#Parliament Premises

[teznews]

संसद परिसर में धरने, भूख हड़ताल पर पाबंदी! कांग्रेस का तंज- 'विश्वगुरु का नया काम...'

संसद परिसर में धरने, भूख हड़ताल पर पाबंदी! कांग्रेस का तंज- ‘विश्वगुरु का नया काम…’

नई दिल्लीः क्या अब संसद परिसर में धरना और प्रदर्शन पर भी रोक लगा दी गई है। कांग्रेस ने एक संसद सचिवालय के एक बुलेटिन को साझा करते हुए यह दावा किया है। इस आदेश से विपक्ष खफा हो गया है। कांग्रेस नेता जयराम रमेश ने उस आदेश को साझा कर केंद्र सरकार पर तंज किया है। संसद के जल्द शुरू होने वाले मानसून सत्र से पहले यह दूसरा विवाद है। इससे पहले लोकसभा सचिवालय की तरफ से जारी एक लिस्ट पर विवाद थमा नहीं है।…

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#ban #Ban On Dharna #congress #Dharna #Hunger strike #Parliament #Parliament Premises

[txttletale]

obviously the "can't make an electoral victory omelette without abusing some trans children, them's the breaks" routine would be ghoulish and evil even if its central premise were true but for someone who's so smug about his ability to be a Realistic Reasonable Moderate that fucking guy is just absolutely wrong. transphobia doesn't win elections and uk voters don't give a shit about transphobic cultural war shit compared to basically any other issue. furthermore even if transphobia really was an electoral silver bullet for kill-em-all keir, he wouldn't need it. the conservative party are underwater and profoundly hated by the electorate after the last decade of disastrous government. fucking anybody could win the upcoming election, it's an open goal against an unpopular government that even their own voters are trepidatious about continuing to support . the leader of the labour party could be a balloon with a smiley face drawn on and still have a chance. & again even if none of this were true it would still be a deeply cruel and ghoulish opinion to hold -- but it is so fucking pathetic to be so obsessed with a masturbatory self image of Knowing About Parliament to the point of justifying signing off on borderline exterminationist rhetoric and then just being flatly wrong about electoral politics.

[maqsoodyamani]

پارلیمنٹ احاطہ میں مذہبی پروگرام دھرنا ، بھوک ہڑتال پر پابندی عائد

پارلیمنٹ احاطہ میں مذہبی پروگرام دھرنا ، بھوک ہڑتال پر پابندی عائد

پارلیمنٹ احاطہ میں مذہبی پروگرام دھرنا ، بھوک ہڑتال پر پابندی عائد نئی دہلی ، 15جولائی ( آئی این ایس انڈیا ) پارلیمانی بلیٹن میں کہا گیا ہے کہ کوئی بھی رکن پارلیمنٹ ہاؤس کمپلیکس میں دھرنا، ہڑتال، بھوک ہڑتال یا مذہبی پروگرام منعقد نہیں کر سکے گا۔کیا اب پارلیمنٹ کمپلیکس میں دھرنا دینے اور مظاہروں پر پابندی لگا دی گئی ہے؟ کانگریس نے یہ دعویٰ پارلیمنٹ سکریٹریٹ کے ایک بلیٹن کو شیئر کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے۔…

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#banned #dharna #hunger strike #parliament #premises #Religiousprogram

[mellomaia]

To my folks who experience climate grief:

Over the last few days I've been obsessed with a game called Half Earth Socialism:

[ID: opening screen for the game Half Earth Socialism. From top to bottom: there's an image of the earth encircled in a design that looks like wrapped wheat. Both are colored pink. The title of the game is below, along with the tagline "A Planetary Crisis Planning Game." Under that, there is a menu with options for New Game, Sound toggle off or on, and Credits. There is a hyperlink at the very bottom that says "Read the book: Half-Earth Socialism." end ID]

The game was created by Drew Pendergrass andTroy Vettesse, the authors of the book Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics. I read the book last year, but didn't play the game until recently.

The premise is that a socialist revolution sweeps the world, and you play as a lead planner who must 1) lower emissions and therefore the temperature below 1ºC, 2) reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, 3) keep people around the world happy, 4) use political capital to implement policies and gain allies in parliament, and 5) avoid production shortages of electricity, fuel, and food.

It's very challenging to beat the game because of all those factors. Sometimes I'd do well in one planning stage on some of those areas but fail in others, and they all have an impact on your political capital and public approval. Seeing headlines within the game about environmental disasters, species extinction, pandemics, etc. if I wasn't doing well was really upsetting. In the first planning stage of the game, they're inevitable because your plans can take many in-game years to actually start improving things. I found myself skipping those after a time. But, as I figured out the mechanics and how and when and in what combinations to prioritize policies, I felt excited about headlines like "polinators are flourishing," "people are making their own gardens," "the quality of life in the Global South is improving." I finally got to the best win state earlier today after trying one or two dozen times.

Aside from lifting my mood and sense of hope, I also learned a lot about proposed and existing technologies meant to address climate change: biochar, carbon capture, electric grids, energy quotas, etc. Also, it helped me feel impactful, even though I knew it was just a game. For example, one of the policies I tended to implement in the first planning cycle was granting indigenous sovereignty. I loved being able to do that in basically one fell swoop.

Even when I had critiques of the game, I found those meaningful because I started thinking about points the developers missed and what else would be needed to create a just transition. That's super important because no one person is going to think of everything.

Obviously, your capabilities and decision making processes in the game are oversimplified for the point of educating and simulating. And the game reflects certain biases of the developers. For example, the idea of one central body organizing every policy and process in the world, with most of the decisions coming from one person, does not sound to me like it would work well. Even so, I think instilling that sense of capability is so important, especially since so many everyday people feel defeated and like they can't change anything right now.

Suffice it to say, I enjoyed this game, and I recommend it highly! The game is in English, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazilian and from Portugal).

#long post #games #video games #climate change #climate grief #simulation #half-earth socialism #half-earth

[probablyasocialecologist]

Disabled people’s own accounts, as well as reports of employers, prove that Deaf and disabled people were an intrinsic part of the textile workforce. In addition, evidence collected as part of investigations on behalf of the Government into conditions in textile mills show high levels of industrial injuries amongst workers. Accidents from machinery, constant loud noise and the effects of working in unventilated premises led to large numbers of workers becoming disabled as a consequence of work. Some people’s injuries meant that they were no longer able to work, and many did unfortunately end up in the workhouse. However, many other disabled people stayed in work – through sheer necessity, to meet the demands of the industry, or simply because they were able to. My research puts disabled people at the centre of the history of industrialisation, rather than pushing them to the margins. It challenges some widely-held stereotypes of disabled people and shows that they were (and continue to be) part of the world of work. Not dependent, not tragic, not inspirational – but reliable colleagues, friends and family members. Disabled people were involved in Britain’s leading industry during the nineteenth century: textile production. They also played their part in improving working conditions in the textile factories at the height of industrialisation. For instance, the 1832 parliamentary committee to investigate factory conditions, chaired by Leeds Member of Parliament Michael Sadler, followed by the Government’s Factories Inquiry Commission of 1833, finally gave disabled workers the chance to speak up. Giving evidence meant that they were not merely victims of industrialisation, but that they were contributing to the movement for reform and the struggle for better working conditions. The resulting reports ultimately led to legislation which reduced working hours, set up factory inspections and made further improvements to the workplace.

[...]

Because of the noise, weavers in the textile factories gradually became expert lip readers. This was a necessity rather than a choice – the weaving sheds were such noisy places that a combination of lip-reading and hand-signing was the only way to communicate. Lip-reading was more than just a practical form of communication for the weavers – it was a badge of honour. It showed that you were used to manual work, no matter that you were now deaf, and set you apart from the mills’ office workers and management.

#disability #industrial revolution #ableism #deafness

[scotianostra]

Ooh, what’s Edinburgh like? Moving there next year hopefully, from Africa, and after a few quick trips I can’t say I’ve gotten too much of a sense of the city :(

I'm kinda biased, but it's a good place, quite small and easy to get around, the main bus serice is Lothian Buses, for a flat fare of £2 you can get from ato b on one bus, for £5 cash you can hop on and off, the best value is paying by debit card , what they call TapTapCap from as little as £4.80 per day and £22 per week, so if you are one 3 or more buses in one day it caps at £4.80, and £22 is the most you will pay fr a week. The bus service is very good and I use their bustracker, find it on Google Play "My Bus Edinburgh" The vast majority of Museums and Art Galleries are free, only charges tend to be if there are special exhibitions, like The National Museum of Scotland had a Doctor Who exhibition last year. There are two main train stations, Waverley and Haymarket, and several small ones and stops.

Most people don't realise that Edinburgh and the surrounding areas have some great beaches, Portobello is the best in the city, ad has plenty of places to eat and drink at there. Cramond Beachis a mecca for dog walkers, there is a Causeway there where you can explore Cramond Island, just watch the tide times. There are plenty of parks and green spaces, the city is officially the greenest city in the UK, with almost half the city (49.2%) being classed as 'green space'.

If you are relatively fit there are plenty hills to climb to get great views, some are very easy, Calton Hill, Corstorphine to name but two. Arthur's Seat offers different routes to the summit of varying difficulty, but you can actually drive so far up and just make the easy climb to the top, there are three man made "Lochs" around Arthur's Seat, if you're lucky you will see Otters at Dunsapie, Duddingston and St Margarets have plenty swas and ducks. For more serious walkers the Pentland Hills are a great place to explore, there is even a herd of oor Highland "Hairy Coos" up there. If you can ski, there is a dryslope on The Pentlands, the longest in the UK.

Pubs and clubs are a plenty, I have no idea of your age as you have decided to remain anon, but many places cater for students, prices vary, I pay between £2 and £4 for my drinks, although the touristy places will charge you up to twice this amount, over £6 for a drink is not unusual.

Of course we have the Festival, well there are several throughout the year, Edinburgh gets the tag of Festival City at times. The main one is in August and the population of Edinburgh is said to double in the time, licensed premises are automatically given an extension to their opening hours, some open to 5 in the morning.

It's a safe city  with a low crime rate, but as with other places you have to be aware of your own safety. If you plan on taking in the paid attractions The Castle wil set you back about £20, as will The Palace of Holyrood House. Opposite the Palace is The Scottish Parliament, you can visit thisfor free and sit in while it is in session. If you are planning on venturing around Scotland and like your history I recommend a membership of Historic Scotland, again I don't know your age, but prices start at under £3 a month and are less than a fiver for adults over 24. National Trust of Scotland also offer meberships from £3.35 to £5.80.

