The Prince

Paradise - Chapter 16

Usual disclaimer applies.

So this is the final installment of Paradise, a story that has been near and dear to my heart for the last few months. In that time, I've spoken with a lot of people that have expressed a range of opinions, from all ends of the spectrum. All that I can say to you guys, though, is that I appreciate the feedback. I, as always, would like to extend my most sincere thanks to all those who helped me get this story finished. To Kevin, Jen, Aaron, Paula, Steven, Baruch, and a million others: GRACIAS! OBRIGADO! THANK YOU! MERCI! GRAZIE! DANKE!

Y'all enjoy! And have a great time with it!

David :)

Paradise Chapter 16 "See What We've All Become"

JD rolled over in the bed to see that it was just after four o'clock. He took a deep breath and sat up on the side of the bed. Unlike the previous morning, though, Tyler rolled over and woke with him. In a sweet gesture meant to make the love the two men shared for each other, Tyler climbed behind JD and wrapped himself around JD's large upper body.

"Good morning, Majesty," Tyler said as he kissed the back of JD's neck.

"Good morning, yourself," JD smiled as he heard the sweet sound of Tyler's masculine voice. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. I could sleep for about a half a day more, but it was nice. I dreamt about you," Tyler said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It was nice. You and I were walking along the beach, holding hands...all that mushy romantic stuff," Tyler said.

"That's awesome, baby," JD responded as he repositioned himself so that he could kiss Tyler on the lips. "You wanna play in the tub with me?" JD naughtily suggested after a second or third gentle kiss on the lips.

Tyler stood onto his knees and shoved his glory against JD's back. "What do you think?"

"Then let's go," JD said as he and Tyler stood from the bed. "Race you in there," he called as both guys ran toward the bathroom door, kissing from the moment their feet touched the tile floors. As they shut the door, an energy between them flourished as they struggled to turn on the water in the tub without breaking the moment between them.

As they enjoyed their moment, Lindsay was walking down the hallway from the suite that she was staying in to her mother's suite. Her hair was pulled back and she was wearing a tracksuit and no bra. A couple of the guardsmen assigned to stand sentry on the hallway tried not to watch as she walked past them, but it was a little much. Lindsay knew they were staring, but she didn't care. Part of her wasn't awake enough to care; part of her enjoyed the attention that they were giving her. She knew, after all, that she was hot.

As she walked into her mother's suite, her eyes bugged. It took a moment to realize the scene before her, to take it all in, and with a smile on her face, she turned and quietly closed the door so as not to wake anyone.

"Hey guys," Lindsay said to the guards, quietly summoning them to where she was standing. "Why don't you all kind of walk around the corner? That way, you're still on the hall, but Mom has a little bit of privacy when she wakes in a few minutes."

"Permission to speak freely?" one of the guards asked.

"Go ahead," Lindsay stated.

"Ma'am. Her Highness wasn't shy," the guard said.

"What do you mean?"

Another guard chimed in. "We saw the four of them enter the suite."

A fourth guard smiled, "And she enjoyed herself...immensely!"

"OH! OK," Lindsay said with a wickedly pleased smile on her face. She thanked them for the information and walked down the hallway back to her suite, entering it with a vision of her mother...enjoying herself in the company of three...quite attractive...much younger men.

A couple of blocks away, Maxima was already awake, having been unable to sleep for most of the night. With a mug of coffee in hand, she quietly sat watching Morovian State Televisions coverage of the impending coronation ceremony. At that moment, they were interviewing a rather vocally conservative individual who had publicly questioned the validity of crowning a gay king and his consort. She talked, though, about meeting them the night before and getting a chance to experience that which was JD and Tyler. She honestly said that she wasn't completely comfortable with the notion of homosexuality, but she understood giving equal credit to gay unions. Everyone deserved, after all, to be treated equally in the eyes of the new law.

Maxima's attention, though, was turned from the TV as Tom walked from the master bedroom of their large apartment wearing nothing more than a pair of tightly-whiteys. She grinned and made a sound. He smiled as he walked into the kitchen of the large, open living area, and poured himself a cup of the black nectar. Every few seconds, he would glance at her. She just smiled.

"What?" he asked after a second. "Do I have a morning wood that I just don't know about or something?"

"No sir," she said. "I was just admiring you in all your glory."

"Oh!" he said with a smile. "Wait. Aren't I supposed to say things like that to you?"

"Only if you want to," Maxima answered as he joined her on the couch.

"I've wanted to since the day we met, practically," he said as they kissed. "I've got some kicking morning breath."

"I'm an old woman," she said. "It doesn't bother me anymore."

"You're not old, Max. If you're old, then I'm old."

"And you're not old. You still have the same stamina you had when we were teenagers sneaking off on your father's boat for a little bit of private time away from your parents and my aunt."

"We should bring that boat over," Tom said as they giggled at one another.

"Or we can just pretend...later today maybe."

"Works for me, Max," Tom said as he leaned over and kissed his beautiful bride.

Unlike the rest of them, though, Zhola hadn't slept the night before. Too many thoughts and too many images popped into her head as, in those hours, she relived her childhood. Thanks to Guil and Olanda, she'd seen the entire country. She was better off than most children in the country. She'd gotten an education and was independently financially wealthy. Growing up, she had all the toys she could want. She was also one of the first people in the country to have a cell phone, or a GSM as they were called in those days. She never wanted for anything, including two parents that loved her despite the secret that they held. Her mother was a tyrant of a woman, sure, but she knew that she loved Zhola as if she were her own. Guil had been her Papa, never once treating her with anything but love.

"Have you slept?" her secretary asked.

"Not yet," Zhola smiled. "I've just been cleaning out the office for JD."

"You know that it's 4:30 in the morning, right?" Stefani asked again.

"I do. There's just so much stuff in here," Zhola said as she sat in the big leather chair, a chair that had belonged to her Papa and that would be going with her when she left the palace, at least as President.

"I could have helped you if you'd asked," Stefani mentioned as she put her coat on a peg just beside her desk and turned on the tea pot.

"I know, but there are things in here that I need to sort through myself," the President answered. In her voice was a sense of hope as well as fond remembrance of the past. A life that she had known her entire life was coming to an end.

