JMJ
A City Named after Me
"Why do we have to go to this party, Mama?" Flora complained. "We never had to go before."
Mother was helping Flora with her beautiful gown— beautiful, yes— but not nearly as comfortable as her other party dress.
"You know that being royalty is not just about being in charge or enjoying life in a luxurious palace," said Mother pleasantly. "Your father, I know, has told all about how hard it was for him to get used to politics and royal etiquette."
"Yeah, but he's the king. I mean, Pom's the one who's gunna be king next, right, Mama? Why doesn't he just go," said Flora. "I don't want to go."
"This is a big step for the Jungle," said Mother. "After much negotiation between Celesteville and the Bear Kingdom and King Bear joining us in friendship and proving himself more than once that friendship against the Rhinos and during that drought a couple years ago. Mostly, he has explained, he simply did not want to be forced to do things, but he is generous with his aid now that he feels he can trust us. To celebrate we invited him here, you know, and he was greatly touched by our good will. Now we are expected to go to his party. He wishes to meet the entire family as he brought his very small children to ours, and now that you are no longer a little girl, you represent the eldest daughter. Princess of Elephant Land. Remember, this is for the Jungle. We don't just get to live in the palace for nothing. We have responsibilities, right?"
Flora sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."
Mother stood back and smiled with sympathy. Flora did look quite uncomfortable. The princess looked up for a moment and then sighed. Mother could not help a slight chuckle.
"Don't worry," she said. "It's only for tonight, and I will be with you the entire time. When I first married your father sometimes I would forget that he was there to support me."
Looking at Mother curiously, she asked, "Did you have to go to annoying parties too?"
"Yes, many," said Mother. "I was the new queen. The first queen of Celesteville. It was quite a big deal. There had been no official lady living in the palace before then, and so much was expected of me all at once that even though I felt I was prepared I wasn't."
"Did Cornelius and Pompadour follow you around and tell you what to do?" asked Flora.
Mother laughed. "Yes, they wanted to make sure everything was perfect like they do, and it is their job, but it sure wasn't easy for any of us."
"That's cuz you and Pompadour had a personality clash."
"Oh, it was a little more than that."
"Mama?" asked Flora after adjusting her dress enough for her to be able to sit down on the end of her bed. "Can't you tell me all about it like one of Papa's stories? Please, Mama?"
"Me? Tell a story?" Mother said quite amused as she sat down beside her. "I don't think I'd be able to tell one as good as your father."
"Oh, please, Mama, please," said Flora. "I'm sure you'd tell one just fine. Besides…" Here she leaned over confidentially to whisper, "It's just you and me. I won't tell anyone if you don't tell a story as good as Papa even though I'm sure you'd tell this one just as good."
"Oh, alright," said Mother with another laugh. "Now how should I start?"
"You know, Mama," said Flora teasing. "'It all began a long time ago…'"
"Except it wasn't that long ago this time," teased Mother back, but she was telling it now. "It all began after the wedding…"
"Oh, I'm sure that was lovely, Mama."
"Oh, it certainly was," agreed Mother, "and honeymoon. I don't think I thought much passed that after Babar— ahem, you father— finally proposed to me, and everything went just as I had pictured it. Finally having him as my own was more than I could have dreamed and still is, Flora."
"But—?" encouraged Flora.
"But I did not fully understand until after the honeymoon why Babar had taken so long to propose to me. It had nothing to do with not loving me. Despite my impatience, it had all to do with loving me, because although our hearts were married as any couple truly meant to be, I was physically not only married to Babar, I was married to the king. That meant I was also married to the palace and everything that had to do with it."
Flora laughed at the idea of marrying the palace, but she did not interrupt again as she watched her mother's eyes go fully into the past much like how Father's did when he told a story…
"Don't worry about a thing, my Lady," Pompadour insisted.
That was something to worry about already, especially with how Pompadour beamed so emphatically.
"I am at your service for anything you require about palace etiquette and royal appearance," Pompadour finished with a sweeping bow.
Celeste tried not to wince, but she did.
It did not help when Cornelius added, "Well, as the Royal Minister of Protocol, I suppose he would be the best for that duty."
Though, Cornelius did notice Celeste's expression enough to clear his throat to his co-worker to say, "But that doesn't mean that any one of us should overwhelm her on her first day."
"Thank you, Cornelius," said Celeste.
