End of an Era Part II.
In Washington DC, the first hints of the developing situation had come to the attention of the Oval Office before word had even reached the UN. Trent had been rostered to have the day off and had been looking forward to a lazy day with his husband and children. He had been at the breakfast table at 9am when his work phone had buzzed. He and Rory had looked at each other across the table, the latter then shrugging in resignation. Trent had answered the call, had listened, and then said the words that Rory had been anticipating; "I will make a start on something right now in case it is the worst case scenario. What is the situation with the Leader of the House – is he in the loop on this?"
That immediately got Rory's attention, and he felt a slight chill in his bones. He knew that a crisis, with a worst case scenario, could mean many things, but most likely was a threat to the President or the country at large. That potentially but Burt in a difficult position as well; after the Vice President, he was next in line in charge of the country after all…
"Your face is a picture!" said Trent as he ended his call. "The President is fine; there is however a developing situation on the other side of the Atlantic that we need to be prepared for…" He explained it to Rory, and the latter let him start work at once. Within two hours, Trent had prepared a follow up to the brief statement of concern that had already been issued by the Oval Office, and all that he could now do was sit in his study, awaiting developments. As he waited, he contemplated the enormity of what was happening, and how little the rest of the world knew at that point…
The Oval Office had been told much more than was public, and as a senior member of staff, Trent was now privy to things that he could not tell anyone, even Rory. What the world was being told was a 'concern' was in reality a countdown; that was the reason that so many of her family were now rushing to her bedside right now, and chances were they would not arrive in time.
She had been such a pleasure to meet, and he realised now how privileged he had been to have been involved in so much of that State Visit. He had been able to sit in on her meetings with the President, and she had been such a fount of wisdom; she had been a fount of diplomatic knowledge too, knowing things that even he, as an Oval Office worker and a student of American politics, did not. There was nobody else alive that knew so much, and with her passing, that repository of wisdom would be lost forever…
As time progressed, and the news did not improve, Rory realised that he should call his Nana in Ireland, as she had always had admiration for the British monarch, Meanwhile, Trent accepted the inevitable, and slipped into a shirt and tie, before they both headed into the White House, stopping to drop the children off with Carole, Burt joining them in the car. They stepped into a maelstrom of activity, and were soon busy perfecting all of the words that would be required. Even although those in the Oval Office had known what was on the cards, the moment that the staffer that had been monitoring the images on the live feed from the BBC in London had gasped, and then called for a hush had been enough to make Trent shiver.
She had turned the volume on the feed up, and then they all waited. Trent had Rory at his side, the President and Burt across the room, having been engaged in a discussion about how best the government should handle the situation. They had all fallen silent as the words had been delivered in the measured tones of the BBC newsreader; remained silent, heads bowed, and then had stood as the British National Anthem had been played as the screen showed an image of the younger monarch, in full regalia, against a black background…
That moment over, they went back to dealing with the business of state, going over the words that had been written by Trent for the President to broadcast to the nation as he marked what was a huge global event, and those of the message of sincere condolence that would be despatched to the new King imminently. The former had to reflect the mood of a nation that she had not reigned over, but one that had still held her in deep respect and indeed, deep affection. Trent's mind was focused on the task in hand, but even he felt his mind wandering as he thought of how all his friends would be feeling, and in particular, Jeff… Then, of course, there was the Vice President, not in the room with them; she was next door with the First Lady in her private sitting room. She had known the late monarch better than them all; she had been a friend as well as a diplomatic figure. They all knew that she would be feeling the death a lot more deeply than the rest of them…
"As always, Mr Nixon," came the President's voice, breaking into Trent's train of thought, "you have achieved exactly the tone that is necessary for the address, and I thank you. Now we have to accept another thing, and that is that I will be travelling to London in the next week or so to attend the State Funeral; it will be a gathering of global leaders that has not been witnessed in decades. Those that have been tasked with the organisation of that are not to be envied at all, given the fact they have to find a seating plan that will not cause any offence…" Trent nodded, and then heard something that he had not acknowledged before. "As the Obamas will in all likelihood receive a personal invitation, it will fall to you, Burt, to take charge here in the absence of us both…"
Back in New York, the taxi that Lawrence had managed to procure at JFK was making remarkably swift progress towards the West Village, but unlike the journey to the airport less than a week ago, this trip was a silent one. The driver had recognised Adam, and had immediately put two and two together; she also said nothing as they drove through the streets. It was only as they approached the Brooklyn Bridge that they came across a large digital advertising board at the roadside; it was showing a familiar image of the late Queen, alongside the news. That sight confirmed the enormity of what was happening to Adam, and he teared up again, Lawrence instinctively reaching for his hand…
As they turned into the familiar street, Lawrence asked the driver to pull up outside Nick and Jeff's home, midway between their own places. He was unsure if Adam would want to make a swift retreat to his own little apartment, there to grieve in private, or would prefer to join him at his place instead, seeking a degree of solace and comfort with the man he loved. As it happened, such a decision was rendered moot. The first thing that Adam noticed as they stopped was the fact that every curtain was drawn over on the windows of Niff's home, despite the fact that it was a bright day. As Lawrence stared at that image, his boyfriend smiled just for a moment…
