Array
(
[text] =>

Chapter 16 A Royal Get Together

Jason

"I'm sorry." A young woman who couldn't have been much older than Jason, with the same eyes as her mother's. They were also the same eyes as someone else Jason knew. Or thought he knew.

Jason appreciated the gesture but hugged back awkwardly.

The principal of Glendale High was a man in his late fifties. He went by the name Mr. Rodgers and was the best principal the school district had ever seen. His had the skin tone of something like coffee mixed with a lot creamer. In fact his whole office smelled like coffee. He wore glasses that looked more like the reading kind. His hair was black, short and curly. Usually he was a chipper man wearing tweed jackets with vests, slacks, ties, suspenders and running shoes. Today he was dressed in mostly brown with a white shirt and a black tie.

Mr. Rodgers took a seat over by the corner, assessing the situation with a calm exterior. Jason wasn't sure how the man was dealing with the sudden influx of chaos taking place on the school grounds. Jason realized quickly that wasn't his problem and that was something Mr. Rodgers would have to deal with.

The shades were all pulled shut in a room that was made up of mostly windows. There were a lot of photos around the office, on the walls and desk that showed pictures of Mr. Rodgers with students through the years. He had the room filled with a lot of happy looking teens. A world Jason may or may not have to leave. Jason was preparing himself for the latter, because it wasn't like he saw himself in any of those photos. Perhaps this fate all along. His fate.

He realized now, that he didn't want to leave. Jason was forcing himself to focus on the smiling faces of field trips and graduation photo's. So when the young woman finally stepped away, to sit in a seat angled towards the center of the room, the Queen herself sat across from, Jason could see the way the queen was studying him. Her face showed little to no emotion. Jason was stuck wondering what he might have done wrong.

"Now that you've met my daughter, Samantha-"

"I sometimes go by the name Sam." Her voice held silk, calming gesture no doubt. Jason couldn't describe it, but he felt a certain need to start manning up and face the music now. He felt his chest puff out lightly as he met this girl, no young womans face with gratitude.

The Queen made a small 'ahem' noise at being interrupted. Unlike Jason, this Samantha didn't seem all that worried. She sat up straighter that her back was no longer touching the chair. Jason realized he needed to mirror the same. It was easier said than done because these chairs weren't meant for anything else but slouching. That's apparently how Mr. Rodgers ran things in his office, not that Jason had ever been in the office before. This was his first time.

"As I was saying," The Queen leaned forward, clasping her hands together while keeping her elbows off the desk, "or meant to say, was that I am indeed, sorry things had to turn out this way, but least now that I have your complete attention I dare say you believe me now?"

She paused considerably letting Jason absorb the news. This was understandably, the Queen being soft, but Jason wanted this to be over with. He nodded for her to continue as his hands were starting to feel sweaty at the armrests. He knew he could take whatever came next. He didn't realize he was holding his breath.

"Now as of last week, I've not only informed you about your fathers passing-"

"I'm sorry about that too." Samantha said. Her head bobbed with about as much grace as someone with a royal title could. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge the sentiment.

Jason found himself looking at her instead. Really looking at her. Her hair reminded him of the feathers of a black raven, it looked like there were hues of blue streaks in it. She had it tossed to one side in waves that could make a great hair commercial. Her skin wasn't quite chalky white, it was more porcelain. Her legs were crossed and they looked like they belonged on a runway then in a bad seat placed in a public school. She was mystifying, Jason could give her that.

Unlike the queen and... Caleb, her eyes had an authentic look about them.

If Jason was straight, he could see the appeal, but it wasn't the same when he looked at her brother. How messed up was that? So the son the Queen referred to too was Trent along. Caleb! Jason meant Caleb. This was going to take some getting used to.

"But enough dilly dallying." The Queen said in a chipped voice. "Let's get straight to business. You are of legal age here in the United States. By law, California too no doubt. That is why you don't need your mother in here." Jason already figured that out. "Your age alone already qualifies your right to the crown, but I'm not here this time to tell you what you already know."

Jason braced himself.

"As I have said before, until my eldest son-"

"Augustus." Sam supplied, her eyes never seemed to leave Jason and this was starting to make him feel slightly uncomfortable.

The Queen kept talking as if she were never interrupted, "-decided to decline his role of taking the crown, it has passed down to my daughter. I'll put this as simple as possible, Princess Samantha, cannot simply become the next ruling queen without an arranged marriage."

Jason didn't need to hear the rest to understand. It was only last when Jason found out he was a possible heir to the crown, but today, he was no longer a possible heir? It was already etched in stone, and there might not have been anything he could do about it. Sure the Princess seemed like a nice girl, but there was more than a tiny problem to it all. His heart.

Jason simply did not swing that way, but how could he say the words? What was he supposed to do? He found himself looking towards the Princess who tried to smile at him, and felt nothing. It wasn't remotely the same as when Trent... no... Caleb... smiled at him.

The Queen suddenly looked nervous and more than a little uncomfortable that Jason didn't realize a tear made its way down his cheek. The Queen didn't make a sound at first but when she did, it sounded more like a choke. Like she didn't know how to handle the situation anymore. Not that Jason could blame her because he was sure he would have felt the same in her shoes.

The Princess on the other hand laid a hand on his arm without looking at him. She was staring at her mother. In that moment, it looked like the roles had been reversed. Jason knew right then and there, Samantha would make an excellent Queen herself one day. Was it so horrible that he could rule a country with a woman like her at his side?

If the Queen could pull at her collar, she would have. Instead she seemed to have found her footing in the topic again.

