Freedom 9
Bea was restless on the flight over to DC from London. She had heard from Miranda, that Shaan had been recalled to London. She was hoping she could snag him aside and demand some details about Henry, during her visit to the US. Now, she just had to hope that she could weasel some information out of June or Nora. Bea had never met Alex's mom before. Henry had told her, time and time again, that he could trust Ellen and was accepted by Ellen and her husband, as well as Oscar, as one of their family. She didn't know if she could trust them. Trust them to tell her the truth.
She did know that if Shaan had of been here, she could have trusted him. At least Percy was going to be here too. She already knew she could trust Percy. Pez was like another brother to her. More of a brother than Philip had been in recent years. From the moment that Henry had introduced the two of them, she had gained him as a sibling. There were a lot of days in their past, especially in recent times, when she was sure that the only reason, they still had Henry with them, was that Percy had kept him going. On more than one occasion, she has made herself cold with dread, at the thought of what would have happened to Henry, if not for Percy.
Landing at a private airstrip, somewhere in Maryland, fifteen minutes from DC, Bea had braced herself as they touched down. It wasn't that she was a nervous flyer, but she didn't very often get the luxury of leaving the United Kingdom. Most of her duties and charities kept her in the UK. She had expressed an interest in branching out into other parts of Europe, the US and possibly to Australia, but Philip and their grandmother always shot her down. They didn't hesitate in voicing their true fears to her either. They were afraid of a repeat of the Powder Princess scandal.
Surprised was an understatement when Bea and Percy were greeted at the air strip by none other than the US President herself, alongside her own Joint Chief of Staff. "Your Royal Highness, Mr. Okonjo, welcome to the United States." Ellen gushed at them, as she offered a handshake to Bea and then to Percy. The Secret Service were getting their bags from the plane and loading them into the trunk of the car waiting. Bea recognised one of the agents as Cash, one of the agents that had accompanied Alex in the past. "This is Zahra Bankston, my Joint Chief of Staff and best friend. If you need anything during your stay, please don't hesitate to ask me or Zahra."
"Please call me Bea, Madame President." Bea smiled warmly, returning her handshake. Bea wasn't surprised with Ellen's personality. It seemed that she was warm and open, like Alex. She could see that despite sharing very little in physical appearance with his mother, they shared multiple personality traits.
"Please, both of you, call me Ellen." She returned the smile to the young, vivacious red-haired woman. She looked over at Percy Okonjo and offered her hand next. Alex, June and Nora had all mentioned him, saying nothing but good things about the young man before her. They had mentioned all that the young man had already achieved, and it had impressed her. Of course, she had chuckled when Henry had added that he and Percy had gone to school together at Eton and they were best friends. "Alex, June and Nora have had nothing but words of praise for you. Both you and Mr. Okonjo. They talk about you both so much, I feel like I already know you."
"Please, call me Pez, like the sweets." Percy added, as Ellen offered her handshake to him next. "Being called Percy makes me feel like I am in trouble. I prefer Pez. The only exception to the rule; besides my own parents, is Princess Catherine. But then again, she has scolded me on more than one occasion, so she is much like my third parent."
"Well yes, even Mum knows that ninety-six percent of the shenanigans that you and Henry ever got up to, were all your idea." Bea retorted, as Ellen ushered them into the back of the car. "Henry is her sweet and innocent boy."
Ellen smothered a knowing, parental laugh of her own, which caused the younger two to look at her. She liked them both, instantly. She could see why Alex, June and Nora had been drawn to Henry, Bea and Pez. "Most mothers think their sons are sweet and innocent. It's a mom thing." She smiled again. "Except in Alex's case. Alex is -"
"Oh, we know Alex is a little shit." Pez replied, making Ellen laugh as he interrupted her. "But he is the best kind, and he is so good for Henry. Which is why we have been caught off guard with the news of their separation."
"Alex is a good influence on Henry." Bea added, seeing the worried look cross the woman's face, who they had been introduced to as Zahra Bankston. Zahra had been introduced as the President's Joint Chief of Staff. "Please do not think for one second that Alex is bad. I have seen my brother without Alex and with Alex. Trust me, the Henry with Alex is immeasurably better."
