The auction had been a great success, especially having Rhoda's presence at the Inn, a great crowd puller and Lord James had helped too asking his friends and business acquaintances to come along and meet Rhoda. Almost everything sold, only a few wedding items and day garments left to return to Paris. The bank lady, Jane, a friend of Lord James, had counted up all the takings and had promised to bank it the next morning at the bank where she worked, saying a cheque would be available by the next week-end, to be collected at the bank with press coverage; just under two hundred and fifty thousand had been collected and Hassan wrote a cheque for the difference on his return.
Hassan's return also triggered the party of double celebrations for the auction and his boat's maiden voyage, it's kitchen counters covered with trays of finger foods and dips and salads, enough to feed a small army, and the small dining table held trays of delicious deserts. Champagne flowed into flutes and congratulations were given all round for their hard work and the name change of the boat now 'The Green Goddess' which Hassan had chosen to call it.
While everyone else was responding to the toasts, Mr and Mrs Wood were overwhelmed and considering the money raised; exceeding what they needed themselves; discussing ideas of what to do with the excess and finally deciding that it should go to start a fund for other families in the same situation as themselves and soon put the idea to Rhoda, asking her if that would be possible. Rhoda promptly sat down with them in a quiet corner of the living area and suggested they and their friends, who had helped them today, form a committee and choose a name to register with the local council to gain help with legal matters and write out a constitution for the charity; an agreement of what the charity was about and who would benefit; which they agreed to do, gathering their friends together straight away and they were happy to agree, giving everyone a third event to celebrate.
Rhoda contacted Yvette and told her how well the team had done for the Wood's and that they were planning on extending the charity for other families with children with cancer related illnesses, suggesting another fashion auction in six months time to top up the fund, giving her names and addresses of the fashion retailers who had attended today to be informed of the future event, promising to fax the full quota of attendants the next day, so thank you letters could be sent out. Yvette was pleased and agreed, checking dates in her diary and giving a date to Rhoda to pass on to the Wood's.
Hassan overheard the conversation, carrying a tired Rocky towards Rhoda; but waited for her to finish her call and pass on the date of the next auction to Mrs Wood; who was soon hugging every one of her friends who were as excited as she was; before getting close up and touching Rhoda's shoulder. He had wondered while he had waited if she was going to come back for the next one and if she was going to be asking Justin soon if she could re-instate herself as his partner of the House de la Roche.
He had given her a way out of his life, his future, but he didn't want her to take it. He would do anything to have her stay with him, but if he became King and had to live on the mountain, how could he expect her to stay with him, so far away from her fashion house.
"Hey, sleepy. Time to go home." Rhoda turned and saw Rocky, automatically lifting her arms to take him and his arms came out to her, accompanied by a yawn. He wrapped his arms around her neck and slid against her, already half asleep.
"I was thinking we could spend the night here. I made the bed up just in case. James can take Grandfather home later and we can clean up when everyone has gone. What do you think?"
"Okay. I did wonder how long we would be here, but there is too much food left to shoo everyone out yet. Can you ask James to get our spare clothes from the jag, please, while I put this tired young man to bed?"
"Ummi, love you." Rocky snuggled his face into her neck, combining Arabic and English, Ummi, his native name for Mother.
Hassan chuckled and kissed Rocky's hair. "No problem, Princess." He assured her, escorting her to the bedroom, opened the door for her and switched on the lights, before going back to James in the crush of people, couples tending to share their seats on laps, while everyone else moved around and chatted. Despite the noise, Rocky was asleep while Rhoda undressed him, leaving him in his shorts and tee-shirt and popped him into the middle of the bed under the rose patterned quilt, warm air from the heating system keeping the chill off the room as the night turned cold outside.
