Chapter 13
Next day, after a bit of exercise with playing with Ashley, and having lunch, Carolyn and Max departed for Rigshospitalet.
Being taken to the Royal ward, Max was poked, moved and had several vials of blood drawn. Another visit to the MRI, but this was a short scan. Then evaluated by the chief physiotherapist and Dr van José. Only then, a few hours of enduring all this, were the couple allowed to return back to Sorgenfri.
As they landed in the front courtyard of Sorgenfri. Selene, with several Royal Guards, rushed to the helicopter. Carolyn was quickly ushered away while Max was transported on a stretcher to the South Wing and transferred directly to his bed to rest after the ordeal.
Max wondered what was happening, as not a word from anyone, with Raul standing guard the South Wing lounge.
Carolyn eventually entered the lounge with Raul bowing deeply, then exiting the lounge and closing the door.
Nurse Tarryn, who was sitting in her usual spot in the far corner of the lounge, stood, curtsied deeply and left for her assigned room in the suite, leaving Max alone with Carolyn.
Max eventually saw that Carolyn had been crying. Coaching her nearer to try to hold her, she climbed onto the bed next to him and cried into his chest, her body shaking with sobs.
After a while, she quietened down. Max was still holding her, ignoring the wet tears and running nose leaking all over him, while continuing to hug her tightly. Kissing her head, he quietly asked her. "Baby, what has happened? What is wrong?"
After a minute or two, she weakly told him.
"M-my father died. He was leaving the lunchroom, heading for his office when he clasped. They tried without luck to restart his heart. Grandmother saw him, on the ground as they were working on him, as she was coming down the stairs. She slipped and fell. She is currently unconscious in hospital with a broken pelvis, and both arms and head wound."
Carolyn stopped and turned around, grabbing some tissues and blew her nose. Then grabbing some more she tried to wipe Max's shirt which was wet from her tears and snot. Rubbing away, and he let her while she was like this. She continued.
"As of now, I am the Regent Queen unless my grandmother does not wake, or if the doctors declare her unfit for duty, then I will be crowned Queen of Denmark."
Max softly stilled her hand, as she was rubbing a bit hard and the tissue was shredding over him, rather the cleaning him. He semi forced her face to look at him.
"My love, while my heart bleeds for your pain and loss, I too am hurting at the sudden departure of your father while knowing and believing it is all God's Will. I will always be here for you and will do my best to assist you where I can. And I will never ever stop loving you nor leave you."
Pulling her to him, into his one-armed hug, he softly prayed out loud for God's healing, for His Will to be known, for His guidance and love. Max then prayed for God to watch over the Queen and if it is His Will, to have the Angels either heal her or to take her peacefully and painlessly to Heaven. Then Max prayed for Carolyn, bestowing strength and love of Christ upon her, which also included Amelia and Clementine, and the rest of their family. And lastly, he prayed for the people of Denmark and those who knew and loved Prince Johann and the Queen.
About 15 minutes later, a soft knock sounded on the bedroom door. With emotionally exhausted Carolyn having fallen asleep on Max's chest, he looked up and saw Selene was standing at the door, red eyed holding a tissue.
She stepped into the room and whispered they had to wake her.
Max quickly sent a prayer of strength for he knew the worse had come. Softly, he woke Carolyn.
She first looked at him then saw Selene standing there. And suddenly she knew too.
Carolyn sighed and closed her eyes. She sighed again. Sniffed, then turned away from Max, blew her nose on fresh tissues and asked.
"My grandmother has passed on, isn't it? I am now Queen."
With Selene bursting out crying, with Raul, Philip and Nurse Tarryn now all gathered at the bedroom room too, with upset faces as well. Silent, they confirmed. Selene and Nurse Tarryn dropped deeply into a curtsy, Raul and Philip bowed deeply from their waist.
Then Philip said, "May the Lord lift up our dearly departed Queen Sophia and Prince Johann. Bless them. Long live our new Queen Carolyn!"
Then Philip, with Tarryn, Raul and Selene, repeated: "Long leave the Queen!" traditionally three times.
Carolyn, after a bit, nodded to them her thanks and they departed, all but Selene who remained behind.
