20.
Queen Amila Thermopolis Renaldi stood in a spacious private hanger waiting for the impressive corporate jet to come to a stop. With her were her cousin Allie and half a dozen discretely placed security personnel. Her head of security and another dozen men and woman were outside waiting to whisk them away on a moment's notice.
As the door to the G650 began to lower, Mia had no doubt who would be the first to disembark. Her faith was rewarded when the young woman, who'd captured her heart, ran down the stairs, and threw herself into Mia's open arms. Mia used Sam's momentum to swing the other woman around before crashing her lips into Sam's. She pushed her tongue forward and was gratified when Sam's soft lips yielded. The kiss lasted just long enough to make a promise that she intended to keep.
Soon.
The look on Sam's face made it clear that her message had been received and eagerly accepted.
Sam swayed on her feet for a moment, which did all sorts of good for Mia's self-esteem. It also made her wish, for a second, that she was the kind of woman who could pick her girlfriend up from the airport alone.
She also regretted that her current duties would occupy a considerable amount of their time, delaying their much-anticipated reunion even further.
Putting thoughts of getting Sam out of her clothing aside, Mia turned her attention to her two other guests and caught a strange look on the iconic woman's face. As the other two women approached, she cleared, hoping to pull Sam out of her current state.
Sam shook her head to clear it, while Mia focused on the face that appeared in hundreds of editions of Runway Magazine. She'd never met Miranda Priestly, but having grown up in the States, she was well aware of who she was. She had even found the world's foremost fashion magazine quite useful during her transition Into the royals spotlight.
Allie stepped up next to Mia just in time for Sam to handle introductions.
"Your Majesty may I present Miranda Sachs and her daughter Emily Charlton."
Mia's eyes widened slightly, not having been informed of Miranda's name change. She also noted the odd way Miranda was still looking at her.
"Miranda, Emily, her majesty Queen Amelia Thermopolis Renaldi and her cousin Duchess Alexandra Renaldi," Sam continued.
Without missing a beat, both mother and daughter performed a charming curtsy highlighting their English roots.
Mia held out her hand, shook the hands of both women before saying, "As long as we are in informal settings, please call me Mia."
"And I go by Allie," The Duchess added, also shaking hands with the two newcomers.
Mia noted how her cousin appeared to hold onto the pretty redhead's hand longer than was strictly necessary.
"I take it from your surname, Miranda, that you and Andy have cemented your bond."
"Yes, though we have a desire for a more formal event in the near future."
"Wonderful, There is a chapel on the grounds of Aren Hall where we'll be staying. It is at your disposal should you have a use once Andy arrives," Mia added.
"Thank you, Mia," Miranda said, touched by the gesture from a familiar stranger.
"I also take it from your reaction that Samantha failed to prepare you for my resemblance to your wife."
Sam grimaced, making it clear that it had slipped the woman's brilliant, but not omniscient mind.
"I must admit that it came as a momentary shock," Miranda admitted.
"Our resemblance is a genetic quirk though we do share a common ancestry on our mother's side of the family," Mia clarified.
"I see," Miranda said, feeling a little more sane as she was able to discern the subtle differences between the two women.
"Perhaps we should continue this conversation in the car," Allie suggested, eager to move the group to a more secure location.
Mia knew that her head of security had a similar opinion, so she gave a subtle nod to the nearest member of her detail.
The slight motion of the Queen's head kicked off a series of well-rehearsed movements as the mechanisms of her security moved into gear.
The Queen and her guests were quickly ushered into one of several Land Rover Sentinels. The armored version of the venerable Range Rover was a favorite of European security services due to its ability to tackle almost any kind of terrain.
Miranda was impressed with both the speed and efficacy of the Queen's security. She had, of course, been around these types in her former life, but never in the company of actual royalty. Fifteen minutes later, the convoy passed through the gates and onto the grounds of Aren Hall. The impressive Hall sat on a sprawling estate bounded by cliffs that overlooked what Miranda assumed was the Adriatic Sea.
She did not know much about Arendale or Genovia other than what she'd heard from Andy and Sam. The brief view of Arendale she'd seen during the trip, revealed a charming little community full of lovely terracotta-roofed buildings. Her mind was drawn away from the surroundings as she looked towards Emily, who appeared enamored by the very striking Allie Renaldi.
Sam, on the other hand, sat quietly next to Mia. She wondered what was going through the young woman's mind until she realized she knew exactly what Sam was thinking. A little smile crossed her face when she saw Mia cover Sam's hand with her own. The two shared a look that Miranda thought said all she needed to know about how the two women felt about each other. She looked away, suddenly feeling like she was intruding in a very private moment.
