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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A month later Anastasia was cleared to return home to the palace from Iraq. Her mothers joined her in her journey on the plane, having been there the entire time their daughter was in the hospital. While the princess was confined to a wheelchair, she had already started working on rehabilitating her legs with a much physical therapy as she could handle, which pleased everyone greatly.

When they arrived on the tarmac of the air base that day, it was common for the press to be there to capture the queen’s excursions. However, what was a complete surprise to the princess were the thousands of people that came to watch her homecoming. As soon as the door to the jet opened and princess and queens appeared at it, there was a roar of the crowd as they all chanted Anastasia’s name. While being sequestered away in Iraq, none of them had realized that the story of what had happened in the Persian Gulf would have spread rapidly courtesy of one man, Seaman David Mitchell, who was standing at attention at the bottom of the ramp with half a dozen other sailors.

“Welcome home,” Alexa said, smiling at her daughter as she helped her stand from her chair to wave at the crowd.

“It is good to be home.”

She took a seat again in her chair and allowed her mothers to push it down the ramp. All the sailors saluted the queen and princess, which they returned. However, one of them called out, “Welcome home, Lieutenant,”

Abruptly Anastasia halted her chair as she turned toward the voice. “I know you,” she said, trying to stand. He reached out to help her.

He nodded. “I’m Seaman David Mitchell. You saved my life. You saved all our lives,” he said gesturing to the other sailors in the formation. “And lots more. We’re just the ones that were injured that you pulled from the water.”

She shook her head. “No. That is not it. Your voice,” she said, thinking that she had dreamed how she had gotten off the deck of the USS Hancock and that it had been God’s voice telling her she would be fine. “It was you. You pulled me off the deck.” He gave a modest nod. “You saved my life, and you are the one that gave me this,” she said, pulling the cross necklace out from under her uniform.

“Yes. I gave you that.”

She smiled as she reached toward him. Pulling him close, she gave him a tight hug. “There never could be anyway to repay you. Thank so much for everything.”

He returned the hug. “It was my honor, your highness. You are incredibly brave, and I greatly admire your selflessness. I would follow you anywhere.”

“You will see Mr. Mitchell and all these sailors and others back at the palace,” Lauren told Anastasia. “We have a special lunch planned for all the injured personnel and their families this afternoon.”

Anastasia smiled at David and the other sailors around her. “Then I look forward to speaking with all of you at length at the lunch,” she said, taking a seat in her chair again.

With that her mothers continued to wheel her toward the crowd of onlookers. She smiled and waved at the people who had gathered there. Little did she know she had a special surprise waiting for her when she reached the car. Layla sat in the back of the limousine in the motorcade watching the festivities from the safety and anonymity of the car. She really wished she could have been by her girlfriend’s side just then, but she knew the royal family had their reasons for continuing to hide her that were for her benefit. Nevertheless, it had been a long month to endure without so much as a call from the princess.

Finally she saw the three women come toward the car and the door open. The queens got in first and smiled at her as they took seats across from her, so their daughter could have the seat closest to the door. However, when Anastasia was assisted into the car and saw her girlfriend, the smile she managed to present for the public grew larger as she threw her arms around Layla.

“Oh, Layla. You are a sight to behold. I have missed you so much,” she said as she leaned in for a kiss. The blonde obliged her in a soft peck on the lips, but when the princess went back for something deeper, Layla staved off the advance. “What is it? What is wrong?” she softly inquired, caressing her cheek. Layla gestured to where the queens were sitting, looking amused. “Oh, right,” the princess mumbled. “What are the chances of you two finding another car in the motorcade to ride in?” she joked.

“Control yourself. It is not a long ride back to the palace,” Alexa admonished lightly. “Once we get there you have a full hour before the luncheon begins, and you can do anything you want with it.”

Anastasia laughed while Layla blushed. “You both are incorrigible,” the blonde said, shaking her head.

That afternoon the palace grounds were full of military personnel and their families and close friends for a special luncheon to honor the service of those injured in the war. As a reward for their time, Alexa would not allow any of them to return to their current tour, instead giving them pay for time served on duty and allowing them to stay at home with their families until the rest of their units came home.

