Chapter 11

After dinner in the formal dining room we sat out on the patio until sunset. As darkness fell Emily pointed out constellations to her sister and I as we all three cuddled and necked. After escorting the girls to their room I returned to mine and spent some time surfing social media looking for info on Jordan and Allison. I noted that Jordan’s footprint seemed to decay away after she started her employment with the Winthrope Group. My presence was minimal anyway and I found mine just about totally gone. Was something being done to hide this information? I decided to ask Desiree about it.

I also spent time looking at the twins’ website. A few of the pictures were pretty risque but they were clothed in all of them, though they skirted the line pretty close when it came to sister-sister play in a couple of shots.

Around ten I slipped into the twins’ room. I found them talking about my day with Emily. I gave Emily a kiss goodnight. Jessica worked to outdo me and we left Emily panting a little and considering a call to Isabel or maybe Desiree.

“She’s such a slut,” Jessica said after we returned to my room. “At least its not a bad thing.”

Jessica was wearing a negligee I recognized from their website. She had left the thong bottom back in their room though. I had slipped on some PJ bottoms for my trip to their room.

“Come snuggle with me,” I said climbing onto the bed.

“Am I the snugly sister?” Jessica asked climbing into my arms.

“I don’t think about you as part of a set. You are your own unique person, Jessica.”

“How do you even do that? No one but mom can ever tell us apart. Not even dad except he says I’ve the snapper cunt...” She must have seen something in my face. “It’s Mariner custom.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ve been with my mom too. Tell me about the custom.”

“OK,” she said snuggling down into me. “Some people say it came from the Carthaginians, but we really don’t know how old it is. Mothers teach their sons and fathers their daughters about how to pleasure themselves and their partner. I was really surprised how much in the outside world virginity and hymens are such a big thing. Our custom is for a girl to ritually break her hymen when she turns fifteen. Then she is counted as a woman. Usually her father or brother then shows her the joys of womanhood.”

“What about pregnancy and such? I know this custom goes back farther that the 1950s.”

“Oh we’ve known about condoms and diaphragms forever. Cycles have been understood too. They work much better than a lot of modern doctors will admit in preventing pregnancy. And there are natural spermicides, that are safe and work too. Of course now it’s not much of a problem.”

“And the church is all right with this?”

“Sure. I’m no theologian though. You could discuss it with Bishop Scavo if you want the theological perspective.”

“Maybe I will.”

She looked up at me. “How come you took Emily to someplace she has always wanted to see and you’re taking me to a place I’ve been a thousand times? I practically lived at the National Museum when I was a kid.”

“And you really liked it, didn’t you?”

“It sparked my love of history.”

“And I want you to share that with me. You love to teach people about history. You and Emily are not the same. She’s focused on the future. You love the past. It’s one way you’re different.”

“James. I so want you right now and I don’t think it has anything to do with hormones or pheromones or royal genomes.”

Jessica and I made sweet love. There were no sexual acrobatics. No hot sloppy blowjobs or record breaking bouts of cunnilingus. She spread her legs wide and I slid into her and we fucked in the missionary position until her snapping pussy managed to drain all the hot sperm in my warm sac. And then about half an hour later we did it again.

“Lord, James,” she said after. “How is it you always know just what I need?”

Since the trip to the National Museum was due to be a full day I took breakfast in my rooms with Jessica. When she slipped into the consort suite to change for our day her sister was gone, probably at breakfast with mother and Desiree.

Jessica was dressed for today’s outing in clothes similar to those her sister had worn the day before, plunging neckline top and tight slacks accented with what looked like comfortable shoes. The slacks almost looked like yoga pants. They had a pattern of small blue open books on a yellow background instead of the subdued black Emily had worn.

Emily was out waiting by the car with Desiree and the security detachment.

“Your Highness the museum has been closed today for your visit,” Desiree briefed me. “We have arranged to have lunch available, since we don’t want you and Ms. Bianchi to have to eat out, considering all of the security headaches that would cause.”

“Before you two go I need my goodbye kiss,” Emily said. Then she laid a scorcher on Jessica.

Desiree smirked at me. She stopped when Emily turned around and laid one on her. I saw Desiree stiffen for a minute and then totally respond.

“You break my spymaster and there will be hell to pay,” I said capturing Emily and dipping her to plant a burning kiss on her.

“Ms. Ormond, are you cognizant enough to do your assignment.” I asked after finishing.

“Yes Your Highness,” Desiree said after laughing at the panting Emily.

Once Bianca got us in the car I asked Jessica, “Desiree said I should ask you about the story of the legend of the Hidden Prince.”

“In the twelfth century there was a dispute between the Catholic Pope Gregory VII and the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.” she started.

“During the conflict between Henry and the Pope the German princes elected Rudolf of Swabia, emperor after the pope excommunicated Henry. Prince Filippo, who ruled Mariner at that time, was a supporter of Rudolf. Henry managed to placate the Pope and then set about retaliating against those who had attempted to oust him.

“At that time Mariner was more involved in outside politics. Henry or one of his sycophants decided to eliminate the Riogati line in retaliation. To protect him, Filippo’s son Elia was sent to Ravenna in what would eventually become the Papal States. He became the Hidden Prince. A regent ruled the principality in his stead after his father’s death, until the ascension of Henry’s son, Henry V.

“After that Elia return to Mariner to rule. But during the time he was in Ravenna he met Vittoria and Bianca Longhi, twin sisters who captured his heart. It is said he loved them both so much that when he returned to take up his throne he returned to Mariner with them. He loved them both equally and so could not choose which one to make his wife, so he married both of them.”

“The church must have loved that,” I said.

