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“Making people like you.”
“I would believe that if it wasn’t coming from you. You like everyone!” And he was my biggest supporter outside of Gale.
“It’s true, ma’am,” Gelula said, checking behind me. “All the staff that’s met you like you. They say you are nice and normal. That they would never have thought you were some rich heiress.”
What were heiresses like all around the world? And how did we get a bad rap? Either way, their cheerleading did make me feel better.
I took a deep breath when Wolfgang moved to open the door.
I didn’t think she was going to make it. However, she managed to reemerge, with not a single hair out of place, her dress steamed and makeup reapplied, with only a minute to spare. The crew had just been waved into our car; it was two men and two women. One was a cameraman that looked like a bodybuilder, one was a sound tech, though she looked younger than Wolfgang with short pixie blond hair, and the interviews would rotate between the older woman that looked like Margaret Thatcher and the man who wore a very ugly bow tie. They came from The Ersovian Times, so I didn’t have to ask Balduin where he found this crew. But I did wonder if this was the best they could send.
“Your Majesties,” Balduin said when Odette reached my side as they stood in a line before us and bowed. “I’d like to introduce you to Mrs. Barbara Malyns and Mr. Edmond Pen. They shall be the ones interviewing you throughout the trip when need be. Their Cameraman, Mr. Nathan Obson, and General Assistant Sound Tech, Ms. Winifred Peckham—”
“Just Winnie, sir.” the young girl interrupted him excitedly, to everyone’s chagrin. She closed her mouth and stepped back.
“Thank you all for coming.” I nodded at them. “I hope we are not too boring for you all.”
“I doubt, sir,” Mr. Pen said, his voice a lot higher than I expected for a man his age.
“Please sit, or better yet, where would you like us to sit?” Odette asked them.
“Anywhere that is comfortable for you, ma’am,” Barbara said, her voice sounding heavy and serious, similar to that of my grandmother. “I shall be the one starting this interview, if you please. But I was hoping I could have one solely with you. Please take no offense, sir.” She nodded toward me.
I glanced to Balduin, who stepped forward. However, Odette beat him to it.
“That is fine with me; however, I feel like you might not get to ask all the questions you need to in such a short time. Why don’t we have a deeper conversation together later? And a soft one now?”
They looked at each other, and I wasn’t sure what secret female conversation they were having with their minds, but I was sure that one was taking place. The older woman nodded her head slowly. “I’d like that, ma’am. I do not do the softer questions. That’s more Edmond’s field.”
If she didn’t do soft questions, why was she here?
“Then I guess I will go first,” he said, stepping forward, and when he did, I noticed he had suspenders on.
This is going to be interesting, I thought, moving for Odette to take a seat before taking one beside her. It took them a moment to set up their equipment and to put their microphones on. In those moments, Odette touched her hair and her bracelets, centered her ring, and when she went to look at her shoes again, I leaned over.
“Relax. You look perfect, stunningly beautiful, a goddess in fact,” I whispered with a grin.
She smiled but gave me a look, and I didn’t know why. Until I heard the young girl giggle. She pulled the headphones from her ear and pointed to the mic on my chest that I had completely forgotten about.
“Ah.” I made a face knowing I’d been caught.
“We are ready,” Mr. Pen said, and Odette took my hand. “We will just jump into the questions at the countdown.”
“Three. Two. One,” the cameraman said, and I looked toward him.
“It has been five days since you have been crowned King, a role last year you never thought you would have, and five days since you became a husband, in front of millions of people not only in Ersovia but the world. Another role you said last year wasn’t possible until, and I quote, ‘a very distant future, if ever.’ So how exactly do you feel, sir?”
These were the easy questions? They felt very loaded.
“I feel…” I paused, trying to think, but I just spoke truthfully. “I feel a mixture of emotions, honestly. Sometimes I am beside myself with joy; other times, I’m soberly reflecting on all the steps that led me here. A lot can happen in a year, as you all know.”
“Like losing your brother and finding the love of your life?” he pressed.
“Exactly like that, yes.” I felt the urge to shift under the weight of that question. “One moment I was on a cloud, next I was…heartbroken. Thank God for her.” I nodded to the woman beside me. I wanted to remind him what the purpose of this interview was, and I did not want to lose myself talking about my brother.
“Ma’am—”
“Please just call me Odette,” she said gently. “I am aware of all the protocols, but for now, I hope we can keep it simple.”