The queen also had another tribute for the group after lunch. When the meal was finished, she got up to the podium to address the crowd. “Thank you all for coming today. It is a great honor to have you all in my home to meet with each of you to convey my personal gratitude for your service to this magnificent country of ours. Each of you has made your own personal sacrifice with the belief that this beautiful country is worth defending, and it is a privilege to lead you as your Commander-in-Chief. I would like to acknowledge each of you personally today by bestowing a great recognition of the Purple Heart to each one you. There were forty of you in total that were injured in this war, and I am humbled by your willingness to defend this land of ours.” She paused for a moment as the Joint Chiefs of Staff came to stand next to her. “I would like each of you to come up here to receive your medal when I call your name and wear it in remembrance of my unyielding gratitude to you.”

The queen took her time in calling out the name of each serviceperson and patiently waiting for them to come to the podium. Instead of following military protocol of having the more junior person salute their senior officers, Alexa and the Joint Chiefs of Staff saluted each person first out of respect for them. Then she took great care to pin the medal on each person’s uniform and take photographs with every single soldier.

However, when she came to the name of David Mitchell, she paused after she announced it and gave a smile. “While I owe Seaman David Mitchell my respect for his service, as a mother I am personally overwhelmed by his sense of duty. It was Seaman David Mitchell who saved the life of my eldest child and in doing so saved the crowned princess, so in addition to being awarded a Purple Heart, I would like to award him the Navy Cross for his exceptional service to the royal family.”

Anastasia smiled at him as he came to the podium to receive his two medals from the queen. He gave the princess an additional salute as he passed her, which she returned. When they came toward the end of the alphabet, Queen Alexa skipped her daughter’s name and did everyone else first. Finally though she gave a large smile to the crowd.

“Before I give out this last medal, there are few special words I would like to say to our soldiers and to their families. Eight months ago when the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I were discussing sending all of you to the Persian Gulf, I felt a new kind of conflict as my maternal and governmental duties clashed. As I seriously weighed the potential for a war in the Middle East, I felt an extra layer of anxiety, as I knew all of you did, since my child was going on a mission to defend our country. Princess Anastasia, knowing my dilemma, said one simple thing. She looked me right in the eyes and rhetorically asked one question: If I would not let her fight for her country, how could I expect any of you to do so? As difficult as it was to accept, I knew she was right. I could not expect you all to be willing to sacrifice your time, your health, your well-being, and possibly your life to defend this great land if I would not send one of my own. As a mother I have felt what each of you has in learning that your child, your sibling, your spouse, your parent, or your friend was hurt in this war. My daughter sustained terrible injuries while leading a group of sailors in a rescue effort. Many of you have told me stories of her heroism and her bravery. The heroic tales you all have relayed to me regarding her makes me proud to be more than your sovereign. It makes me proud to simply be the mother of such a fine sailor. It is because of you that I would like to bestow not only the Purple Heart but also the country’s highest award, the Medal of Honor, upon Lieutenant Anastasia Elise Washington for her fearless service to this country and selfless bravery in saving so many lives.”

Anastasia smiled at the crowd as she wheeled her own chair toward the podium. Her mother helped her stand from her chair and then gave her daughter a salute, which the princess returned with a smile. Alexa took her time pinning the two medals to her daughter’s uniform before giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek while the crowd roared.

When the princess was once again at her seat at her table, the queen continued, “To close this ceremony, there is one other thing I would like to say. I know some of you have had your lives immensely altered by your injuries. As your Commander-in-Chief, I feel personally responsible for your health and safety. You have given everything for me, and in return I assure you now that I will assist you through the rest of your lives. The military will always be your family, and family takes care of each other. With that in mind, I have established a foundation to assist you all with your ongoing needs. Each of you will be receiving a call in the coming weeks to assess your personal situation to establish how we can best help you in the years to come. I will always be forever grateful to each one of you and please do not hesitate to call upon your military family now as we have called upon you. Thank you again for coming today. May God bless you all.”

Once the formalities of the ceremony were complete, Anastasia mingled through the crowd, talking to the other military personnel, most of whom she had already met during her stay at the hospital. The one exception to that was David Mitchell. When she finally found him, he gave her a large smile and greeted, “Hello, Lieutenant.”

