Previously, On The Belle Of Birmingham...
As the soothing stillness of the church was interrupted by a hurried fuss, the heavy wooden doors flew open with a clamorous thud. Two women, one easily identifiable as Celesta, hastily ran into the chamber, their footsteps resounding off the walls. The other lady was a foreigner, her segments concealed by a scarf bound tightly around her face. The unforeseen entry of the two ladies caused a stir among the congregation, as all gazes turned to them, wondering what had carried them there in such haste.
"STOP!!! STOP THE WEDDING!!!"
As the woman removed her headscarf, the silence in the hall was palpable. The anticipation of what lay beneath her headscarf was evident in the eyes of those present. Once the scarf came off, gasps filled the hall, everyone was taken aback by the woman's striking appearance. She had a head of exquisite, wavy brown locks, and her piercing brown eyes were enchanting. It was difficult to ignore the similarity between her and her father, but it was undeniable that she was a female version of him.
"Wait! A-A-Amber? Is that you?"
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Amber's heart raced as she monitored her sister about to declare "I do" at the altar. She couldn't handle the idea of Émilie marrying someone whom she didn't love. With a hasty blast of power, she charged towards them, her eyes smouldering and her scarf gliding. The guests gasped in shock as Amber shrieked.
"STOP!!! STOP THE WEDDING!!!" Norman looked perplexed, and Émilie appeared dumbfounded and wordless. The suspense in the chamber was detectable as Amber stood there, puffing, lingering for somebody to convey.
"What the bloody devil, Amber?! What. Are. You. Doing?!" Her anger boiled as Amber ruthlessly ruined her plans.
Émilie spoke with a willing tone but sugarcoated her words with dismay and softness. "I have to accomplish this Amber, for our family, for Mother and Fa-". Her voice trailed off as she struggled to maintain her tears, the poundage of the circumstances grave on her heart.
"Millie, quit the tears!" Amber stepped confidently towards her, and their gazes met. "Tamiran didn't arrange your marriage to King Norman simply to separate you and Angella. He did it to achieve authority over Birmingham and Norway's finances and dominate Mother's lands in Austria!" She pointed an accusing finger at the retired King of Greece.
"Not only that, but he's also been seeing Lady Tamara, his new Fiancé, behind King Norman and Queen Samara's backs! I and the others heard them over-talking about their plans two months ago!" Celesta explained the overhearing of Tamiran and Tamara's plans and 'engagement'.
"But, I thought Father was on a pressing meeting with the Court."
"We considered that too, your Grace," Mary spoke, entering the stage. "So, I followed him and buried myself in a tavern, where I saw HIM making love with Lady Tamara!" She pointed an accusing finger at the retired king and his 'Fiancé'.
Katrina then revealed how Tamiran was practically in POVERTY and planned to wed his brother and daughter off to recover money and control Amanda's lands, Tamara, by his side.
"That's not true! They're LYING!!!" Tamiran protested, forcefully trying to weasel out of this matter, but failed.
"King Soloist began this goal," Mary reasoned, "And Lord Tamiran was determined to carry it on. For power and money!"
Speechless, Norman glared at his younger brother, who was paler than lamb fleece. "Tamiran, you better explain yourself! Did you pull this off so you could seize mine and Lady Emille's hard-earned wealth and the Late Lady Amanda's prized Austrian grounds? Fess up, now!"
Suddenly, Tamiran looked like a madman on a rampage. "Fine! I did it for POWER and MONEY!! And I DON'T regret it one speck." He fumed angrily. "This was YOUR fault to begin with, Norman!"
"My fault?"
"Yes! You were always the mediocre one! First, you stole Mother and Margaret's love. Next, you stole Rosalind from me, and finally..." Angrily, he diverted his attention to his 'Wife'. "You, Samara." Burning, he counted. "You made the GREATEST misstep EVER!! How could you desire my BROTHER over ME?"
"Yes, Mara! How could you desire Norman over Tamikins?" Scowling at her elder sister, Tamara curled her arm around Tamiran's. "He's ROYALTY!!!"
Samara had enough of this. Her sister resigned a gentleman who tended and treasured her for a man who couldn't even MANAGE his funds. It was authentic that Tamiran was her lover, but she valued Norman directly before this drama ensued.
"Tamiran-"
Before anyone could react, Norman slapped Tamiran HARD in the face, hard enough that he left a severe scar on his jawline. The slap was so rackety, that it could heard throughout the entire church.
