Arkadius and Clara: A Royal Love Story
This story is the background of the relationship between Arkadius IV, King of Batavia, and Clara Sundara, Princess of Natopia. They became engaged on 14 Lentemaand 1670. On 7 Bloeimaand 1672, Arkadius and Clara married in the Cathedral of 's Koningenwaarde. But on 21.X.1678 AN they divorced.
First chapter: The first meeting
Finally it was time, finally it happened, finally. After decades of decline, the Batavian nation has come back to life. After years of labor there is a government, the Batavian land is restored, there is a king on the throne. While the organ is being played, in a prelude before the Batavian State Hymn is sung, the newly crowned king had the opportunity to look around. There he saw many foreign guests, the emperor of Shireroth, the emperor of Natopia and, who is sitting next to him? A pretty woman with golden blonde hair, bright red lips, pearly white teeth, ... Then the organ starts the Batavian anthem: "O beautiful Batavia".
It seemed like centuries before the moment came when the guests came to congratulate the king one by one. Finally the emperor of Natopia came with the beautiful woman at his side. They were presented: "Nathan Anders Aharsi Waffel-Paine of Drak, Emperor of the Natopians, etc. etc. etc. and Clara Sundara Waffel-Paine, Princess of Natopia, Chancellor of Natopia, etc. etc.". The monarchs shook hands. "Thank you very much for your gift, this gets a prominent place in the palace. The presence of you and your beautiful sister here is certainly an invitation to engage in diplomatic relations between our countries." He saw that Clara blushed after the words 'beautiful sister', but she thought it was hidden by her curtsy before the Batavian king . No matter how long it seemed to be before Clara was introduced to him, their meeting was already over so quickly.
Second chapter: Valentine
On the day after the coronation, Arkadius saw the news, a report of the media coverage of the coronation abroad. The coronation was broadcast live in Arcadia, Beneluccas, Kasterburg, Los Liberados, Jingdao, Natopia and Shireroth. Shortly some images of the coronation flashed, including an image of the emperor of Natopia and the princess. With the remote control Arkadius had the broadcast rewind and paused the moment the princess was on the screen. 'Yes', he thought, 'what a beautiful woman'.
That afternoon ministers got a little nervous for their first meeting with the king. The agenda for the coming time was discussed, but the king was distracted at the time he looked at that agenda. He thought: "It is almost 14 Sprokkelmaand, it is almost Valentine's Day." It is the foreign minister who noticed that the king was a bit distracted while the other ministers were discussing budgets for infrastructure and repair work. At the end of the meeting, the ministers left the king's office, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs was still behind. As the doors of the office close, the men discuss foreign relations.
A few days later, Arkadius sits at the crackling fire. An empty piece of paper is lying next to him and a pencil in his hand. The fire digests some crumpled paper, which Arkadius has already thrown into the fire. Then Arkadius begins to write again: "To the lovely Clara".
A clock struck and although he was not completely satisfied, he copied the text on a new piece of paper and with his dip pen. He folds the paper and places a wax stamp on the closure. A knock on the door and opens a lackey says: "Your Majesty, Mr. Tazelaar". James Tazelaar enters the room and salutes the king. Arkadius says to him: "You know what your mission is?". "Yes, Your Majesty." "Well, here is the letter and I wish good luck".
James has a long journey ahead. But the first part is easy. The letter has been neatly put in an envelope and put in his inside pocket. By plane to Arcadia, that is the easy part of his journey. From there by boat to Natopia. Regular scheduled flights or boat connections are not yet between Batavia and Natopia, not even from Arcadia. The sea between Arcadia and Natopia was very turbulent that day, with threatening clouds. James could only keep his course, but he managed to arrive safely in Natopia.
Because James could not sail around the main continent, he had to go overland to Flaventia. This delayed him, so the letter did not arrive on time. James was very disappointed by his late arrival. At the palace of the Chancellor of Natopia arrived, it was not so easy to hand the letter to the princess.
Third chapter: We’ll meet again
She looked forward to it for weeks. The visit to Batavia. She had already read a lot about the Batavians and had great admiration about the recent revival of the Batavian kingdom. She had even practiced a few words of Batavian: "Goedemorgen" and "Dank u wel".
Completely in accordance with the safety protocol, she was not on the same plane as her brother, the emperor of Natopia. She did not like the fact that she had to travel separately, but she could spend her time with useful reading. Once in ‘s Koningenwaarde, she looked her eyes out. While the column cars were raging through the city, the newly restored buildings seemed to slip past. The pale yellow stones in the façades shone in the winter sun. In the hotel, specially designed for dignitaries, she met her brother and also the emperor of Shireroth.
The next day was the coronation day. For her started that day early, to have enough time for dressing and making up. And neatly on time she accompanied her brother in the special limousine to the Cathedral of ‘s Koningenwaarde. In the hotel and in the limousine screens were available to follow the festivities elsewhere in the city and in Batavia. As they almost arrived at the cathedral, she saw that the future king came from the Huys te Vredebregt and stepped into the waiting carriage.
She and her brother stepped out and entered the cathedral. There they were neatly escorted and pointed to the reserved place. Not much later the Emperor of Shireroth moved into the bank before them. The cathedral was impressively beautifully decorated. Not only the flags and flowers on the occasion of the coronation, but also the architecture. The organ played cheerful music and the cheering swelled to the arrival of the future king.
