"So, are we in agreement?" The Queen Consort asked. Heads nodded around the very large conference room table within her offices.
"Dr. Lewis? Anything you wish to add?" The Queen Consort prompted.
"No, Your Majesty. I'm good. Thank you for asking." Lauren replied. The Queen Consort stood up and the attendees around the exceptionally large conference table followed suit. The Queen Consort then stepped away to extended courtesies followed by her aides and Dr. Lauren Lewis, and her aide, Dyak Harte.
Even though Lauren had been shadowing Dr. Ortuso at various negotiating conferences, she caused the most stir whenever she joined The Queen Consort at a meeting or event. The social events Lauren felt she could handle. It was the meetings where The Queen Consort would negotiate policy agreements between various representatives and delegations that Lauren felt out of her depth.
Lauren took pride in her intellectual capabilities, but realized she paled in comparison to The Queen Consort. Lauren had said as much after one meeting with some of the Rajahs.
"How do you do it? I sat there the entire time and still have no idea what happened." The Queen Consort smiled.
"It will come to you over time."
"But how did you do all of this? With a family?"
"Trust me, it was not easy for Ari and me when we started out, and we are blessed that all of our children have taken an interest in serving the Realm."
"Really? I thought they were sort of mandated."
"They were mandated not to be louts. Neither Ari or I would tolerate such a thing. All we wanted them to do was find a direction that suited them and earn their responsibilities. That's how Ari and I did it and that's how we wanted them to do it."
"You must be very proud."
"Very! What about Ryan, Char, MaryAoife, and Ethan? How are they shaping up? Personality-wise?"
"Ryan and Char continue to be thick as thieves. Ethan likes digging. Building things. Figuring things out. Recently, he pushed some of the outside chairs together and then tried to stack them on top of one another. We had to help him to hold them up, of course, and when we did he pulled our hands away, watched the chairs topple, stared at them for a moment and then tried again."
"Same way?"
"No. Another way."
"Sounds like a budding engineer."
"It does." Lauren replied. "MaryAoife is…contemplative. But she can also be very determined."
"Sounds like the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree."
"Actually, she reminds me of Bo. When she's being…contemplative. There's a depth there like Bo. Ryan and Char are little bargainers. Always looking for an angle."
"That could prove to be quite the skillset."
"I chalk it up to Kenzi's influence." Lauren replied. The Queen Consort smiled.
"I remember Ari's father, Nassor, was concerned over the influence my brother Bearnard has over the children. He thought Bearnard was a fierce warrior but also quite mischievous. Whenever the families were joined for occasions Nassor would hover over the children out of fear my brother would teach them some scandalous habit."
"What did your parents do?"
"My father, of course, matched Nassor hover for hover, while our mothers watched with amusement."
"And Ari?"
"You talk about Char and Ryan being thick as thieves. Try Ari and Chione. Whenever this happened Ari would take off with Chione somewhere and leave me to deal with it."
"I feel your pain. Bo does that with me with Mary." Lauren replied. The Queen Consort smiled.
"I have been meaning to ask you this for the longest time, but the Convocation was your idea?" Lauren asked.
"Actually, it was something my father practiced on a micro scale. It was this type of approach which earned him the reputation being one of the greatest statemen in the history of the Realm. I decided to apply what he did on a macro scale."
"Realm-wide. That's quite the application." Lauren replied. Helen smiled.
"We had nothing to lose. The Realm was in tatters. Billions of lives lost. We needed to re-focus the Realm onto matters of shared survival. A Convocation seemed like the best way to bring the Realm together and focused on a framework of shared objectives. The first Convocation focused on making peace between the warring factions. The next one focused the Realm on collective rebuilding efforts. The next one after that focused on partnership agreements, and so on and so forth, and here we are some 1400 years later still standing and extremely prosperous."
"It's a brilliant process, but also incredibly intertwined and complicated. There's so much to learn."
"Let me share with you a secret to our success."
"What's that?"
"You have help. An enormous amount of help. Use it. Leverage it. Wield it. Lean on it. Heavily." Helen replied. Lauren nodded. Then Dyak Harte approached.
"Pardon me, Your Majesty. Dr. Lewis, you have an event on your calendar this evening for which you must prepare." Dyak Harte informed.
"I thought my schedule was clear tonight?" Lauren asked.
"Her Royal Highness added it while you were in your meeting." Dyak Harte replied.
"That's mysterious." Lauren commented.