Can't really think of much more to put for now, perhaps my followers can make suggestions, or ask questions?

Oh and pack your umbrella get a waterproof jacket, even in summer we can get some heavy showers, naturally you will be aware it can get cold as well, invest in a decent winter jacket and layers to keep warm.

I hope this has been helpful.

#scotland #scottish #history #edinburgh #Advice

[coochiequeens]

For all those who compare sex work to working minimum wage jobs explain how if a customer is repeatedly a problem the customer can be banned from the premises yet pimps can now whine to the government if a woman refuses sex more than 10 times in 6 months.

A new law in Belgium celebrated by activists for providing a “labour contract” to prostitutes will also enable their pimps to punish them with a government mediator if they refuse sex more than 10 times in a six-month period. The Belgian Parliament voted for the law on May 3, with 93 in favor, zero opposed, and 33 abstentions.  

The legislation is being touted as a win by UTSOPI, the Belgium Union of Sex Workers, which had lobbied extensively for the legislation. The law outlines that prostitutes will receive health insurance, a pension, maternity and holiday leave, and unemployment benefits. Their pimps will be forced to provide them with a “safety button” to use for emergencies.

Their website claims that the law “is a historic step in the battle for sex workers’ rights” and will create a “respectful, fair relationship” between prostitutes and their pimps, with UTSOPI spokesperson Daan Bauwens telling media that he believes “Belgium is really demonstrating that it aims to protect sex workers, regardless of any moral judgements about the profession people may have.”

Prostitutes are to be granted “rights” to refuse sexual acts, stop sexual acts, perform sexual acts in the manner they prefer, and refuse to sit behind Amsterdam-style windows (public facing windows where prostitutes are on display). However, should a prostitute use these “rights” 10 times within six months, their pimp can then call on a government mediator to intervene.

All pimps must have a registered office and apply to the Belgian government for approval to offer contracts to prostitutes. The contracts will be disguised as hotel-restaurant-café (HoReCa) contracts so that prostitutes can remain anonymous.

Andrea Heinz, a prostitution abolition advocate, called out the new legislation on X (formerly Twitter).

“There is little chance this will (actually) favour women. Under legalization/full decrim, pimps become ‘managers’ with the backing of the state to further entrench and maintain their power. Pimps see women they sell as products, not people deserving of full dignity & respect.”

Outside the realm of so-called “sex work” activism, social media users have expressed horror at the new law.

“So the [government] helps pimps to coerce sex, what a disgusting idea,” posted X user @Bob16747466.

#belgium #the Belgium Union of Sex Workers (UTSOPI) #How nasty are these men if the women they want to pay for sex refuse them? #If governments want to legalize prostitution maybe they should create a way for exploited women to block dangerous or simply unhygienic men #Other workers have rights to refuse service to bad customers

[beardedmrbean]

"Highly confidential" documents obtained by BBC Persian outline how Iran's government is trying to crack down on women who do not wear a hijab.

Two documents from April and May reveal the judiciary could set up "mobile courts" in public places like shopping malls to punish dress code violations.

They also show schoolgirls could face action by the education ministry and that celebrities could be jailed for up to 10 years for "promoting corruption".

Iran's government has not commented.

However, an Iranian newspaper that published a short section of one of the directives has been charged with publishing classified documents.

And some of the directives were included in the controversial "Hijab and Chastity Bill" that is currently being reviewed by the Guardian Council watchdog before becoming law.

Iran's parliament passed the bill in September - a year after protests erupted over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

Women burnt their headscarves or waved them in the air at the demonstrations against clerical rule, during which hundreds of people were reportedly killed in a brutal crackdown by security forces.

Although the unrest has subsided, a growing number of women and girls have stopped covering their hair in public altogether in open acts of defiance.

According to the leaked documents, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi approved a series of directives aimed at coordinating action by the government and other entities to address the issue of women not covering their hair in public - several months before parliament began debating the hijab bill in secret.

Security services - including the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence service, the ministry of intelligence, and the Security Police - were granted extensive powers to implement those directives, they show.

Some of the directives state that:

Police should "prepare the necessary documentation regarding schoolgirls who unveil" so that appropriate action can be taken through the education ministry

Celebrities, influencers and bloggers who do not cover their hair, or who "encourage unveiling" on social media, should face the charge of "promoting corruption", which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Officers will also be able to enter their homes and seize their computers and mobile phones

Officers can seal or shut down without permission any shops or other businesses not comply with the hijab regulations, and that any customers who violate them should be denied services, forced to leave, or handed over to the judiciary

Cafes considered "corrupting centres" because of the role they played in last year's protests should be shut down, particularly those near schools and universities

Officers are authorised to initiate legal proceedings against women who resist warnings to cover their hair on charges including "promoting corruption"

There is a need for a national database of "motorcycle number plate bank" so those carrying female drivers or passengers with uncovered hair can be identified

Monitoring should be increased of companies whose employees "violate dress codes provocatively and immodestly during entry, exit, and within the premises"

A significant portion of the directives in the leaked documents have already been implemented, including setting up hijab enforcement units inside metro stations and other public spaces; impounding cars that transport unveiled women; denying services to women violating the dress code; and closing cafes.

According to the documents, the police force is required to assign a sufficient number of officers to "identify and warn women who have unveiled themselves", and that in areas where there is sufficient manpower IRGC personnel will help carry out the task.

In the past few months Iranians have noticed the presence of hijab enforcers at metro stations across the capital, Tehran.

The interior ministry and Tehran municipality have described them as "self-motivated forces that do not require a licence for their activities".

But the documents show that their presence is the result of a government decision, which has required planning and the allocation of resources.

The documents also emphasise the importance of "extensively filming and documenting the identity of those involved in unveiling", and indicate that hijab enforcers filming women and girls are affiliated to the security services.

#nunyas news

[tieflingkisser]

Israeli parliament passes law paving the way for Al Jazeera closure

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises to use new law to shutter local operations of Al Jazeera.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to “act immediately to stop” Al Jazeera’s operations in the country after the Israeli parliament approved a law that grants senior ministers powers to shut down foreign news networks deemed a security risk. “Al Jazeera harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against Israeli soldiers,” Netanyahu wrote on X on Monday. “I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel’s activity,” he said. The Qatar-based network rejected what it described as “slanderous accusations” and accused Netanyahu of “incitement”. “Al Jazeera holds the Israeli Prime Minister responsible for the safety of its staff and Network premises around the world, following his incitement and this false accusation in a disgraceful manner,” it said in a statement. “Al Jazeera reiterates that such slanderous accusations will not deter us from continuing our bold and professional coverage, and reserves the right to pursue every legal step.” Netanyahu has long sought to shutter broadcasts from the Qatar-based media outlet, alleging anti-Israel bias. The law, which passed in a 71-10 vote in the Knesset, gives the prime minister and communications minister the authority to order the closure of foreign networks operating in Israel and confiscate their equipment if it is believed they pose “harm to the state’s security”.

[keep reading]

#free palestine #palestine #news

[sarahhillips]

Hey I’m Toasted Watching Libertys Kids. Here are my comments

Boston Tea Party

First I’m so happy that every episode is available on YouTube! That makes things so much easier.

The theme song has NO RIGHT to hit this hard. Why isn’t this our national anthem? 🥹

For real though, the premise of this show overall has potential for an Outlander quality show for us big kids.

The opening montage? Cinema.

Walter Cronkite as Ben Franklin is A+ casting because his name ends in kite.

I love how Sarah’s so calm even though she’s trapped in a stormy ship. Maybe it’s because she’s hyper focused when she’s writing. I was on a cruise once and panicked when the ship got to swayey for me.

I love how Sarah adores her father. Leaving London for a new land unsupervised as a teenage girl sounds wild.

Moses is done with James already

Moses doesn’t end up having kids because he basically already had kids and said that’s enough for me.

“It’s addressed to Moses! You look like James!”😆 He’s so cute.

THAT TRANSITION

Omg it’s the beer guy. Beer overthrew tea.

It’s pretty hardcore that they have a picture of the redcoats murdering them hanging on the tavern wall.

Imagine walking out to the deck of a ship to see strange and unfamiliar land. Also where is the captain??? Why is she the only person on the ship when they break in to it?

The sons of liberty look like they’re going to coachella.

“Mom? How did you and dad meet?” “I hit him with a pillow stuffed with books and insulted his grammar.”

When she cute but conservative af

“You’re Sarah Phillips!?”

“Dr. Franklin sent YOU?”

Why didn’t Moses go below deck first?

Bro straight up tore her locket off on purpose. He always wanted to do that to a woman.

Moses calling them big ugly hogs 😂😂

If James and Henri stink that bad, poor Sarah must have been suffocating under that blanket.

Omg Sarah we don’t just ask people if they’re slaves.

Ok real talk though, how many of you have been to an African American history museum with a slave ship hallway? Because that was horrific.

Phylis Wheatley should have written the Declaration, not Jefferson.

Sarah dropping the mic more than Hamilton tbh

Sarahs doing pretty well for a rich girl sleeping in a barn for the first time

Bro that is not sanity, throw that fish away

Look at all the wigs!

OMG you guys the tea party is totes Bens fault. Ben looks so done with them.

The Intolerable Acts

Dear mom, this is not the airbnb that I wanted

“English Henri!” “I’m counting the English!”

WIGS! WIGS!?

Ben literally said suck my dick at Parliament.

James not noticing the redcoats in the barn for five minutes

The redcoats act like Karens.

Sarah don’t have time for your shit James

That captain is such a piece of shit. Henris backstory is lowkey fucked up.

I’d like to have more of a backstory on James’ parents.

*heavenly music*

He just put Sarah on the spot like that and she outwitted him beautifully.

When a man gives you his outerwear, he’s at your service forever.