The party went on until the early hours of the morning and there wasn't much food or champagne left. Most of the clearing up had been done as trays became empty and most of the paper plates used had been placed in the stand-up-bin in the kitchen or into black bags when that became full. Hassan put these bags out into the boatyards bins; large enough to cater for all the boats when the owners were in residence; while Rhoda began washing glasses and cutlery. None of it took long and by the time James returned, Rhoda and Hassan had gone to bed, having pulled out the bed-settee in the lounge area for him to use, with a quilt, a pillow, and a sheet spread under them.
Rhoda was used to sharing rooms with Hassan now and taking turns in the en-suite facilities, but was glad Rocky was between them while sharing this bed, not sure she would have been able to sleep if they were in it alone, especially since he had told her he wasn't impotent with her, only with other women.
Waking up in Hassan's arms the next morning gave her a jolt of fear, almost letting out a scream, but swallowed it and then thought Rocky might be in danger if he had gone out of the boat on his own and would have pushed Hassan aside.
"He's with James." Hassan said realizing she was beginning to panic. "Having breakfast." He added, reluctant to let her go, but lifted his arm off her and put it over the quilt, watching her reaction, expecting her to bolt away like a scared filly.
Rhoda swallowed her panic, realizing nothing was going to happen, her stomach's reaction beginning to calm down to a controlled breathing pattern. "How long have we been alone?" She frowned, used to waking up the instant Rocky needed her attention, even when he was in the nursery in the room next to hers at the Hall.
"Mmm, about half-an-hour. We thought you looked too comfortable to wake you. You had a busy day yesterday." Hassan reminded her.
"What time is it?" She pulled her arm free of the quilt to check her wrist-watch. "Eleven?!" She gasped. "It's almost lunch time! Did the team get off on time? What will they think of us, not seeing them off?"
"Don't worry, it was past three o'clock, before we came to bed and they haven't left yet either. James is feeding them before they go. I have a lunch appointment at one of my hotels, if you want to come. My head-chef has a family problem and needs to be replaced until he has sorted it. We can wave everyone off and be there by one o'clock if we skip breakfast." Hassan suggested.
"Okay. Which one is it? Have we visited it?" Rhoda moved and turned to get off the bed, but it looked as if she was the one who had moved towards Hassan in her sleep, realising she was more on his side than her own. And despite her sharing the bed with him, she must have slept for eight hours, much longer than usual, even with Justin or Julian keeping her company.
"Here, come out this way." Hassan slipped out and stood away for her to get out his side. "It is the Manchester Savoy. We haven't visited it yet. I have to check out who is capable of replacing my head-chef and his lunch is usually good. You can give me your expert opinion."
"You own that one?!" Rhoda exclaimed. "Then your Head Chef is Roddy McDonnell?" Rhoda halted in front of him, dropping the quilt back in place, her eyes passing over his borrowed pajamas George Wood had loaned him and glad her own, borrowed from Doris Wood, had fitted her better than his, his jacket buttons undone because it was too small on him to fasten them.
"You know him?!" He was surprised.
"Yes, we met in Scotland after I was released from the Harley Street rehab clinic. How long have you owned it?" She asked, moving towards the small wardrobe to access her clean clothes, her suit from yesterday hanging inside, but she chose the spare clothes from the jag, a pair of stretch jeans and a peach-sweater, with a t-shirt to match, pulling the jeans on under her nightie and turned her back to take it off and slip her t-shirt on, not turning round to look at Hassan until she had her sweater on; awaiting his answer as she slipped her folded nightie onto the bed for Doris to collect, and her suit into the bag from the jag, catching him looking at her back-side.
"Oh! Mmm, it was the first one I bought; when, I think was five years ago. If you remember, I spent that summer with friends instead of coming home." Hassan recalled. "We visited Manchester Zoo and stayed at the Savoy over the week-end. It was up for sale so I bought it. I used the inheritance from my Grandmother." He picked his spare clothes from the chest of drawers and made his way to the shower-room door, wondering if she would connect the year to her time of giving him the scar.
