The King in Repose- Xmas 1677

[Blackguard]

It was late in the evening and the other gentlemen had been dismissed, other than Lord Kingston.  Nicolette had departed and there was an opportunity to have a private moment.  It had been clear to the King that Francis wished to present the monarch with his gift.  Charles had a well-trained eye for courtier's looks around gift-giving season.

Francis had done him various services but it was important to allow a subject to present a gift.  The King had already arranged a surprise gift for the young man that served him.  He had considered it clever for it had also been a gift to the man's uncle at the same time. 

Pretending ignorance, the King sat back in his plush chair and asked.  "Is there anything further to discuss this evening Lord Kingston?"

[Francis Kirke]

Francis had put off his gifting to the very last moment. His record, thus far, had been quite rocky, and he also had not had the luxury of presenting his gift with a sea of others because he had been attending for that, fetching the interesting gifts. Which also meant that he had been up close and personal with every gift that the King had summoned to his person.

 

"Nothing to discuss, Your Majesty, but I do have something for you. Something which isn't a lady," he added, with a grin. 

[Blackguard]

"Not a lady?"  The King feigned surprise.  "I do have other interests," he reminded the younger man with a laugh. 

"I have something for you as well, but I shall allow you the initiative first sir."  The King waved his hand in invitation.

[Francis Kirke]

Francis laughed too, well aware that his king had interests that weren't fucking. It felt as if his prime occupation as of late, though, had been all about ladies. Or rather, one lady. 

 

Giving a nod to the invitation, Francis went to retrieve his gift, which had rather conspicuously been occupying a corner of one of the bedchambers at the disposal of the gentlemen and grooms. 

 

He returned with the model of his flagship. It was a decent size, but not so large that he could not carry it in both arms and set it down on the table. 

 

"This is a model of Argento, my first ship, my flagship. I made it over a lot of bored hours and voyages. The actual ship, She is named for my silver plate, the Christening plate of my father's that Your Majesty recognized on our illicit tour of the Thames. I would like for you to have the honour of renaming her. You set the motion of this new course of my life, so I think it quite fitting. Some of her goods have found their way to your stores already, including some very fine spiced tobacco and blood orange brandy."

[Blackguard]

"And a fine ship she is," the King complimented as he appraised it.  "You have taken up woodworking on your voyages then?"  He ran his fingers along the railing of the model.

"A great honor to rename her of course," the King added.  "Silver is appropriate because of the plate, but as you advance one could go from silver to gold," he mentioned aloud as he pondered.  "I suppose it could be the Aureum or the Aureus.  Better yet, it could be the Aurelous because it is so precious to you."  That seemed a fitting Latin name. "But then, with your golden mane," he added as he examined the younger man's head of hair, "we could name it the Flavus."  It would be the Latin word for his flaxen hair.  After a moment he waved his hand as if to dispense the thought.  "Why not go back to where it began and name it the Kingston.  Perhaps the name favors no special wit or independent value to others, but it is in your roots and it is your first title, so apropos for a first vessel."  He looked to see if Francis was convinced.

[Francis Kirke]

"I am happy to do honor to Kingston as a name, but surely we cannot pass such a name off as female, and she is quite the lady!" he joked. "But if Your Majesty is to be partner in her course, as in mine, then I think a golden name as you first suggested is properly fit. What if you were to christen her Aurelia in the Spring when she returns, and you can inspect all her treasures first hand? Or perhaps the Aurelia Royale." He chuckled. "I hear Villiers ladies enjoy their largess, so she should be no different." That gave him quite a laugh.

 

His mother was a handful and now that he knew his aunt, his mother seemed the more sedate. Had he known much of Cleveland, he might have thought Mall sedate. 

 

 

 

[Blackguard]

The King thought of Lady Kingston and the Lady Kingston to come but said nothing.  "Aurelia it is then.  We shall christen her when she returns."  The Royale suffix would be saved for a more royal vessel.  Still, it was a lovely name and an upgrade to Argento, which did not suit a female.

"Now then, your gift is nothing so tangible."  He was setting the stage.  "It was something possessed by your uncle, and then by my son; but, he showed little interest in it, preferring other pursuits."  Like embarrassing himself and the family.  "Thus it should be given back to your uncle; but, he insisted it was more important that it be bestowed upon you.  He assures me that you have an affinity for books that may even exceed your other affinities," he added playfully.  "He assures us that you aspire to scholarship."  There had been some discussion of that, but the King did not think Kingston was anything close to a man who preferred libraries to the open sea.

"Once a Cambridge man, always one they say," he noted in good humor.  "So I think it fair that you take on the important legacy of Chancellor of Cambridge.  Surely you can do no worse than my Lord of Bucks," he jested.

The Chancellor of Cambridge College was more honorary than administrative; but, it would provide far more amusement to see what the young gentleman would do with it.  Jemmie had completely ignored it and forfeited it with his recent scandal.

"Now all the ladies will be forced to take you seriously," the King proclaimed.  "Finch has a writ for you.  I shall expect you to maintain the College as the factory of royalist sentiment."  Then, with a smile added "and no matter how your master begs, there can be only one statue to him on campus." 

[Francis Kirke]

Francis' blond brow reached great heights in curiosity as the provenance of his ephemeral gift was explained. It had belonged to the duke, then the king's son, and now...his uncle and the King wished him to have it? 

 

And it was scholarly?

 

And Monmouth had it? he thought, his mind coming to a hard stop on the ridiculousness of those two things together. 

 

When the words left the King's mouth, Francis' eyes went wide with surprise. Him? Chancellor of Cambridge? The King joked, so he felt safe in smiling and letting out a chuckle.

 

"Me, Chancellor?....Of Cambridge? I wonder how many of my past lecturers shall shit a golden brick at that idea! Enough to make Your Majesty a small fortune, I expect. My excellence in Latin is due to Cambridge, of course," he added, seriously, but then he continued, "I had to copy so many Georgics for speaking English during scholarly hours, I could probably still recite a good portion from memory." 

Then, jests aside, he said, "But I must protest being allowed to only erect one statue to you! Why, His Grace shall want one on the green and one at Trinity, so my King and master must have at least three!" 

 

Graciously, Francis dipped his head, "I am thankful for your opportunity to continue the legacy, and it shall remain grounds for inventive minds and royalist sentiment. I do take knowledge seriously. There is a lot of time to read on ships, and I had a ward to teach as well, so though I chuckle it is mostly for the memories of my ridiculousness as a fourteen year old."