(Here is the next chapter, where we meet the royal King and the Duke. But it looks like something is up. Let's find out.)
Planning and Invitations
Several days had past after the arrival of Hidey, who had quickly became accustomed to the life of the Chateau, and just many miles away at the castle there was a much greater activity going on than at Elitarella's home.
Inside the throne room, King Magnus was on his throne, ranting about one subject that he believed was far more important than any royal matter, the betrothal of his son, Prince Optimus. The King had tried everything to have his son married to several femmes of royalty, and each on of them was a failure. The Prince was either not interested or wasn't even around to attend the meeting of any of the suitors.
"This cannot continue. It is high time that he find the right femme and settle down." King Magnus said to Duke Trion, the red, purple, and silver bearded mech who was always seen by the Kings side. He was considered to be the Kings right hand mech since he was the one who often had the best solutions to King Magnus's problems, even if the solutions would be altered by the King himself.
"I understand, sire. But, we must be patient. The Prince will find the one for him soon." Duke Trion said, but that wasn't much help.
"I have been patient. I've been patient for a long time." King Magnus said angrily, but he then sighed in frustration as he apologized to the Duke. "Oh, I did not mean to retaliate like that. It's just that my son has still not found his significant other yet, and...well, I'm not gong to remain online forever. And, before I go, I want to see my grandchildren." The King then looked upon the many painting that were hung along the side sod the room, each one depicting the activities he had used to do with his son from his young life to the present day. He wanted to do those once again. "It is crucial that my son marries and has children, so there will be an heir and our generation will continue on; that, and I'd love to play with my grandchildren. You've no idea how long I've wanted them! I want to hear the pitter patter of little feet again before I go offline."
"I do sympathize with you, my lord." Duke Trion answered as he then patted the King's shoulder in comfort. "But, perhaps if we just let him alone.."
"Let him alone? With his ridiculous ideas about what love is supposed to be." He then huffed as he thought about it and said, "Love is nothing more than a mech and a femme meeting under the right conditions."
Just then, he snapped his fingers and exclaimed. "Wait a micro second. A mech meeting a femme under the right conditions? Aha! I have it! We shall arrange this meeting for my son!"
The Duke stuttered about this idea and was worried that the prince would suspect his father's plan. After all, he remembered that the Price would always suspect his fathers plans of having him betrothed and most of those plans have failed. But, King Magnus pushed away the setback and then said to his companion. "Look, the mech is returning today from war, is he not?"
"Yes, and it certainly was a very long one; probably lasting for 2,000 teller cycles. I am glad that it is over and done with." Duke Trion answered.
"Yes, and what better way to celebrate his return to our kingdom than to have a royal ball. And, if by chance that all of the maidens of my kingdom were to attend..." King Magnus then chuckled to himself. "...Why, he is bound to show a romantic interest in one of them. This is what I plan to do, Duke Trion, and you shall assist me."
The Duke sighed to himself, knowing that he could not convince the King otherwise, and got out a scroll and held out a pen. "Very well, sire. I shall arrange this ball to honor the Prince's return for.."
"Tonight."
Duke Trion could have choked to death after the answer, but he manage to stutter his shock upon the Kings almost impossible date for the ball. "Tonight? But, sire. This is.."
"TONIGHT! AND SEE THAT ALL OF THE MAIDENS OF MY KINGDOM ATTEND!" King Magnus shouted as he then left the throne room to relax his already frazzled processor, but his processor was not as frazzled as the Duke's.
"Oh dear. All maidens? Oh my, my, my. I might as well get started. Oh my! All those letters! Oh dear."
While the Duke wrote all the thousands of invitations to be delivered, back at the Chataeu, Lord Megatron had his two daughters recite their vocal components in the living room, where he sat by the grand piano, playing the tune of choice but he kept stopping each time his two femmes argued or messed up a line form the song.
As much one were to lie about the musical talents of Night bird and Starscream, one might lie about the tenderness of a rabid fox. Their voices were not that of the carols of the spirits of the Well of Allsparks, and each voice sounded more like a violin that has been strung to tightly. Each yowl and screech was enough to even drive away any living thing away, including Soundwave, who was watching them and cringed in pain from the out-of-tuned voices of his masters daughters.
The cat left the room much rather quickly to escape for the sake of his audio receptors, and manage to return to the foot of the staircase, and then heard another voice. But, this voice was not as screechy or outrageous as Starscream or Nightbird, but of Elitarella's own voice.
Now, even though she was often left alone, she saw it from time to time to sing to herself to pass the day while doing her chores. Her voice was almost as golden as any golden substance found on Cybertron, as sweet as a nightingale, and as lovely as a roses petal plates.