"I didn't mean anything bad by calling him that. No disrespect was intended." Percy added, worrying that Ellen would be mad at him for saying that.
"We already know he is a little shit." Zahra added, looking over at the British duo. "I will deny it if you ever tell him, but I agree with you, Pez. He is the best kind, even if he is the bane of my existence most days and other days, my worst nightmare. He is a good kid."
"Are you the woman that Alex calls Zee?" Bea asked, trying to figure it out. At her nod, Bea laughs out loud. "Oh, you have my sympathies. Henry told me about what happened in New York. He was so embarrassed. He said he was mortified."
"He was mortified, he was mortified?" She asked, amused. "I was the one mortified. Alex was late for a strategy meeting and press interviews, and he was hiding someone in his hotel room. Someone, I assumed, at the time, was a woman. I open the closet and there is the Prince of England, buck naked, trying to shimmy into a pair of boxer shorts that sadly, I know do not belong to him. Then the Prince comes tumbling out of the closet. Literally. Just as I start having a panic attack, I glance at the bedside table, then wish I hadn't. When I find out that they've been together for eight months, I just about blew a gasket. Before forcing both of them to get back the normal programming and all but ordered the prince out of the country."
"Your reaction was tame compared to mine." Bea consoled the woman, gently. Ellen had only recently heard the full version of the story about what had gone down in the hotel room in Brooklyn. "First, you have to understand my brother struggles with his grief from losing dad. He had been having a quiet day, while my day had been rather busy. I knocked and knocked on his door. My brother is an insomniac and never goes to bed early. It was barely 8pm. I let myself in worried about his mental health when well ... I am his sister, and I did not need to see what I walked in on. What was worse was; Alex was on the laptop screen, and he was ..."
"We will get you therapy too." Ellen promised the young woman, through laughter. "After Alex come out to me, Zahra told me everything, before saying she needed therapy."
Percy chuckled along with them as they began their trip to the White House. "Whereas I went to Eton with Henry and shared a dorm room with him. Nothing Henry does shocks me. I was there for it all. The pining, the disasterous first kiss. The funniest time was when I first realised that Alex loved Henry and neither of them had any idea. I of course, already knew about Henry's love for Alex.
Henry and I had escaped London for Llwynywermod. Spending our break doing some workshopping for various philanthropy projects. Henry had been telling Alex for months about their plans to go international, and how we were talking about three refugee programs around Western Europe, HIV clinics in Nairobi and Los Angeles, LGBT youth shelters in four different countries.
So, it's 10 in the morning, or there abouts and Henry's mobile lights up with a facetime call from Alex. Alex looks like he is dying under the weight of his finals. Henry was driving and I answered, with my usual charming, witty banter. Henry's worried about Alex being awake at 4am and Alex is cursing his economic final. I began the conversation as Haz was driving. The boys exchange a few flirtatious comments, before carrying on a normal conversation. The call barely lasted five minutes and Alex was eating it all up, as was Henry.
Alex nodded off to sleep and Henry ended the call, glad to see Alex asleep. He mentions it, before wondering out loud why Alex had called. Henry is smart, but he is obtuse sometimes. It took all my strength not to knock some sense into him and scream because he loves you too, you dolt."
Pez's story had a weird effect on Zahra, it had made her eyes water up. As did Ellen's and Bea's. Bea had never heard that story from her brother or Pez. "Yes, well that's Henry for you. Obtuse."
"Oh, Alex is too." Ellen chuckled and Pez laughed hysterically.
"Oh, I know." Pez barely managed out, before explaining himself between gasps of air. "Henry told me he called Alex thick, right before he kissed him for the first time. Of course, the world's two most oblivious people, would find each other."
No one said anything else, and the merriment had significantly died off. Bea was eventually the one to break the silence. "Has there been any sign of Alex since you spoke with my mother?"
Shaan stepped off the plane at Heathrow and joined the line at border control. He wasn't bringing anything he shouldn't be. He had no worries, except for the worries about his job. As soon as he was through customs and border control, he was surprised to be greeted by Miranda. "Her Royal Highness wishes to speak with you urgently, Mr. Srivastava. Shall we get your bags, she is waiting in the car for you."
Shaan was sure that Zahra had mentioned that Beatrice would be in the US, by the time he landed at Heathrow. They made their way to baggage claim and Shaan retrieved his one small suitcase and allowed his colleague to escort him from Heathrow and into a waiting car.
