Round 7 - Meet the Parents - Melody
Reuben and I met in the parklands close to my parent's house and chatted while we played chess.
"Hi Reuben, how are you feeling after the rose ceremony?" I asked.
"I found it quite unpleasant and stressful actually, Mel. I'm glad it's over finally, and I can focus on you."
"I felt for you, what an awful position to be in."
"I'm looking forward to meeting your parents," Reuben said. "Do you have brothers or sisters?"
"No, like you I'm an only child. They are looking forward to meeting you also. No doubt you'll have the royal treatment along with questions. I hope they don't cross-examine you too much."
"Hey, Mel I've got no doubts they will, but remember, they will want to be sure I'm right for their little girl. We both were brought up the same way, and am quite used to that. Don't worry, I'm ready."
We looked knowingly into each other's eyes and smiled. Then I made my move.
"Checkmate by the way," I laughed.
"Hey! you distracted me," Reuben smiled, "But I can't complain, you are a nice distraction, Mel."
https://i.imgur.com/4wTIGmx.jpg
Mother and Father met us at the local parklands and I introduced Reuben. Mother, Father, this is Reuben. Reuben meet Catalina and Dondre."
Reuben and Father shook hands firmly. "How do you do, sir." Reuben said. "I have heard so much about you, I am looking forward to getting to know you both better. Looking at you both, I can see where Melody gets her gorgeous looks."
"Ooh, he is a charmer, Melody."
"Mum, he's standing right there." I felt my face burning."
"It's alright, Melly," Reuben reassured me.
"Actually her name is Melody," Mother said.
"Of course, I'm sorry."
A small awkward pause followed and as always, my father smoothed over everything.
"Cat if Reuben wants to call Melody that don't give them a hard time, my love. I don't call you Catalina every time."
"I apologise, Reuben I didn't mean anything by that, it's just what her name is and everyone always wants to shorten it."
"I understand and I don't mind at all." Reuben looked at me and winked. That reassured me that he was handling things well.
"So young man, I hear your father runs a successful real estate company."
"Yes, sir, the business is expanding rapidly and soon I will be taking over the townhouse side of things in Myshuno. That is where my business headquarters will be and later we are expanding into Sulani and beach housing."
"Sounds like a very well-to-do venture, young man."
"Mother, Father, can we go home now and have a drink before we take Reuben to our special place?"
https://i.imgur.com/p1Og3yS.jpg
We arrived at my parents house and they took Reuben into the theatre room. A barman had four exquisite red wines waiting for us.
"I'll just go and change, my love. Please excuse me for a moment, Reuben."
"Of course, sir."
"Do you like classic movies, Reuben?"
"I like all types of movies ma'am?"
"Mm...polite too, I am liking this young man more and more, Melody."
Father joined us and mother decided to give us a toast.
"Here's to the future, and welcome, Reuben to the Chisolm household."
"Thank you, and I'd like to toast to you both for raising a beautiful daughter."
"Cheers to that," Father added.
https://i.imgur.com/gdpA2ld.jpg
"Do you like classical music, Reuben?"
"Yes, Ma-am I enjoy many different types of music including classical."
"Do you play an instument, Young man?" Father asked.
"Yes, sir I play the guitar and the piano and I must add, Mel...I mean Melody is a gifted pianist also, I have heard her play."
"That is good to hear. All those lessons you hated so much, Melody paid off," Mother said.
"I didn't hate them, Mother it was just that I also wanted to do other things as well, but the piano took up a lot of my spare time."
After that, we watched a movie and after a couple more drinks, everyone was more relaxed.
https://i.imgur.com/OQky6n9.jpg
It was later in the afternoon and I knew that we had a table waiting at our special place.
"Let's go and show Reuben our heritage, now." I collected the glasses and gave them to the barman. We headed off in a chauffeur-driven limosene. The drive took an hour but when we arrived, Reuben's eyes widened. We pulled up in front of our ancestor's castle. Dusk had turned the old stone-work a pinky-purple and it looked like a fairytale.
"This is Chisolm Castle, Reuben," I said. "It belonged to my maternal Great, Great, Great Grandfather. It is now a heritage site and is used for weddings and private functions. People can actually stay there and have meals in the traditional style. This is where we are going to have our dinner."
https://i.imgur.com/GtbbuVJ.jpg
"Wow! I had no idea this belonged to your family," Reuben mouth dropped. "I haven't been here before but I've seen advertisments and been past it several times. I've wanted to experience this for ages, but never had the time."
"Well now, young man, you will see it in it's full glory, I had the same reaction when Cat first showed me this castle after we were engaged."
Mother, Father, Reuben and I were all feeling a little tipsy, so we asked the guardsman at the entrance to take a picture of us all.
The intention was to have a sensible shot, but it ended up being a bit of a fun shot and the drinks we'd had added to Mother and Father relaxing even more, resulting in a rather casual shot in the end, but it broke the ice and everyone enjoyed the next few hours.
"Come in, we'll show you around, Mother said."
https://i.imgur.com/lijYLip.jpg
"This is the throne room and they have kept maintaining all the original furniture and decor," I said.
"Were your relatives royals? This looks like a castle for a king." Reuben looked around in wonder at the tall walls and the original tapestries.
Mother started giving Reuben some of the history of our family. I just hope he doesn't become bored.
https://i.imgur.com/3K4xLCi.jpg
"Way back there is royal blood apparently, the Duke and Duchess of Chisolm, but my Great, Great Grandfather was considered an Earl or Marquee to them, but back then to secure that job they had to be of royal blood. He handled the land allocations that were provided in a particular county at the time, which was going through some unrest."