"How many do you own now?" Rhoda remembered his Grandmother and her visits to Alif once or twice, fingering the betrothal ring on her finger beside her wedding ring. She hadn't been told she was a queen though.
"Six in England, one in Wales and Al Jabayl. I get them when they are run down and send in a team to do them up." He explained then ducked inside the concertina-doorway and gave her a smile as he turned to shut it.
"Warn Roddy the boss is doing an inspection." Rhoda told Drake quietly, putting her hearing aids in.
"Will do. Do you want me to bring the chopper for you?" He asked her, tapping in Roddy's number.
"Good idea! James can have a break." Rhoda found her brush and began to push it through her hair, listening to Drake's conversation with Roddy as he picked up the call, halting the brush when she heard Roddy's relief at hearing who was calling, her mind alert for trouble, hearing he was in a predicament with his two beautiful ladies and didn't know which way to turn.
"Did he mean his Gran and Mother?!" She asked as Drake ended the call, Hassan's singing limiting her hearing.
"His land-ladies are being evicted out of the B and B they run. The owner died and his son wants the property emptied. Roddy, is troubled because they look after him and he sends more money home, but if they all have to find rooms elsewhere he won't be able to send as much home and it's worrying him." Drake explained. "Is that Hassan in the shower?"
" Yeah, Phantom of the Opera. I can hear you though.Tell Roddy we will fix it, whatever it takes." Rhoda was already recalling what her Grandfather had said about Hassan running the Hall as a hotel, her mind racing over the possibilities.
"Will do, Princess. E.T.A. Ten minutes." Drake told her. "There is a field a hundred yards left of the car-park. It will be safe to pick you up from there." He informed her.
* * *
"Mummy! James did crispies." Rocky greeted Rhoda cheerfully, as she joined them in the kitchen.
"Thanks, James." Rhoda grinned at them both as she joined the group at the table. "Good morning to you all." She smiled as greetings were returned, then Miles stood up and gave her his seat.
"I have to go and open up the truck. Ten minutes guys." He told them and patted Gilli's shoulder, who rose up and followed him out.
Rhoda gave her a smile and thanked James for the coffee he placed in front of her. Listening to the chatter of the team still finishing off their breakfast, some of them seated in the living room, all discussing their next venue in Durham, another charity auction to raise money for children needing a playground at their care home, which was situated near a fast flowing road, with no access to a garden big enough to play in safely. The property next door had come on the market to lease or buy and If the charities Manager was successful, they would get a good deal on the property and extend the care home and the two gardens into one property, creating an indoor play room and extra bedrooms in the new wing, as well as a better, safer garden to play in.
When Hassan joined them, as Rhoda began washing up, he helped James to wipe up and clear away the cooking utensils and soon they were all thanked as the team began to leave the boat, Rhoda stopping working and shooing her helpers out with Rocky in her arms, to wave them all off as the team took their seats in the minibus, following Miles and Gilli in the truck, onto the slip road.
Back inside the boat, Rhoda told Hassan and James about Drake going to take them to the Savoy Hotel to see Roddy, while they finished cleaning up. She asked James to fetch her Grandfather and to come to lunch with them. "I need to ask a big favour off him. Ask him if he has any plans for the gate-keepers cottages." Rhoda spoke quickly, seeing he was already getting his keys to go. "Tell him I might have found him some staff if he is willing to consider it being a B and B."
"Bed and Breakfast place?" James clarified.
"Yes or a mini hotel. There are only twenty rooms I think."
"In the cottages?" James turned back to her.
"Yes. The gardeners cottage has two bedrooms and the gate-keepers cottage; that big black and white building with the square lawn by the main gate; has twenty I think. The gardeners cottage is behind it. I'm almost sure the specs said the gatekeepers cottage had twenty rooms." Rhoda said thoughtfully.
"It's called a cottage?!" James picked up his hat, shaking his head. "Now I know I am in Great Britain." He mumbled, ducking to go out the front door, rocking the boat as he climbed up onto the gunnel's at the bow and jumped onto the dock, the paving stones giving him a firm surface to land on.
