Meaning, Purpose and Bears

[Excalbia]

OOC: Joint post with the Caldan Union of the Resurgent Dream

The Imperial Estate of Zilais Kalns
Borodea Mountains, Excalbia

Zilais Kalns was one of the most secluded of the Imperial estates. It was situated high in the Borodea Mountains, with seasonal access to several private ski slopes and acres of meadows for cross-country skiing in the winter or horseback riding in the warmer seasons. It overlooked a rich agricultural valley and was adjacent to several large national parks and wildlife preserves.

Housing at the estate consisted of several large chalets arranged around a central patio with large fire pits, various seating areas and a large pool. The largest of the chalets was now reserved for the exclusive use of Emperor Joseph and Empress Anna. Other chalets were reserved for the Empress Dowager, and for Princess Rebecca and her family. Prince James had just taken up temporary residence in one of the smaller chalets.

Despite being one of the smaller chalets, it contained two master suites in opposite wings on either side of a large two-story great room. James had taken the suite in the north wing, while the south wing had been prepared for Zsófia and her chaperones.

James waited on the front porch of the chalet dressed in jeans and a pale blue polo shirt. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time yet again.

Princess Zsófia of Ultrasylva tried to focus on her book as her car traveled into the Borodea. It had seemed an ideal choice, The Daughters of Laima. Not so heavy as to be tedious or seem pretentious. Not so light as to be unengaging or to seem trashy. It dealt with the early history of Excalbia with an emphasis on the contributions of the fire cult and from a women’s perspective. At least that was how it had been advertized. Zsófia was finding it a little much. Neither the New Age fire cult matriarchy nor the rather cruel portrayal of early Excalbian Christianity quite came alive for her. She looked up at the rest of her party. As she had predicted, the King had hardly been willing to let her go alone. Her sister, Princess Erzsébet, had her earbuds in and was listening to music on her PeacockPod. Her brother, Prince Ferenc, was staring moodily out the window. He had not really wanted to come. However, her father had decided Erzsébet an insufficient chaperone. The two princesses traveling together would have both been compromised. Other than her brother, the only other options had been the elderly widowed Duchess of Batorvar and her aunt and uncle, Princess Zsuzsa and Prince Mihály, with their whole family.

She looked out the window over the landscape. “It really is beautiful,” she said. A short while later, the cars pulled up and the Ultrasylvan royals, with their security officers, stepped out. Uniformed Imperial Guards saluted as the two princesses and the prince exited the car, and stewards appeared as if from thin air to retrieve their bags.

Prince James descended the stairs and smiled. “Welcome to Zilais Kalns,” he said as he took Zsófia’s hand and kissed the air above it.

Zsófia smiled warmly as he took her hand. “It’s good to see you again,” she said excitedly, if a little nervously. “This is my brother, Ferenc,, the Crown Prince of Ultrasylva, and my sister, Erzsébet.”

“Your Highnesses, welcome,” he said. “I hope you had a pleasant trip. Would you like to see your rooms and freshen up or would you rather take a look around the estate?”

“I’d like the tour,” Ferenc said.

“It would be nice to freshen up a little,” Erzsébet interjected.

Ferenc frowned. “I suppose we should then and all take the tour together.”

James smiled. “Of course,” he said. “Let me show you your suite.” He led the three up the stairs, positioning himself beside Zsófia. “This is the Great Room,” he said as they walked through the large, two-story room. Panoramic windows looked over the shared patio, the pool and the woods beyond. There were several seating areas, including one arranged around a piano, and a large dining table. He led them down a corridor to the right that led to another sitting area. Several doors opened off the sitting area. “The room straight ahead is Zsófia’s,” he said. Through the door a large room with floor to ceiling windows, a fireplace and its own seating area was visible. “The one to the right will be for Erzsébet,” he said, gesturing to a door that opened into a similar room, but only slightly smaller due to the lack of its seating area next to the fireplace. “And to the left is Ferenc’s” he gestured to another room identical to Erzsébet’s.

The prince smiled and bowed slightly. “Why don’t you freshen up; I think you’ll find everything you need in the ensuites. The stewards will bring in your bags and unpack them for you while we’re out, unless there’s something you need now. I’ll wait for you in the Great Room, then show you around a bit.” With that, James smiled at Zsófia and walked out, closing the door to the suite behind him.

Zsófia took a step towards James but then seemed to reconsider. She smiled. “I’ll...We’ll see you in a little while, James.” She turned and headed into her room, her siblings doing likewise. Their security officers followed them at first but left after only a few minutes, having satisfied themselves well enough to join with the Excalbian security presence and remain unobtrusive.

The prince and princesses came down after a little over an hour. Ferenc had changed into a red polo shirt and khakis. The women were wearing blue jeans and t-shirts. Zsófia’s was a plain black one while Erzsébet’s featured the Caldan pop star Lise Charest and the controversial Pantocratorian star Mademoiselle de la Musique. It seemed to be from their joint tour which had been interrupted by Action-Nationale violence. Zsófia headed straight for James. “I think we’re all feeling much better,” she said. “It was a long trip.”

“Excellent,” James said, rising and touching Zsófia briefly and lightly on the shoulder. “I know it’s a long trip to get here, but I think it’s worth it.” He touched Zsófia lightly on the elbow, directing her towards a set of double glass doors that led out to the patio.

“All the chalets open to this patio,” he said. “The big one in the middle… now belongs to my brother, the Emperor, and his family. The rest of us share the rest.” He led Zsófia and her siblings on to the patio. “The stewards will light the fire pits at sunset. It’s quite lovely out here in the evenings.”

“I would imagine so,” Zsófia said as she let herself be guided, peering out at the patio. She imagined the roaring flames and what it must feel like under the open sky. All three followed him through the doors.

James pointed to a large pool just beyond the various outdoor seating areas. “The pool is heated, so it’s usable until winter sets in. And there’s a hot tub at the far end.” The prince led the group past the pool and down a path to the left. “There are tennis and basketball courts down here,” he said. “This path continues on to the stables. There are several dozen kilometers of riding paths on the estate. If you’re interested, the grooms can help you pick out a horse and get everything ready for you.”

Erzsébet looked over at the hot tub. “How cold does it get before you stop using it?” she asked. “It must be very nice on a cool evening, but a bit bracing to step out of it?”

“I’ve used it well into the Fall, but it can be bracing,” James said. “My father used to use it until the first snowfall. Back up the path and down the other side of the pools,” he said, “are walking paths and the ski lift.” He shrugged. “It isn’t operating now, of course.” He looked at Zsófia. “You should come back during ski season.”

“I’m a terrible skier,” Zsófia confessed with a laugh.

“I’m not exactly an Olympian,” James said with a smile, “but I’d be happy to show you what I know.” He turned and faced the other siblings. “And that’s it. All the facilities are yours to use. Make yourselves at home.” He turned to Zsófia again. “Lady Laura Vilde, the IHA’s Yeoman Warder in Sigulda will be coming up tomorrow to take us to the bear conservation center; she knows the director and will introduce us.”


“Thank you,” Ferenc says. “It’s a very pleasant set-up. Relaxing.”

“I can’t wait!” Zsófia exclaimed. “I’ve been reading all about the bears.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it, too,” James said. “In the meanwhile, what would you like to do?”

“When were you going to eat?” Zsófia asked.

“If you’re hungry, we can eat now,” James said. “Or rather, as soon as the stewards can have it ready. What would you like? The chefs like to feature local fare, so we have trout, wild boar, chicken and, of course, vegetables grown here at the estate..”

“The vegetables sound good,” Zsófia said.

James smiled and nodded. He looked to Ferenc and Erzsébet. “Would both like the same?” As the prince spoke, he made a subtle gesture and a steward in blue trousers and a yellow polo shirt appeared as if from nowhere.

Turning to the steward, James said, “I think we’re ready for dinner…”

“Of course, Your Imperial Highness,” the woman said with a bow. “Have you and your guests decided in your main course, Sir?”

“Princess Zsófia will have the vegetable plate,” James said. He turned to the others.

“I’ll have the chicken,” Ferenc said, “if it’s not too much trouble to prepare separate orders.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the steward said.

“Is it?” Erzsébet asked. “The trout would be what the bears eat, right?” She looked at her sister as though expecting an answer.

“No, it’s no trouble at all,” James said. “The chefs try to offer a few options for every meal.” Then, he added, “And, yes, the bears do eat trout, among other things. UWould you like that?”

“Yes, please,” Erzsébet answered.

James turned to the steward. “And I’ll have the vegetable plate, too,” he said.

“Yes, Sir,” the young woman said with a bow. “Would you like to dine out here?”

“Yes, I think so,” he said. Turning back to Zsófia and her siblings, James gestured to one of the seating areas around a fire pit. “Should we have a seat and get to know each other a little better while we wait? It shouldn’t be long.”

“I’d like that,” Zsófia said as she moved towards the indicated seating area.

“There’s not anyone else here, is there?” Erzsébet asked, suddenly aware of how shared the outdoor area was.

James followed Zsófia and took a seat across from her. He looked at Erzsébet and shook his head. "No, there's no one here but us. It seems most of my family is in the middle of a transition - my mother had moved to her new residence at Valmiera Castle, though she still spends a lot of her time at the Summer Palace with my sister and her family; my brother has taken up residence at the Citadel, as Emperor; my aunt Christiana and Janet have moved to Landing; and Tariq - my cousin - has moved to Knootoss." He offered a weak smile.

Something in how he said that caught Zsófia. She half extended a hand before catching herself and resting it on the table, returning his smile with a small, soft one of her own.

With a slight shake of the head, James visibly relaxed and crossed his legs. "So, Erzsébet, tell me about yourself. I can see you're a fan of Lise Cherest…"

“Her and Madame de la Musique,” Erzsébet said. “Did you see what happened at their concert a few years back?”

“I didn’t see it, but I heard about it. Terrible.” He shook his head. “It was shocking. I think that was the first time I realized how… different Pantocratoria is from us in their cultural outlook.” He paused. “Have you seen either of them in person?”

“And now those same people are in the…” Erzsébet began.

“I don’t think we should discuss foreign government at that level,” Ferenc said.

James gave a knowing smile but kept silent.

Erzsébet nodded grudgingly. “Anyway, yes, I saw Lise Charest when she was in Ultrasylva a year ago.”

“It was a good show,” Zsófia chimed in.

“Are you a fan as well?” James asked, turning to Zsófia. “I missed her tour in Excalbia.”

“It’s catchy,” Zsófia said. “Ultrasylva...culture isn’t on enough of a spectrum in Ultrasylva, I don’t think. Music, for example, is often divided between traditional, classical, very high concept avante-garde stuff, and EDM with no lyrics or vulgar lyrics or nonsense lyrics. I like a catchy song you can dance to with some emotional content in the lyrics, some thought, but not something you have to reflect upon or give your full attention.”

“Artists are creatures of extremes,” Ferenc noted. “Lise Charest is for…a certain demographic.”

“You never faced down a fascist mob!” Erzsébet exclaimed indignantly.

“Well,” James said, “her courage is certainly beyond doubt.” He offered a small smile, then turned to Zsófia. “Caldan performers tend to dominate the popular music here, with the exception of Baiba Avotina, because they capture just that mix of catchy tunes and easily relatable lyrics. I guess Ilgais Laiks is still the ‘biggest’ Excalbian pop act. But they tend to skew a little older than any of us.”

“Ultrasylva’s biggest musical export is probably Raluca Popsecu,” Ferenc said. “She’s a rapper.”

“I think she counts as Lanerian,” Zsófia suggested.

“I said export,” Ferenc said, before turning to James once again. “She’s really immersed in Lanerian hip-hop. It’s her whole sound. Critics have called it the verbal equivalent of blackface, actually.”

“There’s also Zsolt Varga,” Erzsébet added. “He does traditional Ultrasylvan ballads in English translation. The vocals and guitar are him but there’s a softer EDM background and some vocal editing.”

"I've never been much of a rap or hip-hop fan," James said. "Most rappers in the Isles tend to come from Upper Virginia or Deandra. Life in Upper Virginia tends to be… a bit grimmer than here, I suppose.

"Ilgais Laiks tends to take traditional music, which most people outside Excalbia tend to say sounds a bit Celtic, and update them with modern pop sounds. Baiba straddles the line between pop and what I think the Lanerians call 'country'. She started out singing mostly love ballads, then moved on to breakup songs, but now she's doing a lot more about, well, I guess most people call it 'female empowerment'."

“Empowerment is good,” Erzsébet commented. “That actually sounds interesting.”

“I’m sure I can find some of her music around here somewhere,” James said with a smile, “if you’d like to try her music out.”

“She sort of reminds me of that Caldan singer, maybe,” Ferenc added. “The one who got knighted…”

“Dame Emma Holt?” James asked. “I met her at one of my cousin Tariq’s parties.”

“That’s who I meant,” Ferenc confirmed. ‘What was she like?”

“She seemed very nice,” James said. “Elegant, friendly. Very Caldan, in that sense. Seemed to really enjoy meeting some of her fans at the party.” He gave a little laugh. “If it were me, I’d probably get tired of random people walking up and telling me they were fans, but she seemed to genuinely appreciate it.”

“You’re hardly a random person,” Erzsébet noted.

