New Orleans will always be my home. It is a city where reality and fantasy are tangled in ways that are impossible to unravel. This is most true at Carnival time. Here, there are almost 80 Mardi Gras Krewes, decadent organizations created for fun and perhaps a bit of hedonism.

Not all of the Krewes parade, but they all have an elegant ball. At the ball are presented the kings and queens and members of the court. There are usually pages, and debutante princesses. Please do not make the mistake of treating the monarchs as anything but real.

Mardi Gras day is the climax of celebrations. Sadly, on Ash Wednesday, they must return to being businessmen, students, and ladies who lunch.

This series pokes a bit of fun at the imaginary royalty. (Please don’t tell them.) It is a good idea to accept (or pretend to accept) their ownership of title.

Laugh, if you wish, but quietly. There is always the risk that one could yell, “Off with your head!”