"Overwhelm? No," said Pompadour with a regal sniff, "but the first day is of the utmost importance. Today marks that first day, and despite the fact that in the end first impressions can be misleading, it is of the utmost importance for a person of royal status to give the best first impression possible to the public. Their queen is, in a sense, the face of their king. The one whom he has chosen over all others to show who and what he desires most about a person. The one person he respects above all others. A woman whom anyone can see as a mother of one's country! Gentle, strong, elegant, poised, with an air of humility and a loving spirit that extends to anyone who looks upon her, and not to mention—"
Celeste tried not to moan, but Babar quickly interrupted and gently pulled her aside.
"Ahem! Pompadour, Cornelius is right," he said with delicate precision. "There's no need to overdo it. We're just going for a ride in the carriage and have a talk with the people. She only has to be herself. Everyone already knows who she is, after all."
"Well, Pompadour is right in one respect," admitted Cornelius. "That Lady Celeste," he bowed to the lady in question, "does need to show some image, of course."
"I know," said Babar patiently. "She's seen me. She'll just follow my lead."
"Of course, Sire!" said Pompadour. "You would be the best example, but I was also referring to Friday Evening's ball which we all are preparing for, and there are some differences between what is expected of a king and what is expected of a queen."
"Thank you, Pompadour," Celeste said quickly and doing all she could to not lose her patience. "I'll remember everything you said to me already."
Pompadour nodded with approval, and Celeste sighed with relief as she followed Babar away.
"Oh, I thought we'd never get away," Celeste said.
Rather sheepishly looking down, Babar smiled.
"Look, Celeste, I know they can be difficult…"
Holding up her forefoot, Celeste smiled wryly. "I know what you're going to say, and, Babar, it's okay. I know. I understand. Cornelius and Pompadour are just trying to do their jobs, and I will too. I promise. You don't have to worry about me, okay? I can handle it. I'm not a little girl anymore."
Now it was Babar who sighed, and Celeste put her forefoot on his shoulder.
"Alright, but if you do feel overwhelmed, just let me know, okay?"
"I promise," said Celeste.
She straightened herself calmly and gazed out over the veranda upon which they had stepped. It was very peaceful. The warmth and gentleness of the morning sun felt just as comforting as the sun over Pleasant Valley when Celeste and Babar were children. It would be no different now, and Celeste was determined to make this so.
The well-trimmed trees swayed with the sparkling light between their leaves in the light breeze just the same way. The stones beneath their feet may have been finely cut but they radiated the sun's warmth just the same. The squared features of the palace itself may have cut a sharper frame when one looked up, but the sky still was fine and blue. The birds sang just as sweetly in the garden as in the Jungle trees surrounding the valley.
Celeste nodded firmly.
"I can handle being a little trimmed," she insisted. "Just give me a little time, alright?"
She watched quite pleased to see Babar's shoulder's ease and his smile renew only far more relaxed.
"So let's go to breakfast and start the day with the carriage, okay?" said Celeste.
Babar nodded and held out his arm for her to take. "Let's!"
"Are you sure you don't want me to talk to them about it, though?" asked Babar.
"Mmm, that's alright. I can handle them."
"Even Pompadour?"
Celeste laughed. "Even Pompadour."
So, after breakfast Celeste did not allow herself to be bothered by the insisting of Pompadour and the urging of Cornelius or the trotting silence of Troubadour looking important and watchful from behind. Cornelius and Pompadour bowed before the majesties quite properly as they allowed for Celeste to step up first and then the king. The driver of the carriage helped them to be situated, and then Cornelius and Pompadour joined them. Out they went for their drive.
"Now, remember," Pompadour insisted again. "As we rehearsed and I trust everything shall go just swimmingly."
"Thank you, Pompadour," Babar insisted.
"Of course, Sire."
"Now I just want to warn you ahead of time," said Babar to Celeste a few days later, "tomorrow morning at breakfast, Pompadour will be giving the day's schedule and will explain in minute detail everything that will happen and that you will have to do."
"It's alright," said Celeste. "I told you. I can handle him."
Admittedly Babar had a raise a brow, because he honestly was not sure. Their personality clash was no secret. The only one not fully aware of it was probably Pompadour who often did not know how others viewed him. At least Celeste knew that Pompadour only meant to help her because he cared far more than she would have admitted when she was a little girl and thought of him as a haughty, stuffy fop. However, knowing something did not always help in practice.
"Remember a queen's posture," Pompadour helpfully reminded Celeste at meal times. "Remember that queens do not crawl about in the garden like a child," he said when she was admittedly doing just that. "Remember that a dress must not have a wrinkle. Remember the poise over the table."
Of course, Pompadour thought he was being helpful. He would not dream of being purposely domineering. After all, Babar rarely had ever fussed too much about such things, but it was usually stretched out over a long period of time, and Babar had only been a little boy. It was also in his personality to not get excited easily. Celeste's patience through it all made Babar love her all the more, but he still saw how it vexed her. It was vexing him, but Celeste continued to insist that she could handle things.
