Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:45:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Higginbotham <thefuturecanadian@yahoo.ca>
Subject: Paradise - Chapter 16

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.