"Of course, they were in London when the Duke of Edinburgh died, and bless them both, they have remembered the drill from that time," he whispered, then seeing that both his partner and the taxi driver were looking at him quizzically, he explained. "It is an old concept now, but when there is a death in a household, all the curtains are supposed to be closed as a mark of respect…"
Adam suddenly walked off in the direction of Niff's front door, leaving his boyfriend on the sidewalk with their cases; he paid the driver and by the time he had done so, Nick had answered Adam's knocking and was now being hugged…
"This must be a hard situation for all Brits," came a voice, and Lawrence spun round to see Dex had appeared, having been waiting for their arrival at the house next door. He picked up Adam's bags, and then answered Nick's beckoning hand from the doorstep. He and Lawrence headed into Niff's home, and leaving the cases in the hallway, they closed the door and headed down to the kitchen. Nick was making drinks, and Adam was already sat on the sofa with Jeff's arm around him, and Wes leaning against him on the other side, watching the livestream from the BBC. Lawrence knew that this was exactly where they all needed to be as the news continued to sink in…
The President would only address the people of the nation once he had spoken to both the UK ambassador in Washington, and the British Prime Minister at Downing Street, to offer his condolences, and assistance if needed. He spoke of the sense of lost that the whole world was feeling, evidenced by the fact that across the world, news broadcasts had been turned over to the story, ordinary programmes broken into it for the newsflash to be given. He turned his thoughts to the people of Australia and New Zealand, many of whom would have been asleep when the health concerns had been announced, and who would now be waking up to discover they no longer had a Queen. The one common theme he mentioned, one that Trent had noticed and inserted into his speech, was that every news presenter had been dressed in black, a show of respect to someone that had been recognisable to people the world over.
The Vice President and Burt had both been flanking the President as he spoke, the former with eyes still red-rimmed from the tears she had shed, but not caring if people saw. Just out of shot stood Trent and Rory, side by side; it was only once the broadcast was over that the latter was finally able to tell his husband that he had called his Nana again once the news broke. She had been in shock, and Rory repeated what she had said to him verbatim to his husband.
"The moment that I heard I burst into tears, because she was such a grand lady, and well, having met her, I'd also seen that twinkle in her eyes. Since then I have been down to the church, and I lit a candle for her; the thing is that I am not the only person in Clane that was doing so, because she was loved for who she was as a woman. I mean, even the most cynical amongst us towards the British monarchy had to admit she had a spot in our hearts after she learnt that little Gaelic for the state visit, and pronounced it so well… I also spoke to Sister Mary Agnes, and she tells me that they have lit candles for her in the cathedral, and that there will be a mass said for her by the Archbishop himself tomorrow. I don't see that as being entirely necessary, as she will have no issue in getting into heaven…"
When Rory said those last words to Trent, he began to wonder exactly which angel had been assigned the duty of escorting the late Queen into the heavenly realms…
The day moved on after the President's speech, as there was little to do now other than to await developments. The fact that she had passed with only her two eldest children at her bedside, the dash of the other children and grandchildren northwards being too late after all had emerged and that had added a rather poignant twist to it all. It meant that only one person, the Princess Royal, had actually borne witness to the exact moment that the era of Elizabeth the Second had ended, and the reign of Charles the Third began, both one and the same moment in time. It was an automatic process, although there were mentions on the BBC that there would be official proclamations on Monday morning, events that meant that the new King had to return to London the following day. The decision had been made that it would be televised for the first time; the world would be able to witness it all for the first time. It was an event that was a key part of the nation's royal heritage and had not been seen for over three quarters of a century.
There would be many other changes ahead, although many of them would go unnoticed by the general public. The letters O.H.M.S on official letters would not be altered by Her becoming His for example. The only immediate impact was on the top lawyers in the legal system; at a stroke, they had ceased to be QC's, Queen's Counsels, and had become KC's instead. That meant there would need to be changes to printed letterheads, although in the modern age that just meant altering the words on the computer. The brass nameplates on their office doors, however, would all have to be replaced and swiftly…
Adam had stated all that to those around him in Niff's kitchen, and then continued, "It will be all of the rest that will take so much longer to change; the postage stamps will be first, with a new issue bearing his head being printed as soon as those with her head run out. The banknotes and coins will follow, but it could be decades before those with her portrait cease to be in use; in fact, his son could be King by the time the last of her coins are taken out of circulation. The first time I see a coin with his head on it though – it will seem so strange…" The others nodded, glad that he seemed to have rallied, but Lawrence could tell by looking at him that he still wanted to be in Surrey, going through all of it with his family…
It would be just prior to 8pm that evening that Thad would feel the familiar draught in his rooms at Dalton, something he had been anticipating since the news broke. He had spent some time that afternoon with the Carmichaels, who even at their age had only a dim recollection of a time when there was not a Queen on the throne in the United Kingdom. "The world has lost one of its constants, a person that had witnessed so much change in her lifetime and met so many of the figures that were instrumental to all of that, be it good or bad. From what I can gather, she knew more about the constitutions of the world's many nations than any of the politicians that we have now," Aaron had observed sadly.
