From the kitchen, servers appeared with small covered plates. Sarah noticed one of the servers was Josh. James took his lid off first to expose a salad. He took a bite as everyone watched. Sarah was amazed at their behavior. But then she had never dined with a Royal Family before. When King James took his second bite, everyone else removed their lids and began eating; except Orion.

   “So,” James broke through the clatter of forks on porcelain.

   Sarah looked up to notice Orion hadn’t uncovered his plate. “Did you forget something?” She asked.

   His expression was mournful and distant, “perhaps.”

   The room was once more filled with the clinking of porcelain and silver, “PHD or MD?” James asked.

   “Both sire.”

   “No, call me James. That’s my name.”

   She nodded, “as you wish.”

  “You’re well educated.” He grinned.

  “Where did you go to school?” Roa asked.

   “Bredone.”

   “I didn’t think women were allowed to attend Bredone.” Floria questioned.

   The servers appeared, removing everyone’s plates.

   “I was part of an experiment. They admitted twenty women to see what we (women) could achieve.”

   “You did well.” James remarked.

   “Thank you.”

   The servers brought out the next dish. The family followed the same routine for the soup as they did the salad.

   “So what are you doing here?” Juliah asked.

   “I don’t know.”

   “You go places without knowing what you’re going to do?” Paul seemed shocked.

   “Dr. Carter and I have been friends for a long time. I come to my friends when they call.”

   “Dr. Carter is busy.” James told everyone. “I’m sure he will come get you when he is ready.”

   “I am sure he will.” Sarah smiled.

   “And guess what we have?” Orion just stared at her.

   She started giggling, clapping her hands. “Hot water!” 

   “Not an endless supply but I’d say enough to make you happy.”

   “Yeah, I love hot water.” She sighed.

   Roa asked, “Was there no hot water on the train?”

   “Luke warm,” Orion answered. 

     Sarah was standing in the middle of her assigned guest quarters. She marveled at the size of everything. All the furniture seemed big and old. She looked at the figure staring back at her from a mirror across the room.

   “How did you get here?” She asked. There was a knock at her door, forcing her to jump back into reality. “Come in.”

   An older woman walked into the room. “Your presents is requested at dinner Dr. Zabane.” The lady curtsied.

   “There is no need to be formal with me.” This lady wouldn’t look up from the floor. She was dressed very plainly in a white dress. “Can you tell me about this room? It is amazing.”

   “It was the Queen mother’s room. That was before my time.”

   “Oh.” Sarah continued to look around the room.

   “To dinner?” The lady stood in the door way.

   “Yes of course, lead the way.” She smiled following the lady to the dining room. The lady curtsied before disappearing, leaving Sarah standing alone in the doorway.

   “Orion,” James roared happily, “introduce everyone. You spent weeks with this girl.”

   Sarah’s first impression of James was Santa Claus. Not so much the way he looked but the way he acted. He seemed jolly and full of life. But nothing about his hair was as snow. She could only assume that if Orion wasn’t sick his hair would be as black as his father’s.

   Orion got up, walking over to Sarah. He offered her his arm like a polite gentleman to escort her around the table. “Doctor Sarah Zabane, this is my family; James King, master of all he surveys.” He was sitting at the head of the table. “Queen Rao was sitting to his right. Across from Rao, “You have met Juliah, my sister.” Beside of Juliah, “this handsome young man is my son Paul”, across from Paul, “this is his mother, my wife Floria.” He pulled out the chair beside Paul for her to sit in. Then he sat in front of her beside Floria.

   “Hello,” she smiled, slightly bowing her head.

   “Welcome, welcome,” James greeted her. “Your journey was a pleasant one?”

   “Yes.” She glanced across the table at Orion.

   “Let’s eat.” James bellowed. 

   From over the top of the bluff, Sarah saw the tip of a roof. As they got closer, the green glow of the roof itself came into view. The anticipation was killing her. She wiggled in her seat. Orion couldn’t help but laugh. His view on life had changed so much in the time they had been together. Could she instill in him the courage he needed to fight this illness? He slowed the carriage down to a trot.

   “What are you doing?” She squealed.

   “You are having so much fun watching the palace grow before your eyes that I want to make it last longer.” He smiled. 

   “Tease.” She pouted, folding her arms across her chest.

   “Oh I see, it is okay for you to tease me but I can’t tease you?”

   She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Who said I was complaining?”

   He erupted in laughter, laughter that came from the bottom of his lungs and filled the air. Birds flew out of the trees. The driver ripped open the inside curtain out of sure panic to see what was happening. 

   “I wish I would have met you fifteen years ago.”

   She thought for a moment. “Fifteen years ago I would have been 23.”

   “You are 38?”

   “Yelp.”

   “I have struggled with that.”

   “What do you mean?”

   “Well, you have accomplished a lot. Because of that, I would have imagined you older. Though the way you look didn’t fit the age I figured in my mind.”

   “What about you? How old are you?”

   “Thirty-eight.” He blushed.

   “How old is Juliah?” She looked confused.

   “She will be 21.” 

   “Wow! Why the big wait between children?”

   “Boredom I can only assume.” He pointed up the road. There before them was the most magnificent structure Sarah had ever laid eyes upon. The cream colored stones stretched for miles. 

   “How big is it?” She stood up.

   “105 acres.”

   She glanced over at Orion. “You are kidding?”

   “That’s just the palace. The fenced in area covers 200 acres.”

   “Oh my.” She sat back down. They continued on their way. “You and your family live here with your parents?”

   “Yes.”

   “Was that ever a sore spot with your wife?”

   “Everything was/is a sore spot with my wife. If I mentioned moving into one of the family retreats, it wasn’t good enough. If I talked about building something of our own, it wasn’t good enough. If I mentioned moving to her homeland to live, it was an invasion of her past and privacy; till finally, I just stopped talking about it. But the biggest factor was Paul, each time we went someplace, all Paul could do was talk about when we were going home. He was always so delighted to get back. If one so chose, we could go months without seeing a member of the family.”

   “So you and your wife have had civil conversation?”

   “When the occasion calls for it.” He pulled the carriage up to the front steps of the palace. A bundle of energy was jumping up and down on the bottom step. When the carriage finally stopped, the bundle of energy stopped. His jaw dropped when the driver and porter climbed out of the back of the carriage. Orion helped her down. 

   “Sarah, this is my son, Paul.”

   “How do you do Paul?”

   “I am confused.” Stated the young man. 

   “How so?” Orion asked.

   “Dad, I didn’t know you could do that?” Orion never said a word. “Will you teach me?” 

   The porter had finished unloading their bags. Two porters came from inside the palace, taking the bags to their respective rooms. 

   Orion pointed to the driver’s seat. Paul jumped up and down, “yes.”

   “I will meet you at the stables.” Orion spoke to the driver.

   He bowed, handing Orion a pair of gloves out of his pocket. “For the young master.”

   A maid came out of the house. “Polly will show you to your quarters.”

   “So you do know their names,” Sarah smiled.

   Orion winked, “when the occasion calls for it.” He climbed back into the drivers seat to teach Paul how to drive the carriage.