The Coronation Ball

"Gentlemen, I know you have concerns and questions so we'll go around the table starting with you, Mr. Duke." Emily sat back in her chair as she looked at Mr. Duke.

He nodded and then after looking around the room, "I think the biggest question we all have... Will you be implementing the Kingdom's control over our City?"

Emily nodded and replied, "That's a fair question. As you know with me becoming the Queen I have the option to choose the capital for the Windsor Kingdom. I have already decided to use Connaissance as the new capital, also I will be changing the name of the Windsor Kingdom as is my right. From now on The City of Connaissance will be the Capital for the Connaissance Empire. As for the law of the land, I will be implementing the same rules and regulations we enjoy here in the City of Connaissance over the entire empire."

The men around the table immediately let out their collective breath and smiles were seen from nearly everyone. Mr. Hammer raised his hand, "Lady Connaissance, will the Nobility be added to our meetings here or will they enjoy a different level of power?"

Emily tapped her fingers on the table, "Each of the Kingdom's nobles is essentially a city lord at my level. So I am planning to treat them as such. In other words, they will be a level above. However, my law will be the law of the land. They won't have the right to interfere with your business in any way that is different from right now. So those of you with operations in the Kingdom won't have to worry that these Lords will have the ability to confiscate your holdings."

Each of the men around the table nodded. Mr. Murray asked, "Will there be a new City lord appointed for Connaissance?"

Emily nodded, "Yes, I wanted to speak with him in private about this first but since you, all have an interest in this, Mr. Duke, I would like to ask that you if you would be willing?"

Mr. Duke's eyes started to tear up as he tried to look confident and noble. His voice cracked slightly as he responded, "I would of course be willing."

All of the men around the table cheered and came over to shake his hand give him slaps on the back. Emily waited for them all to return to their seats and smiled at them and said, "Mr. Duke, you'll be running this meeting in the future and will also be joining the council of nobles. We'll talk then about your official title and what they will entail in private. I will promise you that your title will not be any lower than either of the Windsor Kingdom's Dukes."

*****

That evening the Windsor Kingdom's nobles gathered together with the elite from the city at the City Hall's large conference room that had been decorated by Teslaimia and her employees and turned into a makeshift dance hall and formal banquet room. The nobles were very practiced at these types of events and mingled around differing groups naturally while the city elite tended to group together looking a little overwhelmed. Up in Emily's office, Teslaimia came stomping in, "Are you just planning to leave everything for me to do by myself, or are you planning to attend your own Ball?"

Emily looked up from her work and pushed it aside, "I'm sorry Mia, it's Kingdom etiquette for the King to wait for all the guests to arrive before making an entrance. Randall will come to get me once everyone arrives, do you need to take a break? Come, sit with me."

Teslaimia shook her head, "In Fursia, the King greets each guest as they arrive. The last guest that arrives is the lowest ranking official."

"Ah, I see, no wonder you are feeling anxious." Emily smiled.

A few moments later Randall jogged over to the office, "Your Highnesses, there is a problem. An uninvited guest has arrived. King Andrew came as part of the Emperor of Injia's party."

Emily raised an eyebrow, "Oh? The Injian Emperor must have thought it would fun to bring him along to stir up trouble with the Windsor Kingdom's Nobility. Are the rest of the guests here?"

He nodded, "Yes Your Highness, all the guests have arrived."

Emily smiled and said, "This is still not the Windsor Kingdom's territory so we won't bother with Andrew. Inform Captain Alexander and have him watch for any trouble. Don't allow Andrew to cause even a slight ruckus."

Emily stood up and took Teslaimia's hand with a smile on her face, "Let's go play."

As they arrived on the main floor and entered the conference room, the band started to play the new Connaissance Empire's anthem chosen by Emily. Everyone stopped what they were doing as Emily walked arm in arm with Teslaimia over to their large round table seated with Mr. Duke his brother and their wives, Duke Morely and Lucas Morely, Duke Hassard and his wife, King Darius with an attractive woman, Emperor Asoka, Emperor Iopolo and the former King Andrew. As Emily and Teslaimia sat down Andrew spoke up, "Couldn't even wait for me to die before stealing my throne, Emily?"

Emily sighed and then smiled at Andrew, "Dear uncle, it's so good to see you again. How are things going with your invasion of Injia?"

Emperor Asoka couldn't help laughing, "Andrew, you should be more respectful."

Darius smiled at Asoka, "Andrew and I most certainly underestimated the Grand Army of Injia." He lifted his glass to Asoka and said, "Our countries paid a terrible price for the invasion."

Asoka raised his glass in return, "If not for your alliance, I might have marched straight back into your capitals, so consider it a draw."

Emperor Iopolo looked at them and shook his head, "Drew, I heard what you did to Emmy Lee's father. If she won't say it I will. You have no right to complain about losing a throne that was never yours to argue about. As far as I am concerned all that is happening now is for a rightful ruler to be restored. You clearly are not as competent as she is as a leader. Unless you call losing your army and having your Nobility refuse to have you return a success."