"Mysterious indeed!" Helen said with a smile. "Good afternoon, Doctor." Both Lauren and Dyak Harte curtsied to The Queen Consort as she turned and walked away.
Lauren returned to her private chambers to find Bo outside on a downstairs patio playing with their children in the garden. Lauren stopped at the patio doorway for a few minutes to enjoy the sight then stepped out onto the patio.
"Hey!" Lauren greeted.
Bo and the children all turned around and smiled. Char, Ryan, Ethan and MaryAoife all walked up to her with smiles and raised arms. Lauren gathered them closer as Bo came up and greeted her with a kiss.
"Got away early?" Lauren asked.
"While I still could. How was your day?" Bo asked.
"Just got out of a meeting shadowing The Queen Consort on the package agreements with some of the Rajahs. They are still quarreling over the outlines."
"Feel your pain. Politics is really Trick's domain."
"And yours too. You're doing it."
"And so are you."
"I feel so out of my depth."
"Remember, we got this. Together." Bo said. Lauren took a deep breath.
"Lyra said you placed something on my schedule?" Lauren asked.
"Yep."
"What is it?"
"You'll see." Bo said with a grin.
"Milady?" The Seneschal prompted.
"Yes?" Lauren answered.
"We need to prepare you for this evening."
"It involves all that?" Lauren asked as she looked to Bo who continued to smile. "You're not coming with me to whatever this is?"
"Nope! The children and I are having dinner with Trick and Dyson instead. Now you better hurry! You don't want to be late! We'll be out there playing while you get ready." Bo replied.
"Okay." Lauren said unsure of what to expect.
About an hour later Lauren emerged and found Bo and their children in one of the downstairs drawing rooms. She wore a simple black dress, shoes, and her blonde hair was swept up into a pony tail with her bangs hanging down the sides of her face.
"Wow! You look great!" Bo complimented.
"Thank you! You still can't tell me what this is about?"
"All I can say is this: Have so much fun tonight!" Bo replied then kissed Lauren. After they broke their kiss Bo turned to the four amigos. "Say bye, bye to Mommy!"
"Bye!" came the chorus and hand waves to wit Lauren bent down and kissed all four of them before they walked out the door.
"Behave tonight." Lauren said to garbles of acknowledgment. Lauren watched the door close behind them and then turned to the Seneschal.
"Okay. What do I do now?" Lauren asked. The Seneschal nodded to Bas Cibor who walked up.
"This way Milady." Bas Cibor replied as he directed towards a side door.
They arrived at the entrance of Oliver House and Bas Cibor walked ahead of Lauren inside the restaurant and the Seneschal brought up the rear.
Passing patrons gave Bas Cibor a wide berth and Lauren a mixture of curious, inquisitive looks and smiles, and to Lauren's amazement a slight bow of their heads.
Bas Cibor stopped just inside the inner atrium of the restaurant packed with patrons and again to Lauren's amazement a hush fell over the crowd.
Lauren didn't know whether she should stay the course or flee. Instead, she chose a third option and offered a tentative smile.
"Blessing and felicitations, Milady!" came the startled greeted. Lauren turned and saw what looked like the maître d' and let out an audible sound of relief.
"Hello!" Lauren replied.
"My name is Ossin. I am the host of Oliver House. You do us honor with your patronage this evening." Ossin welcomed.
"Thank you, Ossin," Lauren replied. "Kinda wish I knew why I was here."
"Of course! This way, please." Ossin directed as he led the way followed by the Seneschal and Bas Cibor.
Ossin led them through the very middle of the restaurant, passing by tables as patrons ceased conversation and stared at Lauren as she went. Again, Lauren received a mixture of looks as she went, from curiosity to disapproval to smiles. Lauren felt suddenly resentful of Ossin for parading her through the middle of the restaurant and would have said something if she only knew what was happening. She was grateful for Bas Cibor's size. For as she passed patrons leaned back to take in the size and massiveness that was Bas Cibor. What felt like an eternity they finally arrived at a door on the other side of restaurant. Ossin opened it and stepped inside first, and then Lauren and company followed. They navigated several short hallways and arrived at another door.
"Okay. Seriously. What's going on?" Lauren asked concerned. Ossin smiled in response and opened the door and entered the very dark room. Lauren glanced quickly at both the Seneschal and Bas Cibor and then stepped through the door. The lights came on and revealed her answer.
"SURPRISE!" Yelled the 200 assembled guests with raised glasses within the private dining room, which had ten long, rectangular exquisitely decorated tables, which matched the exquisitely decorated dining room.