Dear mom I’m finally in the right airbnb

Bro just straight up gave up his ring so she could have a locket omg 🥺

#libertys kids #sarah phillips #james hiller #benjamin franklin #henri lefebvre #moses #liberty’s kids

[maqsoodyamani]

پارلیمنٹ احاطہ سے بندروں کو بھگانے کیلئے عجیب وغریب ترکیب

پارلیمنٹ احاطہ سے بندروں کو بھگانے کیلئے عجیب وغریب ترکیب

پارلیمنٹ احاطہ سے بندروں کو بھگانے کیلئے عجیب وغریب ترکیب نئی دہلی، 28جون ( آئی این ایس انڈیا ) پارلیمنٹ ہاؤس احاطہ میں ہنگامہ کرنے والے بندروں کو بھگانے کے لیے 4 افراد کو تعینات کر دیا گیا ہے۔ یہ چاروں لوگ لنگور کی آواز نکال کر اور دوسرے طریقوں سے بندروں کو بھگا ئیں گے۔ یہ اطلاع پارلیمنٹ سیکورٹی سروس کے سرکلر سے ملی ہے۔پارلیمنٹ سیکیورٹی سروس کی جانب سے 22 جون کو جاری کردہ سرکلر کے مطابق یہ…

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#drive #monkeysout #parliament #premises #Strange #trick #Strange trick to drive monkeys out of Parliament premises

[emmersreads]

Emma by Jane Austen | 2.5/5

I have been sitting on this negative review of Emma for over a year so pls pretend I am charmingly tortured by my mixed feelings for this beloved classic rather than just a little hater.

I decided to read Emma because the Austen girlies are unstoppable. Every day I wake up for my twelve hour shift in the content mines of tumblr.fuck (for the purpose of this sentence we are both grizzled elderly men sitting on a porch just go with it) and find another post about how Jane Austen is the best thing since before sliced bread. Eat your heart out Shakespeare; if only you’d done all your plays about falling in love. These posts are a bit of a mindfuck for me because as much as I love a costume drama, Austen’s actual novels have always been underwhelming. One of my best friends is an Austen girlie. She loves the things. I dunno man, these books do not spark joy. But maybe I was just young dumb and a hater. Emma (2020) is my favourite Austen movie, so when I decided to reinvestigate the author I thought I’d start there.

The movie is better than the book. Shocked gasps; questions asked at parliament.

Emma (2020) is a great adaptation in part because it’s well positioned to keep the best parts of the book. My favourite part of the novel was the dialogue, which the film is able to lift often ad verbatim (“Mother, you simply must sample the tart!”). The patter of conversation is excellent and Austen’s sense of humor comes across just as effectively on the page as it does when spoken aloud. To this the visual medium can add the incredible set design, including the beautiful Regency wallpapers, Emma’s many jackets and little hats, Anya Taylor Joy’s eyes that look like they’re exes trying awkwardly to avoid each other in the grocery store, Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightley having a romantic tantrum so intense he has to take his pants off and lie on the floor. Relatable. These elements couldn’t be in the book even if Ms. Austen had wanted to describe Mr. Knightley’s buttock-baring emotion.

Unfortunately that paragraph has been my way of damning with faint praise. The inverse proposition of an adaptation that adds a lot of things I liked is the source material without much to like about it. This is a bit of a misrepresentation. I found most of the book to be funny and enjoyable in much the same vein of the movie: a gorgeously decorated vanilla sponge cake. I just hated the ending so much it retroactively ruined all 500 previous pages.

I don’t begrudge Ms. Austen’s choice to hew to the Georgian standards of propriety (hence no ass shots), but this is a safe space for us to admit that those standards have not all aged particularly well, or particularly sexily. I feel like I’ve been infected with terminal bookstagram brainworms. I also don’t want to be here arguing that a book published two hundred years ago is too old-fashioned for me. But at the same time so much of the narrative about Austen is a revisionist history of how all her work was secretly not only meaningful (this is true, Austen’s work is about capturing the atmosphere and concerns of a particular social milieu, which she does effectively; it’s not less worthy of capture because it’s a space exclusive to women), but progressive.

People love Austen. They love romance and they love period drama. They don’t love when that genre is criticized for being dated or regressive. I understand that people do not read these books for the 21st century social commentary or the politics. And I understand that a 21st century moral critique is ahistorical and in poor faith. Trust me, I feel the ‘just let people have fun’ brigade hanging over my head like the sword of fucking Damocles.

But here’s the thing folks, my largely pretty enjoyable read of Emma was soured by just that: important parts of it are dated and regressive and it ruined my day.

The premise of Emma is that the titular protagonist is a rich and witty young woman intent on meddling in the romantic lives of others, at their expense. At the conclusion of the film, Emma realizes she has behaved badly to her lower class friend Harriet by leading Harriet to overlook the farmer Robert Martin (Harriet’s social equal) in order to pursue the richer Mr. Erlton (her social superior). Emma apologizes to Harriet and tells her to reconsider her feelings for Robert Martin, which turn out to be genuine. Finally, when Harriet discovers that her father is a lower class merchant rather than a secret aristocrat, Emma says she will welcome Harriet into Hartfield anyway. It indicates that Emma has outgrown her judgemental nature and preoccupation with appropriate matches to see Harriet as a friend in spite of her being Emma’s social inferior. And they all live happily ever after.

In the novel, this resolution takes much much longer. Emma’s flaw is not that she toyed with her friend’s emotions to arrange a match that amused her, but that she encouraged Harriet to have uppity opinions and to seek to rise above her station. The story resolves with Emma and Harriet returning to their proper social classes, Emma with Mr. Knightley and Harriet with Robert Martin. Emma and Mr. Knightley commiserate over how foolish Emma was to befriend Harriet and how unpleasant Harriet has become now that she is a social climber, and Harriet is revealed to have been naturally ungrateful and grasping and unworthy of a young lady such as Emma’s friendship.

I’m not going to waste my time on whether this sort of thing was just as bad then as it is now or whether it was simple a different time. Austen’s writing is a reflection of genuinely (though not universally) held societal beliefs and she’s not going to rise from the grave to change it now. It is, however, a deeply unpleasant ending. Emma’s problem isn’t that she toys with the people around her for entertainment, but that she doesn’t participate appropriately in the class system. Technically both of these are about becoming more self-reflective and more thoughtful of others, but the devil is in the details. It’s hard to enjoy that as the conclusion to a romantic comedy. I don’t come to Austen for a window into the uncomfortable realities of the past, or really any particular connection to the past. I’m here for the fluffy romance.

Part of the reason talking about not enjoying Austen because of these novels’ dated elements is so frustrating is that the common narrative about Austen is super revisionist. Austen has endured a lot of lumps and I do think it’s stupid to claim that she was a poor writer and was incapable of writing incisive social commentary just because she was a woman writing about the recency woman’s interests and concerns. I also think it’s reductive to claim that the social dynamics of Austen’s world often get misinterpreted due to the modern reflex to see every society preceding our own as nasty, brutish, and short. But this isn’t a critique of Austen, this is a critique of reading Austen in 2023. It’s not just about hating to see a grilboss winning.

On the other hand, why do I feel like I’m trying to placate the ‘just let people enjoy things’ brigade again?

One of the most frustrating things about being generally a romance disliker is the climate of toxic positivity that surrounds any genre that is more about having fun than any ostensibly higher purposes. There is a sense that since the audience of these genres is primarily women and they are often targeted by bad faith misogynistic criticisms, that any criticism of them is inherently misogynistic. I’ve been tying myself up in knots because my observation is that a book from 1815 has some nineteenth century ass ideas about class. This should be self-evident. ‘Just enjoying things’ in not actually my goal when reading, and ‘just letting people enjoy things’ isn’t my goal as a critic either.

Here’s the rub: Emma is a fun and sweet romantic comedy with some of the English language’s best dialogue until the conclusion reminds us that there hasn’t ever been a romantic utopia with the sexy historical codes of practise but not the bad ones. Romance in Austen’s time was a function of the class system, not separate from it. And I don’t know, maybe I’m the patron saint of it really being that deep, but I had a hard time seeing the lighthearted romance in that.

#read in 2023 #emma #jane austen #book review #bookblr #bookstagram #book blogging #classics #romance #books #also its been so long i cant find any of the pics i took of the book so behold my lemon cake

[redshift-13]

A unique, stunning collection of images of Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a testament to the vibrancy of Palestinian society prior to occupation. This book tells the story, in both English and Arabic, of a land full of people—people with families, hopes, dreams, and a deep connection to their home—before Israel’s establishment in 1948, known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.” Denying Palestinian existence has been a fundamental premise of Zionism, which has sought not only to hide this existence but also to erase its memory. But existence leaves traces, and the imprint of the Palestine that was remains, even in the absence of those expelled from their lands. It appears in the ruins of a village whose name no longer appears in the maps, in the drawing of a lost landscape, in the lyrics of a song, or in the photographs from a family album.

Co-edited by Teresa Aranguren and Sandra Barrilaro and featuring a foreword by Mohammed El-Kurd, the photographs in this book are traces of that existence that have not been erased. They are testament not to nostalgia, but to the power of resistance.

Endorsements

"Against Erasure: A Photographic Memory of Palestine Before the Nakba sets out as a reminder of not only the history of the people of Palestine, but also about the undying struggle against its very erasure. It is a tribute to the emotional power of memory, taking us back to the past of the Palestinians before the Nakba, rendering the whole period as an expression of their vibrant culture, traditions, principles and lifestyle, unravelled through spectacular images of their land demonstrating a life of joy and beauty, of perseverance and resistance. The images will haunt many who have yet to grasp the pain and the fear of a living people who once had a fulfilling life." —The Tribune

"At a time of an unfolding Israeli genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, enabled as much by racist, dehumanizing propaganda as by Western arms, funds and colonial complicity, it is more important than ever to always remember to see the human behind the number, the oppression behind the violence, and the complicity behind the genocide. This precious book shares a glimpse of Palestinian lives prior to the Nakba, the initial destruction of our beautiful homeland to project an image of a "desert" that needs a white colonial settler to make it bloom. In the face of this excruciatingly painful phase of our ongoing Nakba of ruthless, inherently supremacist settler-colonial conquest, celebrating our heritage, our cultural roots, our love for life, for freedom, for justice becomes more necessary than ever. This book helps us do so.“ —Omar Barghouti, Palestinian human rights defender and co-founder of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights "Against Erasure is a stunning demonstration of Palestinian resistance, joy, and the beautiful persistence of our people. As argument, it documents the thriving existence of families, children, and whole communities before Nakba, illustrating our powerful connection to the homeland, which persists and resists until full liberation. This book is a testament to the schools we once occupied and the orange groves our great-grandfather's planted. Through this book, we look into the past as a means of creating and charging towards a future of return." —Noor Hindi ”This book is a precious record of Palestinian life before the catastrophe. Every photograph - in its innocent, casual, permanent testimony to the fact of Palestinian existence - speaks to the enormity of the crime of having not only attacked but tried to erase this history, this place, this people. Reading through it in early 2024, as that crime widens dramatically in Gaza with full European and American support, it confirms the iron necessity of the defeat of Zionism and its patrons.” —Clare Daly, Member of the European Parliament

"We live in a moment when Palestinian life is being ruthlessly dehumanized in the service of a looming genocide. A critical defense of humanity amidst this atrocity is the constant assertion that these are a people who had a culture and a land before it was violently stolen. Against Erasure: A Photographic Memory of Palestine Before the Nakba, is not only beautiful and heart wrenching; it is a political reminder that we are fighting not only with Palestinian life but against an erasure of their entire history." —Dave Zirin, Sports Editor, The Nation Magazine “If you are curious about what Palestinians were like before the Nakba, before the 2014 Gaza massacres, and before the current Israeli genocide or, more importantly, if for some peculiar reason, you need further affirmation of Palestinian humanity get Against Erasure and humanize yourself.” —CounterCurrents "Such a stunning collection of images spanning this significant period of time can only broaden people's understanding of the history leading up to the current situation, horrendous as our current situation is. The book reveals many kinder moments in the lives of many Palestinians. I would hope that publications such as this do a great deal to further the cause. It is a treasure." —Jeremy Corbyn

haymarketbooks.org/books/2325-against-erasure

#new books #haymarket books #palestine

[scotianostra]

15th January 1923 saw the birth of the wonderfully eccentric and very funny Ivor Cutler.