Forty minutes later landing on the roof of the hotel, Hassan helped Rhoda and Rocky out of the helicopter and led them towards the lift that would take them down to reception. Rhoda hadn't changed her jeans and sweater, Rocky was dressed in his denim suit and Hassan had emerged from the bedroom in his jeans and sweater too. They were met by the receptionist and the matre d' escorted them into the dining room, given a table in the far left-hand corner near the kitchen and before leaving them, summoned a waiter to take their order.
"What would you like, Rhoda?" Hassan asked, studying the menu.
"I'll have the Chef's special, please, and a capuchino." Rhoda didn't bother looking at hers, smiling at another waiter who had brought a child-seat for Rocky and was transferring him into it for her, before removing the spare chair. "Thank you."
"No problem, Madam." He assured her and left them.
"Helpful and alert." Hassan approved. "I'll have the same as my wife, please." He handed the menu back to their waiter. "And our son will have chips and fish fingers." He added, having seen them on the menu.
"Would the little boy like some milk or juice, Sir?" The waiter asked, jotting down their order.
"Milk, please." Hassan told him.
"Thank you, Sir. Your meal will be here within ten to fifteen minutes." The waiter informed him, then left to go to the kitchen.
Rhoda looked around at the pleasant decor, a pale green carpet beneath their feet and a rose colour-wash on the walls with intermittent framed sepia photographs of various Victorian street scenes of the area, once a small town which had been swallowed up into the City, the hotel's name having had 'Manchester' added after having been refurbished after the last war, when it had suffered some bomb-damage in air raids. It was inviting and cozy with the club chairs and square highly-polished tables, pale green curtains at the four large picture windows. Hassan watched her face, assessing her reaction to tell him if she liked the room's atmosphere.
"Gramps!" Rocky alerted them to Lord James' entrance with James, his voice alerting the wait-staff too and getting smiles from other diners around the room.
A waiter gestured to another and they were soon moving a spare table to Hassan's to accommodate the newcomers, fetching cutlery and menus for them, before they had even crossed the room. Rhoda gave Hassan a raised eyebrow look and he grinned. "I have only been here once, but I enjoyed it then too." She told him. "On our way back from Scotland three years ago." She added to remind James.
"Yes, I remember." James chuckled.
"Oh, I wish you had called in on me then, Rhoda." Lord James stated, shaking Rocky's hand.
"I didn't believe you existed then, Gramps." Rhoda got up to kiss his cheek. "I didn't believe Mom's story until Jonathan turned up at Julian's. Then I had to rethink and act accordingly. Anyhow, I am glad we are here now and I have a favour to ask, once you have ordered."
"Ah, yes. What do you recommend?"
"The Chef's Special." Rhoda and James spoke up.
"That is what I will have then." Lord James chuckled.
"And to drink, Sir." The waiter asked, his pen busy.
"Whatever everyone else is having will be fine." Lord James stated and James agreed too.
"What exactly is a Chef's Special?" Lord James asked Rhoda, as the waiter sped off.
"Well, it is a club sandwich, Gramps. Three pieces of toast drizzled with virgin olive oil. One layered with fresh tomatoes and crispy-streaky-bacon, topped with a piece of toast layered with chicken pieces, mayonnaise, olives and lettuce, topped by the third piece of toast, then cut into four squares and served with a small salad of the same ingredients. We like ours with the crusts left on but if you want them taken off, they can be served that way too." Rhoda gave James a nudge, her head tilting slightly towards the kitchen.
"I'll go and offer him a hand." James took the hint, rising up fluidly and hurrying towards the door marked 'kitchen'.
"Now, my dear, this favour with the gate-keepers cottage, what have you got in mind?" Lord James settled down to listen.