"Oh my God! What is this?" Lauren asked surprised, beet red as she covered her mouth and nose in shock.
"Girl's night out!" Yelled the 200 assembled guests in unison.
"What?" Lauren said still red.
"I spoke with Bo some time ago about a such an evening to show our appreciation for you, and she thought it was brilliant idea." Elena replied.
"With the Convocation and everything that has been happening lately we thought this might good for you." Ariella added.
"I hope you're surprised?" Elena asked as she stepped up closer. Lauren suddenly remembered to curtsey before Elena as she was the ranking member of the Ruling Children present.
"And there will be no more of that tonight. As Bo likes to say, it's just us." Elena replied. Lauren scanned the room and saw it was all women. Among some of the notables, all the daughters of Their Majesties were present. Drs. Ortuso, Osheen, Makar, Florent and Asaro from Presidium Medical. Drs. Danna and Alderic, and newlywed Head Nurse Jobina Gallo from the JFM.
"This is all so overwhelming!" Lauren said as tears formed.
"Let's not have any waterworks either, Hooker!" Came a familiar voice. Lauren turned.
"Crystal! Mirabel!" Lauren greeted as she extended out her arms and they fell into a group hug.
"What? How?" Lauren asked after they broke their embrace.
"Tamsin got a hold of us to meet Abby at the JFM, and we were swept away from there." Crystal explained. "By the way, Tamsin sends her love, and apologizes for not being able to make it. She says it's hectic, and you would understand."
"Thanks, and yes I do. Did you just get here?" Lauren asked.
"About few hours ago." Mirabel replied. "We arrived at the Great Atrium and Crystal had fainted at the sight of it."
"Literally. Hit the decks." Crystal added.
"And how are you taking all of this?" Lauren asked Mirabel.
"This place is incredible!" Mirabel replied.
"And one day you will be this place's Queen?" Crystal asked.
"No. Just Companion in Rule." Lauren corrected.
"Screw that! You need to ask for a raise if you're going to help be responsible for all of this!" Crystal said. Everyone chuckled.
"We're working on it." Lauren replied then hugged them both as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"I've missed you guys so much!"
"We've missed you too, Hooker." Crystal replied then looked at the Seneschal. "I will keep the 'Hooker' calling to a minimum."
"Can you stay for a couple days?" Lauren asked.
"Can you spare the time?" Crystal asked.
"We will make it work. Where do they have you guys staying?" Lauren asked.
"In a palace. I crap you not." Crystal replied.
"That changes now. You're staying with Bo and me." Lauren declared as she looked to the Seneschal who quickly bowed their heads in acknowledgement.
"Can you spare the room?" Crystal asked.
"Trust me. Besides the children will love seeing you guys again." Lauren replied.
"Pardon, Milady. What can we start you with?" Ossin asked.
"Oh, anything." Lauren replied.
"We have quite the selection of human potations. We made sure to have some on hand so those from the Human Plane felt welcome." Ossin said.
"That was very thoughtful of you, thank you. Well, in that case, if this is a girl's night out then I want whiskey. Irish. The strongest one you've got." Lauren replied.
"Redbreast. 50-Year Old Cask Strength Irish Whiskey. 115 proof?" Ossin asked for confirmation. Lauren's eyes widened.
"Ah. Yep! That'll do it!" Lauren replied.
"Make that two!" Crystal joined.
"Uh. Make that three!" Mirabel added.
"Make that four!" Dr. Abigail Danna chimed.
"Make that five! Nurse Jobina Gallo called out.
"Looks like we'll make it a round of for all the guests." Maxima decided. Ossin quickly bowed and left the room.
"Milady? Not Dr. Lewis?" Crystal asked.
"It's the higher addressment because of my relationship with Bo as The Princess Royal."
"Gotcha!"
Ossin returned a few minutes later followed by staff who carried trays of the Redbreast Whiskey. After they were passed out among the guests. Elena raised her glass.
"To you, Dr. Lauren Lewis!" Elena said as she raised her glass. She returned the gesture by clanking glasses with Elena.
"Thank you." Lauren replied then proceeded to down the drink in one shot and everyone in the room followed suit. Suddenly there were a mixture of reactions: from curiosity, to sour faces, to chest-pounding.
"Good grief! What is this stuff?" Dr. Leena Alderic struggled as she tried to calm the fire in her chest with more pounding.