Like everyone, she stands up when the future king comes into the cathedral. When she can finally see him, she sees a decisive man, a worthy king, a handsome man. She was shocked by her thought, a handsome man ...
She enjoys the whole ceremony. The dignified music, the solemn words and the enthusiasm among the Batavians. When the crowned king has left the cathedral, the honoured guests are escorted to the Arkadiuplein. Clara knew that the square was named after Arkadius I of Batavia and the National Tattoo is held here annually. The city was full of enthusiasm about the newly crowned king. Jet fighters fly over, gunshots sound over the city and the bells ring.
There are tribunes in the square, also for the dignitaries. And when the crowned king has arrived, beautiful music is performed. Her personal favourite is the song "This land of ours".
The Batavians are so happy and grateful that their country has been restored. She had already noticed that the Batavians particularly welcome the Emperor of Shireroth. When the last song sounds, she sings softly: "We'll meet again".
Fourth chapter: fate
A few days later, at home in Natopia, she walked through the Imperial Chancellery and entered the central hall. There were a few servants busy in discussion, she just heard the words "Batavian agent". She asks the servants what is going on, and after some hesitation they told her that a certain James Tazelaar had arrived, a Batavian agent, with a letter to the chancellor. She thinks for a moment and decides to speak to the agent. A moment later the agent came in under the guidance of security and at her nod he introduced himself: "James, James Tazelaar. I have a letter from His Majesty the King of Batavia for you." Then the agent passes to the letter.
She hesitates a bit, but accepts the letter. She sees the seal of the Batavian king and thinks of Arkadius. Curiously, she breaks the seal, opens the letter and reads:
“To the lovely Clara,
I can remember well the first time I saw you. You sat next to brother, while my coronation took place. From all the splendour on that day, you glittered above everything. My heart melted when you blushed after my compliment about your beauty.
When I heard your name, I thought, your name is sweeter than anyone who has the same name.
Dreaming of you makes me realize, I think: I love you.
Yours, Arkadius”
Her heart begins to pound harder, turns away from the agent and the security guards. She presses the letter against her heart and thinks, How special. Since the coronation ceremony she often remembered Batavia, the music and the Batavian king. The decisive man, a handsome man. Then she walks to her desk, takes a piece of paper and writes:
“Dearest Arkadius,
I am flattered and surprised by this attention. I was quite enamored of you when I saw you at your coronation. I would be delighted to spend more time with you and see where fate may lead us.
Yours, Clara”
Fold the paper closed and put a wax stamp on the letter. This she gives to James Tazelaar and says: "Bring this letter to your king". And she orders her officials to provide the agent with travel documents to travel to Batavia via Shireroth. That same afternoon, diplomats contacted the Batavian government and organize together that scheduled flights and ferry connections be set up between Arcadia, Batavia and Natopia.
Fifth chapter: seven hours ahead
The king had just returned from Vinandy, after visiting his heritage: Château des Vinandy. James Tazelaar was brought directly to the king from Schapenheul Airport and he handed over the letter from Clara. After reading the letter he jumped up with joy, made a dance of joy and embraced a few lackeys. "She is flattered, she is flattered!"
The next day, the Foreign Minister came to the palace to discuss the state of affairs. He said that Natopian diplomats had arrived, but was actually surprised of their arrival. The king began to grinn at hearing about it and said to the minister: "I must confess to you, your king is hopelessly in love," telling the whole story of the correspondence with Clara and the journey of James Tazelaar. The minister started to shine and said: "What romantic!".
At the end of the afternoon, Arkadius began playing the piano. A footman came in hesitantly, with the earlier embrace in mind, and brought the king a document with the adapted time zones of Natopia. The king looked satisfied at the work of the Natopians. He counted the difference of time zones between Hazelwood and ‘s Koningenwaarde.
Then he got up and went on a ride with one of his classic sports cars. He devised a poem on the beach at Koningenbaai. He wrote it down and returned to the palace. On the radio he heard a vocal group singing and got an idea.
A few days later the vocal group came to audience and the king addressed them. They went on a journey, along with flowers and with a letter. They went to Natopia, on the first direct scheduled flight to Lindström.
My dearest Clara,
My heart was so delighted to receive a letter from you. My lackeys did not know what they were experiencing when I was dancing with joy and embracing them with gladness. To express my joy, I started to play the piano and I write you a poem:
Your dainty lips are red,
with ruby's crimson overspread;
Your teeth are like a string of pearls;
Down your neck your clustering curls,
in gold hue vie with the sun, so bright,
and over your features dances light.
The twinkling stars enthroned above
are sisters to my dearest love.
We men should count it joy complete
to lay our service at her feet.
But oh what rapture is her kiss!
A forecast 'tis of heavenly bliss!
After my daily work, I drive to the beach to see the sunset in the west. Thinking of you, who lives seven hours ahead. In many ways I explore Micras, by sailboat, by plane and by classic car. This way I hope to also explore your country. Tasting the local cuisine and learning from the local traditions.