James grinned. “True, but then I was hardly the only guest chatting with her. As I recall,” he paused, “the young woman Tariq hadn’t yet hired away from the IHA to be his alter ego and a little known lounge singer he’d invited to entertain at his party were among those who approached her. She was very gracious to all of them.”.

“I like that she’s appreciates her fans,” Zsófia said. “Do you like her music?”

“I do,” James said. “I probably don’t listen to her as much as I do Baiba, but I do have several of her songs on my playlist. How about you?”

“I like it when I hear it,” Zsófia said, “but she’s not normally my selection.”

“What music do you like?” James asked, leaning towards Zsófia.

“I really like CoraT,” Zsófia answered. “She’s a Caldan pop r&b singer with hip hop, reggae, and dance hall influences. I love her music. So rhythmic and sensual.”

Ferenc arched a brow. “She’s...interesting.”

James looked at Zsófia, lifted an eyebrow and smiled. “I’ve seen her videos. Never in person. Though, oddly enough, I think my father met her at a state dinner in Caldan. Had no idea who she was, or so I was told. She reminds me of a more… flamboyant version of the Three Waves - an r&b trio from Deandra that was big a few years ago.”

Zsófia grinned as she shifted a little in her chair, leaning towards James. “Did I surprise you?”

“You did,” James said, shifting to mirror Zsófia’s position. “It’s been a while…” He paused and drew in a breath. “So, now I’m excited to find out what other surprises you have in store…”

“Well, there’s all sorts of…” Zsófia began. Ferenc coughed and Zsófia settled back a little. “I’ve studied a lot about bears,” she said, blushing.

[Ultrasylva]

The Imperial Estate of Zilais Kalns
Borodea Mountains, Excalbia
The Next Morning

The next morning, after breakfast Prince James waited on the front veranda of the chalet. He was dressed in jeans, hiking boots and a long-sleeved t-shirt with the logo of the Imperial College at the University of Excalbia. Beside him stood Lady Laura Vilde, the Yeoman Warder of Sigulda. She was not quite middle-aged, but clearly older than James. Somewhat short by Excalbian standards and somewhat plump, she nevertheless exuded a sense of outdoorsy health. She, too, wore jeans and hiking boots - though both were a little older and little worn than the princes’ - and a blue shirt with a thin hooded sweatshirt over it.

The Ultrasylvans soon joined them, also dressed in jeans, boots, and t-shirts. They smiled to Prince James and Lady Laura. Zsófia stepped up first. “Lady Laura, I presume?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she said with a bow. “Welcome to Sigulda region. It’s truly a pleasure to take such esteemed guests to see our local conservation efforts.”

“The pleasure is ours,” Zsófia said. “I’m very excited to see the bears.”

“Thank you for doing this,” Ferenc added.

“Yes, thank you,” Erzsébet added.

James blushed slightly as he realized he had his opportunity at introductions. “Lady Laura was just telling me a bit about where we’ll be going,” he said, speaking a bit too rapidly.

“Oh, yes,” Vilde said, “it’s about 45 minutes from here. We’re already rather remote here and the Center is a bit further yet from civilization.” She smiled.

“That’s the Sigulda Regional Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation Center,” James added.

Vilde nodded. “The director, Dr. Tevis - that’s Jake Tevis, is an old friend. He’s been working in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation for almost 20 years. Though they’ve been working with bears for just a little over ten…”

“Well,” James said, turning and gesturing to a large SUV that stood idling nearby, “should we get going?”

“I think we’re all ready,” Zsófia said excitedly. Both her siblings nodded.

“Excellent,” James said. He led the way to the vehicle. A steward opened the door and pulled forward the seat, allowing Erzsébet and Ferenc to pass through to the third row. Then, James gestured for Zsófia to climb into the second row. He then waited for Lady Laura to climb into the front passenger seat, and finally climbed in to sit beside Zsófia.

Once everyone was in the vehicle, the steward closed the doors and they drove off.

“We’ll be passing through the Sigulda National Forest and into the mountains,” Vilde said. “It’s quite lovely. There are a few lookout points where you have quite an impressive view.”

“We can stop at any of them that look interesting,” James said.

“Would you like to hear a little about the Center or about the region?” Vilde asked. James turned and looked to Zsófia.

“Yes, please,” Zsófia agreed. She found her hand quietly moving to rest on James’s. Ferenc didn’t cough this time. “About the center especially. How do you deal with the bears becoming too comfortable with humans? Especially the ones you get as cubs?”

“I want to hear about the whole region,” Erzsébet added. “It’s very beautiful.”

James smiled as Zsófia’s hand rested on his, and smiled.

In the front seat, Vilde turned to face Zsófia. “That’s quite an interesting question and one the Center has had to adapt to address. It started out, really, as sort of a wildlife rescue and rehab center. People would bring in hurt and injured animals, and they would provide veterinary care. Over time, as, inevitably, the human population grew, more people started bringing in more animals, including babies they thought were motherless…though it’s not always the case that a wild animal without a mother in sight is motherless.

“In any case, the Center realized it had to develop a protocol to help these animals… stay wild, I suppose you could say, so that they could be released back into the wild, So, they try to minimize human contact and keep the animals in as natural a surrounding as possible. When they started seeing the need to care for bears, they followed the same protocol. In fact, the animals we’ll see today will only be those who, because of their injuries or human imprinting as a result of the care they needed, can’t survive in the wild,”

“Interesting,” James said, “I never even knew about this place…”

“It isn’t as widely known as it deserves to be,” Vilde said. “It’s fairly small, but does great work. It actually receives calls for assistance from all over the Mountain regions, not just Sigulda.”

“And, speaking of Sigulda,” Vilde said, looking to Erzsébet, “the region is mostly comprised of the Barony of Sigulda, which includes Sigulda city, a little to the east, and a large swath of the mountains. There’s good farmland in the valleys, and agriculture has always been the main local industry. Though now we’re seeing more and more tourism. There are several ski resorts nearby, and quite a few cideries and craft breweries.”

“And,” James said, turning to face Erzsébet, “the Baron of Sigulda married into the House of Alsgood by marrying the daughter of King Olof II, who went on to be Queen Hiordis. Her oldest son became King Olof III, while her second son inherited the Barony. So, the current Baron, Ilmars, is a distant cousin.”

“So the bears we’ll see today are socialized to humans?” Zsófia asked eagerly. She squeezed James’s hand.

“Are they safe?” Erzsébet added.

James held Zsófia’s hand.

“Partially,” Vilde said. “They are socialized to their caretakers. We’ll be seeing them from outside their enclosure. There’re other animals as well. And it’ll be quite safe.”

Ferenc looked out the window. “It’s interesting the name of the house remained unaltered, even so long ago. One of the arguments used against adopting absolute primogeniture in Ultrasylva is that it would force a choice between changing the name of the royal house or making the royal family an exception to the ordinary custom, making the queen’s consort the only man in the country who couldn’t give his name to his children. I know they’ve wrestled with the issue in Tehua and even, to an extent, in the Caldan Union.”

“It’s less of an issue here,” James said, “because technically we - the imperial family - don’t use last names. If there’s a situation where we need one, we follow the old patronymic custom. So, I’d be Davidsson. My niece, Elizabeth, is Josephsdotter. Of course, it does mean that a male consort doesn’t pass on his surname. My grandfather, for instance, was Michaelsson, not Viesnieks.”

“We technically don’t have a surname either,” Ferenc noted, “but house names follow the same basic rules in Ultrasylva.”

“It’s sad that such a petty, cosmetic issue would keep the Diet from seeing the obvious superiority of absolute primogeniture, don’t you think, little brother?” Zsófia said jokingly...mostly.

Ferenc huffed. “So what kinds of bears are native to this region?”

“Black bears,” Vilde answered. “They’re one of the smaller species. There are polar bears on Patverums, but they don’t usually make it onto the mainland.”

“I imagine even non releasable polar bears would have to be helped at a distance,” Erzsébet probed.

“I would imagine so,” Vilde said. “But I don’t really know. Dr. Tevis might know. He might even be able to refer you to someone working with the polar bears on Patverums, if you’re interested.”

“I’ve actually never been to Patverums,” James said. “It might make for an interesting trip.”

[Excalbia]

Joint post with Ultrasylva

The Sigulda Regional Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation Center
Mazaisakmens Plaisa, Barony of Sigulda, Excalbia

The rest of the drive was lovely, if uneventful. For about 20 minutes, they traveled along a four lane road that followed the ridge line of the foothill west of the high peaks of Borodea Mountains. Then, they entered the town of Mazaisakmens Plaisa. They drove down the Main Street of the town, passing a gas station, a few restaurants, several antique shops, a hardware store, a firehouse and a handful of churches.

At the edge of town, they turned onto a two lane road that steadily climbed into the mountains through a series of switchbacks. After another 20 minutes, they turned onto a gravel road and dipped into a small valley. The vehicle pulled up in front of a small, one level building. A sign beside the door read Sigulda Regional Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation Center with the silhouette of a bear cub walking beside its mother.

The driver parked the SUV, then climbed out and opened the door for Zsófia and her siblings. He then walked around the car to open the doors for Lady Laura and Prince James.

“Well, here we are,” Vilde said. She climbed the small flight of stairs that led to the building’s entrance and rang the doorbell. A young woman in jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt with the bear cub and mother logo of the Center.

“Hello?” The young woman said.

“Good morning, we’re here to see Dr. Tevis; we have an appointment,” Vilde said.

“Oh, of course,” the woman said, stepping aside to allow the group to enter. “Please come in, and welcome, My Lady. Your Highnesses.”

Vilde led the way into the Center’s reception area. A desk stood in the front with a small waiting area to the right and what appeared to be a small gift shop with t-shirts, mugs, books and stuffed animals to the left. Double doors led to the right and left, with a single door directly behind the desk.

After a few minutes, the door behind the desk opened and a man with thinning brown hair, dressed in khakis and a black polo with bear cub and mother logo walked around the desk and offered his hand to Vilde. “Laura,” he said with a smile, “it’s good to see you again.”

“And you, Jake,” Vilde said. She turned and gestured towards the group of royals. “Jake, may I present His Imperial Highness Prince James, Her Highness Princess Zsófia, His Highness Prince Ferenc and Her Highness Princess Erzsébet. Your Highnesses, Dr. Jake Tevis, Director of the Center.”

“Your Highnesses,” Tevis said with a bow, “welcome.”

“It’s wonderful to be here,” Zsófia said. “I’m a great admirer of all your work.”

“My sister loves animals,” Ferenc added, though he was also looking curiously about himself.

Tevis smiled. “Well, you’ll certainly see some here today!” He walked over to the door to the right of the desk. “Let’s start with a walk through the medical wing.” He pushed the door open and held it, waiting for everyone to enter. The Ultrasylvans headed in, looking around curiously.

The door opened into a long corridor that stretched much further back than anyone would have expected from the compact profile of the front of the building. To the right were several small rooms, most of which were closed. To the left were large examination stations. Some were open, some were enclosed. All were backed by large garage-style doors. “This is our examination and treatment area.” Tevis looked at the faces of those following him. “Fortunately, we don’t have any patients today. However, we’re equipped to treat anything from birds - we see quite a few owls, eagles and hawks - to small mammals to large mammals, such as bears. We provide treatment in these bays. We can do x-rays here and surgery in the enclosed bays.” He gestured to his left. “Over here we have our labs and a few offices.”

“What about little birds?” Erzsébet asked curiously. “Do you get many of them?”

“We do see quite a few birds here. People usually bring us the larger species - owls, eagles and hawks. Most people will usually contact a local vet first, and most are quite capable of treating small birds, such as wrens, crows and sparrows. Even ducks and geese. But the larger predatory birds often make their way to us. At the end of the tour you’ll meet Screech, a snowy owl who lives here permanently and who’s our unofficial mascot.”

At the end of the hall were several enclosures. “Patients who need close monitoring are kept here.” He gestured to the enclosures, which had steel doors and small, slatted windows. “We currently have a bear cub convalescing in this enclosure.” He stepped aside to allow the visitors to look through the slats at the cub, which was sleeping on the floor with IV tubes connected to one arm. “This little fellow was found dazed with a broken arm; he apparently suffered a fall. The mother was not around and someone brought him in. We’ve repaired the arm, but are keeping him sedated while we treat an infection with antibiotics and try to rehydrate him. As soon as he's off the IV, we’ll move him to one of the enclosures outside, where he’ll be in more familiar surroundings.”

“Poor little guy!” exclaimed. She was looking as intently at the little cub as her sister.

“He’s so little,” Zsófia commented, sighing as she watched the cute little cub sleeping. “Is it harder to get the cubs releasable? I imagine they’re more impressionable and need more care.”

“How long can he stay sedated like that?” Ferenc asked, though he lacked the rapt interest of his sisters, he was curious and also he wanted to say something. It seemed like he should.

“Only a few days,” Tevis said. “Once he’s off the IV antibiotics, we’ll move him to an outdoor enclosure. After he’s recovered a bit, we’ll introduce him to the other bears we have on site. Eventually, they’ll all be returned to the wild.” He turned to Zsófia. “Fortunately, mother bears will frequently adopt orphaned or separated cubs. We have a few females here, so we’re hoping that at least one of them will bond with this cub once he’s introduced to them.”

“I hope so too,” Zsófia said. “He looks like such a sweet little guy.” She leaned forward, towards the bear. “Hang in there, little friend.”

