The Oval Office ✓ (Book One)

Chapter Twenty Four

  My guest room in the palace is nicer than anywhere else I've ever stayed. I think the bed frame is real gold- not that it matters. Since I'll be here for three days, I have an hour before the meeting to get settled. I place my bag down in the bathroom, peeling off the sweatshirt that I definitely shouldn't wear to meet the queen, and change into one of my work suits.

  I feel so out of place here it's almost comical. Sure, activists and presidents have been invited to Buckingham palace plenty of times, but I'm not a world leader and the activist part was an unintentional affect of my word vomiting. I never do well with speeches- anything that comes out of my mouth only sounds good the first go, and it kinda pisses my speech writers off when I get halfway through what they've written and then go completely off script, but those  are always the ones that get millions of views and a couple days of media coverage. Not that I'm complaining- somebody has to speak the fuck up , but that's not  happening as much as it should be in america right now.

  I've seen just about every headline there is: " Opinion: Senator Kyle Wells's Activism has done more harm than good." That was my favorite one. A couple of days after one of my speeches, some idiot took it way too far and tried to infiltrate the White House, which the republicans tried to blame on me like they always do when a supporter of somebody does something extreme. The guy got shot on sight, and my approval rating slightly dropped for a few days until I publicly apologized, after which it shot straight back up.

Everything I do is overanalyzed by the media, so I can't afford fuck ups like that- even ones that aren't technically my fault, if I want to keep my approval rating at the all time record high it holds over every other Senator.

  "Senator Wells-" There's a knock at my door. "Your meeting is in five minutes."

  "Okay-" I say. "Thank you."  It'd be just like me to be late when the literal queen is waiting on me, but I end up in the throne room at exactly 5:00. In person, it's even more charming. From the diamond-tipped chandeliers, to the real velvet chairs with golden legs, to the queen's throne made out of 100% gold, this one room alone has to be worth at least fifty million dollars.

It would've been better with Lauren here. For a second, the reoccurring "I wonder if that bedroom is soundproof" thought pops into my head, but I quickly push it away. It feels wrong to even think about that in this room. They even offered her a spot on the royal's private jet, but she turned it down- saying that she's working on a vital case right now. I would've called her while I was in my room, but when she gets cases like these she'll lock herself in our home office or her work office and won't come out until it's solved or she has to come out to solve it.

It all works out though; every time she pulls this, her boss'll make her take a week or so off, she'll get a decent amount of sleep for an entire week, and I'll make her eat something that didn't come out of a package.

"Your Majesty-" I bow my head the way the princess taught me earlier. "It is an honor."

  "Oh please-" She laughs. "I've heard that line a million times. Now, I'll get straight to it. I assume you know why you're here?"

  "Yes ma'm." I reply.

  "Good. Then you know that we need a display of unity. Not many people know your name here, but there are enough that a joint appearance would make an impact. I want you two to go down to the protests. Senator you'll do your thing with the words- bug you'll do the same and her security will be there the entire time."

  "Mother it is illegal for us to go to political events of any kind-"

  "Oh fuck that." The queen says. "It's 2018 and half of the country is already burning. I'd give anything to stop it."

  While I don't live here and never will, the growing life or death situation for every citizen here has caught my eye on the news multiple times a day for the past month. Innocent individuals on the protesters side whose businesses are being burned down, peaceful protesters being beat within an inch of their lives. Both sides are in the wrong here- though the White supremacists are obviously by a lot more.

  "Ma'm, i know it isn't my place, but maybe encourage the police to stop... beating peaceful protesters? I know you're not supposed to get involved in politics but seeing as we're about to break a direct and clear law  I don't see why a statement would get you in any sort of trouble."

  "Because I don't head the criminal justice system, Senator. If the prime minister wants to make a statement on that, which I've encouraged him to do, that's his job. But these riots are putting my country as a whole in danger."

  "Yes ma'm.... well, when would you like us down there?" I ask. She thinks about it for a second, then pulls out her phone, earning an eye roll from Princess Ariyah. I get the sense that she's usually a more traditional royal, whereas the queen herself is- respectfully, too old to give a shit anymore. I remember how strict she used to be, how much of a controversy it was when she wore black nail polish, but by now she can definitely get away with a lot more.

  It shows up in the fact that she is currently sitting on a four hundred year old Throne , scrolling through Google. "You know what-" she says. "There's a Protest just a few miles away, so- now, actually."