The Pearl of Great Price Part II

Chapter 35: Arrival

Waiting for the King's arrival is similar to waiting for a newborn baby. At first, the expectancy is acceptable. It gives a little more time to plan and prepare. But as the time drags on, the pain of waiting kicks in. Then it becomes frustrating and leaves you wanting to yell, "Just get here already!" Once the arrival happens, all the planning, preparation, waiting, and frustration become worth it. These sentiments are how Mary feels exactly.

The Princess started her day by grabbing the checklist from the bedside table. She reviewed it for completion and to know what parts of the house needed finishing touches before the King made his appearance. As Mary checked through each item, her face scrunched up in thought. Then she would mentally scratch things off the list or add items to it.

"Your brain is thinking so loudly that I can hear it from over here," Charles said. He rolled onto his back and slowly opened his eyes. Once they adjusted to the fresh streams of morning light, he greeted her properly, "Good morning, Darling."

Mary leaned over and pecked his lips. Then she greeted him in return. "Good morning to you also. I'm going over this checklist. I have a few final things to do before my father arrives. I suspect the servants have been up before sunrise, making the final preparations too. Did you and Jeffery work out all the added security details?"

Steepling his fingers over his abdomen, Charles told her, "Yes. We put a plan together yesterday afternoon and explained it to the guards. A lot of it is centered around the two guards the Emperor employed to us. They'll be secretly doing reconnaissance from covert locations."

The expression on his wife's face showed she was impressed by this. She returned the list to the nightstand and commented, "That's excellent. Even though I'd love to sleep in, I need to get up."

Mary started to get out of bed but was pulled back down. Her husband began a string of good morning kisses--- hot and steamy ones. Ones that made her burn from the inside out. Unfortunately, Mrs. Nevitt has not cleared her for extraneous activity yet. That is tragic, considering those kisses are the perfect gateway to morning love. They also put her timetable off track by more than a few minutes.

Once the Prince and Princess finally roused themselves out of bed, the first thing Mary did was check on Robert. He's still asleep after waking to feed a few hours earlier. She had wrapped him tightly in a swaddling blanket, like the other children when they were babes. It keeps them cozy, snuggled, and comforted. Lady Agnes taught her that trick. Mary smiled sweetly at their new baby boy but didn't dare sir him, or he'd make a fuss.

After checking on the baby, she and Charles broke their fast together. One thing that hasn't changed since the trip to Spain is morning coffee. The Emperor supplied them with enough beans to last the whole year and then some. The Imperator told them before they left, "When you run out, message me, and I'll send some more. Same with the wine."

The coffee led Charles to give thought to a different kind of possibility. He is considering opening up a coffee trade with Spain. It would be a totally new product for England. So this made the Prince mull over an idea on the carriage ride home yesterday. While the King is visiting, the Prince will try the morning drink out on him. If Henry likes it, he'll also message the Emperor about it.

As Mary inhaled the complex nutty smell of the chickory drink, she remarked, "Ah, excitement is in the air, and it smells like coffee." Charles laughed and drank his own, unlike his wife, who savors her cup.

As soon as breakfast finished, the couple parted ways. Charles went to his study, and Mary headed to find Lady Edith. The lady was found in the conservatory sitting with Paisley. The two were getting a head start, almost knowing what the Princess was going to suggest. She joined the two in discussing what must be completed before the King's arrival.