BOOK II OF III: The Reign of the Sultan (48 page)

“That in itself was what really gave me the
confidence and the royal lineage to become who I am now…the Sultan
of the Sharia Empire.”

“Just like my father and mother,” Cheo
fervently signed, “you are truly a great and wise leader, my
brother! It’d be an honor and a privilege to serve alongside you,
Sultan Baltor Elysian the Fifteenth!

“I shall be your King yet you shall be my
Sultan—equals we shall be! Whenever you need me, I shall be at your
beck and call…and vice-versa. How about that?”

Still looking a little unconvinced, Baltor
asked, “Are you sure you don’t want your nation to remain
independent from mine?”

“Without hesitation, our two nations are now
one, my brother,” Cheo signed.

Baltor smiled, nodded his head, and extended
his right hand out—Cheo immediately grabbed it with his own hands …
and the men warmly shook hands!

Only seconds later, the exterior guards
unexpectedly opened the doors to the bedroom. Brishava, Calitta,
and Chelsea walked into the room.

Brishava was now wearing a pink and white
evening gown that shimmered with ruby quartz crystals sprinkled all
over, as well a tiny platinum crown filled with more ruby quartzes.
Her hair was wrapped up into a tight bun behind her head.

Her mouth—which was painted with shimmering
pink lipstick—literally dropped open as soon as her eyes gazed at
the two most-handsome men standing there!

As for Calitta, she wore a beautiful black
evening gown, filled with dazzling diamonds spread throughout, as
well her royal crown. Her blonde hair draped down halfway down her
back—and of course, she had a happy smile upon her soft and
beautiful face.

Chelsea looked just as stunning as the two
other ladies—she now wore an elegant green dress with a large
emerald carefully sewn into the front. As for her flaming red hair,
it was braided behind her back and interwoven with green ivy
plants.

Both Baltor and Cheo silently looked on in
utter amazement at the wondrous beauties that all three ladies
possessed!

Nearly a silence-filled minute later,
Brishava was the first to say, “You boys look amazing!”

Cheo was the next to say something, as he
signed, “Thanks—as do all you ladies! I can’t pick which woman my
eyes want to look at most… just kidding! I know you’re a married
woman and all, Sultaness Brishava.”

Although Baltor, Brishava, and Chelsea
laughed aloud at “Cheo’s joke,” Calitta looked totally confused as
she didn’t know the sign language—she asked, “What did he say?”

Still chuckling, Baltor answered, “King Cheo
said, ‘Thanks—as do all you ladies!’”

Calitta said, “Oh—please tell King Cheo that
I said ‘thank you.’”

“This king understands our language, but
cannot speak it.”

Nodding her head up and down, Calitta
answered with an understanding smile, “Ooooh… thank you, King
Cheo!”

With a smile, Cheo nodded his head up and
down one time.

After lightly clapping his hands together,
Baltor asked, “Sooo, is everybody to head for the victory
celebration?”

“Yes,” Brishava answered, “the carriage
awaits outside in the courtyard…and we ladies are all ready. How
about you men?”

“Yup, we are,” Baltor answered, “So let’s
go.”

As a group, they and their guards next made
their way for the courtyard, where two royal carriages awaited.

Additionally, a battalion-sized element of
cavalry troops escorted the group to “the packed” coliseum, where
the nobles, citizens, troops, the Valakanese, the
Chao-chu-sha-maen, and the Vispano Knights, were already engaged in
celebration—drinking and conversing heartily away!

As soon as the group of friends had arrived
at the royalty section, everyone became silenced as two trumpeters
blew out a two-toned tune. Ruksha, who had eagerly been waiting to
make the announcements, raised his arms out to the crowds.

Once silence reigned, he announced, “Ladies
and gentlemen, it is my honor and privilege to first introduce to
you King Cheo of Chao-chu-sha-maen.”

Two trumpeters began to blow out a melodious
tune.

Immediately everyone in the coliseum bowed,
until Cheo had gone to the furthest of four thrones and taken his
seat, where Brishava had earlier directed him to go. Once he had
sat and the tune had stopped, the crowds rose from their bow.

A few seconds later, Ruksha continued, “Now
it is now my honor and privilege to introduce Queen Calitta Dumont
of Thorium.”

