THE ROYAL AUDIENCE
05 Jan 2022Titus A. Cromwell
At some point when she was with her father Princess Aisling overheard him receiving a report about the family that had been rescued and liberated from Federation repression. The tale fascinated the young princess. It sounded like something out of fiction. The more she heard the more she was intrigued. She went off trying to read about this daring adventure but could find no record of it in the Imperial Register. As the weeks went by she did not forget about the story she had heard. Finally, she asked her father to take her to meet this brave and intrepid family.17th February 3283 Prince Harold Duval and his eldest child, the granddaughter of the Emperor, Hengist Duval, Princess Aisling personally visited the family. The Royals spent 20 minutes meeting with the family who had suffered so much under cruel Federation tyranny.
It was during this brief encounter that, in an otherwise formal atmosphere, six-year-old Princess Aisling quietly stepped away from her father and walked toward the family. Everyone assumed the young princess was merely going to take a curious turn about this odd family from the Federation. However, she must have been quite smitten with the older boy. Because it was then, much to the alarm of her governess and the Imperial Guard, that the young princess rather impulsively grabbed young Titus' hand, pulled him lower, got on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.
It happened so fast no one could intervene. Titus remained firm in his posture. His parents turned white. The Imperial Guard's initial instinct was to lurch forward. They were all saved by the governess who quite swiftly moved forward and with a firm hold sternly led the tiny princess, with eyes agaze on Titus, off to the side.
It was only when Prince Harold chuckled that everyone (except for the Imperial Guard) loosened up and started to breathe again.
Then, before leaving the family to their new life and freedom, the Prince provided the Cromwell’s with a generous endowment. Titus continued to grow and his family thrived.
To the astonishment and shock of everyone in their community Marcus and Victoria Cromwell rocketed to the top of Imperial Society in their block of Clients within their Patronage. Under the Federation the Cromwell’s went from riches to rags in six months. Then, they skyrocketed to fortune in the next seven months in the Empire. Who would have imagined in their wildest dream?