ARYA

²⁴ [ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗿𝗮 ]

[ 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟕𝟔 ]

       "There are discussions all across Africa, wondering if the true Aryan era started when Her Majesty's husband died" a cinnamon shaded man with very nice teeth and an abnormally thin nose announced as I looked on at Doe Castle's living room television. I scoffed, "do these people know no respect?!" I turned toward my grandson, Tyler. Born in 2057, he was now nineteen years old. Like most teens, he has become somewhat secretive and often asks if he can attend parties. Being his grandma and not his mom, I don't have that much authority over Tyler. Occasionally, Hilary will ask me for advice given I'm the monarch and she doesn't want her child breaking royal protocol, but that's about it.

       Tyler, my husband, died three years ago of a stroke. Thankfully, he was alive to see two jubilees of mine, the start of free health care all throughout Africa, the acceptance of LGBT in every country, and so many other things. The list honestly goes on. I know I would not have been able to have done many of those things without my darling husband. Many believe otherwise because I am the only person in Africa that can make demands and rules officially, but Tyler truly was the brains behind the iron fist. I remember early on in my reign, while I'd been in my youth, I used to get jealous. I used to want people to think that it was entirely me, that Tyler did nothing. I now realize, decades later, how stupid and childish that way of thinking truly was. Of course people will know I'm in charge, Africa is an absolute monarchy. No body in Africa can make governing demands over the whole continent. There are smaller branches, such as individual presidents and prime ministers and such for specific countries, but even their powers are limited.

       About a week or two ago, famous forty year old American native feminist Anna St. June decided to make a statement on my reign. She claimed that the real "Aryan era"-the phrase that has been used for all the fifty three years that I have ruled, started when Tyler died. I was furious upon hearing this commentary, because who does this woman think she is? She would go on to defend her words by claiming that I have become much more free-handed, charitable, and negotiable with other monarchies since the passing of Tyler. As much as I want to claim otherwise, I truly understand where Ms. St. June is coming from. It is indeed true that I have been much more open to giving out money and more communicative with other nations, but that has nothing to do with Tyler. Well actually, what I should be saying is that it has nothing to do with my husband Tyler. It has a lot to do with my grandson, however.

       Though it is quite obvious and clearly doesn't need to be said, I am getting older. By the end of this month, I will be seventy-two. I am at the age where when I go to sleep, I don't necessarily know if I'll wake up. Bashaad Palace, my residential home, has a death announcement template in their computer system on stand by. Of course I'm in great health, the biggest benefit of being the monarch, but God's timing is always different. So you never know.

       I still have the same scoffing reaction whenever I hear this "Aryan era" opinion on TV. Anna is practically a raging feminist, so of course she was going to find a way to tie Tyler in negatively. Granted the timing might have been what one may call impeccable, Tyler's death was really just a wake up call for me. Why hold on to money when I won't be able to use it in death? It's not like normal families where you write your kid in your will and they inherit. Since my children are royals also, they have their own Royal allowance. I've always made the most money because I'm the ruler, but my children, and their children are multimillionaires also. They were rich before they were even born.