"Ma'am, I know this is not the best time, but we have to let the public know."
Sniffing, Carolyn authorized Selene to do what needs to be done.
Selene nodded and sniffed into her hanky, left the room.
"My Love, I am sorry that you have all this weight upon you. Please, let me help. How can I help you?"
Carolyn wanted to scream. She wanted to run away. From everyone. But she knew also she needed Max, now more than before. She turned to him, reddened eyed, and said.
"No matter what happens from now on, you must fight me if you have to. Fight for me. I need you always. I will need your support. Someone to prevent me from shutting myself out. Someone to keep me from blaming God. But most of all from pushing you away."
She leant over and kissed him for a bit.
"I need to go wash, and change. They will want me to be sworn in as soon as possible. I just wish we were already married."
She left for the bathroom and closed the door.
Max called Nurse Tarryn and demanded that Selene come see him as soon as possible. Then, after relaying the message via her phone, Tarryn was instructed to help him dress in a suit and be put into a wheelchair, with a load of pain killers to numb him.
Tarryn didn't even argue. She quickly sorted his urine bag and helped him dress, then with assistance from Raul, got Max situated in the wheelchair. Raul, after being requested to, wheeled him into the lounge just as Selene entered the suite.
Seeing her look a little bit better, he sat Selene down next to him on the chair, and informed her of what the new Queen had said to him.
Then he ordered her to ask the Archbishop to come urgently to the Palace. He wanted to wed Carolyn before she was required to be sworn in officially as Queen.
Also, he asked if he could speak to Princess Amelia and was informed that the Palace doctor had to sedate her after she nearly collapsed in a crying fit.
Max then also ordered that Ashley stay away from them for a while, not to be told of what is happening, which Selene concurred she had done so.
Selene quickly made some calls while Tarryn brought the pain meds he requested.
Out came Carolyn, eyes still a bit red, but her facial evidence hidden with makeup, and dressed in her royal outfit required for the ceremony. She looked questioningly at Selene and Max. She approached them as Selene hung up.
Selene then dutifully informed her. "Ma'am. The announcements of the deaths of Her Majesty Queen Sophia and Crown Prince Johann has been released with a brief story as to how it incurred. Per the Count's order, the Archbishop is on his way to gladly bless the marriage between yourself, and the Count. Then he will perform the swearing in ceremony, in the presence of the Prime Minister, some members of Parliament and Princess Clementine, as there was not enough time to arrange for more to attend. This will be recorded and released to the news media afterwards.Your mother, Princess Sophia, unfortunately, will not be attending as the Palace doctor had to regrettably force sedate her. Ma'am, on your behalf, I have instructed all flags to be at half mask, and the Prime Minister has ordered the county into mourning, until the funerals."
Thanking Selene, Carolyn took the glass of water and some medicine from the Sorgenfri Palace doctor, who had entered silently and handed it over to her, to help calm her nerves. She slowly smiled at her two best friends, Max and Selene, knowing without them, she will have the strength to get through this.
*****
Later in the day, before the Arch Bishop, in the presence of her sister Princess Clementine who volunteered to be her maid of honour, with Selene, the Prime Minister and five members of Parliament - who were near by and able to attend in short notice, including several members of the Sorgenfri Palace staff, and been recorded. Carolyn swore to love, honour and cherish Max till the end of her time and accept Max as her husband. Max too swore to love, honour and cherish her until God's will separates them in death. And to serve her too as his Queen. The Archbishop blessed the marriage and declared them husband and wife.
Then he proceeded with the sworn in ceremony, almost like a coronation, but not. After Carolyn recited the oaths, he crowned Carolyn, Queen of Denmark.
When announcing to everyone at the end of the ceremony, he announced: "Your Royal Highnesses, Lords, Ladies and gentlemen. Witness this occasion, in the presence of His Almighty. I am honoured to present to you, Her Sovereign Majesty, Carolyn Anne Marjory Sophia, Queen of Denmark, and her husband, Count Maxwell Peters. Long live the Queen!"
And that phrase echoed throughout the Palace Throne room, down the halls, into all corners of the Palace.
"Long Live Queen Carolyn. Long Live The Queen!"