Born Isadore Cutler in Govan, Glasgow, into a middle-class Jewish family of Eastern European descent. His father Jack Moris Cutler was a wholesale jeweller and had premises at 85 Queen Street. He cited his childhood as the source of his artistic temperament, recalling a sense of displacement when his younger brother was born: "Without that I would not have been so screwed up as I am, and therefore not as creative." And creative he was!

Ivor was educated at the Shawlands Academy.[4] In 1939 Cutler was evacuated to Annan. He joined the Royal Air Force as a navigator in 1942 but was soon grounded for "dreaminess", apparently more interested in looking at the clouds from the cockpit window than locating a flight path, and worked as a storeman. After the war he studied at Glasgow School of Art and became a schoolteacher.

Working at a school in Paisley, however, did not agree with Cutler. He hated discipline that required the strap, having received it more than 200 times himself, and in a dramatic gesture took the instrument from his desk, cut it into pieces and dispensed them to the class.

Leaving Scotland was, he claimed, "the beginning of my life". He settled in London for a time teaching music, dance, drama and poetry to 7- to 11-year-olds. Oh how I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in on of his classrooms.

His dour recordings bely his existence growing up in Glasgow and seeing his peers arriving at school with bare feet - a fact which, he later claimed, helped form his leftwing political views, aged five - appeared in his hilarious writings, Life in a Scotch Sitting Room Volume 2. With lines such as "Voiding bowels in those days was unheard of. People just kept it in," he used a string of fantastical untruths to expose the reality of his life and the Spartan - and sometimes sadistic - Scottish existence.

He also taught for a time at A S Neil's Summerhill school. Dubbed a hippy academy where a different approach to education was fostered, Summerhill was run with rules agreed between staff and pupils, and the premise was to educate the whole person. This alternative philosophy appealed to Cutler. He lived in the grounds of the school. Ivor married for a time, but his parenting skills did not go down too well with his then wife, they had two sons, he sent one, on his first day at school wearing a kilt, I can see that going down well in England! His son remembers his father once taking him fake fishing,taking him out in the street, with a stick and bit of string and a fork tied on the end dangling in a puddle, being his fishing line, he also says "I couldn't say I was pleased when he felt the need to walk down the street with a carpet sample in place of a tie."

During the late 50's and into the 60's he mixed his teaching with that of entertainment, managing to secure a slot on Acker Bilk Show and Late Night Line-Up. On one such appearance he was spotted by Paul McCartney, who invited Cutler to appear in the Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour where he played the bus conductor Buster Bloodvessel, and yes the lead singer of Bad Manners took his name from this and was also a fan of Cutler.

Through music, poetry and children’s books the songwriter, poet and “unjoiner” of thoughts perfected a brand of eccentric mischief that made him a favourite of many.

His absurdist songs – sung in dour Glaswegian tones with a wheezing harmonium for company – were an ever-present on John Peel’s radio shows, second only in rotation to The Fall. His darkly whimsical eye can be seen in contemporary British artists like David Shrigley and Martin Creed. And yet Cutler remains something of a marginal figure, known only to a devoted few.

For the latter part of his career, Cutler lived on his own in a flat on Parliament Hill Fields, north London, which he found by placing an ad in the New Statesman saying "Ivor Cutler seeks room near Heath. Cheap!". There he would receive visitors, and his companion Phyllis King, in a reception room filled with clutter, pictures and curios, including his harmonium, some ivory cutlery (a pun, of course) and a wax ear stapled to the wall with six-inch nails - proof of his dedication to the Noise Abatement Society, because of which he forbade his audience ever to whistle in appreciation at his work. The bicycle was his preferred mode of transport, its cow-horn handlebars in the sit-up-and-beg position in line with his Alexander technique practice.

He could quote from Homer, taught himself Chinese and was in the habit of frequenting Soho's Chinatown, where he could display his knowledge - although, typically, he chose Chinese above Japanese because the textbooks were cheaper. With the onset of old age he was increasingly worried about losing his memory, given that his father and brother had both developed Alzheimer's disease. It was a fear that was to be tragically fulfilled. He retired from the stage at the age of 82.

His main champion in the late 70's and 80's John Peel once remarked that Cutler was probably the only performer whose work had been featured on Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Ivor Cutler died after a massive stroke on March 3rd 2006 aged 83.

I could no doubt find many stories about Ivor online but will give you some of his own whimsical word instead, first up is

I Ate a Lady’s Bun

I got taken to gaol.

I ate a lady’s bun.

On her head.

She got a fright.

It was a surprise.

Do not worry I said.

I am eating your bun.

I am hungry for a bun.

Police she cried a good

neighbour heard her

and phoned the

police.

You must not eat a lady’s bun even

if you are hungry.

And I am in jail.

And some of his advice......

5 Wise Saws

1. Do not kick a grocer

on the leg.

2. If you kick a grocer

on the leg, make sure

it’s not a green grocer.

3. If you throw a ball,

it moves in the air.

4. You can not erase a

love letter with a

nipple, no matter how

rubbery.

5. If you empty your bowels

at night, a shepherd

will have a red face

in the morning. -*

#scotland #scottish #history #tacher #poet #entertainer #makar #eccentric

[khoicesbyk]

The Royal Romance.

Forevermore.

A/N: this is the next chapter in the journey of my OTP. Follow along for the fun.

Rated: Mature (at times can and will be Explicit. I'll be sure to change the rating when and if that happens). | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual. Y'all should be used to this from me by now 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: King Marquise Rys (LI) and Queen Shanelle Miller-Rys (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me and/or other authors [their characters have been mentioned and/or used in the story with their permission] ) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 8,600 words. (may be slightly more or may be slightly less. Look, I stop counting after editing and re-editing and driving myself insane. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or DM me and I will gladly add you! 😁😘

This series is rated Mature and/or Explicit. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click ——> Here!

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations

TW: mentions of child cancer, child death, trauma, mentions of murder. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!

Chapter 6.) Auld Lang Syne. Part one.

January 2024 came in like a lamb and left out like a lion. 

Many in the kingdom were still buzzing about the arrest and pending murder trial of Countess Alicia Jacquier-Barbaroux as well as the active eviction of the former King and Queen of South Cordonia. 

While many nobles decried the eviction, there was ultimately nothing they could do about it. Especially when they were evicted for helping Countess Alicia evade being arrested and charged with murder. 

The day before the trial’s official start, Their Majesties were having a breakfast meeting with Carlo, the prosecutor, to discuss the case. 

“Charging another female noble with murder? You’re beginning to have a knack for these things, cousin.”

Marquise snorted into his coffee. 

“I wouldn't have to charge them at all if these female nobles would quit killing their husbands out of rage, spite, or jealousy.”

“Hmm I don’t know, I think you got a kick out of charging the soon-to-be former Countess.” Shanelle quipped. 

“That's only because it pissed off her step-sister. Which brings me joy.” 

Carlo turned his smirk to Shanelle. 

“And you, my Queen, have evicted the former King and Queen of South Cordonia from their home?!” he asked in feigned shock. 

Shanelle shrugged nonchalantly. 

“First of all, Your Highness, that's MY palace to begin with. I gained control of it the day I said I do to your pigheaded cousin. That means I can evict anyone I choose from there at any given point and/or time. Secondly, they wouldn't have gotten evicted so abruptly if they hadn't instructed the palace guards to prevent The King’s Guardsmen from removing Countess Alicia from the premises. And besides, all they did was move from the old palace to Genevieve’s duchy. Thank you very much.” Shanelle said matter of factly.

Marquise arched an eyebrow at his wife. 

“Oh please! You have been dying to throw them out of the old palace for years. And second, who are you calling pigheaded?” Marquise asked her.

“You! Who else?”

Carlo just snickered.

“I love seeing you two together.” 

Marquise shook his head. 

“Now we should get down to business.”

“Indeed Your Majesty. Now have either of you seen the security footage from the night of the murder?” Carlo asked them.

Shanelle shuddered. 

“Yes, we have. And it's absolutely gruesome,” she replied. 

Marquise nodded. 

“Indeed it is. Part of me doesn't want you to show it but the Parliament needs to see the footage.”

“And what of their youngest daughter Alexis? The one who found Lord Amos?” Carlo asked. 

Marquise paused. 

“If you have to call her as a witness, please be gentle in your questioning. She's only 12.”

Carlo nodded. 

“Very well Your Majesty. I will go prepare my opening statement, and see you both at the trial tomorrow.” Carlo said before taking his leave. 

Shanelle looked at her husband. 

“Are you sure calling that little girl as a witness is a good idea? She's already been through enough.”

Marquise sighed. 

“I don't like it any more than you do but to know the full story the Parliament will want to hear from her. Which is why I told Carlo to be gentle in his questioning. I don't want to put her through any unnecessary trauma.”

Shanelle nodded. 

“Okay. Thank goodness my parents are here until June. With Khari at school, they'll happily keep the boys busy.”

“Indeed. So get ready my love. This will be another trial of a lifetime.”

“How long will this trial be?” she asks. 

“Standard week-long trial,” he replied.

“I will be ready for the start of the trial tomorrow.”

“As will I, my Goddess.”

The murder trial of Countess Alicia started promptly at 8:00 AM the following morning. With many in attendance wanting answers for the Earl’s death. Especially his daughters. After opening statements were made Carlo took two days and went to work laying out the very tumultuous marriage between Earl Amos and Countess Alicia. Including revealing that the youngest three weren't Earl Amos’s biological children and playing the full security footage that showed the murder of the deceased. Even hearing his youngest daughter’s pleas. 

