Part 3: The Journey to England
Chapter 35
"Buckingham Palace"
Upon completing their walk around Hyde Park, Jane and Tarzan rejoined Archimedes and finished their drive to Buckingham Palace. Archimedes was very excited to be entering the royal palace on the eve of his knighting for everything he had done to educate millions on gorillas and their habitats. Upon being escorted to the royal throne room, they were all announced and Queen Victoria sat on the throne, smiling down at her old friend as he walked forward towards her.
"My dear Archimedes," she said warmly. "It's been a very long time since I've last seen you."
"Indeed it has, your highness," he said, bowing to her. "I'm honored to be part of the royal empire on this momentous occasion."
"All of England is very much looking forward to this occasion, Archimedes," replied the Queen. "They have been talking about this for days."
She then turned towards Tarzan and Jane who curtseyed and when Tarzan didn't bow, Jane elbowed him and did so, following Archimedes' lead.
"And is this the fair and beautiful Jane?" she asked. "You certainly have grown into a beautiful young woman."
"Why, thank you so much," said Jane. "I wanted to introduce you to my husband, John Clayton otherwise known as Tarzan."
Queen Victoria didn't quite know what to initially make of Tarzan. As far as she was concerned, Tarzan was nothing like all the other subjects and even if he stood there, standing like a stiff, she could sense that he wasn't born of English Custom.
"I see," said Queen Victoria. "Is this a man you met in the jungles of Africa?"
"I have met him," replied Jane. "As a matter of fact your highness, he is actually my husband."
A large gasp came throughout the court and Queen Victoria, who was so shocked that her crown nearly fell off, tried to make sense of Tarzan's origins.
"You married this man?" gasped Queen Victoria. "Archimedes, I thought she was going to be married to young Robert Canler."
Archimedes stuttered for a second as both he and the Queen had always thought of Jane marrying a wealthy civilized man and not a man who was raised in the jungle.
"Well, she was," stuttered Archimedes. "It's just that, she met and fell in love with Tarzan and I must say that even if he was raised by gorillas in the jungles of Africa, he has proven to be a very valued man to our dear Jane."
Queen Victoria was growing even more surprised by this as she was now hosting the presence of a man that had the jungle as his only home. But, she wanted to look at the deeper connection that Tarzan had.
"If you don't mind my asking, Tarzan," asked Queen Victoria. "What did your wife say your real name was?"
"Uh, John Clayton, your majesty," he said bowing to her.
"You don't have to keep bowing to me, Mr. Clayton," she replied. "It's only when you first meet me that you have to bow to me."
She then turned to Archimedes with a small smile.
"Archimedes learned this when he received the Victoria Cross for his actions against the Zulus," she laughed.
They both shared a chuckle and Queen Victoria then turned her attention back to Tarzan. It seemed like even if she was looking at him, it appeared in her mind that it seemed like she knew Tarzan to an extent, even if she didn't meet him until now.
"Actually, Tarzan," she said. "I knew your parents, Lord and Lady Clayton. They were very well known members of my court and that they were going to South Africa to meet with King Cechwayo and the Zulu Tribe when we lost contact with them off the coast of Africa. Lady Clayton was pregnant with you at the time and she must have given birth to you while they were at sea."
"That's amazing," gasped Jane. "I didn't know your parents were members of the royal court, Tarzan. That must mean you are a member of this court as well."
This made Tarzan uncomfortable for a second for that he knew he was a member of her majesty's royal court and not just the king of the jungle that he had always been known for. Deep down, he knew that he had a commitment to the gorillas back in Africa and that he was now going to be torn between staying in England and returning to the place that he had always known and loved.
"In fact," said Queen Victoria. "Perhaps it would be best Tarzan if you stayed here in England forever and leave your life in Africa behind."
"But you don't understand," said Tarzan. "I live among the apes and that I am their leader."
"Well they can find a leader among themselves, Tarzan," said Queen Victoria, focusing on Archimedes at the moment. "In fact, Tarzan, I was just about to offer Archimedes an elaborate position as a professor at Oxford University in addition to his knighting."
Archimedes had to put Tarzan's problem aside for a moment upon hearing those words as a professorship at Oxford was his ultimate dream aside from being with the gorillas and Jane was admired to be the daughter of a professor at Oxford and that she would long to be back in the civilized world with her friends.
"I would be honored your majesty," gasped Archimedes. "It would be good for all of us, but I think we need to think about where we go from here. We have some very tough decisions that we need to make."
"Why of course you can," said Queen Victoria. "My servants will show you to your quarters where you will stay until your knighting ceremony."
She then turned to several servants who stepped forward to take them away to their quarters. Tarzan looked over at Queen Victoria with a stern glance for what she said about Tarzan abandoning his position as leader of the gorillas was going to be a tough pill to swallow for Kerchak had chosen him to lead his Gorilla Family as he laid dying from the wounds he suffered at the hands of Clayton.
Meanwhile, the British Police had arrested several men in the southwest corner of London for planning to assassinate the Queen and one of them was Jane's ex-fiance, Bobby Canler.
For the first time in a while, Jane was going to meet Bobby and that it was going to be a tense meeting between them…