As she sat at the desk, she opened up the last drawer. It had been Guil's personal drawer, and since taking office, she hadn't opened it. Inside were a few cigars and a couple of pens. There was an army medal that he'd received for valor, and a picture that evoked memory and emotion. It was a simple picture of her, with Guil, when she was younger. Her hair was in pigtails, and she was smiling. Guil was smiling, too. He was still a virile individual in those days, filled with the strength and power that people had always known him for. In his eyes, it was as if he were beaming with pride, and it was all because he was standing next to his pride and joy, his beloved jewel.

To that day, she was still hurting because of him, but she also realized that she wouldn't have become the woman that she was without him. It was from him that she inherited strength and courage, despite not being related to him by blood. Despite having sisters and having their families as her own, she still felt like a bit of an outsider. She knew it would pass with time, but that man in the picture was the one who would always be her Papa.

At around six, TV channels across the country focused in on a particular panel of individuals were sitting in an area set up just outside the Cathedral, in the Peoples' Plaza. There was a sense of national pride in their voices, in their demeanors, in their very being. They, like all other Morovians, were counting down the time until the Fundamental Law became a thing of the past, like the Presidency and the pain.

Just minutes after their broadcast began, Jen joined them. She would, after that day, be the Coordinator of the Crown Princess's Office and her Chief of Staff, but right then, she was the coordinator of the Coronation proceedings. She had done her research; she had read mounds and mounds of literature, some of which she had to have someone read to her in English, but she felt that she knew the procedures and traditions backwards and forwards. What couldn't be done and what would have been different, she simply improvised and made it flow into the ceremony.

One of the people on the panel asked how it felt, as a foreigner, to be among all that was going on in Morovia. Jen just smiled as she responded. "One thing that I have learned since meeting JD and Lindsay, Maxima and Lidia, that being Morovian is more than just having a connection to this beautiful nation. It's a state of mind. Being Morovian means working hard and playing just as hard. It means devotion to neighbor and family, friend and foe. It means respecting the past, but looking ahead, toward a bright future filled with hope, promise, and freedom. So with that being said, even though I wasn't born here and had no connection to this homeland, I feel Morovian to my very core."

"Very well said," the man leading the panel told her. "If it means anything, I know that the people of Morovia are indebted to you for the service that you've given our nation over the last few months."

"Thank you," Jen said with a smile.

"We've got to take a quick commercial break," the man said, "but we'll return shortly with continuing coverage of Coronation Day events."

As a commercial for MoroCell, a mobile company that was formed when HiTelCo and the Lorenzian Telecommunications Corporation bought the mobile arm of Morovia Telecom, announced that all calls from Morovia to family around the globe would be free that day, Jen walked past the gates into the palace. She spoke to each of the guards by name before descending the staircase and going into Lindsay's suite, a suite that she would giving up in exchange for an apartment in the same building as Jen, Maxima, and Tom in the coming days.

"I HAVE to tell you something, but you have to promise never to tell my mother, JD, Tyler...or anybody for that matter," Lindsay said as she finished up her shower.

"What?" Jen asked, almost excited just by knowing that there was news.

"I went to my Mom's suite after I got up a couple of hours ago," Lindsay started, "and she was in her bed, with three...of the most gorgeous men...that I have...ever...seen."

"Way to go Lidia!" Jen said, even though Lidia wasn't in the room.

"I know! I'm so happy. The guards in the hallway said that she wasn't exactly quiet about it either."

"I love your Mom!" Jen said.

"I know, right!" Lindsay said as she pulled on some clothes that she could walk around the palace in so that they could go and disturb JD and Tyler one last time before the coronation ceremony.

Just after seven, the cameras noted Maxima and Tom's arrival at the palace. Tom smiled and carried a bag filled with some things they'd need to get ready for the day. Maxima smiled and waved at the people who'd already started arriving to witness, first hand, the atmosphere in the three buildings that surrounded the plaza.

Bob and Tammy also arrived. Even though they knew that they were Ricky's parents, they also knew that they were Tyler's parents and cheered them just the same as they'd cheered Maxima and Tom. Kevin and Ronnie were the last members of JD and Tyler's extended family to arrive that morning. Other guests and dignitaries from the world were also there. The soon-to-be-officially appointed Prime Minister, along with several Parliamentarians, was there. The President and First Lady of the United States, Michael and Carlota Jansen arrived, as did Canadian Ambassador, Susan Henry, and King Alexander of Lorenzia, Princess Margaret, Gavin Butler, and his little brother, Connor, who had developed a taste, despite his youth, for the grandeur of Royal pomp and circumstance.

At one point, though, Zhola garnered everyone's attention. They all had mimosas in their hand, so a toast wasn't completely out of place as they enjoyed the large breakfast that had been prepared by the palace attendants.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," she said as they stood around her. "Today is a day of great celebration in Morovia. For forty-six years, seven months, and 29 days...give or take..." she said to a giggle from the crowd, "Morovia has been without a King. During that time, Morovia has been held back. As the second and final President of this great nation, I can say that the time has come for us, as Morovians, to reap the real benefits of what our nation, our society, and our culture have to offer."

"Here, here," Tom said as he raised his glass.

"And I can think of no better people to lead our nation into the next chapters of its history than His Royal Highness, Prince Joseph David, Her Royal Highness, Princess Lindsay, and His Honor, Mr. Tyler Hall. So, if you will, join me in raising your glasses to these people. Prince Joseph David?"

"Yes ma'am?" he asked.

"It would be my honor, as we stand here today, to be the first among all Morovians, to pledge my allegiance to you," she said, still holding her glass high, but giving him a curtsy.

"To Prince Joseph David," someone in the crowd said as they all bowed respectfully to him. Even Alex and Margaret, who weren't obliged to do so because of their own Royal status, respectfully let it be known that this was JD's day, and not theirs.

As the party began to speak amongst themselves, Jen's phone rang. She stepped away to answer it.

"What?!" she screamed getting the attention of everyone else there. She walked inside so as not to disturb the party, but it was obvious that she wasn't happy.

Hanging up the phone, she took a deep breath and walked back outside and over to where Lindsay was standing.

"What's wrong?" Lindsay asked as she and Margaret tried to make sure that she was OK.

