"Miss, we've begun our descent," the flight attendant told her. She looked out the window past Lori who was now stirring. Still in the clouds.
"Heh! A hot towel!" the blond said with a smile.
"What do we do with this?" Judy sneered.
"Oh, wipe your face, neck....so refreshing."
"You know, airplane travel sucks."
"It's smoother than the E-plane."
"That's because you're not flying!" The two cackled.
"Gee Lori, I've worked for you for over four years. This is our first vacation."
"They've been busy years." The blond reflected oddly for a moment. "Now we enjoy ourselves."
"In Tourenbourg? With that straight-laced Alex?"
"Well, I've never been there before, but I hear it's a lot of fun. Oh look!" The plane descended out of the clouds as the two vacationers saw a stunning panorama. Ahead was sunshine against a sea of turquoise blue. Rising up was a brief green coastal plane, surrounded by jagged, snow capped mountains.
"Wow!" continued Lori. "Would you look at that!" As the plane approached the runway, they saw a small peak rising from a coastal city, and on top of that, a huge castle.
"Boy am I glad you met the King at Prep School."
"Well, as they say.....It's good to be the King!"
As Judy's first trip overseas, she was thoroughly unimpressed with the flight, customs, or her blood shot eyes. Even odder were the signs in Tourenbourgish. But English was under almost everything.
"This way Judy," Lori said as she led her to a limo driver holding a sign with their names on it. Suddenly, a young man came up to them. He was almost as tall as Lori, and seemingly as thin as Judy. He had short black hair with neatly trimmed beard and mustache, and stunning green eyes.
"Hello, Lori and Judy. I'm Minister Elander, and the King's close friend. Please call me Ron. I'm here escort you back to the castle."
They shook hands as he led them to the limo. But no ordinary car, this was a special edition Bentley. He briefly spoke in a glutteral language to the driver, then got in the car.
"So how do you like the wheels?" Ron spoke, with almost no accent.
"Pretty impressive, Ron," replied Lori. "King Alex certainly lives first class."
"You have no idea. I'm surprised you've never been here before. The King tells me you are good friends."
"Well, my family was not much for travel."
"This is our seaport," he pointed out as they traveled into the city. "So Judy, did you go to Broton as well?"
"Me, oh no. Metro City East Side. What's that?"
"Oh, that's a hashish bar. Tourenbourg has no problem with some of your country's forbidden pleasures. Now, how did you and the King meet?"
"Through Lori."
"Yes. Judy was my apprentice at work. We hit it off well. She is...." the blond looked at her brunette partner, "very prodigious. She's just 22."
"Twentytwo?" he said with delight. "And you got the democracy assisgnment?"
Judy responded, "Well, Lori is the hot shot journalist. And besides, NewsMakers doesn't consider this to be a major news story. We had no problem getting this assignment and a week of RandR to boot." The Bentley turned onto a circle.
"This is the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin. It marks the exact center of the city." Lori peered out the window, as she let out a "you don't say?"
"Doesn't that make it hard to get around this place?" asked Judy.
The minister laughed and again muttered to the driver in their language. "I'm guessing that they didn't think about that 600 years ago. So, Lori, why is this story not big? King Alex giving his power to the people? I thought this was your country's passion?"
Lori responded. "Tourenbourg is almost a city-state. We're allies, but other than business interests we don't hear much about the Kingdom in our news."
"You have no idea then," he said, turning around. And then he spoke to the driver in the glutteral language, as they both laughed. "Perhaps the King should fill you in on those details for your article. That and his upcoming engagement."
Lori cringed. "Yes, he mentioned something about an arranged thing. Has it happened?"
"We're still negotiating it with her family. They've never met, and it adds to all this excitement. Great for another story. But never mind. We are entering the palace grounds."
The Bentley turned up a side road, stopping at an ornate oversized white gate. After the driver signaled it opened. As they drove up the entranceway, Lori noticed the incredible landscaping, while Judy watched all the pedestrians walking to visit the castle grounds as they were being driven. Then she saw it.
Spread out over the top of a rocky bluff was the huge structure know as the Castle Tourenbourg. It rose hundreds of feet above the rest of the city. It had a central entranceway leading up to two huge mahagany doors. Above that, five stories of huge windows rose. To the right was a somewhat modern yet oversized section of buttresses. To the left was a much older section, with rounded windows, balconies, and two towers. At top was a walkway with cannons, over which the two castle towers on the old section stood watch.
"I'm glad he owes us a favor," mumbled Judy.
"The King always pays back his favors. This way." Ron led them up the main entrance stairs, made of white marble. The hallway was crawling with sightseers, gawking at the gold leaf detail of a baroque foyer. They followed him past security, on up to the stairs....carved of granite, gradually circling around as they ascended. "Floor one is for visitors, sort of a museum. Some tremendous works of art. And it has our ballroom. Floor two holds the monarchy's primary offices." They past another guard, nodding at Ron. Eventually they made their way to a smaller but still grand oak stairway that lead them to the fifth floor.
"The King lives in a suite in the newer wing, as well as I. We have rooms for you by the old tower." The girls looked at each other in disbelief. He led them to a large rosewood door, ornately carved. "This was the King's room before the newer wing." Lori looked around to see 12 foot tall celling, a stone floor, furniture fit for a museum, windows overlooking the bay, and a very large bed.
"Do you want separate rooms?" he asked with an almost mischeivious look.
"Yes we do!" responded Judy.
"I just thought you might want company, in case any of the ghosts are stirring."
"Ghosts?"
Ron met her gaze with his commanding green eyes. "Yes. Such as Red Luthor, the Kingdom's famous traitor. He was locked in a chamber in the North Tower, bricked up forever. Guests have reported the sight of him stealing through the castle late at night. " Ron was grinning ear to ear. Judy was sneering.
"I'll still try my luck with my own room."
"Come this way."
They disappeared through the bathroom. At that moment, a servant came in with their baggage. He brought them over to a dresser, and began to hang Lori's clothes in the bureau. But when he got to a bag that was securely locked, Lori intervened. "I'll take care of that."
"You can't just give up the power of the monarchy, your royal highness," replied a white bearded, heavy set man. He was around 50, not too tall, and not yet fully bald.
"The people have voted. We are ready to begin a parliamentary government, Mr. Berger," the King responded with his charming smile.
"There's too much at stake. The unstable materials treaty that brought us so much wealth."
"It will continue."
"Your title"
"It will continue."
"Your power."
"It goes to the people." There was a knock at the door, after which Ron appeared. He walked up to the King's desk, and bowed.
"It's fine Ron. Go on."
"Your guests have arrived. They are resting and washing up after their flight."
"Take them on a tour of the castle. Give them lunch, and tell them I'll join them for dinner. I'm finishing up work before the government change. And Ron, let them know we will do some royal partying tonight!" Ron smiled and left. The King continued. "Mr. Berger, this decision is made. It's done with. Elections will be held, and the change will happen. We are closing our business of government!"
The old man walked out weary. His gut-feeling had told him for the King not to lose power. He staggered to a wall, and then seemingly disappeared. There was another man waiting for him on the other side, shorter, wearing a turban. His dark eyes gleamed as he spoke in a low and heavy voice.
"So Mr. Berger, do I have your cooperation?" The official nodded back solemnly. "Do not worry. Your Kingdom and its precious resources will stay safe in our hands. And you will be well paid." He chuckled, turned, and walked down a very narrow spiral staircase. Seemingly more like a tunnel.