The people with the big, heavy cameras are back for my next live announcement. They have been setting up the lights in the throne room for numerous hours, trying to get it just right. Apparently that is not working today. The clouds are a murky grey outside and in the throne room has a skylight ceiling, causing the inside of the room to match the murkiness. Normally, when the weather is like this, it causes my mood to match it but today I am like a ray of sunshine.
My insides will not stop buzzing about as I think of the live broadcast that I am going to do. Never in a million years would my mother have announced something like this, to her it just would not be seen as important. Instead she would be throwing her balls and inviting random members of the public to attend as if that was going to solve everything.
I still miss her though.
I wonder what she would actually think of me doing this? Would she be proud of me or would she think that I am wasting my time? Probably the latter knowing her.
"Can we just do some last minute touches?" A woman with very short blonde hair asks me, I think her name was Cressida.
"Sure," I tell her while walking over to where she is.
Cressida starts applying more powder to my face as if I do not already have enough on. After she has done that, she puts another layer of lipstick on, a crimson red, the colour of blood.
"I think we are done now. You should be ready for your broadcast now." She tells me, clapping her hands while she jumps up and down on the spot.
"Great. Can I go now?" I ask her to which she replies with a nod.
"We are ready to go live in a minute!" I hear someone yell so I rush across the room to take my place. I mange to get there in time for the thirty second count down.
The lights are all set, my make up is fine and finally we go live.
"Good day to you all, the citizens of Strongway. I hope you are all well. Today I have another announcement to make after some important decisions that have been made about the country which I hope you like.'
'As of today, gay relationships are now legal. My ancestors were the ones who decided to make those relationships illegal in order to populate the planet after the unspeakable disease. Well the planet has certainly been populated and I personally think that that law was very old fashioned.'
'We will also be working to legalise gay marriages so hopefully you will get whether announcement in a matter of weeks.'
'That is not all. There will be stronger relationships between the palace and you, the people. I want to hear what it is that you want to change in the country, what you think is needed. This will be happening by creating local councils with in each city in each zone. You will be able to apply to be a member if you wish and meetings will be held.'
'At these meetings, you can discuss what you want to happen with the country, and more specifically, in your city. All of this will be reported back here, to the palace where I will look over everything and put things into place.'
'My main goal here is to repair the rip that my mother has made between the palace and you the people. At the moment, I do not feel that close to you and I know that you do not feel that close to me so I hope together we can fix that together. For now, that is all." The lights turn off and I sit back into the throne, sighing as I do so.
It feels like a big weight off of my shoulders announcing everything that I did to the world. Now I just have to wait and see how people react. I know there will be some uproar about everything, I am never going to please the entire country, no matter how much I want to do I have to expect that. Hopefully the majority will be happy with what I have said though.
"Hey you!" I hear from across the room and see Jasper standing there. "You actually did it."
"Yes I did... wait you sound like you thought I would not go ahead with it."
"I knew you would, I just wasn't sure that other people would let you." He tells me.
"I do what I want and now it is done. Let's just wait and see how everyone acts." I then tell him. I walk with him, out of the throne room and into the gardens.
Even though it looks like it might rain any minute now, it feels nice to have the fresh air against my skin and be away from all the people tidying the cameras away.
"Where is Max?" I ask Jasper as we walk pass a rose bush.
"Working, I should be too but I wanted to come and see you. I hope you don't fire me." He jokes at the end.
"Hmm I will have to think about it. Was there any reason you wanted to see me?" I ask out of curiosity.
"I think just to see myself that you actually do it's after so long, it seems hard to imagine that it could be a reality." He explains to me and I know I do not have to ask what he is on about.
"Well I did, like I said. I do not go back on my promises."
"I know you don't. So what happens now?"
"We wait a while to see how the public reacts and see how the councils go. If it goes well then I will start addressing the issues that public have directly."
"How long will that take?"
"I have no idea. We will have to wait a few days to begin with." I tell him, feeling impatient myself about how everyone will react.
And that is what we do, we wait for a few days until the palace receives reports on the public's reaction. Four days after the live broadcast the reports came in. Apparently people are happy that the palace actually wants to listen to them rather than push everyone away.
So far, thousands of people have signed up to be a part of a council, more people than what was predicted. I read these reports with a smile on my face, glad that I am making a change in a good way.
I turn the page over to read the reports on how people are reacting to me legalising gay relationships. I am more nervous reading these ones because I know they more likely to spark a bigger reaction.
When I first start reading, I let out a sight of relief. People are happy, glad that they no longer have to hide who they are and who they love. Someone said that 'it is the best step forward so far' and someone else went as far to say 'you will be the best queen that has ever been remembered'. All these comments bring tears to my eyes.
I then turn over to the next page which is less than complimentary. This is more of what I was expecting. There are people who are also how I could ever let 'those freaks walk on earth never mind make it normal' and people who believes I should lock gay people up. With frustration, I rip that piece of paper out of the notepad and screw it up into a ball and throw it across the room.
