Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
LEO
News of the protest spread throughout Lynoria like wildfire. His social media following grew by the minute. People expressed support from across the globe. Thanks to Emma’s interventions, a movement was building.
After a long Friday of canvassing the country, distributing flyers, and chatting with community leaders, Leo’s back ached as he stood at the front of the community center.
People milled all around, hefting homemade signs and sharing markers. There were so many attendees that people had to wait outside on the street. There was a tangible energy in the air.
His stomach was in knots, and he hadn’t slept at all the night before. Not even because of Sal’s impressive snoring. He was about to enrage his parents and endanger what little hope remained for a future relationship with them. This event would sever his familial ties for good.
Did he even want a relationship with people who were so quick to cut him off? And for what, dating an American? It was medieval. He could make do with just Ruby as his family—and maybe John, at least on holidays.
Even though it was a sensible boundary, it still hurt. What if he and Emma beat the odds and worked everything out? Would his parents attend his wedding? Would they have a relationship with his future children?
There was no perfect solution. No matter what way he went about it, someone was going to get hurt. And he would rather the hurt party be his parents than innocent women and children fleeing untold horrors.
This was bigger than he was. Bigger than any of them. And he owed it to his country to do whatever it took to get this project off the ground.
A gentle hand landed on his back, and the scent of vanilla drifted in the air. Emma.
“Doing okay?” she asked gently, like she was trying to coax a cat down from a tree. She was wearing a T-shirt that said Growth, Not Greed, and she looked fresh as a poet’s daffodil despite having baked in his tiny apartment for the last day and a half.
Just looking at her gave him peace.
“I’m a little nervous,” he admitted.
“Totally understandable. You’re doing what has to be done. Everything will be okay. I can feel it.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and breathed in her presence. How was it possible to feel so strongly about someone he had met less than a month ago?
He glanced at his watch. Just a few minutes till noon. First the protest, and then the Christmas extravaganza. Who knew that the holiday that filled him with so much disdain might just be the thing that saved his entire project?
“Want me to wrangle everyone?” she asked.
“Thank you.”
“Okay, everyone, gather your materials and meet us outside. We march at noon,” Emma called.
People drifted out into the street, chattering excitedly, and Leo followed with a knot in his stomach. There was no turning back now.
The local police had closed the road to accommodate the protesters and prepare for the fundraiser.
People spilled out onto the cobblestones.
There must have been hundreds. Citizens of all ages had turned up—young teenagers who were certainly not dressed for the cold, parents holding small children and waving Lynorian flags, and even some slope-shouldered elderly people with walking sticks. Many of them bowed, to his chagrin.
It was a good thing the province had donated the use of so many portable loos.
The sun was shining, and it was warmer than any December day that he could remember. Storefronts were decorated with holiday flair, some themed after Christmas movies and others dressed up like giant gifts.
Emma darted to the front of the crowd, where Sal was pushing her mom’s wheelchair. Even Cooper and Arizona were wearing tiny Lynorian flag bandannas.
Was that the marching band from the local high school?
The response heartened him. People genuinely cared. They wanted what was best for the community, even if the king and queen didn’t.
Sal handed over the bullhorn from the night before, and Leo took it with a clammy hand.
“People of Lynoria,” he called. Everyone stopped talking and snapped to attention. “Thank you for joining me today. For those of you who I haven’t met, I’m Leo. And I’m trying to build something for our country. Right down the road from here.”
He pointed to where the new community hub would stand.
“A country has nothing more valuable than its people. I want to assure you I see you for who you are—hardworking, dedicated, family-oriented, fun-loving. I have such pride in this community. I want to give you what you deserve. We don’t need another ski resort.”
A chorus of cheers rang out, and his nerves dissipated slightly.
“We need a place for our people to gather. A new library for our children to learn about new worlds and new ideas. A community garden where we can grow and tend crops, or flowers, or whatever you want—well, short of anything illegal.”
A chuckle rippled through the crowd. A young woman at the edge of the crowd caught his eye. Her hair was curly and the same shade as Ruby’s. She pulled her giant sunglasses down and winked at him. It was her. His heart lifted.
“And let’s not forget a new community kitchen where we can feed our hungry.
The castle’s going to tell you that a ski resort would create jobs.
And sure, maybe there would be a few. But a resort would be the downfall of this beautiful village.
We can’t allow a corporation to gentrify our people out of their homes. ”
He took a deep breath as another cheer arose. Hopefully no one could tell that his hand was shaking.
“This is one of the biggest challenges our village has ever faced. And I’m going to fight for it. I’m going to fight for you. Now let’s go.”
The loudest cheer yet ripped through the crowd, and the marching band started playing behind him. People lifted their signs, and he felt a tiny glimmer of hope. Maybe it would be enough. Maybe it would force his parents’ hands.
The castle loomed on the hillside. Ruby had assured him that his parents were home and would be there to witness the protest. They’d surely stay walled up in the castle, hiding behind the gates.
But now that the eyes of the world were on them, his parents would be forced to make a statement, take a stance.
Hopefully it would be enough to make them crumble.
Emma reached over to squeeze his hand, and his fortitude doubled. He led the charge toward the castle.
They marched through the cold air, chanting and waving their signs. Lisa waved a flag as Emma pushed her wheelchair. She looked exhilarated as they trundled up the road.
A half dozen members of the press were there to cover the event. They snapped pictures and asked for statements as they walked. Only one asked him about his relationship with Emma.
Finally, they reached the castle gates. A couple of people from the community—one of the librarians, Gus from the soup kitchen, and a local teacher all spoke about the potential benefits of the project. Even Henri, their local member of parliament, showed up.
“Growth, not greed,” echoed in the courtyard. A couple members of the castle guard showed up, nervously standing in front of the gates in riot gear. He nodded at them, and they bowed.
A curtain twitched in one of the windows upstairs. Someone was watching. But as predicted, no one came out to address the crowd.
Leo spoke one final time before the crowd began to disperse.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” one of the reference clerks from the library said, cheeks flushed, before darting away.
“It’s just Leo,” he called after her with a smile.
“Leo, tell me more about this community garden,” Lisa said as people started the walk back to the village. “I could prepare some suggestions and planting schedules as soon as I figure out what growing zone we’re in and what native plants are in the area.”
“Let me take you to the library tomorrow,” he said.
Where was Emma?
Lisa looked at her phone. “Oh, Emma says she’ll meet us back in town before the extravaganza.”
“She didn’t say why?”
Lisa shook her head.
“Okay.” A knot formed in his stomach, but he dove back into the fray with Lisa and the dogs in tow.