Thus with a sigh Babar even now allowed it all to be, and the next day Celeste did seem more poised than ever as Pompadour proudly and happily explained everything with the help of Cornelius. The events of the evening were all set out and the reminders to Celeste of everything she was supposed to do were laid out very thoroughly.
"I hope that was all clear, my Lady," said Pompadour with a bow and a smile.
"Oh, yes, very," said Celeste with a most emphatic nod as she inwardly hoped it was enough to keep him from talking anymore.
"Excellent, my Lady!" said Pompadour clasping his forefeet together as though in ecstasy at pleasing the new queen, and he swung his walking stick in his trunk with pride. "After all, this is so very important. All the royalty from all parts of the Jungle will be present. It is a time everyone has looked forward to for a long time. We all knew it would happen before long. The uniting of dear Celeste to our good king and founder of Celesteville! The whole jungle will be ecstatic to finally meet the elephant for whom our beloved city is named."
Cornelius quickly cleared his throat as he took note in Celeste's wide eyes, strained expression.
"But of course, we don't want you to feel pressured, my Lady," he said.
"Thank you, Cornelius."
"There won't be any pressure," promised Babar. "It is only a ball, and you've been to those before and met many of the people already whom you are going to meet anyway."
"But this time only as the queen," pressed Pompadour closing his eyes with a powdered smile. "Her majesty's every word and step will be a reflection of the king's honor and grace. We are most grateful for everything you've ever done to make His Majesty happy."
"Yes, yes, thank you, Pompadour," Babar said trying not to grumble.
It took some doing to make Celeste nervous, but he could see his poor young wife looking rather pale.
"Is something wrong, Sire?" said Pompadour quickly.
"No, that's alright, I'm fine," said Babar.
"There isn't anything I missed, I hope," said Pompadour glancing back to Troubadour.
Glancing at the long scroll between his forefeet, Troubadour shook his head.
"No, you haven't forgotten a thing, Pompadour, I'm sure," said Babar.
"Very good then," said Cornelius. "Then let us prepare for the guests, hmm?"
"Quite right, Cornelius," said Pompadour. "Everything must be prepared before they arrive."
Once Babar and Celeste were at last alone again, Babar tapped Celeste on the shoulder.
She spun around and forced a smile to Babar's friendly teasing expression.
"I hope…" she began. "I hope I won't be a disgrace to you."
"Oh, Celeste, of course you won't!" Babar insisted.
"But everyone in the whole Jungle is going to be there, Babar," said Celeste, "and they're all going to have their eyes on me listening to everything I do and say. Oh, I wish—!"
"Celeste!" said Babar encouraging her to turn around on her stool. "Celeste, listen to me. You remember when I built this city, right?"
Celeste sighed. "Yes, of course I do, Babar."
"You remember how stressed I got and how much I tried to rush everything to perfection, don't you?"
Closing her eyes, Celeste said, "Yes, and then when poor Madame got sick…"
"Exactly," said Babar. "I was completely good for nothing. The whole city seemed to be hopeless and that it would never get anywhere, especially with everything going missing and everything being rushed and…Celeste."
"Yes."
"You're already why I named Celesteville after you," said Babar every so kindly. "Remember, all the manners and habits will come slowly not rushed and those are just flourishes. Just like a home is already a home if it's safe and everyone is together even without the flourishes, but if you take your time your flourishes will be more than you hope, alright? And no one's going to be examining you for flaws tonight, and if they do, that will be their problem."
"You mean like Pompadour?" asked Celeste dryly.
Babar sighed. "Are you sure you don't want me to—"
"I'm sorry. I know he just cares. I understand that, I'm just a little stressed."
"Okay," said Babar with some concern. "But just because you know he cares doesn't mean that you have to let him overwhelm you."
"He's just doing his job," said Celeste. "And I'll do mine."
She smiled encouragingly, and Babar smiled back.
The ball went quite smoothly and easily after that. Celeste was still buzzing with more nervousness than even being on stage could have ever made her, but she managed every curtsey and courtesy and every courtly thing she could recall for Babar's sake to make sure she would not disgrace Babar. She would not have cared otherwise, but for her husband's sake. For her husband was really the only reason she was so on edge, but Babar's gentle smiles and kindly gestures and touch of his forefoot always managed to calm her.
