Crowned (Royals of Valleria #12)

Chapter 14

fourteen

REBECCA

A few weeks later

R ebecca looked through the portfolio of the man she was meeting—a potential stylist. Though she’d told Mara ages ago to consider all genders in their search for a stylist, she had to admit she didn’t think they’d find a man with the right aesthetic for her style or, really, the style she needed and wanted to have as the future queen.

Yet, as soon as she saw Mason’s portfolio, she immediately connected with it more than any other that had been submitted. It would be unusual to have a male stylist, but she was sure she could pull it off. This meeting would also help determine if they could work well together; having talent was one thing, but working for and with the royal family required a certain level of grace and diplomacy.

Mara peeked into her office. “Your Highness, your next appointment is here.”

“Show him in, thank you.”

She stood and came out from behind her desk to greet him, a warm smile on her face. She’d purposely kept her look simple and loose today, partly because of her recent second surgery, but also because she wanted to gauge Mason’s reaction. This was how she dressed much of the time, and she needed someone who understood casual as well as fancy. Today, her wavy chestnut hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she wore a sleeveless, knee-length navy dress. Simple though the dress was, it was still elegant, expensive, and stylish.

After he bowed, she shook his hand. “Thank you for coming, Mason. Please have a seat.”

“Something to drink?” Mara asked him.

Mason nodded. “Water would be great, thank you.”

“Of course. Ma’am?”

“Nothing for me, thanks, Mara.” Rebecca led him to a small conference table in her office and gestured for him to sit. He waited until she sat, however, before he followed her lead. “I’ve looked at the portfolio you sent, but I see you’ve brought it with you as well.”

He put the black case on the desk and unzipped it. “Yes, Your Highness. This isn’t the full portfolio as you saw online, but I pulled a few looks and ideas together specifically for you. While I don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, any of these suggestions could likely be altered for it.”

Mara brought in his water and he took a few sips while Rebecca flipped through the images, smiling at some, frowning or pausing on others. All the pages were inside sheet protectors and some featured pictures from red carpets, while others were magazine covers or interior story photos, or even professional shots.

“Hmmm. Okay, well, this gives me a lot to think about. Tell me, why did you select these particular images to show me?”

“Based on your current style, which does suit you, Your Highness, I didn’t think you’d want a complete makeover. Perhaps a gradual one, if you are looking for a new style, but you’d want to adjust slowly under the watchful eye of the press and public. I picked items or ideas that could help with that transition. ”

He was sharp. “And why do think I’m looking to ‘transition’, as you put it, to a new look?”

He gave her a small smile. “That’s one of the main reasons anyone calls a new stylist, Your Highness—to get a new look and then get help to continue that look or change it as needed. As you will soon shift into a new position, this may be the time to make a change, if you wanted to do so. Of course, there are other reasons to hire a stylist. For example, someone in your position may simply want additional help in this area, and may want to outsource some of the tasks related to it.”

She nodded, but didn’t entirely agree with him. “That’s an interesting, and perhaps even an astute, observation. Tell me about this look. Why do you think it’s right for me?”

She pointed to a cover image of an actress named Larkin Montgomery on the cover of a famous magazine. She was wearing a suit of Catharine’s new peoplewear line, which featured clothes that could be worn by people of any gender. The interior article also featured another similar image of Larkin contrasted with an actor named Ashton Rhyder wearing essentially the same suit, along with others wearing a variety of clothes. This particular issue featured multiple covers of actors in a major upcoming film.

Mason gestured to the outfit. “Not that suit in particular, but you have worn pantsuits before, Your Highness, and very well.”

He went into the history of the photoshoot, though she already knew some of it as Cat had told her about it.

“You could also make a stand, in whatever way you felt comfortable, to show inclusiveness and acceptance.”

She locked eyes with him. “Do you feel the royal family is not inclusive?”

He spoke carefully. “I think the perception is often that, Your Highness. However, if the reality is different, then much could and maybe even should be done to show it.”

He gestured to the cover image. “A press release, or even a clothing line, may be a good first step, but it’s not a lasting one. Continued, visible action and commitment is what’s needed.”

“And your job as a stylist, if you were to style me, would be to ensure I promoted inclusivity?”

“No, Your Highness. My job as a stylist, regardless of the client, is to ensure they are confident in the clothes they wear, no matter what those clothes are. On a personal level, I believe all clothes make a statement about the person who wears them. As I often dress those in the public eye, their clothes can also emphasize the causes and concerns most dear to them.”