"Everything you and Tamara just claimed, Tamiran, can NOT be any FURTHER from the truth!" Coldly, Norman glowered at them. "First off, Tamiran, you proclaimed I stole our Mother and sister's love from you. But! Did you assume I merely enjoyed our Father IGNORING me while showering YOU with AFFECTION??!! Do you consider that adequate?!"
"No, I don't..."
"Hmm! Second, I NEVER stole Rosalind from you! She MUTUALLY picked me as her future husband." Firming his glare, he added. "She even remarked that you WEREN'T her class. Expressing you're too CHILDISH and RECKLESS when it came to MONEY!!"
Observing his brother shrink, tides of anger soaked Norman's veins. His brother irritated him his entire childhood. Guilt-tripping their Father into wrongfully disowning him and ceasing him from the line of succession without his Mother's knowledge was the LIMIT.
Safe to say, he was vexed. "But I swear to Zeus, if you DARE state Royalty in such a manner OR attempt to harm Samara again, I will have your sorry asses ARRESTED!!!"
"But Normie! You love me~" Tamara risked coaxing her ex-husband to drop this subject, miserably failing to endeavour and guilt-trip him into letting them go.
It didn't terminate well.
"Call me 'Normie' once more and see what happens!" Norman pounced.
"You know..." Speaking up, Samara seized his hand. "All the warranty the ladies amassed and the scene we've witnessed today, I assume that charges you BOTH!!"
"Charges us? Charges us with WHAT?!?!" Tamara asked.
"Hmm, let's see..." Samara's smug smile displayed her thinking. "Well, there's treason, endeavoured robbery of funds and grounds, incest and implementing adultery while the male was STILL MARRIED?!?!" She glowered down at her sister. "You establish which's suitable for you."
Wordless, Tamara gradually crawled to her sister, grovelling at the hems of her golden dress. Cue the waterworks.
"Samara, my sister, I beseech you! Please drop the charges and act like this NEVER ensued! PLEASE, Samara! I beg of you! Have MERCY on your sister!"
Was she hoping Samara would take this and hide it underneath the rug? Did she assume her sister was naive enough to permit her to go unpunished?
Sighing, Samara stood sternly. "No, Tamara..."
"W-WHAT???!!!"
"You heard me. I'm TIRED of being your bail card! I permitted you off smoothly because I pitied you as my sister! But this is the Final TIME I'm ever bailing you out of danger! You betrayed and back-stabbed me the minute you chose to engage in adultery with MY husband!"
She turned to Tamiran, her eyes portraying anger and hurt. "Well, EX Husband, if that's how you'd pronounce it."
Tossing the documents in his stunned face, she added. "Tamiran Von Colanders, you and I separate as of now!" She proclaimed, tone high and mighty. "You're hereby STRIPPED of your crown as 'King Of Greece' and shall bear the titles 'Duke of Bergen' and 'Dowager Earl Of Athens'. Alongside your Fiancé: Dowager Princess Tamara of Vienna and Baroness of Barcelona'."
Gasps of shock loaded the chamber. Never have they heard their retired Queen raise her voice or be dominant towards her husband?
"In expansion, you'll preserve Angella and renounce EVERYTHING to me!! Including the estates, grounds, archers and finances you've assembled from your family. As well as ALL the jewellery you've endowed me throughout our marriage."
Tamiran was in shock. He hadn't anticipated much of this from his wife. Today WASN'T how his schemes were supposed to unveil.
"No..."
"I'm afraid so now! If you bear the SLIGHTEST ounce of remorse, take Tamara alongside your followers and GET OUT!!"
"What do you imply, out?"
"I mean, OUT!! Out of this church, out of this empire, out of this land, out of my LIFE!!" Norman demanded, towering over his fallen brother. Tamiran. The once all-mighty King Of Greece, now befallen, stripped of his crown and seized of his funds and assets.
"As the RIGHTFUL King Of Greece and current King Of Norway, I hereby disown YOU, Tamiran Von Colanders, as my brother, like how YOU manipulated our Father into WRONGFULLY disowning ME and REMOVING me from our line of succession."
Tamiran was in disbelief. Not only was he left without a DIME in his name, but his brother's DISOWNING him?! Wow! Talk about Karma. "How dare you, Norman!" Furiously, Tamiran lunged at him, grasping his throat and brandishing his dagger with a devilish grin. "It's OVER, Norman! You've FAILED!! Tamara's MINE, Alura and Lillian are GONE, Rosalind is DEAD, and your daughter FORBIDS to conversant with you! And thy brother DARES notify me he has thy PRIVILEGE to disown ME??!! After all I've accomplished for you! I let you Wed Tamara with NO WORRIES, have TWO stunning youths, and now you can OVERSEE your son Wed my daughter! UNITING Greece and Norway closer in the Alli-"
"So Tamiran: You're PUSHING our 20-year-old daughter to illegally WED our 24-year-old nephew, who is ALREADY wedded to the Duchess of Amsterdam and contains four youths back in Norway?! Is that what you're attempting to do?!"