"The Chef here is a friend of mine, Gramps, and when he knew we were coming here," Rhoda gave Hassan a smile, "he said he had a problem and wasn't sure what to do. So I offered to fix it. His twin land-ladies run a small B and B a mile from here, are being evicted along with their regular lodgers, he being one of them, because the owner died and his son wants the property cleared and empty. My friend also has a grandmother and mother whom he sends money home to in Scotland, who wish they could be closer to look after him. I immediately thought of your idea to turn the Hall into a hotel, but because there will be lots of adjustments and upheaval for you, I thought of the gate-keepers cottage as a solution for you, to all three problems. It does have twenty bedrooms?"
"Yes, plus an attic of considerable sized staff quarters. And it is empty." Lord James could tell where her thoughts were taking them.
"My idea is this; the twins could move into the gate-keepers cottage with their lodgers, and the gardeners cottage at the rear could be let to my friend's grandmother and mother who are experienced in gardening and housekeeping. They could become staff for the sisters in those capacities and if; once the Hall's refurbishment is underway; you and your staff at the Hall move into the "Mini Hotel" you would avoid the upheaval, while keeping an eye on what is being done at the Hall." Rhoda used her fingers to pin-point the quotation marks to the new name for the gate-keepers cottage. "It depends on you and Hassan agreeing to the solutions." She added gravely.
"Ah. What ages are we talking about?" Lord James asked gravely, recalling his conversation with Sheikh Ben Ali about hotels and Hassan's offer to buy the Hall and convert it; at the time, he hadn't taken him seriously, but he had often considered it since returning home, during their visit, intending to ask before they left.
Drake told Rhoda and she passed the information to Lord James. " Roddy's grandmother is forty-five and his mother, thirty. The twins are forty."
"Not too old then, any of them." He frowned doing the math. "How old is Roddy?"
"Mmm. Confidential, as he is an employee here." Rhoda stated, giving Hassan a quick look.
"He told me he was nineteen!" Hassan grimaced.
"Does he look nineteen?" Lord James asked curiously.
"Yes." Hassan had to admit, giving Rhoda a glaring look.
"He's probably your best Chef in any of your hotels." Rhoda pouted at him.
"And are you trying to steal him for the Mini Hotel?" Hassan asked her.
"For your new hotel, once you refurbish the Hall." She reminded him. "You did say deal, Grandfather, when Hassan suggested he buy it and turn it into a hotel." She reminded them both.
"I believe I did." Lord James agreed. "We had better shake on it this time, Hassan." He reached across the table to seal the deal, Hassan's hand meeting his halfway and the deal was struck.
"Well then no harm done. Roddy will be glad to know we have put his world to rights and fixed his problem." Rhoda chuckled.
James returned with Roddy carrying two plates each, massive round ones, each containing four layered, toasted squares, topped with olives on sticks, bursting with chicken, mayonnaise, the lettuce, tomatoes and crispy bacon; only one plate having had the crusts cut off from the toast; and this was placed in front of Lord James. A waiter carried Rocky's plate of chips and fish-fingers and also brought them a huge dish with tossed salad, containing all the same ingredients as were on the sandwiches.
Roddy had greeted Rhoda and picked her up, swinging her around with a whoop of glee, before he saw the grimace on Hassan's face. "Sorry, Boss. Long time no see." He explained, then hugged Rhoda again, looking down at her amazed. "You married my boss! How'd you manage that?" He led her back to her seat and held her chair for her.
"Same way you grew into your shoes, big guy." Rhoda chuckled, looking up at him still. "Last time I saw you, you had to stand on a box to reach the hob unit. Now look at you!" She was as amazed as him.
"Growth spurts every few months for the last two years. I haven't stopped yet!" He groaned. "I'm just reaching six-foot. If I keep putting up two inches for the next two, I'll end up a giant."
"You look good on it." Rhoda held her plate up for a serving of salad. "Are you able to join us?" She asked Roddy and he drew a chair up from another table and straddled it.
