Chapter 5
Since she was a young child, Victoria had known the proper way to greet royalty from her own country and others. She’d never been nervous before, so why was she now?
“Mum?” Enzo called softly as Victoria waited behind him and tried not to shift nervously from one foot to the other.
The room in the Monarch’s Quarters looked much like a hospital room, albeit much nicer - and quieter.
The beeps normally associated with the equipment found in the room were muted.
She’d noticed they were louder where the nurse was stationed outside the room.
There must be some sort of remote monitoring that allowed the in room machines to be turned down.
Rather than the stark bedding normally found on these kinds of beds, the queen enjoyed much nicer options.
Her dark hair was loose, but appeared to be thinning as it lay spread against the pillow. She was clearly a beautiful woman, though the illness had taken its toll.
She held out a hand that was no longer simply slender but bordered on bony and frail. “Enzo.” The queen’s voice was also quieter than Victoria remembered, and much weaker.
“Mum.” Enzo bowed his head, indicating he hadn’t seen his mum yet and reminded Victoria she needed to curtsy. He leaned over and kissed her hairline. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better.” There was a hint of humor in her voice. “Who did you bring?”
Enzo turned to Victoria. “Mum, this is Princess Victoria of the Second Santierian Dynasty.”
She dropped Enzo’s hand and held hers out to Victoria. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, officially. I’m sure we’ve met before.”
Victoria curtsied then took her hand and did her best to be extra gentle. “Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve met several times, though it’s been many years. I think I was ten or twelve the last time.”
“But this is the first time as an adult and certainly the first time as my daughter-in-law.” The smile on her face seemed genuine. She squeezed Victoria’s hand.
Victoria had no idea what the diagnosis was. She would be surprised if the queen would be with them much longer, though she had no idea exactly how long that might be.
The queen went on. “I know it probably won’t go over well with the public that you’re already married, but I’m glad I got to meet you again as my son’s wife and not only as his girlfriend or fiancée.”
“I feel the same way.” Enzo had moved so she could be closer to his mum.
“Use me and my failing health to your advantage with the public. His mum wanted to see you married before...” The queen stopped to breathe. “You had a small private ceremony so I could be a part of your relationship, however briefly.”
Tears filled Victoria’s eyes as she realized her new mother-in-law was protecting them.
“It’s true, you know.” The queen went on. “I’m glad I got to meet my oldest son’s wife. I wish I could have been there, but ultimately, the important thing is that you got married.” Her eyes closed, and she almost seemed to fall asleep.
Enzo had moved to the other side of the bed. “We’ll let you get some rest, Mum.” He squeezed her other hand and gave her another kiss on her forehead.
A minute later, they were back outside the queen’s room. Victoria expected him to let his happy face slip, but if anything his smile widened a little bit.
“Are you hungry?” Enzo turned toward her as they walked down the hallway toward the main entrance of the apartment.
“That sounds good.”
When they left the Monarch’s Apartment, his smile brightened a bit more. “Do you want a tour of the palace? We can stop in the kitchen and get some food while we’re there.”
“That would be great.” Victoria wondered at his demeanor. Shouldn’t he be a bit more... not happy? Was he putting on a fake smile to avoid dealing with the coming pain of losing his mum and becoming king at the same time? Was a bigger smile how he dealt with things?
She didn’t ask. She didn’t know him well enough. Not yet. Instead, she tried to remember everywhere they went and how to get the different places.
One place he didn’t show her was his quarters. He’d told her he had his own apartment within the palace and that he wasn’t looking forward to being forced to move into the Monarch’s Apartment.
Did he have to? Could he stay where he was, at least for a while?
One thing she had learned was that Frederick decided to move out of the official monarch’s quarters for a while.
Maybe Enzo could just not move in until he felt more ready.
Did any of his siblings still live there? Were any of them minors?
She’d bring it up. Soon. But she wanted to make sure she didn’t do so at the wrong time.
As they wandered through the building, he pointed out some of his ancestors in the portraits or told her a little bit about the battle depicted or whatever else might be going on in the paintings.
He shared some of the history of her newly adopted country.
She would need to learn it. Maybe there was a royal historian she could talk to or have lessons with.
Probably not until after things settled down, but that would be the best plan, most likely.
Enzo certainly wouldn’t have the time to teach her much. He had too much on his shoulders as it was.
“This is the Hall of Kings.” He stopped before two ornately carved doors. “We can go through it another time. There’s queens in there, too, of course. I don’t know why the name was never changed. The royal historian’s office is in there, and they work to preserve our history and artifacts.”
“I would love to learn more about that. Maybe talk to the historian. Learn more about Dellisole.” Victoria let go of his hand and peered through the glass panes of the doors. “I love this kind of thing.”
He chuckled. “I’m certain the historian will love you then. He loves anyone who lets him... what’s the phrase he used? Geek out about our history.”
“Then it sounds like we’ll get along just fine.” She continued to look through the glass, but couldn’t see much but the outlines of the frames on the walls.
“Sir?”
Victoria turned to see someone she thought was Enzo’s aide standing nearby with a grave look on his face.
“Yes?” If Enzo was worried, it didn’t show on his face.