“David,” she said trying to get out of her chair. He leaned down to help her. “I think I would prefer it if you called me Stasia.”

“It would be an honor.”

“I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life. I know I could never repay you.”

He gave a charming smile. “Just serving next to you was a great honor within itself.”

“Thank you for those kind words, but I would like to try to honor you in some way as a token of my great appreciation.”

He shrugged. “I’m just a Kansas boy who lives on a farm with his parents. I’ve never dreamed big.”

“Now is the time to start,” she said with a smile.

“I’ve always wanted to travel. That’s why I originally joined the military, but because of my injury I’ve been discharged. I’m not sure how to do that now. Perhaps you could get me reinstated?” he questioned.

“I do not think I can help you with that particular request. What if you came to work for me instead? You have already proven yourself, and I believe you told me you would follow me anywhere. What if you did just that? You could see the world.”

“You’d give me a job?”

“Absolutely. I would give you whatever job you want under my jurisdiction, but to travel with me, it would have to be something close to me like a part of my Affairs Office or my security detail.”

“I don’t know what I’d be suited for.”

“You would fit right in on my security detail. It is paramilitary, so you could still enjoy some of the military culture.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“You would have to move here from Kansas, though,” she explained.

He laughed. “I’d love to get out of Kansas. Life on the farm is hardly exciting.”

“I guess it is settled then. I am thrilled that we will get to know one another better.”

“Me, too,” he replied with another smile.

The following day after Layla returned to school Anastasia dressed for the morning slowly by herself. She missed her girlfriend already and wished she was there, but she knew it would only be a few days until they saw each other again. When she was finished getting ready for the day, she sat in her wheelchair and then grabbed her forearm crutches, which were leaning against the nightstand to put them across her lap. Then she turned to leave her room and head down to breakfast. Upon her arrival she found her parents, who gave her pleasant smiles and warm greetings, sitting at the table. She returned it while backing her chair into the corner. Applying the breaks, she put her forearms into the cuffs of the crutches and stood. Immediately Alexa stood to help her daughter, but Anastasia shook her head to wave her off. The queens watched as their eldest child struggled across the room to her chair. It was painful for both of them to see how excruciating the small act seemed for their daughter with her frail legs. They just didn’t appear to want to cooperate with the movement of her upper body well, making her shake fiercely as she took each step. When she was settled, Alexa retook her seat.

“How did you sleep?” Lauren inquired.

“Actually I slept well,” she said with a smile. “Pleasant dreams about a certain someone.”

Alexa chuckled. “Ah, that will do it. How is Layla? Did she arrive back at school safely?”

“She is fine. She misses being here with me, and I certainly miss being with her.”

“It can be difficult to be apart,” Lauren said with sympathy.

Anastasia looked at her parents quietly for a moment before saying, “I actually wanted to talk to you about Layla this morning.”

“What about her?”

The princess smiled tentatively. “I… I want to ask her to marry me.”

The queens looked at each other a moment. “We were wondering when you were going to bring this up,” Alexa commented.

“I love her, and I could not imagine my life without her now. She is all I want.”

The queen nodded. “We know that, and we actually approve of her. She has brought out the best in you in your acquaintance, but it has been a short relationship. You have not been dating a long time, not even a year.”

“I know, but I know it is right in my heart, Mother. She has given me so much of herself and helped me become a better woman, a better leader.”

Alexa nodded. “I think that is definitely true, but both of you are so young. She has not even graduated from college. Do you think you should give it more time?”

Anastasia shook her head. “I do not care how old we are. She is the light of my life. She is a force of goodness that has come into our family. She has even affected you, Mother. I have seen it.”

Alexa smiled. “She has,” she admitted. “I have never met a young woman quite like her. She is the kind of girl we would want for you. I just think it is too soon. I think you should take more time with this and not rush into it. I would hate to think your urgency was connected to some sort of… sexual conquest.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Layla has made it quiet clear that her religious principles guide her life’s decisions. While I have never heard her explicitly state it, I am led to believe that being the case, she is more guarded in her virtue than women to whom you are accustom. Virginity is no longer a requirement for your bride, but you have chosen a woman who seems to revere it, and it would be reprehensible to offer her the crown just to entice her into a sexual relationship. She is worth more than that… as is the crown.”

