Banished Prince Charming

Chapter 74 - The Royal Procession

After dinner, the citizens were gathered to receive the announcements and I was wondering if I make my identity known, would it affect the citizens making them bow incessantly when I walk about the village, practically making them halt their jobs as I pass and observed their progress?

Maybe I should make a decree that there should be no incessant bowing here and there, and to treat and accept for whom I was yesterday and for the days to come. Only during special occasions would the soldier's salute be used and that could only be used by men-at-arms.

Looking at the expectant faces, I have to form the appropriate sentences for the following speech in my head first before I finally let it out from my mouth. The words of choice would either bring them to a morale booster or simply like a wet towel instead.

"Good evening my fellow citizens of GraceHaven. We would like to thank the heavens for a miracle had occurred here in our little village. Nothing if this sort had happened and the ones who were to experience them would be the Chadwells. Please stand and give a few words to your fellow neighbours and friends."

I gestured to the Chadwells and they began to rise as the man spoke on how thankful he was and how the wife would strive to serve the community as well as me for the future to come. The boy and girl stood on the benches and waved hands around and sat down while the citizens applauded upon waves and waves within the tight community.

Then I moved on to the topic for tomorrow funeral procession. "Just after daybreak, I would be sending off my parents for their last rites and for me to pay the last respects to them. Everyone is expected to attend, there is no need for mourners, and everyone would be wearing dark clothes for tomorrow. A procession would commence fro lm my house right to the funeral ground."

"The pioneers and engineers had already prepared 3 pits of graves and an individual clay headstone had been set for each one of my family members."

'However, after the funeral procession tomorrow and for the months to come, no one is permitted to bow, perform a soldier's salute, curtsy or be petrified on the ground whenever you see me and Heather walking around."

"Ashworths, could you repeat what I had said just now about after the funeral?" Ashworths slowly stood up and was wondering how come he was being targeted even though he had been listening attentively and was not chatting when the young master spoke.

"No one is allowed to now, salute, curtsy or freeze on the ground as you and Heather walks the grounds, sir?"

"That's right. And from tomorrow onwards, the only honorific or means of addressing me would just be Sir and my wife to be Lady Heather." and as soon the citizens heard the word 'Lady', they may have an inkling that both Heather and I might be of some noble's background.

As I followed through the progress reports of individual team leaders and head of department such as loom, tailor and weaving production area, the progress they had made was an astonishing figure and the sheds that were meant to store each individual goods were almost full to the brim.

Nevertheless, it is a very positive sign because the residents were able to finally get revive the harvest after the seeds had been sown. As the tokens had been completed, every family received a fair share of tokens to get their weekly rations of grains, flour, bread as well as vegetables and fruit.

The children were the ones who taught the a.d.u.l.ts what those letters on the rectangular tokens mean as each depicts a standard number of rations to be collected once they had passed it to the respective distributor to receive their rations. There are 8 families at this moment and it would be a trial test run for these families for the next few weeks to follow once the supply had been replenished.

The citizens would receive the exact number of tokens and each token allows them to exchange for 5 pounds of grains and 5 pounds of flour per week per household. Also, there would be multiple tokens for an exchange of bread, vegetables and fruits. Several small pouches containing condiments such as salt and pepper, tea leaves and sugar would also be provided.

This list is non-exhaustive as the citizens were able to voice their suggestions to make their life much more comfortable. Whether the rations were sufficient or they consider to have more, everything would be recorded. So there would a few more tokens that would appear in time to come.

As I concluded the conference for the evening, the citizens lined up and wished their condolences for my family members as they didn't know that the family members were actually from a royal bloodline. Some may have deduced the fact but would only be ascertained once I had made the proper announcements tomorrow.

=*=

The next following day, at the crack of dawn, all the citizens had donned their dark coloured clothes and had assembled in the courtyard. The engineers, guardsmen and pioneers stood by as I made the final preparations.

A 2' by 5' was used as a makeshift coffin where their individual clothes have carefully lain inside and the mat simply folded in two. Three twins were used to toes the ends and centre of the makeshift coffin and their rings and amulets were buried along with it.

Darlington's flag was used to cover each individual makeshift coffin and laid on top of each coffin was the pillow that had individual crown, coronet and tiara placed on top of it. The pillows were placed dead centre of the coffins and once everything is clear, I stood outside and called for Eagle to follow up the procession.