“It’s time, sir.” The man bowed his head toward them. “The queen is asking for you.”
She followed in their wake as they hurried back to his mum’s side.
Knowing it was time wouldn’t make it any easier.
Especially for Enzo.
Of all the things he thought he might feel upon becoming king, overwhelmed was the word that most often came to mind for Enzo.
What he hadn’t expected was the sense of calm that settled deep inside.
Victoria had offered to join him at his mother’s bedside, but he’d preferred to be alone, though medical personnel were required to be in attendance.
His mum had been asleep by the time he returned to her side. She didn’t wake up as he took her hand and told her he’d be okay.
By the time he emerged, he felt like he’d been through the wringer, but also a sense of calm had come over him. He’d become king at the moment of his mum’s last breath, but the responsibility seemed manageable - at least for the time being.
Victoria had come to his side and wrapped her arms around him. He reciprocated, and they stood there fora few minutes until his aide quietly let him know there were papers that need to signed and announcements to be made.
She framed his face between her hands and looked straight in his eyes. “I’ll be here when you’re done. You’ve got this.” After releasing his face, she leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek.
He nodded and turned to walk off, but stopped and looked back at his aide. “Will you show Victoria to my quarters?”
The aide started to protest, but Enzo shook his head. “Not here. My quarters. I’ll meet you in my office.”
He waited for Victoria to go in front of him.
“Right this way, Your Majesty.”
It took him a second to remember Victoria was the queen now and that was her title, too.
She and the aide went one direction outside of the main door, and he went the other.
With his hands shoved deep in his pockets, Enzo made his way slowly toward the executive wing of the palace. After walking into his office, he considered going to the monarch’s office. He would likely be told the meetings were to take place there anyway.
Fortunately, he had a door directly into that office so there wouldn’t be a long walk.
Going into his mum’s office would have to happen soon enough. So would moving into her quarters.
But for now, staying was something he could control - at least a for a short while.
He picked up the photo of his family from the day of his mother’s coronation. He’d been eleven. The memories were a little fuzzy most of the time. It had been so overwhelming for a pre-teen. He knew his siblings remembered even less.
Plans had been quietly underway for several weeks, with just the date to be determined. Everything that would happen now with his mum had been determined long ago. In fact, Enzo would likely have a meeting in the next couple of months to begin planning his own service.
Hopefully, it would be decades before it was needed.
Both of his parents were gone. With that knowledge came the weight that he was not only responsible for the country but his siblings as well.
His office had windows that looked over the courtyard, but only a couple of small ones. The monarch’s office had a many on two different walls so someone could pick their view.
Until he had that option, this one would do.
He stared at a fountain as it bubbled.
King.
King Vincenzo IV.
Unless he wanted to use one of his other names as his regnal name, but that didn’t appeal to him. It wasn’t done much anymore anyway.
“Sir?”
He didn’t hear his aide enter his office. “Yes?”
“The Prime Minister is waiting in the Monarch’s Office.”
Enzo blew out a breath. “Thank you. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, sir.”
After another moment of incoherent thoughts running through his mind, Enzo turned and walked through the door to what would become his office soon enough.
The three men gathered there turned toward him and bowed in unison.
“Your Majesty.” They spoke in unison as well.
“You have our deepest condolences,” the Prime Minister spoke for the trio. “I wish we didn’t need to do some of these things so quickly but we don’t have an option.”
“Thank you and I understand.”
For the next ninety minutes, he signed paperwork and approved announcements.
“One more thing we need to discuss with you, sir.” The Prime Minister glanced at the Chairman of the Council. Both were clearly uncomfortable.
“If it’s about arranging a marriage, that’s unnecessary. I was wed in a private ceremony a few weeks ago.” He kept his face impassive as he spoke. It would be a bad plan to mention that part of the reason for the wedding was to avoid this conversation and so that his mum could meet his wife.
They shared another look, this one longer.
“Pardon the presumption, sir, but if you married before your mother’s passing for the sole purpose of avoiding the need for approval by the Council once you became monarch, that would be an issue.” The Chairman began to look like he was trying to hide his annoyance.
“I can assure you, that was not the reason.” Or not the sole reason. It had definitely crossed his mind, weighed heavily on it at times, but it wasn’t the only reason.
“Very well.”
Enzo didn’t think they would press the issue, but had known it would be raised.
“Will that announcement be made at the same time as this one?” The Prime Minister asked that question.
“No.” It had been discussed with the public relations teams of both countries.
“We would prefer to wait until after the public has had some time to absorb my mother’s passing.
The queen and I will make an appearance tomorrow afternoon.
” What an odd thing to say, even moreso than calling Victoria his wife.
“With all due respect, sir, is your wi... the queen equipped to handle that sort of attention? To handle the pressures that come from being a member of a royal family?” The Prime Minister continued his questions.
That one made Enzo smile, just a bit. “She’ll be fine.”
The Prime Minister gave a single nod. “Very well.”
After another twenty minutes of minutia, they left.
Enzo went back through his old office and took the back ways to the quarters he’d lived in for years.
Victoria waited for him. She held her arms open, and he walked into them as his smile fell.
And he wept.