So, my beloved, my heart desires to meet you. To get to know you better. What are the things that you prefer to do? What music does your ear enjoy? And what do you like to eat?
Yours, Arkadius
On the balcony of the palace the princess is listening, while a servant brings the flowers and letter to her:
.
Although the Chancellor would never admit this to her staff, she was quite flattered by this show of affection and courtship. She wrote a handwritten letter to the Batavian king, thanking him for the gifts, and after applying a deep red lipstick, signed it with a kiss.
Sixth chapter: A diptych
Gardens of Avalon
A few days later, the Chancellor arrived in Arcadia. She met with the king of Arcadia, Gustavus des Vinandy. The meeting mainly concerned business components, such as the trade rates, now that both countries operate direct scheduled flights and boat connections. After a light lunch, where she discovered that the king of Arcadia was a friendly man, Clara went for a walk in the Paradise Gardens of Avalon.
When she looked through the beautiful flowers and trees at the palace, she saw a man walking there. The man did not see her, but was busy talking to others. That man, she thought, that man.
Suddenly she awakens from her thoughts, she is startled when she notices that the brown eyes of that man stare at her, that man Arkadius. Arkadius has to laugh a little while Clara blushes. "May I" while Arkadius reaches out his hand, she takes his hand and lets her guide her to the pavilion in the middle of the garden. All kinds of fruit and treats are available there. Although Clara recognizes a lot, she is not familiar with the various prepared dishes. At first a bit rough, but the two of them started to talk better.
As they got to know each other better, Clara had various delicacies tasted from Arkadius. The lovers walked through the gardens, but after a while Arkadius discovered concern on Clara's face. "What is it, my love?" Clara opened her mouth, but hesitated. "My love ..." she put her hand on his cheek and a tear escaped from her eye. "You have conquered my heart ... can you also conquer the hearts of my people?" Arkadius rubbed the tear from Clara's cheek and said: "Everything, all that I should do, I will do. My love". Then they kiss each other.
A fitting palace
With a construction helmet on, the king stands on the edge of a construction pit. Noises from machines, hammers and saws rise from the construction site. The king holds up a large drawing, on which a map of a large palace is drawn. "What room is the mirror room?", the king asks the architect next to him. "Room 724 on the drawing, here," the architect points to the drawing. "The rooms are only numbered, because we do not have 1441 names for all rooms". "Clear," says the king.
The construction site is located to the north-west of the city 's Koningenwaarde, where a new palace is being built. A palace suitable for a princess. A future queen. "What is this?", The king asks the architect. "That," the architect replies, "is the zoo, your majesty." The king thinks for a moment and says: “Delete that, a butterfly garden is beautiful, but a zoo with elephants, peacocks and lions, that gives too much noise. I have this palace built to be able to escape from the noise of the city. Then no new noise has to come here."
"I hope she likes it," says the king. The architect hesitates to answer and searches for words. The king turns and looks at the hesitant architect. Laughing, the king says: "Don't worry, she was enthusiastic about the impressions of the palace." After a while the architect had found his confidence again and asked the king: "How is the palace called, your majesty?" The king thinks for a moment, thinking of his loved one and said "Blanckenhof".
Seventh Chapter: Thief of hearts
She drifts back and forth on the quay, the court ladies remind her of calmness. "He really comes, you don't have to be so nervous in the sight of everyone here," the court ladies waiting whisper to her. But she ignores those words and stares at the horizon. Then a ship appears there. A sailing ship with the sails full in the wind. Clara made a little joy dance, when she also recognized the flags on the ship. "He comes!".
Finally she is going to see her lover again, finally she can hug him again. Every day they write letters to each other, every day Clara receives flowers. Every day Clara is informed about Batavia and her king. Clara also has regular language lessons.
When the ship docked, she saw him standing. They were both so happy to see each other again, that he jumped on the quay and they embraced each other. "What have I missed you," said Clara. "Oh dear, how glad I am to see you," replied Arkadius. All the dignity of their two functions had been forgotten for a moment as they kissed each other. They laughed together when reality slowly returned. The people around them, the cameras. Realizing that their kiss can now be seen all over Micras, their love for each other is now public.
Together they walked to the harbour building, where they were just outside of the cameras. They could talk to each other for a moment. A security guard came in and reported that the car was ready. They smiled at each other and went outside again. An inflowed crowd cheered when they saw the couple in love come out of the harbour building. The cabriolet with driver could barely make it through the crowd who enthusiastically wanted to congratulate the couple around the car.
When the car finally arrived at the imperial palace, the couple in love were received by the emperor. The emperor was very happy to meet the king of Batavia and greeted him warmly. "Welcome to Natopia!" Said the emperor, after which he greeted his sister. Then they all walked to the sitting room, where a television was on and images of the kiss on the quay were repeated. Clara had to blush, but Nathan said: "And so the king of Batavia has conquered the hearts of the Natopians." Arkadius had to grin, but was speechless. "He is guilty of two offenses," it sounded from the corner of the room. The Emperor of Shireroth approached Arkadius, "one for stealing the heart of Clara and two for stealing the hearts of Natopia." Vidar stopped just before Arkadius's nose and they looked at each other. "You are right," replied Arkadius, "what are you going to do about it?" Vidar started to laugh, after which everyone in the room started to laugh.
