"Ooooooh!"
Reggie looked up.
"What's oooh?" he inquired.
"I can bestow titles of nobility!"
"Ahh I see."
"Of the hereditary variety even. And when I bestow it I can even decide how it's hereditary - so make it the first born daughter instead of the first born son."
"Or alternatively, the first born."
Mia giggled.
"Yeah, that too. That's probably the best option."
"Indeed. Might I make a suggesstion?"
"Absolutely," Mia replied, not looking away from the computer screen.
"Don't go overboard bestowing titles. Too many, and it becomes meaningless. And there are responsibilities."
The next hour was spend with Reggie giving Mia a quick study on the current Genovian nobility, allowences for creating new nobility, and also she did have the option of making them non-heredited titles, so on and so forth.
Mia nodded her head.
"Well," she said. "I'm still going to ask Tina if she wants one."
"Oh?"
"Well, y'know... she is my friend, and after that mess with her family, and the arranged marriage, and them trying to practically kidnap her out of the country so they could go ahead with it," Mia shook her head.
"A title souldn't be given as compensation," Reggie frowned. "Haven't you listened to a word I've said?"
"Of course I've listened. And I wouldn't be giving it to her as compensation, as you put it. Or just because I think they're fun. Isn't it also a mark of respect? Something the the ruler gives to those she favours, and wants others to respect too?"
Mia stood.
"I'm going to go find her now," she decided.
And on that, Mia left the room and went seeking Tina.
Tina
Tina was watching Mia's lady's maids do yet another rousing performance of their dance routine. She saw Mia out of the corner of her eye.
"Mia, thank goodness! Save me from your maids,pleeeese!"
Mia
Mia giggled, and appluaded the maids.
"I need to talk to Tina about something in private now girls," she said. "Go on now."
The maids looked at each other, whirled their fingers around and pointed at Mia.
"Catcha later," they said, and departed.
"Much better than curtsying," Mia nodded as the door closed behind them. "Soooo, Tina... How would you like to be a noble of Genovia?"
Tina
"A noble?" Tina asked. "How do you mean?"
Mia
"Well, Reggie is a noble. He's Lord Reginald," Mia replied. "I could give you a title, and a land grant and stuff, and I could make it hereditary so you could pass on your title to your kids. Well, kid, as only one can have it. I was thinking Carmina. It's just near here, and it doesn't have anyone residing over it at the moment. Plus it's really pretty there."
Tina
"Dude, that's awesome! WOmen with titles always have lots of suitors in those books," Tina said. "Are there a lot of responsibilities?"
Mia
Mia went on to reiterate what Reggie had previously been telling her about the responsibilites.
"But but but, if you want one, I want to give you one. The highest (next to Princess of course) is Duchess. Then Marchioness. Then Countess. Then Viscountess. Then Baroness and finally Lady. And when you have kids, if you choose, say, Countess, then that makes your kids Viscounts and Viscountesses. And your grandchild would be Barons and Baronesses. and your great grandkids would be Lords and Ladies. Y'know, until they inherited the bigger title. Which happens by death, so that's kinda sad so we won't go into that."
Tina
"If I was a Duchess, would that make my husband a Duke?" Tina asked, giggling at the thought. "You have the greatest ideas, Mia."
Mia
"Yeah, it would," Mia grinned. "And thank you. Lemme see... Duchess Tina of Carmina. Hey, that rhymes!"
Tina
"Duchess TIna of Carmina," Tina mused, "I like it. It's cool. Now I can honestly say the Genovia is my home, and my family will get off my back."
Mia
Mia pulled a face.
"Yeah, it was very rude of them to try and marry you off, and then when informed that arranged marriages were illigal in this country tried to force you out of the country. We can get Reggie to get the paperwork done and then we can sign stuff, and yay! Tina, Duchess of Carmina!"
Tina
"ooooh," Tina said. "Then can I do stuff, like, set up foundations and give charity benefits?"
Mia
"Yep," Mia nodded.
Then she giggled.
"And you can have ladies maids too."
Tina
Tina giggled. "I* have enough trouble hiding from yours, lol. Let's go see Reggie."
Mia
Mia grinned and headed down to Reggie, who had his head buried, working on something.
"Hey, Reggie," she said. "Mind helping organising the paperwork for Tina's title?"
"Already started," Reggie replied dryly. "Have the base stuff written. What title?"
"Duchess. Of Carmina."
"I see. Land grant I assume?"
"Yes."
"We'll check the map in a minute for a location. Hereditary?"
Tina
"If it's hereditary," Tina said, "My family can't interfere with my children's lives either. Plus, it's more fun."
Mia
"Sounds like a plan," Mia nodded.
Reggie finished preparing the paper work. A site was selected for Tina's land grant. Then all that was left for them to sign. Mia took the pen and signed her name with a flourish, then handed the pen to Tina.
Tina
Tina grinned, and signed her name.
Mia
Mia grinned, and gave her friend a hug.
"Congratulations Duchess Tina of Carmina," she beamed. "I think we need to throw a party to celebrate the occasion. Ooh, and we should get an achitech to design a home for you. Unless there's something there already?"
She looked inquiringly at Reggie.
Tina
"No, I don't believe there's anything there," Reggie said.
"That's okay, I think I'd rather design my own place anyway," Tina said.
Mia
Mia rubbed her hands together.
"Okay, cool," Mia said. "Get architech. Throw party. Awesomeness."