BOOK II OF III: The Reign of the Sultan (50 page)

Still looking all around, Brishava asked with
a laugh, “Anyone suffering from a hangover from too much alcohol at
last night’s celebration?”

Most in the group shook their head
negatively—after Jimnee had interpreted to Yaush, he raised his
hand high into the air.

Brishava replied with another light laugh,
“Me too, Yaush. Ready to eat guys? Saho mao yar?”

Everyone nodded affirmatively, especially
Yaush.

After eating a delicious, intercontinental
breakfast that was cooked up by a team of expert chefs, Brishava
spent just about the entire day giving “the extended tour” of
Pavelus to her friends.

They traveled via two horse-drawn royal
carriages with a driver and a rider, as well a company-sized
element of guards all riding horseback—half rode in front and the
other half rode behind the carriages. Even though Chelsea and
Jimnee had long ago been given the tour, they were more than happy
to come along for the ride and enjoy the many sites a second
time.

Of course, everyone was delighted and amazed
to see everything that they did with twelve scheduled stops along
the way, including an hour lunch at a five-star restaurant—stops
containing historic statues, monuments, museums, and buildings
dating back seven centuries, per Brishava who delivered the city’s
presentation like a “professional tour guide.”

A little after six p.m., they arrived back in
the palace courtyard—after everyone had exited the carriages, and
stood around in a loose group, Brishava asked everyone in both of
languages, “So, what do you all think of Pavelus? Did I do a good
job in cleaning up and helping the poor neighborhoods, especially
the ones around the docks?”

A wide range of very positive responses came
flooding back from everyone, ranging from the words “amazing” to
“spectacular!”

“Thank you so much,” Brishava said with a
proud smile. After cocking her head toward the palace, she
suggested, “Well, guys… Want to play some board games in the
recreation room until it’s dinnertime?”

After Jimnee had interpreted to Yaush,
everyone answered affirmatively—that is what they did for the next
couple of hours, having “a good ole time.”

That evening, after the sun had set, Baltor
woke up from sleep. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that there was a
note resting upon his chest.

After picking up the note, he read:

‘
Good evening, Baltor, my love of
loves!

Dinner with Queen Calitta, King Cheo,
Ambassador Chelsea, Ruling-General Stormea, Commanding-Knight
Travail, all our Commanding-Generals, even Commander Barquoth,
Yaush, and Jimnee will be at nine p.m. in the royal dining
hall.

Love you, Brishava
.’

Baltor got out of bed, standing to his feet.
He then walked into the pool, bathed, dried himself off, put on his
drawers, and then commanded, “Assistants.”

The six assistants entered from the walk-in
closet; the last two pushed the portable closet on wheels. Once
they arrived, they bowed, and then opened the closet.

They dressed him into his royal attire of the
day—consisting of a red, furled long-sleeve shirt that had thick
silver thread embroidered along all the seams, a pair of black
breeches, and a pair of shiny black-and-red-striped boots.

Once dressed, the assistants manicured
Baltor’s fingernails, and then they put on his pinky rings and
royal emblem ring. Upon completion of these tasks, they next combed
his hair and put it into a ponytail with his favorite gold hoop
holding it together, put on a little eyeliner around his eyes, and
put his crown upon his head.

Upon completion of these tasks, they
performed one final check to make sure everything about their
Sultan looked “perfect,” and as they found this to be the case,
they bowed—the lead assistant immediately asked, “Well, my
Sultan?”

“Excellent as always. Thank you, gentlemen.
See you tonight after the festivities are over.”

“Thank you, my Sultan,” they said before they
rose from their bow and left the room.

For a few minutes longer, Baltor gazed at
himself before he headed for the exit while calling out,
“Guards—open the doors.”

They did—with the four guards posted outside
in tow, he and they made their way to the dining hall; and once
there, the two guards posted there opened the doors and bowed.
Baltor entered.

Comfortably sitting round this large round
mahogany table, already set for dinner, were all of his guests, as
well his wife.