It would be easier if they were mad at me directly, I could maybe change to what they want but I cannot change people's feelings. In my eyes there is nothing wrong with loving someone who is the same sex as you. I could get all those homophobic people in a room and explain it to them but it would be pointless. It would be like taking to a brick wall.
Rolling my eyes, I get up and walk across the room to the scrunched up piece of paper on the floors and pick it up. I return back to my desk and fold the piece of paper back out and carry on reading it.
It is more of the same kind of comments but then I come across something else. People have started rioting in the country. There are not many, only five that have been noted down and the biggest crowd was only of fifty people but still, if more people hear about this then it could easily spread. It needs stopping as soon as it can.
Pressing down on a button which activates a speaker, I say "Elizabeth, can you get the head of defence in here please? I need to speak to them immediately."
Only a few seconds later does she reply in her chirpy voice. I thank her and get back to reading more notes.
Ten minutes later there is a knock on my office door, the same office which was my mothers.
"Come in." I say and in comes Elizabeth followed by the head of defence. "Please sit here if you wish." I point to the chair in front of me, indicating for him to sit. "You can leave Elizabeth." I watch as she scurries off.
"What is the reason you have called me here, your majesty?" He asks.
"I was looking through the reports and came across this." I push the piece paper about the riots towards him and watch him read it.
I notice he has a badge on with his name. It reads Hunter, so I assume that is his name. After a couple of minutes he looks up, looking slightly confused.
"What do you want me to do?" He grunts at me.
"Just send a few guards down there to try and get him to stop. If you have to, threaten people with arrests and only do it if it is necessary. Hopefully, there should be no reason for you to shoot anyone but if you do, make it a non fatal shot. I do not want any deaths on my watch." I order him. After that, he gets up and leaves, hopefully to gather up some more guards.
I get up myself and walk around for a bit. All in all, it seems like everything has been accepted. Back when there was hundreds of countries around the world, people were still not always accepting of same sex relationships so I should have expected that response. Hopefully with time, that can change and people can be united.
Without realising where I am going, I find myself stood outside Jasper and Max's room. For the time being, they are both happy to stay in the palace, calling it their home for now and I honestly like having them here. I knock on the door and wait for someone to answer.
"Hey, are you alright?" Max asks, swinging the door open.
"I am fine thank you. Yourself?"
"The same. Did you get the notes? I saw what some of them said but not all of it. I collected the part about the councils..." he tells me, very enthusiastically.
"Well they were great. Can I come in and tell you everything?" I ask because we are both still stood in the doorway. He nods his head and then moves so I can come in.
A computer has been added in the room since the last time I came in here. It is whirring away, meaning that it must be on. Jasper is sat on the bed reading a book, apparently not having to do as much as Max.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?" I turn around and ask Max.
"Don't worry about it. I was going to take a break soon anyway. So tell us about the rest of the notes." He perches himself down on the bed so I do the same.
I fill them both in on what the reports said, letting them know every single detail. Neither of them say anything until I have finished.
"Well it could be worse." Jasper says, placing his book on the table next to the bed.
"True. What are you up to then?" I ask Max who is fidgeting on the spot.
"I'm glad you asked. There has been a decline in the rebel attacks and there is now a rumour that they are going to stop altogether!" He gets up and practically runs to the computer. I follow him and so does Jasper.
"What?" I practically scream at him.
He shows me multiple sources all stating the same facts.
"Can you look into it some more? Gets some actual reports written and send them to me. It all needs to be solid facts though, no rumours." I ask of him.
Max gets straight to work so I leave them be, waiting impatiently on that report.
A few more days go by without Max handing me any report and I begin to become agitated, wanting to know if the rebels are actually going to stop. I keep refreshing my own computer, to see if he has sent me anything that way but there is nothing... nothing until Max comes barging through my office door, with Elizabeth tailing behind.
"Ria, you have to look at this!" He says, waving a screen in front of my face.
"I am so sorry your majesty... I tried to stop him but he just would not listen." Elizabeth then cries.
"It is fine Elizabeth. He can stay. You should have a break." I say to her. She nods at me before walking off.
"What is is Max?"
"The rebels... doing a live stream... watch!" He pants at me, clearly out of breath.
I snatch the screen from his hands and watch. Right in front of my eyes is Katrina, delivering a speech to thousands of people.
"Crow is no longer the leader of the so called rebels and neither am I but for the time being, I am a voice for the people who believed in that cause. I am here to tell you that the attacks on all the innocent people will be stopped, immediately. The palace wants to cooperate with the people so we will cooperate with them, it only seems fair." Max switches the screen off.
"This is great. I cannot believe the way things are going." I tell him!
"I can't believe that was Katrina." He then says to me.
"Neither can I. I feel like the country is beginning to warm up to the monarchy once again."
"That fever should grow even more with your coronation. When is that?" Max then asks me.
"A couple of months time. Someone has arranged it at the same time as the Maximes wedding." I grin wickedly.
"What a coincidence. At least you have time to prepare for it." He tells me.
I nod him, nerves building up in my stomach as I think about my coronation and how each day, it grows closer and closer.