What, or rather who, he was not expecting, was Princess Catherine. "Your Royal Highness." Shaan greeted her, hoping to conceal the surprise from his voice. "I was not expecting you. When I saw Ms. Hazelwood inside the airport, I was expecting Princess Beatrice."
"I apologize for the deception, Mr. Srivastava." Catherine said, as her driver pulled away from the curb. "I believe you have been briefed by Wainwright on my son's disappearance."
"Ah, yes." Shaan began, but Catherine held up her hand to interrupt him. "And please, call me Shaan. You used to call me Shaan, before I worked for your son. When I worked for your husband."
"You can relax, Shaan. I was still in formalities mode. I have just come from a meeting at Downing Street. Forgive me?" She smiled warmly at him. "I am here on behalf of Ellen Claremont." She handed him the printed email of his notification of a green card from the US Immigration department. "Congratulations on your engagement, I wish my children had of told me. I am very happy for you. Arthur would have been thrilled; I know he would have been. I understand you are leaving our employ to live in the US with your fiancée."
"Yes, my fiancée works for the Claremont administration." Shaan smiled at her. "We met when they were in London for the talks on negotiating the UK-US trade deal, when they began two years ago. We began dating shortly after."
"That is, how I imagine, you managed to come up with the idea of a damage control tour rather quickly for Henry and Alex." Catherine smirked.
Nothing else was said, Shaan did notice however that rather than heading towards Kensington Palace or Buckingham Palace, they were heading towards his flat. At his glance towards the future Queen, she whispered to him. "I hope you don't mind; I need to speak with you and we cannot be overheard by anyone. It is delicate." Shaan followed her eyes towards Miranda Hazelwood and the driver.
He was thankful that he always kept a clean and tidy flat, if not just a tad stuffy, given he had been in the US for three days, before being ordered back to London. "Shall I just, open a window? It is a tad stuffy in here." He offered as Catherine followed him inside.
"You may if you wish, but once I say what I have to say, I feel you will wish to immediately return to the US." Shaan's curiosity was piqued. "I was not born yesterday, Shann; I know that you know where my son is, and that Wainwright ordered you to produce him. I have also noted that you arrived back in the country without him. I do hope that wherever you have him, he is safe and not on his way back."
Shaan widened his eyes in surprise but did not offer anything else. "Although he works for me, not her, Wainwright is one of my mother's cronies. I am currently petitioning the government to have my mother removed from the throne. I sent Bea to The States, and I need her to stay there. I have been made aware of Philip's disgusting behaviour to his siblings and he is being dealt with."
"Then you must know that Henry has been doing everything in his power to protect his sister from their brother." Shaan hastily added. "He has taken both physical and verbal lashings meant for her. And vice versa. When the email leak happened and His Royal Highness came to Kensington to berate Henry, Her Royal Highness all but locked him out and threatened him with bodily harm."
"Percy informed me of that, himself. Thank you Shaan." Catherine smiled, as he placed a cup of tea to her liking in front of her. "Is it safe to assume that you know where Henry is, then?"
Shaan did not answer her. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he did answer, he would be breaking a promise to Henry, and to Alex. If he didn't, he would be breaking a promise to Arthur. "Wait, do not answer that. First, I want you to know that I know everything. When Arthur passed, I was distraught. His solicitor and I divided up his money, as he had planned and disbursed the monies, accordingly. I was surprised to learn of a private island amongst my husband's estate, hidden in a shell corporation, not set up by him. Upon further investigation, I learnt that Arthur had built a house on it, but never visited. I let it slip my mind, until last night. When my husband's solicitor contacted me and notified me that food supplies had been arriving and the electricity had been switched on. Imagine my surprise when I learnt that it was you ordering supplies."
"Let me explain." Shaan begun, leading her into his study. Before he had submitted his leave from the Crown, he had removed everything personal from his office, including his files and the ones that Arthur had asked him to keep away from the Royal Family. He withdrew a letter from the manilla envelope on top of the pile of pages. "This is for you."
Catherine felt her knees almost give way, as Shaan ushered her into the armchair behind her. She had instantly recognised her husband's penmanship.