As Baltor drew near the table, he gestured
with his hands for them to remain seated, while greeting with a
very warm smile, “Good evening to you all!” He then repeated his
statement in Valakanese.

“Good evening, Sultan Baltor,” all greeted
back with warm smiles upon their faces.

As soon as Baltor had taken his seat and
clapped his hands twice, dozens of servants immediately came into
the room, each bearing a large tray of food or drinks. They then
began the process of politely offering whatever they possessed to
each of the guests. The guests, in turn, took what he or she
wanted.

Soon after the course of eating dinner had
begun, Calitta began, “Sultan Baltor, I must say that I have
thoroughly enjoyed myself today, as Sultaness Brishava gave me such
a wonderful tour of your beautiful city!”

Baltor replied with an appreciative nod and
smile, “Thank you very much, Queen Calitta. You know that you are
most welcome to come back anytime!”

“I would love to stay longer,” Calitta sang,
“but I have much business at home that needs tending to. Though I
am a queen, and our country is now at peace thanks to you all, it’s
that time of the month when bills have to be paid.”

“I see,” Baltor said thoughtfully. “Well if
you ever need the Sharia Empire’s help with anything, feel free to
ask.”

“Again, thank you, Sultan Baltor,” Calitta
said with a very pleased smile upon her face. She then picked her
fork up off the table with her left hand, poked it into another
piece of lemon-peppery seasoned shark filet on her plate, and took
another delicious bite.

“You are most welcome, Queen Calitta,” Baltor
replied with a very sincere nod to his head. Still holding his
fork, he plucked it into a piece of melon on his plate, which had
been seasoned with his red spice, and used his teeth to slide off
the piece off the fork and into his mouth.
Delicious!

For most of dinner, everyone continued to eat
in silence—until about ten minutes later, Travail finally set his
fork on his plate as he could eat no more, swallowed the last of
the spicy rice still in his mouth, and then said, “Sultan Baltor, I
have an important question. What is your plan for the Vispano
Forces?”

Looking right over, Baltor answered, “I will
be sending you guys back home within the next several days.
However, I would like at least a company-sized element of the
Vispano Knights to volunteer to come back with me right away, so
that we can start a new branch here in Pavelus. I really like your
‘knightly code’ of honor and ethics, just so you know.”

“That is a most excellent idea, my Sultan!”
Travail replied with a surprised-yet-appreciative nod. After all,
now their Order would be spreading to another major city, something
he had not considered as a possibility.

“Thank you, Senior-Commanding Knight
Travail,” Baltor said right away. “Additionally, I am going to need
a new governor to assist me with ruling Parthway, and other
governors to rule all the other major cities within the Vispano
Province.”

“Do you have anyone in mind, my Sultan?”
Travail asked.

“As for Parthway, yes I do—you,” Baltor
answered. “As for governors to rule the second and third major
cities, Sultaness Brishava and I have pre-selected
Commanding-Knight Valiante and Commander Barquoth. Her other
cousins will govern the lesser cities. Basically, we want people
that we implicitly trust.”

“Very good, my Sultan and Sultaness.”

Baltor continued, “Tomorrow, we shall
teleport for Parthway. This of course includes all the Knights and
our cousins. We shall then have an official ceremony to inaugurate
my wife and I as the imperial rulers of the Vispano Province, yet
in the very same ceremony—all the other governors.”

As he was giving his explanation, servants
came in bringing trays filled with desserts. They began the process
of circling around the table, and offering their particular dessert
to each of the guests.

Meanwhile, Travail nodded his head, and said,
“As you wish, my Sultan.”

Upon completion of dessert, as well a ton of
pleasant conversation that lasted for many more hours to come until
midnight, the fond farewells for the night were finally exchanged.
Only minutes later, the queen’s servants and soldiers entered the
room, and prepared to go back to their home.

After the last of the farewells had been
concluded, nearly ten minutes later, Baltor drew the rune into the
air, opened the portal, and gestured for Calitta, and her entourage
of servants and guards to go through first—they did. Baltor
followed behind, but he did not close the portal on the other
side.