As the convoy of vehicles was driven under a portico, they were met by a retinue of uniformed butlers.
They were escorted into the building while the head butler got his staff moving in a precise ballet of motion.
The Queen led them into the impressive foyer stopping everyone in front of a pair of grand staircases. Miranda took a moment to take in the beautiful old-world charm of the grand palace.
"Aren Hall was originally built in 1871 at the direction of our three times Great Grandfather King Leopold the second as a gift to his young bride who was from Arendale.
The story goes that the beautiful young woman refused the King's first offer of marriage because she did not want to move away from her family and ancestral home. The King, who was by then, was enamored with my three times Great- Grandmother Lucinda promised that he would build her a home on these grounds.
She agreed, and by the time Lucinda became Queen, Aren Hall had become a reality. Queen Lucinda lived at Aren Hall, never visiting the Royal Palace in Lexington until near the end of the ailing King's life. She stayed for the King's funeral and her own coronation as Queen Regent, but soon returned to Aren Hall were she lived out the remainder of her life.
After Queen Lucida's death, the place fell into relative obscurity until it was pressed into service as the headquarters for the eastern front during the war to end all wars. When the Hall was pressed into service again during the second Great War, the Hall was razed to the ground by Mousaline's retreating forces during a failed invasion.
After the war ended, our grandfather King Phillip, had the Hall rebuilt using the original plans. Thanks to meticulous notes taken by Queen Lucinda's head butler, Robert Shaw, Aren Hall was restored to its original glory. Certain security upgrades were done during the Cold War and then again after the worldwide outbreak of terrorist attacks."
"They did a remarkable job," Miranda said.
"Thank you," Mia responded.
For some reason, Mia left out how Allie had lived in the Hall until her parent's untimely deaths. It did not feel like the time or place for that conversation, nor did she believe it to be her place to tell the story.
"The living quarters are in the east wing. Your luggage will be taken to your rooms on the second floor, but I'm afraid we have pressing business to discuss."
Mia turned to Sam before saying, "I'm sorry, from keeping this from you, but an attempt was made on my life. As a result of, your warning Allie made sure I was never in any danger."
Miranda watched as her young friend's face first drained of color, then took on a look of such determination that it took her breath away.
I've called a meeting of my small council, which consists of my closest and most trusted advisors.
I would like all of you to join us, as the topic of conversation will touch directly upon the current security threat as well as the broader conspiracy.
I believe an exchange of ideas will go a long way to demystify our situation."
Three heads nodded in unison with each woman eager to assist.
The Queen led them up to the second floor of the west wing, which turned out to be a nicely appointed if modern office space. They were led into a large conference room were the members of the small council all stood to greet them.
The Queen introduced her guests to the small council members saying, "Ladies, please allow me to introduce you to my grandmother, The Queen Mother Clarissa Renaldi, her former head of security Joseph Gallagher, my head of security Franklin Davenport, and my foreign minister Helena Wells."
Next, Mia introduced her guests before calling the meeting to order.
The meeting began with Franklin Davenport's rather dry recounting of the plot to hijack the Queen's flight, including the imposter co-pilot's refusal to confirm the story he'd told Allie at gunpoint. Franklin gave Allie a pointed look but got nothing back from the Duchess. The bottom line was that they were no closer to connecting the plot to Viscount Mabrey, though several in the room, including Mia, had little doubt of the man's culpability.
Helena went next, adding that they believed the Vicount was currently in his villa in the Swill Alps. Since she also ran the county's spy service, she made it clear that his whereabouts were being actively monitored for the near future. All they knew of Nichole Devereux's whereabouts was that her passport had been scanned at Newark International Airport six weeks ago. Helena had friends at the FBI who were keeping a quiet eye out, but that was all for now.
When it was Sam's turn, the hacker had already commandeered the displays in the room to show a presentation she'd created outlying their end things.
She spent the next several minutes explaining the plot to destroy Miranda so they could profit from the downfall of the Elias Clark company. She went on to explain, to stunned silence, how they'd used the insidious little device to drive Miranda mad.
The meeting continued as Sam got to the point that this group would be most interested in, which was the connection to the Viscount and his niece.
Mia looked towards Miranda feeling a connection to the other woman who was at the center of this utter mess. She knew that Miranda's troubles were not necessarily her fault, yet she still felt her own culpability. Perhaps if she'd dealt more decisively with the Viscount and her traitorous second cousin, none of this would be happening.