He’d spoken diplomatically, but she wondered how he truly felt politically. If he turned out to be an anti-monarchist…yet his background and security checks came out clean. And she did appreciate his measured honesty. A princess—or queen—and her stylist must always be honest with each other. “If I were a more standard client, how would you typically begin?”

“Before I take on any new client, I ask them these questions: what’s your most favorite item of clothing you’ve ever worn and why, what’s one thing you wish people knew about you, and what is the last kind thing you did for someone else. All these questions tell me exactly where the client is, and where they’d like to go.”

“Well, I’ll answer those, and tell you a little bit more about what I need. Does that sound good?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“My favorite item of clothing I’ve ever worn is tough, because I loved the dress I was married in, but another answer could also be a simple black dress which I wore on my first date with my now husband. It had thin straps and a flared skirt.

“Hmmm…one thing I wish people knew about me is that I hope to use my position in the monarchy to do real, actual good for the people in Valleria, and even beyond our borders if we can.

“The last kind thing I did…that’s also hard because a royal life is a life of service to others, but then also helping others in the family more personally. So, what do those answers tell you about me? ”

He smiled, relaxing a little. “Quite a lot, Your Highness. You like simple, classic, elegant designs, but not necessarily modern ones. You’d do well to integrate some vintage pieces into your wardrobe, or pieces from newer designers that feature a vintage flair. You may prefer to keep your colors generally neutral or your dresses, for example, in solid colors, but you could also add some occasional bold prints or colors, even if only in accessories, to accentuate those looks. I also know, though I’d guessed already, that you’re very kind, and someone I’d very much like to work with.”

She smiled back. “Well, who knew I’d just revealed so much? I’ve liked a lot of what you’ve said, and would need to discuss the rest with you if we proceed, but let me tell you about the position. I’ll remind you first that you’ve signed the NDA, so anything we say here is completely confidential.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

She nodded once. “Good. Prince Alexander and I will be doing a royal tour in the United States. I want all the outfits, including backups, and backups to those backups, planned before we leave. We’ll be there over a week and we’ll be visiting three cities, often several events in each city requiring multiple outfit changes even within the same day. I’ll have my regular lady’s maid who will dress me, along with a backup, as well as my makeup and hair stylist with me. You understand that, if selected, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to be in my dressing room. But I’d like a formal stylist traveling with me who also understands American sensibilities and could manage if outfits need to be quickly changed or new ones bought. You lived there for a time, did you not?”

He tensed a little. “I did, yes, Your Highness. For a time. I was born in Valleria, however, and was raised here and have lived the majority of my life here.”

“You attended the Fashion Institute of New York City?”

“I-yes, Your Highness, for two years. I had to leave during my third once my father became ill, and I returned home.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. How is your father now? ”

“Still ill, Your Highness, but he has a team of doctors and nurses looking over him. I don’t see an issue with my being able to travel while he’s ill.”

“Okay. And you never thought to go back into design?”

“Every turn in a path leads you somewhere new, Your Highness, and I enjoy styling people quite a lot. I don’t want to turn back towards the path of a designer, at least not now nor in the near future.”

“Do you have staff? Others you may want to bring with you, if you’re selected?”

“No, Your Highness, I don’t have any staff at present. It would just be me.”

“If selected, you’d need to be back here in Valentia as soon as possible until we depart for the trip, and likely a week or so after the trip to debrief. Prior to the trip, you’d undergo extensive protocol training, more extensive background checks, as well as onboarding since you’d be hired as staff for the duration of the trip for a variety of reasons. The monarchy is an institution, after all and, as such, we have a human resources department just like any other company. Would that timing be an issue for you?”

“Would I be able to keep my other clients, Your Highness?”

“Hmmm. Likely not, since you’d be an employee of the palace. If there’s something you would need to take care of, we could try to work around it, through an addendum to your employment contract perhaps. I’d have to consult our legal department before confirming.”

“If we could work it out, then no, the timing shouldn’t be an issue for me, Your Highness.”

“If all goes well with the trip, I might hire you as needed on a contract basis for specific, smaller events down the road. Would that interest you?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

She nodded and looked through her list of questions. There were still some left on her list, but she’d gotten a good indication of him from this initial meeting. “Do you have any questions for me? ”

“Just one, Your Highness. With all due respect, are you at all worried about the optics of having me as your stylist? I do self-identify as a man.”