"We have no one to sing the national anthem to announce that the king has been crowned," Jen said. "The parents of the little girl have another child who is sick, and they couldn't risk bringing her and possibly infecting everyone else in the place."

"Oh no," Lindsay said. "But I might know someone willing to do it!"

"Who?"

"Let me find someone who can make a couple of phone calls, and then I'll explain it all!" Lindsay said as she left Jen and Margaret to talk to JD for a second. After a moment, they had a plan, and Lindsay went in to put it into motion.

It wasn't long before she returned with a smile on her face. "Problem solved," she said to Jen as she explained the whole thing to Jen. It took some strings and begging JD's least favorite teacher in high school, but it was all taken care of.

Jen then looked at the time only to realize that she was five minutes off schedule. She pulled Lindsay, JD, and Tyler away from everyone else and escorted them inside to get them just ready.

In a room that had been set up just for that day, a team of people were setting up everything they would need to get them ready. They'd already showered, so step one was complete. A team of barbers began working on JD and Tyler, cutting their hair just right and giving them a close shave. A beautician that Lindsay had specifically requested was brought from Paradise just to do her hair. It was the same lady that had been doing hers and her mother's hair since she was a little girl, and Lindsay could think of no one better than her to do her hair that day.

After a little while, each of them was scurried off to a different place in the palace to get ready while others were brought in to have themselves pampered for a little while before everything started.

In their suite, several people were helping JD get ready by making sure that the tuxedo he was wearing to the coronation. His pants were freshly pressed and his shirt was stiff. Before putting on his jacket, a red sash was hung over his right shoulder and across his chest, clasped on the left side. As he was all ready, he looked at himself in a full length mirror. He looked like royalty. For the first time in his life, he felt like it.

That's not to say that he felt like he was any better than anyone else, but rather that he felt like he was ready to take on the challenges of the world and lead a people that had asked him, and his family, to return. For the first time in his life, his two sides were reconciled into the man that he was and would, from henceforth be. He was no longer a Morovian or an American, but he was both, yet distinct at the same time. He realized that his strength came from both of his heritages and that they'd both created the man that these people needed.

At exactly eleven, the family and guests assembled for one of the oldest of all the Morovian coronation rituals: the walk from the palace to the cathedral. Of course, being that the situation was unique, the whole thing was tweaked just enough to make it interesting. After making sure that everyone was ready, Jen ran across the park to the Cathedral, moving everyone to their own places as she went for one last walk through at the cathedral before it all started. Once she was assured that everything was set, she called in a walkie-talkie for the Symphony of Morovia to begin playing. It became traditional with the coronation of David XI in 1890 to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. It started with the first Promenade, and with that, Jen radioed to start the procession.

As was tradition, the family of the King's consort walked first the procession. All along the route were soldiers from a special unit dressed in uniforms that hadn't been seen since the coronation of David XII. It was the uniform of a time long passed with dark blue pants and a red coat. Each of the men and women selected wore a furry black hat with a white plume in the front.

As they walked out, Bob was on Tammy's right. Like all the men that day, he was wearing a black tux. Tammy, on the other hand, was wearing a purple dress, loose fitting and flowy. She had a wide rimmed hat and a bag that matched. Her shoes were silver. Behind them walked Kevin and Ronnie, in a red dress that fell just past her knees and a hat. The thing about this was, though, that she was wearing bling. A diamond and ruby necklace that had belonged to Queen Carlota II, JD's great grandmother, hung around her neck, and matching earrings dangled from the lobes of her ears. There was a ring on her right hand made of diamonds in the shape of a flower. The center was a bright ruby that matched the others in the jewels that were on loan from the palace.

Following them were JD's extended family, except for Lindsay. His mother and aunt walked ahead of the others, their arms wrapped together as Maxima wore a black skirt suit and Lidia wore a long yellow dress. Each of them wore jewels that had belonged to their mother and hats that matched the outfits they were wearing.

Behind them, Tom and his brother, Billy, carried polished wooden boxes that carried the ashes of King David XII and Queen Caterina. As they walked, the crowds began to applaud for the memory of the late King and Queen as they were escorted across the plaza and into the cathedral. Behind Billy and Tom were those members of JD's paternal family that were on speaking terms with them after Gramps' death.

"Tyler," JD said before the next group of people left the palace.

"Yes baby," Tyler said before JD planted a kiss on his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," JD responded as Lindsay took Tyler's arm, with a smile.

A single guard, upon noticing them leaving the palace called for all the guards in the plate to stand at attention. All up and down the path, guards went from an easy stance to a rigid one. With Lindsay on the right and carefully hanging onto Tyler's arm, they walked down the path as people held up little Morovian flags and waved them.

About half way down the path, a little girl yelled out, "LINDSAY!"

Lindsay smiled as the little girl held out a flower for her. Jen had told her not to stop along the route, but she was, after all, a princess, with all the prerogatives thereof. She walked over, let the little girl kiss her on the cheek, and then accepted a flower from her, carrying it with her into the cathedral.

As she stood, the full beauty of her dress was realized by everyone there, all snapping pictures of her in all her radiance. Her long black hair was pulled up on top of her head, and the tiara that her mother had given her when she was sixteen, which had at first belonged to her grandmother was carefully sitting atop it. She had on a long blue dress. The front of it covered her completely, but it cut in a low `v'. Like all the other women, she had on silver shoes, but the necklace she wore was made of yellow diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, the colors of the Morovian flag. The pendant was made up of the same colored gems that were of equal size. She had on simple earrings that sat on her lobe, rather than dangling from them.

In a moment, the two of them began ascending the steps to the front door of the cathedral. The symphony finished that play through of the promenade and began to play the "Music for Royal Fireworks", one of the tweaks made to the ceremony so that the Crown Princess, who would have significant power, on paper, under the new Constitution which was to take effect in moments. As they entered, Jen cued for the others to be ready to go on her mark.

As they entered, the march was played twice as they walked down the long aisle toward their seats for the ceremony. As they sat, Jen cued for Zhola and JD to begin sauntering toward the Cathedral.

"And I suppose I can't convince you to stay, at least for a few days to help me out?" JD asked Zhola as she took his arm.

"Not on your life," she answered with a smile. "I'm looking forward to this holiday more than you will ever know."