“Help! Help! Someone help! My father is bleeding!” she yelled as the video rolled on. 

“Mama! What did you do? Why did you do this?” she begged her mother. 

“Please, Papa! Hang on! Please don't leave me!” the poor girl cried. 

When Shanelle looked over to her, she had her head down and her eyes closed. It broke Shanelle's heart to see her.

“As everyone can see, while young Alexis tried valiantly to save her father, it was too late. By the time Emergency Services got to the estate, Earl Amos had died. He unfortunately bled out in his youngest daughter’s lap.” Carlo explained as he stopped the video. 

“Marquise, I don't like this. I don't like seeing that poor girl like this. She shouldn't have to be here,” Shanelle whispered to her husband. 

Marquise rubbed her knee in sympathy.

“I know you don't. I don't like it either. But at least now the world knows what happened that night.” he whispered back to his wife. 

“It is now where I’d like to ask Lady Alexis Barbaroux to the stand,” Carlo announced to the room. 

Shanelle had a pit In her stomach. 

“Marquise, don't do this to her. She's been through enough.” Shanelle said quietly to her husband. 

“I don't have a choice, my love,” he said back to her. 

The 12-year-old apprehensively walked to the stand. When she looked up at Their Majesties, she was scared. 

“She's terrified! Stop this!” Shanelle pleaded. 

“Carlo. Remember my warning. You get to ask no more than three questions.” Marquise warned Carlo. 

Carlo nodded. 

“Of course my King,” he replies before turning to the little girl with a warm comforting smile. “Hello, my lady. Thank you for being brave enough to join us today. As I promised His Majesty, I won't take very long. Okay?” 

She simply nodded. 

“Now can you tell everyone what you remember from that night?” 

The little girl fidgeted with her hands before speaking. 

“I…I was in my room. Practicing for my solo recital, when I heard Mama and Papa arguing. But that was…that was…it was nothing new.” she said before letting out a small sob.

Carlo nodded with sympathy.

“I promise I’m almost done. Is there anything else you remember?” he asked.  

Alexis nodded. 

“They always argued and I started to ignore it, until I heard Papa scream. And when I went to see what was wrong…that's when I found him on the floor. And Mama was standing over him with a bloody…”

“Letter opener?” Carlo asked. 

Alexis nodded tearily. 

“Yes. She stabbed him. I tried to help him. I tried to…save him. I couldn't save him. I couldn't save my Papa…” the little girl broke down and cried. 

That's when Shanelle had seen enough. 

“Enough Marquise! End this now!” she demanded. 

“Carlo! It's alright. You don't need to question Lady Alexis any further.” Marquise said to him. 

Carlo nodded. 

“Yes, my King.”

Marquise looked to the Countess’s oldest daughter. 

“Baroness Amanda. Take your younger sisters home. There is no need for them to be here anymore.” he instructed her. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” the Baroness replied. 

That's when Lady Alexis looked up at Marquise.

“May I…may I speak to my mother?” she asked. 

Marquise nodded. 

“Go ahead.” 

The little girl nodded to him before getting up and walking gingerly to her mother. 

“Mama?” she asked gently.

Countess Alicia finally looked at her daughter. 

“Why did you do this Mama? Why did you take Papa away from us? Why couldn't you love him like he loved you?” she asked her mother. 

“Alexis…” Alicia said softly. 

“I love you. Despite everything you've done. I still love you. I forgive you, Mama. I forgive you.” Alexis said before sobbing. 

That's when her older sister came to get her. 

“Come on sweetheart. Let's get you home. Okay?” Amanda said to her sister. 

“Amanda, wait!” Alicia said to her. 

When the Baroness looked furiously at her mother.

“Don't you dare speak to me!” she snapped at her mother. 

“Amanda, I didn't–” she started to say before her daughter cut her off, “You didn't what? You didn't mean to ruin the lives of your children? You didn't mean to kill my father? Too little too late!”

“You don't understand Amanda.” Alicia tried to explain. 

The Baroness scoffed. 

“Oh, I understand perfectly. I understand that you murdered my father. I understand that you chose your own selfish, self-centered greed, over your children! How could you? How could you be so cruel, so cold, so goddamn callous? Do you know that because of your actions, I now have to raise YOUR children? Because as we all found out the girls were never his. You and especially your step-sister and brother-in-law forced him to raise another man’s children. On top of having that innocent man executed. Just so the world wouldn't know how much of a no-good whore you actually are!” The Baroness said to her mother. 

Alicia went to speak but her daughter cut her off. 

“I've known for years that you and Papa didn't always get along. It was something I just accepted and lived with. But never did I think you'd blatantly cheat on him let alone kill him. And for what? My father was killed for nothing! No wait. I take that back. He was killed because you couldn't get over being rejected by Her Majesty’s father. It's a good thing he chose Duchess Shantel over you because I can only imagine the hell you would've put poor Prince Damien through if he had actually gone through with the betrothal and married you.”

That's when Genevieve stood up furious.

“How in God’s name can you speak to your mother like that?!” she asked her niece. 

“Simple. Because of you and Uncle Edward. You two may not have put the letter opener in her hand but you certainly contributed to the way she acts! You enabled her to treat my father like shit! When without him she’d just be another noble whore. There's a bunch of them in this kingdom. Your husband would know.” the Baroness replied. 

Genevieve just seethed. 

“You know Aunt Genevieve, growing up I used to think Uncle Edward was the only sniveling coward in our family. Turns out I was wrong. That title now belongs to her.” The Baroness said to her aunt. 

“Amanda, please! I’m sorry!” Alicia cried. 

But her daughter wasn't having any of it. 

“No, you're not. Because being sorry means you're remorseful for what you've done. And we both know you're not the least bit remorseful about killing my father. You’re just mad that since your sister can't save you, you now have to face the consequences of your actions. Because of your actions, I was forced to not only bury him alone but now I have three more children to raise. All while you tried to hide out at the old palace to avoid facing justice. So please spare me the crocodile tears and lengthy excuses.”

The Baroness turned to leave before saying one more thing. 

“Alexis and even my sisters may forgive you, but just know that for the rest of my life, I will not. I will never forgive you for being such a callous, coldhearted bitch. You took my father from me! You murdered him for no other reason than your incessant greed, self-centeredness, and bitter selfishness! You had a good life and a good man. But you just had to ruin it. Because that's who you are. You're no better than your step-sister, grandfather, and especially your mother. May the latter two rest in hell. I will never again look at you and ever see my mother. All I will ever see is the monster you turned out to be.”

With that, the Baroness led her younger sisters out of the courtroom. Shanelle let out a breath she had been holding in. 

“And now I rest my case,” Carlo announced. 

“I think we can take a rest now,” Shanelle whispered to her husband. 

Marquise nodded. 

“Here is where we will stop for the day and reconvene tomorrow.” he said as he addressed the room, "Lord Pollard, as the defense, I expect you to be ready to present your case to the Parliament in the morning.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Lord Pollard replied. 

“Very well. Everyone is dismissed for the afternoon.” Marquise announced before leading Shanelle out of the courtroom. 

When they got to an alcove Shanelle sat down, rubbing her temples. 

“Are you alright?” Marquise asked as he sat down next to her. 

“Physically? I'm fine,” she replied with a sigh, “but that was just awful to have to sit through.”

“I know. I wish it didn't have to come to this but unfortunately, this is the situation we find ourselves in,” he said as he rubbed her shoulders. 

“I shudder to think what the defense will come up with.”

“More than likely they'll look for a scapegoat.”

“You mean my mother?” she asked. 

“I would hope not. But I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't try to blame all of this on your mother,” he replied. 

“I swear to God if they dare…”

He kissed the top of her left shoulder.

“Let us worry about tomorrow when it comes.”

Shanelle nodded. 

“I still need to warn mom.”

“Later. Right now I need a drink and you, my gorgeous wife, you look like you need a nap.”

“Only If you carry me to bed.”

His Majesty happily obliged. Lifting his wife off her feet. 

“I will never get used to that,” she said with a chuckle. 

“The day that you get used to me adoring you is the day I know I've failed as your husband.”

Shanelle playfully rolled her eyes. 

“Lead the way, my knight.”

“As Her Majesty commands.”

He carried her from the courtroom across the palace to their bedroom with ease. Later that night after her children were asleep, Shanelle spent time with her mother. 

“How was the trial butterfly?” Shantel asked. 

Shanelle groaned. 

“In a word? Absolutely horrible.” Shanelle replied. 

“That's two words, baby.” 

The two laughed. 

“My heart breaks for those girls. Especially the younger ones.”

“What happened?” Shantel asked. 

Shanelle gave her mother a rundown of the trial. 

“Not even their oldest daughter knew?” Shantel asked. 

“No. No one knew. All thanks to your brother-in-law and his wife. But you should've seen The Baroness. She let her mother have it.” Shanelle replied. 

“I can only imagine. She was lied to. On top of the fact, her father was killed by her mother. Hell, all of those girls were lied to. It's a sad situation all around.”

“Yeah, but that's not what's worrying me.”

 “What is it, baby?” Shantel asked. 

“I’m worried that the defense will use you as a scapegoat,” Shanelle replied. 

Shantel rolled her eyes.  

“It wouldn't be Alicia if she didn't try to blame it all on me.”

“I will do all that I can to make sure that doesn't happen.”

“No need to baby. I can handle myself. Let her come after me.”

Shanelle shook her head with a smile. 

“And people say I never know when to back down.”

“You must've never met my mother. You used to call her Grammy.”

Shanelle snorted. 

“Fair.”

“Even if her defense does try to blame me for her actions, I didn't put the letter opener in her hand. And I certainly didn't force her to stab the poor man to death. Those were the decisions she made so those are her demons to face.”

“True.”

“Don't worry about me butterfly. I'll be just fine.”

“I know you will.”

Over the next 3 days, it was the defense’s turn in the trial. And as expected they went after Shantel and named her as the cause of Alicia’s spiral. They even alleged that Earl Amos was physically and mentally abusive to the Countess. And that she only stabbed him because she felt it would be the only to keep herself and their children safe. Even calling Queen Genevieve and King Edward as star witnesses. Once the defense rested its case, it was turned over to the Parliament. After 3 days of deliberation, they came to a decision. 

“Have you reached a verdict, Duke Ramsford?” Marquise asked. 

“Yes sire. We have.” Bertrand replied. 

