Maragana Girl Ch. 29

Prime Minister Dukov treated Tiffany with respect and made it clear he appreciated the information she could give him. The only protocol he expected from her was standard criminal's kneeling when she greeted him and when she said goodbye. Apart from that he conversed with her in a completely normal manner, which in turn boosted her own self-confidence. He expressed his gratitude by giving her an official commendation and forwarding a request to the Danubian Supreme Court to cancel the last five of her 34 remaining switchings.

Tiffany's service to his father's government encouraged Vladik to discuss the possibility of a relationship with her to his parents. He fully expected his parents to vehemently oppose any relationship between himself and the American criminal, but they seemed to be able to accept Tiffany, if not exactly approve of her. Maritza felt guilty over kicking Vladik the night after he resigned from the National Police and realized the need to give her son some space in his life, while Dukov saw Tiffany as a damaged person but with huge potential.

The elder Dukovs opened the opportunity for Vladik to talk to them about his own life, and what had gone wrong. He explained his need to attempt to find out who he really was on the inside, instead of trying to meet other people's expectations. Tiffany was an important part of that journey of self-discovery. She was a deeply flawed woman, but she and Vladik seemed to match each other's needs.

Dukov's only advice was that Vladik take his time with Kim's client. He needed to give her time to stabilize her life and re-build her character before becoming too serious with her. To that Vladik responded:

"Father, I am in the same place in the path of my life as Tiffany. I am rebuilding my own character and finding myself. I think both Tiffany and I are going to need a lot of time. Things will go slowly for us, because both of us have such damaged souls."

The following Sunday Victor Dukov and his wife prepared a formal dinner for Vladik and Tiffany. Following the traditional custom, Vladik would sit at the table of Tiffany's guardian, even though that guardian was his own uncle. When Tiffany found out about the impending dinner, she approached Kim to ask her what was going on. Kim explained the meaning of the custom and its importance. Then she added:

"At some point you'll probably be coming over here, to Prime Minister Dukov's house, or he may have you go over to the Prime Minister's Official Residence, if he decides to move there with Maritza and Anyia. Anyhow, if that happens, you'll need to understand you and Vladik will have a commitment to each other."

Tiffany did not know how to react. She couldn't believe how quickly her life had changed in the short time since she saw Kim holding up those two dollars at Dirty Grampy's. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a strand of her long hair draped over her chest. She realized another change was necessary. If she was going to do that formal Danubian dinner thing, she had to fix her hair. Kim volunteered to help her client with braiding. Over the next hour Tiffany learned how to arrange her hair according to Danubian tradition.

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The next month passed peacefully for Kim and her friends as the weather grew colder and the days shorter. They studied, they reunited at the Socrates Club, and they prepared and practiced new music. Relieved from the pressure of satisfying anyone except themselves, the group experimented with more modern instruments and different themes for their music. Over the following year they would try out new music at the Socrates Club, and then perform to a packed Danube City concert hall about once every three weeks.

"Socrates' Mistresses" would remain enormously popular throughout Europe. Foreign fans came across the border by the trainload to see the defiant group of Danubians and buy their CD's, the band's mystique only increased by the fact they had decided to return to performing as naked criminals. There were differences from the previous year, however. The variety of music had increased, and some of it had a sharper edge to it. When their performances ended the band's members always took off their collars, held them up, and then bowed to the audience instead of kneeling. When asked about the gesture during an interview, Eloisa responded.

"The way we perform, and the way we end our concerts, symbolizes the path of our lives. We began singing as sentenced criminals, but now we are free and making our own choices. How we present ourselves is to show our fans who we really are, where we came from, and perhaps where the paths of our future will take us."

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Vladik Dukov continued working peacefully at the music store throughout November and December, still planning to enter the military academy in January. However, just before Christmas his plans changed when his ex-fiancée entered his workplace with a large package in her hand and asked to speak with him. Vladik was amazed she actually would come looking for him and uneasy about having to confront the woman he had so badly dishonored. However, it was obvious she had something important to tell him. He wondered about the package, then noticed she was wearing engagement jewelry that must have been given to her by another man.

The naked man and the well-dressed woman withdrew to one of the store's small recording studios and sat down. Vladik's ex-fiancée handed the package to Vladik. When he opened it, he saw it was his police uniform. She then addressed him in her usual cold, proud manner.

"Vladik, last week I spoke with your priest and prayed at the Temple. I realized many things about myself, and my path in life. Those issues are my concerns, things you have no right to know because of what you did to me. However, I realized something else. It was wrong of me to destroy your police career. You're a good police officer and an asset to our nation's security. I have no right to take that away from our country, regardless of how I feel about you personally. Yesterday I spoke with your section chief and asked him to let you return to duty. I explained you resigned because of me, but I didn't give him any details and I expect that you will not, either. He seemed very happy and made me wait so he could have your clothes packaged and brought up to his office. It's quite clear he wants you back"

Vladik was dumbstruck. He took the package. His ex-fiancée stood up and put her hand on the doorknob.

