Shepherd Moon, 2nd Edition - Stories from the Shepherd Moon #2: An Obsession With Royalty
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Stories from the Shepherd Moon: Interviews #2 – An Obsession With Royalty
(this day-in-the-life filler story is to be inserted after the epilogue of Shepherd Moon)
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Hello, Dear Reader. Hereâs a warning:
If you havenât read the Shepherd Moon and donât want any spoilers, donât continue.
This particular story is part of the âStories from the Shepherd Moon,â and is a fun and funny kind of vignette about a royal event in Miaâs life, covered by the fictitious BBC Solar video network, and anchored by the fictitious TV personality Bryan Seacrest (wink wink), with news personalities Danni Sawyer and Kathy Courik (lol).
This is what is usually called a âcompanion piece,â to the story, âShepherd Moon.â
Timeline-wise, it follows the epilogue/ending, and the first âStories from the Shepherd Moonâ chapter, but has no material contribution to that story. You might want to read parts 1 to 5, and the epilogue of âShepherd Moonâ first before reading this one.
This story is also chock-full of pictures which, I hope, adds a bit of the fun element of Shepherd Moon.
As usual, the pictures and collages are from publicly-accessible pictures from the net. No i.p. or copyright infringement is intended.
So.
If you wish to continue, feel free to scroll down, and I hope you enjoy this little story!
(And please do comment? Thanks!)
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Announcer: âTo all our viewers on the planet, the colonies and territories of the United Nations of Earth, and, via galactic radio relay, to all our viewers in the Galactic Federation of Free Races â we welcome you back to BBC Solarâs special Federation-wide coverage of the investiture of Princess Amelia Liaran-Kerr-Steele as the new ruler of the Elyran Kingdom of the Northern Territory.
âWe now return you to BBC Solarâs Bryan Seacrest and the special news correspondent from the Royal Elyran Broadcasting System, Jem Tevann-Losira.â
âWelcome back, viewers. My nameâs Bryan Seacrest, broadcasting from BBC Solarâs outside broadcasting van, or what we in the news business like to call the âOB Van,â here on the front lawn of the Royal Castle of the Northern Territory here on Elyra Prime. Iâm here with the famous Elyran presenter and TV personality, Jem Tevann-Losira.â
Jem spoke, but only Elyran could be heard.
âJem! Jem! You have to make sure both buttons of your translator are pressed down.â
âOh!â Jem said, took the little translator from his ear and pressed a button on it. âApologies, Bryan. Am I fine now?â
âYes, thanks.â
âTâchahn, everyone,â Jem said, and fitted the translator back in his ear. âApologies to all the viewers.â
âJem and I have been covering the investiture ceremony of the Lady Amelia Liaran-Kerr-Steele as the new ruler of the Kingdom of the Northern Territory. Actually, the investiture rights have been completed a while ago, and we are just waiting for the last part of the ceremony, the official portrait of Lady Amelia to be properly framed and then hung in the castleâs Hall of Paintings. As you know, this comes on the heels ofâŠâ
âPardon me, Bryan,â Jem interrupted. âThatâs not strictly correct. Princess Amelia isnât really the ruler of the Northern Territory. Officially, she is now the Steward of the Realm, until the family of Dorian-Kerr officially reclaims the throne.â
âThank you, Jem. Can you explain that to me, though? Why is Lady Mia a âstewardâ instead of the out-and-out ruler? And what is a steward, anyway?â
âGood question, Bryan. A Steward or royal custodian is a person who is assigned to act as the caretaker or keeper of a country, state or territory, and to act in place of the royal family until the rightful ruler can claim her throne again. So, in effect she is like a proxy ruler.
