Naru and his team were picked up by the chauffeur of the royal family in Stockholm – Arlanda Airport.
"Är du gästerna?" [Are you the guests?] He asked.
"Ja…" [Yes] Madoka answered.
"Madoka, ask him if he can, at least, understand English," Yasu whispered.
"Förstår du Engelska?" [Can you understand English?]
He smiled "Of course" SPR all sighed from relief. "I am Viktor, the royal chauffer." He led them to where the black limo was parked. He opened the backseat for them and arranged their luggage.
He then climbed to the driver's seat and made their way to palace.
"I thought I'll gonna be a translator forever in this case," Madoka stated, she rested her head on Lin's shoulder.
The interior of the limo is oversized, yet simple. It has two color TVs and a stereo, a fiber optic lighting, and stunning star-gazer mirrored ceilings. It has a complete set of beverages, from juice to soda to beer to champagne which can easily be stored in the two ice chests.
It has a privacy divider that allowed them for easy interaction with the chauffer or some private conversation.
"If you are hungry, there are foods in the fridge." They are all startled when Viktor suddenly speak to them.
"Thank you." Gene politely said.
Viktor close the divider to give them some privacy.
Yasu, Bou-san, and Ayako opened the said fridge and their stomach softly growled. They took some sandwiches and chips. Naru sighed and shook his head as he watched his team eating like there's no tomorrow, he hoped they won't embarrassed themselves later.
"Here." Gene handed a sandwich to his brother who's been reading a book. Naru took it from him, he's quite hungry and he wanted tea!
"I don't want you to embarrass yourselves later." He reminded them.
"Oh don't worry big boss!" Yasu smacked his shoulders.
"It would be nice if Mai is with us. It would be more fun." John softly stated.
"True. And she will love all these stuff." Bou-san seconded, he looked at Ayako, who seemed to forget her poise and diet as she eats.
"Be careful old hag or you will get fat." Ayako coughed, she almost choked from the outlaw monk's remark. She glared at him and smacked him with her purse.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M FAT?!" She yelled. Bou-san just laughed at her.
"Honestly, there are no major changes since she joined us, and it's not a loss if she will leave." Masako firmly stated as she watched outside.
"Nah~ I disagree! The office became livelier since she came." Yasu said as he opened a can of soda.
"Oh by the way Gene, where's Akira? Why did you not invite her to come?" Madoka curiously asked the medium.
"That's because she's busy. She will represent her father in some meetings." He explained.
"Madoka," Naru called, the pink-haired woman faced him. Naru handed her piece of paper "How will you translate that in English?" he asked
Madoka raised her eyebrow, and in deep thought "Its 'Happy Birthday'."
Naru was shocked but kept his stoic mask on "Birthday? So those are birthday gifts to her"
"Birthday gifts to whom?" Madoka asked.
"A year ago, someone delivered gifts for Mai, and this sentence was written on the balloons," Gene explained
Madoka laughed at them "Isn't it already obvious if there's a balloon?" The twins blinked at her, and Naru groaned. He can't believe that it didn't occur to him.
Bou-san thought for a moment "Now that you mention it. So Mai's birthday will be two days from now then, right?"
"Ah! You're right! Last year we failed to celebrate it because we didn't know when will it be" Ayako exclaimed.
"So let's get this case finish as soon as possible and go home to celebrate Mai's birthday!" Madoka announced cheerfully.
"Well, I hope Mai is already there as we come back," John said.
Meanwhile at the Drottningholm Palace….
Erik and his father are in the parlor waiting for their guests to arrive.
"Är förberedelserna, gjort?" [Are the preparations, done?] he asked his son
"Ja, pappa." [Yes, father.]
"Bra. Jag slår vad om Madeleine kommer att bli chockade att yttra ett ord." [Good. I bet Madeleine will be shocked to utter a word.]
Erik chuckled "Jag slår vad om att hon kommer att vara arg om du vill använda dem." [I bet she will be angry if you will use them.]
"Vilken tid hon kommer fram?" [What time she will arrive?]
"Vid middagstid, far." [Around noon, father.]
Their butler came and informed them that there's a Japanese woman, claiming to be their princess' friend.