“Is it ever hard caring about animals at different places on the food chain?” Erzsébet asked. Ferenc shot her a bit of a look but Zsófia seemed thoughtful.

Tevis turned from the enclosure. “It can be,” he said with a nod. “We’re all here because, fundamentally, we care about animals. But we also have to respect nature and the fact that different species fill different roles. Here, let me take you outside. We’ll go this way through the kitchen. You’ll see thow we provide for predators’ diets.”

The director led them down a short hallway to a large, industrial kitchen. Several workers were inside working at various tasks. “This is where we prepare the food for our patients and guests. We try to stick as closely as possible to their natural diets.”

One of the workers looked up and smiled at the visitors. “No canned food or dry feed here. Just fresh mice, fish, roots, berries and such. Most of it is locally procured.”

“That sounds really good for them,” Ferenc responded.

Tevis walked quickly through the kitchen and opened a large door. “And here’s the exit to the outside enclosures.” He gestured through the door, then followed the group outside.

They were now well behind the entrance of the facility and could see that the medical wing was one of two long wings extended from the small building in front. A path led off towards some nearby hills. Several large avian enclosures were close by. Beyond them was a high solid wall with several doors, a few observation windows and stairways leading up the side.

“First, we have our winged friends. The smaller enclosures to the left are those needing more observation and care.” A few large birds were visible inside several of the enclosures. “The larger ones to the right are those almost ready to be released. They give them room to stretch their wings, so to speak.”

The Ultrasylvans walked over to the avian enclosures, looking up at the large birds that were visible. All three of them seemed curious. “Do you do a hard release or a soft release?” Zsófia asked.

“We generally practice hard release,” Tevis said. “We try to minimize human contact and dependency while they’re rehabbing to make that easier. With the bear cubs, we try to get them adopted, if you will, by a female adult so that they can be released together. If that doesn’t work, we may try a soft release, but that’s definitely our secondary option.”

“That makes sense,” Zsófia said.

“What’s a soft release?” Erzsébet asked.

“Soft release,” Tevis said, “is when we release an animal into the wild but keep it… contained within a certain area and provide food. We gradually remove the containment and decrease the food. The idea is to ease the transition. It’s a more… complicated process for us. And for the animal. That’s why we prefer the hard release, where we just place the animal in the wild.”

“Is the process different with any of the smaller animals?” Zsófia asked curiously. She looked back at James and smiled before returning her gaze to Tevis. Ferenc was looking at the birds with rapt interest. Erzsébet followed her brother’s gaze for a moment and then also looked to Tevis.

“We try to do the hard release as much as possible for all our patients,” Tevis said, “big or small.” Tevis walked away from the bird enclosures towards the high wall behind them. “Back here are our large animal enclosures,” he gestured as he walked. “We try to give them as much room as possible, so the enclosed area actually goes quite far back.” He gestured to the observation ports. “You can take a look here, though I’m not sure if you’ll be able to see much; most of our patients prefer to stay a little further away from the doors, but you might catch a glimpse of some of the cubs, if they’re feeling a little playful.”

“I hope so!” Zsófia said as she stepped up the enclosure, peering through. This time she wasn’t alone in doing so. Both Ferenc and Erzsébet were right beside her.

“How many bears are in there?” Erzsébet asked, peering back as far as she could into the enclosed area.

“We currently have five cubs,” Tevis said, “four in this enclosure and the one you saw inside. We also have an adult female in this enclosure, and a male in a separate enclosure.”

James, too, powered into the enclosure. “I don’t really see anything,” he said.

“They usually stay out of sight of the wall, but we can generally see them on our cameras. Once we go inside you can take a look at the monitors.”
Zsófia smiled as James came close. “We’ll see them on the cameras,” she agreed, but then she peered back, as if hoping for one more chance to see them live.

James returned Zsófia’s smile and moved closer until his hand brushed against hers.

Zsófia’s fingers lightly brushed James’s as he did so. She briefly took his hand before letting it go once more.

“Yes,” Tevis said, “we’ll certainly see them on camera.” He gestured back towards the building. “Shall we?”

“Let’s,” said Zsófia .

[Excalbia]

The Sigulda Regional Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation Center
Mazaisakmens Plaisa, Barony of Sigulda, Excalbia

Dr. Tevis, followed closely by Lady Laura, led the royals back towards the Center. They entered through a different door and went down a short corridor where Dr. Tevis led them into a long, narrow room. One wall of the room was filled with monitors showing dozens of different views within the various enclosures. Three volunteers were spread out along a long table observing the monitors, keeping notes and occasionally moving the cameras.

“This is our - control room,” Tevis said with a smile, “if you will. We can monitor all of the enclosures from here.” He turned and moved his head from side to side as he scanned the monitors. “There,” he said, pointing to a monitor. He turned to one of the volunteers. “Can you put 23 up on the big screen?”

The volunteer nodded, and soon the large color screen above the bank of monitors came to life with the image of three bear cubs tumbling and playing next to a large tree. “There are three of the cubs,” Tevis said.

“Adorable,” James said, looking at Zsófia.

[Ultrasylva]

The Sigulda Regional Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation Center
Mazaisakmens Plaisa, Barony of Sigulda, Excalbia


“They’re gorgeous!” Zsófia exclaimed. “Are they siblings?”

“Those two are,” Tevis said, pointing to two cubs that were tumbling over each other. “They were brought in after a local hunter chased a poacher away after he shot their mother.” He shook his head. “We weren’t able to save the mother, but one of her residents has adopted them.”

“That’s terrible,” James said. “Did they catch the poachers?”

“The game wardens caught three men,” Lady Laura answered, “not far from the site. They caught them with poached animals but there’s no way to conclusively say they’re the same poachers. But we hope so.”

“I hope so too,” Zsófia agreed as she studied the three cubs. “Were the poached animals they caught them with bears?”

Ferenc looked curious. “So hunting is allowed?”

“Hunting can be an important part of conservation - maintaining biodiversity and promoting a healthy biosphere…,” Tevis said.

“But it is tightly controlled and highly regulated,” Lady Laura said. “The regulations are designed to protect mothers and their young by imposing narrow windows for legal hunting. They also strive to… give the animals a fair chance, if you will, generally prohibiting baiting, traps, and such. And, of course, we limit the number of animals that can be taken, and strictly prohibit the hunting of at-risk species.”

“The result,” Tevis said,”is a fairly healthy biosphere here in the Borodea Mountains.” He nodded to Prince James. “And of course, the Sword’s protection of much of the forest has helped immensely.”

“Unfortunately,” Lady Laura said, “the law doesn’t stop criminals from poaching.”

“All the more reason to make an example of those you caught,” James said glowering.

“See?” Ferenc asked, with a knowing look at Zsófia. “Hunting is good for the environment. Perhaps father will allow it on our estates now.”

“All he did was waive the Crown’s exemption to the general hunting and fishing regulations,” Erzsébet chided her brother, “and you know it! He doesn’t want to assent to rules he couldn’t keep.”

“Well, it doesn’t really…” Ferenc began.

Zsófia gave her brother a sharp look and, surprisingly, he fell silent. She smiled almost apologetically at James. “I’m glad they caught the poachers.”

“Well, I wouldn’t overstate the case…,” Tevis started, but then Last Laura shot him a look and the scientist froze.

James reached out and touched Zsófia on the arm. “So am I. And I’ll make sure the Sword prosecutes them to the full extent of the law.” He turned back to the screen and saw the third cub rush up and jump on one of the siblings. “Look,” he pointed to the screen and smiled. “So cute.”

“They’re adorable,” Zsófia agreed, leaning slightly into the touch on her arm.

“Look at the littlest one!” Erzsébet exclaimed.

“He is cute,” Zsófia answered. Then she paused. “She?”

“That one,” Tevis said pointing to the cub that jumped on the siblings, “is a female. The two siblings are both males.” Of the three, it was one of the siblings - a male - that was the smallest.

James took Zsófia’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Excuse me,” he said with a smile. Then, he approached Tevis and whispered something to him. The scientist nodded and smiled and slipped out of the room.

A few minutes later, Tevis returned with two stuffed bears, nearly as large as the real life cubs, and with colors that seemed to intentionally match the littlest cub. There were red bows tied around their necks.

James took them from Tevis and gave one to Erzsébet and the other to Zsófia. He smiled. “Something to help you remember your visit,” he said, stepping very close indeed to Zsófia.

“Thank you!” Erzsébet said cheerfully.

“Thank you very much,” Zsófia said in a softer tone, holding the bear in one hand and reaching for James’s with the other. She was smiling to him but she also looked a little thoughtful, like there was something she was waiting to discuss.

[Excalbia]

(OOC: Joint post with Ultrasylva)

The Imperial Estate of Zilais Kalns
Borodea Mountains, Excalbia

Later that evening, after dinner, James was finally able to ease Zsófia away from her siblings and gently escort her into the chateau’s library. Like the rest of the chateau, the library was filled with wood paneling, wood floors and wood beam ceiling. Built-in bookshelves interspersed with paintings of rustic scenes filled two of the walls. Large windows looked out to the grounds from the third. Along the fourth wall there was a lit fireplace which splashed warm, reddish orange light around the room.

James gestured to a small cluster of leather chairs. “Would you like to have a seat?” He asked. He had brought him two warm drinks and set one down in front of Zsófia and he sipped from the other.

“Thank you,” she said as she sat, taking her drink and slowly sipping it.

“Did you like the Wildlife Center?” He asked between sips. “I hope it was everything you were expecting.”

“I did,” she said. “I really loved getting to see the bears and all the work that’s done here. I love supporting work like this.” A pause as if considering whether or not to speak. “I was also interested in the little disagreement they didn’t have in front of us. I hope I don’t get anyone in trouble saying that. I’m just interested in the policy stuff.”

“Disagreement?” James asked, holding his drink.

“Yeah. Did you notice when Dr. Tevis started commenting on the role of hunting being overstated and Lady Laura kind of shushed him?” she asked.

“Oh,” James said, “I remember that.” He shook his head. “No one will get in trouble for that. I understood it to be Lady Laura trying to keep the Doctor from getting caught in the middle of the… discussion between Ferenec and Erzsébet.” He have a slight shrug. “Lady Laura’s IHA and they have… an overdeveloped sense of propriety.” He frowned slightly and looked down. “Sometimes they care more about… appearances than we do.”

“Appearances are our job,” Zsófia said, only half joking. “But it’s just you and me talking now.” She placed her hand on his.

James placed his other hand on top of Zsófia’s. He smiled and said, “I’m very glad that’s the case.” He leaned forward. “I… I like you very much, Zsófia.”

“I like you too,” she leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to his.

James leaned into the kiss, reaching up to gently touch Zsófia’s face.

She smiled lightly. “This whole trip was for me. What do you like, James?”

He paused and looked down,then back up at Zsófia. “I like you,” he said. “And spending time with you.” He shook his head. “Beyond that, I… I’m not really sure any more what I like to do…” He gave a half smile. “I used to really like 3D graphics and animation. I was going to make a career in that.” He shrugged. “I like…,” he drew in a breath. “I really liked dancing.” He looked at Zsófia and smiled. “Do you like dancing?”

“Depends on with whom…” She teased just a little, squeezing his hand more tightly. “3D graphics and animation? Is there any reason you can’t? I’m not sure how it works in Excalbia.”

“Well, with me, of course,” he said, smiling and squeezing her hand in return. “As for the animation and graphics… well, I sort of turned my back on that.” His smile momentarily slipped, but it quickly returned. “Maybe I’ll take it up as a hobby. I’m starting to think that I’d like to devote more time to charity… maybe something involving animals.”

“Are you just saying that because of me?” Zsófia asked.

James looked surprisingly thoughtful for a moment. “No,” he said, shaking his head with a smile. “Oh, you were certainly the catalyst, but…” he paused and drew in a breath, “since my father’s death, I’ve been looking for a way to… do more… contribute… something. And seeing the work of the wildlife center… I think that lending my voice to their efforts, and that of others like them, might just be something I could do.”

“It would,” she agreed. “It’d be very princely.”

James smiled and leaned forward. He gently kissed Zsófia. “Perhaps it is something we could do together.”

“Hmmm…That might create certain expectations,” she said, returning the kiss.

James smiled. “Well, then, we’ll need to meet those expectations.”

“Good,” Zsófia answered, grinning. For a long moment, she was content to just sit there holding his hand. She was very aware of his presence. But, when she spoke, her mind had wandered back to that dispute earlier. “Maybe the naturalists think the value of hunting is overstated to keep them onside as a constituency? Ferenc wasn’t completely wrong. Policies in Ultrasylva have changed a little as governments and public sensibilities have changed. The original idea of conservation in Ultrasylva, like most places maybe, was that conservation is needed for hunting. Habitats have to be preserved and limits placed on taking animals that are at risk, too young to have bred yet, nursing young, or things like that in order for game species to thrive. In the last few decades, the rhetoric in Ultrasylva has been sort of inverted. Hunting is necessary for or plays a role in conservation. The new regulations really take that to heart. Instead of ending a season or protecting a species when there’s a danger, hunting tags are issued when a species is significantly overpopulated or an individual animal is a problem. Since my father isn’t going to compete with his own people for limited tags, that basically means we don’t hunt anymore.” She shrugged. “I personally never did and don’t really like the idea.” She gave a small laugh and a knowing look. “I’m sure that’s a huge surprise,” she added with playful sarcasm.