At dinner the foursome toast to love. After dinner, Arkadius soon found a piano and started playing on it. Clara thought to tease Arkadius a little, and placed her hands in front of Arkadius's eyes. But when she saw that Arkadius had no music for him and so he could keep playing, which he did. Then she started tickling him, but that didn't bother him either. She put her hands to her side while her brother stood behind her watching what she will do next. Vidar poured whiskey and was surprised that the piano sounds now sounded irregular, he turned around and started to laugh. Clara kissed Arkadius and that distracted him from his piano playing. With a smile on her face, she takes a seat next to Arkadius and together they start playing.
Eighth chapter: Volare
The next morning Clara saw from her office that Arkadius was running in the gardens. A silver-gray convertible came around the corner, with Arkadius catching the unmistakable sound of the V8 engine. The car stopped at the bottom of the palace stairs, where Clara saw her brother descending the stairs. The driver gave the keys to the emperor, while Arkadius arrived at the car.
"What a beautiful car!" Arkadius told Nathan. "Yes, indeed, it is a beautiful car," Nathan responded. Clara came out when the men were admiring the V8 engine just under the hood. Nathan saw his sister descend the stairs and said to Arkadius: "Today you are leaving with this car". He waved the keys, but threw the keys towards Clara. She caught the keys, while Arkadius understood that he would not get behind the wheel. "Yes, today I'm going to show you around in Natopia, but ...", Clara said with a raised finger, "I'm driving."
After Arkadius had freshened up, the necessary things had been loaded into the car and Clara was sitting behind the wheel waiting for Arkadius with a thatched sun hat. Arkadius stepped in, tried to be as casual as possible, but was actually a little nervous because he wasn't behind the wheel himself. Clara grinned and hit the gas pedal. The gravel jumped behind the car and into the turns when Clara sent the car off the palace grounds. Together they were wearing sunglasses, hoping they would not be recognized. Clara enjoyed driving and managed to steer the car nicely over the winding roads. While Arkadius visibly enjoyed the beautiful landscape, the warm sunshine and the beautiful woman next to him.
The couple drank tea with a view of Borders Bay, took a walk between the ruins of Dracoheim and had a picnic in an open space in Hazelfire Forrest. In the old town of Oakham, the couple visited the market, testing each other for taste. "Do you like this?" Clara asked, holding a red dress in front of her. Arkadius lets the fabric slip through his hands, "the golden motifs are really beautiful". Clara smiled approvingly and thought, "I won't let you go." Arkadius saw the twinkle in her eyes and knew for sure, this woman will be my queen.
Ninth chapter: Washed up
It had been a while since they were driving through Natopia, through Flaventia. Clara had come to Batavia, but Arkadius had restrained himself from picking her up from the plane. At her request, they had gone to the Lagerhuis to look at the proceedings in the hall from the royal gallery. To conceal their presence, the royal gallery was provided with net curtains. Clara was deeply impressed by the passionate working method of the chairman, to keep the members of various parties apart.
On the beach of Paravel, the waves did a competition to find out who is furthest on the beach. With bare feet in the sand, the king walks hand in hand with his beloved. "Then to think that even for me the proposal to the Emperor of Shireroth came as a surprise". The king listens to the voice of his lover, but not so well to what she says. He tries to hide his nerves, to focus his thoughts. While Clara talks, Arkadius already sees the first part of his plan. He stops walking, so Clara also stopped walking and looked questioningly at him. "Look over there," Arkadius said, pointing to the beach further on. Clara looks in the direction that Arkadius points and sees a wooden chest, half in the sand, as if it had been washed ashore.
Together they ran to the chest. "Wow," Clara said, "it looks like a treasure chest!" "Yes, it seems that way," Arkadius responds casually. Then Arkadius pretends that he cannot open the chest, whereupon Clara nervously wanders around the chest. Arkadius smiles secretly at Clara's wandering. He opens the chest and Clara looks curiously over Arkadius' shoulder. "Look," says Arkadius, "a picnic blanket." Slightly confused, Clara takes the blanket, while Arkadius takes the following from the chest. "A nice red wine and two glasses". Then Clara puts her hand in her side, and looks sternly at her lover. Arkadius looks at her and starts to grin and together they burst out laughing.
"Yes, yes," says Clara, as she spreads the blanket, grabs the glasses, and sits down on the blanket. Arkadius continues unpacking the chest, watching by his beloved. A neatly packed baguette, a knife and herb butter appear from the chest. "And that just happens to be on the beach," says Clara sarcastically. "You have to see this," says Arkadius, almost disappearing with his head into the chest. Clara stands up, apparently so quickly that she is just staggering but recovered herself. Arkadius has taken a small box from the chest and turns to Clara. He opens the small box on one knee and says to Clara: "My dear Clara, will you marry me?"
Surprised, excited, nervous and emotional appearance tears of joy in her eyes and she exclaims, "Yes!" When Arkadius gets up she hugs him, she says it again: "Yes! Yes, I really want to marry you ". Then they look at each other and Arkadius says: "I love you and ...". He does not get the chance to continue his sentence with an intimate kiss from Clara. After the kiss, Arkadius is unable to say a word, but recovers by removing the ring from the small box and sliding it around Clara's finger. "Fits exactly," says Arkadius. "How beautiful!" Clara said at the same time. They look at each other and start to smile. "Thank you, my dear," Clara says, looking at the ring.