Then came the dance. She was brought back to the first Celesteville ball. A laugh emerged from her there, at least, as she recalled a foolish little boy who thought he could be in two places at once: to perform the courtly duty of dancing with Princess Midge from the Gorilla Kingdom and of dancing his friend Celeste. How impatient she had been then. Honestly, in some ways, she could not help but feel how undeserving she had been of Babar's attempts at every turn to please her when she would get into her little childish moods of not wanting to understand or accept his status as king. How much she was determined to be the one to please Babar now! There was nothing she had ever set her mind to that had not become reality. So it would be now.
With ease they danced more like birds than heavy pachyderms. How light Celeste felt and everyone in the ball looked so very admiringly. It was here at last that Celeste relaxed and everything went smoothly after that.
Pompadour wiped a tear from his eye. "It touches one so to see His Majesty complete!"
"That is does, Pompadour," agreed Cornelius. "What a partnership as king and queen they'll make."
"They were always meant to be," said Madame.
Poking his head from behind the crowd, Zephir finished a glass of wine and teased, "Pfft, well it's not like anyone's surprised!" And he laughed. "Don't know why everyone else is acting like it would never happen."
"Yes," Celeste told herself. "Yes, I can do this. I can be queen. It's not easy like being at home with Mom and Arthur, but this is what I always knew would happen eventually and that I would have to deal with everything that Babar does, so here I am."
She was walking down the corridor by herself as Babar was with Cornelius and Pompadour discussing political matters in the royal office. The gardens were her destination and she felt quite pleased with herself. She felt herself quite ready to relax for a while quite deserving of it for all she had done the evening before.
However, she was surprised once she reached the veranda that Pompadour was walking from the opposite direction with documents under his arm and his eyes nearly shut.
Forcing herself to be poised and perfect and not to roll her eyes, she said pleasantly, "Good morning, Pompadour."
"Oh, good morning, my Lady," said Pompadour most pleasantly and bowing. "I wish to congratulate you on yesterday evening. It was an excellent performance for your first ball as royalty."
Celeste laughed a little. "Thank you, Pompadour."
There was something about his wording that got easily under her skin. In fact most everything he had said was getting under her skin since her talk with Babar before the ball. His very glances were getting under her skin. She tried to make as though she was in a hurry without being rude, but Pompadour was not finished.
"Yes, yes, the whole kingdom is honored to have you as their queen," said Pompadour. "Everyone in the Jungle is in so much admiration of you."
"Thank you, Pompadour," said Celeste feeling that there was going to a "but" somewhere eventually, and unfortunately she right as she asked, "but…?" despite herself.
"Well, yes, ahem, excuse me, my Lady, but, yes, I was going to tell you that you were a bit stiff until the dance," said Pompadour; he was obviously trying to sound kind, but it only burned in Celeste all the more.
She could feel the tears burning in her eyes angrily no matter how she tried to stop them and no matter how she felt them improper to a queen even though Pompadour had never actually said anything about tears.
Pompadour's eyes were closed now as he spoke and he did not see how Celeste flushed with emotion at him and he had taken no hint from her seething tone.
"Everyone loved how you eased up when the dance finally began, but I feel that all in all you do need to relax just a li…"
The sound of her footsteps made Pompadour open his eyes in surprise, and he was even further surprised with how quickly she had escaped him. He only just barely saw her dress and feet turn the corner of the corridor.
"Your majesty!" he gasped, and very quickly he hurried after her. "Wait! I'm sorry, I don't think you quite understand—"
Quickly he caught up with her, and she stopped and spun around. Her tears held as she glared at him.
"Yes, I don't understand," she snapped. "I don't understand every little thing from a rule book that you obviously do!"
"I was only saying that—" Pompadour tried to say.
"That I wasn't good enough! I'm never good enough! It's hard enough with all the rules I already know without you constantly adding more and watching me for every flaw!"
"Well, it's not that difficult," Pompadour stammered, "if you would allow us to—"
"If you think it's so easy," snapped Celeste, "you be queen then, alright!? I had enough! Ugh!"
She spun around again.
Pompadour, quite in shock by what had just come out of Celeste's mouth, quickly jumped forward despite his bewildered state at how he had upset the delicate balance of the sensitive person Celeste had always been, and he tried again, "Please, my Lady! Do calm yourself! I thought that you wanted—!"
"Pompadour, just shut up!" Celeste very nearly screamed. "And leave me alone!"
Pompadour froze as though he had just been blasted in the face with cursed mountain wind and as pale as though he could see a ghost riding upon it. A slap would not have shocked him more. It lasted only a second before he opened his mouth again, and Celeste felt very nearly on the verge of slapping him for it as it was, but for how very small and meek his reply. It made her stop as he said, "Yes, my Lady."
