Chapter 2
You've Got To Be Prepared
Maddie had to fight her way through the swarm of reporters and photographers crowded outside the Tipton. She gave a hard shove, but lost her footing during her momentum. She went flying into the revolving door, and as she come spinning around to the inside of the hotel she went flying off the small rise at the front of the lobby.
She would have come crashing straight to the floor if it weren't for Esteban's quick reflexes. He had seen the whole thing and had made a mad dash just in time to catch Maddie. Unfortunately, he wasn't as strong as he liked to believe and the impact sent them both to the ground. Still, he was happy that he was able to break her fall.
"Are you okay, Maddie?" he asked as they struggled to stand back up.
"Yeah," she answered breathlessly. "Thanks to you."
As they balanced each other, there was a moment of stillness as each one held the other's arms. It was finally interrupted by the clear distinct, yet slightly accented voice of a woman from behind them.
"Are you going to introduce me to your friend, Esteban? Or must I introduce myself?"
"Grandmama!" Esteban and his grandmother embraced. "Grandmama, this is one of my fellow employees and a close friend, Maddie Fitzpatrick. Maddie, this is my grandmamma!"
Maddie did the only thing she could think of. She curtsied and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, your majesty."
"You as well, Miss Fitzpatrick. I must say, you're the most sincere person I've met here so far. I'm glad to see that my little Niño chooses his close friends wisely." Esteban smiled, glad of his grandmother's nice comment about Maddie.
"I hope you enjoy your stay in Boston , your majesty." Maddie then turned to Esteban. "I have to get to working. Thank you again for breaking my fall." She smiled and took an orderly leave.
"She's sweet," the queen said to Esteban, who only offered a dazed smile. "And she handles herself atleast 3 times better than half the parliament and royal court. I guess after 15 years, we're all a bit rusty on how things should be managed," she half-joked. "Esteban, are you even listening to me?"
"Yes, grandmama. I hear every word."
"And it's obvious you could use some royal training yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me, Niño, I think I'll rest a bit in my suite. But you'll join me for lunch, of course," it wasn't really a question.
"Of course."
"Esteban, you must understand that things are going to be changing for you. You can't go on just being a bellhop anymore."
"Yes, Grandmama, I know." Change was the last thing Esteban wanted to think about.
"Soon you will need to come home, learn the royal ways,…choose a bride."
The last part caused Esteban to choke on a piece of ice from his ice tea. "A bride?"
"Of course. Kings need queens. Therefore, eventually a crown prince needs a princess."
"But grandmamma, I can't just come home and marry whoever."
"And I don't expect you to, Niño. That's why it's important that you come home immediately. That way you can have more time to meet and fall in love with the right girl."
"So that's why you came. To take me back with you?" Esteban asked, a touch of agitation in his voice.
"Si, Niño. Certainly you don't plan on staying here until I pass the kingdom over to you?"
"Well, actually…I haven't given it much thought. It's hard to make such a decision when everything changes overnight. I haven't even told Dudley that he is royalty yet."
"Please, tell me you're not talking about that chicken of yours."
"He's not a chicken. He's family."
"Esteban, this is a serious matter. I can't stay here until you make up your mind- for whatever reasons you feel you need to. You have a responsibility now to our country. You cannot just waste time here as an underpaid bellhop."
"But I can not just leave without warning, grandmama. It would break my heart."
The queen was confused, "What can this place give you that would make you stay longer than you need to?"
Esteban was about to respond, but none of his answers seemed sufficient to him. He would miss his friends, but he had left friends at home and still survived. There was nothing about Boston that was so wonderful, that he would hate to leave it. So what was causing him to want to cry at the thought of leaving the Tipton? Maybe it was the thought of everything happening so sudden. It was the only excuse he could think of.
"Could we talk about this later? I just need some time," Esteban admitted.
"I understand. This is a lot to handle at once." She gave him a coy smile. "But I think I know someone who can cheer you up. It was going to be a surprise, but I guess I'll tell you now. Your best friend from home is arriving tomorrow."
Esteban became excited, "Really? It's been so long! Wait 'til I tell Maddie," he said, rushing out of the room.
"Maddie, huh?" the queen arched a single eyebrow. "Two best friends…this could present a problem." It was obvious that she knew something, but wasn't about to tell.