Part 138, Chapter 2381
Chapter Two Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-One
21st June 1975
Krakow, Kingdom of Galicia-Ruthenia
The wedding ceremony had been a muddled affair taking place in front of the Cloth Hall in Krakow’s Main Square with everyone who wanted to be involved having a place in the proceedings, within reason. That was why it had been officiated no less than six representatives from the major religious denominations found within the Kingdom. They had painstakingly negotiated just who was going to say what and when over the prior months. Then the procession went out into the streets where it was mobbed by tens of thousands of people until the police cleared the streets enough to get it moving to the castle where the reception was going to be.
What astonished Kiki was just how much love these people had for her sister. Originally, she had been suggested to be Queen as a means of helping Galicia preserve its independence and perhaps to have a uniting figure as the various factions had turned to squabbling at the end of the Polish War. That was where Ria and Olli Bauer had entered the picture. They had read the draft constitution that had been proposed, seen the direction that things had been going and had gotten ahead of it. Mostly comprised of things that had worked in other places with a special emphasis on religious freedom and recognition of the different parts of the diverse population. How else were they going to prevent a small kingdom comprised of a number of different ethnicities and religions from killing each other? Most of all, that vast majority of the people wanted peace regardless of background and Ria had found that they were the ones most receptive to her ideas.
Sitting in the back of the lead car with the new Royal Consort, no one was quite sure what exactly to call Lars yet. Ria was waving to the crowd as they passed. Kiki could see her from the car behind as she held Louis with Nina peeking out the window at the people as Ben kept trying to get her to take the middle seat. In front of her, Marie Alexandra was in the front passenger seat, not wanting to ride with her family as she had gotten into an argument with her mother. Something about how Marie’s social phobias had gotten worse over the first year at University. Kat wanted her to get help, which Marie felt was unnecessary. As far as Marie was concerned, being too frightened to talk when approached by strangers had kept her out of trouble.
While that was an interesting take on the situation, Kiki disagreed, but knew that Kat’s confrontational approach usually had the exact opposite effect with her daughters. Last year, Kat had gotten into a shouting match with Tatiana over the family plans for the summer. Tat had gone backpacking with her friends in Spain while everyone else had gone to Montreal. They had hardly been on speaking terms for months afterwards according to Sophie, who delighted in talking with Kiki about the goings on in Kat’s house. Sophie had also mentioned that Angelica, the youngest girl in Kat’s household had been having a difficult time lately. Kiki figured that she should probably get to know Angelica before there was an issue that Kat would also be asking for help with.
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Riding in the lead car, a stretched Mercedes limousine, Louis Ferdinand looked at Marie Cecilia who was seated next to Lars as she waved to the crowd through the open rearmost window. Called Ria by everyone since she was a baby after her older sister shortened it from Marie. Today, wearing the wedding dress he could see how strongly she favored Kira. It was also nice that for once the oldest of his twin daughters from his first marriage had not bucked convention. Lars seemed like a solid man despite feeling obligated to help advance his father’s vision. Of course, Louis understood that as he had gotten to know Ria he had spent less time on Bornholm.
“I think that your mother would have liked this” Louis said to Ria who just shrugged.
“She would have made a comment about my hair” Ria said, “She couldn’t help herself.”
Charlotte said nothing. She had known that Louis was a widower at the time she had met him and that complications from the six stepchildren had been a part of the package. She occasionally heard about Kira in that context, and she had told Louis that that it was sort of hard to be jealous.
Antonia and Annette were a part of the wedding party this time and they were sitting next to their mother. Louis had been a bit shocked at the idea of them being two young women having just turned sixteen earlier that month. Kiki had also mentioned that Nina, Louis’ granddaughter was starting school in just a couple months. How exactly had that happened?
With that the procession entered the carpark outside Wawel Castle where the reception was going to take place. Below the castle there was a festival for those not invited to the reception in the park on the bank of the river. From the sound of it, the festival had already started. Getting out of the car following Lars and Ria, Louis saw that the other cars of the procession were pulling in so that they could drop off their passengers and park elsewhere in the city. Vicky, rushing ahead of her family, rushed up and was talking excitedly to Ria in the private language that the two of them had used since infancy. It seemed that time really had healed old wounds. Lars shuffled nervously as Franz, Crown Prince of Bavaria just stepped up and shook his hand. With that, Lars and Ria entered the castle, followed by the others in the wedding party.