The council was well aware of the Viscount's many attempts to medal in internal Genovian politics, including his suggestion that Nichole had a better claim to the throne despite unambiguous rules regarding succession outlined in the Genovian constitution.
Although the plot failed, it served another purpose, allowing Mia to identify those foolish enough to openly align themselves against the Crown.
It still bothered Mia how her America heritage had been used to suggest her loyalties lay with her former home. It was part of the reason she had not taken the Vicount on more directly. He was still popular among certain segments of the population, segments that, at the time, she could not afford to offend. The gloves were coming off, so she hoped that she had not waited too long.
"How much of this can we take to court.?" Franklin asked in an impatient tone.
Mia knew what the likely answer was, so she stepped in, turning to Sam and saying," Given the circumstances, is it fair to say that time was of greater importance than dotting the I's and crossing the T's."
Sam gave her a grateful look before responding, "That would be correct, Your Highness."
Mia could not help but smile at Sam's forced formality suspecting that they weren't fooling many. A look toward her grandmother confirmed her suspicions as the former Queen looked like she was trying hard not to roll her eyes.
"So we are back at square one," Franklin commented, still focused on Sam.
"Far from it," Mia said, coming to Sam's defense. She did not like Franklin's tone, which she made clear with her next words, "Mr. Davenport, without Samantha's timely warning you would be searching the Ionian Sea attempting to recover my corpse right now."
Mia's words had the intended effect as Franklin appeared temporarily cowed.
"So, what happened next?" Joe asked in an attempt to get the meeting back on track.
"After reverse-engineering their money-laundering scheme, I was followed by this man."
All eyes drifted to the screen as Sam displayed an image from a Genovian passport belonging to one William Devane.
Franklin's face turned beet red before he said, "Is this some kind of joke,"
When no one answered, he went on saying, "Bill was one of my best men. He would never be involved with this plot."
"Then why did he attack me," Sam countered.
Franklin gave Sam a long look then said, "If Bill Devane wanted to hurt you, I assure you that you would not be sitting before me unharmed."
The room grew deathly quiet for a moment at the gauntlet the head of security had just tossed at Sam's feet. Before Mia could diffuse the situation, Sam had already taken action. An image of a subway car replaced the picture of William Devane's passport. The video began to play drawing everyone's attention.
Mia blanked her features, not wanting to reveal how uncomfortable she was watching Sam be attacked. Never mind the fact that said woman was sitting in front of her safe and sound. The video advanced, and all watched as Sam efficiently dealt with not one but four large men.
The video ended with a nonplused Sam going through the last man's pockets and coming out with a familiar-looking passport.
"It would appear that Samantha is as good as her word," The Queen Mother said, speaking for the first time.
Franklin's face turned even redder at the not so subtle rebuke.
"I suggest we get back to the subject at hand," the former Queen added.
Mia was grateful for her grandmother's intervention as it gave her a moment to compose herself. It was one thing to know that the woman you loved had been in danger and a completely different thing to see it in living color.
She adjusted herself in her seat, feeling a little flustered from watching Sam take four grown men to the ground. By the end of the video, Mia realized that she had become unexpectedly aroused from watching Sam in action.
There was also the matter that seeing Sam look so strong was a distinct turn on.
That would have to wait until later, but now she had the perfect excuse to get Sam naked. She had to assure herself that all of Sam was uninjured after all.
"That brings us back to Sam's warning to me," Allie pointed out.
Sam nodded, but she had more to say, "I believe the attack on me and the attempt against Mia, Queen Amelia suggests that now that their original plan was stopped, they have gone to plan B."
"Plan B?" Queen Clarissa asked.
"Scorched earth," Helena said.
The room was quiet for a long moment as all began to understand not just the threat to their Queen but the entire county.
"What do we do next?" Joe wanted to know..
"It occurs to me that having all of you in one place would make an inviting target," Sam said,
Franklin took immediate umbrage pointing at Sam and saying, "I hardly need some outsider coming here and telling me how to do my job."
"Mr. Davenport, do you know that many of my critics once called me the outsider Queen?" Mia questioned.
When Franklin did not respond, Mia continued, "I would like to thank you for your service to the Crown. You may return to Army command for your next posting with a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and with Our gratitude."
Franklin stiffened at his sudden dismissal but was wise enough to keep his mouth shut as he left the room with as much dignity as he could manage.
She turned to the remaining member of her security detail in the room and asked, "who is senior on the detail."
"Myka Bering," Mum," He said.
