ORDERS FROM ABOVE

The time eventually after the coronation came around so quickly and Valerian had summoned a meeting with the military generals.

The moment that he walked in on them and sat down, they all looked at him as he settled in his seat.

"Your Majesty." They said and bowed their heads.

"You may sit down." Valerian permitted them and they did as he had asked.

"What is it that you want to say to us all?" One of the generals asked.

"I am here as per the concerns of the National Army." Valerian replied.

"It has undoubtedly been noticed that with the taxes that have been collected from the people, our economy had thrived this past couple of months.

The Great winter did have a vast effect but eventually I along with the help of every one and the gods managed to overcome it." Valerian added.

"Yes your Majesty." Another General said.

"So I feel it necessary that we have more recruits in the army." Valerian said.

"We can't simply do that, the numbers of able people are two low in this country." One of the generals said.

"But this country and kingdom is in deed very vast, if we can not have a very efficient and large army we are on the risk of others seeking the  conquest of our boundaries." Valerian replied.

"Then how do you suppose that we are going to do that your Majesty?" Another General asked.

"For the first time in Scoln History, we shall recruit women in to the army." Valerian replied.

"Is that a suggestion your Majesty?" Another General asked.

"This is a command and an order." Valerian replied.

"Does the King have any idea what this is?" The General asked.

"He appointed me the chief and the head of the National Army and that means my word goes." Valerian replied.

"But not above the King's." Another General said.

"This decision of mine is final and there shall be no more discussions concerning it." Valerian replied.

At once, he stood up and departed from the hall leaving the entire audience of Generals in upheaval.

It was at that very hour that disorder settled in amongst all the leaders of the Armed forces of the Kingdom.

The Generals were furious with what their Queen had said and the immediate reaction was a report.

The Prime Minister was seated in his office when a letter from the generals reached his desk.

He took it and unfolded it to read what was written.

"This is a disaster, the Queen is out of his mind, decreeing upon us all generals that he shall recruit women into the army." The Prime Minister read.

The rest of the letter was something that was rather making a joke of Valerian and lastly an awful request that the Prime Minister found to be too terrible.

At once, the Prime Minister took a hold of his stallion and rode up to Sattinborough where the King and his Queen resided.

Alexander was seated at the Dining table with everyone else who was a part of the family when a servant walked in and whispered into his right ear.

Every one's gaze seemed to follow the young man as he spoke to the King.

"Your Majesty." The Young man said.

"The Prime Minister is here to see you on urgent business." The servant added.

"Tell him to wait until I am done eating." The King replied.

"He said that this is very necessary your Majesty." The servant said.

Alexander looked at every one else who was seated at the table.

"What is the problem Your Majesty?" Queen Marietta asked.

"Nothing much." Alexander replied.

He dropped his utensils down onto the table and stood up.

"I just have to attend to something important." Alexander added.

"Alright then." Queen Marietta said.

"May I come with you?" Valerian asked.

"No need, I shall make sure that I finish it all quickly." Alexander replied.

"Alright then." Valerian said as the King walked away leaving the table back to their evening meal.

Alexander walked fast through the corridors and hallways as the servants and guards there bowed down their heads while he passed.

The doors of the waiting room were flung open and the King walked in to an anxious Prime Minister who was strolling back and forth.

The Prime Minister on noticing the King's presence, he walked towards him.

"Your Majesty." The Prime Minister said as he took the King's right hand and placed it on his forehead.

"You have interrupted a family supper." The King replied calmly.

"Forgive me your Majesty but I have an important issue to discuss." The Prime Minister said.

"To what do I owe such an immediate visit of the Prime Minister that is unannounced?" Alexander asked.

"It is about the National Army, the Armed forces of the Kingdom." The Prime Minister replied as the King moved over to his seat and sat down.

"I had no idea, I though that my Queen was the one who is now in charge of matters concerning national security and the Armed forces." The King said.

"Except that this time, the issue is with him." The Prime Minister replied.

"About the Queen?" Alexander asked.

