by Alex Tryst

Feedback: Drop me a line if you’d like at alextryst@e-scribblers.com.

Copyright © June, 2009 by Alex Tryst. All Rights Reserved.

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As spring ascended upon the city, Layla and Anastasia continued to do their best to juggle their hectic schedules. Layla was trying to finish her last semester of college while helping plan her wedding and attending official functions with Anastasia whenever possible. It was a frantic existence, but both of them knew it would be short-lived and well worth it when they had their wedding in early June. However, at the present they survived the best they could.

Since Anastasia had been back from the war, she had campaigned for her fellow veterans wherever possible. Having to live with a debilitating injury herself gave her a unique perspective of the military personnel who committed their lives to service. As a war veteran, she physically struggled to regain the full use of her leg while always remembering those whose fates were even worse than her own.

Shortly after the luncheon to celebrate her return and honor those injured, she easily convinced her mother that more should be done for those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for their country during the war. She wanted the families of those fallen soldiers to be taken care of and their loved ones honored, so she worked with Congress to find a suitable place for a memorial to the war. Once the place was found, she and her Office of Affairs coordinated efforts with the military for a groundbreaking ceremony to which she wanted all family members and friends of the personnel who had been involved in the frontlines of the war to be invited.

On that spring morning, Anastasia and Layla were up early, heading to the palace to prepare for the ceremony. The princess felt the entire royal family should be in attendance for the day’s event given its significance, so Lauren, the princesses, and Layla dressed for the occasion in the latest spring fashion appropriate for such a state ceremony while Alexa and Anastasia went with their more traditional dress uniforms. When everyone was prepared, they were driven to the service, at a site close to the other war memorials in the heart of the city. A mass of people was already gathered when the group was formally introduced and escorted to their seats.

At the appointed time, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stood and made his way to the podium to begin the ceremony. While his countenance was serious, his voice was welcoming as he said, “Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, ladies, and gentleman, thank you all for being here for this occasion as we honor our friends and loved ones who served this beloved country during the time of war, the ones who were injured, and the ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. It is my humble privilege to stand before you as a representative of our armed forces and welcome each of you to this sacred place. The ground upon which we all gather will be dedicated today to honor your loved ones and their service to our great land, and while I know this memorial will never replace those who gave their lives and others who gave of themselves in the fight, I hope this site will be a place that we will all be able to remember and reflect on their sacrifices. Thank you for your attendance here today. Now it is a great honor to introduce to you the Princess’s Consort, Layla Stone, and ask you to stand for our national anthem.”

The crowd clapped loudly as Layla and Anastasia glanced at each other as they took to their feet. “You will be fine. You have the voice of an angel,” Anastasia whispered, squeezing her by the hand.

Layla nodded. When Anastasia had first approached her about singing at the ceremony, she was flattered that her fiancée thought that much of her voice but had been hesitant to accept the offer. However Alexa had been adamant that singing would be the best way for the future princess to participate in the day’s events, so she agreed to sing the national anthem. But as she started for the podium and looked out over the crowd, her stomach began to flutter even more than it had just sitting there. She still was not used to being the center of the nation’s attention. Standing there alone on the stage, knowing that thousands of people stood before her and thousands more watched on TV, her hands trembled a bit as she took the microphone. Not a sound could be heard as she took a deep breath to calm herself. Knowing the only way she could successfully sing was to find her focus, she met the eyes of her fiancée standing in the front row raptly waiting and thought about the words to the country’s most beloved song. The words were incredibly poignant in such a moment. Taking another deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment, she began to sing acapella.

“O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

As she held the last note a little longer than normal, she looked out over the sea of people in front of her. People stood with their right hands over their hearts, and the military personnel stood at attention saluting their flag, but it was the two women in the front row that made an iconic image of the war.

The queen and princess stood shoulder to shoulder, each holding perfect salutes. Their gaze upon the flag of fifty stars upon a blue field with thirteen red and white stripes conveyed their total devotion to the country they felt they served, while Anastasia leaned heavily on her crutch with her left hand to hold herself completely upright. Layla knew the sight of her future wife and mother-in-law in that moment would be forever etched in her memory.

When she finished the song, the multitude began to cheer loudly at her rendition. She smiled and waved modestly as she put the microphone back in its place before heading back to her seat. Anastasia greeted her with a huge smile. Taking her by the hand, she kissed the back of it as they sat.

“You were brilliant,” the princess complemented. “You do the song great justice.”

“Thank you, Stasia. That means a lot coming from you.”