Again, everyone bowed … and the same
trumpeters played another little tune. Calitta curtly took a seat
at the nearest of the thrones.

Once the tune had stopped, Ruksha next said,
“And now it is my honor and privilege to introduce the rulers of
the Sharia Empire—Sultan Baltor Elysian and his wife Sultaness
Brishava!”

Everyone in the coliseum bowed deep and low …
the trumpeters blew out the national anthem. The Sultan and
Sultaness made their way for their thrones, and once there, sat
down.

As soon as the anthem was over, nearly three
minutes later, everyone rose from the bowing position.

Two servants next came out from the side
area. One servant held in both hands a golden tray that had four
golden goblets and a large bottle of wine sitting on it.

Once the other servant had tested the wine
with a glass he had brought with him, and a full thirty seconds had
passed without sickness or death, the golden goblets were next
filled with the wine, and passed to the four royals.

Baltor rose to his feet. He lifted his goblet
into the air, and declared, “The one and only toast that I would
like to make goes to one of my best friends in the world, a man who
valiantly sacrificed his life for the whole world! Without his
leadership abilities, we would not have been glorious, and in fact,
we might not even be alive. Here is to Ruling-General Humonus!”

“To Ruling-General Humonus,” everyone
declared emphatically back.

In unison, everyone took a swig of his or her
beverage.

Baltor took his seat.

Brishava stood up, and raised her goblet high
into the air. She declared, “My toast goes out to all those who
valiantly sacrificed his or her life during this war, so that our
world’s future sees only peace and prosperity. Cheers!”

She took a drink of her goblet, and everyone
followed suit—Brishava then took her seat.

Cheo stood up, and raised his goblet high
into the air. After setting it down upon the armrest of the throne,
he signed something for a couple of minutes.

Once he had retaken his goblet and raised it
back into the air, Brishava happily interpreted, “King Cheo says
that his toast goes out to the ruler of the Sharia Empire, Sultan
Baltor Elysian!

“The king said that he was one of the few
people to witness firsthand the destruction of the dragon by our
Sultan. And that it was absolutely amazing the way that he leapt
off his hawk in midair, landed on the dragon’s tail, climbed his
way to the top of the head, and stabbed both swords into its eyes,
which instantly killed the beast and caused the gnome army to
scatter like cowardly ants…”

After sucking in a really deep breath, she
added, “If the dragon hadn’t been annihilated so quickly, none of
us would be alive to make these toasts of celebration! King Cheo
concluded his toast by saying, ‘To Sultan Baltor Elysian!’”

Cheo took his goblet still held high in the
air, brought it to his mouth, and drank—once the goblet was
completely empty, he sat back down. A servant ran over to fill his
goblet.

“To Sultan Baltor Elysian,” everyone but
Baltor declared. They took a long drink of their beverage, as well
… draining their glasses completely before slamming them down on
their tables.

Baltor, after a short pause, nodded his head
humbly, but only took a tiny swig of his own drink.

Calitta next stood to her feet. She raised
her goblet high into the air, and said in Pavelian, “I would also
like to make a toast—to the continuing peace between the Sharia
Empire and the Kingdom of Thorium!”

After taking a deep breath, she added, “The
Kingdom of Thorium would also like to personally thank the Sharia
Empire, as well the Vispano Knights, as well the Valakanese, and
finally the people of Chao-chu-sha-maen, for all the valiant
sacrifices you guys made for the world. Thank you all very much.
Here, here!”

“Here, here!” Everyone said, just before
taking a long swig.

After Calitta had retaken her seat, Baltor
then rose to feet, and said, “Let us all enjoy our victory
celebration this evening!”

He next clapped his hands twice!

Immediately the musicians began to play the
music; the sheik dancers began to dance on the dance floor; the
servants began to serve the food and/or drinks; and the guests
began to make conversations, friendships and/or alliances.

Nearly an hour after the celebration had
started, the musicians and the exotic dancers took a fifteen-minute
break … evident by the music and the dancers stopping and
bowing.

The guests, who had been thoroughly enjoying
themselves watching “the dance of dances,” instantly began to
robustly applaud and cheer in appreciation!