The fact that it was a reply of obedience rather than an earnestly imploring apology was what struck her first as she focused her eyes upon him. He would have begged forgiveness in the past wringing his forefeet unsure of what he had done wrong exactly but desperately trying to make amends. A part of her had been anticipating it so much and with such disdain that she felt like she had sudden took a wrong step and had been slapped herself, but not by Pompadour.
He had never looked so small and frail and silly to Celeste in her entire life. She was even physically larger than he was, she noticed, as he made his bow and meekly took his leave. It cut her to the heart as she watched him withdraw so obediently without once looking back. Not like a frightened creature did he flee, but as one who had done wrong to the mistress he had been trying so desperately to serve, and she choked with a gasp.
The power of her status finally had dawned upon her.
She was queen.
She was not just an attachment to Babar that had to look good like it was some kind of stage performance. She was second in command to Babar alone. One of the most important people in the whole Jungle, she could wield her power like a tyrant had she wanted to, and she wondered if Pompadour would have bent to her will regardless.
Well, maybe not then.
But she could abuse her power more subtly and Pompadour would obey if Babar did not say anything. It was a feeling more overwhelming than anything Pompadour or Cornelius had conveyed with words.
She could not act like a little girl anymore. She could not afford it. She should have just let Babar talk to Pompadour— no. She should have talked to him herself before it exploded out of her in such a display that surely the whole palace had heard. Pompadour would say nothing of it for propriety's sake, but she knew that there would be no need for speaking of it for everyone to know what had happened and why.
The tears brimmed up again, and quietly she went to the veranda and walked into the garden to recollect herself. For a long while she stood there but not too long. She was surprised when she suddenly heard the voice of Babar, "Celeste?"
With a gasp, Celeste spun around.
"Oh, Babar," she sighed.
For a moment she wished he would go away, but as he came beside her and asked her to join him for a walk in the garden, she could not refuse. She welcomed his comfort. For a few moments more, they did not speak much, but as they settled down upon a bench in the far reaches of the garden in a shelter of trees at last Celeste said, "I'm sorry, Babar."
"I—" Babar started to say, but Celeste went on quickly.
"I know that Pompadour was just trying to help. I know he doesn't mean to be overbearing, but I couldn't help it. It's been so stressful, but I didn't want to bother you or for you think that I was unhappy. I just…"
"I know," said Babar when Celeste made no more attempt to continue. "I'll admit… well…"
"That's why you hesitated to ask me to marry you," said Celeste.
Babar bowed his head. "It's not that I thought that you couldn't handle it, but, yes, I didn't want to ask you to do something I wasn't sure you wanted to do."
"Oh, Babar, you know that I know you're worth it," said Celeste as she gave him a kiss.
"And I know that you only were trying to keep up appearances lately so that I wouldn't worry about you," said Babar.
Celeste nodded sheepishly.
"But now that we both understand each other…" Babar began.
Whatever Babar was going to say Celeste interrupted with her own thought, "We can continue better, and I won't hesitate to ask you for help or tell you when things are overwhelming me."
"I know you want to prove you're strong, but I know you know that I already know you're strong," said Babar with a wry smile.
A little embarrassed, Celeste laughed. Then her face fell.
"I think I owe Pompadour an apology now, though," said Celeste.
"Would you like me to go with you?' asked Babar as Celeste got her feet.
Celeste smiled and shook her head. "No, that's alright. I know I can handle myself for this, and although I will tell you if I need help in the future, I think I have a better handle on what it means to be queen."
"What did Pompadour do when you apologized?" asked Flora.
"Well, he was already trying to apologize to me," said Mother. "Cornelius and Troubadour had already explained to him while I was outside that he had been a bit too overwhelming."
"And you let him apologize first," said Flora.
"Yes, I did, and then I apologized to him and we made up," said Mother. "I suppose you could say that was when we grew to understand each other and our personality clash." She grinned. "So I was not as good of a story-teller as your father?"
"Well…" Flora said tapping her chin with her forefoot. "Not as good, but it still's good enough between mother and daughter."
"Is that so?" teased Mother.
Flora giggled. "Yes, I do feel a little better. I still don't like going, though, but I'll do it. If you had to learn to deal with stuff you didn't like being responsible as a queen then I'll do it too."
"Flora," said Mother, and mother and daughter hugged.
"Welp!" said Flora jumping from her bed. "Let's get going!"
NOTE: Just a little story that I wrote right after the other Babar fanfic I wrote, Unfit for Duty. I went back to it and decided after a little editing that I'd put it up too, so I did.