"She would," her dresser confirmed. "I knew her as well as almost anyone, and I know she would be happy and proud."
"Thank you." She smoothed the white satin over her abdomen. "The silhouette of the dress is perfect."
The designer held some beaded lace up against the bodice showing her where it would go. That piece was finished but the rest was still in progress. It would also line the hem of her skirt and train.
After a few more minutes of discussion, they moved on to her gown for the ball. She loved it, too.
Then everyone was sent away except for her dresser, an assistant, and Mumeleine.
"Now, we need to finalize the garments for the coronation," her dresser told her, though Catherine already knew that much. No one was to know exactly what she'd be wearing that day, a week after her birthday ball.
And then it would be officially official.
She'd be queen and the fate of her country would rest on her shoulders and her shoulders alone.
The enormity of it threatened to overwhelm her. With a deep breath in, she nodded to those in the room.
"Let's do this."
11
The weekend away together hadn't happened.
Jake wished they'd been able to, but Catherine's assistant reminded them about an event with members of Parliament.
The dinner was heavily political in nature, though it wasn't designed that way. All of those in attendance - leaders from every party and faction - were vying for his wife's attention and favorable opinion.
They all wanted to be on her good side, to be the person she listened to about this agenda item or that one. They all wanted to be her new best friend - or even a surrogate parent. Whatever it took to get the chance to be her biggest influence.
He did his best to protect her from the worst of the monopolizers, but knew he hadn't been fully successful. A few of the members tried to cultivate a relationship with him, as though they expected him to influence Catherine and the decisions she would make in any number of situations.
Jake didn't like that he was rapidly becoming jaded. He suspected he would always question the motives of anyone whotried to get a little too close to him too fast. He'd be looking for ulterior motives all over the place.
Would either one of them ever be able to develop true friendships without wondering what motives another person might have?
He suspected not.
The next two weeks were incredibly busy, with the upcoming birthday ball and wedding celebration taking up most of their time.
As he looked in the mirror and tugged at the sleeves of his dress shirt, making sure the cuff links with the royal family's crest were turned the correct way.
"You look fantastic, sweetheart." His mother moved in front of him and tweaked his tie just a bit. "Your father and I always knew you'd be involved in something important one day, but we never imagined it would be in part because you married Queen Catherine."
"I married Catherine, Mum. Kins, even." He tweaked his own tie again. Not because his mother had messed it up, but because he needed something to do with his nervous energy. "The reason we married when we did is because she's the queen, but I would have wanted to get to know her and marry her someday even without any title or inheritance or crown jewels."
She swatted at his hand and straightened the tie he'd messed up. "I know, but you are the Prince Consort. That means at least some of the influence you have on any variety of topics in any variety of settings is because of who you married. You can support causes important to you in a way you wouldn't be able to otherwise."
"I know." He shook his arms and bounced up and down to release some of the nervous energy.
"Sir?" His new assistant, a man named Byron, entered the room. "They're ready for you and your family to make the trip to the Cathedral.”
"Thank you. We'll be there in a moment." He took a deep breath and looked from one parent to the other and then at his younger siblings. "Let's go."
With his mother on his arm and his father on the other side, they went down one corridor then another until they reached the door to the car waiting for them under the main portico.
As soon as they exited the building, he could hear the crowds beyond the gates. Was this real life? It took him so far out of anything he'd consider ordinary that he didn't know how to process it.
The windows of the auto covered nearly the entire vehicle, making it very easy for onlookers to see inside. Unsurprisingly, Jake was placed in the most visible position, but they all waved and smiled as they slowly drove from the palace to the Cathedral. Once the auto pulled up to the front entrance, he was the first one out, followed by the rest of his family.
