For Him
Jasper Frost is currently standing at the threshold of Queen Helena's private quarters, waiting to knock. When the Queen of England asks to see you, you do not hesitate. Especially when she is not only The Queen, but also your boss and most importantly your girlfriend's mother.
This will not be the first time that he has been inside the Queen's bedroom, by invitation or not. And yet, he still feels some trepidation about why exactly he has been summoned here.
Taking a leap of faith he's not sure he has, Jasper knocks lightly on the heavy wood door.
"Yes, come in", comes Queen Helena's voice from the other side.
"Your Majesty asked to see me", Jasper greets her with a small bow of his head.
"Yes, Mr. Frost", Helena begins, rising from her desk. "I have something here that I believe is meant for you", she continues, handing him a medium size white envelope.
"Thank you Your Majesty", he utters in reply, accepting the envelope from her outstretched hand.
"That will be all", Helena says, dismissing him as quickly as he entered.
Jasper quietly checks on Prince Liam before returning to the security room, where he hopes to be alone so that he can look at whatever Queen Helena has just given him.
Once ensconced inside the box like room he is finally able to acknowledge the envelope that he has safely tucked away inside his jacket. The envelope has two words hand written on it: For Him. Jasper turns the envelope around in his palm, trying to see if there are any other distinguishing marks on it; he has never seen this handwriting before and there is nothing else to go by for him to know who may have written it. And why on Earth was it given to him? Finally there is nothing left for him to do, but open and read whatever is inside.
The opening line takes Jasper's breath away in a way that little else ever has.
To the Man who Loves My Daughter,
Hello. If you are reading this it means that unfortunately I am gone and that we will never have the opportunity to meet. It also means that you are the person whom Eleanor has chosen to give her heart and her life to. I hope you know how very special that makes you. I write this letter not as The King of England, but as Eleanor's father and the man who loved her first and forever. I have always wondered who you would be. How did the two of you meet? What was the first thing that made you fall in love with her? I need to tell you that I don't care about backgrounds and Family names and Titles, I care about the fact that you are now the most important person in the world to my daughter. And I can only hope that she is the most important person to you. I trust that since you have been given this letter that that is in fact true. As I am sure you know by now, Eleanor is very guarded, especially with her heart. She doesn't trust easily, because she has been hurt and because this life of ours makes knowing who to trust most difficult. However, once Eleanor loves, she loves with her entire being. On the outside she is feisty, wild, free, and sometimes crazy. But inside my girl is the most loving soul; she loves her family more than anyone and I'm sure now she loves you most of all. Eleanor is brave, she is creative, with a brilliant mind. As I write this, Eleanor seems lost; a sole wave lost amongst the great big ocean that is our life and duty to country. I know all that she can be, I see it, and I trust that you see it too. I pray that she can stop covering up all the wonder of who she truly is and embrace it, live it. Now that you have come into her life, our lives, I hope that Eleanor is truly happy and truly in love. Thank you for loving her as she deserves. No one deserves it more. Lastly, since I won't be there in person, I want to offer you my blessing; when you are ready, I give you my blessing to ask Eleanor for her hand, to ask her to spend her life with you. Please, please, please, take good care of my little girl and love her like no other. She was mine first and always, but I give her to you to have all the love and happiness in the world. Every day won't be perfect, but with true love and partnership you can make it through any storm. Thank you, my Son, for loving my daughter.
With love and many blessings,
Simon R. Henstridge
The late King of England, Eleanor's beloved father, Simon Henstridge had left a note for the man who would become Eleanor's future husband. And that letter was just given to him, Jasper Frost. Jasper felt like he was in a dream state, because things like this did not happen to scumbag, Las Vegas born conmen, like him. And yet here he sits, with the letter in his now sweaty hands, given to him by Queen Helena, written, to him and for him, by the late King. Whatever else happens, he actually has the blessings of Eleanor's parents to love her and build a life with her.
Jasper did not get a chance to know King Simon; in the short time Jasper had worked there during his reign, they had never even had a conversation. How would her father really feel about him being a bodyguard? How would he feel about Jasper's real intentions when he initially came to work here? What would he think about the initial relationship that the Princess and the bodyguard had? Jasper was still so ashamed about his actions and intentions towards Eleanor. He was still so ashamed about all the mistakes he has made. But at the end of the day he loved Eleanor more than he could ever have imagined loving anyone.
Jasper was on a high after reading the letter, but in the same breath glad that the late King isn't here to see and to know what a mess he is. The letter does make him feel as though perhaps, just maybe he and Eleanor really have a shot at a life together.