"The dinner chef just came in to prepare his menu's. He can give me an hour." Roddy assured her. "If the Boss doesn't mind?" He looked at Hassan
"I'm too busy eating." Hassan said around the square-stack he was holding." This is delicious."
"Thanks Boss." Roddy grinned.
Rhoda outlined her fix-it plan for his friends and family and when he gushed his acceptance she organized Miles to pick up the ladies furnishings and had him act as removal man until all four ladies were settled into the gate-keepers and gardener's cottages. It took a few days, but with everyone helping; even their lodgers; and including Rhoda's body-guards and Rocky who was in charge of the ladie's cats in their travel-carriers, keeping them happy on the large front lawn by the main gate and feeding them bits of cooked fish, Mrs Bragg, had brought over for them; before helping to make beds and polishing wherever she was needed; it was a happy time for them all and soon sorted.
The day before Rhoda and Hassan were due to return to have their visit with the King, they were sent a text from him issuing an invitation for Lord James to visit with them, stating there would be a wedding between Abdul and Princess Serena to celebrate, with a huge gathering of all the families. Lord James was delighted to accept and return with them, setting his new lawyer, Drew Carstairs, to take care of his new employees and the sale of the Hall, having every confidence that he and his managers would continue to uphold his pottery business while he was away.
Fortunately due to Rhoda's twinges of abdominal pain and headache, their flight had been delayed for a day and they were able to greet Omar and Katrina with Jason, when they arrived at the Hall unannounced and with the surprise for Rhoda, news of her mother being pregnant.
* * *
"When Rhoda was born, here on the Mountain, soon after Hassan, a seer from the old tribe of our ancestors came to give her his blessing and explained to me that this child, as a woman, was destined to be Queen with Hassan as her King." Tariq told the congregated families he had summoned to his Mountain. "He told me she would suffer great pain, and marry an evil man, who would bring his evil to our family, and that she must be protected at all costs from Hassan, because it had to be when I was near death, for him to marry her, regardless of her fear of him, only when the time was right. He said, she was to survive and unite our family and bring us new blood relations and a modern concept to our growth and our future generations, but to my horror, he said we would have to let her go through these trials and tribulations. The attack as a child which would make her deaf, the fear generated by Hassan as a boy and then a young man, the marriage to the evil man; and then there would be freedom and a child, born of evil but, with Rhoda as his mother, he is the child of blessings and goodness. A child pure in heart, who will one day rule Alif and be a good Sheikh to his people, as Hassan will be a good King in my place here, when the time is right." Tariq smiled around the faces before him.
"Because of Rhoda, I am well again and getting stronger. Because of Rhoda, we are free of the rebellion of the rebels of Farruk, our Rajistani family solid again and re-united in their freedom from poverty and murder at his hands. Because of Rhoda, justice has been served on the dissidents who tried to wreck our lives, jailed for life, like the scum deserve." He paused as there was shouting among the men, happy to know the evil had been put away from their families.
"Only one major issue is still to be dealt with, progressing well, but not yet ready for any Alif brides as yet, but in a few months it will be as it was and our fond memories of the honeymoon suit at Alif will once more be intact and ready for our new generations to come. I remember well the memories of my time with Aquila, spending our first weeks of married life there, adjusting to each other and finding eternal love. And again," he continued after a sigh, "because of Rhoda, we are celebrating two weddings today. One of long standing that was made in secret from necessity to protect Rhoda, though it didn't protect her from any of the seer's foretold suffering, it did allow her to grow a little in a happy life, before the first incident. The marriage took place here in this room, with Rhoda tucked safely asleep in her mother's womb. Even then the seer was predicting her birth would herald a saviour of our family, and that she should be betrothed to my son Hafiz's first born." He looked and gestured to Omah and Katrina to come forward.