Elitarella was singing as she was given the task of mopping at the moment, but in her optics she saw that the mop in her hands was not a mop. She saw this as an unseen person. A person she would see in her dreams as she slept, a person she felt protected by, a person she felt like she was meant for.
So much was Elitarella entranced by her voice and dancing, that she did not notice that Soundwave had planted his paws into a potted plant and began to imprint his paw prints all over the floor.
It wasn't until Elitarella opened her closed optics that she gasped and dropped her broom. "Soundwave!" She looked around, seeing all her hard work tarnished by a cats footprints. She had finally had enough of Soundwave's tricks and grabbed her broom. "I have had enough of this. Whether I am beaten or not, I am going to teach you a..."
A series of knocks caught Elitarella's attention and turned to the door, allowing Soundwave to make his escape.
The femme opened the door, and a yellow, and blue much in fancy attire was standing before her, and he spoke in a rather bubbly voice. "Afternoon, madam." The mech then reached into his sachem and pulled out a letter. "An urgent message form his majesty, King Magnus."
"Thank you, sir." Elitarella smiled and took the envelope and the mech bowed and left. "Hmm, I wonder what this letter is about? He did say that it was an urgent message."
She then heard the long, tone-deaf voice of her step sister, Starsceam, and shook her head. "I suppose I should interrupt the...music lesson, and find out what is inside."
Stascream had been raising her voice much too loudly, and Nightbird was just about ready to slap her, which she did. "Stop raising your voice! You sound like a donkey in labor!" Nightbird taunted.
"Well, you sound like a dying frog, you frog!" Stascream yelled right back, and the two began arguing once again, making Lord Megatron pinch his brow and growl in annoyance.
"Girls! Enough!" he shouted, and the two fell silent. "If you two are to be recognized for your vocal talents, you are to remember the one thing I have repeatedly tell you. Self Control."
"Yes, father." the two answered, right before the stuck their glossa's at each other.
Megatron then sighed and prepared to play the tune again, hoping that there would be no more distractions, when the door knocked and he slammed his fists agains the piano keys in anger and he turned around and yelled, "WHAT NOW!?"
Elitarella entered at the tone of her fathers bellow and Lord Megatron arose and scolded her for interrupting. "But, father. I have this. It arrived form the palace." Elitarella answered and had showed the letter, but it was quickly snatched away by the set sisters as they fought to open it up, but it was quickly seized by Lord Megatron, glaring at them with impatience.
The Lord opened the envelope and pulled out a letter and began to read it aloud for everyone to hear. "To all subjects of the Kingdom, his royal Majesty, King Magnus, has issued a ball to be held tonight, in honor of his only spawn and heir to the throne, Prince Optimus. By royal command, all maidens of the Kingdom must attend."
"A ball?" Starscream's optics widened.
"All maidens must attend?" Nightbird gaped.
Then, the two began hugging each other and squealing happily, saying that this was the best day of their entire life! "Oh boy! The ball! And we get to meet Prince Optimus!" they chanted in a foolish, child-like way.
"Then this means that I may come, too." Elitarella smiled.
"What? You? Ha! No way!" Starscream stopped her bouncing and placed her hands on her hips, not looking the least bit impressed. "I bet you will be nothing more than a bore at the ball." She then talked in a mocking tone of Elitarella's voice. "Oh, Prince Optimus. Would you like to polish the floors with me?"
Nightbird then joined in, in a mocking voice of her own. "Your highness, would you like to kiss my broom?" They all bursted into heavy and hard laughter over their act of downsizing Elitarella's eligibility.
Despitre her sisters mockery of her, Elitarella stood her ground and spoke out. "And, why must I not attend? I am still a member of this family, and the letter did state that every maiden was attend; a command by the King himself. Would you think of going back on the commands of a royal?" This one question made all three Cybertronains stand still in silence. Lord Megatron was very impressed by this pink femme's bravery to stand up against his own children, but then he, just like Starscream and Nightbird, did not want her to join. He only wanted his family members to be seen by the Prince, not Elitarella.
"You do speak the truth, Elitarella. However, I may consider you attending the ball...If, you are able to complete your list of chores before the coach arrive tonight." Megatron made his bargain to the femme, much to his daughters shock and Elitarella's happiness, and Elitarella left the room, thanking him as she left.
"Father! Do you have any idea what you have done?" Nightbird said to her father.
Megatron then made a wicked smile on his face plate and acknowledged his daughters question. "Of course, my dear. I said 'If'."
It took a moment for the femmes to figure out what their father meant, before ether to had wicked smiles of their own.
*Authors Note*
(Oh boy! A royal ball! Elitarella sure seems excited, but what is it that Lord Megatron and the two step sisters are planning? We will find out n the next chapter. Sparkling Lover out.)