"Hon sade också att det var prins Erik som bad henne att komma, Ers Majestät" [She also said it was Prince Erik who asked her to come, Your Majesty] Carl informed.
"Åh, hon är här. Jag kommer att vara där Carl." [Oh, she's here. I will be there Carl.] the butler bowed and left.
"Och den kvinnan är ..." [And that woman is...?] his father curiously ask, Erik smiled and went out.
The guards were restraining the woman who suddenly drives a car in the palace's perimeter.
"Ouch! It hurts! I told you I'm Mai's friend from Japan!"
"We don't know of anyone named Mai living in the palace" One of the guards said
"I mean, Princess Madeleine Antoinette Irish Josephine" she said as she tried to be freed from their grip "Ouch! Let me go! I'm not someone suspicious!" But the guards didn't listened and only tighten their grip. "Hey! It was Prince Erik who asked me to come!"
"If it is true, and let His highness decide when he sees you"
"Erik is already here? What about Mai?"
"How can you address them in such disrespectful way!" The guards pushed her, which made her kneel on the ground.
"Ouch! I'm sorry!"
"Det räcker" [That's enough.] The guards stopped when they heard a familiar voice.
"Släpp henne." [Release her.] The guards looked at each other and reluctantly release the woman. They stepped back and bowed at the presence of their crowned prince.
She looked up and saw the man who asked her to come all the way from Japan "Erik..." she felt the glaring eyes on the back of her head from the guards "I mean, Your Highness." She bowed before him.
"I'm sorry Akira, recently there are lots of people claiming to be Madeleine's friends. That's why the guards are restless." He explained. Erik helped her to stand.
She smiled "It's okay, and thank you."
"Have you brought it?" He asked.
She nodded "Yup, all the way from Japan. It's near the Hercules Fountain."
The two went to the fountain and saw the car that he bought for his sister's birthday year ago.
"By the way..." he started "Naru and the SPR members are on their way here."
Akira softly chuckled "I see. That's great! What about Mai?"
"She will arrive around noon."
Both of them entered the palace after they drive the car to the garage. Akira still feels the glares of the guards on her head. Erik introduced Akira to his father, telling him that she's the one who took care of Mai while she's in Japan.
"Thank you for caring my daughter"
Akira bowed before him "It's my pleasure, Your Majesty"
The King called Carl and asked him to open another guest room. The butler, Carl, bowed at the King and led the guest to her room.
After she unpacked her things, she told Erik that she will go shopping for a moment so that, the SPR will not see her in the palace when they arrived. She refused the offer to have her own chauffer, she prefer to commute.
The palace itself will tell you how elegant and influential the royal family is, and it reflects the influence of the Versailles Palace in France. When the guards open the front door, the butler, and maids warmly greeted them.
They gaped; they are too amazed to say a word.
"I wonder how it feels to live like a princess. Elegant clothes, maids behind your back, you can do whatever you want" Ayako clasp her hand "Ah, even for once, I want to live a life like that."
"Yeah, yeah! Keep on dreaming, old hag." Bou-san interrupted her daydreaming with his comment.
Madoka was gaping looking at the place "Is there really a princess or prince living here?" she asked the butler who guided them to their rooms.
"Yes. There is a princess AND a prince living here." He briefly glanced at the ladies "Do you want to have your own rooms, or you want to stick with each other?"
Madoka, Ayako, and Masako looked at each other.
"I want to have my own room." Masako stated, or rather, demanded.
"Hey isn't it much better if we stick together?" Madoka suggested.
Masako glared at her "I want to be alone, peace and quiet."
Naru controlled his self not to snapped at her "Hara-san, Madoka is right. The girls should stick together."
"No. I am not your employee anymore, Naru. Did you forget how you humiliated me?"
"As long as you are in this case, I am your boss." He said with a venom-laced on his voice. He glared at her.
"It is alright if Masako Hara wanted to have her own space." The butler stated, breaking the tension between the two.
"No need. She is not a VIP guest; you don't need to comply to her every demand." Naru stated coldly.
