She is informed that the Queen is not available, as she is still in negotiations with the foreign powers and rebels in the main dining room. She is told that a smaller secondary dining room is open for the other guests of the hotel if she would like to wait there.
Six tables have patrons at them. Two are large groups of men in Egyptian clothing. Another has a group has Egyptian Army officers, some of whom Ruby remembers seeing the night before when the flying carpet arrived. One has a young couple dining together the woman appears to be Egyptian and the man looks European. Another table has a interesting older woman dining alone, she is dressed in local Egyptian garb but has a European appearance to her, and Ruby has sworn that she has seen the woman before. The last occupied table has Sultan Ali Ranual, the nephew of the hotel owner, who smiles upon seeing Ruby enter the room.
He says, "Some are quite formal, but this one is not. What we are presently wearing will suffice. Normally I would not wear formal Scottish attire due to the added attention it attracts, but your other observation is quite correct about my needing to be seen and recognized."
He smiles and say "Oh yes, please be seated Miss West." Before he can even signal a waiter has arrived and takes Ruby's order for food and beverages. Ali Ranuel says, "It is a huge honor to have our new Queen here. I would like to ask a large favor if I can be so bold. If we could have your fiance take photographs of her visit it would be very helpful. The more we can publicize her visitation her the more prestige we will gain in the long run."
He smiles and says, "The meeting may have only consisted of the five of us, but it was still a formal meeting of the Stuarts. Anything less for our attire would not have been appropriate. Most of our exchanges are informal, but we hold a formal meeting annually, or whenever either myself, Charles or Meagan feel there is something of significance that has occurred. Since Meagan's arrival we have averaged one of these approximately every quarter-year."
He says, "The ceremony is not for another five weeks so there is sufficient time, but yes, I would say that at least three different formal clothing changes will be necessary. One for the evening before the ceremony, when you will meet the Stuarts. Another for the ceremony itself. And a third for the ball later that evening."