âStewards become necessary from time to time when there are no immediate heirs to a throne, as what has happened to the Northern Territory.â
âYes. As you all know, the Northern Territoryâs Royal Couple and Princess Mara Dorian-Kerr have been unmasked as Detterex spies. It happened prior to the surrender of Detterex, right?â
âThatâs right. But not just them â it also included several members of the family. As such, there are no valid heirs to the throne remaining. The Queen therefore commanded the House of Royal Peers to search for the next legitimate heir, and while the search progresses, the Peerage has appointed a Steward, and thatâs the Princess Amelia.â
âAhhh. Why did the Peers select the Lady Amelia, anyway? Why not the other members of the Royal Clan?â
âWell, there are certain qualifications for a steward â the steward must keep the welfare of her charges her foremost priority, the steward must have no aspirations to establish herself as the permanent ruler, and the steward must be acceptable to her charges and the Peerage. Princess Amelia met all the criteria, and was voted by acclamation.â
âBut I also heard that there were many who protested her appointment because she wasnât an Elyran, much less a royal. There were a few rallies, in fact.â
âAhhh, yes. Thatâs true â there was one other criteria, which is that the steward has to be part of the Royal Clan. But with her marriage to the heir apparent to the Great Plains and Royal Elyran Thrones, Princess Tasha, that made her a royal by marriage.â
âBut sheâs an Earther, not an Elyran.â
âTrue. But, technically, there are no rules that specify that a requirement for a steward. It was a touchy issue. What tipped the scales in favor of Princess Amelia was the fact that the instigators of the protest movement, which wasnât too big, actually, â not even eight-eights of eight â the instigators were unmasked as Detterex spies! And the when the Keeper of the Heritage weighed in on the subject and endorsed the princess, well, from there, the tide of opinion of the few that were still against it was reversed.â
âSo it was clear sailing for the her investiture, then?â
âYes. But there is, however, a problem. After several months, it seems that there has been no trace of the real Princess Mara, and the other missing members of the Dorian-Kerr royal family could not be found as well. It is a general opinion among the Peerage that they have either been assassinated or are in hiding, and they will not be found, so there are rumors that the Peerage is considering establishing a new royal line for the Northern Territory, and you know how difficult that would be.â
âActually, no. What do you mean?â
âWell, imagine if one of the other royal lines would, in effect, inherit the Northern Kingdom, which is, after all, the second most powerful among all Elyran kingdoms and colonies. The Royal Peerage would have to debate who among them could truly act in the interest of the Northern Kingdomâs subjects, and renounce any ties or claims to their current lineages. Which could be an endless debate. And ultimately, whoever that person is, she and her new line would also need to be vetted by their subjects, too.â
âSpeaking as an Earther, I find this a little unusual. I would have assumed that the queen makes all the rules.â
Jem laughed. âYes, I have heard Earthers say the same thing. I was told by BenâŠâ
âBen? You know Dr. Ben Tevann-Areeya? Wow!â
Jem grinned. âYes. Anyway, Ben said that there are precedents even in your Earth. Theyâre called âconstitutional monarchies,â like your own Great BritainâŠâ
âI doubt Queen Margaret is like the Princess TashaâŠâ
âWell, true, theyâre not exactly the same, nor is the government of Great Britain exactly like Elyra.â
âBut, I imagine this thing, this appointment of a steward, has happened before. How was it handled in the past?â
âActually, it hasnât happened anytime in modern recorded history. Only in legend, I guess you could say.â
âOh.â
âIndeed.â
âWell. Anyway, in the meantime, letâs get back to our coverage. Letâs go back to our senior correspondent and Elyran bureau chief Danni Sawyer. Come in, Danni.â
âThank you, Bryan. Iâm Danni Sawyer, and Iâm back for the continuation of BBC Solarâs galaxy-wide coverage of Lady Ameliaâs investiture ceremony.
âNestled among these beautiful, majestic snow-covered mountains of Elyra Primeâs Northern Kingdom is the Alwahri Taryn Eloisha Seraphim, or the Burning Castle in the Sky, the home of the Northern Kingdomâs ruling family and the kingdomâs seat of government.
âThe Seraphim has been the seat of government of the Northern Kingdom for thousands of millennia, and has played host to so many momentous events of the race. Today has been another one of them, where an alien – a Earther – actually ascends as steward to the throne of a great Elyran kingdom.