"Drinking this stuff doesn't bother you?" Crystal asked Emilia who looked unfazed.
"We drink with Uncle Bearnard. One learns to develop a tolerance." Emilia replied.
"Bad habits indeed." Lauren mumbled in recollection.
"Another round!" Called out Atia to the wait staff who promptly poured another round for the assembled guests.
"We're not going to slam another one of these are we?" Dr. B'Lanna Makar asked with some trepidation.
"Looks like it." Dr. Kicho Asaro replied.
Atia hoisted her glass around and made the clanking gesture.
"A toast! May we all survive another Convocation!" Atia replied which elicited a combination of chuckles and laughter.
"Is that a thing?" Crystal asked Lauren with concern.
"It is." Lauren replied. Everyone promptly downed their shots followed by another round of curiosity, sour faces, and chest pounding.
"A third round!" Called out Ariella to the wait staff.
"Really?" Dr. Uttara Marek pleaded.
Once the third round was poured Ariella hoisted her drink into the air.
"A toast! To the prosperity of the Realm, to those who strive to protect it, and to Their Majesties who reign over us!"
"Through their sovereignty may we be blessed, may we always prosper, and may our lives last long throughout our sunrises and sunsets!" Most of the crowd recited in unison and then promptly downed the third round again to faces and chest pounding.
"Can we slow down now? I don't think my chest can take a fourth round?" Crystal pleaded. Elena chuckled.
"I think we can save further toasts for later." Elena announced to audible sighs of relief. "Let us enjoy some of the appetizers and mingle shall we?"
"I have to ask. That whole parade down the middle of the restaurant. Was that necessary?" Lauren asked Elena.
"As the companion to The Princess Royal you will have to become use to being observed, and the Realm must get used to you. Especially, with the marriage question officially on the table." Elena replied.
"Really?" Crystal piped in with a grin.
"I thought the plan was to approach the question gently. We're asking the Realm for quite a lot this first go-around." Lauren said.
"Nevertheless, it's important the Realm recognize the importance of your role." Elena replied.
"Given some of the looks I received walking through the restaurant, that may be long in coming." Lauren said.
"Yes, but it will come." Elena replied.
"Other than the social politics, how are you adjusting to life here at the Presidium. Miss home?" Mirabel asked Lauren.
"Honestly, I miss the old familiarity." Lauren replied. Then Ariella and Emilia joined them with Rimma and Maxima in tow. Ariella was picking at her appetizer plate.
"There wasn't any meat on the appetizer table." Ariella directed at Elena. "Emilia says there's no meat being served at dinner. Is she serious? There won't be any meat for dinner? There had better be some meat presented at dinner or I'm going outside, killing something, and dragging it back in here!"
"She's teasing Ariella." Elena assured. Ariella let out a breath.
"My darling sister, it's not as if you haven't lived without meat before." Emilia replied in the most soothing tone while she wrapped her one arm around her sister's arm.
"Don't try and use your Siren ways on me, lovely one." Ariella lovingly warned with light touch under Emilia's chin. "This has been a trying Convocation. It has taken everything in me not to gnaw on the bones of some of the planar representatives."
"That's not really a thing, is it?" Crystal whispered to Lauren to wit Lauren responded with hiked up eyebrows.
"Forgive Ariella. She's prone to exaggeration when she's hungry." Maxima answered.
"I should've hunted today." Ariella grumbled.
"Let's go find you something to gnaw on then. Will Parliamentary Representative Elicido over there do?" Emilia asked as she pointed into the crowd. Ariella leaned over and smiled.
"Quite!" Ariella replied. "No one will miss her."
"This is a joke, right? They're joking right?" Crystal said, a bit alarmed. Ariella and Emilia smiled and walked off into the crowd.
"Yes, they're joking." Rimma assured.
"I dunno." Maxima countered with a glancing look and then took a sip of her drink.
"Okay. Moving on. I need to connect with Evony. Might as well do it while I'm here." Crystal said to Lauren.
"About Cramb's?" Lauren asked. "She really needs to give that up."
"I keep trying to tell her, but she won't do it." Crystal replied. "Will she be here tonight?"
"No. She's going back and forth between Nahala and LaCommande where her family lives. She's back there right now."
"Can I connect with her before I go?" Crystal replied. "I would hate to miss her. Or worse, have her tear at me for missing her." Everyone smiled.
"We can do that." Lauren replied.
"Speaking of which, also while we are here we need to talk turkey." Dr. Danna said to Lauren.
