and care they had come straight from Aldayne. “To present to the president,” she said with a bow. “A gift from the Tremwells.”
I found myself bowing in return as I took them. Auggie led me by the elbow towards the stage. We hung back, waiting to be introduced. As excited as the people were to see us, this night was not about Auggie. It was about Ademar.
The crowd rose to their feet as President Edwinna Morrow walked to the podium. “Good evening, Ademar!” she greeted to thunderous applause. “Happy Independence Day!”
The full orchestra behind her went immediately into their National Anthem, which the President led with hand over heart.
I was stunned how many people in the audience could sing every word as well. This included the well-dressed Duke to my immediate right, who sang it loud and proud even if nobody in the audience could see him.
Glorious cheers lifted to the top of Mount Belvedere. She indulged their enthusiasm with a smile, allowing them to collect themselves.
The jumbo screen behind the stage broadcast a waving flag of Ademar. As she spoke, the pictures coincided to visually support her story. “For 123 years, we have enjoyed our self-governance, seeking freedom and justice for every Ademarean. It is a duty we take very seriously. As such, our children are blessed with a world-class education system. Our hospitals thrive with 21st century technology guiding our medicine and helping people not only heal but thrive. This includes a world renown oncology hospital, the Sofie Agassi Cancer Center.”
The picture of the sprawling white hospital with the Pacific as its backdrop filled the screen, with a focus on the statue that greeted everyone who entered. It was Sofie, who would forever stand beautiful and regal, dressed in her formal best.
I stole a glance at Auggie, who stood even taller.
“We have been pioneers,” Auntie Edwinna continued. “But we have not done this alone. From the time Abyleen O’ Conghaile landed on the pristine white sand of our shores in 1627, the House of Quinn has been a constant ally and advocate for Ademar, and all the people who would call her home.” The pictures correlated the story. “The Kingdom of Aldayne helped us defeat the Spanish conquistadors. They fortified us to stand up to slavers in the 1800s. They listened to us when we told them that their rule was just another bondage and paved the way for us to govern ourselves. Yet, never have we been forsaken. In World War II, when we were swept up into someone else’s battle, their military forces kept us safe from the advancing oppressive regimes that would have threatened our freedom. They asked nothing in return, except for a home here they could share with all of you.”
The picture showed the impressive scope of Luz Del Mar. The Pacific glittered behind it, their own personal backyard.
The picture changed to Prince Roan and Princess Agassi; personal candid photos taken from their first trip to Ademar. They stood together in an old clapboard church in the shadow of Mount Belvedere. One entire wall was stained glass, except for a clear pane at the top where one could see the waterfall behind it. A much younger Edwinna stood beside Roan, as a preacher stood in between.
Sofie carried a bouquet of Aldayne roses, not unlike the ones I now carried.
I knew in a minute this was where they married, despite the ornate televised wedding they had to perform for the queen. For the law, they married in Aldayne.
In their hearts, they had married here.
Again, I looked up at Auggie, only to find him staring down at me.
This was the fairy tale he was trying to give me.
If only I had met him on February 6th.
“Even during an economic downturn, our Aldaynean friends were the one who helped lift us up, by showing the world what makes us so special, from our surroundings to our cuisine to our people. Because of Prince Roan and Princess Sofie, we have enjoyed an economic boom that made all our accomplishments possible.”
The crowd went crazy. It was clear they felt the same way.
“There is no Ademar without Aldayne. They stand for us. They stand with us. They, too, celebrate our Independence Day!” The band played a round of both anthems, which fit neatly together like all good friendships should.
“My fellow Ademareans, it is my pleasure to introduce Prince Augustine, Duke of Iver, and his lovely companion, Peaches McPhee.”