"WHAT?!!!" The two Kings clamoured in shock.
Stunned, Norman peeked at his son. "Please, Micah, My Lad...Tell me it ISN'T so..."
Micah, who had hushed the entire ceremony, quietly nodded, dropping his hand from Angella's, setting it into his pouch and producing a scrap of parchment, a painting of him, his missus: Nicolette Of Amsterdam and their four descendants. Two lads and two lasses.
Shaking, Norman held the painting, eyes risking to display sadness.
"H-H-How old?" He uttered, tears threatening to prickle. "How old are they?"
Discouraging eye contact with his Father, Micah replied in a mouse-like manner. "The eldest, Casper, merely celebrated his 9th birthday days back, Amaryllis, the second eldest is eight and the two youngest, Ione and Lilith are five."
Dumbfounded, Norman hung his head, clutching the parchment in his palm, convincing himself not to cry to demonstrate his power as a King.
Micah's family portrait
Micah (24), Nicolette (20), Casper (9), Amaryllis (8), Ione (5), Lilith (5)
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"Micah, my boy..."
"Spare the drama, Father." Coldly, Micah deterred his stare to the floor. "You didn't deserve to learn of them after what you did..."
"Micah..." Inching closer to his son, Norman held him, preventing himself from crying. "I know I've been absent for most of your boyhood. I get you are angry about me divorcing your Mother-"
"No! I'm NOT angry about you divorcing Mum." Micah responded, gritting his teeth. "I'm ANGRY you COMPELLED me to MARRY Nicolette at solely fourteen! Then a FATHER at fifteen! How am I presumed to..."
"WHAT??!!" Norman shouted in shock, grasping his shirt. "Mike...I NEVER betrothed you to Nicolette. I was delaying till you were slightly OLDER before that occurred..."
Sniffling, he tucked Micah's shady hair behind his ear. "You understand how greatly I adore you and your sister, so greatly I'd NEVER go as far as to WED you both off so YOUNG!!"
"Yes! That may be accurate..." Casta, after daylights, finally spoke. "But that DOESN'T disregard the fact you divorced Mother merely to be with Aunt Samara!"
Witnessing the enraged tears in his daughter's eyes, Norman began getting aggravated by all the faulty claims he had heard from both his children. Wedding his son off?! His idea. Cheating on his wife and divorcing her for her sister?! His idea!
Oh! That was FAR from the truth!
"Children." He said calmly, catching his children off guard. "Who dare warp your minds with those FALSE STORIES?? Cause ONE!! I NEVER betrothed Micah to Nicolette and Casta. I divorced your Mother because I couldn't DEAL with everything. Single. One of her tantrums anymore, and she says I cheated on HER???!! Wow! Great disguise narrative."
Scowling, Norman confronted Tamara, quiet fury loading his veins. "So...Not solely have you engaged in adultery and incest with your former brother-in-law, you've been applying INACCURATE FABLES to the children?!"
Pools of sweat slid down Tamara's temple. Her lip quivered whilst thinking of an excuse to save herself.
"Normie-I..."
"You know what? I'm done, ok? I'm DONE with you both!" Balling his fists, he yelled. "GUARDS!!!" Four Norwegian guards came rushing to the Lord's side.
Tamara shrank, watching as the guards, once faithful to both of them, now loyal to her Ex-husband. At his flank stood her sister, a position she'd once stood, finally understanding the solemn portion of assets she'd lost thanks to her judgments. Assets were once rightfully hers.
"Guards, if you would." Presenting her the eagle glare, Norman maintained Samara tight. "Take Lord Tamiran and Lady Tamara to the Tower and arrange the dates of their Trial!"
Émilie's heart swelled as the muscular guards dragged them out. Tamara's banshee riots and frantic cries wailed the people's ears loud enough that it made their ears bleed.
"NORMAN!!! I BESEECH YOU!!! CALL OFF THE GUARDS AND DROP THE CHARGES!!! PLEASE!!!"
But the King Of Norway stood firm. He'd been NOTHING but the most considerable, CARING and LAWFUL husband a lady could have, attempting those 29 1/2 prolonged years to make his wedlock work. For his children's sake, but couldn't! He couldn't bear listening to her constant tantrums or her taste for finer things in life anymore.
Misery!