"Turkey? Did we miss an important human food item?" Rimma piped in. Lauren smiled.
"It's a figure of speech. Meaning, we need to talk business." Lauren explained then turned to Dr. Danna. "What's going on?"
"It's the next stage of our clinical trials." Dr. Danna replied. "Dr. Alderic here and Dr. Padameshi have been assigned to present Phase Three of the trials for our diabetes drug at the next Stakeholders Meeting prior to bringing it to market, but we've hit a bit of a contention."
"Challenges really." Dr. Alderic added.
"What challenges?" Lauren asked.
"Our research is being called questionable." Nurse Jobina Gallo answered.
"We plan to assign Jobina with the task of being our resident 'whip,' to ensure we meet our stated objectives. It will help pad her resume for when she becomes a full-fledged MD." Dr. Danna explained.
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Doctor Lewis!" Jobina replied.
"Does the drug work?" Lauren asked.
"According to all our tests." Dr. Alderic replied.
"So, how can it be questionable if it works?" Lauren asked.
"They're calling into question the entire tract of the process. What was used, the methodologies used, etc." Dr. Danna replied.
"Whose 'they'?" Lauren asked.
"The Approval and Monitoring Committee under the Pharmaceutical Governing Board." Dr. Danna replied.
"Are any of the allegations true?" Lauren asked.
"Not the methodologies, no." Nurse Gallo replied.
"What they're really calling into question is what we used to craft the drugs in the first place." Dr. Alderic added.
"But what we used is derived from my research on the Fae." Lauren added. "We've been through this exercise before. What's changed?"
"Specifically? The inquirer." Dr. Danna replied.
"Whose that?" Lauren asked.
"Dr. Clifton Pennicut." Dr. Danna replied. Lauren eyes narrowed.
"Do you know him?" Dr. Alderic asked.
"What does he specifically want to know?" Lauren asked.
"He wants to know the specifics. All of it. And he wants an exclusive presentation." Dr. Danna.
"Isn't your work proprietary?" Mirabel asked.
"To a point." Dr. Danna replied. "Unless the trials demonstrate harm."
"Is there harm going on?" Mirabel asked.
"No. But he's alleging potential harm." Dr. Danna replied.
"I need to review all of this." Lauren said.
"We were hoping you'd say that. We need you to come back. Help us nip this in the bud."
"Back to the Human plane again?" Rimma said exasperated.
"And during the Convocation?" Maxima challenged. "Haven't we been through this exercise about not jetting off, particularly during the Convocation?"
"When's the next trial presentation?" Lauren asked.
"In the next month." Dr. Danna replied.
"Still! During the Convocation!" Maxima reiterated.
"Can it be delayed until after the Convocation?" Lauren asked.
"We already tried once. I can try again, but I can't guarantee success." Dr. Danna replied.
"Fair enough. Let's try to make up some type of excuse. Anything. Maxima is right; Their Majesties would not be happy if I or Bo jetted off again, especially right now." Lauren replied.
"I will do my best." Dr. Danna said.
"Never a dull moment is it with you, Hooker." Crystal said as she took a sip of her drink.
Lauren returned to her private chambers in the early morning a little worse for wear. As soon as she crossed the threshold she collapsed in a nearby chair and pulled off her shoes and rubbed her feet. The Seneschal that had stayed behind with Bo and the children greeted her.
"Bo?" Lauren inquired.
"In the upstairs drawing room, Milady." The Seneschal replied.
"And the children?"
"With her, Milady?"
"What? What are they doing up at this hour?" Lauren asked as she rose from her chair and headed for the drawing room.
"They are asleep, Milady." The Seneschal replied as they walked behind her. When she entered the upstairs drawing room she found Bo and their children sleeping on three, wide setees pushed together. The balcony doors were open to the night sky, and a cool breeze flowed through the doors. Ryan and MaryAoife were sleeping on one setee with a blanket over them, and Ethan and Char on another with a blanket over them as well. Bo was asleep on a setee closest to Ryan with a blanket over her.
"How come they fell asleep here?" Lauren whispered.
"They were playing a game of 'counting the stars'." The Seneschal replied. Lauren smiled.
Lauren took off her accoutrements and handed them to the Seneschal who then bowed and left. Still in her dress, she crawled next to Bo and pulled the blanket over them both and spooned her. Bo stirred but then Lauren kissed her long on the back of her head and held her closer and Bo went back to sleep.
Lauren whispered, "I love you," and was soon fast behind her.