While the sun disappears further and further behind the horizon, the two lovers enjoy the "washed up" wine and baguette with herb butter.
Tenth chapter: Mission
The royal plane with the king of Batavia lands at Tassity airport. A guard of honor line up at the bottom of the stairs that the king descends on Natopian soil. The reason for this visit to Natopia is not of an official nature. There is therefore no reception by the emperor or members of the government. At the end of the red carpet there are a few soldiers lined up, clearly with different clothes, clearly of a different order. They salute and the king answers: "I am on a mission." The commander nods and steps aside to have the king board a waiting army jeep. As soon as everyone has boarded, the convoy of vehicles drives from the airport. The agents of the Royal Guard are left behind, with difficulty they keep the command that the king goes unguarded on mission.
The following days the king is subjected to all kinds of tests. Military tests of endurance, courage and perseverance. The king is not spared the difficulty of the tests, even when beautiful women are used to seduce him. While the king assumes that he has to undergo more tests, he already appears to have passed. The soldiers are deeply impressed by the performance of the king and are dressed in traditional uniforms. The commander leaves the king on a platform and proclaims: "Present your weapon". All soldiers pull out their swords or hold up their spears. "Say with me," the commander continues, after which the soldiers speak in unison: "I swear my weapon and my life to the Nawab of Tassity." Then the commander and all the soldiers bow to the king of Batavia, the Nawab of Tassity.
Arkadius is fighting tightly with his emotions. He oversees the soldiers and feels the tension drift away. In the commander's tent, the king is dressed in the traditional uniform of the Nawab of Tassity, after which he goes to the big tent to make his appearance.
The news that Arkadius was named Nawab of Tassity traveled faster than he could travel to Koḻuppu pelli araṇmaṉai. This is the palace of the Nawab in Tassity city. Night fell when Arkadius arrived. But the palace was still full of activity, many lights decorated the palace and music was playing from the courtyard. From the balcony Arkadius saw the spectacle, there Arkadius saw his beloved.
He saw his beloved dance with a smile, and when they met in the great hall, Clara bowed to her beloved. Arkadius reached out to stop Clara from bowing, but it was too late. She said: "My dear, you are worthy of my reverence." Arkadius wanted to protest, but could only sigh. “Thank you, my dear. Accept your reverence in the humility of my heart. The heart that beats of love for you. "
The emperor of Natopia entered the room and before Arkadius did anything out of respect, the emperor said, "Do not bend, do not salute, because we are brothers." The emperor invited the king to sit. “You have stolen the hearts of the Natopians, you have completed your mission. Then I have to discuss the marriage contract with you."
Eleventh Chapter: Of queens value
The Batavian press was gathered in the throne room. Speculation and rumors circulated about the announced press conference. What would the Royal Court have to say? The steward enters the hall and stands behind the microphones, clears the throat and says: “On behalf of His Majesty the King, it is announced that the King has engaged herself with Her Imperial Highness Clara Sundara Waffel-Paine, Princess of the Natopia, Duchess of Hazelwood, descendant of the three peoples, vessel of double natures, offspring of the ever-living god, Lady in Jorvik. The date for the intended marriage is not yet planned, but the marriage contract has already been agreed. "
The press applauds and enthusiastically asks all kinds of questions at the same time. The steward nods, but is silent and takes a few steps to the side. Then the large doors on the side open, the guards heed and the king walks in with his fiancé. At the microphones the couple stands and the king takes the floor: “Thank you for your applause.” Various press people are so enthusiastic that they want to convey their congratulations, but the king makes a silence with a hand gesture. “My dear Clara, our journey to this point today crossed seas, continents and cultures. Seven hours of time difference did not stop us from loving each other. Your beauty and character have captured my heart. May the Batavians embrace you in their hearts and accept you as their queen. "
Clara nods and takes the floor: “I am delighted to have accepted your lovely proposal several weeks ago and am delighted that we can now announce it to the world. I am the happiest woman on Micras!”
The steward enters and gives the members of the press an opportunity to ask questions. The journalist from the 's Koningenwaarder Courant is the first to get a turn and says in the Common Language (English): "Congratulations on your engagement and your intended marriage." "What will your constitutional status as the wife of our king?" Clara replied in the Batavian (Dutch): "My official title will be "queen consort", implying that I have no constitutional role. A courtesy title.” The journalist is surprised that Clara speaks Batavian and nods gratefully.
"Where will the wedding take place?" Asks the journalist from Bagelcratican Sporadically. Arkadius replies: "Traditionally, the Cathedral of 's Koningenwaarde is the place where the kings of Batavia marry."
The correspondent of The Batavian Gazet gets the turn and says: “We wish to congratulate the new royal couple! Are you going to give up your current position as Chancellor of Natopia ” Clara responds: “My brother, the emperor of Natopia, is looking for another chancellor. I will step down to serve Batavia as the queen.”