“You think this is about sex?” the princess asked.

“We know you, Stasia. My goodness. You are my daughter,” she teased. “We know of your interest in the activity. You are a virile young woman with lots to offer. Most women would be enticed.”

The princess scoffed. “Not anymore. No woman but Layla gives me the time of day. She loves me as I am.”

“I am sure that is true, but Layla is clearly looking for more. Are you prepared to give her the more she needs?”

“Yes. I am prepared to give her anything she needs. And yes, it is true Layla wishes to remain chaste until she is wed, but that is her choice, and I have respected it. I may wish to be with her on a physical level, but it is so much more than that. I want to be with her every possible moment of the day. Just listening to her talk or sing or watching her read is amazing. I am utterly enthralled by everything she does, even just walking into a room. I want her to be the one I see first when I wake in the morning and the last one I see at night. I want to be the one she turns to when she is upset and hurting, and I want her to be that for me. I have never felt this way about anyone.” She smiled as she thought of her girlfriend. “I am not sure I can even explain it.”

“You are in love,” Lauren said with a smile.

“I am,” she replied. “And I do not want to lose her.”

“What makes you even think that you would lose her?” Lauren asked. “She has shown great faithfulness to you this whole time.” Their daughter was quiet a moment causing Lauren to ask, “Has something happened between you?”

She shook her head. “I just do not want to lose her.”

“Something is troubling you. What makes you think that you might lose her?” Alexa asked.

Anastasia remained silent for a few moments. “She is the most incredible woman in the world, and she deserves the best. She deserves a woman who can be all Layla needs her to be. I used to be that woman, but now I am not so sure.”

Placing a hand on her daughter’s arm, Lauren caressed it gently. “What do you mean?”

“Look at me,” she said, making a sweeping gesture with her hand. “I am not the woman I was six months ago.”

“No, you are not. You have been through a war, Stasia,” Alexa said. “There was no way you would come home unchanged by that.”

“Some changes are larger than others, though. I cannot even walk, and even though I go to therapy, we all know there may be a time when there will be no more improvements. And my body has been marred by war. Everything I worked to become physically is all gone,” she said softly.

“Layla’s love for you is not based on your ability to walk nor is it based on how you look. She loves you for your heart and your goodness,” Lauren said.

“And that is why I love her and want her to be my wife.”

Alexa nodded. “Let us be clear with you. We approve of your choice, but we would like you to think about waiting longer.”

The princess shook her head. “I already had Madeline order the ring, and it is sitting in my safe. I plan to give it to her this weekend. My mind cannot be changed.”

Alexa sighed. With a nod she said, “When you went to war and almost died trying to save your fellow sailors, I had great admiration for your valor, your selflessness, and your sacrifice. While you are our daughter, you were also a common soldier, willing to die for this country you love so much, willing to die for your sovereign who also happens to be your mother. I allowed you the opportunity to almost die for your country because of your love for her, and I suppose that creates a precedent for all the loves in your life, including Layla. I suppose now I must allow you the same opportunity here to live for your country. You know your heart better than anyone else, and while we make think you are rushing things, you are heart strong as well as headstrong.” She smiled. “If you really feel this is what you must do, we will stand behind you.”

“Thank you. That means a great deal to me.”

“I will ask you to consider one other thing, though. Do you think Layla is ready for this? Is this what she wants? I mean she is a junior in college. Is she willing to forgo that? If you truly love her as we believe you do, you must be willing to give her happiness, whatever that might be, whether or not it includes you just now. Do you understand?”

Anastasia nodded. “I think I do.”

“She may have another path for herself, and you have to be willing to wait until she is ready. Forcing her to forgo her own dreams is not love. That is why your mom and I waited so long to get married. You must be willing to give her the freedom of choice, knowing full well that being without you at present is one of those choices.”

“I understand.”

“Good. I suppose we are to wish you luck then,” she said with a smile. Both of them came to her and gave her hugs and kisses.

“Thank you. I will let you know how it goes.”

Continued in Chapter 9

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