“I’ll tidy up after myself,” Jill said, “and if I need anything to go to the laundry I’ll put it in this hamper. That way you won’t have to mess too much in here.”
“I still have to check the room.” Joan replied, “Miss Lewis will have my head if I don’t!”
“I guess what I am saying is that I don’t need much looking after and if I need help with something I get you and ask for your help.” Jill asked. With her back to the door as she spoke to the maid, she didn’t see Maggie stop and listen to the exchange, “Will that be all right with you?”
Joan who saw Maggie, hesitated for a moment as if thinking, watched her supervisor’s reaction. She saw Maggie nod and answered the girl, “Okay. This will be our secret.”
###
“Jill,” Lisa came into the study where Jill was quietly studying one midafternoon a few days later, “we’re having company for dinner tonight. It’ll be a little late, maybe 1900.
Abby will eat early, but I would like you to join us.”
“Okay,” Jill said “Who’s the company?”
“Mylea, Princess Carroll, and Aggie,” Lisa replied.
Jill didn’t say that it sounded like an adult only party, instead she asked, “Do I have to dress?”
“It’s not formal,” Lisa said, “usually we have dinner with a couple of your father’s staff two or three times a week. I started it a couple of weeks back so your father has a chance to have an evening meal with me.”
She didn’t know what to expect when she came into the dining room later. The officers who had shared her grandmother’s table at times had been very formal. Normally they were in uniforms of one sort or another. They always addressed her grandmother as Admiral, or Admiral Wilson. It was as if they were still on duty or that her grandmother even though retired was still in their chain of command. The first shock came when a young woman only a few years older than herself came in and flopped down in one of the chairs. As she sat down, Lisa came in. The young woman asked, “Is there anything I can do to help Lisa?”
“No, me and Maggie’s got it handled.” Lisa said bringing in a hand full of silver ware. Jill knew that her step mother asked that the table never be set except when a meal was being served. Lisa handed Jill some silverware, and Jill taking her cue and set the table as Lisa went back to the kitchen.
“You must be Jill,” the young woman said taking a place setting from the teenager’s hands.
“Yes,” Jill said setting the place next to the woman.
“I am Aggie.” Aggie said.
“Oh yeah,” Jill said finally recognizing who the young woman was. She was dressed in very casual clothes, almost as casual as Jill was dressed herself, “Your majesty!”
“Jill, in this place it’s Aggie,” the young woman said, “And thank you for not recognizing me.”
“I really didn’t,” Jill said, “The last time I saw you it was on the broadcast when you announced the evacuation, and introduced Dad. You were dressed a lot differently than now.”
“I was at that!” the young woman said. “That night in particular was not a good night.” She shuddered. That night was not one of the better nights of her rule. She decided to change the subject, “I read the transcript from Trena Diplomatic Security on your travels. It amazed me that you got here without any real trouble.”
“Every time I talk to someone I find out they know more about my travels than I do!” Jill remarked.
The Queen chuckled then said, “It’s hard being a teenager in this place Jill. Every time I did something, Larry Mercer, my regent, would somehow found out. My detail would generally not report my girlish pranks, but sometimes they had to come clean when confronted. I know a little bit of what you are going through. The report was typical of something I get every morning. Being the Marshal’s daughter, you were an item the minute we knew you were on your way here. Later seeing how agitated your father was I asked to be kept appraised.”
“I see,” Jill set the glassware out for dinner.
“Jill,” The queen said, “Simply because your father is so important to the people of Trena now, I take a special interest in him and his family. But that doesn’t mean I will have people reporting on you every day. I have too much to do to for that. Besides, remember I know how hard it is to be a teenager in this fish bowl. But there are ways to get around certain eyes and ears. Isn’t that right Page?”
“Your majesty,” Page the AI who ran the palace support services spoke, “A long time ago you swore me to secrecy. Do you really want me to break my vow of secrecy now; in front of Miss Jill?”
“No, I guess not.” Aggie chuckled and turned to the young girl beside her, “if you need anything look me up. I’ll be around if you need something. I know what it is like to be a teenager in this place.”
