the south. He went right into the castle to see Princess Angelina. She saw him and gave him a big hug.

"I was afraid that Bjorn had -- well -- killed you," the Princess said after their long embrace.

"He had the opportunity," replied Prince William. "But, for some reason he decided to pass."

"That was lucky! Many of your siblings were not so lucky."

"It was a terrible thing for him to do."

"I am just glad you are all right."

"Perhaps now you will consent to marry me," the Prince stated boldly.

"I thought we had a bet, and you lost it."

"I -- it is just that since then so much has changed."

"Has it?" the Princess asked coldly.

"All of Lakeland is at your feet."

"That does not change the realities of ruling."

"You are going to be the ruler of Lakeland. What more could you want?"

"That is my point. I am going to be the ruler -- not you."

"We could rule together..."

"We have been over this before, yet you still do not understand."

"I suppose I do not."

"I care about you. I do!"

"The feeling is mutual," the Prince interrupted.

"Having said that, I am ruling Lakeland. Me. That is what I want, and that is the way it is going to be."

"And?"

"And, if we were married, how would my rule reflect upon you?"

"I do not care about that."

"You say that, but you and I both know that it is not true."

"How can you say that?"

"Let us say that there is a decision to be made and we disagree. How would you feel if I always got my way?"

"I do not think that always..."

"Always! It is my decision. I get to have my way."

"I guess I would feel a bit -- I do not know -- ignored."

"While that is not the word I would use, that is the idea. That is how it would be. I am the ruler of Lakeland. If you are going to make trouble..."

"I promised I would not make trouble."

"Then, drop this marriage bit. After all, you did lose the bet."

"All right, I will drop it. However, where am I to go? Can I not live in my own kingdom?"

"You are certainly welcome to live here. I may even let you live in the castle if you wish. However, it is simply out of courtesy."

"Courtesy?"

"Well -- and my feelings for you."

"If I stay, do you expect me to be some sort of consort?"

"Now you are getting the feeling that I want you to get."

"I see," the Prince said with a downtrodden look.

"Do not take it that way. It is the only way we can remain friends."

"Friends? I do not think I could take seeing you, and -- well -- you know."

"I like having you around..."

"Do not patronize me. I can tell when I am not wanted."

"Please, do not go."

"I will see your coronation, but then I will find my own way."

"As you wish," replied the Princess with a touch of sadness.

The day of the coronation drew near, and Princess Angelina and Prince William did not speak for the remainder of that time. The Princess felt that William was avoiding her. However, she had plenty of work to accomplish. There were always arrangements to be made. She always had to make this decision or that. Everything was coming along well.

As all of the things began to fall into place, she began to wonder what could go wrong. The process had been smooth up to that point. Even the unpredictable plants did as expected. The plants were green and alive. Fewer than expected died. Everything was looking great. Nonetheless, the Princess had a fear that something would go wrong.

A week before the coronation, she heard that the eastern kingdoms were meeting with each other. She thought they were going to release a joint statement in celebration of her coronation. While the meeting did seem unusual, she was not concerned about the event. However, she should have been.

With everyone gathered in one place, much of the kingdom was unprotected. Further, Lakeland had just gone through a bloody civil war. Thus, the ranks of their army was greatly reduced. The surrounding kingdoms decided this would be an ideal time to attack.

Reports of the kingdoms' invasions came to the Princess just days before her coronation day. Thus, the Princess needed to postpone the ceremony and take her army east.