James smiled, enjoying being close to Zsófia. “I’ve never really been interested in hunting,” he said. “My father hunted a little when he was younger, but never in my lifetime. Or even in Joseph’s lifetime, as far as I know. His father, my grandfather, was a hunter, so I’ve been told. But he was also a proponent of conservation. Probably for the reasons you mentioned. But I think things have changed for most people these days. I don’t think most Excalbians in the cities or suburbs are particularly interested in hunting.” He paused. “So I think that if public figures - like us - lend our voices to the educational efforts of organizations like the wildlife center, we can have a big impact in changing views and social norms.” He gave a little laugh. “That sounds awfully nerdy, I suppose, but I think that’s an area I’d like to work in.”

[Excalbia]

Joint post with The Resurgent Dream and Ultrasylva.

Barony of Parnu
Excalbia

Lord Tariq of Mezciems sat quietly, watching the fields and rolling hills pass by as the car approached Parnu Castle. He felt oddly uneasy about spending the weekend with James. Though they had talked online and reconciled, the two cousins had not spent time together since they fought before Zsófia’s first visit with James.

“We’re almost there, My Lord,” the driver said as they turned off the main road and began up the long driveway to the Castle.

“Thank you, Jan,” Tariq said. He forced a smile and turned to Callisto. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful country,” she remarked, looking out the window. “I’m looking forward to meeting your cousin.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “How are you doing?”

Tariq’s smile took on genuine warmth as he squeezed Callisto’s hand. She had a way of seeing through his masks that he appreciated. “I’m ok,” he said. “I love James like a brother, you know. But the last time we saw each other… It was rough.”

She nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah, I know, but maybe it’ll be different. He was going through a lot back then.”

“You’re right,” Tariq said. “And I hope it will be… different. Better. Maybe.”

The car pulled up to the Castle, a large stone edifice with massive wooden doors at the top of a stone staircase and surrounded by several more modern outbuildings. As the driver exited the car to open the door for Tariq and Callisto, the doors of the Castle opened and Prince James, the Baron of Parnu, descended the stairs accompanied by Princess Zsófia of Ultrasylva. James was dressed in brown jeans and a dark sports coat. Zsófia was dressed just as casually in black jeans, a white blouse, and a black jacket.

Tariq exited the car and held out his hand for Callisto. He straightened the dark red jacket that he wore over a collarless shirt and offered Callisto his arm.

Callisto took his hand and stood. She adjusted her own green jacket and started towards the castle with him. “It really is a castle,” she said, perhaps not quite having imagined it right, despite the descriptions she’d heard.

“TQ,” James said as he reached the bottom of the stairs, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Thanks, Jay,” Tariq said. “I’m glad to be here.”

James turned to Zsófia. “Do you know Zsófia?”

Tariq bowed and took the Princess’ hand and kissed the air above it. “It is good to see you again, Zsófia.”

“And you, Tariq,” she replied.

Then, Tariq turned to Callisto. “And I’d like to introduce you to Callisto de Montmanuel.”

“Mademoiselle,” James said with a bow as he took her hand and kissed the air above it.

“A pleasure,” Callisto said.

There was a moment of awkward silence, then James said, “Should we go inside?”

“Sure,” Tariq said.

James took Zsófia’s hand and led them into the Castle. The entry hall was decorated in period-appropriate style with antique furnishings and old paintings of the Castle and the surrounding countryside. He continued to the right and into a large room decorated in much more modern style. Tall, though narrow windows looked out to the interior courtyard and a modern, glassed-in fireplace stood on the far wall. An array of gray upholstered chairs and sofas formed a seating area in front of the fireplace.

James walked Zsófia over to one of sofas, then he turned to Tariq and Callisto. “Please have a seat. What can I get you to drink?”

Zsófia smiled as James guided her to sit. She had gotten familiar with the place by now. Callisto took her own seat. “Whatever you’re having should be fine,” she said. “Thank you for having us. It’s very nice to finally meet both of you.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, too,” James turned to Tariq. “TQ’s talked about you quite a bit.”

Tariq smiled and turned to Zsófia. “And Jay has talked a lot about you, too,” he said. Then, he turned to James. “I’ll help you with the drinks.”

“Thanks,” James said, turning towards the bar at the far end of the room.

Zsófia looked after them, smiling a bit amusedly at the nicknames the two men had for one another. “He’s really been looking forward to this,” she shared with Callisto.

“Tariq too,” Callisto answered her. Then she laughed just slightly. “We’re failing the Bechdel Test.”

Zsófia laughed. “I hate the way that’s become a metric for judging everything. It was supposed to just highlight something systemic. I don’t think we’re somehow wrong to be discussing men we…” She paused, not sure what word to use.

“Care about?” Callisto suggested.

“Something like that,” Zsófia agreed. “Anyway, I’m sure they’re talking about us.”

“Trust,” Callisto noted, “but tell me more about you. I hear you do a lot of work with animal charities.”

“Yes, I do,” Zsófia confirmed. “I’ve always really liked animals and I started feeling really passionately about it when Felipe, Archduke of Tehua, illegally killed a bear named Rover. It was a large controversy in our country. He had a tag for a different and much smaller bear that had become problematic for a few reasons. Rover was a beloved bear tracked by our rangers and well-known in the country. He lives many miles from where the Archduke had a license to hunt. There was quite the uproar.”

At the bar, James turned to his cousin. “Think wine’s ok with everyone?”

“Sure,” Tariq said with a nod. “White, eh?”

“OK.” James bent over to take a bottle from the built-in wine fridge and pulled out a corkscrew. “I really am glad you came, TQ…”

Tariq nodded. “Feels good to be here, brother.” He stepped closer to James as he reached for glasses. “How’s it going with Zsófia?”

“It’s going well. Real well.”

“I’m glad.”

“And with Callisto?”

“It’s going well. We’re not taking it too fast. For a change.” Tariq smiled and James returned the smile.

“This feels right,” James said softly.

“It does,” Tariq said. “It’s good to have you back, brother.” He set the glasses down and James poured a little wine into each, then he set the bottle down and picked up two of the glasses. Tariq followed suit. “Should we head back over?”

James nodded. “Yep.”

The cousins walked back across the room.

“Here you go,” James said as he handed Callisto a glass. Then, he turned to Zsófia. “And for you,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Callisto said.

“Thank you,” Zsófia echoed as she received hers.

Tariq set a glass down in front of James, then sat down beside Callisto.

Callisto smiled mischievously. “Zsófia was just explaining to me how the Tehuan Empress’s uncle is a common poacher in Ultrasylva.”

“Really?” Tariq asked, smiling. “It must have been quite the international incident…”

“It was a tragedy,” James said, gently placing a hand on Zsófia’s leg. “But it led Zsófia to her passion for animals, and that helped me find my own…”

“I heard you had become the patron of a wildlife charity,” Tariq said.

“The Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Network,” James said.

“That’s great, brother,” Tariq said with a grin. “We all need something to inspire us and allow us to give back, right? After all, we’ve all been given so much.”

James nodded.

“And I’m glad you helped my boy here find his… purpose, Zsófia,” Tariq said, lifting his glass.

“Thank you, Tariq,” Zsófia said as she raised her own glass, as did Callisto.

“I have a soft spot for animals myself,” Callisto volunteered. “Ever since I used to run off and seek comfort from my father’s cows when I was upset.”

Tariq turned to Callisto. “That’s adorable,” he said. “I mean, it’s sad that you were upset, but it’s sweet that you found comfort with one of the cows.” He turned to James. “Jay and I used to hide in the gardeners’ cottage when we needed to… get away from people. Do you remember all the cats?”

“There must have been a half dozen,” James said, nodding. “They’d always peek in to see what we were doing. And they’d meow like crazy…”

“Until we’d pet them,” Tariq added. “Then they’d settle down and purr.”

“We had barn cats at Montmanuel too,” Callisto added, “though I always thought it was mostly just a practical reason to take care of some of the not quite domesticated cats in the area. They weren’t very good ratters.”

“Rats are a bit big for most cats,” Zsófia said, “unless they have a strong prey drive or nothing else to eat.”

“I think the cats in the garden were supposed to hunt mice, too,” James said, “but all the gardeners fed them too much to give them much incentive.”

“Not just the gardeners,” Tariq added. “Your sister and your mum, too.”

James laughed. “There was one we called Waddles… big old fat gray and white cat… the loudest purr of all of them.”

Tariq joined in the laughter and raised his glass, “To cats and cows and bears and all our animal friends!”

Zsófia and Callisto raised their glasses, laughing. Callisto smiled as she lowered. “I might have to make a donation.”

“You should,” Tariq said, nodding. “And I’ll make one as well.”

James smiled and sipped his wine. Then, he turned to Callisto and said, “So, tell me about yourself, Callisto; most of what Tariq has told me is just about how wonderful you are.”

“Tariq is…biased,” she said with a smile. “I am from Marlund originally but I was adopted by the Duc de Montmanuel so I have been Pantocratorian most of my life. I’ve been largely working in literacy. That’s been my issue.”

James nodded slightly at the mention of the Duke of Montmanuel. “Literacy is an important issue. Where have you focused your efforts? Is literacy and issue in Pantocratoria?”

“It still is,” Callisto said. “It’s more of an issue than people like to admit almost everywhere. Illiteracy remains rampant in Marlund, of course.”

“That surprises me. About Pantocratoria,” James said. “I’ve only been there a few times and haven’t really traveled outside New Rome.” He paused. “Have returned to Marlund?” He asked as he sipped his wine. “For your literacy work?”

“There’s need everywhere,” Callisto said. “If you look at the developed nations, statistically, most of them have literacy rates in the mid to high 90s but,even if it’s 99%, when you look at the size of the total population, that’s a lot of people needing help. Of course, some people, for various reasons, just can’t learn but…” She shrugged slightly. “I have been back to Marlund, yes. It’s always very emotional.”

James nodded. “I never thought of it that way,” he said. “I’m sure it is,” he looked at Tariq, “I know it was… hard for Tariq to visit Pantocratoria…”

“But now,” Tariq said, reaching for Callisto’s hand, “if I go to Pantocratoria, it’ll be quite different.” He smiled. Then, he turned to Zsófia. “So, how do you like Excalbia?”

Callisto squeezed Tariq’s hand tightly. Zsófia smiled. “I love Excalbia. It has beautiful landscapes, friendly people…” She glanced to James and smiled a bit playfully. “Other attractions.”

James returned her playful smile. “I’m glad to hear that,” he said, “since I’m hoping you’ll be spending a lot more time here.”

Tariq smiled and took a sip of his wine. “Well, it sounds like Excalbia has won over another admirer.”

James looked at Callisto. “Have you visited Excalbia before?”

Callisto shook her head. “This is my first time. It’s a lovely country. Have you ever heard of a game called baseball? It’s sort of like cricket but not really.”

“My dad loved baseball,” James said. “It’s practically the national sport. Have you ever watched… or played baseball?”

“I saw it on television on the way here,” Callisto said.

“Oh” James said, “what did you think? Maybe we could all go to a game…”

“I would like that,” Callisto agreed.

“That would be interesting,” Zsófia said.

“I’m sure we can find a game close by in the next few days,” James said.

“But in the meantime,” Tariq said, “what would you ladies like to do?”

“I’m fine just talking,” Callisto said easily, “unless you gentlemen have something in mind?”

“That’s fine with me,” Tariq said.

“I thought,” James began, then paused. “I mean we could do it later,” he said, “but I thought it’d be nice to take a tour of the grounds. We could do it on horseback. Or use the ATVs.”

“I’d like horseback,” Callisto said enthusiastically, “if that’s ok with everyone?”

“I’d love a chance to ride,” agreed Zsófia.

[The Resurgent Dream]

The Estate of the Baron of Parnu
Later That Afternoon

Prince James, the Baron of Parnu, led the way down the sun-dappled trail that led from the castle to the meadow below. He was mounted on a gray horse - an Excalbian horse - a descendant of one of those brought to the Isles by the Balto-Nordics so many centuries ago. Typical of its breed, James’ horse - Dasher - was somewhat small, but hearty and strong - well-suited for the cold Excalbian winters.

Tariq was mounted on a horse of the same breed, but his was dark brown, and in the way he rode he demonstrated that he was less familiar with his steed than James was with his.

“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?” James asked as he slowed to a walk and turned to wait for the others.

“It really is,” Zsófia agreed as she guided her horse up alongside his. “It makes me think of what the earliest Excalbians might have thought and felt seeing this land.”

Callisto smiled. “The weather is certainly brisk,” she commented.

“It is,” James agreed. He turned to Zsófia and said, “I like to think they were captivated by its beauty and thought of it as home.” He gave a half smile. “But I content myself with knowing that at least they didn’t drive out any Inuits from here; there’s no evidence that they made it to this part of the highlands.”

“The Inuit culture in Excalbia developed as early as the first century,” Zsófia said, sounding a little too much like she were repeating something she learned out of a book.

Tariq nudged his horse closer to Callisto’s. He removed his jacket and offered it to her with a smile. “It does get chilly out here, doesn’t it?”

“Why don’t we ride down to the meadow? It’s sunnier - and probably a bit warmer kthere,” James said.

