As they got closer to Serenity and they continued to ride through the nearly deserted town, Jill wondered how her parents would respond to her becoming, not just the owner of Home, but its ruler. She didn’t really know how she felt about it. It was exhilarating to be asked to be Queen of Home. Though in retrospect she realized she could have claimed to be the queen and ruled Home as she saw fit because she owned the world. Yet as exhilarating as it was, she was frightened, of what it could mean to be queen. The power she could weld. She wondered what would happen if she refused it. She and her family had been planning to move to Home, but not be involved in the planet’s day to day operations. Which would have suited her fine! She was planning to remain at the academy and then go onto college, either on Home or on Earth. Although was extremely proud of her accomplishments at the academy, she wished at times she could just be an ordinary teenage girl. But now that was impossible, her heritage made it impossible.
She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice the limo pull into the vehicle entrapment at the palace until the limo drove through the other end of the entrapment.
“Let me go first,” Jill asked as they neared the residence. She didn’t want to embarrass her parents by having a bunch of people walk in on them.
Everyone had cleared out of the house. Her step sister was spending the day with a couple of the neighborhood kids from her old neighborhood. Her grandmother was spending the day aboard her yacht and Jill had been at the academy. It had been a well orchestrated day to give her parents some time to themselves. Maggie had given her staff the day off and was keeping mostly to her rooms in the servant side of the house. Jill came into the family room and saw her step mother lying on the sofa with her head in her father lap. She couldn’t help but notice that Lisa’s blouse was open and where her father’s hand was. She turned around and quickly left.
“Mom! Dad!” Jill called opening and slamming the front door of the residence.
“One second Jill,” her father called and Jill tried to swallow a chuckle imagining what her parents were scrambling to do. The same thing she might have done if someone had walked in on her and a boyfriend getting really friendly. Finally Lisa called, “Okay
Jill!”
“All decent now?” Jill asked needling her parent a bit. Her father actually blushed a bit in embarrassment. “Sorry! I wasn’t planning to be home until dinner later to let you guys have some time together. But…Well let me get the reason why I am here.”
She left and brought the adults with her. When Lisa saw the Queen and the Princess she frosted over until the Queen spoke, “Lisa I am sorry. I know what you had planned. I am really sorry but this couldn’t wait. We have some news that has to be shared today.” “What it is Aggie,” Jill’s father asked.
“We have a government for Home,” Aggie replied.
“Well that’s certainly news; but it could have waited a bit!” he father said exasperated, hoping that his daughter and the people with her would get the message, and let him and Lisa get back to what they were doing.
“Yes that could,” Aggie replied, “but we didn’t want it to leak out that we are to be Jill’s regents before you knew about it. They have fully accepted Jill as their queen with only that stipulation. That me and you become their queen’s regent.”
“Oh,” Michael responded, “How do you feel about that?”
“I think I can deal with it,” Aggie replied, “besides it will only be for seven years.
Then we’ll turn her loose on the universe.”
“God help the universe!” Lisa remarked, all thoughts of enjoying her husband now pushed out of her mind. “Have you seen it Jill?”
“I have,” Jill took the document out of her uniform jacket. “I want to read it some more before I make my final decision. Aggie, will you see that Dad gets a copy of this?”
“It is sitting in his mail box.” Aggie responded, “We’ll discuss it in the morning. We just wanted to make sure that you heard about this portion in case it leaked.”
“Now if you’ll excuse us,” Jill remarked with a twinkle in her eye. “We’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”
Jill ushered the others out. As the double doors to the family room closed, Lisa looked over to her husband, “Now where were we?”
“I think right here,” Michael said unbuttoning his wife’s blouse. Though his heart wasn’t into making love with his wife, Jill’s news distracted him.
###
After Aggie and Lord Mercer left, Jill went to her room and re read the document, several times occasionally using the palace’s AI to help her research the royal library to see other models of government. She became quietly impressed with the crafting of the document. As she checked it against other forms of government she quickly found that whoever was the major author of it had done their homework.
She was also very impressed with the bill of rights. She was very impressed when it extended rights to artificial intelligences. She wasn’t certain that she as the monarch should pay for a defendant’s lawyer; but as she researched that part of the constitution, she began to see the wisdom of it. She made a note to talk with Princess Carroll to see about setting up some sort of a fund to cover it. At dinner that night she was distracted as were her father and mother. Everyone was so lost in their thoughts that the anniversary party was subdued. After the party broke up Jill went back to her research. Near dawn she placed a call to the academy and extended an offer to have Mrs. Gabriel breakfast with her at Serenity.
After leaving a message for Maggie that she was inviting Speaker Gabriel to breakfast, she showered. As she showered, she thought of all the ramifications of what she had read. She surprised herself when she agreed with most of it, and could live with the parts she was not sure she understood well. She didn’t want to change anything. But she wanted some guarantees too. As she finished brushing her hair, there was knock on the door. When she asked who it was, her father answered. She made sure her robe was closed and allowed him to enter. He had a copy of the constitution with him.
