I love the hairdo, too. Where'd you get it? I didn't recognize the diva. Funny that she dresses "down" for fancy. Her everyday is nicer. And yeah, she and Mr. Big like each other. They've got three sparks, I think.
I'm at work. I'll have to go look up the hairdos at home. I just checked in again to see if using the brightness knob on this computer would get the pictures brighter. Doesn't seem to. On my monitor at home the pictures are so much lighter and easier to see. Maybe it's the bright office lights, those blinding flourescent tubes. Oh, BTW, I found out where I got Joe's wedding suit. LOL, it's from MTS2 by a creator named Waliter and it's the Radu suit for his vampire family.
Quick note for 123 and SBW: While playing with my game tonight I checked on Viola's hair. It's from RoseSims2, hair, page 7. A couple of other styles I downloaded didn't work for me in my game (closeup pictures show gaps in the head) but this style looks good. It's the same site where I get the swords. (Lynet, I edited to add the URL. Hope you don't mind. SBW)
You might have. I think RoseSims2 puts stuff up at MTS2. Meanwhile... It was a long, long time later when I heard Viola’s tale of the platinum urn. I have asked myself why, many times, since the mirrors are time machines, but even though Joe had gained better control over them than his father there are still bugs. I suspect that his uncle, Duke Hagen, had something to do with it. Anyway, Joe had warned me, suggesting we move in and live with him and Ania. I wish we had. But Kate and I were both anxious to see home again, ‘though not right away. We stayed at Vassily after the wedding and our lives were busy and routine, helping with the rebuilding and with the recovering wounded. My own leg was almost as good as new since Alka had done a real fine job with the repairs, and I later heard from Joe that she had studied medicine for years. She certainly didn’t hesitate to roll up her sleeves and take charge in the castle clinic. Joe had meetings all day, every day, organizing his kingdom. I was invited but I never went because meetings make me snore. I heard about them later, over dinner. His first act was to set up his council of advisors. He’d been away for too many years, after all, and needed a huge amount of mundane information about the country. With the council in place, he and his advisors wrote up lists of people and land and sorted out who owned what. This took awhile. Riders were coming and going with villager counts for days. Then he handed out grants of land. Etienne -- oh, excuse me, SIR Etienne -- and Yvette got the castle and land at Aghamore. You may or may not remember that place as the castle where Duke Hagen held me and Ania prisoner. A dreary pile. But Etienne walked around with a big smile on his face. Don’t ask me what Joe and Yvette saw in that slick bandit. I wasn’t impressed with him. I’d seen plenty of con men while doing time, and once a con man, always a con man. However, it wasn’t any of my business so I kept my mouth shut. SIR Etienne and Yvette went off to plant apple orchards and milk cows. They looked real excited about being farmers. Go figure. Eventually, Kate and I decided it was time to go. We told the family and packed a few souvenirs, planning to leave that evening. Then Kate went back to work in the clinic and I went out to my usual haunt, the horse barn. I’d gotten friendly with a couple of the animals. They liked the apples I brought for them. And they liked having me rake out their stalls, too. That’s smelly work but better than the smell in the clinic. And it was a good way to work up an honest sweat. Joe came looking for me there. He said, “I’ve got something I want to show you, Errol. Go get cleaned up. We’re going into Royden.” An afternoon spent with my son-in-law would be a good opportunity to talk about something that mattered to me, as in Ania’s happiness. So I said goodbye to my horse friends.
We took a carriage into town, with a chauffeur. It was a nice carriage, with springs on every wheel. Thats like shock absorbers on cars, folks. Believe me, you notice stuff like that if you ride around in horse buggies very much. I didnt start in on the subject of Ania right away. I just enjoyed the cool breeze in my face and the sight of green leaves on the trees we passed. The country is looking better, I said. We have had some rain recently. I think the drought is ending. Meetings going OK? You should come to them, Errol. My advisors can be long on words and often get away from the point of the discussion. You, on the other hand, are quite direct. I value that and I will miss having you and Kate here with us. Im going to miss Ania, Joe, and while were on the subject and because you value my directness, as you call it, Ill be blunt. I worry about Anias happiness as your wife. I worry about it a lot. Kate doesnt want me saying anything but Im going to say it anyhow because I think it needs to be said. You have a temper, Joe. Ive seen it. It probably saved your life during this war but the wars over. Your enemies are dead. Be strong for your people, give orders, and walk around with a big frown on your face, if you must. But not with Ania. Smile for her. Use words like please and thank you. Kiss her every night before you sleep. Treat her like the precious angel that she is. Joe nodded, Errol, my friend, I have already heard everything youve just said. Almost those exact words. From Ania, herself. Maybe I wont be missing you and Kate so much after all. Every time I talk to Ania Ill be talking to the two of you. Does she go to the meetings? Yes, and grows bolder with speaking her mind. The advisors are getting used to it. They listen. But enough of meetings. Look over there, Errol. At Royden. I did. Whoa, what is that?
