took Auggie’s hand in mine and he gave me a reassuring smile. The minute we poked our head out from the plane there was complete pandemonium. It was like Ademar times a hundred, which, given the number of people waiting for us, that felt like an appropriate estimate.
The Aldaynean anthem heralded our arrival as we made our way down the steps towards the tarmac. The Royal Guard was there in full dress uniform, lining either side of the purple carpet. They saluted us as we passed them, every bit as stoic and dutiful as Sean had been once upon a time. Their features were indistinguishable. They were one unit known only by the uniform they wore.
Some sat astride majestic black horses, ceremonial horses that had been crossbred from Friesians that were massive and powerful. The horses even bowed. It was a trip.
As we drew closer to the group of officials who had come to greet us, I noticed that the Aldaynean crowd was a little more mixed than the Ademareans. There were those who waved the Aldaynean flag, but there were also those who were clearly groupies interested only in the Duke of Mayhem.
The group I didn’t expect were the protestors, who waved signs like THE DUKE OF NOTHING and GO BACK TO AMERICA. And of course, NO BABY MAMA QUEEN and AMERICAN BASTARD just so I wouldn’t feel left out.
From the look on Auggie’s face, I suspected they came as quite a shock to him as well.
Still, he greeted an imposing black man in full dress uniform with about a dozen metals with a familiar smile and handshake. “General Tremwell.”
“Your Grace,” the General said with a reverent nod. He turned those glittering brown eyes to me. “Miss McPhee.”
“General,” I said, mirroring his nod.
“Father,” Audra greeted in the same way, but I knew by the smile they shared that a warmer welcome waited away from the prying eyes of the public.
“I’m to understand you’re going straight to Castlewick?”
Auggie nodded. “Have our guests arrived?”
“Not yet. They are due later this afternoon. You should have a chance to get settled beforehand.”
“Excellent,” Auggie nodded. “We can head there now.”
He turned to the audience, who cheered when he waved at them. The protesters booed louder, just to be heard.
“Is there a problem, General?”
“The Queen will get you up to speed,” General Tremwell said. “But there is time for that later. Let us get you to Castlewick.” He led us to a state car, the back door already being held open by Sean.
I was so glad to see a familiar face, I nearly kissed him. But I wouldn’t dare.
We ducked inside alone, since Audra had elected to stay behind with her father. As the car made its way towards the road, more fans and protesters lined either side of the car.
Auggie turned to me. “That’s not the welcome I wanted for you,” he said.
I took his hand. “Audra warned me.”
“She didn’t warn me,” he said, looking out the window. He waved to everyone anyway, adopting a smile as his mask.
“Maybe she did, and you weren’t listening,” I suggested gently. He turned to face me. I could tell the comment hit home.
“Maybe you’re right,” he sighed. “I guess a lot can change in five years.”
“A lot can change in five months,” I quipped, thinking of my own journey here.
He put his arm around me. “Then I’m even more grateful to have you here with me.”
I held him close.
As we moved away from the city, Auggie became more animated, showing off Aldayne to me as we sped through the countryside during the two-and-a-half-hour trip to Castlewick. Along our way we went through the city of Cochrann, to greet the faithful Aldayneans there who lined the streets to wave hello. There were some protesters, too, but not as hateful as the group we encountered at the airport. Their signs simply read, FREE ALDAYNE or NO KING NO RULE.
Cochrann was a smaller city, with a population of about 300,000. It was a bustling sprawl next to Unity Lake, the landlocked, freshwater lake covering almost 120 square miles.
“Almost but not quite as big as Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland,” he said proudly.
Cochrann was home to Girbridge University, one of the oldest universities in Europe. As such, parts of Cochrann itself had an old-world feel, with medieval buildings and Gothic architecture.
“I can’t wait to show you everything,” Auggie said. “Thankfully, we have a whole lifetime.”
I smiled, but wondered if that was true, given all that Audra had told me. I wouldn’t