ADJUSTMENTS

"I never imagined that my very own son could be inconsiderate." The Queen Mother said.

"It is a pity that he sends you away." Prince Charles said.

"If I can not live in this palace you seem to forget that neither can you." The Queen Mother said.

"At least you know that your son still cares about you.

After all it seems he is doing all that out of the primary concern that he has for you." Prince Alfred said.

"I highly doubt, my duties were handed down to my son-in-law whom I must say is more cunning than I ever expected." The Queen Mother said.

"How unexpected, the pone eventually evolved to a queen." Prince Alfred said.

"I can not live like this." The Queen Mother said.

"And I am afraid that I have stayed here a little bit longer than I am expected." Prince Alfred said.

"What more could your son-in-law do with the powers he has?" Prince Alfred asked.

"You should be threatened, he actually planned and redrew the palace budget before I was relieved of my duties." The Queen Mother replied.

"It is interesting that your own son-in-law does not feel the need of your permission before acting out something." Prince Alfred said.

"It even makes me fear what more things might happen when I am away." The Queen mother replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Prince Alfred asked.

"Only the gods know how much power he will be willing and holding in his hands by the time I return." The Queen mother replied.

"But what more could he politically do?" Prince Alfred asked.

"I am not sure." The Queen mother replied.

"And neither am I but we both know that he is a foreigner." Prince Alfred said.

"Then what is wrong with that?" The Queen mother asked.

"I doubt that the court is willing to jeopardize the monarchy because the King trusts his foreign Queen." Prince Alfred replied.

"What more will they do?" The Queen mother asked.

"Eventually, I doubt that they shall be willing to let the Queen consort wield any power.

Even if the King does, parliament shall take sides and the throne and crown might end up in danger after all." Prince Alfred said.

"And if the pressure gets to the King that is dying to be loved by the people, my son-in-law won't get the chance to wield that power." The Queen mother said.

"We are not as hopeless as we might think we are after all and for a new Queen, he is a little bit too timid." Prince Alfred said.

"But I do not think we should under estimate him after all, if he has the king tied to his apron strings." The Queen mother said.

"May be after we return, we should work on severing those strings and putting the crown in our favour." Prince Alfred replied.

"I certainly hope so." Queen Marietta said.

********************

"I heard that the Queen mother was relieved of her duties." Valerian said to Gerald.

"Pretty much that she needed time apart to mourn the loss of her husband.

It is what Helren said." Gerald replied.

"She must be lucky to have a son who still cares about her mental health." Valerian said.

"I agree but she was insisting on staying." Gerald said.

"Probably believing that her son still needed her to run some of her royal duties." Valerian said.

"She was a little bit angry with your palace reformist ideas." Gerald said.

"I understand that she is a very preservative person, it must be why she gave me the death glares outside her son's study." Valerian said.

"Most probably, she has every reason to feel offended." Gerald said.

"But don't blame me, the palace and every thing in it need a few adjustments.

The staff uniforms, architecture, decorations and even the staff itself." Valerian said.

"Why is that?" Gerald asked.

"There are rooms that are unoccupied, I visited the kitchen and it is not as clean as it is supposed to be.

The colours inside are so dull that they could attract the vectors, I need to breathe some life into the palace and get rid of all the junk in it.

After all a new King deserves a new home and my husband must have the best, not a vector's nest." Valerian said.

"I'd agree with that." Gerald said.

Immediately, Valerian started to change some of the portraits in the hallway and add other's to the collections.

Painters immediately started working first on fifth and forth stories of the palace.

Scrap and the rest of the things that  were recyclable were moved out and the rooms were refurnished.

A lot of men were hired for the job and the cleaning was done before the work had commenced to make it easy.

By the end of the first day, all the work on the upper most stories of the palace was done.

Valerian having supervised everything was returning to his bed chambers when he suddenly stopped by Alexander's study.

Alexander was just leaving the room when he caught sight of Valerian standing near the door and smiling at him.

He locked it and then he moved up closer to his consort.

"A busy day?" Valerian asked.

"Very busy." Alexander replied.

"I could tell, I didn't hear from you." Valerian said.

"And neither did I, I love that you are doing something new with the palace." Alexander said.

"After all I must make the Royal household comfortable for my husband." Valerian replied.

"I could agree with you that it needed your magic touch." Alexander said as they continued to their quarters.

"How is your mother?" Valerian asked.

"She is fine, much better actually, you know since I proposed that she spent some time away from the capital." Alexander replied.

"I see." Valerian said.

"She was a bit too reluctant." Alexander said.

"But I am certain she understands that you are only doing it for her own good." Valerian said.

"Of course she does." Alexander replied.

"When will she be leaving?" Valerian asked.

"Tomorrow." Alexander replied.

"And what is on the King's schedule tomorrow?" Valerian asked.

"The sitting of parliament." Alexander replied.

"It is a pity that my place is here taking care of the home, it would have been lovely seeing what your parliament is like." Valerian replied.

"You are coming with me." Alexander said.

"But according to the customs and ancient laws, as Queen I am forbidden from indulging in politics." Valerian said.

"You are my consort and in Scoln, the king is the Law." Alexander replied.

"Don't misuse your powers or the gods shall take them away." Valerian said as they approached the doors of their bedroom and stopped.

Alexander moved in front of Valerian and looked at him in the eyes.

"What good is a King without the support of his Queen?" Alexander asked with a plea of insistance in his eyes.

"Every King is strongest with the support of those who love him." Valerian replied.

"And that is why I need you in that building by my side.

I need you to stand with me, I want to be a reasonable and loveable king to the people.

Not a tyrant that they fear or a god they just worship because they feel obliged." Alexander said.

"It takes a lot my dear." Valerian said.

"That is why we have to be in this together." Alexander said as he cupped Valerian's face and he kissed it.

"I shall stand with you whatever the cost is." Valerian said.

"That is very good to know and I believe that we can be the best monarchs that Scoln can ever have.

I understand that I have duties and responsibilities but if it is according power my Queen must share it with me." Alexander said.

"I see your concern, I just don't want people to misunderstand me." Valerian said.

"Who said they will, you told me that I do not have to be a king like the ones before me.

I have to admit there are restrictions to this life but a few adjustments, some little change for the better won't hurt.

Besides, the people love you and each of them cherish you.

No one would mind if I kept my Queen beside me all the time and besides that you are tasked to protect me.

So I figured out it means literally going every where I go." Alexander said.

"You make every thing too convincing." Valerian said.

"Then tell me what do you say to this?" Alexander asked.

"If you insist and I get your point, I shall accompany you to the parliament tomorrow." Valerian replied.

"You are the best Queen any King could have." Alexander said.

"That is why I love you." He added.

"I love you too." Valerian said.

The two then held hands and opened their bedroom door and walked it.

They closed it behind themselves and when they were inside, Valerian turned to Alexander.

He slowly started to unbutton his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Alexander asked as he pinned his right hand beside Valerian's face.

"You said that you had a busy day." Valerian replied as he started to remove the shirt.

It revealed Alexander's well built body, his muscles and detailed torso were illuminated by the lights in the room.

"Then what is with it?" Alexander asked.

"May be let me help you exhaust all the stress of the Crown at the moment." Valerian replied.

He moved his hands slowly towards the waitsline and started to untie the belt around Alexander's waist.

"I am looking forward to it." Alexander replied with a smile overwhelming his face that very moment.