“What say you?” Marquise asked. 

“After much discussion, and an 18-2 vote, the Parliament has decided to convict Countess Alicia Jacquier-Barbaroux of malicious intent of murder,” Bertrand replies. 

Marquise nodded as many sat stunned by the news. 

“No!” Alicia shouted. 

“This is not right! My sister doesn't deserve this!” Genevieve proclaimed.

“The Parliament has spoken, so shall it be.” Marquise said to the courtroom before addressing Alicia, “Countess Alicia, you have been convicted of murder, and will be sentenced in the coming days.”

“No! No! No! I don't deserve this!” Alicia cried. 

“Guards, you can take her away,” Marquise said to the guards.

As the guards went to escort Alicia out, her step-sister tried to block them. 

“Get away from her! You will not lay a hand on my sister!” she snapped at them. 

Shanelle rolled her eyes. 

“Since Queen Genevieve wants to join Alicia so badly you can arrest her as well,” Marquise instructed the guards. 

That's when Edward stood up shouting. 

“Don't you idiots dare touch my wife! Or I will have your heads!” He yelled at the guards. 

Marquise groaned while rubbing his brow.

“Hell with it! Arrest him too! And for the love of God, gag him!” he commanded. 

Many watched as the three were taken out of the courtroom screaming at Marquise. 

“Now that the circus is over, I want to thank the Parliament for your time and service to this trial and your kingdom. You are all dismissed.” Marquise announced. 

He and Shanelle watched as everyone filed out of the courtroom. Leaving them alone. 

“Well that's finally over,” he said. 

Shanelle nodded. 

“To be honest I half expected them to come back split down the middle.” 

“True. But I’m glad that they didn't. Otherwise, we would've been here for a few more days than I wanted to be here.” 

“When will she be sentenced?” Shanelle asks. 

“Before we leave for Paris,” he replied. 

“Paris? Why are we going to Paris?” 

“I mean do you not want to go to Paris Fashion Week, my love?”

Shanelle squealed happily. 

“Yes, I thought you might.”

True to his word, Alicia’s sentencing was the day before they were set to leave for Paris. Before issuing the final sentence, Alicia’s three youngest daughters asked to speak publicly on their mother’s behalf. 

“While we understand what our mother has done is wrong and unforgivable. And that our Papa is dead because of her, we ask you, Your Majesty, to be lenient in your sentencing.” her daughter Allyson read in a statement, “we have already lost one parent, we don't want to lose another. Instead of sentencing her to death, we are asking you and Her Majesty to sentence our mother to solitary confinement in the dungeons of the old palace if Her Majesty will allow it.”

Marquise looked at his wife. 

“Well, my Queen? Shall we honor their ask?” he asked her. 

Shanelle looked at him then to Alicia and finally to the girls. 

“As a mother, my heart breaks for you girls. You have been robbed of your father by your mother’s greed and bitterness. Your lives have been destroyed. I can't imagine what you girls must be feeling. Anger, sadness, shock, disgust, and maybe even resentment. As a Queen, I must decide with His Majesty that both serves justice and keeps the people safe. This was not just a random mistake. Your mother poses a great threat to us all. I can not overlook that. But since you three have bravely come forward to ask, I will allow your mother to be held in confinement at the old palace. But only for the sake of you three girls.”

Marquise nodded before looking at Alicia. 

“Very well. Alicia Jacquier-Barbaroux you have been sentenced to life in solitary confinement within the dungeons of the old palace. You will be under 24/7 guard and will only be permitted to visit with your daughters. Supervised visitations will be three days a week for only 4 hours each day.”

He then looked at the girls.

“I want you girls to listen very carefully, while you will be permitted to see your mother, you three will not take advantage of this opportunity. You will not abuse this opportunity. Because if I hear that you have, I will revoke it from you and your mother will then be sent to the prison island of Grandevarea. Is that understood?” 

The three young girls nodded. 

“Good.” he said before addressing the guards, “you may take her to the dungeons and will await further instruction.” 

After everyone watched as Alicia was escorted out of the throne room, the couple stepped off the daises.  

“You did good by them,” Marquise whispered to his wife as they walked to the side entrance. 

“I had to. Those girls have been through enough. They don't deserve to have to suffer any more than they already have.”

He brought her right knuckles to his lips for a soft kiss. 

“And because you've done good by them, you deserve a reward.”

A slow smile started to break across her face. 

“Mon amour. Paris attend sa reine.”

“I can't wait!” 

“Let's go!” 

After saying goodbye to their little ones, The Royals were on a flight to the city of Love. 

Paris is one of their favorite cities in the world. And being there during Fashion Week has always been a dream of Shanelle’s. A dream her husband made come true. They were standing on the rooftop deck of their private residence enjoying the sunset view of the Eiffel Tower. 

“I love Paris,” Shanelle said with a contented sigh. 

He wrapped his arms around her with glasses of Lowyn Prosecco in hand. 

“I love you in Paris,” he whispered in her ear as he handed her a glass. 

“You love me everywhere.” 

“Guilty.”

They smirked at each other as they clinked their glasses together. 

“I'm sad we got here too late. I would kill for a ham and cheese omelet from our favorite brasserie.”

“I will have one here first thing in the morning.”

“You're a sap. You know that right?” she teased him. 

“Always and forever. Especially for you.”

“That's not how the song goes.”

“Improvising.”

Shanelle snickered. 

“Your improv needs work.”

“You are such a damn critic.”

“And your biggest fan.”

“I'm sure Khari would have objections to that.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“This view is perfect. And here I thought you were going to this home into one of those AirBnB things.”

“Nah. I decided to keep a few places the family owns to myself. Although the AirBnB idea isn't bad. I'm glad I thought of it.”

“I would pinch you but I like my jaw right where it is.” 

“Smart man.”

The pair watched the sun go down and the moon rise in the sky before it became a tad too chilly for Shanelle. 

“Are you cold love?” he asked. 

“A little bit.” 

He wrapped his jacket around her. 

“Let's get you inside.” 

The two walked inside and down the steps to the main living area. Where bags of groceries and their guards were waiting.

“As requested, my Liege.” their guard Geraldo said to them. 

“Thank you,” Marquise replied

Shanelle became slightly curious. 

“What's in the bags Your Majesty?” she asked. 

“Guanciale, Pecorino, Parmigiano, grani di pepe nero, aglio, rigatoni e uova,” he replied. 

“You're making Carbonara, which is Italian food mind you, in France?” 

“That a problem?”

Shanelle shrugged and grabbed the bottle of Prosecco.

“Hurry up and get that sexy ass of yours in the kitchen!”

“By your command my Queen.”

She sat at the counter with a glass in her hand as she watched him roll up his sleeves and lay out his ingredients. 

“I love watching you cook.”

“If I remember correctly my cooking is what seduced you in the first place.”

“True. Now I get the guanciale, the cheese, the garlic, the black pepper, and I even get the eggs, but why Rigatoni? Especially when you normally use Bucatini?”

Marquise shrugged. 

“I thought I’d try something new.”

“Your daughter made you watch someone make it like on TikTok again didn't she?” she asked. 

Marquise cut his eyes at her. 

“Like I said earlier, you are a sap.” 

“Whatever.”

She watched as started the process of making his Spaghetti Carbonara. 

“Yay! You’re not dicing them into small lardons this time.”

“I should because those will render faster but I also want us to have something to snack on.”

“That works for me!”

“And now! We slice the garlic!” he announced.

“Like Goodfellas?” she asks. 

“Yes! Razor thin! You want it to almost melt into the guanciale fat.”

She watched him slice the garlic and then separate the eggs, grate the cheeses, crack the pepper, and whisk it all together. 

“This is gonna be so good!”

“Indeed. And now we add the guanciale to a cold pan and heat it slowly so the fat renders and we have snacks.” 

Shanelle clapped happily. 

“Enjoying the show beautiful?”

“Don't I always?”

“True enough,” he said as he opened a new bottle of Prosecco and poured himself a glass. “God this stuff is good.”

“We will be drunk by the end of the night.”

“With full bellies.”

“Why don't we do this all the time?” she asked. 

“Kids.”

“That's why we don't do this all the time.”

She loved watching him be so at ease. It had been a stressful time and she was happy to be able to spend time alone with him. 

“A snack for the lady,” he said as he passed her a small bowl of cooked guanciale.

“Mmm! I swear this stuff is like bacon!” she said as she popped a small handful into her mouth. 

“It is pork cheek so…”

“True. It still amazes me that a King can cook. And cook quite well actually.”

“I had to eat somehow while I went to Harvard.”

“You coulda just bought the meal plan.”

Marquise scoffed. 

“No thank you.”

“Why not? Were there no caviar and foie gras options for the Prince?”

He snatched her bowl away.

“Gimme my bowl back!”

“No! You just insulted me!”

“Gimme!”

Marquise cut his eyes at her before handing her the bowl back. He left a little bit of fat in the pan to fry off the garlic. 

“Ahh! Finally, it is time for the marriage of egg yolks, cheeses, cracked pepper, guanciale fat, and pasta water!”

While the meal normally didn't take him long to make, he enjoyed giving his wife a show. Plus both of them were halfway through their third bottle of Prosecco and feeling it. 

“And with just a smidge more pepper and more Pecorino on top dinner is served!” 

“Shut up and pass me a fork!” 

He handed her a bowl before they went and sat down on the couch to enjoy each other’s company and their food. 

“Okay I like the rigatoni but I think I prefer bucatini,” Shanelle said in between bites. 

“Agreed. Although I won't complain about this.”

“Not at all. You have mastered the art of Carbonara. Y’know if this whole being a King thing doesn't work out you could be a chef.”

Marquise snorted into his glass. 

“And give Jenna a reason to boss me around even more than she already does? No, thank you.” 

Shanelle snickered. 

After dinner was done, they laid on the couch under a handmade quilt. 

“I am sated, satisfied, drunk, and happy about it.

He kissed her forehead. 

“Anything for you.”

“Thank you for dinner babe. It was delicious as always.”

“My pleasure. It was a last-minute shopping request I sent out to the guards here.”

“I’m glad you did.”

She snuggled against him. 

“This is why I married you.”

“Why?”

“Because of these little romantic moments. You didn't have to cook for me.”

“Well, I sure as hell wasn't about to sit here all night and starve.”

Shanelle snorted. 

“Besides you know I love cooking for you.”

“I know. It's one of your most redeeming qualities.”

He smiled softly. 

“You know what?”

“Hmm?” 

"I can't stop thinking about kissing you."

"And what are you going to do about that?"