She smiled, glad he asked the question, though she’d alluded to it earlier herself. “There are lots of male fashion designers and no one bats an eye at that.”

“Yes, Your Highness. However, there’s a difference between a man designing a dress for a woman’s body, and a man actually dressing a woman. Even though I wouldn’t be physically dressing you, the perception and press may twist it differently.”

“That’s a very good point. Yes, I’d already thought about this to a degree, but I enjoy your work and what you’ve had to say here today. You may be an unconventional choice, but I don’t necessarily agree that it would be a wrong one. We’re still conducting interviews over the next several days, but we’ll let you know within a few weeks either way.”

She stood and he immediately rose with her. “It was lovely to meet you, Mason.”

He bowed. “It was an honour to meet you, Your Highness. Thank you for the opportunity, and I wish you luck on your tour either way. I’m sure it will be a resounding success.”

She shook his hand. “Thank you. Are you heading back to Vollywood today?”

“No, Your Highness. I thought I’d stay a day or two, get some shopping in while I was here.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy yourself. We’ve had fabulous weather lately. Safe travels back when you do go.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Mara?”

Mara had been waiting by the open door and, after a final bow, Mason picked up his portfolio and walked out with her.

Yes, Rebecca liked him and his work, but she’d see what the other candidates had to offer.

ALEXANDER

“We heard from the U.S. on the threats,” Marcello started in the Situation Room. “They’re from home-grown terrorists who have aligned with the same group who disrupted the Global Climate Change festival where Ethan and Anda were targeted.”

The attack had once again put Valleria on the world stage and not in a good way. The coordinated attack wasn’t directly only at Valleria, however, and several other nations who had been hosting the festival on the same day had been targeted too. The organization behind the threats now—End All Monarchies or E.A.M.—advocated for an abolishment to monarchies worldwide.

They weren’t dealing with only country-specific terrorists any longer, but a well-connected network of anti-monarchists and terrorists that spanned the globe.

Alex frowned. “Didn’t we arrest everyone involved in the festival attack? At least the Vallerian branch involved?”

“We did,” Marcello confirmed. “But this sort of thing doesn’t end because we arrest some people. Others from the organization shift to take their place. I wouldn’t doubt they’ve got more people in Valleria already.”

“So what does this mean for the trip?” their father asked. “Are the Americans suggesting we cancel?”

Marcello shook his head. “With so many nations coming in, the U.S. doesn’t want to seem weak. They suggested increased security. They’ve had some small incidents—break-ins, vandalism, things like that—near some of the sites Alex and Rebecca will be going to, as well as sites with planned visits by some other visiting dignitaries. While it could be a coincidence, the U.S. is running under the assumption that they’re linked, that people are testing security and response times prior to the state visit. Maybe they’re trying to plant someone on staff, or plant devices that could be remotely triggered even days later.”

It seemed a stretch to Alex, but he trusted Marcello. If he thought this was a true possibility, Alex would heed his words. “I still don’t understand why a group based in the U.S. is interested in abolishing monarchies in other countries.”

“They’re not.” Marcello tapped some screens and brought up several photos. “This is some of the intelligence the U.S. sent. We confirmed the photos weren’t doctored or altered in any way. This is one of the men who sent the threats, meeting with the head of E.A.M., who’s just given him crates of guns and explosives.”

“Why didn’t they arrest them both when they saw this?”

“The photos were taken by someone undercover with the U.S. terrorists, and it wouldn’t be enough to convict them. Not to mention, at least five global agencies, though likely more, are after the head of E.A.M., along with Valleria and the U.S. Then you have various U.S. agencies after the other terrorist group too. Jurisdictionally, it’s a shit show, and it makes everything more fucking complicated.”

“And what does E.A.M. gain by abolishing monarchies? I understand the general reasons people wouldn’t want a monarchy, but how do they think they can take advantage of the situation when a monarchy falls? Do they want power?”

“In a way,” Marcello said and brought up a new set of pictures of the E.A.M. leader meeting with leaders of political parties in various countries. “Personally, though this isn’t verified yet, I don’t think the leader wants power for himself, but he wants to control things behind the scenes. He’s met with the leaders of monarchy opposition parties—various Parliament members, or even members of our Royal Council, for example—sowing seeds of discord and prepping the next person to take control once the monarchy falls. He's in it for the long-game. He has interests in a variety of dirty businesses, and having powerful friends would make it easier for him to sidestep the law.”