"Vladik, I want you to understand I'm doing this for the Duchy, not for you. I hate you more than I think you can imagine. But, apart from the National Police, I...I suppose I'm doing this for myself as well." She touched her hand to her new engagement necklace and continued. "As you can see, the Ancients have blessed me with another relationship. Before I commit to him I need to find peace with myself and make peace with you."

Vladik stood up, wanting to thank her, but she quickly slipped through the door and shut it in his face. He decided not to try to follow her.

Vladik sat down with the package. He pulled out his hat and looked at it.

Vladik thought about the challenges that lay ahead, now that the path of his life was restored. His thoughts wandered not to his ex-fiancée or even his restored career, but to Tiffany. He now realized he loved Criminal # 98946, and had every intention of staying with her. Marriages between police officers and criminals happened occasionally, so the possibility of Vladik formally marrying Tiffany was real. There would be some difficult challenges for Vladik's future with the American, but whatever those challenges might be, he was determined to overcome them.

In the meantime the once-and-future Officer Dukov needed to finish his immediate assignment at the store. Once he finished his commitment to Kim's employer he would return to the Temple and request permission from the priest to end his penance.

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Kim and Sergekt finally settled on a day to get married. They decided to hold the wedding on December 27th, half way between Christmas and New Year's Eve. The date gave the people in their lives a chance to attend, including the increasingly busy Prime Minster and his family.

Kim spent the days before Christmas with her sister and parents, showing them her life as a singer, as a student to become a Spokeswoman for the Criminal, and as a future Danubian citizen. Kim was elated finally having her parents in Danube City. The Lees got to see all of the capitol's major tourist attractions, including several areas of King Vladik's Castle normally off-limits to the public. Kim showed them the university and the Temple of the Ancients. Unfortunately she had to skip showing her parents the music store and the Socrates Club. They weren't quite ready to see Kim in her work uniform and her singing costume.

A couple of nights before the wedding Kim and her friends took Cindy to the Socrates Club for a pre-wedding celebration. While Cindy once again partied naked at the club with her sister, her future brother-in-law, and their friends, Vladim and Maritza Dukov invited Mr. and Mrs. Lee to have a state dinner at the Prime Minister's Residence. In spite of the elegant surroundings, Dukov quickly put the elder Lees at ease. For a night he could take a break from being Prime Minister and return to his old role as Kim's Danubian guardian. The Lees and the Dukovs exchanged stories about their daughters Kim and Anyia. Dukov's conversation allowed Kim's parents to understand their daughter much better and laid the foundation of a new relationship they would have with her as an adult.

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The wedding itself took place in the main prayer chamber of the Temple of the Ancients. Given Dukov's role in Kim's life, the wedding came close to being a state ceremony, with everyone in her life present. The Prime Minister and his brother were present with their families, as were the members of "Socrates' Mistresses" and their families, Dukov's secretaries, Spokesman Havlakt and his grandchildren, and the staff of both the music store and the Socrates Club. Tiffany and Vladik stood together, he in his police uniform and she in her collar with her hair done-up properly.

In spite of Dukov's role in Kim's life, he merely was a spectator at her wedding. Presenting her to Mrs. Dolkiv was Mr. Lee's responsibility. Mr. Lee approached the moment with much trepidation, regretting that he had allowed so much time to pass by without really getting to know his daughter properly. Now she was slipping away, soon to be the wife of another man and the citizen of another country. Kim noticed he was trying his best to hold back his tears as he presented her to Sergekt's mother. There would be time for Kim and her father to re-establish their relationship, but it would be a relationship between to adults, no longer a relationship between father and daughter.

Kim and Sergekt exchanged their vows and turned to face their friends and family members. Kimberly Lee now was Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna, the wife of Sergekt Dolkivna. Until she graduated from college, Kim would be known as Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna whenever she appeared in court.

To close the ceremony, Eloisa and the other three back-up singers, for once wearing traditional dresses, performed a song Dima had written in honor of his best friend and his fiancée's best friend. The song was titled "The summer of my life".

Dima's song alluded to the passing of springtime, a period of excitement and hope, but also of hard work and struggle, a time when Kim and Sergekt had to form their characters and determine who they were as people. That first phase of their lives was completed. Now life's second phase had come, the time to apply the lessons and hard work of the springtime to better enjoy the summer. It was a song of sadness and hope, an accurate depiction of the couple's past and the future they had yet to enjoy.

As Kim and Sergekt held hands and exchanged glances, they knew Dima and Eloisa could not have come up with a better gift. The women of "Socrates' Mistresses" were celebrating their friends' journey through time and the beginning of the summer of their lives.