Roosevelt nodded, "Fair. Still, better to be prepared with a few carriers than nothing, if unable to build a fleet by then.", with a hum. Eleanor replied, "Franklin?", with a raised eyebrow, "Right, right, sorry, Eleanor, I won't bring it up again...But can you still be alright if I was the President for a little bit formally with the Queen until the atmosphere is then settled back to comfortable and casual?", realizing that he really needs to make a habit of trying to be a normal person, a best friend for Eleanor, nothing else as he swore to try with every fiber of his being.
Eleanor glanced at the others, and Peggy replied, "The Queen knows when to let her hair down and such, it would only be a few times, like for diplomatic trade or something, but otherwise she very much realizes that it's a very needed vacation for you both.".
It was a few moments before the sub surfaced in the air pocket before everyone took a bit of a relaxing breath. "It's a bit strange still, but the air never feels very... musty or contained. It almost feels like the fresh air on the surface even this far deep into the tunnels.", Bucky explained.
Roosevelt replied, "Yes, I can breathe just fine...", as Eleanor nodded, both awed of the cavernous air pocket as the sub floated closer, and Audrey glanced at the shore, smiling as she was relieved that while Roosevelt and Eleanor was distracted by the wildlife of the sea, she had talked on the radio directed for Atlantis, informing Abraham that they are coming, knowing that upon the warning, after informing their royal friends, Abraham would then be portalled by Bebinn up to the Whitmore Irish home to stay with Thaddeus, with the kids, together with Preston and Bebinn as company, making them safe and undiscovered by Roosevelt, and isolated from the rest of Ireland via the Mystic Arts.
"Ah, good, looks like Jacques and the escort group traveled well enough.", Audrey commented as there is Jacques waving in his official High Prince and Diplomat Representative of Atlantis clothes, surrounded by a group of guards and warriors including Dazis, with Ketaks and Martags, wanting to show that the weapons the President heard on Steve's first report of the expedition can be good too as wonderful transportation, and besides, the golden narwhal is a bit too gaudy and flashy via Milo's advice.
Eleanor blinked, "Am I imagining it, or are they actually having white hair, and tattoos?", as dark skin is a norm back on the surface, but the actual appearances were more than she imagined, even after Audrey told them that they are more of tropical people.
"Well, living under the sea and no contact with any other civilizations; I suppose it does make it a bit more likely for those characteristics.", Peggy chuckled. "Oh, and don't worry about a language barrier, we still don't fully understand it either, but they practically are like fluent in so many languages.".
Of course, it was slightly a lie as the group fully understood Atlantean, though they couldn't quite be fluent in speaking the language as they need more time, only the mates of the Atlanteans can do both, like Milo, Jacques, Joshua, and Rebecca, as they have the memories of both saying and understanding the Atlantean language, and other languages on the language tower of Babel, technically speaking.
Roosevelt nodded, "And the only non-Atlantean, of course, must be the infamous Jacques Dernier you spoke of?", and everybody nodded with a smile while the kids fully woke up to the excitement in the air, as Audrey sent out a few anchor steel ropes by a button, where they can see through the window of Jacques ordering as he and the escort group grabbed the ropes and pulled, to the one single low dock, carefully gliding the sub into place, as the group took off their seatbelts more or less, with Steve helping unlatch the wheelchair, as Audrey pushed the button for the ramp to open, getting up with a slight grunt and stretching.
"You alright, Audrey?", Bucky asked in concern as he held Marina who is reaching for her mami, and Audrey smiled, "I'm alright, just sore in my legs that I need to stretch out on a short walk before taking the flight in one of the Ketaks or Martags...This boy of ours has been behaving, yet now a bit active since the trip through the water seemed to lull him to sleep.", with a stroke to her almost-five-month-old baby bump, kissing Marina on the cheek, "Mami!", with a giggle as she cuddled into her mami's side, minding carefully of her baby brother's current home.
"Yes, he'll be here very soon, sweetie.", Audrey smiled as the group waited for the familiar sound of the crafts to be approaching their position.
"What you'll see is what we were able to use to fight the Nazis; Rourke and the goons that showed up had no idea of these things. They had been out of commission for millenniums until Milo was able to help getting them started again.", Steve explained.
Roosevelt was in awe while Eleanor was astounded, slightly automatically helping push Roosevelt's wheelchair onto the dock, happy that Roosevelt asked for her to help just now with pushing, since he was stubborn to do it himself by rolling the wheels and such himself in the family wing like their bedroom and all, only trusting some people to push him if he's tired or sore in the arms, like George.
After locking into the sub with the steel rope anchors and such, Jacques and the escort started up the Ketaks and Martags, to land besides the dock, and got off his Ketak, while the Atlanteans got off some of the craft to join into others in the second seat, leaving some of the craft to be used by the group.