"You know, ultimately, you don't have to do this. Either of you, but by making the choice not to, would undoubtedly mean the crown would pass down to my second son." After gulping for some air the Queen added, "As they say here in America, no pressure." And she still managed to make the simple saying look like royalty that Jason felt himself smile. Something mildly reminded him of someone held near and dear to his heart. Or someone he thought he held near and dear to his heart. At least, things were now starting to make sense.

Jason felt greatly relieved to hear that. He still had a choice. He took away the traitorous tear with a quick swipe of his hand and started to relax more. The worst was already said, but he still had a choice.

"So I mean by what I say, as Queen, that you don't have to make an official statement right here and now. That'll be this weekend in the Stockholm Palace."

If Jason was currently drinking anything he would have spewed it all from his mouth.

He felt the Princess tapping his arm, "Don't worry, you'll find it's quite comfortable there."

But Sweden! Who would have thought?

"Might I also remind you," The Queen said, "you can bring only one guest with you but I'm afraid they can't be there when we bring this before the parliament. You realize, I am doing this against what we as a royal family wouldn't normally do."

"Just remember, no sweat." The Princess added. She was so unreal, Jason couldn't see as anything else much less a Princess, but he kept that to himself. She was too cool, and down to earth. Not that Jason ever met any royalty before--wait he did. He just didn't know it at the time, but then it was like Trent/Caleb acted like his shit didn't stink either.

Well, sorta.

Jason appreciated the fact that the Queen and the Princess went out of their way for him. That didn't stop him pointing out the most obvious.

"But I wasn't born, nor have I any experience in Sweden. I never even got to go Disneyland. Won't some members of the parliament disagree?"

Jason was no stranger to know what the parliament consisted of. They were elected officials with no expiration period. From what Jason did remember reading, during one of his World History studies, every kingdom had one. Jason tried not to imagine the looks of the strangers he was doomed to meet. What would they see him as? A commoner? Someone unworthy? Jason had to silently agree.

"We'll cross that bridge when we reach it."

The Queen herself unclasped her hands as she first looked at her daughter but the words were directed at Jason. "You'll have your hands full with this one. Now if you were stuck dealing with my second son, then you would be way in over your head."

Jason made no such comment, though he wanted to say he agreed with her.

"Now that we've gotten this out of the way, we will let you and your guest get ready for the big day."

Jason didn't mean to interrupt but at least he waited for her to finish a sentence. "No."

"No?" The Queen about as close to raised eyebrow she could muster. At being interrupted or being defied. Quite possibly both.

"No." He repeated not wasting any time. "I'm going to have to do this alone. My mom still has her work and I have my own life to sort out. I-"

"Don't give us your answer." The Princess said briskly. "Save it for the parliament."

She tried adding another friendly tap on his arm but had to refrain from doing so. The Queen herself had already risen. That must have meant everyone else had to stand too. Mr. Rodgers was the third to rise and Jason the last.

"Thank you for coming," Mr. Rodgers offered a respectable nod.

"No worries, there's no need." The Queen gave a dismissal wave. "This is America. I was born and raised right here in this very city."

As if Jason hadn't already received a number of shocks already. He was well past his quota of them for the day. For the year.

The Queen made her grand exit flanked by more men in black before the door could be opened. The Princess with eyes similar to Trent's—no Caleb's (Jason's head was still reeling) turned to smile once more before exiting. Jason tried to smile back but it felt too forceful. She too was surrounded by more men dressed in black and the door shut behind them leaving Jason still standing.

"You've grown up," he heard Mr. Rodgers say.

Jason tried not to dissect his meaning.

"I watch all my students and I remember you being one of the most timid. It got worse by the end of last year, but now, watching you speak, like royalty."

"Please don't start calling me a Prince." Jason laughed a little for Mr. Rodgers amusement or his own. Maybe a bit of both.

"I won't. This is still my school, so that makes me a king in my own way huh? Oh and I suggest you get packed soon as you get home. Time runs differently there than here, obviously, and you are excused from school tomorrow." And that was part of what made the guy such a good principal. He knew how to get down on someone else's level with no effort.

The door reopened and the room now held someone new.

"You can call me Lucas Johansson," Said a man, one of the many dressed in black. Unlike most of the others, this Lucas had a pair of earrings in each ear. Diamonds studs to be precise. He wasn't bald, like Jason had expected. The again to assigned to someone so quickly, it was efficient. The man could have been anywhere in his late twenties to his early thirties. He had his hands held together in front but had a devilish smile, not the same seriousness as the rest of his kind.

"I've been hired by the Princess herself to guard you for the time being."

"Thank you," was Jason's first reply. "Would that mean you'll be saying with my mom and me? And please don't refer to me as Prince or anything like that." Then he had to add, "Please."

Lucas laughed, not in a way that made Jason feel low, it was more of an appreciative laugh filled with understanding.

"It would help being there with you two, but I am grateful for the invite anyway."

Meaning, that was the plan all along and Jason didn't bother hiding his relief. Jason found it would be a bit too weird having a stranger in the home he only ever shared one person with.

"Now if you will?" He gave a wave of an arm gesturing for Jason to exit first.

Jason hardly had any time to continue processing the new tidbits of information he'd gained in too short of time. Caitlin was suddenly there hugging him again. Jason in turn returned the hug. He was scared, more than he could let on, and refused to show it any time soon. He half expected to have Lucas jump in between them but that never happened.

"I'm so sorry," She said.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I don't know how to protect you from this."

"Just keep being my friend." He said and there was a long pause before adding, "I'll be fine."

Jason sincerely did hope so.

[text_hash] => 9c268743
)