"Just so long as you come back, Tia ZhoZho," he said as he kissed her cheek.

As they stepped out into the sun of the day, the same soldier that had called the others to attention stepped to the front of a group of ten soldiers and marched them to a spot along the line before stopping. All of them stood at attention as JD and Zhola walked from the palace and then through the large iron gates that separated the palace from the rest of the Morovian world. As soon as they'd passed, the soldier ordered the others to march. The ten soldiers, five dressed in old uniforms and five dressed in modern uniforms representing each of the five provinces, from the past and the present, and collectively the future. Zhola wore the Presidential Robes of State, robes that her Papa, Guil, had commissioned to set him apart from the Kings before him and that she'd worn on the day of her inauguration.

In Paradise, it was quite early in the morning, still, at around four, but that didn't stop Morovians from assembling at Fort Catherine to watch the ceremony on large screens that had been set up there. Along the path leading between the two buildings, people began shouting, in tandem, "JD!" The people in Paradise joined them, even though they knew that he couldn't hear them.

At the door to the cathedral, the ten soldiers escorting them stood to the side and allowed them to follow but the single soldier into the cathedral. With a smile between JD and Jen, she cued the orchestra to get ready to play for his and Zhola's march down the aisle. JD and Zhola stood for a moment just inside lobby of the Cathedral as the soldier took ten steps ahead of them.

"DAMAS Y CABALLEROS!" he cried into the grand hall. His deep voice echoed as the attention of all that there in the place turned to him. "Levanten-se en honor, para la Presidente Zhola Santiago-Perex y el Principe Coronado de Morovia, Joseph David, Principe de Terraco!" he cried once more, bringing everyone in the room, that could stand, to their feet. (Ladies and Gentlemen. Rise in honor, for the President and Crown Prince of Morovia.)

JD and Zhola separated their arms from the others and began walking side-by-side, their heads held high down the aisle as the orchestra played "The Great Gate of Kiev", the song that had become traditional for the march of Kings so long before. With as much gusto and power as the song called for, the band played.

Maxima felt a little tear as she saw the man that her baby had become, walking down the aisle to that chair that, in the grand scheme of things, seemed so small, but so powerfully represented his destiny, her destiny, the memory of her parents and the hope of a nation heading into the future.

The throne sat on a platform in the middle of the sanctuary. As the song came into the final few bars, JD and Zhola climbed the few steps simultaneously, their steps perfectly choreographed. In what had be planned to be a not so obvious move, Zhola and JD stood on the top at the same time, each turning in the same direction to face the crowd, and by that, facing Morovians and the world.

After the song was over, Zhola moved to the microphone and asked everyone to sit. "I would ask that the members of the Council of State please rise." People around the hall, all marked as members of the Council of State of Morovia, rose at their President's instruction. "Members of the Council. The people of Morovia, having chosen to approve the Constitution presented to them by the Parliament of 2008, have, by their will, rendered the Fundamental Law invalid. Be it witnessed by all present that, on the 7th day of March, 2009, I am issuing the final edict under the Fundamental Law. The first provision will cause it to expire upon my signature; the second will dissolve the office of President of Morovia; the final provision will enact the Constitution of 2009 as the Supreme Law of the State of Morovia. Do any of you have any objection to this act?" No one stepped forward. The President of the Council of Ministers under her system stood from his seat in the front row on the right hand side of the aisle and walked up, along with a few of the other ministers who had been asked to take part in the ceremony.

As the clock on the church's main tower struck 12, she was signing the final edict. After having it countersigned by another minister, the Fundamental Law was struck down and the Constitution took effect. As the portfolio that bore the edict was closed, the people inside could hear the rapturous sound of cheering and exaltation as Morovians celebrated the end of on era, an era of repression and social stagnation. People began hugging and kissing each other like it was a New Years Day celebration or something. The Ministers assisted Zhola in shedding herself of the robes that she'd been wearing, revealing a simple grey suit beneath them.

"In accordance with the law," Zhola started as a smile of relief washed over her face, "I would now ask the Governor of Talxera to step forward." As the man stood and walked over Zhola greeted him with a firm handshake before sitting next to Maxima and Lidia on the front row on the left side.

"Joseph David Thomas Leandro Barrington, of the House of Xodia, Prince of Terraco and Crown Prince of Morovia," the Governor read from the sheet that had been prepared for him. "By Chapter III, Article 2, Section 2b of the Constitution of Morovia, you are to serve as King of Morovia. Are you prepared to take the oath of office as prescribed in the Constitution?"

"I am," JD said as he stepped forward.

The Governor paused for a moment. With a smile, he asked, "Who shall stand witness to the prescribed oath of office?"

Tyler stood and fixed himself. Nervously, he walked and stood between JD and the Governor. Standing almost rigidly, the Governor began.

"Joseph David Thomas Leandro, do you solemnly affirm that you will faithfully execute the office to which you have been selected by virtue of the Constitution of 2009 of the State of Morovia?"

"I do," JD responded.

In the audience, Maxima took Tom's hand and squeezed it a little. Tom looked at her and smiled. Their baby was up there, with his baby, taking an oath that pledged their lives to a nation that neither of them had never seen a year before.

"Do you affirm that you will rule in accordance with the Constitution of 2009 of the State of Morovia, and that you shall act in accordance with the laws of the Parliament as outlined in the same document?"

"I do," JD answered.

"Do you affirm that you will respect the civil rights of all Morovian citizens, regardless of whether or not they conflict with your personal beliefs?"

"I do."

"And finally, do you affirm that you will respect the rule of law above all else in the State?"

"I do," JD said as a few people in the back of the room applauded.

JD continued to stand there as the orchestra that was sitting in the gallery above the guests and toward the back of the room began to play the 1812 Overture, a special Morovian version that replaced the French national anthem with the Morovian hymn. Tyler continued to stand with him, while Lindsay also stood to take part in the ceremony.

During the first, slow movement of the piece, five people found their way from the rows of pews and began to make their way toward the front of the cathedral, where JD stood. Each of them carried a small wooden box. They formed a single line before respectfully bowing to the man who was on his way to becoming King of Morovia.