Jacques approached Roosevelt and Eleanor with a smile and a Atlantean salute, "Greetings, Mr. President and Mrs. First Lady, I am High Prince Jacques Nedakh, formerly Dernier, brother-in-law of Queen Kidagaskash Nedakh-Thatch who is very excited to meet you in the beloved kingdom and city of Atlantis. As it's late into the night of your surface hours, it will be a short formal meeting of introduction before heading to your fine accommodations. I trust that'd be acceptable?".
"Well, we're not exactly in a true state visit capacity.", Roosevelt chuckled. "So, we'll do things however you wish to do.", with a smile. "Very good.", Jacques smiled. "Now then, first things first, let's get you secured onto one of these Martags since I don't think these things were ever built with wheelchair users in mind.".
Roosevelt nodded, "Of course. I suppose I and Eleanor will be escorted individually, then?", and Jacques nodded, "Yes, I will personally drive with you as you are the President, and Eleanor will be riding with one of my very trustworthy guards, Dazis.", with a hand gesture.
Dazis stepped forward with a Atlantean bow and a warm, kind smile, "Greetings. I'm the future brother-in-law of Warrior Bucky for I'm the fiancé of his sister, and I'm Dazinish, but everyone calls me Dazis for short.".
Eleanor blinked in surprise, "Warrior Bucky?", as Bucky chuckled, "As they never heard of the word soldier before, ma'am, warrior is the closest they could understand to the meaning of what a soldier is as. I trust Dazis deeply, for he has given my beloved sister a home, a child, and a life she deserves to have. We will tell the story sometime over the week, of course.", with a smile as Dazis beamed.
Roosevelt replied, "Of course, no rush there. Let's do it, then, if you're alright with the arrangement, Eleanor?", and Eleanor took a deep breath, "We won't go too fast or too high?".
Jacques replied, "We won't, ma'am, for we will be steady on to show you both the best sights we could of the tour through, that is, if it's not too much trouble? We do not want to tire you two out too much by being overwhelming.".
"I think the excitement will keep us from being too tired.", Eleanor smiled as Dazis nodded. "Very well, if we're all ready to go then...", he said.
Roosevelt and Eleanor nodded as Steve went to help Roosevelt out of the wheelchair with his super strength, gently placing him in one of the Martags, while Eleanor went to sit beside Dazis in his Martag, while Bucky and Audrey took up another, with Marina on Audrey's lap, almost cradling into her baby brother's home, while Peggy took up the remaining Martag, with Asher and Avery in her arms by the help of another guard, with Brookyln in the other seat next to Peggy, waiting for her daddy after he finishes securing Roosevelt, while Jacques went to latch the wheelchair to the back fin, folding the wheelchair, securing it with strong rope, as the sub is double locked and secured.
After checking with satisfaction, Jacques got into his seat next to Roosevelt, and smiled at Roosevelt, "Wanna do something cool with your crystal, Mr. President?", and Roosevelt blinked in surprise, "I can start it up?", with a grin.
Jacques nodded, "See this slot? You insert your crystal in, turn half-right, and then quarter-run back while you keep your palm on the pad.".
"Is that...?", Roosevelt asked as Jacques nodded, "We have Milo to thank for that; the Atlanteans forgot their own language so they couldn't read the instructions for start-up until Milo translated in the nick of time for us. It's a bit of a story with Rourke as I'm sure they already mentioned...".
Roosevelt smiled, "They did mention it. Okay.", leaning in and grasping his crystal that helped so much with giving him a clearer mind, feeling stronger and healthier despite the polio keeping him paralyzed, and he took a deep breath, focused on Jacques' instructions, and a gasp as his eyes widened in amazement as he saw the beautiful etchings come alive, hearing the rumble of the Atlantean craft and feeling it under him, "Oh, my god...", vaguely hearing the others start up as he took his crystal out, as the craft moved up from the ground.
Jacques chuckled, "That's pretty much the same look that all the warriors had when they realized that they could do it.", using his hands to take up the controls as the craft went into the air, with the guards/warriors' Martags and Ketaks in a formation around their Martag and Eleanor/Dazis's Martag in a guarding escort way, with the others on either side, not too high as they then went through the carved fish entrance, taking on the pace of steady, not too fast, just like Jacques had promised.
It didn't take too long to finally hit the open spaces around the city before the Roosevelt couple really was put into awe of what they saw. Roosevelt had a bit of a mental image thanks to Steve's drawings beforehand but seeing it in person... even Steve as an artist paled in comparison.
"A-And it recovered in a few short years?", Roosevelt whispered in awe, seeing the beautiful lights of Atlantis, with the moon, the Heart shining on Atlantis dimly, yet not too bright, with the late-night boats here and there, the guardians on the edges of the lake, the mist of the waterfalls showing off amazingly.
Jacques smiled proudly, "Indeed. It wasn't easy per sec to recover the ruins from the lake itself and such and clean up the half-covered ruins inside the city, but we managed thoroughly. We do hope the houses on the tiers out on the lake will be filled with more of our people over time.".