Emily shook her head and said, "That's enough. All of you. You have been invited here by me, continue to disrespect me at your own peril."

Duke Beaux Morely stood up and walked over to Emily, "Your Highness, may I have this dance?"

At the same time Lucas Morely approached Princess Teslaimia, "Your Highness. may I have this dance?"

Emily and Teslaimia looked at each other and nodded, speaking almost as one, "I would be delighted."

The other men at the table with wives and dates stood up and escorted their dates out to dance leaving Iopolo, Asoka, and Andrew alone at the table. Asoka asked Iopolo, "I understand that Princess Teslaimia was your fiancé?"

He frowned and nodded, "I only had one woman in mind to be my bride."

Asoka looked at Teslaimia, "Did you see her and talk to her before you broke off the marriage? I don't mean to be rude, but if Darius had offered her to me, she would be pregnant with my child right now. How could you pass that woman up? She's brilliant, funny, beautiful by any man's definition..."

Iopolo pointed to Emily and said, "I wanted the best woman and wasn't going to settle for second best."

Andrew looked out at them and said, "I would have made them both my wives if they didn't hate me."

Asoka nodded and said, "See? That's honesty. Since they are still unmarried, that is exactly the path I will be pursuing."

Iopolo's eyes opened wide and then he laughed, "I am afraid you'll be very disappointed Emperor Asoka. I don't believe any man has any hope of being together with those two."

Lucas danced gracefully with Teslaimia he leaned closer to her and asked softly, "You and Princess Windsor-Smith are a couple, aren't you?"

She smiled at him not prepared to answer at first but decided to be honest by saying, "Mhm."

Lucas smiled and then asked softly, "Would you be willing to consider a political marriage with my brother and me?" He gave her a graceful twirl, "You see, Beaux and I, well... Let's just say we have a similar stance with the opposite sex."

Teslaimia chuckled, "You are a very good dancer, Lucas, Your brother wishes to be King, is that it?"

He grinned and said, "It's more like, I wish that he was King."

Teslaimia laughed and then said, "It sounds to me like you want to overly complicate our lives just to avoid gossip."

He whispered in her ear, "But wouldn't you like to have children?"

Teslaimia looked over at a laughing Emily who was dancing with Duke Morely. The Duke frowned a little bit as he said, "It's not funny!"

Emily looked him in the eye and said, "It is a little funny Beaux. Aren't you considered the most eligible bachelor in the Kingdom?"

He nodded, "I am."

"But you are really afraid of women?" She giggled.

He blushed slightly, "I am, well, not with you, but with the ones who look at me with expectations. I feel like an elk being stalked by a predator like a mountain lion."

Emily laughed, "Mm, I know what you mean. Look at the men sitting over at the table, see how they watch me and Teslaimia? Their eyes are glued to my ass and her tits."

Beaux laughed and asked, "Would you ever consider marrying, Emily?"

Emily smiled at Beaux and asked, "Are you asking me to marry you, Beaux?"

Beaux turned bright red, "Can I be honest with you?" Emily nodded.

"I'm in love with Lucas, and I want to spend the rest of my life together with him. Only as the Duke, I am expected to marry, have an heir, and continue the family line. I am afraid of women and I don't really want to ruin things between Lucas."

Emily chuckled, "So you and Lucas thought you would ask me because Teslaimia and I are a couple as well."

"That's right. He will ask her and I will ask you. I could become your public King and if you wanted we could have children as well. The four of us would all live together as couple and couple." he looked into her eyes, "I am prepared to offer you some benefits as well. My Morely family owns a few resources that I would give you."

Emily laughed and said, "If I make you the King, which one of us would be in control? You? And if you decided to have me assassinated, what would happen to Teslaimia? No offense, but there is really nothing in this for me. It's all one-sided for you, Beaux. I am not interested in giving anyone other then Teslaimia the seat next to me. You of all people should understand."

Beaux looked over at Teslaimia and Lucas dancing very close together and sighed, "No, you're right. I do understand. Even watching them having a good time dancing together is making me jealous. Would it be alright if the four of us all get together and talk a little more about this? I would like to hear from the other two as well."

Emily smiled and nodded, "That's fair, Beaux. I would like to know their thoughts as well. On one level you're right, there are certain expectations on us to continue our lines and have a certain public appearance." She looked him in the eye and smiled, "But don't you also kind of want to announce who is your real partner to the whole world?"

Beaux laughed and said, "Do I ever. Do you ever think about having children though?"

Emily shook her head, "Not even once. I guess that must sound a little selfish. I never even thought about love or about having a family or any of that. From the time I was able to truly dream of the future all I wanted was to see the future, my father used to envision. Flying machines, space travel, buildings as tall as the sky, medical science that would cure anything that ails us, the ability to communicate with anyone on Hanston from any place just like you were standing next to them. When Teslaimia pushed herself into my life, a lot of things I hadn't imagined ever wanting started to crop up. Now I think I mostly just want her to see those things with me, you know?"

Beaux nodded and said, "Lucas is like that. He's the one pushing me to do more, be more than I am."