âThe investiture rites, as it is called, has actually been completed, administered by the High Holy Bishop of the Church of Elyra, and everyone is just awaiting the final portion of the event, which is the ceremonial hanging of the official portrait of the investiture in what has been called the Hall of Portraits. We have Kathy Courik from our Elyran bureau standing by there. Come in, Kathy.â
âThank you, Danni,â Kathy said as her camera went live. âI am here in the castleâs Hall of Portraits, which contains portraits and pictures of all the major events that have happened in the Northern Kingdom and to her people. Itâs like the history of the planet documented in pictures. Itâs quite incredible, really. Itâs an enormous hall that, I am told has about 500 million square feet of space, containing over 900 million photographs and paintings. Some have said that there is at least one photograph or painting that documents at least one major event per year of Elyran recorded history. Unfortunately, many of them have, in fact, already succumbed to the ravages of time, and have had to be removed.â
âMy goodness, Kathy!â Danni commented. âThat sounds like an incredible sight!â
âIndeed it is, Danni,â Kathy commented. âThe daily line of visitors outside is long and seemingly never-ending.â
âHave you had a chance to take a look around?â
âNot really, Danni. But I did see the hallâs latest and most popular exhibit.â
âOh? What is it?â
âIt was just installed a few weeks ago, actually. Itâs the official portrait of the new Elyran Royal Family of the Elyran Race. Hold on and let me see if I can get a picture of it on screen. Here you go.â
âThat is a wonderful portrait of the new queen-to-be and her royal consorts.â
âYes, it is, isnât it? In the middle is, of course, Crown Princess Tasha Liaran-Kerr, who will ascend the throne of the Great Plains Territory, and, simultaneously the Throne of All Elyra once the period of mourning for the queen is over. To her right, in her trademark Alice band or headband is the Lady Sahsha Liaran-Kerr-Delyer, the former Sahsha Delyer, a human, and the main liaison officer of the United Nations to Elyra, and the long-time girlfriend of Admiral Amelia Steele, who was also the former Dr. William Steele, the famous scientist who discovered Phase-Wave. Here, Lady Amelia is wearing a tiara which, as many of my Elyran friends say, is the current fashion among the royals in the Great Plains kingdom.â
âHi, Kathy, this is Bryan. The three ladies are married to each other, right? Can you elaborate on that?â
âHi, Bryan. Yes, the three are married to each other, which is unusual in Elyran society, but not unheard of. It seems that the three are what are known as bridges to each other, what that means is something I am not clear about. They became so because, I hear, the two Earth women were able to rescue Princess Tasha from suicide following the death of her husband, Prince Ren Tevann-Reshanii.
âHowever, because of prevailing laws, the marriage isnât officially recognized on Earth. As far as Earth law is concerned, only the marriage between Lady Amelia and Lady Sahsha is official.â
âMust make for a complicated kind of relationship, huh?â
Kathy giggled. âI wouldnât know, Bryan.â
âSo, Kathy,â Danni said, âany word yet on when the portrait will be coming.â
âI am told that a floater has just landed on the castleâs roof deck. I think thatâs from the laboratory assigned to print and mount the new portrait. If Iâm right we can expect the hallâs newest exhibit to be on display within the next half hour.â
âThatâs good to know. Weâll be standing by. Unfortunately, itâs started to snow here. I think Iâll get inside now, and turn it back over to the guys. Bryan?â
âThank you, Kathy and Danni,â Bryan said. âWhile we wait, perhaps we can talk to a few other people and find out how all this got started. Jem?â
âThank you, Bryan,â Jem answered. âOn the line with us now is Lady Reena, Shipâs Mistress of the flagship Talon. My Lady, are you there?â
âYes, Mr. Seacrest,â Reena said. âI hear you.â
âThank you for giving us a few minutes of your valuable time, and for going on the air.â
âNot at all.â
âDo you mind if we ask you where you are now, Lady Reena?â
âWell, I am currently onboard the Great Plains flagship, the Talon. She is also part of EarthForceâs Fifth Fleet. It is my honor to be the mistress onboard the Talon. Currently, we are in orbit around Detterex Prime. The Talon is part of the blockade around the planet, to enforce the terms of the conditional surrender of the Detterex to the Galactic Federation. But our tour of duty will be done in a few days. We are not expected to be back here until our next rotation, which is in another six Earth months.â
âI believe Lady Amelia is also your superior officer, am I right?â
âIndeed. I and my crew are part of Earthâs Fifth Fleet, as well as part of Elyraâs Royal Space Force. Therefore, Princess Amelia is our superior officer since she is also the commanding officer of the Fifth Fleet.â
âWhile we wait, would it be all right if you help us recount how all of this began, My Lady?â
âIt shall be my honor.â
âSo. When did it all begin for you, My Lady.â
âWell, for me, it all began a few years ago, when the entire Elyran system was blanketed by that signal from Earth.â
âYes! I remember that. All the radio and communications systems of all the Elyran planets were switched off, and it took hours to restore them.â
âAs it was throughout the entire Federation, as well as the Tiros and Detterex empires.â
âIndeed. So, tell us what happened.â
âAfter that message from the then-unknown Human Race, meetings were held on Elyra and in Colossus, where the Elyran, Dixx and Arachnian nations decided on sending an expedition to Earth, to get a âlay of the land,â as Earthers might say, and invite them to our mother worlds and to Colossus, and possibly enter into an alliance with them. So the Talon and several other ships from Elyra, Dixx and Arachnia were sent.
