Albus Potter and the Prophesied Year

Ch 42 The Reign Begins

Wednesday April Twelfth Albus and Cleo arose and went into the bathroom. They used the two-person shower for the first time, washing each other's back because, although they could do it with magic, it was much more delightful to wash each other. They washed each other's hair, and then dried off with magic. They put on their undergarments and went into the dressing rooms to get ready for the day.

John the Elf met Albus and showed him the clothes laid out for him. They were the clothes he wore yesterday evening, dress trousers and white dress shirt without a tie, a comfortable dress jacket. John watched as Albus put the wand holster on his right arm, and together they fitted it so it would be comfortable.

"You don't want to display your wand?" John wondered.

"If I need it, this gives me almost immediate access to it," Albus replied. "I think I am always going to be a bit paranoid, and I want my wand immediately accessible. I also want my Auror wallet with me all of the time." Albus showed John the Auror wallet he had brought with him from the bedroom, and they spent a little time going over what was in it, before putting it in an inner pocket of his dress coat.

Mary the Elf met Cleo and led her into her dressing room. It was a larger and far more colorful place than the dressing room of Albus, with a chair for her to sit in as her hairdresser plaited her hair, putting in ribbons and beads in the process. Cleo seldom wore much makeup. She did need spells to support her rather large pregnant figure, however.

"I can plait my hair myself, using spells," Cleo told the hairdresser.

"It is a great honor to be hairdresser to my princess," Rona, the hairdresser, replied.

Mary added, "Part of being a princess is allowing people to do things for you that you could do for yourself."

Mary and Rona looked at Cleo when they were finished. She was as colorful, as maternally feminine, as uniquely Cleo, as ever.

*

At eight they met in what they learned was a modest sized private dining room, Al and Cleo, John and Mary, and Gerhard Richter with his wife Giselle. After they were all seated and ordered their breakfasts John started, "We have an issue. Not exactly a problem, but an issue. As the Elves of the Crown Princess and Crown Prince we know who we are, and who we serve. It is part of the magic that ties us to this castle. And what we are is the Elves who serve Crown Princess Cleopatra Desiree and Crown Prince Albus Severus Peverell."

Gerhard Richter added, "Most of the documents connected with the new rulers of the valley do not have the names of the rulers in them, and we have to add in the names. A few are magical, and the proper names magically appear when there is a new ruling couple. The names that appeared last night, as far as we can tell, are Cleopatra Desiree and Albus Severus Peverell."

Everyone looked at each other for a little while, processing this news.

"We have scheduled a news conference at nine-thirty to introduce you," Gerhart continued. "Someone has to talk about the name changes."

"You should, I think," Albus replied, looking at Gerhart. "What do you want me to say? Hi, I'm the new crown prince?"

Giselle Richter started to giggle.

"It is not like I have much choice," Albus reflected. "Cleo and I had the choice to either confront Jezebel or be hunted down and be killed, and now prophesies say we may have to confront the Lord of the Dementors as well."

Gerhart smiled. "Actually, 'Hi, I'm the new crown prince' might not be a bad way to start. Explain the situation, that the Elves and the documents we have confirm that once Cleo entered the palace with the second of the three original Crystal Balls the Elves and documents, we have confirmed that you are Crown Princess Cleopatra Desiree and Crown Prince Albus Severus Peverell, and that you are a direct descendent of the Peverell family."