"Pall Bearers... In position." in this case was an exception for people to step into the house with their shoes on. Each coffin was carried at the corners by each of the engineers and guardsmen. As everyone was in position, I took a clay bowl and broke it in front of the doorway.

Once everyone had firmly held the coffins from within the house, Eagle made another command. "Foorrwwaarrdd... Ssllooww mmaarrcchh. Leefftt...! " as he leads the slow march, followed by me and then the 3 coffins.

The coffins were not raised upon the shoulders but instead at the sides of the waist instead.

The pioneers followed the procession behind and when the citizens saw the Royal crown, coronet and tiara, truth and realisation finally dawned on them of who I was.

The slow march was painstakingly slow as one took only one step at a time, lining their boots in front of one another like walking on the right rope. A normal walk would take only mere na eight of a foot of shadow's length but in that day, it was like an Eternity...!

We finally reached the burial grounds, and a set of clay bricks were set aside for me to finally set them down. 2 long rope was used lower down the makeshift coffin and it was knotted in a way that when the other end was pulled, the whole rope got free.

I held on to the crown, Heather to the coronet and Eagle to the tiara. Sparrow had held on to each of the flags as each one of the coffins had finally being lowered inside the grave. I walked and stood the graves as I proclaimed to citizens, "Here lies the great old King, His Majesty, King Richard Macleod, along with Her Majesty, Queen Silvia Macleod and their daughter Her Ladyship, Princess Tanya Macleod."

My voice boomed across the barren grounds and everyone heard my voice rang clear and true.

"They had perished during the siege a few months ago at their keep in Darlington. But these honourable royal family did not give in to those wretched rebels and never gave up the fight to defend their last stronghold and protect their old heir, Prince Audemars Macleod."

Gasps were heard when the 40 odd citizens realised who had stood before them, eating and joking among them, working the fields and not afraid of getting dirt on his hand and sweat in his back...! He was a Prince... And a worthy one too...! A Prince among the commoners who treats every one of the same levels. R-E-S-P-E-C-T...!

"In accordance with the best guidance that ai had received from His and Her Majesty, I would hold responsible for the lives, the welfare and wellbeing of the citizens of GraceHaven. Each of them would be treated equally with respect and honour as they are the ones building everything from scratch while I stood at the sidelines to observe the progress that the people had made."

"GraceHaven will continue to prosper and to slowly build itself from a settlement before and now to a full-fledged village. Who I am before this and who I am after, would not make much of a difference for I am still the person among the people. Together we can make things happen and together we forge a better future for GraceHaven."

"My dear royal family, please rest in eternal peace and be constant guidance for your only son to lead our people like the way you lead Darlington."

As I poured a handful of earth into the grave, Eagle commanded everyone, "Ssaalluuttee... And ttrriibbuuttee..." as everyone from the engineers, guardsmen, pioneers, a.d.u.l.ts and even the children gathered some earth and slowly poured on each individual graves, starting from the old King, Queen and lastly the Princess.

As the last child had performed the tribute, the earth was slowly filled till it was a mound and I slowly laid the bricks around the graves to serve as a tomb. The headstone was placed facing the east as I placed each of the pillows with their crowns, coronet and tiara on the grave near the headstones.

Everyone was solemnly watching me at the sides as they knew that the only son living would have the final task of laying the last bricks.

After I had finally done so, I head a soft voice. I turned around and saw Chadwells boy and he held 4 stalks of some wildflowers. He walked towards me and I went down on one knee as I knelt at his eye level. "Hero... Nice flowers."

"Go ahead, little man." as I patted his head and he turned, places a stalk of wildflowers near the pillows and he held the last stalk and walked to me and said, "Baby sister..." I smiled and nodded as he then ran off to the other end of the burial grounds and placed the stall of wildflowers in it and ran back to join his sister.

I stood before their graves, went down on one knee and solemnly swear that I would bear true faith and allegiance towards the people of GraceHaven. Eagle who stood a short distance behind me commanded, "Last Ssaalluuttee..." as the engineers, guardsmen gave their last salutes on one knee while the pioneers and citizens were on all fours, including Sir Blackie who was beside Heather.

After a minute of silence, I stood up and simply said, "It's time to go..." and everyone recovered back to their positions and followed the procession with me and Heather in the lead.

Just as we were about to cross the bridge, Sir Blackie suddenly got worked up. It started to growl and gashed its teeth and let out a sharp bark as it turned to look at me and raced towards the farmlands and stood before it and barked furiously...