The SPR members were quiet as they walked to their room. They are using two rooms, the girls in one room, and the boys on the other. When the butler opened the room for them, it only made them gape, a well-furnished and huge room, it has its own living room and walk-in closet.
"Are you sure this is a guest room?" Ayako asked the butler, still surprised.
The butler nodded "Yes. This is indeed, your room. We want our guests to feel at home." The girls entered and so as the three footmen who brought their luggage.
The butler guide the boys to their room, "This will be your room" he said as he open the door, it's size the same as the girls' but it has six king-sized bed for the six of them.
"Thank you." Gene thanked the butler that clad in black, just like his brother. He bowed and closed the door after the footmen brought their luggage to their room.
They finished unpacking their things when they heard a knock on their door; Bou-san opened it and saw the butler, Carl standing on the doorway.
"Sorry for intruding, His Majesty is now ready to meet you." He informed.
Bou-san faced his young boss "Naru, let's go."
Carl knocked on the ladies room, it was Masako who opened the door, and he told them to get ready. When everybody has gathered, they all went to the parlor to meet the King. The door opened and saw a man on his late forties sitting on the couch, while reading a newspaper.
"Your Majesty." The butler greeted him.
He looked at the new faces standing behind his royal butler.
"The SPR, the Japanese branch of BSPR that was managed by the Davis' youngest son, Oliver, and his team are here." Carl the butler introduced, the team bowed at the respectable man before them.
He stood up and looked each one of them closely, from head to toe "So, you're SPR huh" he murmured softly.
"I am Oliver Davis, Your Majesty. We are humbly here to answer your request."
"I'm Gustaf XII, the current King of Sweden" Naru shook his hand "I want you take your seat before anything else, young man."
They were all fidgeting, except Naru and Lin, it seems that they all have a hard time breathing. Their anxiety ceased when they smelled a familiar aroma that once filled in their office in Japan, an Earl Grey tea.
A man on his twenties with blond hair and blue eyes entered the room, followed by two maids was pushing a tray cart filled with cups of tea, and finger sandwiches. He looked at the guests, he can't help but softly chuckled they are so different from when he saw them for the first time.
They are all stiff and looked scared around his father. Well except for the two, he noted when he glanced at Naru and Lin. As the maids served their tea, he took the seat next to his father and composed his self.
He observed their reactions when they took a sip on the tea, and as he expected, they suddenly stop as if they remembered something.
"Is there anything wrong?" He innocently asked their guests.
It was Gene who recovered first "Ah, no. It just that, we were reminded of someone when we tasted the tea."
"Oh, it seems that there's someone who can make the same tea as I am."
"You made this?!" Yasuhara exclaimed. He just can't believe that someone as high as him will personally made a tea for them.
Naru on the other hand, missed his little spitfire of an assistant more, it tasted the same as hers. He can't believe that there's someone who can make a delicious tea aside from her.
He smiled "Of course."
"Let me introduce to you my eldest son, Vlademar Erik" The King introduced him to the guests. The team bowed at him. "About my problem, let's talk about it when my daughter arrived."
Naru don't like it, he wanted to finish this case as fast as possible and go home. "Is the case related to your daughter, Your Majesty?"
"Well, you can say it that way. At least, she's involved."
"Can you at least give us the summary of this case?" He tried to be polite. He can heard Mai nagging about his lack of mannerism in his head.
"No." The King firmly said.
Naru sighed in irritation.
"What should we do Noll?" Madoka softly asked her irritated junior.
"Well then, it seems that we don't have choice but to wait for her." He answered in a calmer way.
"Good. Then Carl, please give them a tour in the palace while waiting for Maddie." He then stood up from his seat and glanced at stared at Naru's eyes "Oliver Davis."
"Yes Your Majesty?"
"Do not fail my expectations." He seriously stated.
"I will not, Your Majesty."
The butler bowed as he walked away from the room.
Erik chuckled when he saw the other members sighed in relief when his father is out of sight.
"You are so stiff around him, are you scared or something?" He asked. Ayako composed confident self and batted her eyelashes at the young good-looking prince. Bou-san nudge her side. The miko glared at him, obviously she's not pleased on how he distracted her from the royalty before her.
"It's our first time to have a tea with the King." John sheepishly smiled at him.