He'd suffered from misery from his adulterous and disloyal ex and sorrow from his lovesick heart, grieving Rosalind's bloodthirsty, unjustly murder. Now a widowed Father of twin girls who suffered their destiny.
Bastards without a Mother.
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As the wedding was enclosed, it ended with Norman striding his former sister-in-law out of the church. Not his bride. For this was who he'd intended to wed, not his Father's choosing, not Tamiran's, but his.
With Tamiran imprisoned, briefly to be trialled, Greece's throne and crown would rightfully belong to Norman, as he was the proper successor to it all. But, now that Angella's Queen, he would acquire the title of 'Grand King Of Greece, Florence and Norway.'
As for Samara, seeing as she would be divorcing Tamiran soon, she'll be endowed the title of 'Dowager Princess Of Florence', including guardianship of Angella, all of Tamiran's assets and the jewellery she'd gathered throughout their wedlock.
Now Norman and Samara could be together, finally happy and free! Free to live comfortably for the remainder of their golden years. In peace and prosperity.
But before that, some things ought to be endured with care. One object concerns Norman's two oldest daughters from his first wife, Lady Alura and Lady Lillian.
"Norman?"
"Yes, Sami?" Norman's sapphire blue eyes gleamed in the afternoon sunlit streams of gold, glittering like the glowing pools of crystal-clear water.
Grinning, Samara maintained his hand with fondness. "Before we choose to wed, may I request something?"
"Yes, my sweetie Sami, ANYTHING you desire to have will be yours!"
With a beautiful, cheery grin, she explained to him what she desired. "I want to reinstate Alura's crown as 'Duchess Of Bergen', and for Lillian and her children, I would like to reinstate her as 'Princess Of Olsó' and invite them back to court with open arms."
At the mention of his two oldest daughters, Norman stood motionless as a statue. Anticipation gradually sneaks into the rear of his mind. Something concerning this request was he'd NEVER contemplated bringing Alura and Lillian back to court.
Why hasn't he done it when he could've? Samara comprehended too agreeably the reason behind this predicament; they reminded him too greatly of her.
Her! The exact woman who tended and adored him to fragments. Her enchanting, glamorous garnet eyes could allure any man, alongside her extraordinary raven locks, as dark as the evening atmosphere. The exact woman who had been bloody massacred, merely twenty when accused of adultery, treason and witchcraft, resulting in her demise at the stake.
Norman could still hear her beseeching cries and shrieks among the scorching embers of orange and gold. A dance Rosalind constantly performed for him, 'The Phoenix Slumber'. That was always a favourite of his, but he never predicted a straightforward dance could lead to such a grievous destiny for its dancer.
Then there's Alura and Lillian, their precious daughters. Who'd been announced as bastards briefly after their Mother's death and Tamara's ascension to the throne of Norway, casting Lillian to the countryside at only ten years old while sending Alura to a nunnery and afterwards to wed the Prince of Madrid and birth his four youths?
Pondering all the trauma his daughters stirred through caused quivers down Norman's backbone, but they were STILL his children! Now that Tamara's sealed away in the tower, awaiting her and Tamiran's trial, he could invite them back to court with no worries!
"Yes! Yes, Sami! I will make that happen!" Kissing her hand, Norman kept his soon-to-be third wife close. "I shall dispatch my messenger to Madrid and Ósló Manor! They shall be here by the moment we choose to wed."
With a warm smile, Samara's gaze shifted towards them, her people of Greece and Norway. All gathered together as they cheered for their monarchs as this was the announcement of the forthcoming engagement between King Norman and Dowager Princess Samara, the third soon-to-be Queen Of Norway.
"I love you, my Norman."
With an askew mist in his sapphire blue eyes, Norman responded. "I love you also, my dear Sami..." With that, they joined into a prolonged and compassionate kiss, a passive moment solely with the cheers of their fellow subjects.
This was the beginning of their romance, their love story, or the way Samara puts it, their 'Happily Ever After'.
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Dialogue:
That day was the most blessed day of my life, Katie Belle, had it not been for your Great-Aunt Amber and Great-Aunt Celesta, your Grammy and I would've been stuck in unhappy marriages. But now your Great-Great-Uncle and Great-Grandmother were together, living throughout the rest of their golden years together, as the Grand King and Queen of Greece, Florence and Norway.
As for me, the first thing I did once I got out of that chapel; was run and hug your Grammy. Micah had returned to Norway the following day, taking Casta with him. They'd admit, they were both excited, excited to have their sisters back in court and have their wicked Mother locked away in the tower, awaiting her trial and execution...