Alexander woke the next morning with his stomach rumbling. His bowels were unhappy. He figured it had something to do with the fish served at the banquet. The usual east coast fish shipment hadn't arrived, so the kitchen used old stock on ice.
He hoped he didn't get a parasite from the damn fish. His hope was that it was only a stomach bug. If it were a parasite, he'd be mortified.
He stretched and got out of bed after the rumbles subsided. After dressing, Calvin entered the room, greeting the Duke with a smile.
"King George and Queen Charlotte have arrived. Would you like to see them?"
The duke ran his fingers through his brown hair, then offered the man a smile. "Yes. Please send them in. It has been awhile since I've last visited with my parents."
Calvin bowed and left the room, leaving the Duke with his gurgling stomach. He felt it would be embarrassing if it continued on during his visit with the king and queen of Luminairea, but he was sure his mother would understand, as it wouldn't be the first time she had seen her son have stomach problems.
Before long, his parents entered the room. His father, as always, was his jolly self. His mother, of course, was the one of reason, pulling her husband by the ear to the sofa as he hugged Alexander for far longer than necessary.
"Ouch!" King George yelled, swatting at his wife's hand. "How rude!"
Alexander took a seat across from his father. The king had his hair tied back in a ponytail. King George had a receding hairline, which made the Duke wonder if he was going to start going bald someday. He liked his hair. Alexander would feel devastated if he ever started to lose it like his father. In that sense, the young Duke felt rather vain, but he felt it was his best trait.
"Thank you for coming," Alexander said with a grin.
"I'd never miss my son's wedding!" King George's eyes were wide as he spoke. "Speaking of which, where is the princess? I need to meet her!"
"She's probably still asleep, it's still early," Alex replied. "You'll get to meet her later if she's not still upset with me."
Charlotte raised her brow and leaned forward, narrowing her eyes in her son's direction. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," he replied, rolling his eyes.
"Well, what upset her?" She asked.
"Nothing," Alex muttered. "I talked to a few women to be polite, then she wouldn't speak to me."
"Oh, dear," Charlotte sighed.
"Women hate that!" George stated it matter-of-factly. "We'll never allow you to speak to another woman again! You have to remember that, son!"
"Imbecile," Charlotte groaned as she looked toward her husband. "That's not true at all."
"It is!"
"It isn't!"
Alexander sat there as his mother and father argued among themselves. It was a scene he had grown used to. The two would frequently engage in back-and-forth conversations, often lasting longer than necessary. They loved to fuss at one another.
Alex sighed and leaned back against his seat as the seemingly endless banter continued. When he felt himself finally able to zone out and ignore the arguing, it came to an end with his mother asking, "Did you hear that?"
Alexander shrugged and smiled. "I did not."
Charlotte groaned and looked toward her son. "You should talk to her soon," she advised him. "It's a misunderstanding. Communication is key in a relationship."
"Indeed," George smirked, side-eyeing his wife.
The woman glared at her husband, and he looked away.
"So, how are things going with the princess?" King George asked. "I'm sorry to have sprung the arrangement on you so suddenly, but I hope the princess is as lovely as King Gerald guaranteed me she would be."
Alexander nodded. "I couldn't ask for a better woman to marry."
"Wonderful," his father replied. "I can't wait to meet her."
"I'm sure she's lovely," Charlotte nodded. "We need a date for the wedding. I cannot wait to see you marry," she swooned. "Perhaps a grandchild is on the horizon."
Alexander internally groaned as the prospect. Alexander didn't want to dwell too deeply on the idea. After all, it would be impossible for him and Corina to produce a child, considering the princess was born a man. He smiled at his mother but didn't say a single word in response.
"Aw, you're shy," she giggled. "It's okay. It's bound to happen as soon as you spend time alone with her."
Alexander smirked. Yes, he did want to spend such time alone with Corina, but it wouldn't be to have a child with her.
"I want to see a baby!" King George gasped. "It's been so long since my boys were small! Oh, I wish I could have spent more time with you when you were a young lady. Oh, those were the days! Oh, so much time wasted on war!"
"I'm thankful it's over," Alexander commented. "I'm happy the citizens of neither kingdom shall suffer longer."
Queen Charlotte stood, then offered a hand to her husband. The man eagerly took it and rose from the small sofa. He smiled warmly toward his son. "It was a long trip. We'll get a nap in."
Alexander nodded. "Yes, the maids have already cleaned the room you usually stay in."
"Fantastic!" George said this as he led his wife to the exit. "We'll spend more time together later."
"Yes, I want to speak to Corina about the wedding," Charlotte smiled. "Stay safe, Alexander."
Alexander nodded. "Of course."
The two left, leaving the Duke alone in the room.
It was a success—his stomach has not begun to churn again until after his parents had left. When they did, he quickly made his way to the washroom. He felt he needed to get all the wind out of his body before visiting Corina later. He decided he would apologize, but he needed a moment to himself.
Hopefully whatever had produced such a large amount of gas and abdominal bloat would be out of his system fast.