“And we don’t think we can arrest him prior to the trip?” Alex asked, though he already knew the answer .

“No. We’ll just have to deal with the threats as they are, and we’ll likely get more in the lead up to and during the trip. Hence the U.S. wanting additional security.”

“So by asking for increased security, do they mean our side or they want more of their people?” their father asked.

“They want more U.S. secret service agents to help, though I’m more inclined to include more of our people. In the end, we’ll probably compromise and have some of each. I’ve already put a short list together of additional agents.”

Alex looked over at his father. “I know we need them, but this will increase the cost of the trip once we factor in housing and meals for the additional agents. The cost of this trip is becoming harder for the Council to ignore.”

“I’m sure they’ll use it against you in the future,” his father conceded. “But they won’t want to risk damaging diplomacy before the trip. They’ll likely bring it up closer to the coronation.”

Alex nodded. “Yes, that’s what I thought too, though they may bring it up with you separately. I’m already hearing rumblings they’re unhappy with my taking the throne.” He turned to Marcello. “Speaking of. You mentioned the E.A.M. leader meeting with Council members. Have any names for us?”

Marcello gave him an evil grin. “Oh, I’m so glad you asked. We’re in the middle of an investigation into that now. I’m hoping to have an update for you before the trip, but it may be after.”

“So for now we try to mitigate the threat, and rely on the U.S. to help us.”

“Pretty much. Ethan and Anda are there now, and they’ve been reporting back to me, but don’t have any conclusive information yet. They hope to have something more concrete in the next few weeks.”

“Then we’ll have to wait.” Worry and wait, what Alex always did when it came to threats against his life.

He sometimes wondered if it was all worth it. If he should plan to lead the country for the rest of his life, or become the last king and abolish the monarchy altogether. He’d even thought about holding a public vote about it once he became king, but was afraid of the answer, especially in political times like these.

If he didn’t ask the question, would the next generation face the consequences of it? It may not be his and Rebecca’s child, but it could be one of his siblings’ children. Was it fair to put off the issue and leave it in their hands instead?

Personally, he wanted to be king. He wanted to help people, and he wanted Rebecca by his side while he—while they both —ruled. But he was really fucking tired of people trying to kill him and the people he loved all the time.

“Well, then,” his father said. “There’s only a short time left until you leave. Our last chance to cancel the tour, and not worry about the optics of it, would be just before. If we cancel at the last minute because of a credible threat, we could get away with it. Otherwise, you and Rebecca will have to proceed.”

Alex didn’t miss his father’s pointed glance when he mentioned Rebecca. “Then we’ll prepare for the worst and hope it doesn’t happen.”

“That’s what a leader always does, my son,” his father said as he stood, and everyone in the room stood too. He nodded a goodbye and headed out, leaving Alex with the strange feeling that his father wasn’t merely walking out of a room, but taking a step away from his current life towards his future retired one.

Since the abdication had been officially announced, Alex had seen a change come over his father. His mother, too, but more with his father. He was more relaxed, and his tenacious grip on everything had loosened.

Is this what Alex had to look forward to? Years of clawing and controlling, only to finally fucking relax in forty years when he finally retired?

He wanted to lead, had been born and raised to do it. Had seen his father doing it his entire life. Yet, for all the practical parts of ruling Alex knew how to do, he hadn’t given enough time to consider how he’d feel —physically, emotionally, even mentally—when it happened.

For a moment, Alex was a schoolboy again, everyone watching him, waiting for him to make an error or a slipup, then harassing him and claiming he wasn’t fit to rule one day because of it.

Yet, Alex wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a husband, a brother, a son, a friend, a leader, and very nearly a king. He’d been through terrible, godawful, shitty things before. Then he’d been through more, and more still.

He had lived through 100% of the bad things that had happened to him, and he would live through whatever came next. Whatever horrible moments or minutes or hours lay ahead, he’d survive them, and so would Rebecca. Because those moments don’t last, and one hour of his life was fucking nothing in the long run. No one would break him, no one would destroy him, and some petty words from passive aggressive assholes wouldn’t damage him unless he let them.

So, he’d keep going, moving forward, and moving on, with Rebecca by his side. Together, they’ll make this tour a raging fucking success.