Finally, the journalist gets the Shirekeep Gazette opportunity to ask a question: "Which palace will you live?" The couple hesitates to answer, when Clara said: "This should you answer, Arkadius." Everyone laugh. "Well," Arkadius began, "I was impressed by the previous answer." They laugh again. Then Arkadius continues: "I have had the Blanckenhof Palace built specially, but we will certainly visit the other palaces."
The couple is posing in front of the throne, wherein the room is filled with the clanging sound of cameras. Not much later, the couple thanked the press and leave the room.
Twelfth Chapter: Prewedding concert
The royal couple offers a prewedding concert to all highly honoured guests and Batavians. On the forecourt of the Blanckenhof Palace, the royal couple's future residential palace, they celebrate their love for each other and the prospect of their marriage.
While all the guests have sat down on the seats, the concert opens with the entrance of the royal couple:
The king sent many flowers, including roses, to his beloved when they were separated for seven hours. The most beautiful roses are the roses from the south.
This palace is located on the edge of a beautiful forest, the Waarder Woud. In the spring the forest turns purple and that compels writers to tales.
The zither is a traditional instrument from the north of Batavia. The king did not enchant Clara with the beautiful sounds of the zither. The Batavians nevertheless enchant the young ladies with the sweet sounds of this instrument.
The mirror room is one of the most beautiful rooms in the palace. The beautiful ballroom is the fairytale backdrop for a waltz. Will Heia's voice cause the mirror to shatter?
The beautiful river Linge flows through the Batavian capital 's Koningenwaarde. While more and more of the Batavian country is being mapped out, the Linge makes you dream.
Out of enthusiasm, the Batavians actually also want to dance along. The party is increasingly bursting.
To conclude, one more march:
Thirteenth chapter: The wedding
Early in the morning of the long-awaited day, 's Koningenwaarde awakens. For the first time since the coronation of Arkadius IV as king of Batavia, the city has been pleasantly disrupted. Many heads of state and dignitaries have arrived in the last days and the centre of the city has been closed.
Clara's wedding dress is still unknown, but one can see it when she arrives at the Cathedral of ‘s Koningenwaarde. The sky above the city is clear blue, a few friendly white clouds come from the west and warm sun rays make the flowers open. The beautiful spring day seems like a divine approval for marriage.
The cathedral is already filled with guests. Along the route between the cathedral and the Koninklijk Paleis, hundreds of people are already waiting to catch a glimpse of the bride. The Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition receive the foreign guests.
The Batavians at the Koninklijk Paleis begin to cheer, when a black car with the Batavian flags and the coat of arms of the House of Vinandy drives. The doors of the palace open and the king appears, gets into the car. The car leaves the palace grounds and sets course for the cathedral. The king is dressed in a military uniform of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the Batavian Armed Forces. The dark uniform is decorated with the military medals that the king has collected. The decorations of the Duke of Brandenburg and the Grand Duke of Helderbourgh are special. Next to the king is Benjamin Cambernon, the best man.
The king arrives at the cathedral, while a black car also drives up at the Natopian embassy. Only there does the bride get into the car out of sight of the public. That car is equipped with the Natopian flags and the family crest of Waffel-Paine. The Emperor of Natopia sits next to the bride, wondering about the enthusiasm of the Batavians along the route.
While the king is already waiting in the cathedral, with Benjamin Cambernon next to him, the car with the bride arrives at the bottom of the stairs of the cathedral. Cheering rises from the audience when the bride gets out. The wedding ladies fashion the dress and the train. Nathan, the emperor of Natopia, waits a few steps away from the bride until she is ready to enter stages.
Then the emperor approaches to guide his sister to her fiancée. The bride nods and then they climb the stairs of the cathedral. The wedding ladies once again tidy the train before the moment that the cathedral doors open between the porch and the church hall. The music starts to play, the people in the church hall get up and the bride and her brother begin to walk stately. At the request of the bride, the choice of music is not the traditional "here comes the bride", but "more royal" as she said.
The bride hardly dares to look at the guests, but looks ahead at her fiancée, whereby they can look each other in the eye better and better. The moment has arrived when the bride and her companion have arrived at the groom's. Nathan guides the hand of his sister in the hand of the king of Batavia and encloses the hands of the bride and groom with his two hands. He says: "Take good care of my sister". The groom nods and the bride smiles. Then the emperor of Natopia steps aside and sits down at the place reserved for him next to empty seat of the emperor of Shireroth.
The groom guides his bride to the bench that is ready for them. Again the bride ladies coming fashion dress and train. The bridal bouquet is placed on the table, while the bridal couple still enjoy the last sounds of the entrance music.
The archbishop steps forward, nods at the bridal couple and begins to speak: “Dear groom and bride, your majesty and your imperial highness. Dear Family, Your Majesty and Imperial Highnesses. Dear Guests, Your Highnesses and Excellency’s. Today we have gathered to unite these two people in sacred union. Their love started here in this cathedral, when they saw each other here and today they are here to be connected in marriage."
"May I ask the bride and groom to get up," the archbishop continues, "and give each other the right hand." The bridal couple accepts that request. The bride and groom look at each other, that moment seems to be infinite, that moment makes nervousness disappear, that moment makes you realize: no matter how beautiful and pompous, whatever positions are held, wherever it is: two people connected in love.
