Later the next morning, Drs. Lewis, Prescotti, Makar, and Padameshi along with Bo and Deputy Regent Elena approached The Regnant's room. As they approached Emilia noticed both the Regnant Guard and Knights of the Guard stood nearly side by side rather than flanked at the closed doors.
"Are they available?" Dr. Prescotti asked. The Guards shook their heads. Emilia and Elena both understood what that meant, rolled their eyes in unison, and turned around and headed back the way they came.
"We need to continue this in the Conference Room." Emilia said.
"Why? What's going on?" Dr. Lewis asked as they all began to walk away.
"What do you think?" Elena replied.
"Oh." Lauren said bemused.
As they entered the Conference Room they saw Antony, Jock, Julian and Dakari were already there along with Trick and Evony, Dyson, Kenzi, and Tamsin.
Antony looked at Emilia and Elena and smiled.
"I take it they are still indisposed?" Antony asked.
"How long has it been?" Emilia asked.
"We tried earlier this morning." Julian replied.
"That means they will be all day." Dakari commented. All of the siblings started to chuckle.
"I take it this happens often?" Dr. Lewis asked.
"How do you think there are ten of us?" Jock quipped. Lauren smiled.
Several hours later the Seneschal entered the Conference Room and announced The Regnant and The Queen Consort were available. When they all walked into The Regnant's room she was up, dressed, and moved about like her old self again. All of her children either bowed or curtsied.
"Is that how you greet your Mummy after she has been ill?" Ari acknowledged them all. All six children went up, and in turn covered The Regnant with hugs and kisses as The Queen Consort looked on with delighted tears in her eyes. Bo and Lauren put their arms around one another.
"Well, done, Dr. Lewis." Bo complimented Lauren.
"It was most certainly a team effort." Lauren replied.
When the hugs and kisses were done The Regnant turned to Dr. Lewis.
"Dr. Lewis, there are no words that convey the respect I have for the skills and ministrations of you and the staff here at the JFM. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind the Presidium will benefit greatly from your knowledge and experience." The Regnant said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Dr. Lewis replied. The Regnant turned to her daughter Emilia and lifted her chin with one hand.
"You never cease to amaze me, my very special girl." Ari complimented her daughter.
"Thank you, Mummy." Emilia replied. The Regnant turned to Bo.
"It is time for me to return to the Presidium. That means you and yours need to prepare." The Regnant said.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We have already started the transition process." Bo said as she glanced at Lauren and Kenzi.
"Your Majesty, is there anything else you need? Dr. Lewis asked. The Regnant looked to Kenzi then back at Dr. Lewis.
"I would like pizza." The Regnant answered to some perplexed looks. "Is this not something I can take with me?" The Regnant asked as she looked to Kenzi.
"Pizza. You want pizza…to take with you?" Dr. Lewis asked.
"Yes, I never had it before until she fed it to me." As she pointed to Kenzi. Everyone looked at Kenzi surprised while The Queen Consort and Emilia shook their heads.
"Your Majesty, you have never had pizza before? In your entire life?" Tamsin asked.
"Never. How many can I take with me?" The Regnant asked
"Any many as you like." Bo replied.
"Can I take a hundred with me?" The Regnant asked.
"Pizza is very easy to make, Your Majesty, a hundred is a bit overkill." Trick informed.
"Okay. How about twelve?" The Regnant asked.
"Twelve is a more manageable number." Trick replied.
"Good!" The Regnant looked to both the Seneschal. "I want twelve of the…the…" She looked to Kenzi.
"The Works, Your Majesty, without green peppers." Kenzi noted as she met all the questioning looks directed her way. Except Bo, who chuckled to herself.
"Yes! The Works!" The Regnant said with a large smile. Then turned to the Seneschal "You will need to learn how to make pizza." The Seneschal bowed. The Regnant turned to Trick.
"There is one final stop we have to make, Fitzpatrick." The Regnant said.
"I understand." Trick replied.
"And it is important that you, Bo and your closest associates attend as well." The Regnant said.
"Where are we going?" Bo asked.
"Africa." Trick answered.
As they were about to depart the JFM Louis came up to Emilia and presented her with flowers.
"I hope that we can continue to see one another." Louis said.
"I would enjoy that." Emilia replied.
"Wow! This will be the first time I have ever tried to see anyone on another plane." Louis said.
As they chatted The Regnant observed, keenly from a distance. The Queen Consort noticed.
"Emilia has a suitor." Helen said.
"I can tell. Is she interested in him?" Ari asked.
"That remains to be seen." Helen replied.
"Good." Ari said.
"Ari!" Helen gently chastised.
"She's my little girl." Ari said.
"She will eventually want to get married." Helen advised.
'She can take her time. All the time she needs." Ari said.
"She is over 1100 years old." Helen said.
"That means she is just waiting for the right one to come along that is all." Ari replied. Helen rolled her eyes.
A Fae couple proceeded to approach the Ruling Couple. Bas Gunther stopped them.
"Your Majesties!" The couple called out. "We humbly beseech and ask for your blessing for our newborn daughter."
"We would be honored." The Queen Consort replied and nodded at Bas Gunther let the couple through.
The Fae couple respectively bowed and curtsied, and then offered their newborn to The Queen Consort. Jock stepped forward, took the baby, and turned to The Regnant and The Queen Consort.
"We, the Monadori, sponsor the blessing of this child in your name." Jock recited as he handed the child to The Queen Consort.
"Well, this is a first!" The Regnant said as she looked to The Queen Consort.
While The Queen Consort held the baby The Regnant took the baby out of its wrapping and saw it was a Plethdor, a salamander-like Fae. It was still in its original skin and its tongue slithered in and out. The Regnant raised the baby in the air and made coo noises, and then flashed her baby blues to the delight of the baby's parents. Then The Regnant handed the baby back to The Queen Consort and offered a blessing.
"It is a great joy for us to welcome this new life among us. We are honored and grateful to have been chosen to offer our blessing upon her in her entry on this plane of existence. We lovingly accept her within our way of life, and for her energy and gifts to beautifully complement ours. May she ever prosper!" The Fae couple beamed and cried.
Dyson looked at Julian and asked, "That was their first blessing?"
"Yes." Julian replied.
"You are right. Jock is not alone." Dyson said.
