"What?" Patti looked at Karen in shock.
"Let me tell you in a safer place. Lasses, come in the View Room, in the suronkay formation," the Empress commanded. (The suronkay formation, I must explain, is when they surround the whole outside of the room, with a trusted two inside to watch on the inside.)
Once seated inside the View Room, so named because of the wondrous view it gave of the Shaca White Falls, Patti turned to the younger girl and said with the air of one both curious and shocked, "Don't tell me you want me to marry someone who I have had feelings for less than two days!"
"That is exactly what I mean. You must go into hiding! So a family of two sisters and one of their husbands in a small town, possibly on another planet," Karen said. (In case you thought that the planet of Nadidian was just a simple planet with no real space station, you are wrong. They have a highly advanced spaceport, and visitors from other planets are not uncommon. In fact, the human race is not even from the planet Nadidian, but from another far away planet. One called (Strange as it is) Earth!)
"I have always longed for the planet Deairdee," Patti joked. Getting serious once more, she said, "I will have to discuss this with Shamal, but do you honestly think that we, as young and naive as we are, are capable of marriage? I mean, this is the girl who was afraid to come her in fear of her toes falling off from the cold!"
"There is but one problem. How are we supposed to hide the fact that you are missing?" Empress Karen said.
"O that simple! We have a hugely elaborate wedding, and send off two androids in our place for a honeymoon. And you are known to disappear from time to time. And Cynthia is always going on holiday. Only the trusted few will know the truth. Isn't it a marvelous idea?" Queen Patti said.
"I think it is simple lovely, my Empress of my country," came a voice that they both knew well. Shamal had come in un-known (except for the lasses)
"Except for one thing, that is. I can't leave." The youngest ruler said.
"Why, you have to come! You are in grave danger!" Patti exclaimed.
"Patti is right. You can't stay here! It is too dangerous!" Shamal chimed in.
"Do you think that I would leave this country in its time of need? Leave my people who I have governed for less than two years? Just up and disappear. I couldn't do that. They need me. And in time of war, they will need me still. Shamal, this is my homeland. This is my life. These are my people. I cannot desert them in their time of need. I will not," The Empress said, glancing at her subjects. She sighed, and then said, "Come, preparations for a huge wedding to be held in the middle of a newly united kingdom must be made. I'm thinking doves, what about you?"
"Yes, marvelous," Patti agreed.
Karen gave the order, and then all fifty lasses entered the room. She told them of the plan, adding at the end that any one caught speaking of it away from this room would be duly punished. Then, she left the room followed by her twenty lasses.
"Call Lord Adam, Lady Ellen, Queen Rebecca, Princess Jen, Princess Junita, Princess Jackie, Prince David, Queen Jennifer, and Jehan! Tell them there is to be a huge wedding at my palace in a fortnight. Did I forget anyone? O yes, Princess Steph! And King Zach! How Zach loves a good party! Dear me, I can’t remember all the royals! Invite them all, please. I would also like to invite Carrie and Lindsay. They are such dears . . . Now, that is for private ceremonial seating. We can have the wedding open to the public. Only, with an invisible force field around the happy couple so they will be protected . . . What?" The Empress said.
"Who is Queen Jennifer?" asked Doni Lee, who was dictating the Empress' commands on paper.
"O, I forgot. I made her Queen of Renoka about one and one half hours ago. She really is a darling. And so beautiful. I hope Jehan will like her . . . They would make a lovely couple. She so fair, he so dark. She so blithe, he so mindful. Isn't that lovely? Now, what was I talking about?" The Empress looked confused by her wild ramblings. "Wedding . . ." Doni Lee prompted.
"O yes. Now, I'm thinking a soft baby blue wedding. What do you think Patti?" The girl ruler pressed her comrade, who had just joined her with her procession of lasses.
"Yes, yes. That's right. Now about the food . . . I want to have a simply huge cake. I love cake. A soft baby blue, Karen," there was a smile on the lips of the Queen as she went on, "And some foul. Maybe roast Turkey, chicken, and duck."
"Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Patsie. Now, I think we should include kahan ((Jell-O)) on the menu. I really like kahan. Promise me your cake will be vanilla flavored, Patti. Please do. I get a ache in my stomach if I eat to much chocolate," the Empress worried.
Of course! Are you getting this D.L.?" asked Patti; using a nickname she has given to Doni Lee.
"Yes, Queen."
"Good," The Empress said. "Now, I am thinking black for me. Just as a contrast to your lovely blue. Let's get the dressmaker in here, without hesitation! I want to be billowing! Long Lovely! Huge! And you, I see your trim figure in a soft blue dress that just flows. Just falls off your so naturally. Don't you see that, Patti?"
Laughing, Patti agreed with her. "I see that! You really are a madcap! Karen, are you inviting that Carrie Hanson? She really is a great friend of ours! And Lindsay Murtha . . . Now isn't she a dear?"
"Yes, we have them on the list. I wouldn't leave them out. I'm sorry, but I can't really help you too much on preparations . . . I have to supervise a war, you know. We are drilling the troops at the moment, or at least I think we are. Did I give that order? Toeby did I?" The Empress inquired.
"No, my Empress. You were so upset about that woman. But I think they are drilling them at the moment. Would you like me to ask them about it?" Toeby said, picking up her comlink.
"Please, we don't want to be un-prepared for war!" The Empress exclaimed.
"General Smee, are you and your soldiers in training at the moment?" Toeby said into her comlink.
"Affirmative," replied the general.
"Signing off."
From the left, they heard someone running. It turned out to be a maid, with a message for the Empress. It merely read:
:: The woman was a Seaking Spy. Be on alert. ::