âHowever, at the time, the Detterex and Tirosians had the same plan. The incredible coincidence of their arrival in Earth System at the same time as us seems explainable now. Obviously the Detterex spies â it might even have been the in-disguise Princess Mara â had leaked our plans to the enemy. In any case, after an incredible battle that ended with massive losses to both us and the enemy, we continued on to Earth.â
âWas it an easy trip from then on?â
âWell, it was a very long trip – over an Earth month, almost two. Apparently, the Earthers were bending over backwards to accommodate the slow speed of our spacecraft. But we were quite busy during that time, so we werenât bored. By using Earthâs Phase-Wave, we were able to do a lot of work. Treaties, agreements, contracts and all of the diplomatic work the Prince and the other leaders were expecting to do down on Earth were done onboard so that by the time we arrived, there would be a minimum of discussions and negotiations.â
âDid it go well from then on?â
âWell, no. The remaining Detterex and Tiros forces were making their plans to intercept us and stop us from making planetfall on Earth. Captain OâConnell and her crews decided to intercept them near Saturn. I was not there myself but it was indeed one of the more legendary of space battles. The tactics used by Princess Amelia and Captain OâConnell during that battle engagement in fact inspired many of the new battle tactics that are now taught during academy training for pilots. That battle engagement is now referred to the âBattle of Saturnâ by academy trainees.â
âJem,â Bryan said, âI think we have Captain Elizabeth OâConnell on the other line. Perhaps we can talk with her about that.â
âOkay, Bryan. Lady Reena, our thanks for your time.â
âAs the Earthers say, ânot a problem,â Jem. Iâve been watching your show, actually, and itâs a good show. Good luck.â
Jem grinned. âMany thanks, My Lady.â
âOkay,â Bryan said. âLetâs now go to Captain Elizabeth OâConnell onboard the EarthForce flagship Shepherd Moon. Captain OâConnell, are you there?â
âGood afternoon, Mr. Seacrest. I can hear you.â
âGood afternoon, Captain. Iâm just going to confirm â you are currently onboard the Shepherd Moon, right?â
âYes, I am.â
âWhat exactly is the Shepherd Moon, and where is it now?â
âThe Shepherd Moon is DSC 05, the flagship of EarthForceâs Fifth Fleet, and is Admiral Steeleâs Flag Carrier. We are actually in orbit above Elyra Prime now, waiting for the Admiral and her party. Weâll be bringing them to Colossus for a major conference thatâs been called by the new Dravidian ambassador.â
âSo you guys are playing taxi, huh?â Everyone laughed. âAnd Admiral Steele isâŠ?â
âYes, yes. Admiral Steele is actually Her Royal Highness, Princess Amelia Catherine Liaran-Kerr-Steele, who is also Lady Amelia of the Sciollian Isles.â
âWhoa! Pretty heavy.â
OâConnell laughed. âWell, to me, sheâs just my boss. I call her âSkipper.ââ
Everyone chuckled. âHope she doesnât see this program, then, and hear you talking like that. But, by the sound, you like the Admiral.â
OâConnell nodded. âOh, yes. I consider her a good friend, but more than that â I respect her. But she is my boss, like I said. So I try not to be too familiar.â
âI even heard that you acted as the âmaid of honorâ for their wedding.â
âYes, but under protest.â
âWhy?â
âI didnât like the bridesmaid dresses.â
Everyone laughed.
âWell⊠anyway, we wanted to ask about the âBattle of Saturn.â I hear that you had a major role in that.â
âOh, God, yes!â
âCan you tell us about it?â
âWell, after the initial engagement with the enemy in what everyone now calls the âBattle of Pluto,â we were on our way back to Earth. But several weeks into our return trip, we found that the enemy was on the way to intercept us. They had engaged a new technology that hid them from our detection systems, but we were able to detect them with Phase-Wave. They were going to barrel through the Saturn system so the Admiral decided to intercept.