Roosevelt recalled the tour of the outer borders of the ruins in the cavernous spaces, and realized the horrific impact of the great flood truly had devastated Atlantis more than he imagined in his measly mind. "The outer borders, the ruins...It...it didn't even compare to the loss of the two wars we had, did it?", Roosevelt whispered in horror. It was one thing of hearing Steve's account in that report, but he never thought...
Jacques shook his head, "No, not even close, the flood was nearly an entire extinction for the Atlanteans and what remained were slowly dying after so many millenniums until we came along and Milo's efforts, with Kida's help, started to turn things around. It will still take some time before it's truly a fraction of what it once was, but the Atlanteans day by day grow to the point that they, well, we... will survive.".
Roosevelt exhaled deeply, feeling a bit more relieved to hear that, and realized this is far bigger...The gift of his crystal, and now seeing the city for the first time, it's like a minor home run compared to the city recovering slowly, not to the great glory it was, but enough to be manageable for a fraction of the glory it had...
He knew he will be thinking a lot here and there, but he's determined to focus on making first impressions with the Queen, and on Eleanor's forgiveness, even if it would be a bit for the total of this week, he will take it, nonetheless.
He gazed in awe as the group of Martags and Ketaks made it across the lake, high above the city, seeing the stone carvings around the powerful sight of a gently glowing crystal, realizing that this is the power yet deity of Atlantis, realizing that the stone carvings are in honor and remembrance of the Great Kings and Queens of the Past who had ruled over Atlantis before, and landed around several spots that must serve as sort of airstrips for the Martags and Ketaks, with their Martag and Eleanor/Dazis' Martag landing on the closest front airstrip to the great doors of the palace, with a awed glance to the great stairs below, seeing a construction of a strong, wood and stone elevator on one of the ramps besides the stairs, like a controlled slide elevator instead of straight up and down like in buildings back on the surface, with the elevator on top, waiting to be used for later for Roosevelt and Eleanor's exploration and assisted tours through the city.
Jacques got out to take off the folded wheelchair from the back fin, while Dazis helped Eleanor get out of their Martag, with Eleanor walking to them, looking at the waiting Roosevelt, "That was incredible...Are you alright, Frankie? Do you need the bathroom?", as Dazis carried the luggage.
"I'll be fine for now... though I very much would like to know how that sort of thing is done around here. Would be somewhat funny if all the advanced technology around here but no indoor plumbing.", Roosevelt chuckled.
Jacques replied, "Actually, you'd be wrong. We do have indoor plumbing. The myth of Atlantis being advanced was correct on all angles as well. It's one of the things that remained intact while we did the recovery, though I have to warn you that the toilet situation is a little different since we don't exactly have porcelain or such like that, but it works similarly in a way.", with a hum as he unfolded the wheelchair, putting it down as he checked the wheels and such as he got off the Martag, rolling to the side of the Martag to Roosevelt, locking it in for Roosevelt to be brought out of the passenger seat into his wheelchair seat.
"May I help you, Mr. President?", Jacques then asked politely, knowing that Steve did help Roosevelt earlier, but with the other Martags and Ketaks on the other landing spots, they're essentially dismissed to resume their duties and head home to their Atlantean houses, while Jacques and Dazis is in charge now of escorting the President and First Lady to the throne room for the short formal introduction before taking them to their accommodations in the guest wing.
"If you don't mind.", Roosevelt said as Jacques nodded. It was good to get some help from him since he too was from the surface as opposed to most of the people that they would be encountering.
Jacques helped Roosevelt over to the wheelchair and then after securing himself, Roosevelt then started to roll himself on, with a smile, "Lead the way, Jacques.", and Jacques smiled, leading the way, with Roosevelt and Eleanor behind him, with Dazis behind the couple, heading into the palace, with guards saluting and at their positions at Jacques, having slight curious yet surprised glances at Roosevelt and Eleanor.
Eleanor whispered, "They truly look intimidating a touch more than our personal service, Franklin.", and Roosevelt replied back softly, "Indeed. It works either way, since this is the Queen's home advantage, not ours.".
Eleanor nodded in agreement as they soon reached the great throne doors with the personal throne guards nodding at Jacques' order in Atlantean, parting away with their spears, as the doors opened, and the couple was stunned in awe by the sight of the great Atlantean statue, not as incredibly giant as others they had seen in the city or on the borders, but still awe-inspiring, with the peaceful side pools, with a stone path leading to the few short throne steps, and there, is the queen and her king consort, looking quite regal in their formal royal clothes, in their royal seats.
Jacques led the President and the First Lady, realizing that this is it, as Dazis had left, taking the luggage with a reassuring smile, probably heading to their accommodations if Roosevelt had to guess.
Jacques then kneeled before the rulers on the rug, "Greetings, my queen and king consort. The journey has been received well, and our new visitors from the surface is here to be introduced and acknowledged. May I introduce yourselves, your majesties?".