The bridal couple have learned the traditional wedding vows by heart and do not allow themselves to be dictated. The archbishop nods at the king, after which he says: “I, Arkadius Frederik Gustavus des Vinandy, take you, Clara Sundara Waffel-Paine, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for love, honour and cherishing, till death us do part, according to the holy ordinance ”.
Then the bride speaks: “I, Clara Sundara Waffel-Paine, take you, Arkadius Frederik Gustavus des Vinandy, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for love, honour and cherishing, till death us do part, according to the holy ordinance ”.
The archbishop speaks: "For the law and for the church these two people are connected in holy ordinance." Cheering is heard from outside, which makes people laugh in the cathedral. The bridal couple kiss each other and the guests applaud. Benjamin Cambernon steps forward and hands over the rings. The groom skilfully slides the ring on the right ring finger of his bride. Then the bride slides the ring on the right ring finger of her groom, but it is a bit trickier over the knuckle of his finger. The short but light fiddling with the ring makes the guests laugh. The ring surrenders and moves to the place of destination.
The orchestra in the cathedral starts to play, a gift from the groom to his bride: "Romance for Clara".
The bridal couple take a seat on the bench while they listen to the music. When the music ends, Clara whispers "thank you" to her husband. And he nods happily at her. The archbishop steps forward and invites the bridal couple to come to the large oak table to sign the marriage contract. The wedding ladies rush forward to help the bride with the train.
The groom takes a seat on the chair behind the table, while his bride stands diagonally behind him. The marriage contract is ahead of him and the quill pen is handed to him. The groom signs the contract with an agile swing. Then the groom stands up and makes way for his bride. While the groom stands diagonally behind her, the bride signs the contract. Then the bride and groom make room for the witnesses, diagonally behind the chair, to see the signature. Benjamin Cambernon makes a slight bow, also taking a seat on the chair. He signs the contract with the quill pen, looks satisfied at the contract and stands up. Then Nathan Anders Aharsi Waffel-Paine of Drak comes forward, smiles at the bridal couple and takes a seat in the chair. He is the last to sign the contract with the quill pen.
The music starts while the bridal couple are listening in the middle of the cathedral. Clara proudly looks at her husband as the words sound “God save the King! Long live the King! ”. The king realizes that Clara looks at him and blinks satisfied. Together they begin to walk to the exit of the cathedral.
When the bride and groom walk out of the cathedral, the Batavians begin to cheer. At the top of the stairs, the bridal couple stands still and wave to the audience. The soldiers on the stairs salute the king and the queen consort. In the meantime, guests leave the cathedral via a side entrance and are driven via a short route to the Koninklijk Paleis.
The golden carriage is driven in front, pulled by eight horses. Then the royal bridal couple descends the stairs, steps in the golden carriage. The Band of the Royal Navy goes before the golden carriage. Along the route, Batavian rows of people are cheering exuberantly for their king and new queen consort.
Arriving at the Koninklijk Paleis, the bridal couple get out and disappear behind the palace doors. While the public are waiting impatiently in front of the palace gates, the bride and groom are received by the prime minister, the leader of the largest party in the Lagerhuis and the leader of the opposition. They all congratulate the bridal couple and greet their new queen consort. Then the bridal couple climbs the stairs to head towards the balcony. In the room in front of the balcony, they have a short meeting with their immediate family.
Then the doors on the balcony swing open and the bride and groom enter the balcony. The Batavians almost cheer the lungs out of their bodies when the royal bridal couple appears. They wave at the Batavians, while the national anthem is sung spontaneously. The brand new queen consort is moved by the warm welcome by the Batavians. The king stands proudly next to his bride and after the national anthem is sung, they kiss each other. The Batavians cheer even harder when they see the kiss.
A few moments later the closest family members also come to the balcony. The emperor of Natopia, the king of Arcadia and the queen of the Beneluccas, a true collection of heads of state. They are all treated to a fly-past from the Royal Air Force of the Batavian Armed Forces.
The Batavians can hardly get enough of their royal bridal couple, but the moment has come for them to go inside again. When all the family is back inside, the balcony doors close. The bride and groom pose on the steps of the palace for an official portrait, after which a portrait with the family is also made. The company is received in the Edelenzaal, while the bridal couple still take some pictures in the palace garden. Afterwards the bridal couple makes an entrance in the Edelenzaal under the applause of the guests. Then a reception follows, where all guests personally congratulate the wedding couple. An orchestra is playing in the background.
Afterwards everyone goes to dinner in the Blauwe Zaal. All kinds of Batavian dishes appear on the table and that makes everyone taste. Suddenly a glass is tapped and it becomes quiet. The best man, Benjamin Cambernon, stands and takes the floor: “Dear bride and groom, it is a real pleasure for me to be able to witness this marriage between these beautiful people. I am deeply impressed by you, my queen consort, that you have to leave so much in your country. Your groom has repeatedly told me that he is impressed by your work as a chancellor. Thank you for wanting to leave your life there for the love of my king.” The guests begin to applaud, while the bride with tears in her eyes nods gratefully to the guests. “My king, may I compliment you for finding such a beautiful woman.” The guests applaud again, while the king fails to express an attitude, but his bride takes his hand and his nervousness disappears when he looks at his bride. “It is customary for the best man to make fun of the groom,” continues Benjamin Cambernon, “But I will not do that. I have too much respect for you as my king, but even more so, as my good friend. We have studied together at the University of Goldshire, we have worked together to restore the Kingdom of Batavia and we are working together on the future of this beautiful nation. So let's toast to this beautiful wedding couple!” Everyone stands up and raises the glass.