"Only she was a diplomat, not a politician; she represented her people and their best interests, serving them as best as she could. She was the first strong female world leader, one that transcended all of those since, and one that will still be admired in a century," replied his wife. "Just think back to the world of our childhood, Aaron; she was more or less unique in being a female Head of State, particularly of such an influential nation. I think that was an inspiration to so many woman at the time…"
Thad nodded, and said, "I intend to speak to Principal Lefevre and state that all students need a special, one-off history lesson, just to make it abundantly clear to them all why her death is such a big deal for the whole world, and not just the United Kingdom. For a start, I have already sought out images of Her Majesty with every one of our Presidents that she met, a graphic display of her timeline, so to speak…" The nods of agreement from the older couple made him certain his idea was the right one.
He had still been reflecting on that conversation when the angel's presence was made known, wondering exactly why she had not met Lyndon B Johnson, as someone was sure to ask that. He was unsurprised to see his husband, but the expression on his face told him that a conversation about the proposed lesson was not one for now, as Wes seemed to be in need of some TLC… "I am going to guess that what happened today was the reason for the big meeting at Christmas – the world changing event that you talked of then?" he asked, and Wes nodded.
"I knew what was coming, but was sworn to absolute silence of course to everyone other than yourself. However, they did not tell me everything that day; they omitted to tell me one crucial thing, and that was the true reason that I was invited to be there alongside so many other, much more senior angels…"
Thad studied his husband's face for a moment, reading it, and then it dawned on him, making his eyes open wide. He swallowed, and then said in a whisper, "Are you saying that Jeff got you thrown in at the very deep end?"
"I should have realised what was going on at the time. That drawing of his of me became such an object of faith and hope to her as her life moved towards its close that I was the only possible choice to go and undertake what was the biggest collection in decades…" Thad nodded, overawed that the man that he loved had been chosen to perform such an honoured duty.
"I have to start by saying that I can see why she chose to be at Balmoral as she realised that her time was coming to an end. It was so beautiful, dusted in snow and set amidst such stunning scenery. Furthermore, it is remote from crowds and tranquil. I only descended into her bedroom after I had explored the place a little, and the thing I saw amongst the staff there was such a degree of love and loyalty on their behalf. They all knew what was coming, and did all that they could to make her passing as fitting as it deserved to be. None of the staff wanted to leave until the end came; I mean, her gamekeepers had almost formed a guard of honour at her bedroom door…"
Wes paused, and then in an even quieter voice went on. "She saw me a little before the actual moment arrived. Her eyes had been closed, but they opened and she looked right at me. Her face lit up just a little, a small smile playing on her lips… I surmise it was down to the expectation of finally meeting me, the man from the drawing. When the time came, she did not fight it; I think she saw it all as a new adventure…"
Wes stopped again, his mind going back to that moment once again. His eyes brightened as he recalled how she had been so relieved to see him there to take her home… "Of course, there were some angels, particularly from the United Kingdom, that felt that it was wrong that I had been selected for the task; I think the exact words were that it was unspeakable that a darn Yank should be bringing our monarch home. I was ready for that though, and knew I had the backing of a much higher authority. That was down to the relationship between Finn and Emily, of course; she had heard a rumour from her contacts over in the English section, and she had him approach me just before I was due to carry it out. She seemed to be aware exactly what the remarks would be, and even gave Finn some names to pass on to me of who the most outspoken and obnoxious critics would be."