"Yes your Majesty." The Prime Minister replied.

"And what is it?" Alexander asked.

"It seems that the Queen decreed that the National Army will be recruiting female soldiers from around the Kingdom." The Prime Minister replied.

"This must be a miscommunication, that is so unbelievable and not something that the Queen could think of." Alexander said in disbelief.

"I am afraid that this is the sincere truth and if you really wish to learn of it then you would ask the Queen himself." The Prime Minister said.

"That is ridiculous, may be it was simply a suggestion." Alexander said.

"It wasn't a suggestion but the Queen's decree." The Prime Minister replied.

"It was short of my knowledge and understanding." Alexander said.

"The Queen was much aware of that." The Prime Minister said.

"There is no such thing as a Queen's decree." Alexander said.

"I mean I have read everything to deal with my duties as King and never has it been mentioned anywhere that there is a Queen's decree." The King added.

"And that makes the heads of the army rather angry and disappointed, displeased all jointly about the actions of his Majesty.

It seems that the Queen's not in the favour of preserving the demands that are required of him as the army commander-in-chief ." The Prime Minister said.

"And I didn't think that it would be this bad, I mean the Queen actually never mentioned anything to deal with this to me." Alexander said.

"He said the generals claim that his word was final but without the consent of the King on this it means." The Prime Minister said.

"It means what?" Alexander asked.

"It means that." The Prime Minister said once again and stopped halfway.

"What?" the King anxiously asked that time around.

"It means that the Queen has defiled his powers and disrespected you by not honouring your position.

As always, you might know really well that when everything is successfully concluded and when such ideas are put in place, it is not up to the people or another leader to implement and decree these laws.

In other words the final say is always yours alone your Majesty." The Prime Minister said.

"I am sure that the Queen had his own reasons for his doing." Alexander said.

"His reasons at this particular stage do not matter, only what the Queen himself has done deliberately." The Prime Minister replied.

"And what do you suppose that I should do about it?" The King asked.

"I suppose you could may be turn your ear to what the Generals have to say." The Prime Minister replied.

"And what exactly is there for them to tell me?" The King asked.

"They personally find the actions of the Queen to be unbearable and that he has exceeded quite a number of boundaries.

That he has altered so much of what they as Generals know and the army has long known and worse without the King's knowledge they do not find it appropriate to work with the Queen." The Prime Minister replied.

"But I gave him this office." Alexander said.

"It is not about what his Majesty has done." The Prime Minister replied.

"I think that they should not be too rash to make any decisions." Alexander said.

"Except that they offer a petition to the King requesting that the Queen withdraws from his military position and duties." The Prime Minister replied.

"Are they out of their minds." The King went furious.

"They are simply trying to be cautious." The Prime Minister uttered in their defence.

"Then they should know very well that I put all I could into consideration while appointing my Queen commander in chief of the Armed forces second to me alone." Alexander said.

"But his presence is causing so much internal upheaval." The Prime Minister said.

"Are you on their side now?" The King asked.

"No your Majesty, mine is simply communicate and answer to you." The Prime Minister said.

"Then you would know my answer when it comes to this petition." The King said.

"Of course your Majesty but think about the boundaries crossed and what has been ignored at least." The Prime Minister said.

"Then I shouldn't ignore the fact the at while all the other generals cowered away, it was he who did not run from such a small battle that threatened our boundaries and the Crown as well.

Where were they when the country needed them or need I be reminded that it was their Queen who put his life on the line protecting them while they were simply cowards?" The King asked.

"Don't be too irrational your Majesty, may be you can take it easy, no one said you should sign the petition." The Prime Minister said.

"Then I suppose you know now that with all due respect and as King, I have decided that this petition is rejected and my word is final." The King coldly said.

"Alright your Majesty." The Prime Minister replied.

At once, the King left the room leaving the Prime Minister astounded by his reaction.

"Who knew that the Queen's influence on the King was this deep that he barely took notice of the fact there were rules broken and ignored in his favour?" The Prime Minister asked himself and left the room as well.