"Please inform Ms. Bering that she is head of detail until further notice."
He nodded and left returning moments later with an attractive brunette.
After Myka took a seat next to Helena, Mia took a few moments to bring the woman up to speed before saying, "I believe we should take Samantha's warning seriously.
It would be wise if you and I to put some distance between us," Mia added, looking at her cousin and the second line to the throne at least until she produced an heir.
"I still have my place in the Arendale," Allie volunteered.
Emily gave Allie and odd look, not sure why Allie had a place in the city when this palace was available to her.
"Perhaps somewhere that won't be as easy to track down," Myka suggested getting up to speed swiftly.
"I can book you into a hotel anonymously," Sam offered, already typing commands into her laptop.
While Sam worked on her task, Mia asked if Emily or Miranda had anything to add to the story.
Thinking about all that she'd heard, Miranda realized that one crucial detail had yet to be discussed.
"My daughters informed me that their father is dating a woman named Nikki, who fits the description of your Ms. Deveraux."
Myka and Helena exchanged a dark look, but they did not add anything new to the conversation.
When there were no other updates from Miranda or Emily, Mia turned her attention towards security arraignments for the upcoming trade talks.
Myka and Helena put their heads together before deciding that they would work all night if necessary to completely rearrange the security arraignments. There was no reason to suspect Mr. Devenport's involvement, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
As the meeting began to wind down, the growling of Sam's stomach caught everyone's attention.
Most in the room were gracious enough to hide their grins; that only lasted until Allie and Emily exchanged a look causing both redhead and brunette to break out into a fit of giggles.
The rest of the room soon followed with only Queen Clarissa managing a modicum of decorum.
"I forgot to eat on the plane," Sam defended sheepishly.
This time, even the Queen could not hold back a very unladylike snort of laughter. Remarkably then tension in the room was lessened, making Mia wonder if Sam had somehow done it on purpose. She looked at the other woman, but she gave nothing away.
"Perhaps now would be a good time to break for dinner," Mia said, drawing the meeting to a close.
Sam threw her a look that made her want to pull the young woman into her lap. She just could not think of a plausible excuse to do so.
Instead, she stood to usher to group back down to the main floor.
As they made their way out of the conference room, Mia was cornered by Helena, who needed a moment to discuss a few more details about the trade negotiations. Mia asked Allie to lead everyone to the small dining room. She gave Sam a regretful look but got nothing but the kind of smile that Sam only reserved for her.
She thought not for the first time how lucky she was to have Sam in her life.
By the time she finished with Helena then dealt with two more minor crises that needed her immediate attention, dinner was in full swing.
She stepped into the smallest of the formal dining rooms to find her family and guests arraigned around the Louis the XVI table.
Unexpectedly her grandmother was seated next to Sam at the far end to the table. The two appeared to be thick as thieves causing Mia to raise an eyebrow at her girlfriend as she took her seat at the head of the table.
Dinner turned out to be nothing like what Mia had envisioned but not necessarily in a bad way. Even as she did her best to act as hostess, she kept an eye on her grandmother and Sam. Oddly enough, the two seemed to be getting along quite well, leaving Mia amazed at how often her girlfriend made the former Queen snort with laughter.
Meanwhile, Allie appeared to be laying the charm on thickly given how often Emily laughed, blushed, or did both at once.
She knew her cousin well enough to know that despite her rakish reputation, she was a one-woman kind of gal. She also wondered to what extent Sam had in this matchmaking.
In the end, she spent most of her evening chatting with Miranda, which was surreal in its own way. It had nothing to do with the conversation, Miranda was quite the conversationalist. No, it was how Miranda looked at her. It was one degree off from the way Sam looked at her, which she found a little unsettling.
Finally, feeling the need to address the issue, she said, "You must love Andy very much."
Miranda blushed a little before she said, "I apologize for staring it just you remind me so much of her. I must admit that I miss her terribly."
Mia softened her features before responding, "I know exactly how you feel."
Despite how busy her schedule was, the nights alone and without Samantha were long and lonely. She had all but given up on the idea of finding someone to share her life with when Sam walked into her world and changed everything. Oddly enough, their first meeting had been in a conference room, much like the one they'd just left.
The Sachs Corporation was in negotiations with her trade reps to purchase fresh ingredients for several beverage lines. Mia was only supposed to stop in long enough for a quick meet and greet, but when her eyes met Sam's for the first time, she couldn't look away. She ended up staying for the entire meeting, then inviting Andy and Sam to join her for dinner.