âWe played a kind of cat-and-mouse game, hiding from them using Saturnâs rings. It was crazy. The Seeker was playing like it was a submarine, hiding under the rings, and then coming out and rising like an old World War 2 boat to engage the enemy. I know that I wonât be doing anything like that in my career again. But Iâm sure you can read the blow-by-blow of that battle in the Shepherd Moon chronicles.â
(note to reader: For the Saturn encounter, see Chapter 15 in Part 4 of âThe Shepherd Moonâ â Bobbi-C)
âSo what happened afterwards?â
âWell, apparently, we hadnât gotten all of the enemy, so there was yet another encounter over in Luna. There, we were able to get all of the enemy, and even captured the Detterex flagship, the Defiant. Then we proceeded to Earth. Iâm sure youâll want a blow-by-blow of the Moon encounter, but can you hold on? My people are calling meâŠâ
âThatâs all right, Captain. Iâm sure youâre quite busy. Weâll let you go back to work.â
âAnytime, Bryan. Thanks.â
âSo, who do we have next, Jem?â
âWell, Bryan,â Jem answered. âWe have, standing by, Ambassador Nick Andros from the Earth Mission to Colossus, and Professor Jennifer Priestly of the CETI institute, and now a member of the Keeper of the Heritage. Ambassador? Professor? Are you there?â
âGood afternoon, Jem,â Jennifer answered. âHow are you, today?â
âItâs a pleasure to be here today, although itâs pretty cold at the moment,â Nick said with a chuckle.
âNick!â Jennifer Priestly exclaimed.
âWhat did I say?â
âYou might hurt someoneâs feelings,â she whispered.
Jem laughed, too. âWell, youâre in the Northern Kingdom, after all,â he said. âBe glad itâs the summer season.â
âYou two are some of Lady Ameliaâs closest friends, Iâm told,â Bryan said.
Nick laughed. âSure. Weâve known her when she was just plain old âMia.â Now, with this investiture thing, sheâs going to be more insufferable than usual.â
Jennifer shook her head. âIgnore Nick, guys. He always does this.â
âDoes what?â Jem asked.
âEmbarrass people.â Everyone laughed.
âWell, while we have you here,â Bryan said, âweâd like to ask you a few questions. We were just talking to Captain Elizabeth OâConnell, and she was talking about the arrival of the Federation expedition on Earth.â
Nick nodded. âYou mean, after the moon encounter? When the Lunar guys beached the Detterex ship, Defiant?â
âYes.â
âWell, Iâm sure you remember. We escorted the five remaining Federation ships back to New York, and then to the United Nations. And the Secretary-General made that famous speech of hersâŠâ
âAnd the events of those days set the tone for everything else that happened afterwards,â Jennifer said. âThe treaties and everything else. But more than that, itâs started the integration of Humanity into the rest of the galaxy.â
âSpeaking as an Elyran,â Jem said, âthe changes since you Earthers came onto the scene have changed the galaxy enormously. How has it changed things for you? Professor?â
âAs a sociologist, knowing for a fact that there are other people out in the universe changes a society fundamentally. And actually seeing them and interacting with them, even more so. And with the opening of the Federation embassies in the Sciollian Isles meant that there would be a constant presence of, pardon my choice of words, Jem, – a constant presence of aliens on the planet. We can only expect that we Earthpeople will change even more.â
After a moment of silence, Nick chuckled. âVery deep Jenn,â he said, trying to break the seriousness. âThis girl canât leave work at the office.â
After a short chuckle, Bryan continued the interview.
âTalking about the Federation embassies,â Bryan said, âI hear itâs a pretty elaborate place, and very high tech.â
âWell, yes,â Nick said. âIt is. Though almost all the members of the Federation have the same kind of requirements we do, there are some specific needs that they have to take care of, hence all the high tech machinery.â
âI’ve heard itâs a wonderful place, too,â Jem said. âMy cousin is part of the Elyran Mission to the United Nations, and he gets to spend a lot of time there in the Isles of Scilly. He saidâŠâ Jem paused when everyone started to laugh.
âWhatâs so funny?â
âOh, nothing, Jem,â Nick said. âWe Earthers find the name âScillyâ funny.â
âWell⊠all rightâŠâ
âIâll explain later, Jem,â Bryan said. âHey, hereâs something interesting. Iâm reading through my briefing memos and it says here that Lady Amelia owns the Isles of Scilly. What a coincidence!â
Nick laughed. âHardly. The way I understood it from the queenâŠâ
âThe queen of Elyra?â Jem asked.
âNo, no! I mean Queen Margaret II, the queen of England!â
âAhhh! I apologize. So what did Queen Margaret say?â
âShe said that Lady Amelia specifically donated the islands to the world government, specifically for use by the Federation. She said that the islands were not being used much anyway, and she said it was her way of helping.â
âHow does the queen know Lady Amelia?â
âWell, Lady Amelia is the Duchess of the Isles of Scilly, and is a subject of the Queen. Thatâs why she has the title of Lady Amelia.â
âAhhh.â
âBy the way,â Jennifer said, âthe Duchess prefers that her duchy be called the âSciollian Isles.ââ
âHmmm,â Jem said. âYou really have to explain that thing about the name soon, Bryan.â
âNever fear, my friend,â Bryan said.