“This…” he said before he leaned and captured her lips in his for a soft sweet kiss.

“I hate it when you do that.”

“Why?”

“Because I always wind up agreeing to anything.”

“Good.” 

He kissed her again. Slower and more sensual than before. A slow smile crossed her face. 

“Stop.”

“Make me,” he whispers against her lips as he tightens his arms around her. 

As they lay together, she started to get sleepy. 

“I think it's past your bedtime, my love.”

“But.”, she said with a yawn, “I don't want to move from this spot.”

“Very well. This is where we will be until the morning.”

“Fine by me.”

“Goodnight beautiful.”

“Goodnight handsome.”

He watched her slowly drift off to sleep in his arms before going to sleep himself. 

They spent the next few days attending various shows. While Marquiss didn't understand many of the runway looks he saw, seeing his wife have the time of her life was worth it to him. As they flew home, she was still gushing about their trip. 

“That was amazing! I loved everything. And when I say everything I mean everything!”

“I noticed. Which show was your favorite?” he asks.

“Schiaparelli. Hands down. They were amazing. And all the outfits I got!” she replies. 

“As if your closet isn't big enough as is.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes.

“But in all seriousness, I am happy you enjoyed yourself.”

“And what was your favorite part of the trip, Your Majesty?” she asked.

He merely tapped the diamond cufflinks on his wrist. 

“You know I never come to Paris without seeing Pierre François.”

“True.” 

Once back at home, it was back to normal for them. Or so they thought. 

Their daughter had been having bad stomach aches for days but no one could figure out why. It wasn't until she started to catch a fever that they became concerned. 

“Marquise, she is on fire,” Shanelle said to her husband. 

Khari moaned in pain. 

“Mommy…”

Shanelle rubbed her forehead.

“I’m right here baby,” she said to her daughter before speaking to him, “call Nadia. Now.”

Marquise nodded. 

“I'll be right back.” 

“No Daddy. Don't go, please.” Khari pleaded. 

“I won't be gone long, my love.”

“Noooooooo!” she whined. 

“Come here, my angel. Come here,” he said as he scooped her up into his arms.

“I don't feel good Daddy.” Khari cried. 

His daughter was in pain and it broke his heart to watch. 

“I know you don't. I will only be gone for just a second. I have to call Nadia. I'll even leave your door cracked. Okay?” 

“You promise?” 

He kissed her forehead. 

“I swear it on my life.” 

“Okay.”

He gave her back to her mother. 

“I'll be right outside,” he whispered to Khari. 

Marquise stepped out to call Nadia when Damien walked up. 

“How is she?” Damien asked. 

“Her fever has spiked. So I’m going to call Nadia.” Marquise replied. 

“What do you need from me?” Damien asks. 

“To stand here and keep me calm. If you don't mind.” 

“Consider it done.”

Marquise nodded and called her pediatrician. When he hung up with her, he had a look on his face. 

“How bad is it?” Damien asks. 

“She wants us to bring Khari to the ER at St. Michael’s,” Marquise replied. 

“Go. I will handle the day-to-day here. And don't worry about the boys. Their grandmothers will keep them company.” 

“If I don't say it enough, thank you, Damien.”

Damien nodded. 

“No need. You forget I have a daughter too.”

“I know.”

“Go on then. I'll go let Shantel and Margo know.”

Marquise stepped back into his daughter's room. 

“Who was that Daddy?”

“Your grandfather, my love. He was coming to check on you.” 

“What did Nadia say?” Shanelle asks. 

“To bring her to the ER at St. Michael’s.” 

“Okay. I'll get her dressed. You call the car.”

Marquise modded before kissing his daughter’s cheek and leaving the room. Once Khari was dressed they were off to the ER in the wee hours of the morning. When they got there Khari wouldn't leave her Daddy’s arms after they were settled into a room. 

“Hello hello everyone. We have got to stop meeting like this. I need my little ones to be okay.” Dr. Nadia said as she entered the room. 

She looked at Khari who was clinging to her Daddy as she sat down. 

“Hello, sweet girl. What's wrong?” Nadia asked. 

“My tummy doesn't feel good,” Khari replied in tears. 

“Oh, you poor thing. Well, I’m here now. And I’m going to make sure we find out why your tummy hurts so bad and we’ll make you all better. Alright?” 

“Okay,” Khari replied quietly.

“That's my girl.”

Just then there was a soft knock at the door. The head of the ER Dr. Hadley.

“Your Majesties, do you both remember Dr. Hadley?” Nadia asked as he walked in.

They both nodded.

“Yes, we do. It's good to see you, Doctor,” Shanelle replied. 

Dr. Hadley nodded politely. 

“It's good to see you both as well,” he said to Shanelle before addressing Khari, “and it is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances though.” 

“Hi doctor,” Khari said quietly. 

Dr. Hadley smiled at her.

“I know you don't feel well but that's why your great-aunt and I are here. We're going to find out what's bothering you and make sure you get all better. But first I need you to do something for me.”

“What’s that?” Khari asks. 

“I need you to be big and brave. Can you do that for me?” he asked.

Khari thought for a moment then nodded. 

“I can do that,” she replies. 

“Atta girl! That's what I like to hear. Now we're going to get you changed, get an IV going, and get some scans done. Okay?” 

“Okay.”

Dr. Hadley looked at her parents. 

“She’s doing great. And Your Majesties, you both have my word, she will be well taken care of while she's here.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Marquise said to him. 

“Alright, sweetheart. Let's get you changed.” Nadia said to Khari. 

Once Khari was changed into a hospital gown, a nurse came in to start an IV and had a wheelchair. 

“Princess, Your Majesties, this is Yvonne. She's one of the nurses here. She's going to start Khari’s IV so we can get some pain medicine in her then take her down for an X-ray and CT Scan.”

Yvonne bowed. 

“Your Majesties, it's an honor,” she said to the couple. 

“Can my mommy and daddy come too?” Khari asked Nadia. 

“Sure they can. But they'll have to wait in the waiting room. Okay?” 

“Alright.”

“Good girl. Now let's get going.”

Once Khari’s IV was in, she was in the wheelchair and they were off. While they took Khari back, her parents sat out in the waiting area. It's when they sat down, that Shanelle broke down in her husband's arms. 

“I know. I know. You’re scared. I am too. But it's gonna be okay. Khari is here and she's safe. And she's with some of the best pediatric doctors in the world. Shhh. Don't cry.” he whispered to her. 

“I’m trying to be strong, I promise. It's just…” Shanelle tried to say before her words were choked off by a sob.

“I know. I know you are,” he said as he rubbed her back. 

“Your Majesties?” a voice asked softly. 

When they both looked up a woman was standing in front of them. 

“Please pardon my intrusion. But I was sitting over there in the corner and I couldn't help but overhear you both say that the Princess is here.”

“Yes, she is. They just took her back. Who are you by the way?” Marquise asked. 

“Oh pardon my manners. I'm just a little nervous. My name is Lady Selene De Michele-Charroux. My daughter Elena is in school with the Princess.” the lady replied. 

“She's one of Khari’s classmates?” Shanelle asked. 

“Yes ma'am. They took her back before you all got here.” Selene replied. 

“If you don't mind my asking, why?” Marquise asked. 

They watched the lady wring her hands nervously. 

“My lady, why don't you sit down? You look about as stable as I feel.” Shanelle said to her. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Selene said gratefully before sitting down next to them, “to answer your question, my King, my daughter has a rare form of neuroblastoma. She's had it since she was 8 months old. She was being taken back for an MRI.” 

“Oh my God! I'm so sorry!”

Selene nodded gratefully to Shanelle. 

“Thank you, my Queen. When my daughter was at school a few months ago, before she got really sick, she was being picked on by another group of children. And the Princess stood up for her. She told the children picking on her that if they didn't stop picking on my daughter, she was going to tell her father. And she told them that her father doesn't like bullies.” Selene explained. 

Marquise just shook his head with a smile while Shanelle chuckled softly.

“For the record, she never told me.”

“I’m sure she didn't but it was the thought that counted for my daughter. She considered your daughter her only friend. And I just wanted to say thank you to you both for raising such an amazing young girl.”

“Thank you, my lady. You said your last name was De Michele?” Marquise asked. 

“Yes. It's my maiden name. You probably don't remember but I went to boarding school with Leo.”

Marquise nodded. 

“That's why your name sounds familiar.”

“Yes. As it just so happens you went to school with my cousin.”

“I did?” he asked. 

“Yes. Does the name Jean-Marc Archambeau ring a bell?” she asked. 

��As in Commander Hervè Archambeau?” he replied. 

“Yes. He and my mother Countess Gladys De Michele are brother and sister. According to him, you two were always butting heads.”

Marquise chuckled. 

“Yes, we were. How is Jean-Marc?” he asked. 

“He’s doing well. Thank you.”

“I haven't heard that name in years. I was told they had moved. What happened?”

Selene cleared her throat. 

“Your father is what happened to them.”

Marquise groaned. 

“What did he do?”

As she was about to answer, both little girls were wheeled out.

“Mommy! Look! My friend Elena is here too!” Khari squealed happily. 

It made Shanelle smile. 

“Hello, Khari’s mommy and daddy! It's very nice to meet you.” Elena said to them. 

Marquise bowed to the little girl.

“Hello, my dear. How are you?”

Elena smiled at him.

“I’m doing good.”

Selene tapped Marquise on the shoulder. 

“Your Majesty, is it okay if we speak privately?” she asked. 

“Of course my lady,” he said to her before turning to his wife and daughter, “you two go on back I'll be there soon.”

Shanelle nodded as she and Khari left.

“I'll be right there sweetheart,” Selene said to her daughter. . 

“Let's have a seat,” he suggested to Selene. 

They sat down. 

“I’m sure you didn't want to have this conversation in front of them.”

“Yes sire.”

“Now what happened?” he asked. 

Lady Selene cleared her throat. 

“Do you remember getting into a fight with my cousin?” she replied. 

Marquise thought for a moment. 

“Yes, sort of. We were 15 and if memory serves, and it was over a score at a football game,” he replies. 

“Yes. He swears you stole a goal from him.” 

Marquise snorted. 

“Oh geez! Now I remember.” he said with a chuckle, “And for the record, I didn't steal the goal from him. He was being too slow and I took the shot.”

“I believe you. Anyway, you two had words, started shoving each other then fists went flying and you gave him a black eye and he busted your lip.”

“Yup. I remember now we had to be separated. And Headmaster Boisseau gave us each a tongue lashing before we were suspended for a few days.”

