Chapter 8
The looks of confusion were carefully hidden by most of those along the rope line, but Victoria could still see it in their eyes.
Still, they bowed and curtsied and called her "Your Royal Highness" and never actually questioned why she had joined the ranks of their royal family on such an occasion.
They still expressed their condolences, likely expecting that she'd been closer to the late queen than the public knew.
Photos were taken surreptitiously by some and more openly by others. There was no posing for selfies or anything else that might be considered celebratory.
Except once.
As Victoria shook the hand of a woman with long gray hair, she felt a tug on her skirt. Looking down, there was a little boy, no more than four or five reaching for her.
Crouching down so she was on his eye level, she greeted him. "Thank you for coming today, kind sir."
His somber face didn't change. "My mummy and papa gone too." He held his hand to his heart. "It hurts here."
Victoria took his other hand. "My papa is gone. I know how much it hurts."
"Is your mummy?"
"No. My mum is still with us, but I know she misses my papa terribly."
Before any of them could truly take in what was happening, the little boy flung his arms around Victoria, burying his head in her shoulder.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of the security team start to interfere, but she held up a hand to stop them. There was no danger. Only a little boy who missed his mummy and papa.
She'd heard something a long time ago. At the Disney parks, Walt had insisted that no character ever let the hug go first. Those children - and even adults - would determine if it was a quick hug or a long one.
The cast members had no idea what might be going on in that child's life and how much they might need that hug.
She'd heard the same thing about Taylor Swift and her genuine interactions with fans.
Victoria was certain there had to be exceptions to the rule, but for this moment, this little boy would let go first.
It probably didn't last as long as it felt like to Victoria but eventually the little boy loosened his hold and stepped back.
The woman with the gray hair rested her hand on the top of his head. When she looked up Victoria could see tears streaking down the woman's cheeks.
"Thank you," the woman whispered. "it's very recent for him."
"You both have my deepest condolences," Victoria told her as she straightened and reached for the woman's hand to give it a light squeeze. "Thank you for being here today amidst your own grief."
Before she could say anything else, someone jostled them and the connection was broken.
If she was still in Southern Santiero, Victoria knew she'd be able to give a look or a sign to one of their staff members, and within hours she would find out who they were and anything else she needed to know.
She looked around but didn't see one of them looking at her.
Surely the interaction had been recorded and would make its way onto social media and news sites before long. That would help her get the information she needed.
What she would do with that information remained to be seen, but it would be available to her.
Together, with her new family, she worked her way down the line back toward the gates where they'd exited and would reenter momentarily.
The emotional toll of an outing like this would exist long after they returned to the palace.
And yet, there was an exhilaration as well. A buoyancy of lifted spirits and camaraderie that came from such intimate contact with supporters and well-wishers.
Once they reentered the palace proper, Victoria unexpectedly found herself alone.
A group of aides had quickly separated Enzo from the rest of them and ushered him off, probably to his office. The other siblings went their own ways, likely with none of them realizing she'd been left behind.
There were a couple of staff members, the ones who'd opened and closed the doors for them, standing awkwardly nearby.
A thought came to mind. "Could you please point me toward the main kitchen?"
Relief washed over their faces as she gave them something they could do.
"I would be happy to escort you, ma'am." The one who appeared to be senior held a hand out toward one of the passages leading off of the vestibule.
Victoria gave him a nod of thanks and followed him through several corridors including two flights of stairs until they reached a set of double doors.
"Thank you. Perhaps one day soon, when things are a bit more settled, you would give me a tour of the palace and tell me some of its tales?" Her curiosity had been piqued the first time she walked through the doors a couple of days earlier, but she still didn't know much about any of it.
He bowed at the waist. "I would be honored, ma'am, but there are others who are far more knowledgeable than I am. I will be happy to let them know you'd like a tour soon."
She nodded her thanks again, having suspected his answer would be something along those lines.
Pulling the right side door toward her, Victoria slipped into the industrial kitchen used to serve state dinners as well as intimate family dinner parties.
After only venturing a step or two, she stopped and looked around.
Her heels were most definitely not suited for this sort of floor and though her hair had been pulled back, there was no hair net covering it.
She knew enough about kitchen safety to know those things were a must.
"May I help you?"
Victoria turned to see a woman in a chef's coat and hat walking toward her while drying her hands on a towel. "I was looking for a quick snack, but I'm not certain where everything is just yet."
The chef didn't question her at all so word of her arrival must have gotten around. "Of course, ma'am. Would you like something in particular?"
"Something light and yummy." Victoria managed to keep her cringe internal. Queens did not say words like "yummy" with a straight face to anyone over the age of six.
"Of course. I would be happy to have something sent to your quarters?" The implied question caught Victoria a bit off-guard.
"That would be lovely, thank you." With a nod, she turned and left the kitchen, uncertain of where she should go next. Wandering the halls didn't hold much appeal, but her unfamiliarity with the building didn't work in her favor.
Deciding she should go left, since she came in from the right, Victoria started down the corridor. Each time she came to an intersection, she looked all directions and made a choice.
And saw no one.
If she never made it back to civilization on her own, would Enzo have any way to find her? The last thing she wanted to do was burden him. If she didn't find someone soon, she'd call her mum and ask her to reach out quietly to a member of the staff here.
Rounding another corner, Victoria stopped in her tracks both thrilled and more than a little intimidated by what she saw.
