A. N. -- As I promised Curtis, a bit of a transition piece/epilogue.
Quinceañera
St. George's Chapel, Davion Palace, Avalon City, New Avalon
April 23rd, 3073
"History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside." -- John F. Kennedy
The first hover-limousine in the procession of cars stopped in front of the chapel doors. As an immaculately uniformed footman stepped forward to open the car's door, the company of dress-uniformed infantry flanking the car snapped to 'Present Arms' with the crack of leather boots together under the gaze of the cameras.
Victor Ian Steiner-Davion, Archon-Prince of the Federated Commonwealth and the single most powerful man in the Inner Sphere, stepped out and exchanged salutes with the guard commander.
Then he turned to the car, and extended his hand to assist the lady inside the vehicle to help her exit.
Dressed in a
pure white and gold bespoke silk dress, and wearing a
priceless sapphire and diamond tiara that had been worn by generations of Steiner women before being inherited from the grandmother that she had been named in part to honor,
Samantha Melissa Steiner-Davion, 'Kitsune' to her closest friends and family, stepped out of the limousine like the crown princess that she was.
Her blue eyes narrowed as she gave the filming cameras -- and the billions of people who would be watching this moment on New Avalon and across the FedCom -- a trained smile and wave while her attendants fussed with her dress to make sure it was in order.
Then her practiced and professional smile grew much warmer and more genuine as she locked eyes with
the Hispanic girl who had emerged from the limousine behind her, which was flying the planetary flag of El Dorado. Her distant cousin and best friend Victoria Sanromea-Davion walked to her side on the arm of her grandfather, Duke Diego Sanromea-Davion, letting the cameras see how they were wearing matching dresses.
Then the two Davion cousins marched alongside their escorts to review their honor guard before entering the chapel for the traditional El Dorado
quinceañera coming-of-age ceremony that they had decided upon for their joint fifteenth birthday celebration.
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The air inside the
chapel was heavy with incense, and filled with the droning of the Brigade of Guards' chaplain. Samantha, kneeling in front of the altar for this part of her Quinceañera Mass, followed along with the homily with only part of her attention.
Instead her eyes focused on one of the stained glass windows behind the altar, which had the fox badge of House Davion surrounded with the regimental insignias of every unit of the AFFS when it had been commissioned.
Sam, well aware that the eyes of the cameras and the public were on her -- as well as more importantly the eyes of her parents, family, and the invited guests among the nobility -- silently began to identify regimental crests in an effort to calm her nerves from having to deal with yet another secretly hated public appearance as the Heir to the Throne.
'First Davion Guards -- The Strength of Alexander. Second Davion Guards -- Wrath of the Free. Third Davion Guards -- Don't Tread On Me, who were Grandpa Hanse's favorite Regiment. Great-Uncle Ian's Fourth Davion Guards -- Dragon's Bane....'
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She'd gotten to the Twentieth Avalon Hussars (The Sandbaggers/The Dao Breakers) by the time the homily ended. Then, as was traditional according to Victoria's explanation of this ceremony that had been carried to El Dorado from far-distant Terra during the First Exodus of humanity, she placed her bouquet in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary as a pledge to uphold her role as a warrior-princess and a young-woman-to-become.
Now surrounded by her friend and their joint female and male escorts (seven couples selected by each of them to make up the court of fourteen couples), she curtsied to the statue, then turned to face and thank the guests gathered for her birthday ceremony.
The Samantha's eyes were caught by the steel-blue stare of
an (seemingly) ageless Japanese woman sitting in the front pew next to her father and alongside Aunt Katherine.
She swallowed nervously at the clear subtle signs of Mother contemplating delivering 'an educational lesson for her own good' later today.
Again.
Samantha dearly wanted to shout into the face of Princess-Consort Omi Steiner-Davion
'would it be too much to ask for ONE DAY without a rulership lesson?' -- but she knew that would be asking for massive trouble later.
And Mother would smile, and just do what she thought was best for Sam. She always did.
Daddy, to his credit, when he tended to get upset once the storm blew over he would forgive and think no more of it.
Mother, on the other hand....
Samantha wasn't sure if Mother was truly capable of forgiveness deep down.
For a while five years ago she had actually believed the whispered palace rumor that Omi's apparent agelessness was because she was a vampire. Mother had chuckled and shook her head when Sam had screwed up the courage to ask, though. Omi had then explained that it was just good genetics and living, admittedly helped by some gene-cleaning that had been done to her ancestors during the Star League, that bred true in her family line.
Samantha was less sure if the other palace rumor that Omi secretly kept and hand-fed her grudges until they died of old age, then had them stuffed and mounted so that she could admire them regularly was false.
She wouldn't put it past her mother.
And... even more privately, she wondered about what that meant for her future as her mother's daughter.
Then she shook off her dark thoughts with an effort of will, since it was her fifteenth birthday. She and Victoria had a party to celebrate!
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Davion Palace Reception Hall
Samantha sat down in her throne-like chair and accepted a glass of
paffel sparkling cider from a waiter to re-hydrate after the latest round of dances. Then she grinned as Victoria joined her. "This is a lot of fun, Vicky!"
"Yeah, you said it, Sam!" Her friend replied. Then Victoria's dark eyes narrowed at the sight of her grandfather speaking quietly to the Archon-Prince, who nodded to the uniformed commander of the
detachment of Davion Guards who had formed the arch of swords that she and her friend had entered their court of honor under.
The officer smiled and spoke into his radio while Victor walked to the front of the room where a stage had been set up with the courtyard outside as a backdrop through the bay windows.
Victor took the microphone and grinned, producing a minute fond and indulgent smile from Omi.
That didn't attract attention... but the next moment everyone looked his way as the room shook slightly like a small earthquake had hit.
THUMP
Victor tapped the microphone and spoke. "Since this is a birthday, it's traditional to give gifts...
THUMP
"..for the birthday girls to unwrap..."
THUMP
Aunt Yvonne rolled her eyes at her older brother's antics, then giggled as her seven-year-old son Hansel suddenly squealed excitedly and pointed toward the window showing the outside.
THUMP
"...but we couldn't find enough wrapping paper in the FedCom for their surprise gifts...."
THUMP
"...so Samantha, you'll just have to settle..."
THUMP
"...for driving
Prometheus back to the Mechbay once I pass the code keys to you! Just be sure to bring him back before bedtime, dear!"
With that Victor pointed to his left where a
Dire Wolf painted Steiner-blue with gold trim had just been marched into position in the courtyard outside.
The assorted guests burst out laughing at the sight of the hulking Assault Battlemech -- which had blue and gold ribbons tied in a huge bow around the advanced laser pod that formed its left forearm, and the massive 203mm high-speed Ultra Autocannon assembly that made up the right arm.
Then Victor pointed to the right. "So as not to leave Victoria out of your plans, she's getting one of Kallon's new
Templar OmniMechs to keep my troublemaker company and out of jail. I can HOPE that she will keep doing a good job of it -- starting with your reserved booking tonight on the Palace's live-fire training course so you can get to know the personal 'Mechs that you two will be taking with you to your academy training."
Victoria's eyes were wide and she smiled uncontrollably at
the slightly less bulky but taller humanoid BattleMech painted AFFS olive drab green with red and gold ribbons patterned after
the planetary flag of El Dorado tied around both weapons barrels that took the place of its arms.