“A little,” Callisto said, taking the jacket from Tariq and smiling back to him. “Thank you, darling.” She then looked to James at the question. “I’d like that.”

“So would I,” Zsófia added. “It’ll be a nice ride.”

“Let’s go, then,” James said with a smile as he urged his horse forward.

The Prince led the party down a trail that descended into a clearing below. Spring flowers dotted the meadow. The meadow extended to the right down to a small stream with forest on the other side. To the left, rolling, cleared hills extended about a kilometer until they were met with rocky ledges that climbed back up towards the higher pine covered hills. Straight ahead, at the far treeline stood a small cottage.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” James asked.

“I think so,” Zsófia said softly as she pulled her horse up close to his. “It’s very rugged.” She looked at the cottage for a minute and then turned her gaze to the stream with the forest on the other side. “Is it ok to go walking in the woods?”

“Sure,” James said. “We can leave the horses at the cottage.”

“I’d like that,” Zsófia agreed.

Callisto, on the other hand, seemed more interested in the cottage. She looked at Tariq. “Do you remember your first time here?”

“Sure,” Tariq said with a laugh. “My uncle David brought me here with Jay when we were 10. The castle wasn’t as nice as it is now - no one had been in residence for years - so it was kind of like a camping trip.” He laughed again. “Or as close as you can get when you’re traveling with the Emperor.” He smiled and looked off into the distance. “He took us fishing in that stream. And made sure we ate what we caught.”

“That sounds great. I’ve actually never…” She glanced over at Zsófia and then reconsidered her words. “It really is beautiful country. Montmanuel is rural and there’s some wooded areas but nothing really wild like this.”

“Zsófia and I are going for a walk in the wood,” James said, nudging his horse slightly towards Tariq and Callisto. “Do you want to come along or check out the cottage? The staff should have fully stocked it.”

Callisto looked to Tariq to see if he would answer. When it seemed it was up to her, she looked back to James. “The cabin, I think.

Tariq smiled. “We’ll have a fire going and save you something for when you two get back.”

“Sounds like a plan, then,” James said, urging his horse towards the cottage. “We’ll leave the horses here,” he added.

Moments later, the foursome had dismounted and James and Zsófia were headed towards the stream and the woods beyond, while Tariq led Callisto into the cottage and worked to start a fire in the fireplace.

[Excalbia]

Joint post with Ultrasylva.

The Estate of the Baron of Parnu
Early That Evening

James held Zsófia’s hand as he led the way through the woods along a narrow but well-worn path. “My father used to bring us out here once a year or so, just to check on the estate. He’d usually bring TQ and I out here into the woods for a hike. He always wanted us to know the land and be comfortable outdoors.”

“It’s beautiful country,” she said, squeezing his hand as she stepped into the woods. She was looking around, seemingly impressed with all the rugged natural beauty she saw.

The Prince paused next to a fallen tree. “I made it a lot harder for him than it should have been,” he said. “I wasn’t much of an outdoorsman in my youth.” He smiled, then looked up at the canopy of trees. “I like to think he’d be happy that I’ve finally made this place… home and that I’m out here in the woods.” He looked back down at Zsófia. “And with someone I love.”

“I love you too,” Zsófia said softly as she leaned in to kiss him. She grinned. “First time we’ve used that word.” She turned to look around the area again. “It’s okay not to be much of an outdoorsman. Parents want to share what they love with us but also we have to come into our own.”

James smiled. “You’re right.” He leaned forward and kissed Zsófia. “And I finally feel like I am coming into me own. Thanks to you.”

“You’re your own man, James. You can had to figure a few things out,” she said.

James smiled. He kissed Zsófia again. “You’re right. And I have figured things out.” He leaned close. “And one of the things I figured out is that I… I want us to be together. Forever.”

“Do you have something to ask me, James?” she prompted.

James smiled and took both of Zsófia’s hands. He lowered himself to one knee in a gesture that felt both awkward and appropriate. “Zsófia,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, “will you marry me?”

Zsófia smiled down at him, her hands in his. She just looked at him a moment. Even though it had been rather obvious what he was getting at, it still took her breath away a little to actually see it and hear it. “Yes,” she answered him. “Of course! Yes!”

James stood and lifted Zsófia off the ground and into his arms. He kissed her, then gently lowered her back to feet. He smiled broadly. “So, what next? I’ll confess that I don’t know what we’re supposed to do now…” He laughed and kissed her again.

“Talk to our parents, I think,” Zsófia said, even as she moved to kiss him back passionately. “And probably have a slightly awkward conversation about religion?”

James sighed and nodded. “Right. Should we call your parents or… go see them in person?”

“Go see them in person,” she answered.

James nodded. “I’d like to tell my mother first, before we go to Ultrasylva, if that’s alright with you, of course.” He smiled and kissed Zsófia again. “We’re getting married,” he said with a grin.

“That’s fine,” Zsófia agreed, “but don’t let her tell anyone yet. I’m fairly certain my parents would prefer to hear face to face.” She grinned and kissed him again and again. “We’re getting married!”

“We’re getting married,” James repeated and kissed Zsófia again. “We’ll fly to Landing - my mother is staying with my Aunt Christiana - then we’ll get a flight right to Ultrasylva. And I know my mother can keep a secret!” He paused and looked thoughtful. “What about Tariq? He’ll know as soon as he sees us. He’s always been able to tell what’s on my mind… he’s… almost like a twin.”

“Just tell him you have something to tell him when you get back from Ultrasylva,” she said. “He’ll know what it is but…” She shrugged slightly.

“Ok,” James agreed with a nod. “He and Callisto might want to join us in going to Landing; she hasn’t met Aunt Christiana yet.” He smiled. “But we’ll find a way to speak privately with my mother.” He grinned. “Your future mother-in-law.”

“My future mother-in-law,” Zsófia repeated, “the mother of my future husband. Near future.”

[The Resurgent Dream]

The Estate of the Baron of Parnu
Early That Evening

After tying up the horses, Tariq led Callisto into the cottage. It was somewhat rustic but cozy, with a fireplace situated between a sofa and a loveseat with some chairs and a low table completing the furnishings. Separated from the main room by a curtain was a small kitchen with a fridge, sink and cooktop.

The cottage appeared to be fully stocked with bottles of wine on the counter and firewood and kindling stacked next to the fireplace.

Tariq led Callisto towards the fireplace, “Bless the IHA,” he laughed, “they can be intrusive, but they do aim to make things easy.” He gestured to the sofa. “Have a seat and I’ll see if I can start a fire for us.”

“It is lovely,” Callisto said as she walked in with him. She took a seat on the sofa, her eyes still on Tariq as he headed for the fireplace. “All warm and cozy.” She grinned. She settled back and stretched her legs. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Tariq looked over his shoulder as he lit the tinder for the fire. “I’m glad you came!” As the fire began to catch, he stood and turned to face Callisto. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Yes, please,” she agreed. “So what do you think of Zsófia?”

Tariq smiled, and lightly touched Callisto on the arm as he walked by her towards the kitchen. “She seems nice,” he said as he opened a bottle of wine. “Very much,” he paused as he poured the first glass, “how do I say this without it sounding like something other than what I mean?” He poured the second glass. “She’s very much a princess. She has that… vibe of royalty. Well-raised. Kind. Maybe a little sheltered.” He picked up the glasses and walked back towards the couch. He handed one to Callisto, then sat down beside her.

“She’s definitely not the kind of girl Jay had been seeing, especially after Sunnie,” he smiled, “and that’s probably a good thing. I’m sure his brother is… relieved.” He leaned towards Callisto. “So, what do you think of her?”

“I think she’s nice,” Callisto agreed. “I was going to suggest we go fishing but I thought it might bother her to kill anything.” She shrugged slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever really met an Ultrasylvan before, royal or otherwise. It seems far away. Very different from Pantocratoria or Excalbia or Marlund.” She tilted her head and grinned at him. “So what kind of vibe do I give off?” she said, taking her wine.

Tariq smiled and set his glass down. He turned to face Callisto and leaned towards her. “You give off the vibe of a woman. One who’s experienced the ups and downs of life and come out on top. On her own terms.” The smile turned to a grin. “It’s exciting just being around you.”

“You flatter me, surely,” she said, despite the fact that she was grinning impishly. “Which you’re welcome to do anytime.”

“It’s not just flattery,” Tariq said as he leaned towards Callisto. He gave her a kiss, then leaned back a bit. “So, what do you think of my boy, James?”

“He’s a gracious host,” she said. “Charming, princely, but a lot more…more relaxed than a Pantocratorian in a similar position would likely be.”

Tariq smiled. “I like to think that’s my influence.” He chuckled. “But that’s actually, in part, his father’s - my uncle’s - influence. Uncle David could be very… imperial - almost frighteningly so - when he wanted to be, yet very… informal at other times. I think James inherited that. Of course, it’s taken him a while to get to this place.” Tariq looked down and away for a moment. “He went through a pretty rough time before Zsófia came along.”

Callisto reached over and cupped his cheek in her hand. She smiled softly, looking at him for a long, reflective moment. “He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?”

Tariq nodded and placed a hand over hers. “He does. He’s more of a brother than a cousin.” He pulled back slightly and looked down. “When I first came to Excalbia, everything was so… strange. And different. And everyone was… trying too hard to be nice to me, if that makes sense. But James… James just treated me like another kid. It was like we’d always known each other. He taught me… how to be Excalbian. And I taught him how to get into trouble.” He laughed and turned back to Callisto. “We’ve been almost inseparable ever since.”

She smiled. “Well, I’m glad you two have that.” There was a pause. She felt like she should say more but there wasn’t so much to say. It spoke for itself. “And I’m glad you wanted to introduce me to him,” she finally added.

“And I’m glad you two finally met.” He smiled. “Now, I just need to take you to Landing to meet my mother… and her wife.”

“I am looking forward to it,” she said with a grin but then she fell silent and looked away, seeming worried about something.

Tariq tilted his head to one side. “Is everything ok?”

“Just thinking about our parents meeting one another,” she answered.

“I see, Tariq said, trying to suppress a chuckle. His mother had a long history of getting under the skin of various Pantocratorians. “My mother is, pardon the expression, kind of … out there in some ways. She is a rather strong… personality.” He smiled and leaned close to Callisto. “I know some people… are not very… fond of her.” He paused. “But I love her.”

“And I love you,” she said and kissed him again.

[Ultrasylva]

The Next Morning

After a pleasant evening by the cottage’s fireplace turned into a late night, James suggested that the foursome spend the night in the cottage. At the back of the cozy structure there were two small bedrooms separated by a single bathroom. James and Tariq took the room to the right that featured bunk beds, which were familiar to both of them from childhood visits with James’ father. Zsófia and Callisto were offered the room on the left with two twin beds.

Late the next morning, James rolled over on the top bunk and opened one eye. For a moment he was bewildered at his surroundings, then he remembered where he was and how much he had enjoyed the previous evening. He opened the other eye and looked around the room, spotting Tariq up and dressed in jeans with no shirt sitting cross legged in a big, overstuffed armchair tapping away on his phone.

“Up already, TQ?” James asked, as he raised himself on one elbow.

Tariq smiled. “The markets have been open for hours, brother.”

“Don’t you have people to do that for you now, TQ?” James smiled and sat all the way up in his bed.

“Sure, but I can’t leave all the fun to them!” Tariq closed his phone and tossed it onto the table beside the chair. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good.” James stretched, then swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “All the fresh air makes for good sleeping.”

Tariq nodded. He cocked his head to one side. “So,” he said softly, “you proposed, didn’t you?”

James bit his lip. “I promised Zsófia…”

Tariq chuckled and ran a hand through his thick, dark mane of hair. “No worries, Jay. You said nothing. And neither will I. And nothing… and no one can make me talk.” He paused. “But I’m happy for you, brother.” He stood and walked over to James. James dropped down from the bunk and Tariq hugged him tightly. “It’s good to finally see you happy.”

“Thanks, TQ,” James replied, returning the hug. “It really means a lot to me that you… approve.”

“Oh, I do. One hundred percent!”

“Is it right to sacrifice an endless string of innocent chickens to my…” Callisto blinked and rolled over. “Is it tomorrow?” The women had just met each other. There were no childhood memories to fall back upon. They could not so easily read one another’s moods. Well, perhaps they could. Zsófia’s was rather obvious. But she volunteered nothing and Callisto did not pry. However, the sheer act of falling asleep near one another invited an invitation for reflective conversation.The women had fallen asleep during a long one about Zsófia’s passionate views on animals.

“I think so,” Zsófia said.

“Were we talking about chickens?” Callisto continued as she slipped out of bed, getting dressed again.

“Maybe something chicken-adjacent,” the princess granted with a laugh as she pushed herself up and out of the bed. “Let’s go meet the guys.”

A few minutes later, they stepped out of the small bedroom.

“Good morning,” Tariq said from the living room. “I’ve made coffee.” He rose from his seat and approached the two women. He smiled warmly at Zsófia, then gave Callisto a brief hug and quick kiss. “I hope you both slept well.”

“Like a baby” Callisto said, kissing back.

Zsófia laughed. “A full night’s sleep didn’t interrupt the conversation for her.”