While everyone sits down again, Nathan stops and takes the floor. "What warm words," Nathan nods at Benjamin. “I stood on the sidelines with great admiration when Arkadius courted Clara. How your love blossomed is really beautiful! Borders, time zones and cultural differences faded in your love for each other. To be honest, I had my doubts about whether my sister could be courted. After all, she is a strong and independent woman. But she fell like a block for Arkadius.” The guests started to laugh, while Clara blushed a bit. "Furthermore, I did not want to make a long speech of this, but wish the bridal couple good luck." The guests applaud.
Then the groom stands up and waits for the applause to pass. “Thank you, witnesses, for your warm words. If I may speak on behalf of my wife,” there is laughter from the audience, “we are grateful that we could celebrate this day with you. In the city of my ancestors there is an old tradition, namely to drink the golden drink. Long tables, large beer mugs and oompa-pa music. While we are sitting here, this old tradition is being revived elsewhere in this country and people hope to repeat it annually. The beer festival on our wedding date. In the Hofbierhuis Vinandy there is a true mug safe in the large hall. Special guests have their own personal beer mug there. On the occasion of this old tradition, I may offer a personal beer mug to some of you here. This is kept in the mug safe and you only get the key.”
The mugs are brought in, at least some of these are handed out to the witnesses. After a thank you to the bridal couple, the keys are released from the beer mugs and given to the recipients, while the beer mugs themselves are taken again. These are brought to the Hofbierhuis Vinandy.
After dinner, guests will go to the Golden Hall of the palace. An orchestra is already playing there, while the bride puts on a different dress. At the top of the stairs she appears again, while the orchestra uses a new piece. The dance is opened by the royal bridal couple.
There is still a lot of dancing that evening and the guests are lured to the terrace when the fireworks were lit. Then a car is driven, the royal bridal couple gets into that car. Guests wave goodbye to the bridal couple while the car leaves the palace grounds. In the car, Clara rested her head on Arkadius' shoulder and said: “What a day! What a beautiful day!” “Indeed, my dear,” replies Arkadius. The car navigates through the city, while a few partying Batavians roam the streets. Then the car turns into the forecourt of the Blackenhof Palace and stops at the entrance. The royal bridal couple gets out and enters the palace. As the bride gazes at the grandiose staircase in the entrance hall, the doors of the palace close behind them.
Epilogue
The love story of Arkadius and Clara does not end with this. This story could have contained chapters of the conversations between the protagonists, about expectations for the future, about their feelings and so on. But the most important thing is that this story wanted to highlight details of fledgling love, without immediately imagining all kinds of sex scenes according to current standards. It is good to maintain the principle of abstinence until marriage, where the dating period is used to investigate each other’s character.
Reactions
Kaiser Ayreon IV on the seventh chapter:
(Aww....)
Nathan II on the twelfth chapter:
Nathan was moved to tears, so many painful emotions lately compounded with the stirring music. But he was actually quite pleased the wedding would distract him from recent loss.
The concert was beautiful. His sister looked radiant, and he could tell she loved Arkadius very deeply just by how she looked at him.
Nathan II on the thirteenth chapter:
Nathan was immensely proud to be able to walk his sister down the aisle, and 'give her away' to the Batavian king. The two siblings were very close, growing up together they only had each other for their childhood. He was so happy for his sister, to have met such a kind and loving, devoted man. Like any protective older brother, he was skeptical of Arkadius' designs towards his precious little sister, but after getting to know the man, he was confident that he was the only man on Micras who would care for her, respect her, honor her, cherish her, and treat her as a partner. He was pleased to place her hand in the king's hand.
At dinner, Nathan gave a toast to the new couple. He knew he could get Clara to blush at least once, he was glad she had softened and lost her steely demeanor since courting Arkadius.
Jonas Windsor on the thirteeth chapter:
While some Batavians in the capital where cheering, in other parts, the people were furious. Pictures of the "Natopian whore" were used in the pubs to throw darts to. Especially the nobles who sought (or pretended) to guard the neutral stance of the country saw the influence of Clara over the king, and the Conservative Monarchist Party as a danger to the existence of Batavia.
Most of the Ultraroyalists - powerless to fight the situation - had refused to enter the Lagerhuis until new elections were called. First letting the Stormarkians, now the Natopians... nitpicking at Shireroth itself... this King's family and his lackeys in the Julius Civilis Complex were blamed to make it a family tradition to let others dictate the country's policies. Not everyone had forgotten how king Harold had abused his marriage ties with the des Vinandy's to claim the Lion Throne.
"And this is how the Kingdom's independence ends: with a roaring applause," said a commenter on the Batavian Broadcasting Company's live broadcast. He was immediately replaced, but the harm had been done.
One could not notice it, while standing in the catodral, but this was certainly not the joyous occasion the dynasty had wanted it to be.
