"Were you able to purchase the tickets for the ship heading to Windsor tomorrow?" Marchioness Geneva asked her husband Marquess Gregory Morris.
"Luckily, one of the luxury cabins was still available. If not, we would be forced to join economy. Why the rush? Did something happen to our children?" Gregory replied.
Geneva giggled like a fangirl in delight. When her daughter Gizel came home for the winter vacation last year, she brought with her a device which they later learned was a phonograph. It was a very curious item and when her daughter placed a certain circular shaped thing called a disc on it, it produced sounds of a melody she has never heard of, then voices started singing some wonderful lyrics. The phonograph and the discs suddenly became the most valuable and prized objects in their mansion. Thus, when she received the letter yesterday from her daughter, she was ecstatic.
"Might as well tell you now… Remember Gizel telling us about her friend, Lady Serena Maxwell?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"don't you agree with me that her songs are the most wonderful music of this era? Our daughter wrote me a letter informing me that she will be holding a signing event this 18th of February. We'll be going. I want to meet her, also this Charlton, in person." She said while holding the cover of the discs in her hand stroking it as if they were her precious.
The Marquess wanted to facepalm. He thought that it was some emergency for his wife was panicking yesterday even waking him so early in the morning earlier, demanding him to go purchase the tickets himself to ensure that he will be given face.
"I thought something happened to our children. You wouldn't even tell me."
"anyway, I have packed our bags. Hopefully, we will be able to join the event."
"you're not even sure if we can enter?"
"What? Our daughter is best friends with Lady Serena. If we can't, then perhaps I can write to our daughter to ask for some favor when we get there. Other than that, how popular can they be right now? The music was just released roughly 2 months ago. So, perhaps there would still be some tickets left."
Gregory just felt his brows twitching.
--
Somewhere in Eulio:
"Have you heard? Lady Serena Maxwell and Lord Charlton Daniel will hold a signing event on the 18th? It's still a hush hush, but I learned it from my brother who is friends with Mr. Emil who is the partner of Mr. Edward Easton." Laura divulged.
Jana frowned. "Really? But that's only a week away, can we still purchase tickets to Windsor in such short notice? It's 3 days by ship from here."
"If I tell my father, King Albert, he will surely make it happen. Anyway, would the two of you like to accompany me?" Princess Felicity said proudly.
"Uncle will really? If so, then of course! We will never let this chance slip away." The two answered.
--
Meanwhile in the capital of Windsor, almost all of the store owners or their designated personnel went to the newly opened phonograph parlour located at the heart of the buzzling city. There were 2 parlours that has been operating since last year, but they were always out of stock. It was so difficult to get the phonograph and all the businessmen knew that it was an important addition to the ambiance of their business.
Although it was only yesterday that the opening of the fully stocked phonograph parlour was announced through the newspaper, the number of people in line was already reaching the next block.
When the store opened, it almost became Armageddon. The store had to limit the entry and purchase of each person to just a maximum of 3 items to ensure that there would be no hoarding happening and that the items would not just be sold in the black market. Aside from that, it would be chaotic if the people who are still lining up outside and have been there before dawn are not to be able to purchase anything. Anyway, each person can only buy one phonograph.
"Is it true that Lord Charlton and Lady Serena will be holding a signing event on the 18th?" A man asked the store clerk.
Mr. Edward Easton who was also in the store overseeing its opening furrowed his brows. He did not wish the news to leak out, but it somehow still did. He instructed all the employees not to have any comment on that matter as they want to avoid fans swarming the area.
For the signing event, only those who were able to purchase the golden tickets and those who were especially invited could attend. In truth, Edward knew that Serena and Charlton have become a new level of popular in the nobility circle. As a businessman, he knew that it was an opportunity of a lifetime for him. For although he was the son of one of the richest merchant family in the empire, the Easton's, they were still civilians.
He knew that the launching of the phonograph would be well received. However, he also knew that without Serena and Charlton's names and songs, it would definitely not be like this. Now, even nobles were approaching him. He has received at least two hundred letters from them asking if there would be a signing event in the future or to ask if the two will be releasing new songs.
Then there was also the part of the masses. The phonograph and the discs were luxury items, normally, middle class people would be reluctant to purchase it. But right now, even simple business owners were lining up to buy one. Another thing he discovered last week was that some establishments were playing the discs making it more popular even to the normal day-to-day people. He even heard people singing along while he was eating at a restaurant.
Thus, the signing event now posed a problem to him. He was only prepared to accommodate a maximum of 300 people. He assigned 20 slots for the press and 200 for those that wrote him a letter, as he assumed that they were their die-hard fans, 5 tickets were reserved to be given to Serena and Charlton each, and 70 golden tickets which he initially planned was for lottery but ultimately became for sale to the nobles. He decided that the masses knowing of the event may pose security problems, so he abandoned that plan. Also, being a businessman, he figured that he will let that cover the costs for the event.
Anyway, he thought that he has already solved that issue, but he is still getting requests to join the event from other nobles. He does not want to offend them by denying them access to the event. Yet he did not want to accommodate more people as he did not want Serena and Charlton to be bombarded. The two were not just some entertainers, their position in society were of the highest.
By noon, as expected Charlton and Serena's discs were the first to be sold out. When those still in line learned about that, they left with some discontent and the people coming in the parlour dwindled.
Edward can only sigh. Thankfully, he has not revealed the location and the time of the event yet. Hopefully, everything will turn for the best on the day of the signing.
--
TBC