'Til Kingdom Comes - The Banished Prince Vol 3: The Prophecy

Award

"Hey Big brother, did you have your dinner just now? I didn't eat because I feel so nervous that I felt somethings were fluttering inside my stomach that I felt full all the way since lunch just now."

"Jo and his sister is here already and the 8 of us would be on the stage here in the Macleod Coliseum, right, to receive the award? What do you think it is and what was it so grand?"

Gillian was asking me as I too did not have any dinner as I was struck with a certain level of nervousness. We were wearing our new pair of clean Adventurers uniform and does Jo and his members as well.

Earlier, we had done a dry run where we all would be down on one knee once Our Majesty had gone up to the stage as Sister Anastasia announces the arrival. We would be at the corner of the stage when we were in that position.

Once Our Majesty and his family had seated themselves, Sister Anastasia, by the assisting voice of Michelle and Gwen would be calling our names one after another.

We would rise up to our feet, perform a salute and kneel before Our Majesty. When he stood up, we would then stand up and receive the award. After that, we would salute once again and walk down the other side of the stage.

I was calculating the procedures in my head and little did I know that the rest of the team members were doing the same thing too.

Everyone in the group today was expectant of the award as some say that it's the highest order one could receive during their tasks and helping Our Majesty to achieve his objective.

"What did we do to get this kind of award? All we do was to guide the Irish Travellers back here and meet some town folks along the way and oh yeah, to let a family whack the face of the noble to become literally unrecognisable."

"We also lead the families of 84 households back to this town too. Does that mean we would be getting an award?"

"Coins would be better since we can keep them in the treasury and earn interests every month. Hehehe."

I highlighted this to Gillian and she somehow agreed. Besides, an award may be in a form of like a trophy or something, isn't that right? "I wonder what award we would get but this tension is driving all of us crazy. It's nearing 7 in the evening I think. The lights around the Coliseum had already been raised all around."

I mentioned it as a matter of fact as the pitch had already been cleared of the wrestling ring and there would be a games event held monthly here in the next few days.

I wonder what kind of games they were going to hold since it would be harvesting time soon. Besides, the Romani Gypsies that Jo had managed to entice them to be settlers here are good at organising such events, I heard.

"Hey, Jo, you feeling nervous as well? Any ideas on what we would be getting for the award? There's nothing of a clue here on the table next to the thrones where Our Majesty would be sitting. Just a table and a white cloth over it."

I called out to Johannesburg and Joanne as once both shared the first consonant and happened to have the same sounding name. "Yeah, Guy. We got so nervous that my stomachs cramping up and had to visit the John for some time."

"I never felt this much pressure and also our next tasks from tomorrow onwards would be much more arduous than this as well...!"

"I can't see the award from here, it's just a cloth over a table and I saw some red cloth on it too. That's about all but why it was made to be this grand, I really wonder."

I nodded my head and saw from the movements of my eyes that Our Majesty and his family were heading towards the stage area and we saw Michelle signal with her hand, palm down, which means we would be on our knees and held our left fist to our chest.

We acknowledged as we knelt on one knee and held our fist on our chest as Our Majesty walked in, holding the twins by their hands as they sat down at their thrones while the twins had their own chairs to sit as well.

"We now welcome His and Her Majesty, Audemars and Heather Macleod, along with His and Her Royal Highness, Jesus Raphael Macleod and Angelica Mae Macleod," Gwen announced as her voice was projected and amplified throughout the whole Macleod Coliseum.

Those on the bleachers stood up to welcome the arrival of Our Majesty and his royal family and when Our Majesty had settled down in the throne, only then the rest of the citizens sat back down.

Our Majesty was wearing their best clothes today like the one on Coronation Day but without their crowns and coronets. It seems the twins were happy as they sat on their own chairs as they swing their feet underneath.

"Today is a special day that brings all our people together. In this town, there are no peasants, serfs, nobles, Romani Gypsies or Irish Travellers but only one — The people of Gracehaven."

Everyone who heard this clapped their hands since this tradition had been brought along since the town was in their early stages of a settlement before.

Equality among people and no ill feelings it intentions existed in this little bustling town. Everyone was happy and delighted to be part of this town.

"Today marks yet another special day where we commend those Adventurers who stepped out of their line to put themselves at considerable risks. Without these Adventurers, the recent families of Irish Travellers and Romani Gypsies would never found a Haven here in our town."

"These Adventurers had also brought peace to a tumultuous situation in one of the towns many miles away from here and they had saved 84 household families to safety. If not for these Adventurers, that situation would not be highlighted to us and therefore we had to step in to bring order to chaos."