Tariq laughed, imagining Callisto falling asleep mid-sentence and picking it up upon waking. He turned and walked back towards the living room. “The fire is going. Have a seat and I’ll get you coffee. Just let me know how you take it.” He turned and smiled at Zsófia. “James is getting dressed. He’ll be out in a minute…”

“Two sugars,” Callisto said.

“Black,” Zsófia said.

“I’m here,” James said as we walked out of the bedroom. “Good morning!” He approached Zsófia, took her hand and gave her a quick kiss.

She kissed him back, smiling. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” he said again, fighting the urge to call her his fiancée. “Did you sleep well?”

“Not especially,” Zsófia admitted with a smile.

By the time James and Zsófia reached the loveseat by the fire, Tariq was returning with a tray holding four coffees. “Two sugars,” he said with a smile, as he set one cup in front of Callisto. “Black and just cream,” he said as he placed two cups in front of James and Zsófia. Then, he took his own cup of black, sweet coffee, and sat down next to Callisto.

“There’s food in the kitchen, if we’re feeling… adventurous and want to whip our own brunch,” Tariq said between sips, “or we I’m sure we can call the Castle and have the IHA bring us a full buffet. They’ve already come and taken the horses - probably last night - and left a vehicle for us.”

“What’s in the kitchen?” Zsófia asked.

“Starting with the easy stuff,” Tariq said, “there’s fruit, bread and bagels for toasting and some pastries - though they must have been baked yesterday. There’s also eggs, bacon and sausage.”

“Fruit, bread, and bagels sounds good,” Zsófia commented.

“I could have eggs,” Callisto said.

Tariq leaned close to Callisto. “I’ll try to make some, if you help me,” he said, smiling.

“Gladly,” Callisto said, taking another sip of coffee and standing.

“I can put together a fruit plate and make some toast,” James said, rising. He gave a small smile of relief that he would not have to reveal his lack of cooking experience.

“Thank you,” Zsófia said appreciatively.

As Tariq led the way, getting out the eggs and a pan, James began toasting bagels and cutting fruit, which he placed on a platter with some berries. Soon, the food was ready and placed on the coffee table in front of the fireplace.

James took his place next to Zsófia and offered her a slice of orange.

Zsófia happily ate the orange. “Thank you, love,” she said, just sort of staring at James.

James gave a big grin. “You’re welcome, my love.”

Callisto laughed as she resumed her seat. “These look delicious,” she said of her scrambled eggs. “I think we did a good job, Tariq.”

“Thanks to you,” Tariq said. “By myself, I’m helpless in the kitchen. James can attest to that!”

James reluctantly tore his gaze from Zsófia. He nodded. “Remember the time we tried to make chili in university?”

“I’d rather not,” Tariq laughed. He looked at Callisto. “Though in my own defense, it’s not as if I had anyone to teach me how to cook. My mother can make a decent cocktail, but I think I’ve probably spent more time in the kitchen than she has.”

“I’m not great either,” Callisto admitted with a laugh. “Mostly stuff I already knew how to make before I was adopted.”

Tariq nodded and ate.

James looked from Tariq and Callisto to Zsófia and back. “So, should we get ready to head down to Landing after we finish brunch?”

“Definitely,” Zsófia said. “I’m eager to go.”

“Me too,” Callisto added with a small smirk.

[Excalbia]

Joint post with Ultrasylva and The Resurgent Dream.

Residence of Princess Christiana and Lady Janet Latsone
Landing, Excalbia

Prince James, Princess Zsófia, Lord Tariq and Callisto had traveled from Parnu by car to Sigulda to catch the intercity express train to Landing. The train made only one stop - in Aldheim - and arrived in Landing just before dinner time. A car met the foursome at the train station - a sprawling, modern glass and steel structure in the center of downtown Landing - and whisked them to the building where Princess Christiana and her wife, Lady Janet, lived, and where the Empress Dowager was currently visiting.

At the apartment building, members of the Imperial Household Agency showed the two couples to a private elevator that took them to the two-story penthouse high above the city. A small private lobby led directly to the entrance of the penthouse. An Imperial steward opened the door and bowed. “Your Imperial Highness, Your Highness, Your Excellency, Madame,” he said, rising. “Her Imperial Highness the Princess is…”

“Oh, enough of the formalities, John,” a loud, but pleasant voice said from the other side of the entryway. Princess Christiana, still looking fit and thin in her late fifties, walked towards the small group. She was wearing a rather tight, full length dress made of shimmery violent material. She held her arms open wide and quickly wrapped them around Tariq. “Tariq, it’s so, so good to see you!” She pulled back slightly. “You look thin. Aren’t they feeding you in Knootoss?” She turned to Callisto. “And you must be Callisto,” she said with a warm smile. “I’ve heard a bit about you, but not nearly enough!”

“Mostly good, I hope?” Callisto answered with a laugh, smiling at the princess.

“All good,” she said, before turning towards James and Zsófia. “Ah, James,” she hugged the young man briefly, “I’m happy to see you!” She turned to Zsófia. “And it’s good to see you again, Your Highness.”

“And you, Your Highness,” Zsófia answered her.

Another woman, slightly shorter with glasses and dressed in jeans and well-tailored casual jacket, walked up behind Christiana. “Good to see you, Tariq,” she said.

“Janet,” Tariq said, giving the woman a quick hug. “This is Callisto.” Lady Janet smiled and nodded. “Callisto,” Tariq continued, “this is Janet.” He nodded towards his mother. “And now that I can get a word in edgewise, this is, of course, my mother.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Callisto said to both women.

Janet nodded to James and Zsófia. “James, Your Highness, good to see you again.”

Zsófia inclined her head to Janet. “The pleasure is mine.”

“Come in, come in,” Christiana said, turning and leading the new arrivals into the penthouse’s sunken great room. There were two seating areas clustered around a central fireplace and a wall of sliding glass doors opened out on to a large deck with an equally large pool. “Have a seat. What would you like to drink? Elizabeth will be done in just a minute.”

“Whatever you’re having will be fine,” Callisto said as she settled into a seat.

‘Yes, of course,” Zsófia agreed.

“Two white wines, then,” Janet said, as she turned towards the wet bar at the far end of the room. “What would you like, James? Tariq?”

“Wine is fine,” James said, cringing at the unintended rhyme.

“But…” Callisto started and then caught herself.

“I’ll come help you,” Tariq said, suppressing a chuckle as he walked towards the bar.

Christiana took her seat with a regal flourish and smiled. “So, how do you find Excalbia? I trust it’s more… pleasant than Knootoss.”

“It’s different,” Callisto said diplomatically. “Knootoss doesn’t have the same kind of wild places.”

“Not many bears in Knootoss,” Zsófia noted.

“You sound like my father,” James said with a chuckle. Then he smiled at Zsófia and reached for her hand. She slid it easily into his.

“No,” Christiana laughed, “he wouldn’t even have conceded that Knootoss might be pleasant.”

“Not even…” Callisto began and then trailed off. “Sorry.”

“No,” Christiana said, “go ahead. And if it was an inappropriate comment, all the better!”

“I’m just…He wouldn’t ever?” Callisto asked. “The relationship between Excalbia and Knootoss changed so much for the better under his reign, unless I’m missing something?” She looked between the Excalbians.

Christiana laughed lightly. “That was a bit of a joke, my dear,” she said. “David was…” She looked at James and seemed to tear up a bit even as she continued to smile. “Well, he was a very… upright man. He projected an image that bordered on perfection. He had very few foibles. So, I think we all enjoyed teasing him a bit whenever we could.” She paused. “For instance, he had a rather… limited palate. He was almost phobic of anything he thought was undercooked or that deviated from meat, potatoes and cheese. And he found Knootoss… perplexing. It was like an alien world to him. So, we liked to tease him about those things.”

“Indeed,” a voice said from the stairs that descended to the living room from the floor above.

“Ah, Elizabeth,” Christiana said, “come meet Callisto. And Zsófia is here as well.”

“Hello, Mother,” James said, rising from his seat. He walked over and met her at the bottom of the stairs and gave her a hug. “It’s good to see you.”

Zsófia and Callisto stood and curtseyed to Elizabeth.

The Empress Dowager hugged her son and smiled. She was dressed in a summery dress of a modest cut and had her graying, reddish-blonde hair styled up. She walked towards the group and looked towards Zsófia. “It’s good to see you again, Zsófia.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Zsófia smiled brightly.

“Please, call me Elizabeth,” the Empress Dowager said, looking at both young women.

Janet and Tariq returned with Tariq carrying a tray of wine glasses. “Aunt Elizabeth,” he said, as he held the tray and Janet distributed the glasses, “this is Callisto.”

“Nice to meet you,” Elizabeth said.

Tariq looked at Callisto. “My aunt Elizabeth, the Empress.”

“Empress Dowager,” Elizabeth corrected.

“Your Majesty,” Callisto said.

“Elizabeth, please,”Elizabeth said with a smile.

“I brought you a glass of wine,” Janet said.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said as she slipped into her seat.

Zsófia and Callisto resumed their seats when everyone else did, reaching for the hands of James and Tariq, respectively. “I’ve really been enjoying Excalbia,” Callisto said.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Elizabeth said, as she sipped her win. “What have you seen so far?”

“Mostly nature,” Zsófia said. “We originally came here to work with bear preservation. I’ve always been fascinated with it.”

“Really? That’s interesting. How did you come to that particular interest?”

“I’ve always had a soft spot for animals and there was a bear that was poached back home. It really upset me more than I’d expected it to so I decided to become more involved with the issue,” Zsófia answered her. “If it’s not too diplomatically fraught to call an Archduke of Tehua a poacher here.”

“Consider yourself among family here, Zsófia,” Elizabeth said. “I like to encourage people to speak frankly around me. And I am well versed in keeping things to myself.” She gave a smile somewhere between grandmotherly and conspiratorial. “I was married for a long time to a very opinionated man who could not afford to always make his opinions public, after all.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Zsófia said with a warm smile and a look to James.

Christiana held up her glass of wine. “A few glasses of wine and you might be surprised at what you might hear from us!”

“Now that is promising!” Callisto laughed.

Elizabeth chuckled, then turned back to Zsófia. “And I must add that I find your decision to turn your… anger and sadness into something positive by getting personally involved in a cause.” She turned and smiled at James, then looked back to Zsófia. “And I appreciate you inspiring James to… join you in your noble cause.”

James blushed slightly and gave Zsófia’s hand a slight squeeze.

Zsófia blushed deeply as she squeezed back. “Thank you, ma’am. I’m not sure…I’m less sure of myself that I appear or, at least, than I try to appear. I have all the doubts and questions most people do but, in Ultrasylva, we are all expected to patronize charitable causes.”

Christiana laughed. “You’ve discovered the secret! We’re all pretending in one way or another. We’re expected,” she paused, “and maybe to some extent people need us to be assured, confident and, if not perfect, as close as we can get. But we have all the same doubts and anxieties as anyone else.” She paused again and smiled. “But at least we do have the ability to do good in ways other people cannot…”

“Like buying out Peacock Housing just to put a stop to Rent Day?” Tariq’s voice cracked as he spoke, his face a mixture of remembered pain, gratitude, and perhaps most of all, love.

Christiana blinked away a few tears. “Exactly, my dear.”

Callisto looked over and squeezed Tariq’s hand. She smiled as she looked from him to his mother. There was silence for a moment of the sort that often falls when something important has been said, there is little to add to it, and yet it seems a little awkward or even disrespectful to return to the casual. Callisto raised her drink and sipped slowly before venturing, “The region has changed a lot in the last two decades. Mostly for the better, I hope.”

“Yes, I think it has,” Christiana said, lifting her glass.

Janet lifted her glass and reached for her wife’s hand. “Very much for the better,” she said.

“I agree,” Elizabeth said, raising her own glass

James and Tariq lifted their glasses as well.

Zsófia and Callisto followed suit. Callisto, however, looked thoughtful. A little distant. Zsófia looked over at her and then back towards the Excalbians. “I think Excalbia has been a force of both progress and stability in the region. Always a steady influence. Changing things for the better but never…never…” She seemed to give up finding whatever word she had been looking for. “There is a steadiness to Excalbian foreign policy that does not change with Chancellors.”

“That was David,” Elizabeth said. “There were a few things he felt strongly about… loyalty to old friends… a commitment to do right, at least in accordance with what he understood to be right.” She gave a slightly sad smile. “He could be very insistent that his Chancellors adhere to those things he considered to be non-negotiable.” She turned to her sister-in-law. “But he could be persuaded to change his views from time-to-time by those who knew how to persuade him.”

Tariq noticed Callisto’s distant look and gave her hand a slight squeeze.

“A lot changes in Pantocratorian elections,” Callisto noted, “for better or worse.” She bit her lower lip, not sure she liked that as much as she once did.

“Less so in Ultrasylva,” Zsófia noted. “It’s not my father’s role to tell the Rada what is right but elections produce shifting coalition governments, tending towards the center. Some in Ultrasylva would like a clear choice.” She looked at Callisto and smiled almost apologetically. “Depending on the circumstances.”

“Excalbia generally trends towards the middle,” Christiana said.

“Though the middle does change over time,” Janet added.

“True,” the Princess said with a smile. She held up Janet’s hand clasped in hers. “Not so long ago, recognizing our marriage would have been… radical. But now it, too, is the middle ground.”