It was a part of the coronation ceremony called, quite simply, `la presentación', and it was a part of the process that was centuries of years old, dating to a time when the provincial princes would pledge their continued allegiance to the Morovian crown. The first representative to step forward was a Parliamentarian elected from Casteló, Morovia's oldest province. He bowed again before JD and opened the box, presenting a medal that had been handed down for generations to the Kings of Morovia. With a smile of approval from JD, Lindsay took the box from him while Tyler removed the pin and placed it on the left side of JD's chest. The representative then stepped back into the line and was replaced in front of JD by a lady from Talxera province.

She opened her box to present to JD a heavy chain with the seal of Talxiara as a pendant on the end. JD again smiled; Lindsay again took the box and held it. Tyler took the chain from the box and placed it around JD's neck.

The representative from Cali presented JD with another pin, as did the representative from Murcia. The representative from Terraco, though, unfastened the clasp that held the sash beneath JD's coat loose and pulled the sash from inside the coat. It was a time-honored tradition of stripping the Prince of Terraco of his ceremonial title. Upon the removal of the sash, though, which almost caused JD to fall, the representative from Terraco presented him with a ring that was placed on his right hand by the representative himself. It bore the seal of the Province. He handed the box to Lindsay, with a bow, and returned to the line.

Together the five people took one more bow before returning to their seats. About a third of the way through the piece, four things of great importance in the ceremony were brought down the aisle into the main part of the chamber. As the four people carrying the things reached JD, they bowed. The first presented Tyler with the Royal robe, which he and Lindsay placed across JD's shoulder. It was blue and would, when he walked with it, follow him several feet.

The second and third were presented to JD together: the Staff of Kings and the Orb of State, two pieces of the Crown Jewels that weren't destroyed by Guil's government. It was almost as if he knew that these things would have to survive for Morovia to survive. He took the staff in his right hand and carefully held the heavy orb in his left. The three people that had brought these things to him bowed and then walked back, in a single line, to the back of the cathedral.

The final piece was JD's coronation crown. In Morovian tradition, the closest living relative to the previous monarch would place the crown atop the new king's head. So with that being said, Maxima stood from where she'd sat throughout the entire ceremony, her eyes puffy from crying tears of great happiness. She walked over to the man carrying the crown and took it from atop the pillow on which it rested and presented it to the audience.

She turned to JD, who, with Tyler's assistance, stood on his knees atop the platform. Maxima climbed the steps to where he was and placed the crown atop his head, turning it so that it was just right. She carefully walked backwards down the stairs as she was joined by Tom. As JD rose once again, so did everyone else in the place. Tyler and Lindsay took a step back from him as he balanced the orb and staff in his hands and the crown on his head.

JD's eyes met those of his high school teacher, Dame Ednia Fulous. The two had an antagonistic relationship when he was in high school, but it was partly because of her position as his teacher and her loyalty to the King and Queen of Morovia. It certainly didn't help that JD hated music class, despite his love for music. She would call on him and Lindsay, even when she knew they didn't know the answer to something and then would yell at them in Morovian when they acted up. Every evening, though, she would call Maxima's house and apologize profusely for disrespecting the Royal Family in such a way. JD would, in turn, get in trouble and apologize the next day. The vicious cycle continued for four years of high school music classes that he was required to take as part of his core curriculum.

Dame Ednia, as she was escorted toward the back of the cathedral by her great-granddaughter, was an interesting character in her own right. At the age of 19, she became the youngest Dame in the Order of King David. She had this angelic voice that wooed all sorts of crowds. Everywhere she went she impressed herself upon people with the amazing vocal range. When the war ended, though, she was out of the country. When asked to perform for Francisco Franco, she said that she wouldn't perform again in public until the monarchy was restored.

Initially, she'd had no plans of performing that day, as she felt herself too old for the task, but when called by her King, she stepped up to the call of duty. Jen, standing at the back door of the Cathedral making sure that everything went on without a hitch, smiled at the old lady and her granddaughter, who Jen thought was a sexy blond woman with the greatest tits she'd ever seen.

She turned and waited until Jen told her to go out and announce the coronation of the new king.

The Governor once again stood before the crowd. "I present to you," he started, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Lindsay, Princess Royal and Crown Princess of Morovia." He turned and bowed to Lindsay, who returned the gesture. "And Their Majesties, Joseph David the First, King-Regnant of Morovia and Tyler, King-Consort of Morovia."

"LONG LIVE THE KING!" the crowd shouted as Jen motioned for Dame Ednia to step just outside the doors to the cathedral and do her own duty.

As the doors opened, the crowds outside hushed themselves quickly. Crowds in Paradise and around the world waited anxiously for this woman to announce the coronation by singing the Royal Anthem. TV pundits were amazingly surprised to see Dame Ednia walking down those steps to...perform in public for the first time since the Revolution that ended with the deposition of the man whom she'd pledged to always serve without fail or question.

A gentleman working for the Office of the Crown Princess and on Jen's instructions handed her a microphone, which she took and held at her side for a moment. She cleared her throat and hummed a couple of bars to find the right key. It had been a long time since she'd sung that song, and it needed to be the best performance of her life.

Recalling the exact notes, she held the microphone to her a place comfortable for her and began singing, a capella, the national anthem of Morovia:

Morovians all let us rejoice For we are finally free We've fertile soil and wealth for toil From mountains to the sea God Bless Our King and give him strength To rule us just and fair In history's page, let every stage Remember fond our land In joyful strains let us all sing Advanza...Morovia...

Dame Ednia's performance wrought applause both inside and outside the cathedral. No one seemed to care that she performed the official English version of the hymn instead of the Morovian version. Everyone was just happy that life would get better under the rule of Morovia's rightful rulers. Dame Ednia bowed as far as she could and then was helped back into the cathedral by her granddaughter.

Again, Jen's eyes caught those of her granddaughter and the two smiled at each other. Jen had a feeling that, if she could catch this girl on the way out, that she would have a date that evening for the concert, if they made it there!

Smiling widely, JD and Tyler returned to the palace ahead of the other members of the Royal Family. As they walked, they kept glancing at each other as they reached up and shook hands with people and kissed babies.

As they walked back into the palace, barely away from the eyes of the camera, Tyler reached up and planted a kiss on JD that made the staff blush.