Next the general in charge of combat operations took to the podium as people once again sat. He looked out over the crowd for a moment before beginning. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming today. As a senior member of our military, I extend my deepest gratitude to you and your families for your own personal sacrifices to our great country. Patriots who volunteer themselves to the greater cause of defending our citizens have always supported our military, and each and every one who gives so freely humbles me. We are always conscious of this fact, which makes every individual sacrifice different and deeply moving. We shall always remember your family and friends who fought together in the name of freedom.” He paused while the gathering clapped. “Now it is my privilege to introduce to you one such soldier. May I present Her Royal Highness Princess Anastasia.”

The multitude took to their feet as they clapped for the princess who stood from her seat and slowly limped to the podium using her cane. Upon reaching it, she grasped the edge with both hands to steady herself as she looked out over the attendees. It took a few moments for them to settle again, but once everyone had taken their seats, she looked at the teleprompter to start her speech.

Without any preface she solemnly began, “Lisa Alvarado was a mother to four young children all under the age of ten. Andrew Austin was a recent high school graduate who had also just graduated from boot camp. Courtney Boyd enjoyed nature photography. Charles Brown was a sailing enthusiast. Katherine Caldwell was the youngest of ten children. Wang Chao was the first in his family to get an American education. Alistar Charleston wanted to study physics in college. Mark Clearwater was a passionate environmentalist. McKenzie Coleman had become a father for the first time just before he deployed. Maria Cruz was an aspiring journalist. Gordon Darling had recently become a naturalized citizen. Christine Diaz was a former Miss San Jose. Chad Fitzsimmons was an only child and a single parent. Ronald Foster played football for Nebraska. Jonathan Goldberg wanted to be a rabbi. Colin Hafner was a part-time flight instructor. Sean Hannington was a husband and father of five. Dennis Harvey loved reading mystery novels. Thomas Hodges wanted to be a professional golfer since he was a child. Alton Jacobs spent every Saturday mentoring children. Richard Jindal was a trumpet player from New Orleans. Su Kang was just a young man trying to find some direction in his life after graduating high school. Aisha Kaufman hailed from the projects in the Bronx and wanted a better life for her family. Darius Lee dreamed of playing professional basketball. Stephanie Mann loved to write poetry. Edwin Marks had been a lifeguard in high school and saved a child from drowning at the local pool. James Martinez had been a landman in the oil industry in West Texas prior to joining the Navy. Jason Matthews once won a pie eating contest at a county fair in Indiana. Stephen Murphy came from a family of strong Irish tradition. Mohammad Noor wanted to be a doctor someday. Seamus O’Hara always dreamed of visiting the land of his ancestors. Lauren Perris was a self-proclaimed shopaholic. Louis Petteau came from a line of French diplomats who helped our country in the Revolutionary War. Jessica Pinkerton loved old black and white films. Ralph Richardson collected model trains. Jakob Rosenblum liked to fish but always released what he caught. Gideon Saft loved astronomy. Paul Samson had ambitions of becoming a screenwriter. Iliana Schreiber loved spending time with her dog. Norman Schwartz wanted to be an economics professor. Sam Shao loved restoring old cars. Brendon Simmons once traveled to the Amazon Jungle and spent time with its indigenous people. Allison Smith used to hold fashions shows at her house when she was a child, because she wanted to be a fashion designer. Kristy Sorrentino always awoke early to catch the best surfing waves. Martin Thomas wanted to invent something that everyone needed. William Tully had decided at a young age that politics was in his future. Angela Turner wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. Clarissa Vaught had an existential view of life. Michael Webber was a career military man. Laura Winters thought veterinary medicine might be her calling. Peter Zarin loved music.”

She stopped speaking. The silence continued across the crowd as she looked out over them. In the front row, her fiancée was actively wiping her eyes. “Ladies and gentlemen, these are just a few details you have shared with me about your loved ones. These were our citizens who deployed and never had a chance to see the shores of our blessed country again. They were mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives, friends, and everyone one of them was someone’s child. They were all taken from us much too soon, but each of their stories deserves to be told and heard in full, and by continuing to share the essence of who they were, we keep their spirits alive.”

The audience clapped for a moment, interrupting her temporarily. When she continued, she said, “While I have become a representation of our country’s injured veterans, there were many others who came home but with physical scars from their mission. Jennifer Appler, Nathaniel Avallone, Robert Bersey, Amanda Carruthers, Chai Chen, Alesha Cleveland, Rachel Cooper, Erika Cortez, Jeffrey David, Anderson DeArman, Brenda Faranda, Melvin Firestone, Julie Fisher, Ashley Flynn, Meghan Franzetti, Earl Fuller, Patrick Greene, Daniel Hannity, Henry Hatcher, Christian Juettner, Alexander Keller, Sonja Ladis, Han Ling, Summer Mathis, Xavier Menchero, David Mitchell, Cynthia Moulding, Amy Nixon, Travis Oakley, Keith O’Reilly, Adam Peters, Nicholas Pierce, Jasper Reynolds, Kevin Roberts, Aemillo Ruiz, John Schultz, Sally Snyder, and Janet Vaughan.”

