Unfortunately, mundane life interfered with him and he had to abdicate before he could be crowned. (His name is deliberately being withheld to avoid unpleasant gossip.)

The abdication left Caid in a quandry. The Coronet tourney was over, and the Coronetting was scheduled in a couple of weeks. What to do, what to do?

The Prince and his Seneschal came up with a solution. Re-fight the tourney during the day of the Coronetting and hold the Coronetting in the evening.

And so, that November, in the Barony of Dreiburgen, the Coronet tourney was re-fought. It was the perfect day for Dreiburgen to hold a tourney. The day was warm, but not too warm. The sky was blue and the air was free of smog.

Now in those days there was no presentation ceremony that we have today. The fighters did not present the ladies they were fighting for to the reigning monarchs. It was assumed that whoever they fought for would be members of the SCA. Most men fought for their wives or girlfriends. One fighter fought for his daughter.

At that time, Sir Martin the Temporate was a bachelor, carrying the favors of many, many ladies on his belt. As he made his way through the list that day, there were many ladies watching who hoped that if he should win that he would make her his princess.

As Sir Martin is a mighty and a stalwart knight, he fought his way to victory that day, the first of many times on the throne of Caid. When he approached the throne that day to accept the laurels of his victory, all there held their breath in anticipation. Who would he choose?

"I choose for my Princess" he declared to the Royalty and to the populace, "a lady most worthy of this honor and one whose favor I do not normally carry. She is a widow, with no lord or husband to fight for her honor. I choose Lady Arabella Lyon de Rohese."

As all eyes turned to her, she sat in her seat, stunned speechless and turned to stone with surprize. It was her two young children who managed to get her from her chair and up to Martin, where he laid the Caidan Coronet upon her lovely brow, making her his princess.

The rest of the evening became a blur to her and to this day she still does not remember much of all that went on.

When it came time to take herself and her children home, many offered to take her in their chariots, but she turned them down politely.

Later that night, after over an hour of driving, Arabella's young daughter, Mia, awoke and asked her mother, "Where are we going now, Mom?" "Home", Arabella replied. "Then why are we in Costa Mesa?" asked Mia.

(For those of you who do not live in Caid, here is a rough map.)


		{            * Home, in Angels          * Dreiburgen
		{
		{                       ^
		{                       |
		{                       N
		{
		\
		 \ <-Caid coast
		  \
		   \
		    {
		    {
		    {
		    {* Costa Mesa, in Gyldenholt

Unfortunately, Arabella's sister, Ximena Aubel de Cambria and Brother-in-Law, Piers Howells de Cambria, who were then Baron and Baroness of Angels, had been unable to attend the event that day. The next day was to be the traditional Beggars Burdica, which Angels always hosted after the Coronetting. Before she had left that night, Arabella swore everyone these to secrecy. No one was to tell her sister or brother-in-law about what had happened.

That next Sunday, everything and everyone went about their business to set up for the event. Everyone was "too busy" to talk to the Baron & Baroness about the day before.

Finally, when opening court was about to start, Piers & Ximena took their seats as Baronial hosts next to the Caidan thrones. They began to wonder aloud as to who were the new Monarchs. They also complained aloud because no one would make a center aisle so that they could see the new monarchs as they processed forward.

>From behind the crowd came the voice of the Caidan Herald, Conrad von Regansburg, "Make way for the new Prince and Princess of Caid!" The crowd parted. "Make way for Prince Martin and Princess Arabella!"

Upon hearing that, Baroness Ximena screamed and almost fainted. However, both she and Piers forgave their sister her little deception. And the day proved to be delightful to all and sundry.