14
Less than a week after her coronation, Jacob could tell two things about Catherine as queen:
First, the stress of actually being the one in charge was getting to her.
Second, any honeymoon she might have had with the press was already coming to an end.
Though he still slept in the other room, he could tell she hadn't been sleeping well. He heard her getting up and down several times throughout the night. She'd also been quieter during the evening as they spent time together.
She hadn't left the palace since the coronation - and the press had definitely noticed. It hadn't hit the mainstream yet, but Byron made sure Jacob saw a few articles where whispers were beginning to spread.
"How can I help her?" Jacob asked Byron as he leaned back in his chair in his new office.
"I spoke with both her assistant and Jessica. She needs to get out with the people."
"How do we do that?" The thought had occurred to him in passing, but he hadn’t done anything about it just yet.
"Where do you think she'd enjoy going? What causes does she want to lend her support to?"
Jake tapped his pen against his other hand. "If her assistant or Jessica have some ideas, let's run with them. I can try to feel her out when we're at the lake this weekend.”
Byron made a note on his tablet.
"Maybe we could get something to eat before we go out of town tomorrow. Is there a favorite restaurant for the family?"
"I'll find out." Another notation was made on Byron's tablet.
"Something casual would be a better option than a more formal place."
"Agreed."
They discussed a few more things before Byron went back to his own desk in the outer office.
Looking around the room, Jake wondered at the change in direction his life had taken.
When he left Southern Santiero just after the first of the year, he'd hoped to help study and preserve royal history, not become part of it.
By the time he reached the cottage for dinner, arrangements had been made. They'd have a meal at a local cafe. Catherine's father as well as both her mum and Mumeleine had frequented the place over the years.
Catherine walked in a couple of minutes after he did, the weight of the world resting on her shoulders. "I'm not very hungry. I think I'm going to take a shower and go to bed early."
She didn't look directly at Jake.
Without waiting to hear more, Jake moved in front of her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling his wife into his chest. She leaned heavily against him, her forehead on his chest.
"I didn't expect this," she murmured. "I thought I knew what I was getting into, but I didn't expect it to be like this."
Jake rubbed a spot on her back. "Be like what?"
"The pressure. The stress. I've been doing most of the job for over a year. My father has been turning things over to me little by little since I turned eighteen. Literally the only difference between this week and two weeks ago is that my father has no legal power. He's still there to back me up, to be a sounding board, but all he can do is advise. He can't overrule me anymore, but he hasn't done that... ever, really. There were times he guided me toward one decision or another, but he never outright overruled me." Her bag dropped to the ground and her arms wrapped around him, her head turning until her cheek rested against him.
"Maybe that's it. Maybe it's that you know your father isn't a part of the process anymore. It's kind of like training wheels on a bike. He was always there, like a security blanket. Now there's no training wheels, no blanket." He tipped his head slightly so the side of his chin rested against her head. "It makes sense that it feels different. It is different."
"I guess. I'm just waiting for someone to decide that I'm not qualified for this and start making moves to force me off the throne, metaphorically speaking. No one sits on the actual throne very often anymore."
"No one thinks that, love. I know you have a hard time believing you're competent or that anyone else believes you're the right one for the job, but that's categorically untrue."
"If you say so." Her voice was muffled by his chest.