“During those times local rulers had great discretion in the appointment of bishops. Mariner bishops were always understanding of our unique take on sexuality. Since the bishop was the representative of the church there was no outcry from Rome. They were married in the cathedral, like all Mariner princes.”

“That sounds great. Who wouldn’t love a story like that? It’s got hidden royalty, romance. It’s great myth, history, whatever. But there’s more isn’t there?”

“Yes,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, looking at me like I was a prize student.

“Like Arthur of Britain the legend says that Elia will return. Considering, well, you, there is a lot of interest in the legend right now.”

“And the fact that I’m considering taking you and Emily as my consorts has to be feeding into that too.”

“Yes. Your statement about coming from hiding to Lord Merid at lunch was a little too much on point. I thought the Regent was going to pass out. Lucia, Lady Ovest, nearly came right then.”

“We’ll be arriving in a few minutes,” I heard Bianca announce from the speakers.

Jessica frowned, “No time for canoodling”

“Canoodling? Where did a nice Mariner girl like you come up with a word like that?”

“I’m a well traveled international model. You should hear some of the words I know. Or maybe not.” She winked.

We pulled through the gate in front of the museum. The wrought iron fence around the front of the building enclosed a bricked courtyard which I assumed did not normally see traffic. I saw a couple of guards manually closing the gates behind us. One gate had a sign announcing the museum would be closed today.

The building itself was huge and appeared to actually be a collection of interconnected buildings of various architectural styles. The edifice at the entrance was very Romanesque. A woman stood in front of the massive doors. A wicket gate, that is a small pedestrian door inset in the larger door, was open behind her leading inside. I saw Desiree climb the steps to talk to the woman while my security detail spread out around us. Another man exited the door and said something to Desiree and finally she looked at the car.

This time as Bianca opened the door I specifically looked and saw she was wearing an earpiece. Obviously there was a lot more happening behind the scenes to keep me safe than I had realized. Once again the seriousness of all of what was happening struck me. I was really a prince and there might really be people out to hurt or kill me.

I shook it off and turned to help Jessica out of the car. I stuck out my arm and she took it, letting me escort her to the door.

“Your Highness this is Dr. Lucia Giordano,” Desiree introduced the woman.

Dr. Giordano was a small woman. She looked to be in her mid thirties. She was wearing an open jacket over her tight low cut blouse. It hardly detracted from the view of the grapefruit sized breasts which looked enormous on her slight body. She was wearing a full wool skirt that matched her jacket. It was cut above her knees and her legs looked great. She wore thick two inch heals that were probably way more comfortable to walk in than the three inch CFM heels Bianca, my driver, was wearing. She was wearing red framed glasses. She really had the sexy librarian thing going on. She was wearing a wedding ring.

“Please to meet you Dr. Giordano,” I said.

“Lucia please, your highness,” she said smiling at me. I could see a little flush run up her. I guess that she had just got a whiff of my pheromones. She was an attractive woman. “Miss Bianchi, I’d like to welcome you also.”

“Oh please call me Jessica,” my date said smiling back. I could see her giving Lucia the once over.

“Shall we get started then?” the doctor said turning to enter. “If there is anything that you particularly want to see please let me know Your Highness. Else we’ll just do the tour.”

We entered a space dominated by the bones of a great elephant. I noticed Desiree was trailing behind us.

“This is the Great Hall,” the Doctor said. “I’m sure you noticed our prize elephant. This specimen was found frozen. It had already died before it froze, probably from a combination of hunger and exposure. As you can see from the artifacts in this case it was a war elephant, most likely part of Hannibal’s invasion of Italy in 218 BCE.”

“James, we think that part of Hannibal’s army became separated from the other forces and ended up settling in what is now Mariner,” Jessica said.

“Very true,” Lucia said. “The actual route Hannibal used is still highly contested.”

There was a map on the wall with several possible routes marked in various colors.

Lucia stepped over to a long desk which had a number of stacks of maps, brochures and other documentation. The chair behind the desk was empty. I imagined that usually it was staffed with tour guides and docents. She plucked a couple of maps off the desk and handed one to Desiree and myself. I guess Jessica and I would share.

“The National Museum of Mariner consists of eighteen connected buildings. It has thirty-five permanent exhibition halls, an observatory and the largest library in the principality. The entire facility covers some 25,000 square meters. Besides many exhibits of historical value the museum houses the Crown Jewels as well as various examples of armor belonging to the royal family, as well as various other royal artifacts on loan from the crown.

“Most of the specimens in the Great Hall are related to the ancient period. As you can see there are some artifacts from the late iron age. Hannibal’s Carthaginians were not the first inhabitants of Mariner’s valleys. After the Carthaginians arrived Mariner remained autonomous until conquered by the armies of the Roman Drusus. Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, also called Drusus the Elder was the brother of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Around 260 CE the territory became independent again, mostly due to raids from Germanic tribes. This forced the Empire to withdraw over the next two hundred years or so.”

We checked out the cases of artifacts in the hall. I could see that Jessica was fascinated.

“I remember the first time my mother brought me to the museum and I saw that sword,” she said pointing to a Roman gladius. The blade was pitted, and the grip, which appeared to be bone or ivory, was cracked.

Finally Lucia led us out of the Great Hall and down a concourse. There were several large archway doors leading into other halls. She picked one and we followed.

“I think you might find this interesting Your Highness,” she said.

I looked up and saw a large bi-wing aircraft hanging from the ceiling, like at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington back in the States.

“For much of the modern era Mariner has been mostly isolated from the rest of Europe. The invention of the airplane in the early twentieth century has served to reduce that isolation. Prince Filippo was enamored with the new technology and purchased the principality’s first aircraft in 1913. As you can see by its Monocoque construction it was at the bleeding edge of technology for its day.”