"Oh Majesty..." JD said, with a wink.

"Did you know that was going to happen, by the way?" Tyler asked as the crown and robes were taken from JD and placed in cases that had been brought to the lobby.

"Yes. I did, Your Majesty," JD smiled.

"You're too much, Majesty," Tyler said.

"Are we gonna have to listen to y'all scream out Majesty at each other every time y'all do it?" Lindsay asked.

"Yes," Tyler and JD answered at the same time.

--*

After the coronation, there was a long receiving line at the palace. JD and Tyler, after the former removed all of the robes of state, walked back across to the plaza to the Houses of Parliament, speaking with each new member for a moment as they congratulated JD on the coronation. The press was all aglow as the future Prime Minister, Antonia Ranaldi, hugged JD. The first time the two met, the day ended with such tragedy, but this time, things seemed so much brighter.

The day, though, wasn't to end with the coronation. After JD and Tyler had met all two hundred and one members of the Parliament, they changed into more comfortable clothes before heading to reception after reception held in their honor. As they arrived at the Estadio Nacional, or National Stadium, for the concert and the first public presentation of the new monarch, they heard toast after toast dedicated to them.

As they arrived at the Stadium, though, it seemed that every one in Morovia was either already inside or lined up outside to at least hear the music that was being performed. It was a long standing tradition, from the days when the Stadium was first built, for people to stand outside. The owners of the stadium, knowing this, installed speakers on the outside. That way, Morovians who weren't fortunate enough to get into events there could still experience them. For this occasion, large screens were placed all around for people to watch the concert, participate in the countdown that was going on, and see the King for the...official...first time.

As they walked in, they were escorted to the locker room of the Morovian National Football Team. By football, for the Americans, I mean soccer. There were people in there ready to assist the Kings in getting ready for the presentation. They also had the chance to meet all those who would be performing that evening at the lavishly informal presentation of Morovian artistry.

Lindsay and Margaret were there, dangerously sneaky as they would look over at Tyler and JD and snicker. Conner Butler, who had earlier in the day begged to stay with Margaret, as opposed to going to the box where his brother and Alex were cohorting with special guests. The whole time, everyone watched as he flirted with all the girls in the place. He told Ahmi Pernaso and Deita Godera, two former Morovian ex-pats that would be performing that evening, to follow him on Twitter and add him as a friend on Facebook. They thought he was so cute, as did everyone there.

At exactly seven o'clock, just as Morovian State Television was finishing up the rebroadcast of the coronation from earlier in the day, cameras attached to a blimp flying over the stadium shows the packed house. Comments were also made that close to two million Morovians were outside the stadium, joining almost 100,000 that had managed to get a ticket. Toward one end of the field, a large stage had been set up, while, on the other side, there were two smaller stages. All three were lit up as the announcer inside the stadium welcomed everyone to the event in Morovian, English, and Castilian, Morovia's most important secondary language. On the large screens inside and outside the stadium, a countdown timer set at two hours began counting down.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer stated, "please rise for Their Highnesses, Princesses Maxima and Lidia or Morovia."

"Today is a new beginning," Maxima stated as the crowds began to cheer. "Tonight, we will honor the past, celebrate the present, and show our commitment to the future."

"And so, on behalf of the Royal Family," Lidia added, "let's get this party started!"

Raucous cheering followed their short words as a children's choir from Casteló performed the English and Morovian version of the national anthem on the main stage. As they finished the formal version of the song, a whole opened in the floor and DJ Nate, famous in Paradise, began to set up a dance song. People cheered as the children took off their choir robes and seemingly ran randomly around the stage. The whole thing was, of course, planned to look this way. Their angelic voices again performed the national anthem, but unlike the previous time, it was to the rhythmic beats of a dance tune. Around the stadium, the camera showed people singing along with them, some of them dancing a little bit to the national tune.

JD and Tyler were all smiles as they watched everything on the TV. Lindsay looked at her cousin and thought about what might be going through his head. She knew he was nervous, more for himself than anyone else, he had to do a good job at this whole king thing, as he'd once referred to it. She felt honored to have a seat so close to this man who was very conscientious about everything he did. She admired him for being strong enough to love the man that he did, and to accept his love in return. For an only child, he was certainly giving of himself to others. It was one of his greatest attributes.

An hour passed as they watched performance after performance of local artists and Morovian artists who were famous internationally. There were classical performances and pop performances, really just beginning to show the full effect of Morovian musical culture. As people ran all around the room where JD and Tyler had moved to watch the concert, Lindsay and Margaret, along with Conner, sneaked out to get ready for their own little part of the show.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer said as people in the crowd quieted their cheering and conversations. "Maxim Magazine, in its May issue, will feature the top 10 sexiest royal ladies from around the world. Our next presenters top that list. At number 2, Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Margaret of Lorenzia. And, at number one," he said enthusiastically, "Her...Royal...Highness, Crown Princess Lindsay of Morovia!"

Crowds cheered as the two ladies walked on-stage. Margaret was wearing a gray skirt with a bright, blue top. Her straight blond hair was flowing as they walked to the center of the one of the smaller stages. In princess terms, though, the night was Lindsay's more than hers. Lindsay had on black pants that showed off her assets and a flowy yellow top that hung off her left shoulder. Her black hair was curled a little bit, and the curls seemed to almost bounce as they she expertly walked down to the center in shoes with a stiletto heel. Conner made most of them all jealous by standing between the two women, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Thank you," Lindsay said into the microphone as she cheered. "Mucha graça!" she declared as she took a little bow to honor the crowd. "So for the last few months, JD and I have been visiting the entire country, getting to know the people of our maternal homeland. With us for much of that time has been Princess Margaret, chronicling the voyage visually for posterity. And so, if you don't mind, let's give Her Royal Highness a round of applause." Once more, the place erupted with cheering. Margaret smiled and bowed. Her Pisces nature usually forbade her from accepting such adoration, but this time, it was warranted. It was her own little part in helping the people of Morovia build a nation that would shine its light on the world. "And as we've gotten to know you," Lindsay continued, "we want you to have to chance to get to know a little bit about us."

"So I took my pictures, along with pictures provided by Princesses Lidia and Maxima, Jennifer Bedford, and countless others," Margaret stated, "and prepared a little slide show for you."

