Dawn rose on a new day for the Galdredan Lava Kingdom. Elmar and Calandra yawned as they woke up. They put on bathrobes and shuffled off to the dining room for breakfast. Calandra got a cup of coffee as Elmar got his tea. Bacon and eggs were set in front of them, and they ate in a groggy fashion. \u201cDid you sleep well, Your Majesty?\u201d asked the head maid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe slept all right,\u201d mumbled Calandra. \u201cThough the sabotage and death of last week didn\u2019t help matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStill thinking about what those horrid men did?\u201d asked the head maid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re having vivid nightmares,\u201d replied Elmar. The head butler then came in with a letter in his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExcuse me, Your Majesties,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I believe this letter is of great importance to you.\u201d Calandra opened the letter, and her eyes and smile became wider as she read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cElmar, look!\u201d she called. Elmar looked at the letter, then grinned when he finished reading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe definitely could do with news like that!\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you read it yet?\u201d Calandra asked the head butler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was addressed to you, Your Majesty,\u201d he replied. \u201cI\u2019m not in the habit of reading mail that does not have my name to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGo ahead and read this.\u201d Calandra handed the letter to the head butler and maid. They read the letter and grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShall I arrange for the Town Crier to make the announcement?\u201d asked the head maid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather tell the Town Crier myself,\u201d replied Calandra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVery good, Your Majesty,\u201d said the head maid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arsha and her lovers walked around Castle Town. \u201cMalnar, we\u2019ve been walking around aimlessly!\u201d complained Arsha. \u201cWhere\u2019s your surprise?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt should be here any minute now,\u201d replied Malnar patiently. Just then, a Kitsune man dressed in the wildest of outfits came up on his horse, ringing his bell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Town Crier?\u201d muttered Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHEAR YE! HEAR YE! HEAR YE!\u201d called the Crier, a smile on his face. \u201cLET IT BE KNOWN THAT ON THE FIFTIETH DAY OF THE MONTH OF ERBEE OF THE FIRST YEAR OF THE THREE REALMS\u2019 ETERNAL AGE OF UNITY, KING ORBAK EMBORAMII AND HIS QUEEN SHALL STEP DOWN AND PASS THE CROWN TO THEIR ELDEST DAUGHTER, MALNAR!\u201d Malnar\u2019s lovers goggled at her as she smiled and confirmed what he said was true. The Crier continued. \u201cQUEEN CALANDRA AND HER HUSBAND AND ROYAL GUARD CAPTAIN WILL BE GOING TO THE BELSNATH CITADEL TO JOIN THEIR COLLEAGUES IN PLEDGING THEMSELVES TO HER AND THE UNDER-REALM FIVE DAYS IN ADVANCE AND WILL RETURN TWO DAYS AFTER THE CORONATION! PRIME MINISTER GRUMAR WILL BE RUNNING THE KINGDOM DURING THAT TIME!\u201d He spurred his horse on as he rang his bell and continued his announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve gotta have a voice like a Troll\u2019s to continue that for so long,\u201d muttered Malnar. Her lovers then hugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s the surprise?!\u201d asked Arsha as she beamed at Malnar. \u201cThere\u2019s a coronation date?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a coronation date!\u201d replied Malnar. \u201cNow, I\u2019m allowed to invite who I want to see me rise to the throne. So, you five are cordially invited to witness my coronation as Queen of the Under-realm!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019d be honored, Your High\u2026Your Majesty,\u201d replied Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPrincess, please, save that for after I\u2019m crowned Queen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, we\u2019re gonna have to practice that,\u201d remarked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d asked Gorfanth. \u201cI mean, we\u2019re all getting married once Arsha and Lardeth are crowned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, but the public needs to get used to it,\u201d answered Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot until I\u2019m crowned!\u201d insisted Malnar. \u201cUntil Erbee 50, I\u2019m still a Princess. I\u2019d like to be that until the crown\u2019s on my head.\u201d Foresna decided to drop it. He wasn\u2019t eager to test Malnar. Arsha then remembered something and looked pained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI still have reconstruction assignments!\u201d she said. Her lovers then recalled how damaged the Under-realm was, as it was Dr. Borg\u2019s preferred Realm for her empire\u2019s main base of operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe it\u2019s fixed enough that you can be spared a day or two,\u201d muttered Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI doubt it,\u201d replied Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll need to talk to Daddy and Rokalla,\u201d said Malnar. \u201cThey\u2019re the ones in charge of Under-realm Reconstruction right now. They\u2019ll be the best bet for seeing if you can see my rise to the throne.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As it happened, Orbak and Rokalla were being given a tour of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom to examine the progress and if a full Realmfleet presence was still needed. Rokalla had his legs and eye replaced with cybernetic prosthesis and was using crutches until he could master his new legs. As such, Orbak\u2019s chair was pushed around by their guide, an Elf man. \u201cSo, that\u2019s the last kingdom,\u201d mused Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt looks like Reconstruction\u2019s coming along better than anticipated,\u201d replied Rokalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEnough to remove a Realmfleet presence from the Under-realm?\u201d asked the guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Probably a fraction needs to stay,\u201d answered Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne eighth, I\u2019d say,\u201d guessed Rokalla. Just then, Malnar and Arsha approached them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh! There they are! My Heir and her fellow Conquering Hero!\u201d greeted Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHello, Daddy!\u201d replied Malnar as she bent down and hugged him. Orbak then sensed something, fatherly worry taking over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMalnar,\u201d he asked as he broke off the embrace, \u201cis something wrong?\u201d Malnar struggled to find the right words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEr\u2026Daddy, there\u2019s\u2026um\u2026\u201d she finally sighed. \u201cI want all my lovers to see my ascension.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Is that all that\u2019s on your mind?\u201d Orbak asked only to make sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d Orbak smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor a minute, I thought it was something hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour father and I,\u201d explained Rokalla, \u201cwere just talking about that. We\u2019re gonna leave an eighth of the ships here in the Under-realm, but not all ships need to leave at once. Once the coronation is over, Arsha, you\u2019re needed at the Drelda forest to help repair the Capital Tree. Until then, please, enjoy yourself when Malnar becomes Queen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen, I can stay?\u201d asked Arsha as hope filled her and Malnar\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course!\u201d confirmed Orbak. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to separate you and Malnar so soon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, you two! You have no idea how much that was weighing on us!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen there\u2019s something I need to ask you and Arsha,\u201d said Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAsk me? What is it?\u201d quizzed Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs it all right if I bum a ride to the Belsnath Citadel from you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m all right with it if Orbak is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, I am!\u201d assured Orbak. \u201cJust meet me in the throne room when you get there, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure thing, Daddy!\u201d promised Malnar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dawn rose on a new day for the Galdredan Lava Kingdom. Elmar and Calandra yawned as they woke up. They put on bathrobes and shuffled off to the dining room for breakfast. Calandra got a cup of coffee as Elmar got his tea. Bacon and eggs were set in front of them, and they ate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,239],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-5372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-6-the-eternal-age-of-unity","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5372"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5373,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5372\/revisions\/5373"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}