Chapter 11 #2
What would Mum think about that? Would she approve or give that "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed" look every mum had mastered?
Would he be able to master it someday? When he and Victoria had children?
"May I recommendation, sir?" The aide brought Enzo's attention back to the present.
"Of course. I can't promise I'll take it, but you can make the suggestion."
"Talk to the PR team. Let the public know that you and the queen are working toward a resolution and that you look forward to working with the Council to do so.
You also look forward to the queen taking her rightful seat on the Council.
" The aide made a note on his tablet. "Would you like me to arrange a meeting? "
Enzo nodded and closed the folder. "That would be good. Thank you."
They discussed a couple more items on the agenda before Enzo found himself alone in his office.
A tension headache had already started and he was only an hour into his official workday.
As he read through the notes on the Games of the Sargasso Sea, he wondered if he'd get to see much of them. A representative typically attended the opening ceremonies, but not always the monarch - and rarely stayed to watch much of the competition.
Maybe he could arrange to go for a few days, or even a week.
Victoria's family would likely be there, and he suspected she would enjoy the opportunity to see them.
Before that, he and Victoria needed a little time away.
The beach house for a couple of days would be just what he needed, and he suspected Victoria would enjoy it as well.
After sending a note to the aide in charge of travel arrangements, he sent a text to Victoria.
For the next several hours, he did his best to focus on the work in front of him.
It included a lot of reading, but also a couple of phone conferences.
His schedule included so many meetings with leaders of other countries who needed reassurances that any treaties and other agreements would be honored with the change in leadership.
He understood why they all wanted the confirmation, and the face time as it were, but having the same conversation over and over was more than a bit tedious.
Lunch time brought with it the prettiest companion he knew. Victoria surprised him by bringing his lunch to him along with something for her.
"I won't be here for dinner," she explained. "I have a dinner thing with..." She shrugged. "Someone. I don't remember off the top of my head. I've got it written in my notes but those are in my office."
Which meant there wouldn't be any reason for him to wrap up earlier than he had been, something he'd been contemplating before her arrival.
The rest of the lunch was spent talking about other events they had coming up, including the first official state dinner they would host in a few weeks.
Victoria seemed to have it all under control, but underneath the confidence, he sensed uncertainty.
He still didn't know the details of her hiatus from public life, but he knew it had been quite some time since she'd attended a formal event, and he doubted she'd ever planned or hosted one.
Could he do anything to help ease her tension or make it easier on her?
Probably not, except make sure the palace staff would give her the assistance she needed. Many of the plans had already been started. Some of the decisions had likely already been set, but she'd need to confirm those and make many others.
Before she left to go back to her own tasks for the day, Enzo leaned over and kissed her - softly, gently. "I'll see you when you get back tonight."
A light blush crept up her cheeks, causing a grin to cross his face.
"I'll see you later." Victoria took their lunch service and put it on the cart before taking it with her as she left.
For the rest of the day, he worked nonstop, even eating his dinner at the conference table in his office as he met with the Director of Public Relations.
She agreed with the idea to go straight to the public while not making it obvious they were trying to force the Council into making a favorable decision. Together, they drafted a statement that Enzo would show to Victoria later in the evening. Hopefully, she'd agree it was the best choice.
By the time he made it back to his quarters, the tension headache had settled into a dull ache he feared would never truly leave.
At least they'd leave for the trip to the beach house in just a couple of days. He'd be able to limit his work, and hopefully, Victoria would be able to leave most of hers behind as well.
Relax.
That's what they both needed.
He probably needed time to truly grieve. With all of the things he'd needed to take care of and that continued to cross his desk on a daily basis, being able to fully process his mother's passing was a luxury he hadn’t had time for.
Staying busy meant he didn't have to face the loss.
Which meant he needed to find a way to keep from stopping.
At least after he woke up.
Before Victoria returned to the palace, he'd fallen asleep and prayed it would remain dreamless.