Madam President

Chapter Two

"How many, Nam?" Rebecca asked the aid that was currently touching up the powder on her face that would keep the lights from glinting off of her pale skin, a difficulty they had faced more than once, and, thankfully learned how to deal with.

"Over three hundred thousand." The young woman said evenly - careful to keep her voice steady despite the fact that she was nervous for Rebecca.

Rebecca drew in a slow breath and nodded as she looked around quickly, hidden as she was by the wall of curtains that would be her backdrop for the next twenty or so minutes. 

The team she'd only just met was already gone, lining the stage in front of the momentous crowd that had gathered to celebrate their victory. Because this didn't belong to Rebecca. It never had. This belonged to them.

And she desperately needed this to be perfect as a result. Starting with this speech...and every speech after. Every decision. All of it. She couldn't afford to mess this up. And neither could they afford for her to mess it up for them. 

There were only two agents left that would be sharing the stage with her, just on the outskirts, out of range of most of the cameras and out of the minds of the people that wouldn't be focused on anyone but her.

Rebecca was oddly glad that Freen was one of them. Maybe it had something to do with how steady she looked. Like a seawall against a raging storm. She didn't look nervous. She made Rebecca feel like her own safety, at least, was something she actually didn't have to worry about.

Oh, but Freen was nervous. Her blood was boiling through her veins as she listened intently to a hundred threads of conversation, spreading her hearing out past the curtain to the gathered crowd and beyond. Ready to act on any suspicion, no matter how slight. She was like a hair- trigger, every sense she had at her disposal hyper-focused on every single detail.

"Friends, family, citizens of Bangkok City!"

The next time Rebecca looked over, Freen was gone. The curtain she'd slipped through to gain access to the edge of the stage wasn't even moving in response to her sudden, silent departure.

"The next President of the Thailand!"

From the moment Rebecca stepped out onto the stage and made her way towards the runway in front of the podium she would be speaking at, the crowd didn't stop erupting in cheers and applause and shouts of support and utter, unbridled joy.

Rebecca, in turn, waved and smiled and dipped her head slightly a few times when she became overwhelmed. Even so, the burning in her eyes was something she kept a tight rein on.

Though she couldn't really stop the way the unshed tears that were there glistened in the multitude of lights that were focused on her.

A few moments later, she was resting her hands on the edge of the podium. There were no notes, no teleprompters. She didn't need them. She was ready for this. Nervous, sure. But so incredibly ready.

"Good evening, Bangkok City!"

Freen felt that slight swell of pride in her chest, again, as Rebecca's voice rang out over the crowd - clear, concise, and confident as ever. She couldn't look at her, though. She couldn't even risk a quick glance. She also couldn't afford to catch more than a few words here and there, of her speech.

"This is the part where I thank a lot of people." The crowd laughed. Freen's vision sharpened in on a sudden, unexpected movement in the crowd that turned out to be nothing.

"And above all, I thank you. I thank you for getting me here. For securing this for not just me but for all of us. Because this victory doesn't belong to me. This hard work wasn't just mine. These dreams aren't just mine. They are the dreams of an entire nation. We've proven that, tonight. And now, they don't have to be just dreams. Now, it's my turn to work for you to make them a reality."