“Unfortunately for my cousin, it didn't end there.”

“I don’t like the sound of this.”

“What should've been handled by the school, was handled by your father.”

Marquise let out a breath. 

“What did he do?” 

Selene paused for a second. 

“He had my cousin arrested and charged as an enemy of the crown.”

Marquise was shocked. 

“What?! Over a petty fistfight?”

“Yes. He sent a summons to my aunt and uncle and demanded an audience with them after he was arrested,” she said before taking a deep breath and continuing, “When they had their audience with him and Regina, he told them they could either pay a fine that would've bankrupted our whole family, be exiled, or worse, he would execute my cousin.”

Marquise groaned. 

“My God.”

“King Constantine said he sentenced him to exile because my cousin assaulted an active member of the Royal Family. But my uncle knew the real reason why.”

“What was the real reason?”

“Revenge.”

Marquise nodded. 

“Because of Sebastian. He still blamed your uncle for the ambush that killed him.”

“Yes. I'm sure you didn't know.”

“No, I didn't. But now that I think about it, his not coming back to school makes sense.”

“I swear I didn't tell you for sympathy I promise. But you deserved to know.”

“Thank you, my Lady. If you don't mind telling me, where is your cousin now?”

“Norway. They moved there after they were exiled. My aunt was originally from there.”

“And what about your uncle?” he asked. 

Lady Selene went quiet. 

“I’m sorry. I didn't mean to pry.”

“No no. It's okay. He passed away after my daughter turned 2.” 

Marquise nodded before pulling out his wallet.

“Here. Take this.” he said as he handed her a small business card, “have your cousin contact my office as soon as possible.”

“Yes sire. Thank you so much. I wish you and the Princess all the best.”

Marquise shook her hand. 

“The same to you and your daughter as well my lady,” he said before they went their separate ways. 

When he got back to Khari’s room, they and his aunt were waiting. 

“I’m so sorry I took so long. I didn't mean to make you all wait.”

Nadia smiled. 

“It's alright nephew. You’re just in time. I have the results of Khari’s scans.” 

Marquise sat down next to his wife and daughter. 

“As it turns out, Khari has a ruptured appendix,” Nadia said to them.

“What's that?” Khari asked. 

“It's one of your organs, sweetie. It's one of the things we all have. Except for your dad.”

“Daddy doesn't have one?” 

“No. He had his appendix taken out as a teenager. I would know. I had to treat him.”

“I wasn't that bad.”

“Hmm…I don't know about that.” Nadia teased. 

Khari giggled.

“Now because it's ruptured it has to be taken out. That will require surgery.”

“What's that?” Khari asked. 

“It’s where a doctor has to make a small cut in your stomach.”

Khari reared back.

“No! No!”

Nadia laid a reassuring hand on hers.

“It's not bad my dear. I promise. You won't feel anything. You'll be asleep the whole time.”

“I will?”

Nadia nodded. 

“And I will be there with you every step of the way.”

Khari chewed her bottom lip.

“Do you remember what Dr. Hadley asked you?”

“To be brave.”

“Can you be brave for me?”

Khari nodded. 

“Yes, Aunt Nadia. I can be brave. Very brave.”

“That's my girl. Now I have to talk to your father for a second outside okay?”

“Okay.”

Nadia pulled Marquise outside. 

“She’ll be transferred upstairs to a private room for surgery prep.”

“When is her surgery?”

“Because it's the weekend, it'll be tomorrow at 9:00 AM.”

Marquise nodded. 

“Thank you, Nadia. I appreciate it so much.”

She patted his arm fondly. 

“Of course, nephew. I'll see you tomorrow.”

When Marquise returned to his daughter and his wife. 

“What did she say?” Shanelle asked. 

“She said that Khari’s surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 AM so she’ll be sent upstairs for prep.” 

Shanelle nodded as she held Khari. 

“Okay. We’ll be ready.”

“Indeed we will.”

There was a knock at the door. It was the transporter. Marquise recognized him. 

“I remember you,” Marquise said to him. 

“Hello, Your Majesties. My name is Sammy. I'm here to take the Princess upstairs.” the transporter said as he introduced himself. “I was here when His Majesty had his surgery when he was 16.” 

“It's good to see you again.”

Sammy smiled. 

“It's good to see you too, Your Majesty.”

Sammy turned to Khari.

“Are you ready Princess?”

“Yes sir.”

Khari climbed into the wheelchair. 

“And off we go!” 

Once Khari was transported and settled into her room, it was time to meet her surgeon. 

“Hello! Hello! Good morning Your Majesties, and to you too, Your Highness. My name is Dr. Gaston Cormier. I am the head of surgery here at the hospital. It's good to have you all here. Although I am pretty sure one of you swore to me years ago they'd never come back.”

Marquise shook his head with a smile. 

“Hello again doctor. Thank you for coming to greet us.”

“And now that you all are here I want you all to know that the Princess is in very good hands. We will do everything in our power to make sure this process goes as smoothly as possible. And Princess you have my word, I will be very gentle. You won't feel a thing. Okay?”

Khari nodded. 

“Yes sir.”

“Very good.”

“Will I be able to eat?” Khari asked. 

“Yes. You can eat until midnight tonight but no later. Alright?”

“Okay.”

“Now I have some consent to surgery forms that I will leave for you both to sign and I will see you all in the morning.” Dr. Cormier said before taking his leave. 

After signing the consent forms, Shanelle let out a breath she had been holding in.

“You look exhausted, my love,” Marquise said to her. 

“It's been a long morning.”

“Indeed. Why don't you go home and get some rest?” Marquise asked. 

“I can't. I can't leave her here.” Shanelle replied. 

“It'll be okay. I'll be here with her.”

Shanelle shook her head no. 

“No Marquise. No. I'm not leaving.”

That's when Khari spoke up.

“It's okay Mommy. You can go. Besides the boys need you, they're probably wondering where everybody is.”

“But baby…”

Khari held her mother's hands. 

“We gotta be brave Mommy. Just like Dr. Hadley said. We have to be big girls. Okay?” Khari asked. 

Shanelle took a shuddering breath. 

“Okay.”

“I'll be okay. I'll get to boss Daddy around while you’re gone.”

Marquise made a face. 

“You always boss me around.”

“I know but now I get to be extra bossy.”

Shanelle shook her head. 

“Okay, you and your daddy win. I'll go home and check on the boys. But I'll be back later okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“And I'll bring you your favorite things.”

“Yay! Thank you, Mommy.”

Shanelle kissed her daughter on her forehead. 

“I'll see you later Peanut.”

“Okie doke! Now we can eat!”

“How can you think of food at a time like this?” Shanelle asked. 

“The same way Daddy always does,” Khari replied with a shrug. 

“I beg your pardon madam!” he protested. 

Khari giggled. 

“Alright, I’m going. I love you, baby girl.”

Khari hugged her mother. 

“I love you too Mommy.”

“I'll walk you out love,” Marquise said to her. 

Marquise walked his wife outside before calling for a guard. 

“Take Her Majesty home,” he told the two guards outside. 

The guards nodded curtly. Marquise’s phone buzzed in his pocket. 

“Who is that?” Shanelle asks. 

“Your father. I texted him to put a statement out about Khari being in the hospital,” he replied. 

Shanelle checked her phone. 

“Thank you for naming him the new herald of the Monarchy.”

“He was happy to accept the job. Now let's get you home.”

Marquise pulled her into a loving hug. 

“It'll be okay my love. Khari is a big girl. And she's brave. Hell, she's braver than you and I will ever be. We should hold on to that.” he whispered. 

Shanelle held onto her husband. 

“I know. And I’m trying. It's just…I want to scream. And I just wanna hold her and make the pain go away.”

He kissed below her left ear. 

“I know you do and so do I. Now go. Go check on our boys. I'll hold down the fort here.”

Shanelle smiled at him before leaving with the guards.

You have reached the end of part one! Stay tuned for part two!

#khoicesbyk #choices #choices stories you play #pixelberry #fanfic #choices fanfiction #king marquise #king of cordonia #queen shanelle #queen of cordonia #king and queen of cordonia #black king liam #black couple #black love #black marriage #cfwc fics of the week #choices fic writers creations #my otp forever #otp forever #my otp

[copperbadge]

Sam, I hesitated to call this a new trend without proof, but I think three movies pretty much proves it: the new thing in Hallmark-esque Christmas movies is having them based around reality tv stars' show premises. So far, there's Hilary Farr (of Love It or List It) with an interior-decorating themed movie, and both Bobby Flay and Duff Goldman have cooking-themed movies coming out.

I am filled with that kind of horrified fascination you get upon realizing that you're watching a figurative (not literal) car crash in the making.

And I'm dying to know: what kind of holiday movie does Eddie Rambler reluctantly/excitedly allow himself to be dragged into when he realizes it's the only way to keep the Flay-expy from gaining more influence over the food world?

I wonder if they're all by the same production company. That genre of film, the Hallmark/Lifetime-ish low-budget, made-in-four-weeks type, has to churn out content like crazy and there are only so many ideas in the world. It's entirely possible there's one company that's just...doing all of these because they have a pre-existing relationship with the shows they're drawing from, and it doesn't pull the star away from their life for very long. Filming on a Hallmark number is literally 4-8 weeks tops.

There was a minute there where a lot of the Hallmark films had a famous female vocalist as the lead as a way to pull people in, this might be the next wave of that kind of thing.

It would be deliciously recursive to do a Shivadh novel about a film crew making a Hallmark-type movie in Askazer-Shivadlakia, considering the entire goddamn thing originated as a Hallmark script. There is a short story I'm working on where Michaelis offhandedly mentions that they offer generous incentives for companies filming music videos or advertisements in-country; I'm sure Gregory would be pleased to welcome movie crews in the off-season. You can film cheaply and easily in Fons-Askaz from November to March or so (depending on when Passover falls), it's a gorgeous location, and it stays pretty warm year-round.

Hallmark does non-holiday movies too, so they wouldn't necessarily have to be filming a Christmas movie or one of the handful of Hanukkah movies, although the holiday movies get more attention. They could just be filming a romcom, basically (Kavan Smith, who appears to just love Hallmark movies, has played lead in a number of these, some of which have been a lot of fun). Eddie's a decent actor so I don't think it'd be hard for him to get involved, or even be the one who brought the crew there in the first place -- him or Jerry, given Jerry's connections.

Ahaha. Jerry just shows up in Parliament one day like "In my capacity as vizier, I have brokered a deal to bring Hollywood to our doorstep. It's a nefarious plan, but hear me out..."

#shivadhverse