The multitude applauded the names of the veterans before she continued, “These ninety people along with the countless other members of our military have been our guardians of peace. They believed so much in the promises of our land that they were willing to take that message half way across the world. However, no one could have ever predicted what would happen that fateful day. Every story from all our sailors is uniquely their own and a part of our country’s collective history. My personal story involves seeing men and women at their most courageous. Their bravery and selflessness amidst chaos helped restore peace to a troubled region of our world, but it did not come without a price. My fellow Americans, today I stand before you with a sea of emotions whirling within me. I am pleased that we will break ground today on a memorial to all who served in the war, those who were injured, and those who fell in battle. And yet I grieve for my comrades who were never able to see our beautiful country again and sympathize with those who returned changed by their time away. The cost of war is always much higher than could ever truly be calculated, which is why America had always tried to lead the world down a different path. However, there are times when confrontation becomes inevitable. For those involved, it changes them in a profound way. I have suffered a permanent debilitating injury to my left leg, which has been a catalyst for understanding the true needs of our veterans. You and your loved ones committed your lives to the service of the country, and the country in turn needs to take care of you. I stand before you today more deeply devoted than ever to seeing that we follow through on that commitment.”

There was more applause. Looking down at her family, she said, “With that thought in mind, I would like to present to you our Commander-in-Chief, Her Majesty Queen Alexa, who will speak further about our dedication to our military families.”

The people clapped and stood as the queen made her way onto the stage. Anastasia saluted her mother, and Alexa returned it with one of her own before they embrace briefly. Alexa then watched as her daughter carefully limped off the stage before stepping fully behind the podium to address the audience.

“My fellow Americans, thank you all for coming today. As Anastasia briefly mentioned, I too am filled with mixed emotions regarding this day, and I come before you as more than the Commander-in-Chief and queen of this country we hold so dearly. I stand here as a mother of a child who was wounded in war. For generations the Washington family has been the steward of this great land, and the responsibilities of such a duty can be extensive. However, we have always fully embraced our obligation to serve and protect the people of this country. Every generation one of our own has volunteered for military service as to have a greater sense of appreciation for those of our citizens who make this voluntary life choice, and I have always been amazed at the dedication of those of you who enlist and your families who support you. Military life is not the easiest path you could have taken, but many of you still make the decision, because you believe so deeply in what our country represents, and I as your Commander-in-Chief could never express with adequacy how much each of you means to our military family.”

The gathering clapped as she paused for a moment. “That is what I truly consider our collection of armed services. We are more than just a several branches of service that collectively make the strongest military in the world. To me, I feel as if I am the matriarch of the largest family in the world, and as such I feel compelled to always protect and care for you in the good and bad times. For several generations we have been able to avoid war, but last year we were forced into a position where we had to defend ourselves and ultimately remove a rogue regime from power lest they continued to wreak havoc on our allies. The decision for that action was mine and so are the successes and failures that go along with it. I feel the injury to and loss of every life whether military or civilian acutely as the Commander-in-Chief, but I especially feel it as a mother of one of the injured. Seeing Anastasia is a constant reminder that as a head of our military family I must continue to strive to do more for each person, but I know everyone’s needs are different. When the injured arrived home from the war, I announced an effort to assist them with returning to normalcy within their communities, and while I understand that nothing could ever replace your loved ones, we have started the same process for families of the fallen. We want to assist you in your time of need in the ways that are most meaningful to each of you, and I promise to you that we will continually assess your personal situations in the years to come.”

The audience once again applauded. “On this special day we break ground on a memorial to all of those on the front lines of this war. The men and women who fought bravely for our country deserve this recognition for their dedication. Moreover, the names of those who were injured and those who made the ultimate sacrifice will be inscribed here for the world to know whom they are for generations to come. Anastasia has already given us a few personal details about each of these citizens, but there is so much more that could be told. The collective potential of these people we have lost was limitless, and that grieves us all. However, their spirit does live on, and I hope it continues to do so through this memorial.”

She paused again to allow for the gathering’s response of loud clapping. “To the families that have lost a loved one in this battle, I extend to you my sincerest condolences. Each of your family members gave themselves in their entirety, and I would like to honor that by posthumously bestowing the Purple Heart on each one of them later today at the reception at the palace for families of the fallen. Thank you all for coming today. Please enjoy the rest of our ceremony as we celebrate the lives of your family members and break ground on this memorial in their honor.”

When the queen had finished speaking, the mass of attendees stood and applauded her, as she moved to the site of where the ceremonial ground breaking was to take place. After a brief pause for photographs, she symbolically used the shovel to break ground where construction would begin, to the cheering of the crowd, before returning to her seat for the rest of the service, which was filled with patriotic music.

Continued in Chapter 15

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