“Okay,” Jill said, later she and Aggie were bridge partners and did a fair job of putting it to her father and Mylea. It was the first of many nights that she and Aggie would team up to take it to the adults. She would never forget the time she and Aggie played tennis against two of the protective detail. Jill and Queen Agatha began a friendship that would last a lifetime.
###
It was early evening and Princess Lisa was at her study carol in her dorm her full concentration on the first Queen’s diary.
“I’ve been on Trena for a week now,” Jill had written, “I haven’t seen a lot of Dad. He’s been awfully busy. He is often gone before I am out of bed, and I am usually out of bed by seven. Often he comes home after Abby is in bed. I am settling in. I thought I would be cooped up in the residence, but I’ve not had a chance to feel that way. Lisa was right. I didn‘t know what to expect from the tutors. I had visions of stern old men or woman. Whose instructional style was my way or the highway! They aren’t. Professor Ta’men, a thonian is my civics teacher. He’s about fifty, he gives me a reading assignment and the next time we meet we discuss the reading as we walk the palace grounds. Then Mrs. Shelagh, my math teacher, has made math come alive for me in ways I never imagined. Using real world problems and how math can be used to solve them.
“When I am not being tutored,” Jill had written, “I explore this wonderful building. Mom and Maggie gave me the nickel tour the first day I was here, but they didn’t show me the entire building. I found out this is the Queen Mum’s home. The home where the queen’s mother or grandmother would live after the king died. I really don’t understand it. I found a small study or den tucked in the back of the residence that looks out onto the gardens. I found Lisa quietly lounging on one of the lounges in the study. I found that this was her sanctuary.
“Speaking of Lisa,” Queen Jill had written. “This is from a couple of days after she had begun living in Serenity.”
“I was all prepared to hate Lisa. She was after all the reason why Dad left me behind on Mars all those years ago. But I can’t. She has been trying to let me have my space and yet she is trying hard to be there. I have been trying to not cause any problems. Dad doesn’t need me to cause any problems. If me, and Lisa, well Mom, get into it it’ll cause problems and Dad will send me back to Mars. So when I came back to my room and found her and the maid looking at my laundry she didn’t get mad at me she just took me to the palace PX and helped me get some clothes. She was concerned that I not put Joan in a position again.
“I have tried to help with Abby. My step sister is a little shy around me when I talked with Sally McBride, Abby’s agent, she said it took a while for her to get in Abby’s good graces. So it will take some time I guess. But she is such a cute kid.
“I have been observing Dad and Lisa’s relationship. I see that there is real affection between them. She really cares about my father. Sometimes, when dad gets home early and we are all in the family, they often sit on the sofa with Lisa’s head usually on Dad’s shoulder. Both of them content to be just sitting together on the sofa. I can’t think of anyone who I know is as close they are.
“Lisa
is also making me feel welcomed in her home. I don’t know if I was in Mom’s place, if I would be so generous and welcoming if my estranged step daughter showed up on my door step. She has made me feel welcomed. She has found time for me every day if only to share a cup of tea or a walk in the beautiful gardens around Serenity. I think though, that she is getting some cabin fever. She hasn’t gotten out of the palace since I have been here except to see Princess Carroll.
Chapter 5: Am I Really That Rich?
“Can you imagine what it would be like to suddenly find out that you were rich, but very rich?” the General Jones asked at the beginning of their next class. “For all your life you lived with your grandmother or father, who were both members of the imperial armed forces. You are a service brat. Not a rich kid with a silver spoon. So when you are reunited with your father you’re told that you are the heir to Thomas Hazelton and never have to work a day in your life.”
“That would be mind blowing,” One of the cadets commented.
“It would be like winning the Rio Lobe Lottery, and the very next day discovering a large vein of silvered platinum!” Another remarked. “It would change your life.”
“It would,” General Jones said, “and it did for Jill; but not in the way you would think!”
###
“Jill,” Princess Carroll said after one of the dinners, “Can you stop by the embassy tomorrow?”
“The embassy,” Jill asked. “Not Fletcher?”
“Yes,” The Princes said, “The quarterly report on your finances has arrived and I thought it would be a good idea to go over it with you. I am going to borrow Ambassador Gray’s staff, to help me go over it with you. Usually I have Stanley Prescott go over it with me; but alas he is on Mars and we are here. Even after five years I sometimes still have trouble understanding the report that EBio and the other companies you own generate.
