Atlantis 2: A Queen to Be

Chapter 9

The next morning in the Banderman home Anna was up before the sun & busy bodied like fairies during spring time. Dusting, cleaning floors, washing windows, & doing dishes. You'd have thought she was nesting except she had just gave birth to triplets.
Maximus came stumbling out of his room in to the kitchen where his mother was sorting through some formal clothing that appeared to be from possibly his great grandfather's era. "Mom, what are those for?" He asked cautiously. "Their for the family to be dressed proper when the royals arrive. What time was it that they are..." She was saying. "Yeah. About that. Well you see there's been a little bit of a change in plans." Maximus said interrupting her question. "Oh. Will they be later that expected." She asked. "Well not exactly. You see their not coming." He said quickly. "NOT COMING? Max tell me what have you done. I'm sure you can apologize. She didn't call off your engagement...." She was talking herself in to a frenzy of worry. "Mom, mom, easy, calm yourself. There's been no calling off of anything. Only a minor change in plans to accommodate the needs of my beloved. Her lady was injured & she doesn't want to leave her at the castle unattended so there fore we've been invited to go to the castle instead to spend the day." Maximus said reassuringly. "We been invited to spend the day at the castle? Well I just can't Maximus. I couldn't possibly leave the babies here that long. They are to little." Anna replied. "No. You don't have to. When I said we I meant all of us. Including the little ones & the babies. Our whole lot of us." Max said confirmingly. "The whole of us all?" She asked. "Uh- huh." He responded. Does she know how many of us there actually are?" She sounded perplexed. "Yes. She is going to have extra staff on duty to cover our presence." He assured her.

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"Oh Maximus I'm not dressed for such an event. I've had no time to make dresses for the girls & your brothers haven't a proper suit for going into a castle." Anna said frazzled. "Well maybe I could help out with that." Came a voice that sent Anna spinning around to meet. "Momma?" Anna said astonished. "Hello my darling." Alonna said smiling. Anna then got a very cautious & suspicious look on her face. She took an easy slow step to her left to put herself between her mother and Maximus. "Momma, Why are you here?" She said slowly. The look in her eyes were of both suspicion & anger. "Well after bumping into that wondering idiot of a father of yours I just couldn't stay away. I mean after all I am your mother & I have a duty to provide you any help with the, the younger members of our apparently gotten quite large family. Especially young Maximus here. A king to be I here. Though you never bothered to inform me of the fact that my only child had become a mother. You've done well." Alonna said. "Well I see your still full of wind." Anna said sharply. "Annastashia, don't you think it past time for being angry with me?" Alonna asked in a condescending manner. "You abandoned me for years & when you finally did return you tried to kill my husband. You caused him to lose an arm & a leg with your temper & I'm supposed to just get over it mother? And my name is ANNA." By the time she had finished she was shaking mad & yelling.
Anna's yelling woke up the babies. All three were crying fearfully from the bedroom. Janta woke up startled as well. He came hobbling from the bedroom sword in hand to see what all the commotion was about. He stopped cold in his path when he saw the face of Alonna Shipperman standing in his kitchen bantering back & forth with her Anna and Maximus.