"You think too much. Just think that you are having a tea with an old man." Carl can't help but snorted at the young prince.
"By the way Your Highness, where did you learn to make a tea?" Gene asked out of the blue.
Erik softly smiled "My mother taught me before she passed away."
Déjà vu! They all thought.
The young prince felt his phone vibrated, he took it from his pocket and grinning like an idiot while reading the e-mail. He looked up at Carl "Kindly give them a tour now, Carl."
The butler bowed, and led the way. The SPR members stood up and followed the black-clad butler.
Erik softly chuckled "Welcome home, Mai. Your other 'family' is already here." he mumbled.
From: Maddie~
Subject: Already at the airport.
Message:
I just arrived in the airport. There are lots of reporters here, waiting for me. Need a ride now, ASAP! Before they will bombard me with stupid questions.
The butler tour them starting from the ballroom, to the parlor, library, throne room, court room, they went to the main hallway, in the private entrance, where the portraits of the previous King and Queen were displayed, starting from Erik VIII and Margaret I.
They nailed their eyes on the latest portrait of the Queen, she looked like someone they know, except for having a blonde hair and blue eyes, but the smile, it's identical to hers!
"Who is she?" John asked the butler
"That's the late Queen Anastasia. She's a Russian descent."
They are staring at the woman in the portrait that really looks like Mai.
"She really looks like Mai." Ayako stated.
"True. The smile really similar to hers." John seconded.
"Excuse me, it sounds weird but, what's the name of your princess?" Yasu asked the butler touring them.
"It's Madeleine –" The butler was interrupted when the main door opened, and a sound of footsteps and someone's talking, echoed the room.
"Välkommen hem, Ers Höghet. Jag vet att du just anlänt, men Hans Majestät planerat för en middag med statsministern, tillsammans med lagstiftande organ, i Riksdagshuset klockan sju på kvällen." [Welcome home, Your Highness. I know that you just arrived, but His Majesty scheduled you for a dinner with the Prime Minister, together with the legislative bodies, in the Parliament House at seven in the evening.]
Ingrid Lindberg, her personal secretary, walked behind her as she keeps on reminding her with her schedules.
Hanna and Amelia, her personal handmaids, together with her personal footman - Felix, carried her luggage.
She was reading the files that Ingrid gave earlier, she wanted her to catch up for the three years that she missed when her peripheral view caught something. She suddenly stopped in her tracks, which made the people behind her bumped her back.
Her eyes widened when she saw the SPR Team, jaw-dropped, staring at her with wide-eyes, well except for the stoic duo. Naru and Lin have the best way to control their emotions.
Carl snapped them in their trance when he bowed at the royalty before him, "Välkommen hem, Ers Höghet." [Welcome home, Your Highness.]
"MAI?!" They exclaimed.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING HERE?!" She roared.
Before anyone can answer, someone called her name from the distance. She turned around and saw her beloved friend grinning at her.
"MAI-CHAN~" Akira ran with open arms.
Hanna and Amelia stepped in front of her, they stretch their hands in a protective manner.
"This is not Japan, you are in her territory. We would appreciate it if you will give her respects she deserves." Amelia sternly stated, glaring at the woman.
Akira froze midair. "Oh, that's right." She cleared her throat and curtsied before her "It's been a while, Your Highness."
"Mai? Is that really you?!" Gene exclaimed.
"But your hair, it's blonde, and your eyes, it's blue…" Yasuhara amazingly muttered
Hanna rolled her eyes "What's this? Japanese people don't know about hair dye and contacts?" Amelia snickered behind her.
Mai face-palmed and glare at the people in the room "Let me ask you again…" she breathed in, everyone yelped when the chandeliers above them exploded "WHAT. ARE. THEY. DOING. HERE?!"
Her secretary and handmaids paled when they saw her angry demeanor, but before Carl can answer, someone was laughing behind them. It was Erik, he's holding his stomach as he laugh out loud.
"Welcome home, my beloved sister!" He hugged Mai tightly before she will blow up the Palace with her PK.
[A/N]
It's a stress week for me... Gomenasia~
xOxO
- BSOL