Once again they were in Chelsea’s old room in
Calitta’s palace. It was then and there that Baltor delivered his
quick farewell to the queen, which included a light hug, before he
walked back through the portal.

After the portal had shut, Baltor excused
himself from his group of friends still standing near the door and
talking—Brishava revealed that she would be joining her husband in
about an hour’s time.

With his entourage of guards, Baltor headed
back to his bedroom—once alone inside, he sat at his desk, and
began the process of drawing a valiant-looking image upon paper of
Humonus.

An hour after he had begun, Brishava joined
him in the bedroom, but watched in silence as he continuously drew.
Two hours later, not only had he completed the sketch, yet also the
listed instructions and materials needed to build the statue,
especially five tons of bronze—once all was said and done, he
asked, “So…what do you think, love?”

“I love it! I really do!”

“Thanks,” Baltor said with a satisfied smile
of his own. “Me too, Babes.”

She planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

“Guards,” he called out a second later, while
rolling it all up and putting it in a scroll case.

The doors opened and in walked two male
guards—the leader said, “Yes, my Sultan?”

“Please put this in Jamar’s work bin for
me.”

“Yes, my Sultan,” that guard replied—after he
had taken it, he and his fellow soldier bowed, exited the room,
closed the doors, and then he put the scroll case where it
belonged, which bin was located near the staircase.

Only seconds later, just as Baltor and his
wife were about to start kissing at the desk, a knocking could be
heard on the door.

“Enter,” Brishava said.

The guards opened the door, and Lara
entered.

“Yes?” Brishava asked.

“My Sultaness? I’m sorry to bother you. The
girls and I were waiting for you at seven tonight, as you ordered.
It is all right that you did not show, but are you now ready to get
the make-up off your face and settled for the night? Also, the
Sultan’s assistants have said they are ready for him whenever he is
ready.”

“Yes, I am ready, Lara,” Brishava answered.
Looking over at her husband, she added, “I’ll be back soon,
honey.”

“Okay, love,” Baltor said, right after he had
given her a kiss on the cheek.

Only seconds after Brishava had exited the
room with Lara, the male assistants came in, and helped their
leader out of his wardrobe and into his pajamas. Nearly thirty
minutes later, they completed their tasks, so they bowed and
left.

Baltor picked up a book on sleight-of-hand
magic tricks, and began to read. Nearly an hour later, Brishava
returned, and some hanky-panky went on…

The following morning, after breakfast was
served in their bedroom, the two slept together the whole day.
Shortly after a lovely dinner that night spent with all their
friends, Baltor, Brishava, Travail, Barquoth, and Brishava’s three
cousins, headed by the royal carriages to the coliseum—the Vispano
Knights followed behind.

There, Travail called for formation, and they
assembled.

After Baltor had pondered Valiante’s position
on the world-map inside his head, and getting an innate answer that
he was outside inspecting the exterior walls of Parthway, as well
getting a rune, Baltor drew it into the air with his left index
finger.

Immediately after the portal opened, he
ordered the Vispano Knights to travel through it, with Travail and
Brishava in the very lead.

Once Baltor had traveled through, the portal
disappeared—by the time he was on the other side, everything was
already cleared up with the initially alarmed knights in
Parthway.

That night the intricate transfer-of-power
ritual was carried out. Baltor and Brishava became the Vispano
Province’s rulers, and all the promoted-governors promised to
continuously serve the Sharia Empire.

Upon completion, as well the following
victory celebration, Baltor and Brishava then decided to stay in
Parthway for two weeks before returning home with a company-sized
element of Vispano Knights, who enthusiastically volunteered to
start a branch in Pavelus.

Two weeks after Baltor and Brishava’s return,
Yaush and his buddies revealed that they had finally finished
creating a wall-mounted plaque out of the dragon’s head—the head
was already mounted on the wall directly behind the thrones in the
throne room. So far, they happily reported, the skull of the dragon
never regenerated again.

It was in the throne room that Yaush gave
Baltor’s swords back to him—of course, both Baltor and Brishava
were quite impressed by the “outstanding work!”