“What do you think,” her father asked.
“I like it,” Jill said suppressing a yawn. “I stayed up all night and read it did some looking around the royal library. I think it will work.”
“Did you see the point about succession?” her father asked.
“Yes, it was one of the things I didn’t quite understand,” Jill admitted.
“Well from what I understand,” Her father continued, “They want the right to approve your successor. The way they have it set up, is that say you nominate your first born as your successor and say he has a gambling problem. One that has him spending more time at the casino than at school for instance, then the parliament has the right to reject your son as your successor. But they can’t nominate a successor. Only you can. But should you find that you want the boy to be your successor then, you can go to the planetary bench and let them settle it.”
“It doesn’t sound that simple,” Jill replied. “But there is a whole section on the right of succession and how to go about replacing me if I become incapable of doing the job because of medical frailty.”
“So will you accept it?” her father asked as her mother came in and leaned on the door frame.
“Only if you, Aggie and Mom will be there to help me.” Jill answered. “I will need all of your help to do this!”
She had thought long and hard about becoming queen. She had decided that she would become queen. When she realized how many people had stepped up to do jobs that they hadn’t done before, or the sacrifices everyone was making to get their people to safety she felt she had to stand up and be counted. Her father’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Jill,” her father interrupted her, “when you were born I swore an oath to take care of you and to be there for you, to protect you and to help you become whatever your destiny was to be. I can do no less now. I know I know I left you for five years; but you were well looked
after by your grandmother. But I will be there for you.”
Jill didn’t know what to say and was trying to formulate her response when her step mother came and stood next to her father, “Jill we will be there for you. Jill I won’t let anything keep us from helping you. We won’t run off again. I won’t let him.”
“Miss Jill,” Maggie came into her room. “Your breakfast guest will be here in a few minutes. Miss Mitchum just called.”
“Thank you Maggie,” Jill answered, as her mother cocked an eyebrow at her. She was supposed to clear all guests with Lisa before the invitation was issued.
“I’m sorry mom,” Jill looked a little sheepish, “I asked Speaker Gabriel to breakfast with me.”
“Do you want company?” Her father asked.
“Yes I would enjoy having you both there when I give Mrs. Gabriel my decision,” Jill returned.
A few minutes later Mitch and Mrs. Gabriel were escorted into the smaller less formal dining room.
“Welcome to Serenity Mrs. Gabriel,” Jill greeted the woman. “Let me introduce you to my father, Lord Michael Wilson, and my mother, Lady Lisa Wilson.”
“It’s good to meet you,” Mrs. Gabriel replied shaking her father’s and mother’s hand. She turned to the young woman beside her and back to Jill and said, “Majesty thank you for the loan of your sergeant major. I couldn’t have asked for a better aid.”
“You are quite welcomed,” Jill returned, “Mitch is one my top cadets.”
“If she is one of your top cadets, and from what I saw, I can well believe she is, then she will go onto greatness,” Suzy replied. She had been quite surprised when she had found out that her escort and aid was that Valerie Mitchum. She refrained from getting the young woman’s autograph!
“Yes she will,” Lisa rubbing the girls back, “Come on sit.” Jill nodded at Maggie who brought breakfast to them.
They spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries, before Jill decided to breech the subject of the government.
“Speaker Gabriel,” Jill said getting the document out, “I am inclined to sign this thing without any revisions or demands.”
That shocked Suzy. She figured there would be long discussions over some of the points in the constitution. No one in their right mind would just blindly accept the thing. She was about to say something; but was cut off by the young woman as she continued.
“Although I am inclined to accept this with no changes or demands,” Jill continued,
“I do want some guarantees.”
Suzy knew that it wouldn’t be simple, “Such as?”
“The Queen’s Own Royal Corps Cadet Academy is to be a royal institution on Home.” Jill said, “And Lady Hawthorne is to be its commandant. The Commandant’s position is to be a hereditary position from the lady’s family. Her chief advisor is to be the last duty post of the most senior ranking NCO in the militia. I believe that Lady Hawthorne has done a good job; but if it hadn’t been for the sergeants who have shown up to help, she wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. I also want all military education, and training to be by disabled military personnel, or officers on their last duty station. All of the officers and the NCOs are not to have had any disciplinary problems, and they are to be the best of the best in their MOS. I want the Militia Officers and enlisted people to think of an assignment to the academy as a reward.”
“That makes sense,” Suzy said, “As you are the Commander in Chief of our militia what you want at your service schools is what you get.”
Jill nodded then went on, “I want a monument erected in the center of Ellis that lists every man woman and child whose life was lost during the evacuation. In addition I want a monument erected to the people of Earth, and the people of Thonia as a thank you for the assistance they have given us during the evacuation.”
