The Queen

“Is this supposed to be a joke?!” The tall man wearing a black suit growled. All the ones who were sitting around the table fell silent. No one dared to open their mouths. Heavy breathing filled the dark room.

The same man got up from his seat and started pacing the room. “Lord Harton.” He looked at the older man.

Lord Harton sat quietly. He knew he had to answer the man. He also knew that he had to keep his morals and values. He also had to defend her, he always had to do that. After all, he had promised her mother that. From that day on the girl became his duty.

“Lord St. Clair , you know well what traditions are. You also know that we can’t bend the rules given by the constitution. That means we can’t change them in the way we like.”

“Traditions and the Constitution!” Lord St. Clair laughed. “We can’t let that happen.” He turned to everyone in the room. “We are lords, we should have a say on this.”

Lord Harton rose gracefully. “Lords.” He said calmly and looked at Lord St. Clair, who quickly sat down in his seat. “If Her Royal Highness found out what is going on in this room right now, she could charge you with treason.” Fear appeared in the eyes of some lords. They knew what treason meant. They could lose their riches, titles and much more.

“She doesn’t even know what has happened!” Lord Harton shouted.

“Lord St. Clair.” Lord Harton said firmly. “I don’t care whether you agree or not, but Her Royal Highness Keira Gemma Chamberlain is going to be your queen.”

“You are defendng her just because she is your granddaughter!” Lord Harton remained calm. He was used to such arguments and did not respond to them anymore. “What do you want? Maybe you want to control her in order to have the throne for yourself?” Lord St. Clair said aggressively.

“Enough!” Earl Genovis said. “Lord Harton, Lord St. Clair.” He looked at them warningly. Lord Harton silently sat down on his chair. He was unsatisfied, he wanted to spit back words at Lord St.Clair. How could he offend him in this way? It was unacceptable.

“As you said Lord Harton, Princess Keira is our Queen. But I agree with Lord St. Clair, you can’t help her rule the country. It would destroy the stability we have built. Someone outside the Lord House is going to teach her how to rule. I will take personally care of it.”

There were whispers in the house of lords. “If anyone has an objection, please do so now.” Earl Genovis said with a lowered voice. Everyone looked at each other. There was silence in the room. “I consider this crisis meeting finished. You are all excused.” Genovis ended the meeting and nodded towards Lord Harton.

Lords began to stand up from their chairs and in silence they walked out the room. Everyone except Lord Harton.

“You wanted to see me.” He said to Genovis.

“I know her majesty is your family. I also know that you promised to protect her and him.” Genovis answered in a calm voice. Then he turned around and faced in the direction of the window. With a quick movement, he uncovered dark carmine curtains and let the light into the dark room. The view from the window overlooked the royal gardens. “I am so sorry for your loss. We lost two great men.”

“No need to be.” Harton replied with a cold voice. Gray clouds began to appear in the sky. Soft thunder and lights began to show their presence on the horisont line. “It will rain soon, does the press already know about the accident?” Lord Harton replied.

“No they don’t.” Earl Genovis sighed and put his hands in the pockets of his pants. “The palace staff will soon hang the flags on the half of the pole. “As king’s right hand, Lord Clifford will take the resposibility of having the press conference.” He took out his left hand and rolled up the sleeve of his white shirt. Earl Genovis looked at his golden watch. “It should start in one hour.”

“Keira, she doesn’t know yet. We have sent a message to her caretakers.” The Lord replied with a cold voice. “She was never meant to be put in this situation. She doesn’t know how to be a ruler. It was Phillip who was meant to be a king, not her.”

“I know it.” The Earl faced Harton. “Even though I don’t want you to be her advisor, I still would like you to keep an eye on her. She will need it. Otherwise the court will destroy her.”

“I understand.” Lord Harton replied sadly in his voice. He hid his true emotions. He didn’t want people to see what pain he was in. First he lost his youngest daughter, and now he lost his son-in-law and grandson.

“Go home to your wife. You should spend time with your closest family today. Please don’t let politics bother you. I will fix everything.” Earl Genovis he put his right hand in his pocket and took out a cigar. Then he took out another cigar. “Do you want one too?”

Lord Harton shook his head. “You know Mary doesn’t like it when I smoke.”

“Your loss.” Genovis commented vahuely and took out a golden lighter from his right pocket and lit the cigar. He slowly put the cigar to his mouth with his right hand and sucked in the smoke slowly. Then he also slowly put the cigar back on the ashtray. “The difficult time has come for our country, the difficult and the dark.”

|𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫|

Lord Harton quietly opened the door to his villa. The servants were still asleep. It was early morning, and there was no need for the staff to get up. He hoped his wife was asleep too, because he knew that she would be angry if she found out that he had left without saying it to her.

He walked up the grey and white marble stone stairs. And he went up to the second floor where the bedrooms and his office were. This part of the villa was much darker. It was the oldest part of the building. The dark brown wall frames were handmade. The carvings were example of precision. No machine would do the same art as a human’s hands.