“Hopefully, Pantocratoria will come to embrace that principle soon,” Callisto said less than optimistically.

“David,” Elizabeth said, “was often said to be adverse to change,” she smiled, “he even said so himself. But, what we was really adverse to was change for the sake of change or change that caught people… unprepared. He was somewhat progressive in his own way, compared to his father and grandmother at least, but he favored slow, methodical progress. That frustrated some, but in the end it worked.”

“And now it’ll be Joseph shaping our politics,” James said flatly.

Zsófia squeezed his hand more tightly.

“Yes,” Christiana said softly.

“I think he’ll grow into the position and become more like his father over time,” the Empress Dowager said.

“The region is more complicated but in some ways more stable than it was twenty years ago,” Zsófia noted.

“Tell me about it,” Callisto said, sighing a little, “but a lot of the same tensions remain beneath the surface. Maybe.”

“Politics…” Tariq said, looking at his glass. “Always seems to stay the same. That’s why I try to avoid it.” He smiled and lifted his glass. “That’s why I prefer… areas where I can take action. Business. Investments. Promoting charities. Doing good for myself, the people I care about,” he looked at his mother and, then, at Callisto, “and the world at large.That is my calling!” He took a drink.

“So,” he said after a moment, “I hear you’re spending quite a bit of time here in Landing, Aunt Elizabeth…”

“Yes,” she said. “Valmiera Castle is… so big and empty.” She paused. “While it was convenient for visiting Joseph and Anna and Elizabeth, it was really quite a lonely place.” She looked at Christiana and Janet. “It’s nice to be around people. And I’m still only a short flight from the Citadel.”

[Ultrasylva]

Residence of Princess Christiana and Lady Janet Latsone
Landing, Excalbia

Later that evening, after dinner, Princess Christiana and Lady Janet suggested stepping out to the deck to watch the sunset over Landing.

Tariq stood and held his hand out for Callisto. “Are you coming, Jay?”

“In a few minutes,” Prince James said. He turned to his mother and added softly, “Could you stay inside with us for just a few minutes?”

“Of course,” the Empress Dowager said. She turned to others. “You go ahead, we’ll be out in just a bit.”

Once everyone else had stepped out onto the deck, Elizabeth walked over and sat next to her son and Princess Zsófia. “What’s on your mind, James?”

James held Zsófia’s hand tight and swallowed hard. “Mo… Mom,” he said, a smile slowly breaking across his face, “I asked Zsófia to marry me. And she said yes.”

Elizabeth smiled. “That’s wonderful!” She leaned over and hugged James and reached to pull Zsófia into the hug as well. “But why the secrecy? We should be celebrating!”

Zsófia let herself be pulled into the hug, smiling softly. Her cheeks were coloring a little as she hugged them both.

“We… need to go to Ultrasylva and… um… tell Zsófia’s parents in person. I should ask her father’s permission…” He turned and looked expectantly at Zsófia.

“Blessing,” Zsófia clarified. “Ask his blessing.”

“Blessing,” James repeated. “And we want to keep it quiet until we can tell him in person. But I wanted you to know before we left…”

Elizabeth smiled and touched her son’s face. “I understand,” she said. Then, she looked past James to Zsófia. “How do you think your father will feel about this? Do you anticipate any concerns?”

“No,” Zsófia said, although suddenly without confidence, as if it had just occurred to her that there might be some. “We never did talk about religion,” she said to James. “I said we should talk about it.” Granted, that had only been last night.

“Religion?” Elizabeth asked.

“He might ask about it and we still haven’t discussed it,” Zsófia answered, intensely uncomfortably, looking at James still.

“Would your father be worried that we would expect you to convert to the Church of Excalbia? Because we wouldn’t,” Elizabeth smiled. “And if it’s the expectation that James convert..,” she looked at her son, “well, that would be entirely his decision.” She paused. “Our rather, the two of yours together, I suppose.”

Zsófia nodded. “That might be his, worry, yes.” She blushed slightly. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

James took Zsófia’s hand. “That’s right… there’s no expectation that you convert. And, if your father… if you would like me to convert… then I will.”

“All I want from you is that you be true to your own conscience,” Zsófia said, “and I will love you no matter what.” She grinned at him.

James smiled. “I love you no matter what,” he said.

Elizabeth leaned back. “Well,” she said cheerfully, “it seems that’s settled. Should we go out and join the others?” She leaned towards Zsófia and smiled. “And I won’t say a word until I hear from you that it’s alright to do so.”

[Excalbia]

OOC: joint post with Ultrasylva.

Mara Castle
Mara, Ultrasylva

Castle Hill rose above the Old City with its mixture of medieval and Baroque churches, homes, monuments, museums, and government buildings, looking not so different from how it might have looked in centuries past but for the crowds of tourists, workers, and officials moving through the street in decidedly modern clothing and the signs in Magyar, Romanian, German, and English. A few pointed and stared at the dark sedan carrying Princess Zsófia and Prince James. Members of the Ultrasylvan royal family did not habitually clog traffic with large motorcades but the vehicle was hardly inconspicuous with the standards of both dynasts flown from the front of the car and four police on motorcycles escorting them, two ahead and two behind. Zsófia was pointing out landmarks. “That’s the Jesuit University of Mara,” she said, gesturing to one elegantly Baroque building. “It has quite the history. When László I first refused to seize Lutheran leaders at the Church’s request, the Jesuits were sent to try to win him back. He did give them a royal charter for the university with the privileges it then carried, but in the religious strife of the following century, the Society was suppressed. There were all sorts of rumors of espionage, mostly baseless and some quite, well, odd, but they were able to return after only half a century.”

“Odd?” James asked, turning to look at the building as they passed. He turned back to Zsófia. “It must be quite entertaining if it qualifies as ‘odd’,” he said with a grin. Then, turning back to the window. “It’s very different than Excalbia… but not utterly different. It reminds me a bit of parts of Brasland I’ve seen.”

“There was one that claimed the Jesuits had gained vast wealth through filing slivers off of gold coins,” Zsófia said. “Another claimed they had created elaborate forgeries or replaced the king with a double. Another claimed they had trained rats to spy for them using dark, Satanic odds.” She smiled a little. “This is the old city. The hill and the angle hides it and that’s by design but if you looked out of any of these second story windows you’d see a new city skyline that could be just about anywhere.”

James smiled. “Well, I certainly hope the Satanic rats have been dealt with!” He held Zsófia’s hand. “It seems a shame to obscure such a lovely old city. I assume it was originally for defensive purposes?”

“Oh, this isn’t the part being obscured!” Zsófia clarified. “They just didn’t want all this history to be overshadowed by skyscrapers is all.”

“Ah,” James said. “We have height restrictions in the Old City in Citadel Excalbia for the same reason.”

She grinned. “Great minds…” She started to lean towards him and then paused, looking out the window. “I am…eager…”

“Eager,” James repeated. “I suppose that’s one word for it.” He smiled somewhat nervously. “I’ll admit it… I’m anxious. Maybe even a little nervous.”

“I didn’t just mean…” she started and then reconsidered. Instead, she just took his hand. “It’ll be fine.”

He squeezed her hand and smiled. “I know.”

[Excalbia]

(OOC: Joint post with Ultrasylva.)

The entrance hall was a long, oblong-shaped room lined with ionic columns, free-standing and supporting a trabeation. The King, the Queen, and Zsófia’s two siblings, who James had met previously, stood at one end of the hall as the couple entered. Eight servants stood with hands behind their backs, each immediately in front of a column. Male and female, they wore black trousers, white button-down shirts, and blue coats with gold trim at cuffs and collar. The king walked towards the couple, embracing Zsófia tightly and kissing her on the forehead. As he moved on to allow the Queen to do likewise, he offered his hand to Prince James. “Welcome to Ultrasylva.”

James took the King’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “It’s a pleasure to be here.” He paused. “And thank you for the warm welcome.”

“It’s a pleasure to have you,” the King said. “I’ve heard a lot about you recently.”

The King stepped back and the Queen stepped forward, taking James’s hand in both of hers. “It is good to see you again, Your Highness.”

“Your Majesty,” he said, again offering a slight bow of the head. “It’s good to see you, too.”

Prince Ferenc offered a small bow before he, too, offered his hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Ferenc,” James said with a smile as he shook the Prince’s hand, “good to see you.”

Erzsébet curtseyed and didn’t offer a hand, although she seemed excited. “We’ll have to show you the city,” she said and then looked a little embarrassed to have said it, like it hadn’t quite come out as she wished.

“I look forward to it,” he said with a bow.

King János stepped in again when his children had greeted their guest. “I’m sure you’re tired after your journey. I’ll let you settle into your room. Dinner isn’t for another hour and a half.”

“Thank you, Sir,” James said, turning to see if Zsófia would follow them.

“I’ll see you at dinner,” Zsófia said, squeezing his hand.

“Ok,” James said with just a note of hesitation. He started to lean in for a kiss, but thought better of it and simply smiled.

One of the servants, a tall but slender young man with dirty blond hair, stepped forward and bowed deeply to James. “I can show you to your room, Your Imperial Highness.”

“Thank you,” James said, turning to follow the young man.

The room was a comfortable one, closer to a suite, with elegant windows looking down over the courtyard. The elegant trappings fit for palace life seemed to clash with even the expensive television, desktop computer, and stereo which offered means to pass the time away, as well as a number of classic works of Ultrasylvan and regional literature. James was largely left to his own devices before dinner, which was served in the King’s private dining room rather than the large banquet hall. James was seated next to Zsófia. “Let us bow our heads,” King János said as he settled at the head of the table. The family did so in silence as was a common custom in Ultrasylva.

James had spent his time alone unpacking and flipping through the books. As he arrived in the private dining room he thought of the dining room in his parents’ private suite in Sweyn Castle. He blinked away tears as the pleasant memories faded into memories of his father’s funeral and burial in the family crypt.

As he took his seat next to Zsófia, a smile spread across his face. He resisted the urge to grab her hand and give her a kiss. He greeted the other family members and took his seat. He then bowed his head in silence along with the rest of the family.

Zsófia looked at James for a moment and then reached out and grasped his hand briefly. Her smile was gentle. She could see that his eyes were wet. But she didn’t say anything. Not in front of the whole family. They were served a mushroom stew with onions, a tomato sauce, and a healthy dose of paprika. It was a thick, hearty stew. Bread was served on the side with a lentil sauce. The wine was local, a dark red with subtle, earthy tones. Zsófia was watching James, judging his reactions. “So what do you think of Ultrasylva so far?” Ferenc asked.

James took several bites of the soup and found it quite tasty. He picked up the wine and gave a slight nod of satisfaction after taking a sip. He looked towards Ferenc when the young man spoke. “I like it,” he said enthusiastically. “It feels… like home, if I can say so. Not exactly familiar, not exactly like Excalbia, but not radically different in the way Pantocratoria or Cyretopolitania might be.”

“Pantocratoria,” Erzsébet began, only to get a look from her father, “is very different. There was actually a Pantocratorian prince involved in our religious wars and an Ultrasylvan prince involved in Knootoss’s.”

“It was a bloody, troubling time,” Julianna said more somberly.

“I see,” James said softly as he turned and looked apologetically at Zsófia.

“It was a very long time ago,” Zsófia said. “I’m sure Excalbia has had its harsh moments?”

James laughed. “We did indeed,” he said. He leaned forward slightly and spoke in a stage whisper. “The House of Alsgood, in fact, was founded on bloody revenge, with a shockingly young Lord Alsgood going to war against those who conspired to kill his father and seize his lands. In the end, his conquests and alliances made him ruler of all the Upper Lands and he proclaimed himself king.”

“It sounds outright Shakespearean!” Zsófia exclaimed as she heard.

He paused and smiled. “Have you ever wondered why we refer to the Sword instead of the Crown in Excalbia? One of the barons who Alsgood slew had made himself a crown, thinking he would make himself a king. So, when Alsgood proclaimed himself king, he was offered the crown, but instead threw it in the fire and declared that the sword he’d used to kill his enemies would be the emblem of his reign.”

“I think I’d always assumed it was just how language developed,” Julianna said. “Like how Pound Sterling became Sterling instead of Pound in the Caldan Union.”

“I don’t think that was really an accident,” Ferenc said, but, when everyone looked at him to elaborate, he didn’t say anything.

The prince drew in a breath and smiled. “Hopefully that wasn’t too bloody a story for the table.”

“Erzsébet started it,” Ferenc said, sounding very young and not particularly princely.

“I just think it’s good to know one another’s histories,” Erzsébet defended herself. “If we’re going to be…” She paused, like she wasn’t sure if she should mention what everyone at the table surely already knew before it was official.

“Friends,” Julianna filled in.

“Indeed,” James agreed.

[Ultrasylva]

The King walked into the garden with Prince James. The others in the family pretended they were going about their business, as if they didn’t know what was to be discussed. János looked up into the sky and then back to the young man. “Did you enjoy dinner?”

“I did. Very much, sir,” James said. He tried to smile despite a growing tightness in his stomach. Time seemed to pause, as if catching its breath. He could hear the chirp of every bird and the buzz of every insect. He folded his hands behind his back and tried again to smile.

“I’m glad you liked it,” János said. “We wanted it to be something you would enjoy. How do you find Ultrasylva so far?”