So if you can come over to the embassy, we’ll spend a couple of hours going over it.”
“Sure,” Jill said, “Dad, Mom, okay if I miss part of school tomorrow?”
“It’s okay Jill,” Lisa answered. At first she thought she and Mike could go over the reports with her step daughter, but after discussing it with Princess Carroll, she realized that there was no way she could do a good job of it. She thought about having Francine, her personal secretary help, as Francine was very astute when it came to such things; but Francine said that it was really the Princess’ duty to explain it to Jill.
“I may tag along.” Lisa said, “The Princess is not going to be around forever and me or your father should know what’s going on so maybe we can answer your questions when Carroll’s not here.”
That surprised the Princess. Lisa of course knew about the infatuation that the she had with her husband many years before they had married; when she was on her maiden tour as a Black Guard Lieutenant. While Lisa had never shown any jealously toward her, their relationship was not as cordial as the Princess would have liked. Even though it had been the Princess who had made sure that they could leave the empire years before.
“If that’s okay Carroll,” Lisa asked.
“Certainly Lisa,” The princess replied.
###
The next day Jill and Lisa with their details went to the Earth Embassy. As they approached the embassy they saw a long line of people snaking out of the embassy’s gates and down the side walk before the walled complex. Lisa, who always had a camera with her, took several pictures of the people waiting to go into the embassy. When the guards saw the limo with its escort and the shield of the Trenan Monarchy on its doors, they were passed into the compound with barely a security check.
“Are all those people seeking passage off world from the Empire,” Georgia asked.
“Yes,” Jill replied, “They are mostly Terran citizens. It was on the news net a week ago. I hadn’t realized how many people that really is. The Empire will transport their citizens to an imperial world according to the news; but they have to prove they are either citizens of Earth, or have relatives in the empire. They will even accept people who have given up their Imperial citizenship. Providing there are no warrants for their arrest.” “You seem to know quite a bit about this,” Lisa asked as they got out of the limo.
“Just something I saw on the holo,” Jill replied.
They entered the building and were met by the ambassador herself. Amanda Gray had dined at their table over the last couple of weeks, but Lisa hadn’t gotten to know her that well. She was an older woman nearly seventy with brunette hair streaked with gray. She stood barley five feet six inches tall. She held one of the most important diplomatic posts for the Earth Empire.
“Good afternoon Lady Wilson,” The ambassador greeted them.
“Good afternoon Ambassador,” Lisa returned, and turned to Jill, “Ambassador
Gray this is my daughter, Jill. Jill this is Ambassador Gray.”
“It’s been a while Jill, but I remember you when you were a little girl.” The ambassador replied.
“I didn’t know you knew each other,” Lisa stated.
“Not really,” The ambassador answered, “Jill couldn’t have been much more than five when I was home for a while and I had a chance to have dinner with her grandmother.
She and I were roommates at the academy.”
“It seems that a lot of people know about me or my father,” Jill remarked.
“It is a small community Jill,” The ambassador replied. “I’ve known your father for years. Ever since Joy introduced him to me years before you were born.”
She led them up to the second floor on a stair case that looked like it had come out of a historical drama. The wide stair case swept up from the main floor to an ornate balcony that looked over the lobby of the embassy. As they stepped onto the balcony Georgia looked to Jenny who nodded. They both had thought the same thing. It would be a great place to defend the lobby from if they had to. They entered the conference room and there Jill was surprised to see that General Alpine was not dressed in a uniform. The Princess was in a skirt and a simple blouse that set off her auburn hair and green eyes.
“Hello,” the future empress of the Earth Empire greeted them.
“Hello,” Jill said not knowing how to address the older woman. It was easy when she had her uniform on. “This will be the first time I have heard any of this Princess.”
“Jill,” the princess started, “I know Jill. I’ll try to help you understand it all.” “Thank you Princess,” Jill replied.
“Although I am Princess Carroll and you are one of my father’s subjects, in this instance I work for you.” The princess spoke to her ward, “In this room I work for you. Please call me Carroll.”
Jill understood what the older woman was trying to do. By lowering the barrier of the princess’ station in life and her own being