Before and after the wedding a crew of workers had been busy cleaning up the site of the burned castle. Nothing of that sad mound remained. Now there was a park, planted with grass and trees. In the middle was a mausoleum, a monument built to house the remains of my friend and Joes father. It was built of the same brown stone quarried from the mountains that had once been used to build Harcourts castle, so it was not exactly a cheerful looking place. But there were picnic benches and swing sets nearby. And a pond with flowers floating in it and a kind of gazebo for sitting out of the sun. And something else that drew all eyes and took me completely by surprise. It was a huge statue of Ironsides standing guard over the mausoleum. I was speechless. My haunted robot had a monument built in his memory. Joe said, Sir Hector, our Ironsides, is buried underneath. Joe I started, then stopped. I was thinking, Why? Joe guessed what I didnt say. He saved my life, Errol. He saved my mothers life. And he helped save Anias life. And yours, too, I might add. Now he watches over Royden. I will always be grateful. To him. And to you. He shook my hand. Now lets go pay our respects to King Iven. Inside the mausoleum it was dark. Only a little sunlight got through the high windows, and candlelight doesnt do much for brown stone. Joe bowed his head for a few minutes. It was quiet here, but outside I heard people on the swings. Joe looked up at last and said, I want a hotdog. How about you? Sounds good. My stomach growled in agreement. We sat at a picnic table eating hotdogs and talking about the rebuilding. Joe was excited and eager about it all. For a little while, in spite of his fancy clothes, I saw only an ordinary young man who once worked for me. He smiled a lot. For lack of a napkin he used his royal sleeve to wipe the ketchup from his chin. In the end, maybe because of that afternoon over hotdogs in the park, I felt a lot more at ease about leaving my daughter here.
The sun set on us. And Kate showed up. She said, We have to go, Lover. Joe, are the mirrors nearby? Isnt it time? I jumped to my feet, Kate, Im sorry. I lost track of the time. Howd you get here? One of the guys who works around the castle. He took the cart back. I think we need to hurry. She seemed awfully anxious, like there was a real deadline. In my mind, one day more or less wouldnt make a difference. Joe said, Theyre in a vault under the mausoleum. Yes, its time. He took us back to the mausoleum and to a small door I hadnt noticed before. With a huge and intricate iron key he unlocked the door. We walked down narrow steps to a bright white room full of columns. Beautiful, said Kate. It was definitely a lot brighter and more cheerful than the kings monument on the floor above us. I enlarged it, Joe said. And had to add the columns to support the weight of the building above us. Theres a lot of stone up there. I swallowed uneasily. These are things Id rather not hear about. Joe said, Ill come get you two when your first grandchild is born. Ania wants you here, then. Is that OK with you? Kate hugged him, looking a little misty in the eye. She sniffed, Youd better. Ill be looking for you. We said some more goodbyes and take cares and all the usual. Then I kissed Kate for luck and we walked through the mirrors.