"And at the suggestion of Mr. Conner Butler, here," Lindsay said as she playfully ruffled Conner's hair, "Margaret used her influence to get two of the world's most powerful musicians to put the slide show to music."

"So without further ado," Margaret said as she and Lindsay smiled at each other, "to perform "Faith of the Heart", here are Ian Scott and Donya Ouença."

The camera panned to the other stage, where a large piano had been set up, along with a few microphones. The Royal Symphony of Lorenzia, toward the back of the main stage, prepared itself for the performance as Ian and Donya walked onto the stage, arms locked together. Ian took his place at the piano as Donya took one of the other microphones.

"It's been a long road..." Ian started singing and playing at the same time. In just a second, the pictures started displaying on the large screens. People were moved as they displayed the relatively normal life of their King. There was one picture of Lindsay and JD in a play pin. They weren't more than two years old, and Lindsay had a plastic hammer with which she was hitting him on the head. He was in tears. There were pictures of JD playing in the sand behind their house, with his black hair blowing in the wind. There were school pictures, and pictures taken at various events in his life. There was one picture of him playing soccer, and another of him working out in the gym. There were little video clips of him dancing at a party.

As the second verse started, Donya, with her sultry, sexy voice, began to belt her part of the song. The pictures continued, including one of him and Paul. "Through the darkness," she sang as the first picture taken of him after the attack came up on the screen. It stayed there for a second as strong emotions were elicited in the crowd. Lidia and Maxima watched as pictures of their babies, who were all grown up, flashed across the screen.

At the bridge, there was a cell phone video that Tyler had made as they arrived in Morovia. Jen had stolen his phone long enough to get the video off for the Princesses. There were pictures of him in a suit, greeting wildly cheering crowds in Morovia.

With the final notes of the song coming, a single picture of he and Tyler exchanging a quiet and simple peck on the lips popped up. People cheered him, them, as Tammy and Maxima toasted their children in the box where their own private party was going on.

As she listened to the concert on Radio Morovia, Zhola was at the presidential palace, putting the last of her clothes into a suitcase. She smiled as she thought about everything going on that night. She thought about how it was nice getting to know her nephew and niece, along with her sisters. Tom was a delightful person to be around, a great friend with whom she would no doubt enjoy a drink at some point in the future. As Ahmi Pernaso and Solero performed "Ready To Fly" for the cheering crowds, she fastened the suitcase and handed it to an attendant to who was helping her. Whereas that song evoked in most people thoughts of the future, it reminded Zhola of the past.

"I open my eyes and the world seems a different place / The colours are brighter and the air is sweet to taste / See, it's like I woke up from a nightmare that tied me down / I was smothered and trapped inside asleep, way underground / It's time I learned to fall / To say the world good-bye / To feel the sunlight on my face / Maybe that means..." the first verse goes. In jeans and a t-shirt in support of the Morovian National Football Team, she pulled her black hair into a pony tail and walked from her bed chamber to the antechamber of her suite. She grabbed her purse and cell phone, pulling it onto her shoulder before reaching for the blue Morovian passport that just listed her name, without fancy titles or diplomatic legalese, and a couple of other things that she had for JD. She smiled as she turned off the radio and walked from her room. People were running all around as she descended the stairs and walked into JD's office.

Sitting at the desk one last time, she pulled a piece of paper and a pen. "JD," she wrote simply. "I am so honored to have the chance to write this letter. It's been a tradition for centuries that the outgoing head of state will write his (or her) successor a letter with advice on how to be the best leader that they can be. What can I tell you, though? You're approval with the Morovian people is higher than mine will ever be, and that, right there, shows the influence that your reign will have over our nation. Continue doing what you're doing, and this nation will see greatness unlike any that it has ever seen before." She placed a period at the end of the line and stopped for a second, thinking about what she would write next.

"On a more personal note, when I found out Guil was dying, I still had no idea what was going on. I thought that my father was going to be gone and that I would be alone in the world. Then he told me about you all. My heart sank as I grew angrier and angrier with him. When he died, I cried, but I'm not sure what those tears meant. I don't know if it was anger or sorrow, but either way, I was thankful that I had a family that was willing to support me despite the nasty things that I had said about them in the past. For that, JD, thank you. I am sorry for the things that I've said about you in the past, about the use of that word and all those hateful other things. You are an amazing man, and I am so much better for having you in my life, as my nephew and as my King. With all my heart, I wish you, and Tyler, the best. May Your Majesties know the fruits of a lifetime of love. --With affection, Tía ZhoZho." She put a little heart next to her name and folded the letter, placing it a matching envelope. She placed it just inside Caterina's journal, the one that she'd kept during her captivity and pregnancy with Zhola. She took a deep breath and placed it in the middle of the large desk.

"Your car is ready, ma'am," Stefani stated as she stood in the office.

"Thank you," Zhola said as she hugged the woman who had stood with her for so long. The two women locked into an embrace, strong, tight, powerful.

"So where are you off to?" Stefani asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I don't know," Zhola answered proudly. "I asked the pilot to surprise me."

"That's kinda risky, don't you think?" Stefani asked her.

"I'm looking at it like an adventure!" Zhola answered as she smiled once more and then took her leave. Goodbye wasn't a word she was going to say, as she would be back, but not for a while.

Zhola walked out of the office and into the grand foyer of the palace. Every member of the household staff was standing in there, tears in their eyes as they watched her go. It wasn't that they weren't proud to be a part of history, but Zhola was different from Guil and Olanda, her parents. She'd taken the time to get to know them, to know about their lives. She would often ask them about family and friends. If she felt like something was bothering a single one of them, she would do something to help cheer them up, whether it was invite them to have a cup of tea with her or getting them flowers. When one of them was happy, she was happy. When one of them was sad, she was sad. She often sent flowers when a relative of theirs died or when a baby was born in their family. Never was it on behalf of the Presidency, but on her own behalf.