âWell, what are the Sciollian Isles, Nick?â
âItâs a small archipelago of about thirteen main islands plus about forty-five islets, located southwest of Cornwall, making the islands the southernmost part of the UK. Of the thirteen main islands, Lady Amelia has given the Federation a long-term lease on twelve of them, so that they can have a permanent presence on the planet for their embassies.â
âAhhh. What are the names of these islands?â
âThereâs Saint Maryâs, Tresco, Saint Martinâs, Saint Agnes, Saint Helenâs, Bryher, White Island, Gugh, Gwael, Samson, Annet, Tean, and Great Ganilly. There are about forty-five islets, but theyâre nothing but little rocks. Lady Amelia is leasing all the main islands to the Federation except for Saint Maryâs. Sheâs keeping that for herself. That gives the Federation a total of sixteen square kilometers, not counting the several dozen square kilometers of open sea surrounding them.â
âSounds charming.â
âHavenât been there myself, but Iâve been told that the islands are very picturesque.â
âItâs good that the Federation has a permanent home on Earth,â Jennifer said. âItâs the least we can do, after theyâve given us Gibraltar Base.â
âIsnât Gibraltar Base the Earthâs outpost on Colossus?â Jem asked.
âWell,â Nick said, ânot on Colossus, but on the nearby planet, Zeos Three.â
âAhhh.â
âI believe the establishment of Gibraltar was immediately after that battle near Colossus,â Bryan said, âwhen the station was almost totaled by a near-miss of a runaway Detterex cruiser.â
âYes,â Jem said. âThat was a story for the ages!â
âHold on, hold on, my dear co-host,â Bryan said. âLetâs not get side-tracked. We still have other people to interview.â
âOops! Youâre absolutely right, Bryan. Apologies.â
âNo worries. Thank you Ambassador, Professor. Letâs move on to some other luminaries out there in the front gardens of the northern kingdomâs castle. Who do we have on-line, Jem?â
âActually, Bryan, Danni was able to catch someone just outside of the castle grounds. Danni? Who did you see?â
âHi, Jem, this is Danni. Iâm just outside the castleâs main gate, and I bumped into Dr. Ben Tevann-Areeya. Heâs here outside apparently waiting for a cab. Doctor? Good afternoon. Iâm Danni Sawyer, with the Earth press corps. Weâre covering the event for BBC Solar. Can I ask for a few words for our televiewers?â
âGood afternoon, Ms Sawyer,â Ben said. âWhat can I do for you?â
âWhat are you doing out here by the curb, sir? Are you leaving?â
âIâm afraid so. Iâm just waiting for the royal limousine.â
âBut, sir, the portrait hasnât arrived yet. Donât you want to see the portrait?â
âI do, but I have been instructed by my liege to take care of some matters, to prepare for her meeting at Colossus.â
âAhhh. You were just appointed as Lady Ameliaâs chief of staff, were you not?â
âJust this morning, actuallyâŠâ
âAnd youâre already hard at workâŠâ
Ben giggled. âThatâs life with Princess Amelia. But itâs important work. Iâm honored to be relied upon by Princess Amelia in such important matters. Ahhh. Hereâs the car. If youâll excuse meâŠâ
âOf course, sir. Well, thatâs too bad, Jem. Just missed talking with Dr. Ben Tevann-Areeya. Heâs a very busy man.â
âIâm not surprised, Danni. But thatâs all right. We have on the line someone else that our viewers will definitely recognize. Itâs Queen Margaret II of the United Kingdom of Earth, and her husband, Prince Stephen. Good afternoon, Your Royal Highness.â
âGood afternoon, Jem,â the queen replied. âYou really are as gorgeous as they say you are.â The companion beside her moaned and covered his eyes.
âOh, shut up, Stevie,â she said, and elbowed her companion. She leaned towards the camera. âWhat use is it to bring along your husband if you donât get to embarrass him on TV,â she mock-whispered conspiratorially, and giggled.
âSo what can we do for you this fine, crisp and snowy day?â
Jem giggled. âYour Royal Highness never fails to delight. Well, we just wondered how this will affect the duties of Princess Amelia in the Commonwealth, given that sheâs now the steward of the Northern Kingdom.â
The queen shrugged. âWell, itâs not like weâll miss Mia in Westminster. She has not been attending to her duties in the House of Lords, but itâs understandable. Sheâs the busiest person I know. I believe she is on extended leave from the House, but sheâs promised me that sheâll come back if her peers ask her to, especially during the important votes.â
âThatâs unusual, isnât it?â Bryan said.