Ive always wished that Strangetown was closer to an ocean. Beaches. Sand. The sound of waves washing the shore. But no, Strangetown is far away from oceans and sandy shores. So I looked out over the blue expanse of water and said, Uh oh. Kate burst into tears. No, no. We have to get home, Errol. We have to get home. What this? I said, putting my arms around her. This wasnt like Kate at all. She was all emotional for no reason. The mirrors will come back tonight. Well try again. She cried harder. Kate! Whats wrong? Why are you so upset? Were together at least. Well always be together. I wont leave you again. Errol, she blubbered, and was about to say something else but we were interrupted by a loud shout from behind. Helloooooooooo, hello, hello, said the new voice. Visitors! Welcome! Im fixing some toast of my own homemade bread and Ill be glad to share it with you. My names Ola. Glad to meet you. The cottage is this way. Come along, dears. The strange old woman, dressed in army surplus topped off by a leather hat, took my arm and Kates and pulled us up the hill toward a tiny little house. She pushed us into rickety seats at a rickety table. She patted Kate on the shoulder. Feeling poorly, my dear? she said. Some toast will help settle that stomach. Funny how a little bun in the oven upsets the tummy, isnt it. What bun? I said, just making conversation. Yeah, I dont pick up on obvious clues. I took one bite of my toast. Kate wiped at her eyes and glanced shyly at me. Errol, my love, Im pregnant.
Holy Cow! My chair fell over with a crash and broke to pieces as I jumped to my feet. That was absolutely the last thing I expected to ever hear from my Kate again. I couldnt sit still and finish my toast. I paced around stupidly scratching my head and my chin, watching her eat her toast and the rest of mine as well. She was real hungry. Then she got up, took my hand and we went for a walk. We walked in silence for awhile. Finally, she said, Well stay here for now, Honey. I'm not as young as I was for the last two pregnancies, and I really need to rest alot for this baby. It looks peaceful. Ola can help me out when the time comes. We dont know anything about her. Except shes a good cook, if that bread tells us anything. OK. She likes visitors and she likes to cook. She could be an axe murderer. Kate smiled. I dont get that feeling about her. Ive met one, you know, an axe murderer. Theres something about the eyes. Olas OK, Honey. A little while ago you were pretty intent on getting home. Now its all OK? Be patient with me, Errol. The prospect of another baby has got me all unsettled. Im feeling a little nuts. She paused and hugged me. I love you so much. I know that as long as youre here well all be fine. Lets go and talk to Ola about sharing her cottage until the baby is born. And so we moved in with Ola on Olas island, where cool breezes blow and the fishing is good. And when the baby is born, Ill let you know all about it. But for now, its THE END.
This has been an all weekend project. My husband's new term of endearment for me is "mouse potato." And I don't know anything about the baby yet because I finally decided I had to exit the game about 1 in the morning. Or thereabouts. But I really will post a picture here as soon as I get a good one when the baby is born. I'm hoping it's a boy.
I'm still laughing. What a great story, right to the end. Brava. I forgot to mention how happy I was for Etienne that he got to marry Yvette. She'll be "high maintenance" I have no doubt, but I think they belong together. Can't wait for the next installment!!! And thank you for this story. I looked forward to it every day.
*Wipes tear from eye* Great story. Your characters are so detailed and well-thought out. I like Joe. Can you take a picture of him being kingly and walking around with a frown on his face?
Thanks so much, gang. It will be tempting to start up again but I really have to control myself for awhile. Etienne almost didn't make it. My original, if sketchy, plot outline had him killed in battle, but I drew a line through that. There'd been too much death and dying already. I wanted more happily-ever-afters. And regardless of what Errol thinks, I liked Etienne too much. I'll look for one.
Epilogue: The Easy Life On Ola's Isle 1) Resting in the shade of palm trees. 2) Errol and Kate pick fruit for lunch. 3) Errol picks grapes. 4) The risen moon. 5) Errol peers at constellations through Ola’s telescope. He doesn’t recognize any of them (constellaions, that is.)
1) Mopping up the rain water from a leaky roof. 2) Uh oh, its time! A little girl, Roana, is born July 17 at 9:25 am to Errol and Kate Waring. (It was 9:25 pm my time but it was obviously 12 hours earlier (morning) on Olas Isle. Kate was just starting to fix breakfast.) 3) Ola is thrilled to lend a hand. 4) Another peaceful afternoon. 5) Roana, the toddler. And I think the shape of her eyes is more like Kates although the rest of her is definitely Errol. And she has Kates red hair, like both Ania and Edith, the middle sister who hasnt been seen too much in this adventure. Shes OK, though. Still in college.
Awwww ... congratulations to Errol and Kate. Sorry it wasn't a boy like you'd hoped, but she's lovely. What a blissful life. Can I go too?