"A family, who had been tormented by the Lord of that town, was literally kept in silence because a Lord is a Lord and there was no one brave enough to step up and seek redress for what that Lord had done."

"But yes... Finally, the boiling anger that was bottled up inside had finally been avenged. Now the family is within our midst and so does the rest of the 83 household families as well."

"Without further ado, let us put our hands together to the 8 Adventurers that had served the community well and accomplish their tasks...!" Gwen concluded her introductory speech and the spectators at the bleachers stood up and cheered as we still maintain our position and had placed our fists at the sides for now.

The cheers were thunderous around the Coliseum and we had never heard such rapturous applause from the 3000 over spectators along with the group of new Adventurers that was gathered in front of the stage as well.

"And now we call the recipients of the awards starting from bottom up. The Coors, husband and wife, Guinness, husband and wife, Joanne and Johannesburg Mackenzies and last but not least Gillian and Guy MacDonoughs. Please stand in line according to your names they had been called here."

The crowds went wild and cheered even more accompanied by wild shouts and whistles, especially when they heard the names of the Irish Travellers that had been mentioned as part of the award ceremony.

I heard our names being called out and I saw our family was ecstatic and was cheering among the rest of the Irish Travellers kinship as their bond were much stronger when they are together.

The 4 new households from the Irish Travellers were there as well and they were cheering as if they were the ones who would be receiving the award and not us.

Likewise, the new group of Adventurers that were standing at the front of the stage were all cheering for us. They knew we were the pioneers in the Adventurers Guild and had brought them fame and recognition by going all out to help the community and the town.

Gillian was as excited as me as we knew tomorrow all 8 of us would be setting out to perform and fulfil our special tasks. The others before us were also going to followup behind us to cover more towns with their own special set of task.

I saw the red cloth which was named as a sash was placed over the left shoulder of the Coors and was tied at the waist on the left-hand side by means of a yellowish golden coloured tassel.

Then I saw Our Majesty hold out a small flat wooden box and took out a medal from it. "This is the Bronze Good Service Medal and all your good services would be recorded inside the Adventurers Guild. Once you have reached a certain number of services attained, you would be handed with the silver and then followed by the golden one."

"Wear this medal with this red sash during special ceremonies from now on. Then this ribbon clasp should be worn over your left chest at all times."

Our Majesty spoke as he pinned the medal on the Coors husband while Her Majesty pinned the other one to the Coors wife. This was repeated right until Our Majesty moved down the line with the 2 red sashes in his hands.

"Guy and Gillian MacDonough, this special medal that would be bestowed upon you both are called the Macleod Star. You both had gone out of the way of your task to help us and the rest to bring peace and order to the distraught Town and its settlers."

"You had done a pretty good job and you would also be seeing more of these kinds of tasks in the future."

With that, the red sash was shrouded by His Majesty onto my left shoulder and the Macleod Star medal looked totally different from the Good Service Medal that the rest of the 6 members had received.

"Wear this medal on special occasions and wear this ribbon clasp on your left chest at all times, alright? Good job there Guy, we hope that the upcoming tasks that you would undertake would not be too hard on you."

"Have you told your family members that you would be gone for at least till mid Winter? All your supplies are ready, then?"

His Majesty spoke to me as he pinned the medal on my sash and I could feel the weight of the medal pulling on to the sash. I took a peek and saw it was made of gold and silver and it had the navigational direction with the round gold piece in the centre.

The incandescent light shone on the medal and I can't help but feel proud over the brilliance of the make of the medal. When all 8 of us had received the award, we can't help but felt like jumping and cheering about the stage in front of the crowd but we resisted the temptation.

Only when our Our Majesty had gone back to their seats that we were directed to match out of the stage and exit on the right-hand side where we were surrounded by all the other Adventurers who were waiting for us at the front of the stage...!

They clapped and cheered for us as everyone gathered around to take a look at the Macleod Star medal that we had received. On top of that, we didn't receive the Good Service Medal, but it didn't matter since we had a better type of medal and it was all due to the contributions that we had rendered to Our Majesty when he and his small army took over the town and saved its people.

Well, at least it is something that's quite rare and only the two of us had received them. The Irish Travellers were excited when we were welcomed by them at the bleachers. The Romani Gypsies who were fond of these types of glittery stuff came over and admired the medals that we had received.

Heh... At least we made our kinship proud but most of all our parents too...!

A bunch of Irish Travellers was able to top the charts in the Adventurers Guild by outperforming the hundreds of others. I beamed with pride as Gillian was jumping about in ecstasy after she can't control her emotions any longer.

I watched at her antics and laughed out loud as I soon felt that my legs had left the ground and was carried on the shoulders of my father.

What a Joyous feeling that is...!