“My parents, for starters. I need to tell them -weneed to tell them. I already asked them to come to the set, so they’ll be on their way as soon as they can make arrangements.” That was the easy one.
“I look forward to meeting them.” He didn’t go on but seemed to wait for her to do so.
“The other thing is…” Elise took a deep breath. “Is there any issue with the fact that I’m not from Southern Santiero? I’m not one of your people. Are there any legal issues - or even cultural ones - to be aware of?”
“That’s a great question.” He still didn’t sound annoyed.
Elise took that as a good sign.
“Because you’re from one of the Quad Countries of the Sargasso Sea, there’s no legal issues. If you’d been from somewhere else there might be, but as it stands, you’re fine. Culturally, I don’t think there will be any problems. The biggest thing will be if someone, likely one of the women I met with, decides they would have been a better fit and therefore you shouldn’t be.” He tapped a pen or something against a desk as Elise waited for him to go on. “I don’t think it will be a problem, though.”
The announcement had gone out as planned. There had been some backlash against the timing, and it seemed as though there would be very little patience when it came to announcing the identity of the new queen. If only they could make it to the end of her stay in Southern Santiero it would be best. When she left the country, she’d be on set in a remote area with no population to speak of. It would be safer than going back and forth in the capital city.
“That’s good to hear.” Elise meant it, though it still didn’t put her worries completely to rest. She doubted anything would until they actually lived through it.
“I hate to cut this conversation short, but is there anything else we need to discuss? I’m happy to answer any questions you have, but I also have a late meeting this evening.” She could hear the annoyance now in his voice, but knew it wasn’t directed at her.
“That’s all.” Even if she had something else, Elise didn’t know that she’d bring it up at the moment.
“Then good night, love. Sleep well.” The call disconnected.
Love. He’d called her that twice.
Elise hoped before long she’d know for certain he meant it and not just as a term of endearment.
9
Their public debut.
If Frederick was nervous, he could only imagine how Elise felt.
She'd wrapped up shooting in Southern Santiero the day before, but it had been determined that the formal event - a fundraiser for an organ donation organization - would be a good time for them to step out together and introduce Elise as the new queen. The media had been buzzing for three weeks, guessing who the lucky woman was and naming almost any woman Frederick had ever met, even if had been only briefly years earlier.
Elise was one of few women who hadn't been on anyone's list.
There was likely a betting pool somewhere on who it would be. Elise probably existed onthatlist somewhere. If anyone had taken that bet, they'd likely win big.
Frederick waited at the garrison for Elise to appear. She'd been in the palace for several hours, but he hadn't spoken with her yet. George appeared, his tablet in his hand.
"What are they saying?" Frederick had asked that question more in the last few weeks than he had in the rest of his life combined.
"About what we expected. There's a lot of anticipation. There's no real consensus on who the new queen might be. There hasn't been much speculation that anyone considers serious. The list of women is extensive, but the only one that anyone seems to think might be a legitimate possibility is the last woman you had lunch with. The only reason they think that, though, is because she was last. There's no real talk that the two of you would be overly compatible."
Frederick thought back and tried to remember who the last woman had been. A brunette. Probably. He couldn't remember her name, which he regretted. They were not remotely compatible. If anything, she had seemed like a gold digger. Most of her questions had revolved around the jewels she'd have access to and what kinds of vacations they could take and how many people she'd have on her personal staff.
He hadn't cut lunch overly short, but Frederick had known it wouldn't work less than ten minutes after meeting her.
"Has Elise been mentioned at all?" He tugged on his shirt sleeve under his suit coat.
"A couple of times. They've been in jest, typically when a story about the movie followed a story about the new queen or vice versa. Two of her female costars have been mentioned as possibilities as well. No one seriously considered Queen Elise as a viable possibility, but no one knows for certain that you’ve ever met." He tapped on his tablet a couple of times. "Reporters are already lined up at the venue. They've been there for hours already."
Of course they had. "Elise will be fine." If anything, she had more experience with the press than he did.
The door opened, and Elise walked in.
Frederick felt his breath catch in his throat. "Elise... you look lovely."
She dipped into a curtsy. "Thank you, Frederick." She slipped her hand into his elbow. "You look quite handsome."