As she reached the doorway, she felt herself beginning to tear up a little bit. As she stepped into the peaceful night air, she couldn't hold back her emotions anymore. The newly renamed Royal Guard stood at attention as she walked out the main gate to a black taxi that was waiting. She'd requested that no special attention be given to her departure. In fact, she planned to leave during the concert, without anyone's knowledge, so that she wouldn't be a bother to anyone. The driver climbed out and opened the door as the head of the guard walked out and gave the driver a 1,000 peseta note, from his own wallet. She initially refused, but he just stepped back, stood at attention and saluted her. His open right palm steady as she returned the salute. Slowly, he brought his hand down from that position as Zhola walked over and gave him a hug. It was to be her new thing, hugging people.

Before she realized it, she was being ferried from the palace. She took one last look as the brightly painted yellow building grew more and more distant and eventually went out of view. She turned back around and smiled as the man continued to drive her to the airport.

At the stadium, with all it's jubilant excitement, the countdown reached five minutes until JD's presentation. The next to last performance of the evening was just finishing up as JD and Tyler quietly stood backstage.

"You know that I love you, right?" JD asked him.

"That has never been a question in my mind," Tyler stated as the two smiled at each other. "JD. Can I be honest with you about something?"

"Of course," JD answered.

"You are, at least in my opinion, the most amazing man ever."

"Am not," JD smiled.

"Are too! Don't fucking argue with me!" he said as JD snickered.

"Yes sir," JD announced.

"So what I was going to say is that, in my day, I haven't kissed many frogs, but I am fortunate enough to say that the one I last kissed turned into everything I've needed, wanted, and admired in a man. I am very honored to stand with you today, Majesty," Tyler winked.

"Ooh! That was good, Majesty," JD smiled.

"I know. I just now came up with it," Tyler said.

"Liar!" JD joked.

"Yeah. I am. I've been thinking that since...oh...the first night we met," Tyler confessed.

"It's OK," JD responded as he took Tyler's hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing it gently. "I have been, too."

Suddenly, all the lights in the place went out. JD and Tyler were standing where they could see the action live before they presented themselves to the world as Kings of Morovia, one ruling and one in a consortial nature. At exactly four minutes left on the countdown, the Royal Symphony of Morovia began playing a single, happy sounding note as three rockets were launched into the air from the top rim of the Stadium. They brilliantly burst into yellow, red, and blue sparkles of fire in the night sky above the stadium.

A single spotlight lit a part of the field ahead of JD and Tyler. Two flagsmen emerged. As they marched, one of them tightly held a flag while the other's flowed freely. The free flowing one was the Morovian national tri-colour, with horizontal stripes of yellow, red, and blue. As they took their place on the main stage, standing at stark attention, the orchestra began to play.

The spotlight then shined onto one of the smaller stages, where Deita Godera was holding a microphone, ready to sing her heart out. She started:

Here we are Sharing our lives We made it through The good and bad times And still we stand With hope in our hearts No matter what We will play our part And now we've come so far One chance to touch a star Go higher and higher

As she reached the final note of her part, a spot light shined onto the other small stage, where Antonio Calia, a singer natively Morovian, sang the first chorus:

Find your guiding inspiration In a place where dreams are made With a lifetime's preparation theres no time to be afraid Put our differences behind us While we shine like a star See what we've all become Together we are one

At the second verse, the light went back to the first of the smaller stages, where Deita had been joined by Solero, who was on stage for his second performance of the evening.

Deep inside your heart and soul You work so hard To reach your goal With every step Without regret You gave it all Till there was nothing left Seek out the strength to win No thoughts of giving in Go higher and higher

Caterina Gauci joined Antonio on the second stage for the second chorus:

Find your guiding inspiration In a place where dreams are made With a lifetime's preparation theres no time to be afraid Put our differences behind us While we shine like a star See what we've all become Together we are one

As she finished her part, the countdown was at twelve seconds. At ten, the orchestra began building up to the moment that they were all there to celebrate.

At ten, people began to shout in Morovian. "DIEX!" they yelled.

"NOVE!" they continued as Maxima took Tom's hand and squeezed it.

"OCHO!" they screamed as the holder of the national flag began waving his flag.

"SETE!" Zhola heard as she was arriving at the airport to depart on her voyage of a lifetime.

"SEI!" Lindsay screamed with them as Conner stared at her bouncing chest with lust in his eyes.

"CINCO!" Jen resounded as she tried to not be so obvious checking out Margaret.

"CUATRO!" they chimed as Tyler gave JD one last kiss on the cheek.

"TREI!" JD winked at Tyler.

"DOS!" the flag bearer stopped waving his flag as the second one lifted his flagpole toward the sky.

"UNO!" Lidia felt a tear rolling down her face as she looked at her sister, who was balling by that point.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer called over the system as fireworks shot high into the air above the outer rim of the stadium, "THEIR MAJESTIES, JOSEPH DAVID, KING-REGNANT OF MOROVIA AND TYLER, KING-CONSORT OF MOROVIA!"

The first flagsman held back his flag as the second began waving JD's Royal Banner, a blue flag with the Morovian national flag in the corner and JD's royal seal in the main part. JD and Tyler, their hands clasped together, began walking across the field toward the main stage. All around them, flashbulbs fired as people not only witnessed but were a part of the history of their nation.

All the performers that evening, including all the musicians, choirs, orchestras, dancers, both Morovian and foreign, walked out onto the respective stages and sang the final chorus. Fireworks shot above their heads as JD and Tyler walked toward the main stage.

JD spoke eloquently in his first address to the nation. In English and Morovian, he spoke of the union between the two Morovian worlds, and how all Morovians, himself and Tyler included, must work hard, regardless of where they came from, to create a stonger, more viable nation, not just for their own reputations, but for a world that was, day-by-day, changing.

For the next forty-seven years, nine months, and twelve days, JD and Tyler ruled Morovia at a time that historians later called "The Great Morovian Awakening". It was a time of great cultural, political, societal, and economic growth and progress. Days after he retired, historians dubbed him Joseph David the Great, the first time in the history of the small nation that such a moniker had been used. At Lindsay's formal coronation, he spoke eloquently about how Lindsay's reign, regardless of its length, would be the real time of growth and progress.

For the rest of their lives, Tyler and JD remembered but one thing above all others: love. They never had any scandals; there were never any charges of infidelity. They just loved each other, as best they could, for as long as higher powers permitted them an earthly paradise that was found in the simple kisses, embraces, and words that, for decades, they shared with one another.