A smile crossed her face. She was going to be fine.
Meeting after meeting after meeting.
No time to mourn.
No time to think.
That last one might be a good thing for Enzo. Thinking would mean he couldn't remain numb anymore.
But it also meant his decisions might not be made by someone operating on all cylinders. He needed rest and time. Time without demands to recharge.
That wasn't going to happen any time soon.
He'd been told to go down to the staff lunch room, though he didn't know why.
When he reached the entry, Enzo stopped, surprised by what he saw, though he shouldn't have been - not after the encounter with the little boy outside.
Victoria sat in one of the chairs with about a dozen staff members gathered in a circle with her. He couldn't be certain what they were talking about but the laughter combined with tear-stained cheeks gave him a pretty good idea.
One woman bounced to her feet as she caught sight of him then dropped into a curtsy. "Your Majesty!"
The others in the circle followed suit, though Enzo motioned for them to remain seated. "Good afternoon. This looks like the place to be. May I join you for a few moments before I have to get to my next meeting?"
He didn't have a next meeting. Not for a while.
Murmurs of assent came from around the circle as he pulled a chair up next to Victoria's. He suspected his presence would stifle the conversation but he did have some things he wanted to say.
"I want to thank all of you for your continued service, not only the last few days but in all of your time with us. Your work does not go unnoticed or unappreciated." He needed to make certain they were all taken care of and had access to mental health professionals and anything else necessary.
"Thank you, sir." The most senior among them answered for them all.
He didn't know her name.
Making a mental note that he needed to get better at knowing everyone who worked in the palace or on the grounds, at knowing their names and what they did, he looked around the circle.
"I do hope you'll forgive me, but as you can imagine I've had quite a bit on my mind the last few days.
Would all of you be so kind as to remind me of your names and positions here in the palace? "
Maybe someone could make him flashcards with pictures.
"Cynthia," the first woman said. "I'm in charge of the cleaning crew for the main floor of the palace, including the public facing areas."
That's why she looked familiar. "How long have you been with us here, Cynthia?" He would have preferred to use her last name and a title, but she hadn't offered that information.
"Just shy of twenty years, sir."
Enzo tilted his head toward her. "Your years of service are greatly appreciated."
"Thank you, sir."
They continued around the circle until everyone had introduced themselves, and he'd exchanged a bit of conversation with each one.
Once they finished, he stood. "Thank you for allowing me to take a little bit of your time.
Please contact my office if there is anything you need to help you or other staff members through this difficult time.
" He rested a hand on Victoria's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze before turning to leave.
It was highly unlikely any of them would contact his office even if they did need something, but the offer had been genuine.
Victoria stayed behind as he'd expected her to, though he doubted the atmosphere would return to what it had been. She'd likely follow close behind.
When he reached their quarters, he found some light snacks waiting on a silver cart.
After popping one of the smaller bits into his mouth, Enzo tugged at his tie and loosened the top buttons of his shirt.
His remaining meetings of the day would be over the phone so he didn't need to keep his formal look.
In just a few moments, he'd changed back into a comfortable pair of joggers and an old shirt, softened by years of use. It surprised him to find it folded on top of a dresser in his closet until he noticed that it didn't smell quite like his clothing normally did. Was that... vanilla?
It hit him. Victoria had worn it to sleep in the night before.
Did she not have any clothes of her own in Dellisole? It didn't bother him that she'd borrowed the shirt. It simply made him curious.
Enzo sent a quick text to his senior aide to have someone look into making sure the new queen had what she needed. The aide wouldn't take care of it himself, but would quickly pass it along to someone else who could make sure it was done.
"Enzo?" Victoria's voice rang through the apartment.
Rather than answering, he went to her. "Good afternoon."
Much as he'd quickly shed the vestiges of his more formal attire, she was doing the same. Her heels had already been kicked off and she was pulling her hair out of its band. She walked toward him until she could rest her hand on his chest.
"How are you?"
Though everyone he'd talked with had meant what they said, the words carried additional weight coming from Victoria.
"Worn out," he admitted, resting his hands on the sides of her waist. "I expected all of this to be a lot. I expected the paperwork and the meetings and the phone calls to seem never ending. I expected there to be an emotional toll, a big one even."
"But..." she prompted when he didn't go on.
He leaned toward her until he could rest his forehead against hers. "I didn't expect all of it to be so physically exhausting at the same time."
"Of course it is. Even if you weren't running from one meeting to another, regardless of what kind of meeting that is, the loss of a loved one is always going to affect you physically.
It may manifest in different forms for different people, but our mental and emotional well-being is directly tied to our physical health as well.
" Her hand slid up his chest and around to the back of his neck.
"It makes sense when you put it that way.
I'd never really thought about it." His eyes closed as he tried to let some of the tension relax out of his shoulders.
"I could also use a good workout and a massage.
I haven't worked out in almost a week, and I should have had a massage scheduled for tomorrow, but I don't know if it still is. "
"Why don't you go work out?" Victoria encouraged. "Get out some of that anxiety by... I don't know. Lifting weights or running on a treadmill or whatever you prefer."
"I have some phone meetings coming up. I'd also have to leave the apartment and I would prefer not to do that."
He let another moment go by before straightening. "Thank you. I needed that."
Victoria leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "It's what I'm here for."