Wes chuckled then and earned himself a look from Thad. "The thing that they forgot was that a certain someone would be with me. The moment that Her Majesty heard those remarks she turned to look at the speaker with such a steely glare, and they soon fell silent. She was so interested in all that was going on, all of the rituals that I was undertaking. She asked questions about each step of the process, and I tried my hardest to answer them all. What shocked her most was the moment that she first saw her angelic self in the mirror, and she saw that she had gone back to looking exactly as she had all those years ago when she first ascended to the throne. In fact, she looked just like that picture the BBC was using all day…"
"The paperwork had to be done, of course, but once it was, I let her ask me whatever she wished. I was asked about my work and the hierarchy of the heavenly realms, and then she asked me about myself. I told her all about my mortal life, which she stated was far too short; I told her about my law studies, and of course, I told her all about the love of my life…" Thad felt his cheeks burning for a moment, which made Wes smile. "She said that she would like to meet you one day, the man that makes her judging angel smile the widest, and well, it could be done. She isn't like the other angels you see; she will have a very free life, and she certainly won't be undertaking any collections…"
"I guess not; it would be a little startling for a normal person to see her standing there smiling at you as you lay on your deathbed…"
Wes laughed at that, but then added, "That doesn't mean that she won't be there to greet some people when they pass. Lord Attenborough is one such person, and of course, her own family. She asked me if I had a card with my contact details on, and well, I did as Emily had thought I should have some. After that, my last duty was to escort her to a room that she would recognise, a copy of one at Windsor Castle; in there she would find her husband, sister and parents waiting for her. Oh, Thaddie, the moment that she saw him there, how her smile widened, and his did too. He saluted me, I did the same, bowed graciously, and that was my task done…"
"You've certainly had quite the experience today then; do you think that you will be allocated more VIP collections now that you have completed one?"
"I hope not, because although I would not have rejected it for the world, it was all much more stressful than normal. All I thought about from the moment they told me I would be doing it was what happens if I get it wrong, and that is not a healthy state of affairs at all. Right, given all of that, now I need snuggles with my husband, and whilst we are doing that, you can fill me in on how everyone we know is reacting, especially Jeff. I know that he had become quite fond of her…"
Thad smiled at that as he pulled his husband into his arms, knowing that his husband would never change, and his first thoughts would always be for his boys. As they sat on the sofa, with Wes' head lying on his chest, he gently ran his fingers through the angel's hair, and told him all that he currently knew…
Not far away from Dalton, Sebastian was now sitting on the sofa with Dave. He had just come off the telephone with Russell Tovey, who was currently in New York, doing some filming for a television show. He had reached out to his English former co-star and he had been glad that he had done so. Russell's reaction to the news from home was similar to that of so many other actors in the ex-pat community; shock, a palpable sense of loss and grief that many of them would not have anticipated feeling at that point, and an urge to head back home. They all felt a need to be amongst their own countrymen at such a time of national mourning…
"So, is he going home?" Dave asked after Sebastian had relayed the details of the call to him.
"He has to film all this week, but as soon as he is done on Friday he will be off to JFK and is already booked on the last flight of the night Friday. It seems a long way off, but he knows that will still leave him plenty of time to be there for the funeral. It is almost certainly going to take place on the 20th of the month, as there is a whole timetable drawn up for the processes that take place when a monarch dies, and the period between the death and the funeral is at least ten days. He also talked about something called the 'Lying in State'…"
Dave looked at his husband, wondering exactly what that meant, and Sebastian did his best to explain, as Russell had done for him…
Back in the West Village, Lawrence and Dex had headed home. The former had not wanted to leave Adam, but his boyfriend had smiled at him, and told him he had to, as he had to get into the sleep pattern necessary for his run of nightshifts that would start the next day. Nonetheless, they had hugged for much longer than normal when the time came for Lawrence to go, and he only went after Nick had promised that he would take good care of Adam, as that made him feel more at ease. Nick had already made up the spare bed, as he knew that the Englishman would not be heading home that night, and informed him that was the case once Lawrence had gone.
Adam had found himself fielding questions from Jeff, despite Nick's attempts to stop his husband, but in some ways it was helping him cope with it. He explained the fact that there was a whole plan swinging into action for exactly what had to take place now. "They call it Operation London Bridge, although I think that it has a slightly different name when they assumed she died in Scotland… In any case, they will allow her to remain at Balmoral tomorrow, so that the rest of the family can come and see her before the public side begins in earnest. Then she will be driven down, in a hearse, the public informed of the route, to Edinburgh first. She will lie overnight in St Giles' Cathedral, and the place will probably be kept open so that the public can file past her coffin to pay their respects…"
Adam paused, swiping at the tear that had formed in his eye then, before carrying on. "After that, she will be taken down to London, either by train or plane. The former was once the preferred option, but given the distance, and the slow speed they would need to travel at, I think a plane is more likely to be used. She will be taken to Buckingham Palace overnight, and then on to Westminster Hall the following day; that is where the big Lying in State will take place, as it did for her father all those years ago. She will remain there until the day of her funeral, and the place will be open, day and night, for the public to come and walk past, paying their respects… Her father had thousands, as did her mother, and they are expecting just as many this time."
"That all sounds like quite a spectacle," Nick said quietly.
"Yes, the last chance of a grateful people to pay their respects for her service, and to bid her farewell as she starts out on the next stage of her life. If I was at home, I would be in that queue…" Suddenly, at that moment, Adam Crawford realised that despite the fact that he had just returned that afternoon to his adopted home, his country was calling him back, and he was very likely to heed that summons…