Jill’s statement surprised her father. Michael knew that Jill was no slouch when it came to school and current events. He hadn’t been aware though, of how much she had been paying attention to the losses of the evacuation forces. Though not many, there had been a few. Jill’s voice brought him back to reality, “I also want a memorial to the Trojack
HRT to be erected. Without them Mom would not be here.”
“Anything else,” Suzy asked so far not upset at the young woman’s request.
“Yes! So there is unity between all people of Home, I would like to be formally sworn in on Home.” Jill said, “By her majesty. I will take my oath of loyalty and fealty to the people of Home on the Rock”
Suzy nodded, she like the symbology of it.
“I want to make sure my cadets are safely loaded onto transports, and I will accompany them to Home.” Jill spoke quietly. Mike was about to say something, but decided against it. It was fitting.
“I’ll make it happen,” her father ordered.
“There is nothing else.” Jill concluded.
“I need to get back to Home, and tell the assembly that our queen has approved our constitution with her requests.” Suzy replied.
“You’ll make the announcement here,” Michael said, “Then you’ll go aboard the
Traveling Lady and go to Home.”
“Why the Traveling Lady,” Suzy asked not sure what the vessel was.
“My mother is leaving for Home in the next day or so and her ship is the next best thing to get you back,” Michael replied.
“Very well then,” Suzy replied, “Your majesty, Jill, thank you for your gift and for willingness to be our Queen.”
“You are welcomed,” Jill said as Mitch suddenly stood turned to her friend and said, “Your majesty the Queen’s Own Royal Corps of Cadets stands ready to serve you.”
Then her father stood and turned to her, “Your majesty. I stand ready to serve you and the people of Home.”
“Long live Queen Jill,” Mitch called. She was joined by the others in the room.
“That’s enough!” Jill pleaded, “I am, still Jill!”
“Okay Jill,” Her mother replied, “we’ll knock it off.” “Jill,” Mitch asked, “So what happens next?” “Dad,” Jill turned to her father.
“We make it happen,” her father replied.
###
It was late at night again and the Princess was in the day room this time. She had, had to relocate to the day room as all the first year cadets were making a habit of sitting in her dorm room to hear her read aloud from the Queen’s diary. The room had become too crowded for all of the people who wanted to hear the details from the diary.
“I had a quiet conversation with Home’s envoy,” Jill had continued, “She is not much older than the Queen. Although I had made some demands, Mrs. Gabriel didn’t bat an eyelid. The more we talked, the more I liked her. Surprisingly she understood some of the stuff that was going through my mind.
“To think less than nine months ago I was just a junior in West Mars Port High School when I first heard Dad on the holo and came here. Now I am a ruler or will be a ruler on a world that I hadn’t any idea that I owned.” The diary went on.
“I have had a good example in Aggie,” She had written, “I hope that I can be as good a ruler as her. This will be the toughest thing I will ever do and it has to be right. I am frightened that I will mess it up. If I do a lot of people will be impacted. God I hope I don’t mess up.”
The future queen of Home closed the diary and wondered if when she became queen she would be as good as her great grandmother.
Chapter 34: Silver and Lead
“I was shocked,” The Princess was reading the diary on a Saturday afternoon, “by some of the fallout from my acceptance of the government on Home. We made the announcement from the palace press center. That was the first time I have ever had to deal with the press. I didn’t know how shielded I was! But that was minor compared to some of the other stuff.
“I was sitting with Mom and Dad in the Princess Garden at the palace,” her grandmother had written, “When the Queen, who was walki
ng in the gardens stumbled on us. She was plainly upset. We soon found out why.”
###
“What’s wrong Aggie,” her mother asked seeing that the young monarch’s agitation as she entered the Princes Garden. Jill couldn’t recall seeing her friend so agitated.
“I have been asked to abdicate,” Aggie answered.
“But you are,” her father exclaimed, “when we leave Trena you are planning to abdicate then!”
“I have been accused of treason by allowing our people to be taken to Home and letting Jill, a foreign queen to have sovereignty over them.” Aggie replied, “The charge is expected to be heard in the Lords in the morning.”
“Who is making the charge,” Her father asked.
“Duke Horton along with Trena Orbital Industries, and the space habitats,” Aggie replied sitting down with them.
“This doesn’t make much sense,” Her father commented, “No one was forced to go to Home. It is purely voluntary.”
“Not really Dad,” Jill said getting ‘a what are you talking about look’ from her father, “People have been told they have to evacuate. You haven’t let them make their own evacuation plans. You have told them we’ll provide you with transportation and a world to go to, to live on. So they make a good case Dad!”
“They brought that out in their charges,” Aggie added.
“We don’t have time for this,” Mike said, “This all came about after the announcement of the government on Home. Duke Horton has been against this evacuation from the start. He may think he has an issue now with so many people on Home. He may think that you are over reacting.”
“But how do I deal with this,” Aggie asked. “He may sue for an embargo on the rest of the evacuation.”
“It would impact the evacuation should he try that,” her father remarked.