Cleaning Up

Astra put the book back on the top shelf, and picked up the crackers and water. Then she heard the sound of heaving and coughing from the great room. "I need to look for a towel, too, I suppose." She then noticed that she still had the "transform back" candy in her hand. She tossed it in the pack of crackers, and then found a dish towel. With the towel and crackers in one hand, and the water in the other, she went back to the great room.

As she feared, Robert had disgorged the food and drink from last night's banquet on the floor. Robert looked up weakly at her. Astra said, "Robert, let me help you get cleaned up and into bed so you can get some sleep. You are not at all well."

Robert nodded his head, and said "Thank you." Astra took him by the hand, and steadied him as he stood up. They walked to Robert's bedroom. "Stay here," said Astra. "I am going to draw your bathwater."

"Thank you. Thank you," Robert said weakly as he sat down on the tile by the bath. Astra got the bath ready. One would not have thought that a princess would do this menial work, but Astra hated the idea of living in squalor, and did not trust the monkeys or Robert. This was her stand against the filth and stink.

She managed to get Robert undressed and into the bath. Robert started coughing again. She left the room to fetch the water, towel, and crackers and returned. Robert swigged some of the fresh water, swallowed it, and his coughing subsided. He swigged some more, swished it around in his mouth, and spat it out. Astra then bathed him much as a mother would bathe a child, and Robert squirmed and splashed about aimlessly much like a child would squirm and splash about. When Robert was as clean as he was likely to be, Astra took the towel and dried him off.

Robert said, "You are beautiful." Astra stared past him. She really did not want to hear this. Then Robert said, "I am sorry. You deserve my best, but tonight, I am just too tuckered out. But soon, I will make up for it. What was I saying? Oh, yeah, what I was going to say, that you are good, and beautiful, too. You deserve to be more than the queen of this island. As the king of this island, after I get some sleep, I am going to conquer some land for you. Would you like that?"

Billingsley was not making a lot of sense, but Astra played along. As she was speaking, she took Billingsley by the right hand, guided him to his wardrobe, and started dressing him in pajamas and slippers. "Sure, Robert. But there are a few things that we need before that can happen."

Robert said, "I got an army, Astra. I just need to find me a country and a navy, and let the monkeys go."

"But people won't think you are a king. You need to be coronated. I can help you with that?"

"Does that hurt?"

"Oh, no. It is a big ceremony. Actually a big party. You invite a lot of people, and you are the center of attention. But you have to have royal regalia."

"What is regaleon?"

Astra said, "Regalia. It is a symbol of authority. In some places where the king is expected to fight, the symbol of authority is a sword."

"But my monkeys fight for me. I don't fight myself. I give orders."

"Then a sword will not do. There are some kings that don't fight, but make sure their subjects are well-fed. A chicken in every pot."

"Phoo-ey. I am not going to have a royal chicken or royal pot. I don't cook. Others cook for me."

"You seem to like the let the good times roll. Like a good symbol of you kingdom would be an ever-flowing ...."

"Yeah! I think you got it. I can drink, lead toasts, and party. That is the type of king I will be. My symbol will be a royal cup."

Astra said, "Oh, that is brilliant, Robert."

Billingsley, said, "Yeah, yeah. That's perfect. How many kings have a royal goblet as a symbol of authority?"

"You would have to be invested with one. And I know the rules on how to do that." Astra smiled at herself, turning the hated phrase to her advantage. "It can't just be any sorry old cup. It has to be the right cup, with the right amount of jewels and valuable metal and the like. So that might be hard to find."

Billingsley was now fully dressed in his nightclothes, and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hey, what about that cup that I nicked from Zerm?"

By now, Astra had pulled a clean waistcoat from the wardrobe and donned it. She was now covered from the waist up and also had pockets. Billingsley was staring just above the top button. It had already been established that Billingsley liked his ladies to be buxom, and the waistcoat compressed and emphasized Astra's torso in a way that Billingsley approved. She broke the awkward silence by replying, "Oh, yes! That would be very promising. A cup stolen from a powerful wizard. It has a story in additional to having a high value for its metal and jewels. I am sure that it would work."

Billingsley replied,

1. "Dammit. I forgot where I put it!"
2. "I know where it is. But I am going to have to get someone to fetch it for me."
3. "I sold it to pay for a night of high living."
4. "I brought it to this island. I am hoping Fogeno did not take it with him."

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