"Try out the throne, Melody and Reuben, visitors are not normally allowed, but we are. Your mother and I have had some photos taken on there."
"Really? Mother never allowed me to before."
"You were a child then, Melody, now you are a grown woman."
I went up the dais and sat on the throne; Reuben followed me and took my hand.
"Your Majesty, you are looking fine in your gold attire," Reuben bowed and kissed my hand.
I giggled. "Reuben, my handsome knight, take me away on your white horse, never to return to the pressures of royalty."
We both hammed it up for a while.
https://i.imgur.com/7vF8nlv.jpg
"Let's leave the love birds alone for a while, Dondre." Mum tried to whisper but we heard everything.
"We heard that, Mother." As they walked off, we heard them both laughing.
"Meet you in the private drawing room, you two when you are done there."
Once they were out of earshot, I said,
"Oh, oh that will be question time, there I bet."
"Relax, Mel, I can handle them, they are a lot like my parents, even more laid back actually."
"Really?"
https://i.imgur.com/wpY7DWD.jpg
We headed to the drawing room and when we arrived, Father gestured for Rueben to go and sit with him.
"So, Reuben. Do you mind me calling you Reuben?"
"Not at all, Sir."
"In that case you can call me Don."
"My friends call me Lina, so you can call me that also, Reuben."
Reuben and I exchanged looks and smiled.
"How far are you away from continuing your father's career, or taking over, Reuben? I just want to be sure our little girl will be looked after in the way she is accustom to."
"That is a natural question, and I am happy to answer. I am partnering with my father now, and have done CEO courses so I feel I am well prepared to take over when the time is right."
"I don't mean showering her with gifts of jewellery and clothing, just that you will be there when she needs you as she will for you."
"I understand that completely, sir...I mean Don"
"Although a little bit of jewellery never goes astray, particularly rings," mother laughed.
Reuben chuckled also.
"Mother...stop."
https://i.imgur.com/dmv4wuI.jpg
"Well, we've seen a lot of the inside, shall we check out the stables, now then I think the food will be ready," I said.
"Will the stables be of much interest to Reuben, dear?" Mother said.
"Of course they will, Cat, you can tell him about how successful you have been in dressage."
"No, Don Reuben doesn't want to hear about that."
"I am interested, Lina. I play quite a bit of polo when I get the chance, so have always loved horses."
"There, you see, dear."
We went outside to the stables where they still keep the horses as part of the experience of staying in the castle.
"Cat almost got to the olympics once, didn't you dear?"
"Really? What an achievement," Reuben said.
"Oh go on, Don this is not about me. You haven't mentioned you mother much, Reuben. Tell us about her."
"Oh, mother was very focused on helping my father in the business, she did all the books because she is an amazing mathematician. She handles all the money in the firm and keeps my father on his toes."
We all laughed.
"Well I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a feast. I'm getting hungry now," I said.
https://i.imgur.com/VtWjYUn.jpg
We entered the dining room and a true feast was laid out for us.
"Oh my goodness, this is so authentic, even down to the medieval goblets." Reuben couldn't stop looking around the room.
"Yes and you are sitting where the Duke would sit when he ate his food."
"It's suits you, Reuben, sitting there in the royal chair," I said smiling at Reuben.
"Well this is all a bit special and I can't believe how much food is here."
"This is just the mains, there is a dessert to go yet," Mother said. "That is what I'm waiting for," she laughed.
"Who is that in the picture, Lena?"
"She is Duchess Chisolm. My great, great, great grandmother."
"She is really beautiful," Reuben added.
"Yes she is, it's where Melody gets her gorgeous auburn hair," Mother said.
"I thought the same thing," Reuben looked at me and winked.
"She certainly didn't get that from us." Mother laughed.
https://i.imgur.com/7wCOQWJ.jpg
"Oh, boy I ate way too much," Reuben said.
"I think we all did," I added.
After eating we went to the den where the chessboard was. Father and Reuben shook hands.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Reuben Church the third. We are very pleased that Melody is part of your life and hold strong hopes that this will continue. Besides I would like to challenge you to a polo match sometime."
"You are on, Don." Mother went up and kissed Reuben on the cheek. He was a bit taken aback after the rough start they had.
"I have enjoyed your company, Reuben. Just be sure you don't hurt our little girl after all this, that is all I ask."
"I'll keep that in mind, Lena," Reuben replied. "I hope to see you both again soon."
Mother and Father left us alone after that to look at the different parts of the castle.
https://i.imgur.com/MI4k4oA.jpg
Reuben and I ended up on the topmost balcony.
"Well, a bit of a rocky start, my mother has always been funny about people calling me Mel or Melly rather than Melody, but when we are together you can call me anything you want, Reuben."
"Is that a promise?"
"Hey, as long as it's something nice, 'young man'. How did you feel about them? I think they loved you."
"I really enjoyed their company. It's great that they can have some fun, look at that photo we took out the front of the castle."
We both laughed.
"I love this place, Mel, and want to come again, even stay the night. Are you up for it?"
"I think I would really like that."
"What did you say?"
"When the time is right, Reuben." I suddenly shivered.
"Come here, I'll keep you warm. I loved tonight, and I would love to come back here with you."
https://i.imgur.com/cOExxKY.jpg