Even though the relationship did not actually begin until later, the spark was ignited that day. It did not take long for Mia to conclude that Sam was it for her. Sadly, she had yet to communicate that information to her girlfriend, but the time was coming when Samantha would have no doubt of her intentions.
Both women's eyes drifted to the far end of the table where Sam had the former Queen almost doubled over with laughter.
"She is quite remarkable," Miranda offered.
Mia's face took on a dreamy, faraway look before she said, "Yes, she is."
"It apparels I'm not the only woman at this table who is in love," Miranda pointed out.
"From the first time I saw her, I could not take my eyes off of hers.
All of the other people in the room did not matter to me. Only her."
Mia wondered why she was telling Miranda all of these things, but she could not deny that she felt a certain kinship with the other woman.
After dinner, Mia was approached by her grandmother. "I had a wonderful dinner with your Samantha."
Mia had the grace not to contradict her grandmother's suggestion that Sam was hers.
"Damnit Sam was hers, and she was Sam's, so she decided then and there that she was done pretending otherwise," Mia thought.
She nodded her head before saying, "Samantha certainly has her charms."
Her grandmother was quiet for a long moment before a devilish grin appears on her face.
"What?" Mia asked.
"Oh, I was just thinking about how Samanta and I can spend our time while you are locked away in your trade negotiations."
Mia frowned as she thought she knew just what her grandmother had in mind.
"Princess lessons, heaven help us all," Mia thought but didn't say.
"Now, you don't want to keep your girlfriend waiting," Clarissa said, giving her granddaughter a very uncharacteristic wink.
Mia shook, wondering how much Sam was rubbing off on her grandmother.
"Goodnight, Grandmother," Mia sail leaning in to place a kiss on each of the woman's cheeks.
As she made her way towards the stairs, she stepped into the middle of a conversation between Sam and Allie.
"What do you mean newlyweds?" Allie said with a little heat.
Sam could not help but smirk at Allie's anger before saying, "Anonymity is key to keeping everyone safe."
"So you decided to marry me off to Emily," Allie countered.
"We're getting married," Emily said, coming down the stairs.
"Who's getting married," Miranda said, also joining the conversation.
Sam laughed out loud while Allie pinched the bridge of her nose.
Mia stepped in before things went any further off the rails, "I believe that Samanta took the liberty of fashioning Allie and Emily as a married couple to avoid unnecessary scrutiny."
She did not add that from the gleam in Sam's eyes that the young woman was up to something more devious.
"I suppose that is a sensible precaution," Emily said, causing Allie's mouth to drop open.
Recovering fast, Allie had the grace to agree to Sam's little scheme.
After the "newlyweds" departed, Miranda turned to Sam, saying, "I sure how you know what you're doing."
Sam had the good sense to nod her head, knowing there was an equal chance that things would go well or blow up in her face.
Miranda said her goodnights to both women, leaving them alone at last.
Mia reached for Sam, who came to her eagerly. She pulled the younger woman into her arms and just held her there for a long moment.
"Your grandmother knows about us," Sam whispered, breaking the silence.
Mia pulled back a little so that she could look Sam in the eyes.
"She finds you quite refreshing," Mia pointed out, causing Sam to relax noticeably.
"As do I, Samantha," Mia cooed, getting an entirely different reaction this time.
"Now, let's get to our bedroom. I feel the need to inspect you for injuries."
"All of me," Sam said with a faux innocence that was more likely to make Mia laugh than anything else.
Mia just held her woman tightly before saying, "let's go to bed."
An: A cliff-hanger of a different sort this time, but there was a lot packed into this chapter, so Mia and Sam's ultimate reunion will be delayed, alas. I did not add a note at the end of the last chapter because It ended with a death, and I did not think my inane banter made a good coda even if Greg was a less than likable fellow.
I toyed around with many ways to explain the resemblance between Andy and Mia. My other idea was that Mia's and Andy's mothers were twins separated at birth, but If Mia's mom comes into the story later, I did not want to put Andy through having to see her dead mother's identical twin. That's one of the few things that I did not like about supergirl. Well, and the fact that the writers could not see the wisdom of pairing Kara with Kat Grant.
We will be shifting back to New York for the next chapter as everyone deals with the fall out of Greg's murder, and I get to introduce another of my favorite pairings to this story.
My experiment with recording my self while walking as a means of remembering had mixed results. It was nice to be reminded of the things I wanted to say, but it ended up adding to the time it took to write and edit this chapter. Hopefully, the next chapter, which I already recorded, will go smoother.
As always I'd like to know what you think.
WIZ