For King and Country

Coronation Week Part 2

Chapter 31

The next day, I sat on a lounge in the garden, greeting people who introduced themselves to me, watching Mary and Mable play in the grass in front of me. My mother was chatting to Josephine on the other side of a bubbling stream. Josephine was excitedly showing her plans for the next two day's events. The third day was my coronation. And after one more day of celebration, the guest would begin leaving as quickly as they had come. Josephine waved Marie over the minute she stepped outside, to accost her about the plans and about her sudden elopement. Marie glanced over to me, a shiny ring now on her finger, not on the end of the chain as she had worn in the night before. Fitzgerald followed her out, and made his way over to me when she was called away.

"I sent the letter to father last night," He said, sitting down beside me. "Who are they?" He indicated my sisters, who were giggling about him sitting next to me.

"Oh, those are my sisters," I said. His face clouded in confusion and I scrunched my face, "Well, not my actual sisters, but they're my Ma and Da's daughters. Mary, Mable." I waved them over and they hurried to my skirt. "This is Mable," I said putting my hand on her shoulder, "She's eight. And this is Mary, who is just about to be seven." Mary giggled, climbing up on my lap. I groaned. "You're getting to big for this," I said, making her giggle again. I rubbed her back as I turned to Fitz, who was looking quite uncomfortable.

"Hello?" He said cautiously. I kept myself from laughing as Mable grabbed on to his leg, launching into a quick volley of questions about who he was, and what his title was and if he was a King or not. "I'm Fitz..." He said, looking overwhelmed as his face grew white. I laughed quietly under my breath.

"Alright, Mable." I said, "That's enough. Now why don't you and Mary go ask Aunt Josephine if you can see my coronation dress." They both looked at each other, before scurrying off over the bridge to where Ma and Josephine sat. "You don't want children?" I asked Fitz, who was still recovering.

"I don't know," He mumbled, scratching his head. "The only sibling I ever had was that sorry excuse for a step brother. There weren't a lot of younger children at court, at least around me. They seem like too much work." I scrunched my eyebrows.

"You're a prince, surely someone would do the work for you." I laughed, spotting Elijah walking out one of the doors in a damask vest with green and white embroidery. I waved at him, and he nodded, his eyebrows scrunched together as he made his way over to me. "You know Marie wants about a dozen little ones don't you? She loves children." I said, turning back to Fitz.

"Yes. I know." He groaned. "But hopefully we can put that off for a while. I don't know how Father's going to react to a wife, let alone a grandchild." He said, watching her kneel in front of Mary, grabbing the little girl's shoulders. Mary laughed, putting her fingers in her mouth. Mary smiled gently, and took the little hand in her own, scolding her gently while making Mary laugh. She stood stretching her hand out to Mary, then to Mable, before leading them away. "He'll love her though. He did when she was little."

"Well, I hope you didn't ruin that for her when you some how convinced her to elope. Remind me to give a thorough scolding to the man who saw it fit to marry you." I snapped. Fitz laughed.

"Oh apparently I was listed with her in the archives." I turned to look at him.

"What archives?" I asked. Fitz looked confused. Then laughed.

"Your Mystically strange spend all day predicting who will end up with whom." He said. "Didn't you know? We all have about three or four apparently." I crinkled my eyebrows together. "Don't you go getting any ideas, Ava." He said, backtracking when he saw my face. "You have to..."