Trixie, one of the PA’s, walks up with the bottle of baby oil and a huge grin. “Are you ready for me, Will?”
“Yup.”
Letter from Gregory Jacobs, Senior Royal Advisor
To: William Banks
Subject: Protocol Tutelage and Various Updates
Dear Mr. Banks,
In the enclosed envelope, you will find the Royal Protocol Handbook — it's the spiral bound book with the navy cover. Please utilize your travel time to familiarize yourself with its contents. You will find it most useful in the coming weeks, and the more prepared you are, the faster your protocol lessons will go.
The red covered booklet contains a list of charities for your consideration as you will, of course, be expected to devote a great deal of time to charitable causes once you become the Duke of Bainbridge. Most working royals take on a minimum of twenty charities, however, with your career and current schedule, I'm not sure that that would be advisable. Upon your return, you’ll meet with your advisory committee to discuss the matter, but it would be in your best interest to narrow down the list so as to ensure you have some say in the matter.
Your schedule for the week is attached. Please familiarize yourself with it, taking special note of the wedding preparations and plans meeting to take place upon your return. If the opportunity presents itself, might I suggest you discuss the matter with Princess Arabella privately before the meeting, as there will be many stakeholders at the table, and you’ll want to ensure that you two are of one mind. Should you have any questions, concerns, or require any assistance, please contact me on my mobile phone. As always, I'm available to you twenty-four hours a day.
Safe journey,
Gregory
I set his letter down on the table in front of me and flip through the three heavy wire-bound booklets. This is going to be my life. This set of rules, protocols, and regulations I have to memorize by the time this plane lands. My heart drops and I scratch my chin, realizing I’m long overdue for a shave. I wonder what it says in the handbook about whiskers. I imagine there’s a set length that is considered unacceptable. Hmm, I bet they’ll have some assistant who will measure my facial hair daily and set up a strict shaving regimen for me.
Of course that won’t happen. Snap out of it, idiot. Marrying Arabella is a privilege, not a burden, so you better bloody well keep reminding yourself how lucky you are.
I open the navy booklet and glance over the glossary. Bugger. Thereisa section on personal hygiene and grooming. I close the book, too tired from six weeks in the jungles of Borneo to start reading the fine print that comes with marrying a princess. I flag down the flight attendant and ask for a carafe of coffee, then stare out the window at the dark grey clouds. Maybe I should clear my email first. Get through all my work stuff so I can really focus on Arabella, the wedding, and er…my royal lessons when I get home. Opening my laptop, I sit back in the plush leather seat.
Email from Rosy Brown
To: Will Banks
Subject: Last Chance for Me to See One of My Babies Get Married
Dear Cuddle Bear,
I hope your trip to Borneo is going well and that you are keeping yourself safe and healthy. We are all fine here but missing you, as always. I'm writing with a request that I don't think Harrison will make, even though I know for a fact he wants to. I'm wondering if you can talk to Arabella about possibly holding the wedding here at the resort. I know that it is not the traditional location for a royal wedding, but you are every bit a son of the Benavente Islands as you are of Avonia, and because our nation is one of the Commonwealth countries of Avonia, holding the wedding here would be a nice way for the royal family to honour citizens of the Commonwealth instead of just the kingdom itself. Obviously, it would be a huge boon for us and would set us up for many years to come. We have recently hired an event planner who could manage all the details for you.
Please don't tell Harrison I've asked. He would never want to put this kind of pressure on you to help the family, whereas I'm not above tugging at your heartstrings if it's for the greater good.
Stay safe and come home soon,
Rosy (your mama bear)
Email from Dylan Sinclair, VP of Programming, Avonian Nature Network
To: Will Banks
cc: Victor Petty, Kira Taylor, Veronica Platt
Subject: Urgent Meeting
Hello William,
I am absolutely thrilled to learn that the shoot in Borneo has been completed and that, according to Enid, it has been a great success despite the security-related delays. Well done to you and the crew! I want to take this moment to acknowledge your commitment to ANN and recognize your contribution to our success. Over the past few months, we've seen a most welcome and sharp increase in our advertising income. We were not expecting to see these types of numbers until Q3 of next year, so give yourself a pat on the back.
I received your email regarding time off for your wedding, and although I'm not sure we’ll be able to accommodate the entire two weeks you've requested, I know we can come to some sort of satisfactory agreement.
I’ll need to see you in my office tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. so we can discuss a future project. It would be in your best interest to ask Princess Arabella to attend as well. I’ve got something epic in the works and there is no way I’d want you to miss this opportunity.