âMiaâs an unusual girl,â the queen said. âBut she is one of the few people who have the full support of the public. So they gave her special dispensation by way of a parliamentary act, so she can be away and send her votes in via Phase-Wave.â
âSo, how do you feel about one of your subjects wielding as much power as you, Your Majesty,â Bryan said in a conspiratorial tone. âHeheheheh.â
The queen giggled. âWell, all I ask is that Iâm allowed to visit the castle grounds as often as I want.â Her expression turned serious. âBut I guess what you are asking is if thereâs any kind of conflict of interest, whether sheâs representing the interests of Humanity, or of Elyra. It is a very tough dilemma. The Prime Minister and myself have been in discussions about it with Admiral Silverman and the Joint Chiefs as well as the Secretary-General and her chief-of-staff. But, you know? In typical Mia fashion, Mia anticipated this and has filed her resignation from the House, from EarthForce, from the Foreign Affairs Office and from CETI. And while she is waiting for that to push through, she simultaneously filed leaves from the House, from the Foreign Affairs Office, from EarthForce, and from CETI as well.
âShe has even given myself, the Secretary-General and the Admiral a very heartfelt letter, explaining that she was a loyal Terran citizen, but she needs to do this for our Elyran friends. This way, if she resigns, no one can accuse her of any conflict, and if need be, she can renounce her citizenship. She said she hoped that would not be necessary, but she is offering it just the same.â
Bryan and Jem were in shock.
âYour MajestyâŠâ
âI am not joking, Bryan.â
âThis is breaking news!â
âPerhaps it is, but let us not give undue attention to this alright? Not until after, all right? Mia deserves this, after what she has given all of us â itâs the least we can do. Hold off on any follow-ups until tonight. It is the only decent thing to do. All right?â
Bryan and Jem looked at each other.
âI donâtâŠâ Bryan said.
âOh, Bryan,â Jem said. âYour journalistic ethics arenât in question. Weâve broken the news already. Her Majesty has given us the news and weâve told the public. Letâs not ruin this day for Princess Amelia. Just for this day.â
Bryan looked at Jem. âOkay, Jem.â
Bryan turned to face the camera. âOkay, folks. This is a major piece of news. Youâve heard it here first. Lady Amelia has filed for resignation from the House of Peers in the British Parliament, the Foreign Service, from the CETI Institute and from EarthForce. Weâre not dropping this breaking news item, weâre just postponing the follow-up. Letâs finish today, and weâll come back to this immediately after.
âAnyway, weâve just heard from Kathy Courik that the portrait has arrived. Kathy? Whatâs happening over there?â
âThank you, Bryan,â Kathy said to the camera. âI am still here in the castleâs enormous Hall of Portraits. The officials from the castle have come and gone, and they have already hung the portrait of âPrincess Amelia of Earth, Steward of the Northern Kingdom,â as it has been labeled. Letâs see if I can get through and get everyone a picture⊠Excuse me, please. Pardon me. PardonâŠ
âAhhh, here you go. My goodness! Itâs enormous. And itâs so beautiful!â
âWow, Kathy!â Bryan said. âThatâs so beautiful.â
âIndeed,â Jem said. âYou see Princess Amelia wearing a robe in the royal colors of the Northern Kingdom â royal blue, silver and white. In her hands, she carries the Crystal Staff, which symbolizes the power she wields as the kingdomâs ruler or steward, showing that she is the highest authority in the land. Notice that she isnât wearing a crown. That symbolizes the fact that she is not the queen â that she is just the Steward of the Realm.
âYou know, Bryan, I had the pleasure of meeting her, Princess Tasha and the Lady Sahsha a few years ago during an interview. Itâs like she hasnât aged, except her hair was quite shorter then.â
âWhatâs that jewel that the Bishop is placing around her neck?â Bryan asked.
âThatâs the Blue Heart, a Type IIb diamond thatâs about four inches across, and symbolizes that she is the rightful ruler of the land. By putting the Blue Heart around her neck, the High Holy Bishop of the Church of Elyra is officially declaring Lady Ameliaâs new title, and invalidating all the claims of any claimants to the Throne. Itâs quite a moving ritual.â
âLetâs break away from Danni for a moment. We have Ambassador Fal of the First Colony of Elyra, accompanied by her husband Micah. Ambassador, are you there?â
âYes, Bryan, Iâm here,â Ambassador Fal replied.