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Anna looked at her mother very sternly upon hearing the cries of her little ones. "Now look what you caused." She barked out angrily as she stormed past he mother and headed towards her room.
"Well that was um..I mean...Just...." Maximus was trying desperately trying to find something that he could say to his grandmother but only managed to tongue tie himself. "Stand up straight boy. How ever do you expect to rule a kingdom when you don't even respect your audience?" Alonna snapped in her most education instructors voice. "Let me look at you. See what I have to work on with." Alanna's words sounded more like she was obligated rather than wanting to help & Maximus was not in any mood to deal with a fawning person so he centered his gaze and took a step toward her and said; "I have my own clothes and I don't need any help dressing myself. If it's a journey for forgiveness your on your road lays in there with my mother and father. Mother would never admit that she needs help sometimes and if asked if she wants help she just smiles & says she has everything under control but there are times when I can see the weight of the day is wearing her down. Today could easily turn into one of those days as today promises to be stressful for her. She gets herself entirely to worked up over these things." A look of deep understanding came across Alonna's face as she listened to Maximus speak. "You remind me of a man I knew many years ago. Always taking the weight of the world upon his shoulders & never asking for anything to make his own path easier. It's a hard road to travel and it has little reward in it." She said with a loving tone. "You sound as if you cared for this man." He responded. Alonna got an amused look and a slight smile crossed her lips. "I did enough to marry the man. Still yet today he is the love of my life.
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When he is not making me want to kill him that is." She said with a giggle. "She lies boy. I'd never make a woman who looks like this wanna kill me." Jerl said as he suddenly appeared from the shadows wrapping an arm around Alonna's waist from behind an kissed her neck in a rugged manner. "Jerl Shipperman. Is that any way to treat a lady in front of our grandchild?" Alonna said exasperated." Jerl rubbed his chin as though he were thinking of a response. "Well I'm not real sure on that one. I guess if there were a lady present I'd have to consider the subject." He said with a big grin that quickly turned to fear as he noticed the look on Alonna's face & took off running out the door. "I'm gonna kill him." Alonna growled as she took off out the door yelling other obscenities to which Maximus just shook his head & proceeded to go to his room to get dressed.
A large carriage from the palace pulled up to the Banderman home. The driver & a footman stepped down. The driver carried with him a scroll that had the royal seal of the princess on it. "We have come on behalf of her royal Majesty Princess Diablo Talantis to bring the entire house of Banderman to Castle Talantis for viewing by the royal family once Mrs Banderman has agreed to the Princess's terms set in this document." He said in an official voice. "Terms? What terms?" Anna asked confused. "I'm not sure actually. I was given orders to place this in your hand & wait." The driver responded. Anna opened the scroll and began reading:
Mother Banderman,
Maximus has told me so much about you & I can't wait to meet you all. Maximus also tells me that you worry to much about what to wear. I want you to come just as you are. I've arranged for my dress maker & father's tailor to be awaiting your arrival to have you dressed in the best court cloths imaginable. So please load everyone up in my father's carriage & I'll see you soon
Anticipatingly waiting,
Princess Diablo.

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"Well I suppose that settles that." Anna said with a sigh. "Max, Mother, Father, Janta! We will not be putting on our best dresses as I had planned." Anna announced excitedly. "What are you shouting about child?" Jerl said as he approached. "Look!" She said handing him the scroll. "We are to come as we are and be fitted and dressed by the royal dressing people." She said excitedly. "You mean you and the youngens are. I plan to wear what they are used to seeing me wear. No fancy frillies for me thanks all the same." Jerl said firmly. "Same goes for me darling. I need no frilly garb on me." Janta added. "Fine then. Hurry and get dressed." Anna said with a snap in her voice. Janta and Jerl looked at each other wondering if they had made the wrong choice for clothing by Anna's tone then shrugged their shoulders and went back inside to get dressed. Anna fallowed them inside to find Maximus and her mother.
"I told you I have my own clothing style and I need no help dressing Grandmother." Maximus said as Anna entered the room. Alonna suddenly had a look of surprise mixed with a light touch of fear come over her face. She had never been called Grandmother before and hearing the sound of it referring to her for the first time was something oddly unexpected. "Something wrong mother?" Anna asked noticing the look. "Well umm. I just... Actually no decidedly. Grandmother will do just fine." Alonna responded leaving Anna and Maximus confused. "Ok." Anna said confused. She then looked at Maximus and said "Son, The princess has sent her father's transport to carry us all to the palace with orders to come as we are because she is having us all fitted and dressed by the palace clothing makers. I mean can you just picture it..." "Mom! Calm down." Maximus interrupted. "Oh. Forgive me son. I suppose I did get a little carried away there." Anna said embarrassed.

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"It's alright. We should be going then." Maximus responded. "Yes. Would you be a dear and go round up the twins and please make sure your sister Nell doesn't have a toad or anything fowl in her pockets and that Lance leaves his rock sling here while mother and I prepare the babies for travel?" Anna asked. "Yeah I'll go hang her upside down and shake her til her pockets are empty." Maximus said smiling. Anna gave him a very stern look. Of course she knew he was teasing but she still gave him the look as a warning. He shook his head as he left the room still smiling.
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(End of chapter 9)