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Chapter Thirteen
Eleanor’s next suggestion struck a chord. “Why don’t I drop a hint to the manufacturer of the solar panels and the one who is making the windmills that you’re getting cold feet. I can suggest they send a private jet to whisk you away to the country I told you about that made such great strides in recent days.”
I gaped at her. “Leave the kingdom?” I had never gone beyond the barriers in my life. “How would that be possible?”
“The jet Ms. Dover mentioned.” I jerked my head around to see Arne entering, followed by my other two mates. They all looked rumpled as though they’d yanked on pants and a shirt but not taken time to comb their hair. “She suggested it a few days ago, but I didn’t think you’d be willing to leave, even for a few days.”
“And you were right.” I gave a sharp nod. “I wouldn’t.”
“It’s not safe,” Leif agreed, moving into the room. “Her Majesty has enemies.”
I was looking from one to the other, having one of the days my hearing was less than fabulous. But when Leif used my enemies—Bors and his minions and hangers on—as a reason why I should stay home, I was surprised. And irritated.
“I would certainly travel with adequate security,” I chided. “It’s not as if I planned to pack a bag and leave on my own.”
Eleanor beamed at me. “Of course not. You can bring an entourage like any other VIP, and the more I think about it, the better I like the idea. Until now, the things you’re buying have been mere images on online sites. You need to be able to see them in action, maybe speak to some people who can explain how their lives have improved.” She pushed the landline away. “Now, give me just a few minutes to grab my phone because the numbers I need are in it.”
“I can send someone—” But she was gone. “She’s going to get dressed, isn’t she?”
Gunnar grunted. “We’ll see.”
Eleanor returned about ten minutes later, clutching her phone and wearing a peach suit, ivory silk tank top, and low-heeled pumps. I suppressed a giggle as we got down to work, planning my trip for the very next day.
My mates wanted to go with me, but it was agreed that at least one had to remain behind to keep an eye out for Bors, so since Gunnar turned green at the idea of flying, he was nominated for the job. The rest of us, along with three of my guards, slipped away under cover of darkness to the same private airport where Eleanor had flown in, outside our borders, and we climbed the steps to the jet.
I stopped just inside the doorway, shocked at the luxury that faced me. I’d never flown, of course, but I’d read about it and seen images of the inside of passenger planes. They bore little relation to the leather couches and magnificent hardwood bar inside this craft.
Eleanor came in behind me. “You’ll probably want to check out the bedroom cabins soon. We’ll be flying overnight, and you’ll want your rest.”
How far were we going?
But I took Eleanor’s advice and when the plane lifted off, I was curled up in a comfy bed with soft, fluffy blankets piled on top of me. I probably should have been more nervous, but I was too tired to be scared. I woke to Leif shaking my shoulder. “Your Majesty, it’s time to disembark.”
“I-I’m still so sleepy. It was a much shorter flight than I thought.”
He grinned. “No, it wasn’t. You were out like a light. Overwork will do that.”
“You mean I missed the whole trip. That’s disappointing.”
“You can see it on the way back.” He held out a hand. “Let me help you up.”
Usually I’d object, insist I could stand on my own, but coming from a deep sleep, I was grateful to be assisted to my feet. And also for the kiss he gave me before leaving me to get prepared to leave the plane and meet the people who had tried out the products I only knew of in a general sense.
The countryside was the antithesis of our kingdom. Miles of golden sand extended to the horizon, but in the distance, I could see the wink of water. “It looks like a desert, but I see a lake. Somehow, I’d thought a desert would have almost no water.”
An escort provided by the solar manufacturer we were buying all our parts from waited with an even longer limo that paused when we got close to the “lake.” I pressed my nose to the window. “What is that?”
“It’s a solar field,” Eleanor answered. Thousands of solar panels gathering the voltage, or whatever it was. I was embarrassed that I didn’t know more about it. But I was instantly enthralled. We went from there to a set of dunes topped by gigantic white poles topped by the wings of windmills. And I fell in love.
The driver drove us from installation to installation before stopping in front of a gated home in the middle of nowhere. “Are we going to talk to someone rich and important?” Because that was who I expected to live there.
“No.” Eleanor smiled gently. “But the powerful man who lives here has arranged for a number of citizens to share their experience.
Inside, there was a group of about twenty people, who were rich and powerful, judging by their clothes and demeanor, and they all did speak English. I settled in to listen and to ask questions.
They all had insights, mostly positive, but the one that got me was an elderly man with so many wrinkles, his eyes were almost lost in them. “Queen whoever you are, I wish you great good luck. Before this ‘upgrade’ my family was starving, and now we are able to tap the deep waters of the desert. Thank you.”
One by one they shared their stories, and while I realized that they had been chosen because of their good experiences, it was enough to convince me. We reboarded the jet and headed home, ready to make my subjects just as pleased as the ones of this small desert kingdom.
It was about time.