“I’m enjoying it quite a bit,” James said. “It reminds me enough of home to be… comfortable, but it’s different enough to make exploring it… exciting.”

“That is a good balance, I suppose,” János allowed. He reached down and idly brushed the petals of a rose with his hand. He seemed contemplative.

James bit his lip. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other then back. He drew in a breath. “Sir,” he said the word almost as a question, “I… I'd like to talk to you about Zsófia. We… we have grown quite… close. And,” he paused, “like the balance you mentioned, we balance each other, I think…” He paused to see if the King would react.

“Go on,” the King said quietly. He was looking intently at James now and his face was carefully neutral.

James swallowed again, then pulled himself up to his full height and steadied himself. “In fact, sir,” he said slowly, “Zsófia and are… in love, sir. And we… I would like to ask for your blessing to marry her.”

János smiled and clapped James on the shoulder, almost paternally. “I’m glad to hear it! You have my blessing, young man.”

A grin slowly spread across James’ face. “Thank you, Sir,” he said. “I promise to do my best to be the man Zsófia deserves.”

“I know you will,” János said. “Does your family know yet?”

“Only my mother, Sir,” James said. “We… I wanted to talk with you before telling anyone else.”

“I’m glad. Do you have any concerns?” János asked.

“No, Sir,” James smiled. “I guess we just need to start planning a wedding.”

“Who did you see officiating?” the King asked.

“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead, Sir,” James admitted. “I think I’ve assumed that Zsófia would want to wed here and that the officiant would be someone she… that all of you are comfortable with.”

János nodded. “That shouldn’t be a difficulty. Thank you for speaking with me.”

“No,” James said smiling, “thank you for giving us your blessing. It… It means a lot to me. And you've certainly made me feel welcomed. That really does mean a lot to me.” He paused and looked distant for a moment. “I wish my father was still…” He shrugged. “I think the two of you would have gotten along well.”

“I met him,” János said. “I didn’t know him well, but the whole region looked up to him. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you, Sir,” James said, nodding. “I appreciate that.”

[Excalbia]

OOC: joint post with Ultrasylva.

Mara Castle
Mara, Ultrasylva

Early the next morning James awoke with sudden realization that Zsófia’s whole family all knew about their upcoming wedding, among his family only his mother knew. He sat up and swung his legs out of the bed. Fumbling around in the muted dawn light coming through gaps in the drapes, the prince felt around for his phone.

He quickly brought up his contacts and swyped to place a video call to Tariq.

Fortunately, it was later in the morning in Knootoss and Tariq was up and dressed - and apparently alone - when he answered the call. ”Hey, brother, it's awfully early over there isn't it?” Tariq said. ”Everything ok?”

A grin spread across James’ face. “Better than ok…”

”My God, you proposed didn't you? This whole trip was about asking her father's permission, wasn't it?”

“That obvious?”

Tariq laughed. ”Congrats, Jay. I'm so happy for you!”

“Thanks, TQ. Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner…”

”No worries, brother. You can fill me in on the details when you get home. I'll fly in and meet you. Ok?”

“Sounds great. See you then.”

”See you then. Give Zsófia my congratulations.”

“Will do.”

After James disconnected, he considered going back to sleep but he was suddenly too full of energy. He jumped up and quickly showered and dressed. He then made his way outside to walk the grounds a bit before breakfast.

Erzsébet was sitting on a bench, looking down at her phone. She glanced up when she saw James walking through the garden and set it to the side. “Good morning, Your…” She hesitated. “I should just call you James, shouldn’t I? If you’re going to be my brother-in-law.”

James smiled. “I suppose so, Erzsébet.” He looked down at the bench. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

“Not at all,” she allowed. “And you can call me Liz if you want. In English.”

“Thank you, Liz,” James said as he took a seat next to his future sister-in-law. “And you can call me, Jay, if you'd like. Not many do, but it's certainly less formal sounding than James.”

The prince smiled and looked around the garden. “It's really nice out here. I wasn't expecting to find anyone out here.” He turned back to Erzsébet. “So what has you out here so early, if you don't mind my asking.”

“All right, Jay,” she agreed. “I was just relaxing. I wanted some fresh air. How about you?”

He laughed. “I woke up suddenly realizing that in all the excitement of sharing our good news last night I forgot to call Tariq. My cousin, who's more like a brother. So I got up to call him, then couldn't go back to sleep and didn't want to wake anyone else up.”

“I guess you haven’t had as much time to talk to all of your people,” she said. “Is Tariq back in Excalbia?”

“He's actually living in Knootoss now,” James said. “The pace of life there seems to suit him. And he can run his businesses from anywhere.”

“The pace of life in Knootoss is insane,” Liz pronounced, as if she would know.

“It is.” He laughed. “And so is the pace of Tariq! I tried to keep up with him for a while,” he looked away for a moment. “It didn't suit me. Fortunately, Zsófia came along.” He turned back and smiled. “I don't know how Tariq does it without losing himself, but he does.” He paused again. “So, what's the pace of life like for you?”

She hesitated as not quite sure how to answer that. “Honestly? A little too slow. My studies are going well but…” She gave a small shrug.

“I remember being in school,” he said. “It was fun. Especially with TQ - Tariq - there with me. But there were times it felt like I was just… waiting for my life to begin.” He paused again. “What would you like to do?.

“There’s not that much I can do really,” she admitted. “I mean, there’s not, like, a law or anything exactly. At least not in Ultrasylva.”

James smiled. “There's always something that can be done. What do you like to do?”

“You’re putting me on the spot,” she said, slightly whiny. She was young yet.

“Sorry,” he said, “I didn't mean to do so. I guess I'm still getting to know you… Your whole family really.”

“I just feel restless sometimes,” she said, her feet swaying back and forth slightly under her.

“And that's ok.” James sat for a moment. “What do you like to do for fun? I always liked computers and messing around with games and computer graphics.”

“I like to spend time with my friends. I like to swim. I like dancing. I like music. I play the piano and the cello, actually. I like reading and I like writing little stories,” she said, seeming more relaxed now. “What do you like?”

“I like most of those things, too, especially swimming and hanging out with my friends,” he said. “I still dabble in computer graphics and animation.” He shook his head, “I don't play an instrument; lots of people tried to teach me to play the piano or something else, but I could never get it. I do enjoy listening to music, though.” He paused. “So, you write? What kind of stories do you write?”

“Well…” She looked to the side. Perhaps she was a little embarrassed. “There this show called A Changeling Story[/i/]. It’s a Caldan show, actually. I kind of write about the different characters. They’re adventures. Their, you know, passions…”

“Ah,” James said, “sort of like fanfic? At least that's what they call it in the Isles. I read a lot of that when I was at university; it inspired some of my student animation projects.” He smiled. “So, what's the show about? I'm not familiar with it?”

“It’s about this alien who can change shape,” she started to explain. “I don’t know how to explain it so it doesn’t sound silly but it’s really good.”

“Sounds interesting,” James said. “I've always been into genre stuff myself. [i]Galactic Voyager, The Demon Slayer, Ultrawoman...” He laughed. “Doesn't sound very princely… At least that's what Joseph and Rebecca, my older brother and sister, used to say.”

“I don’t know if Zsófia will be up for awhile,” Liz said. “She had trouble getting to sleep last night…” She paused. “I don’t think I was supposed to tell you that…”

James’ expression quickly shifted to one of concern. “Is she ok? Is anything wrong?”

“She’s excited, silly,” Liz informed him amusedly, even going so far as to give him a little shoulder bump.

“That's good.” He chuckled. “I'm glad she's excited. So am I.” He paused. “How are you feeling about your big sister getting married?”

“I’m happy for her,” Liz said. “Maybe a little nervous.”

“Nervous?”

“Getting married used to be something for my aunts and uncles,” she said. “Now it’s something my older sister does and she’s not that much older.”

James nodded. “It didn't phase me when Joseph married because I was just a kid, but when Rebecca married it felt like… a turning off the page. So, I think I understand.” He smiled and touched Liz on the shoulder. “But don't let it pressure you into anything. I might not know much, but one I've learned is you have to be yourself and do what you think is right. Not what others tell you you ought to do. I tried being like Joseph and it didn't work. I tried being like Tariq and that didn't work. So now, I just try to… be me.”

“Does that actually work or is it just what you’re required to tell younger people when they ask your advice?” she joked.

“I don't know if it works or not,” James laughed, “but it's all I got. So, you'll just have to take your chances.” He paused. “Do you think there might be some coffee to be had somewhere around here?”

“Theoretically,” she said. “We can ask the staff or….” she leaned forward conspiratorially as if proposing something scandalous, “get it in the kitchen ourselves.”

“Let's do it ourselves. I've been told I make a decent cup of coffee.” He stood and held out his hand. “Shall we?”

She took his hand and stood, smiling up at him. “Let’s, brother.” She grinned a little, leading the way towards the kitchen, where James had not had occasion to visit before. It was a large modern kitchen, one of the few parts of the castle that had been brought thoroughly up to date, and capable of putting on a state dinner or other massive banquet. With nothing of the kind happening that day, it was quieter.

It was not so quiet that the two were able to make coffee completely interrupted. A broad-shouldered man in his late forties or early fifties approached them, dressed in proper chef’s attire of toque, necktie, double-breasted white jacket, and apron. “Can I prepare something for you this morning, Your Highnesses?”

“We’re just getting coffee, Cătălin,” Liz said.

“Good morning,” James said with a slight nod of the head. “If you can just point me to the coffee maker and the coffee, we’ll be all set.”

“It’s right this way, sir,” Cătălin, as he’s apparently called, answered. He walked over to where a pot was brewing. Liz trailed after with James.

“Ah,” James said, “I see it’s already brewing! Thank you. It’s just what I need.” He smiled and nodded.

Liz smiled as the man retreated. “How do you take it?”

“With just a little cream,” James said. “How about you?”

“A lot of cream,” Liz said almost like she was embarrassed about it.

James smiled as he looked around for the cream. And some cups for their coffees. “Sometimes in the afternoon, I like a little sweet cream in mine.” He chuckled. “My cousin, Tariq, puts so much sugar in his that it almost turns into slurry.”

He set out two cups and a creamer and began pouring the coffees.

“We could have gotten lattes,” Liv suddenly suggested, a little too late. She reached out and took her cup. “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” James said. “And next time we’ll try to make lattes. I admit that my coffee machine at home makes espresso out of prepackaged pods at the push of a button, so I don’t know if I could operate a real espresso machine.”

“We wouldn’t have to do it ourselves,” she noted. “Do you live with your family?”

“No,” James said. “I have my own estate - Parnu Castle. I did some extensive modifications a few years ago.” He smiled. “I guess I'll be making more modifications now.” He sipped his coffee. “I do spend time at some of our family estates, like Zilais Kalns and the Summer Palace, from time to time. How about you?”

“I live here,” Liz answered, “but I’m at university for most of the year. I stay in a dorm, just like any other student. We’ve done that for the last two generations.”

“I enjoyed my time in University for just that reason!” James smiled. “It got me out of the house, so to speak. My cousin, Tariq, and I roomed together. We got an off-campus apartment our senior year. Those were good times.”

He laughed. “And I was glad that we didn't follow the family tradition of going to one of the service academies. I was not cut out for a military career. And I can't begin to imagine Tariq in the Imperial Armed Forces.”

“An off-campus apartment?” Liz asked, her eyes lighting up. “I’m not sure my father would like that.” But she was looking at him, keen and curious. “Did you have a lot of parties?”

James grinned and looked away briefly. He shrugged and turned back to his future sister-in-law. “Well, yes,” he said, “I suppose you could say that. Technically, most of them were Tariq’s, but we both had… a lot of fun.” He laughed. “Or as much fun as we could get away with despite having the IHA camped out on our doorstep.”

“What is the IHA like?” she asked.

“Whew,” James said, expelling a breath. “That’s a tough one.” He paused. “I’m not a fan, to be honest. It’s like being surrounded by a bunch of nannies all the time. They say they’re there to help. To protect. And, yes, they do security. They do housekeeping. And they keep tabs on you. They follow you and try to shield you. They say they’re ‘protecting the reputation of the Sword,’ but they’re really… really trying to keep you in a box. Like a little toy prince…” He shook his head. “Sorry.”

“So your actual security people are part of the IHA?” she asked curiously.

“They are,” he said. “It's kind of an all-in-one deal. It's like a security service, facilities management, chaperones and an Imperial court all rolled into one big, ugly ball.”

“They make a big deal out of security not caring about that stuff here,” Liz said. “They say they can’t protect us if they also have to chaperone us, at least once we reach a certain age.”

“If you don’t have anyone trying to chaperone you, you’re lucky,” James said with a smile as he sipped his coffee. “Though to be fair, the IHA tries to nominally separate the functions, so some people do security, some do support services, some chaperone… but in reality, everyone reports back to HQ.”

“Oh…” Liz frowned a little. “Will Zsófia have IHA people chaperoning her too now? It sounds kinda…I mean…” Liz shrugged a little awkwardly.

James smiled and shook his head. “No, not like that. I haven't formally declined their ‘services’ like Tariq, but I do keep them at arm's length. I have stewards at my estate and security on the perimeter, but that's it.” He chuckled. “I fear I've made them sound more intrusive than they really are.”

Liz nodded. “That’s good,” she said. “I mean, that they won’t be so intrusive.”