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Finally, she nodded and said, “In that case, I need to take back many of my words. Apparently, I was in the wrong, but how would I know my son was sabotaging his brother’s wedding?”
The conference room was quiet.
Was Mother being vulnerable for once?
I could not believe she’d just admitted that.
She glanced over at Grace and blinked a few times, nodding. “Grace, please accept my apology. I admit my actions were far from royal-worthy, and knowing the truth, I must admit I’m not proud of how I have treated you. Thank you for Freddie. I didn’t properly express my gratitude for such a delightful companion. You can all see I’ve become quite attached to this adorable dog. He’s a source of joy and entertainment for me, no doubt.”
Grace smiled. “Apology accepted. And you’re welcome. Freddie seems to be attached to you as well, which makes me happy. That was my hope when I got him for you.”
Mother nodded. “Well then, I’m glad we got that cleared up.” She glared at Theo. “You and I have a long conversation pending.” She turned, as if she were about to leave.
“Mother—we haven’t finished here,” I said. “We called this meeting because Grace and Veronica have been working on a very important project together. They need to share their findings with you. It’s very important. Please, take a seat.”
Mother raised an eyebrow, her attention briefly diverted by Freddie’s playful squirming in her arms as she sat down. “Well, let’s make it quick. I have a full calendar, and I wanted to plan something special and private tomorrow for the one-year anniversary of your father’s passing. Maybe we could do an early dinner on the terrace, just the family, and then take a walk to his favorite spot on the property.”
“That sounds perfect,” Adriana said.
“I would love that,” Theo added.
“Great—we can work out the details later,” I said. “Let’s get back to the main reason we are here, Grace and Veronica’s project. Are you ladies ready?”
They both nodded.
I leaned closer to Grace and whispered, “You’re up. Knock it out of the park.”
Grace smiled and joined Veronica at the front of the conference room.
“Thank you for your time, Your Majesty,” Veronica said, then clicked the remote to start the PowerPoint presentation.
The first frame displayed an image of a vibrant Earth globe encircled by golden wheat stalks, bearing the words “The International Grain Coalition” in bold. Below that, the slogan read, “From Fields to Tables, Together We Flourish.” Veronica advanced the presentation to bullet points that conveyed the essence of their proposal.
“Your Majesty,” Grace began, “we present to you the International Grain Coalition. Imagine, a collaborative effort among multiple European nations, working together to ensure food security for all.”
Mother blinked twice. “What does this have to do with the wedding?”
“You will find out in a moment,” I said, trying to be patient with her. “Let’s continue, since you are pressed for time, Mother.”
She gave me a suspicious look but didn’t reply.
“As you can see,” Veronica continued, advancing the slide, “forming this coalition would diversify our grain sources, reducing the risk that any single nation’s instability could threaten our food supply.” She clicked the remote, revealing a world map dotted with various country flags in Europe. “We've already reached out to the ministers of agriculture in these key European nations, including Spain, Italy, and France. They are open to exploring the idea further and expressed their enthusiasm about the possibility.”
The next slide showcased economic and political benefits.
“A diversified network means you’re not putting all your eggs, or more accurately, wheat, and rice, in one basket,” Grace said. “It’s not just about food security. It’s about nations standing tall together. It could be compared to a version of the European Union, but one that is solely focused on food. Your economies become interconnected and resilient to external pressures. A rising tide lifts all boats, so the coalition could also jointly plan and distribute their excess capacities to be shared with under-privileged nations. It’s people helping people, Your Majesty, sharing and trading their natural resources, just like many years ago. A win-win situation for all.”
They had certainly done their homework and covered every aspect of the alliance that Mother had hoped for. I really didn’t see how she could say no to such a plan that would benefit everyone involved.
“Oh, and there’s one more perk that I’m sure will make you smile,” Grace revealed, casting a smile in my direction. “After crunching the numbers a few times, I’m confident that the money saved from the alliance could fund the creation of a new Royal Academy of Arts. Verdana has been longing for such a cultural gem for far too long.”
I felt a lump forming in my throat as her words sank in. “That would be incredible. Do you genuinely think it's achievable?”
She had not mentioned that to me before, and it was a wonderful surprise.
Grace nodded, her expression unwavering. “I do.”
Her thoughtfulness left me speechless.