Once the applause had abated and the people
began to converse with each other, nearly a minute later, Chelsea
got out of her seat at the main table and began to approach the
thrones.

Upon arriving, twenty-or-so seconds later,
she immediately bowed. After rising five seconds later, she smiled,
and said, “I would like to thank you, my Sultan and Sultaness, for
the ceremony and the toast you made for my husband, Humonus! I know
that he’s smiling down upon us from one of the heavens above… I can
feel it.”

Returning the smile, Baltor said, “I have no
doubt that he is smiling from heaven, Chelsea!”

Brishava added with a wink of her right eye,
“You are most welcome, Ambassador Chelsea. Yes, yes he is.”

A few seconds later, Calitta looked over at
Baltor, cleared her throat that drew everyone in the group’s
attention, and then she said, “Sultan Baltor, I must be heading
home tomorrow, as I have a whole kingdom to run. Would it be
possible for you to teleport me back tomorrow night?”

“Of course,” Baltor said with a smile and a
nod to his head.

Calitta next looked over at Chelsea, whom she
saw was currently looking and smiling at Cheo. After she lightly
cleared her throat in order to acquire her attention, which worked,
Calitta asked, “Ambassador Chelsea, are you coming back with me to
Politesse?”

Chelsea answered, “Actually, my Queen and
Friend, I’ve decided to stay here in Pavelus; that is, until I’ve
had my baby. As soon as the baby is ready for travel, I promise you
that I will come back and visit.”

“Completely understandable,” Calitta
responded with a nonchalant wave to her hand, though there was a
slightly wistful look to her face because she had grown very fond
of Chelsea’s company.

In order to keep her emotions, tears, and
makeup “in check,” Calitta’s head turned to look away from her
friend. She quickly scanned from left to right in the massive
coliseum, observing and noting all the clusters of guests, whose
numbers totaled more than three hundred thousand people!

She was about to look to her far left, but
suddenly her eyes spotted a ten-foot, blond-haired, and really
gorgeous man weaving his way through the crowds toward the thrones.
Her gaze was locked on him now.

Every few seconds or so, Calitta saw this
giant occasionally raise his left hand above the head level of the
crowds, which hand possessed a giant-sized mug that was lifted up
to his mouth, and tilted back.

Though Calitta’s eyes remained locked onto
this giant, of whom she found herself getting strangely attracted
to, her ears heard Chelsea ask, “Is that okay with you, Queen
Calitta?”

After casting her gaze back at Chelsea,
Calitta delivered a very warm smile. She then answered loudly so
everyone nearby could hear what she had to say, “Your plan sounds
splendidly perfect! And just you know, the Kingdom of Thorium
certainly appreciates all the valuable assistance you’ve already
provided, Ambassador Chelsea…

“In fact, we are not only very appreciative,
yet indebted to the Sharia Empire for the destruction of the
millions of dark gnomes and their dragon leader—you, Sultan Baltor
Elysian, truly are a hero amongst heroes!”

After delivering a nonchalant wave with his
hand, which drew everyone in the group’s attention instantly to
him, Baltor said, “No, the Kingdom of Thorium is not indebted to
us—Queen Calitta. As for being called ‘a hero amongst heroes,’
thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for the compliment,
but I was just honestly doing my duty for order and justice for
all! That’s all.”

Calitta sighed aloud, “You are so humble,
Sultan Baltor, and yet at the very same time, so very powerful! I
wish we had more men like you on this planet.”

Unconsciously, her eyes gazed back to her
right. Now she saw that the giant had finally broken through the
last of the crowd. It was only then and there that she saw that his
right hand was holding the hand of a blonde-haired girl that was
only a little over half his size … perhaps his daughter, Calitta’s
mind semi-hoped?

As she took a closer gaze at this extremely
beautiful girl wearing a semi-revealing, black-and-silver-striped
evening dress, Calitta realized that this girl was a full-grown
woman—obvious by her athletic bust and body that poked out in all
the right areas.

And evident by the way this woman hovered
herself upon this giant, nearly thirty seconds later, especially as
soon as the pair had stopped in their tracks just before the
thrones, Calitta came to disappointingly realize that this woman
was at least this giant’s girlfriend ... or wife.