âHave you seen the portrait yet, Ambassador?â
âNot yet. The crush of peopleâŠâ
âYes, Kathy had some trouble getting through herself. Anyway, Jem was telling me about the meaning of this investiture. Can you add some more information?â
âWell, Bryan,â she began. âI am, myself, not part of the Peerage, so I know a little bit about this. I am not a Royal, but I was selected by my liege to represent the First Colony in council, and, on occasion, at the Federation Assembly in Colossus. Similar to Princess Amelia, I had my own investiture. The difference is that Princess Amelia is royal by marriage.
âBeing declared as a Steward means you have all the powers, duties, privileges and responsibilities of the queen, really. The only things you wonât have are the power of granting royal warrants of appointment to the royal court, granting royal and noble ranks, bequeathing royal properties, monies and perquisites not part of the business of the throne, and, of course none of your forbears or assignees may inherit the stewardship without an investiture of their own. And, of course, if the legitimate heir to the throne has been identified by the Peerage, and has been declared as ready, you would need to relinquish your stewardship.â
âSo,â Bryan, âto me, that sounds like Lady Amelia is the princess or queen, except in name.â
âExactly correct, Bryan.â
âSo, what does that make her title now? She cannot claim any royal titleâŠâ
âAha!â Jem said. âThatâs where youâre wrong, Bryan. Princess Amelia was officially already a royal, even before the investiture, so by that, she should have been addressed like a royal princess regardless of her investiture.â
âSo, I shouldnât have been calling her Lady Amelia?â
âWellâŠâ
âAmbassador? What do you think?â
âJem is correct.â
âUh-oh⊠So what is Princess Ameliaâs official title, anyway?â
âHold on, Bryan,â Jem said. âLet me look at my notes. Letâs see⊠alright â the Princessâ official title isâŠ
âHer Royal Highness, Crown Princess Amelia Catherine Liaran-Kerr-Steele of Elyra Prime and the Elyran Great Plains, Steward of the Northern Kingdom, Duchess of the Sciollian Isles of Earth, Keeper of the Messiahâs Torch, Admiral of the Fifth Fleet of Earth and High Admiral of the Elyran Defense Force, Lord-Defender of Arachnia and the Daemon Territories, Friend of All Detterex, Lord and Master of New Gibraltar, Director-General Emeritus of the CETI Institute, and permanent ambassador of the United Nations of Earth to the Galactic Federation of Free Races.â
âWow â thatâs a lot to remember!â
âWell, for short, you just address her âYour Highness,â and informally call her âPrincess Amelia.ââ
âAs opposed to?â
âWell, if youâre part of EarthForce, I suppose you address her as âLord Admiral Steele,â or perhaps just âAdmiral.â I am not too familiar with Earther conventions. Or maybe just âMy Lady,â if youâre an Earther civilian.â
âNo problem.â
âBryan?â The ambassador asked. âWould it be all right if Micah and I leave you now? The guests are being paged for the reception at the Great HallâŠâ
âApologies, Ambassador. Thank you for your time. Jem, do we have others standing by?â
âLetâs check in with Danni. Danni, are you there?â
âYes, Iâm here, Jem. Iâm here with Dame Antoinette Windsor. Sheâs part of the British royal family, and is a member of the House of Peers. Good afternoon, My Lady.â
âGood afternoon.â
âSo, how did you find the unveiling of the portrait of the new steward?â
âTruth be told, I havenât seen it yet. There are just too many people.â
âToo true. Do you mind me asking, My Lady, how you are related to Princess Amelia? How do you know her?â
âAgain, truth be told, I only know of her by name and reputation. But I am quite proud to be here, and am quite happy for her.â
âYou are part of the royal Windsor family, are you not, and a member of the House of Peers?â
âYes, but only distantly. My father is the duke of Marlinspike Hall, in Marlinshire. I am like 562nd in line to the throne. Iâm sorry. My own little guilty pride, I guess.â She giggled.
âWhat do you think of all of this pomp and pageantry?â
âWell, I am bowled over. I have never attended a coronation, excuse me, I mean an investiture, before, and on a different planet, too.â
âYes?â
âWell, I know that this is serious business, that the kingdom is currently leaderless, that this is something that they desperately need. I am just pleased to be a witness to it, and wish Lady Amelia well.â
âWell, thank you for speaking with us.â
âNo problem.â
âDanni, I see the delegation from Arachnia here on the monitor. Can you see if you canâŠâ
– end –
Notice: The pictures and collages are from publicly-accessible pictures in the internet. The BBC logo is patterned after an old, unused and defunct logo of the BBC, and the BBC splash page is from a BBC newscast from the UK. No i.p. or copyright infringement is intended.