The golden candleholders hang on the walls. It was unusual to have real candles these days. But Lord Harton respected history and his family’s traditions. Candle hold a special place in it. In dark times, they shone and gave hope to his family. Some would say that he likes old things, that he would like to live in a different time. This could be easily agreed.

His hand began to touch the frame and he began to drag his right hand on it. He was fascinated by how people were once able to do such miracles. Today it is the work of machines and the technology.

Lord Harton came to an old door made of oak wood. They were a gift from the royal family. Once upon a time the Hartons were one of the strongest families in the royal court. Those glory years are over. Today they are just a family at the royal court .

The Lord slowly opened the heavy door. To his surprise, a woman was sitting on one of the chairs. He rapidly pushed the door behind him. The woman stood up from the chair and faced him.

“Where have you been?” Mary had tears in her eyes. “You disappeared again. I called you so many times and you didn’t answer.” Since Aveline died, Mary has had panic attacks. She has never been the same since her youngest daughter’s death.

“Mary, darling, I am so sorry.” Lord Hardon went down on his knees and took her soft and small hands. “The was an urgent meeting in the house of lords.” He said with a low toned voice.

“What happened?” She said in a worried voice. “They don’t call you usually. They almost never want you there, why now?”

Lord Harton sighed. He did not know how to tell his wife about this tragedy. He knew she was going to break down. He didn’t want to see that Mary again when Aveline died. But he couldn’t hide it. She will find out anyway.

“What happened my dear?” She asked with a soft toned and concerned voice and looked into his eyes. Lord Harton closed his eyes and let the tears fall slowly down his cheeks. He stayed silent. “Please answer me!” Mary said deserately. “Please don’t be silent!”

“Phillip!” Lord Harton bursted out. He wasn’t angry, he was grieving and his emotions took over his words and reactions. Lord Harton could not stand the death of his relatives again. He began to think that Chamberlain family was cursed.

“What happened to Phillip?” Mary said concerned. This time there was a hint of fear in her voice. Mary knew something was wrong.

“He is----” Lord Harton’s voice stuttered.

“He is what?” Mary thought that if she asked questions it would be easier for her husband to talk.

Lord Harton knew he couldn’t go on like this. He knew his wife was about to find out the terrible truth. “Mary, please sit down.” With a pain in his voice he said. Mary calmly backed and sat down on one of the brown skinned soft chairs.

“Thomas, you are scarying me.” She said hesitantly.

“Phillip is dead.” The Lord said.

The couple stayed silent. Mary stared blankly at her husband. She didn’t know what to say. Firstly her daughter and now her beloved grandson. She was looking at her husband’s eyes again. He was hiding something. Phillip’s death wasn’t the only thing that happened. There was more.

“It’s only the half of the truth.” Mary broke the silence with a crying voice. “You’re hiding something, I know you Thomas. I know that look.” She said. “How is Leopold? Is he okay?”

Leopold, he’s gone too. Thomas sighed and shook his head. “No!” Mary screamed and started to cry. Lord Harton quickly ran to her and began to calm her down.

“It is impossible!” She said. “I won’t believe it.” Thomas looked at Mary’s face. Her eyesight was blank. And her cheeks weren’t pink. Her face was completely pale. “Thomas, I don’t believe it.”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. “Please wait. I’ll check what it is.” Lord Harton rapidly walked to the door and opened it slightly.

“Sir, Lord Clifford is calling you, he said that it’s a urgent matter that has to be taken care of now.” John, Harton family’s butler said.

“Can you send a nurse up here and Lila to take care of Mary?” Lord Harton whispered. John rapidly nodded his head once.

“Mary, sorry. I need to pick up a phone. There is a important matter. Lila will come up to you. I wish I could stay with you.” There was a reason Thomas hated his work. In situations like this he couldn’t be with the ones he love because he needed to be with the country.

“Go! You always leave me!” She shouted and cried. Thomas looked at her with a saddened look. “Go! Didn’t you hear me! As always you are leaving me for the country matters!” He wished he could stay there for her. He wished he could come back to his youth where he could be careless and egoistic.

Lord Harton didn’t reply and exited his office. He let Mary stay there while he was searching for a silent corner where he could make the call to Lord Clifford. He walked to the guest room wing because he knew that no one would be there. He took his mobile out and rapidly found Lord Clifford on his contact list.

The reply from the other side was immediate. “Lord Clifford.”

“Lord Harton, finally, it took some time for you to call back.”

“Sorry.” Lord Harton answered. “Take it quick, I need to be with my wife.”

“I think that it will be rather impossible. You are going to the U.S right now.” Lord Clifford said. “Your lugagge and tickets are fixed.”

“Why?”

“Astoria needs her queen as fast as possible. You need to make sure that she is safe in the U.S and that she doesn’t do anything stupid that puts her on the covers of the tabloids.”

Lord Harton sighed, he never signed for it. “Does Keira know?” He asked.

“The Astorian embassy in Los Angeles has been informed. They are going to visit Sausalito in the morning.” He said.

“Okay, I am going.”