"Omah Kayam is of the old country, as are his sisters married to my son's Hafiz and Ali, so he has been married to the mother of our saviour and today I am happy to present them to you all, as I could not do then, be it known Omah and Katrina have my blessing and because of Rhoda, can enjoy their freedom to enjoy their eternal love." He took a hand of each and joined them together in one of his, then laid his other hand on Omah's and then Katrina's head. "Bless you my children. And I am told you are again with child, Princess Katrina. Perhaps we can hope for another Rhoda to emerge." He chuckled and ripples of laughter came back to him, as he gestured for Omah to take his woman back to the watching families.
Waiting for the room to become qiet again, King Tariq looked around his throne room and searched for Abdul and his bride to be, who'm he had met yesterday and found her very shy and scared to be meeting her groom for the first time the next day. And now he saw them, separated by their families but able to take surreptitious glances at each other. He smiled and curled his fingers towards himself, a gesture their parents obeyed, bringing the two towards him until they were standing together before him.
"May I inquire if all the wedding preparations have been met by both parties?" He asked both male parent, liking the Princess and her father, a King of his own small country in the islands off Norway. One of three kingdoms, split like his own among the former King's son's. King Olaf had been approached for his daughter's hand by Sheikh Ben Ali for his son Abdul and had been accepted long ago, but because of the rebellion's connected to Miskah and Alif, King Olaf had put off the marriage until there was safety for his daughter at Alif, as now. "Then we will proceed to bind our young Prince and Princess to live their lives together in eternal love." King Tariq stated, while taking his own time to wrap the ends of the Princess's silk scarf around her wrist across and around Abdul's wrists, tying them together loosely, before covering them with both his hands.
"From this day forward Abdul and Serena will be bound in marriage together and bear the blessing of their King and people forever. Now they may go among you as husband and wife, to be formally married in both their families countries for their respective people to celebrate with them. And because of Rhoda, " he looked for her this time and nodded to Hassan, who's arms were holding her against him on the couch, set there for them specially, a smile creasing Tariq's face at the peaceful repose of Rhoda asleep, and of one of her hands held in Rocky's, beside her. "it is my pleasure to offer you the position of ruler to Rajistan, Prince Abdul. I would very much like you to take the time of your celebrations to consider the position and give me your answer after your time in the Miskah honeymoon suite. I am well aware modern times are here and women like a say in their man's mode of work. Eternal love to you both." He kissed each one on their cheeks and gave a slight bow to each male parent, who escorted the joined couple away, introducing them to everyone they met on their journey around the room as husband and wife.
"Again, because of Rhoda, I have the happy duty to bestow the Crown Prince with a Crown Princess, my last duty for today, so I will be able to enjoy the celebrations myself." King Tariq drew a hush to the room again and all their glances went to the sleeping Princess in the arms of her Crown Prince. "I won't disturb her sleep, suffice it to just need a crown." And one was put into his hand by his aide beside him. "Thank you." He walked to Hassan's couch and held the crown over Rhoda's head, lifting his head to scan the families all gazing back at him, all movement halted.
"It is my honour to crown Princess Rhoda as your future Queen and she will be known from this day onward as Crown Princess Rhoda Katrina Al Bassah Rashnu, of Tariq's Mountain and its three sister countries. As of this day also, Rhoda's offspring, Richard, shall be known as Prince Richard Ali Al Bassah Rashnu." He placed the Crown on Rhoda's head and then gave her a gentle pat on her cheek his other hand raising a finger to his lips to stop the loud cheers that had arisen turning to soft cheers.
Rhoda was oblivious of the whole proceedings, but Rocky hugged King Taric and he kissed him, then passed from Rocky to kiss Hassan on both cheeks. Hassan's arms never released Rhoda to kiss anyone else, but Rocky was hugged and pulled into group hugs, taking it all in good fun and glad that Abdul's wedding was to go ahead. Getting hugged by Akmed and Bidbah, who'm he missed having as his ayha. Finding out she was going to have a baby next year in April.
to be continued in the epilogue