21st June 1975
Krakow, Kingdom of Galicia-Ruthenia
The wedding ceremony had been a muddled affair taking place in front of the Cloth Hall in Krakow’s Main Square with everyone who wanted to be involved having a place in the proceedings, within reason. That was why it had been officiated no less than six representatives from the major religious denominations found within the Kingdom. They had painstakingly negotiated just who was going to say what and when over the prior months. Then the procession went out into the streets where it was mobbed by tens of thousands of people until the police cleared the streets enough to get it moving to the castle where the reception was going to be.
What astonished Kiki was just how much love these people had for her sister. Originally, she had been suggested to be Queen as a means of helping Galicia preserve its independence and perhaps to have a uniting figure as the various factions had turned to squabbling at the end of the Polish War. That was where Ria and Olli Bauer had entered the picture. They had read the draft constitution that had been proposed, seen the direction that things had been going and had gotten ahead of it. Mostly comprised of things that had worked in other places with a special emphasis on religious freedom and recognition of the different parts of the diverse population. How else were they going to prevent a small kingdom comprised of a number of different ethnicities and religions from killing each other? Most of all, that vast majority of the people wanted peace regardless of background and Ria had found that they were the ones most receptive to her ideas.
Sitting in the back of the lead car with the new Royal Consort, no one was quite sure what exactly to call Lars yet. Ria was waving to the crowd as they passed. Kiki could see her from the car behind as she held Louis with Nina peeking out the window at the people as Ben kept trying to get her to take the middle seat. In front of her, Marie Alexandra was in the front passenger seat, not wanting to ride with her family as she had gotten into an argument with her mother. Something about how Marie’s social phobias had gotten worse over the first year at University. Kat wanted her to get help, which Marie felt was unnecessary. As far as Marie was concerned, being too frightened to talk when approached by strangers had kept her out of trouble.
While that was an interesting take on the situation, Kiki disagreed, but knew that Kat’s confrontational approach usually had the exact opposite effect with her daughters. Last year, Kat had gotten into a shouting match with Tatiana over the family plans for the summer. Tat had gone backpacking with her friends in Spain while everyone else had gone to Montreal. They had hardly been on speaking terms for months afterwards according to Sophie, who delighted in talking with Kiki about the goings on in Kat’s house. Sophie had also mentioned that Angelica, the youngest girl in Kat’s household had been having a difficult time lately. Kiki figured that she should probably get to know Angelica before there was an issue that Kat would also be asking for help with.
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Riding in the lead car, a stretched Mercedes limousine, Louis Ferdinand looked at Marie Cecilia who was seated next to Lars as she waved to the crowd through the open rearmost window. Called Ria by everyone since she was a baby after her older sister shortened it from Marie. Today, wearing the wedding dress he could see how strongly she favored Kira. It was also nice that for once the oldest of his twin daughters from his first marriage had not bucked convention. Lars seemed like a solid man despite feeling obligated to help advance his father’s vision. Of course, Louis understood that as he had gotten to know Ria he had spent less time on Bornholm.
“I think that your mother would have liked this” Louis said to Ria who just shrugged.
“She would have made a comment about my hair” Ria said, “She couldn’t help herself.”
Charlotte said nothing. She had known that Louis was a widower at the time she had met him and that complications from the six stepchildren had been a part of the package. She occasionally heard about Kira in that context, and she had told Louis that that it was sort of hard to be jealous.
Antonia and Annette were a part of the wedding party this time and they were sitting next to their mother. Louis had been a bit shocked at the idea of them being two young women having just turned sixteen earlier that month. Kiki had also mentioned that Nina, Louis’ granddaughter was starting school in just a couple months. How exactly had that happened?
With that the procession entered the carpark outside Wawel Castle where the reception was going to take place. Below the castle there was a festival for those not invited to the reception in the park on the bank of the river. From the sound of it, the festival had already started. Getting out of the car following Lars and Ria, Louis saw that the other cars of the procession were pulling in so that they could drop off their passengers and park elsewhere in the city. Vicky, rushing ahead of her family, rushed up and was talking excitedly to Ria in the private language that the two of them had used since infancy. It seemed that time really had healed old wounds. Lars shuffled nervously as Franz, Crown Prince of Bavaria just stepped up and shook his hand. With that, Lars and Ria entered the castle, followed by the others in the wedding party.
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