Freedom 14
Disconnecting the call from Ellen felt surreal. She could scarcely believe what the President of the US had told her. Scrambling again, she quickly dressed, both in quiet and for comfort, before taking her mobile with her and making her escape. She wasn't sure who she could trust now. She didn't know if she could trust her son and his wife. Could she trust the parliament and politicians? Trust her mother's staff? Trust her own staff? All Catherine knew was that she could trust Shaan, Henry's equerry, but he was in the States and that she could trust Beatrice and Percy. They, too, were in the States. She also didn't want to burden them with her troubles.
As she escaped the palace, with no real destination in mind, she was pleased she had been able to slip past the PPOs. Something she hadn't done since she and Arthur had begun their relationship. Finding herself standing in front of Arthur's grave, she was surprised her body had taken her here. She hadn't been back since the day that they buried him. Unable to face the cold hard fact that her husband was gone.
The words on her lover's tombstone seemed to haunt her and taunt her in her mind. She turned on her heel and her ankle rolled out from underneath her. Picking herself up off the green, dewy grass and brushing her knees off, she walked on. Her ankle wasn't in pain, but there was a definite pressure that hadn't been there before.
Sneaking back into KP was always harder than sneaking out of the palace. But she sat and bided her time. She had to admit that her mother had successfully kept control of the parliament by appealing the to the traditional values of the older MP's. Catherine had to admit to herself that Mary was still powerful. She had the power to make all of their lives very difficult. She was already doing it with Henry and to a lesser extent, Bea. Sadly, she had gotten her claws into Philip a very long time ago. She had taken advantage of her preoccupation with her husband's illness and slid in, right underneath the radar.
Next, Catherine thought of her oldest son, Philip. He had been such a loving and carefree son. A charming child. By the time Henry was born, Philip's disdain for his younger brother had begun to appear. At first, her and Arthur had brushed it off as sibling rivalry. henry was the youngest, their baby, it was only natural that he should occupy more of their time. It wasn't as if Catherine and Arthur had neglected him. Just that they encouraged him to take on more of an older brother duty, just like he had to when Bea was born. But for some reason, Philip seemed to really dislike Henry from the moment he was born.
Now that Catherine had thought about it, it was around the same time that her mother had begun taking an interest in Philip, wanting him to accompany her on outings, and such. Arthur had wanted to refuse outright, and Catherine had had reservations, Philip was enthusiastic for the opportunity for one-on-one time with his grandmother and she talked it over with Mrs. Stewart, her equerry, who had assured her, it was a good idea for the young prince.
Of course, knowing back then what she knew now had cost her the relationship with her son. It was only in Arthur's death, that Catherine had learnt that Mrs. Stewart, her equerry had been employed by the Queen and maneuvered into the job by the Queen, to spy on Catherine and Arthur. To give the Queen someone on the inside, to sway Catherine's mind. Part of the way her mother had played her and betrayed her, had been the reason why she had stayed away from the palace in her grief. Not wanting any witnesses or palace staff to run back to her mother, confessing her every move to her.
There was someone, an ally she had not yet considered, but it would be a difficult one to sway. Martha. Martha was terrified of the Queen. Catherine knew that theirs was an arranged marriage. One that Philip himself had asked the Queen to arrange, in the full knowledge that Martha did not love him like that. They had gone to school together and had run in the same social circles. Martha's parents were close, personal friends of the family. They knew one another well. Philip had always had feelings for the girl, and she had not returned them. By Philip requesting Mary arrange their marriage, it was a way that he could get the girl of his dreams.
Now knowing what she had learnt her eldest son was capable of, in his dealings with Beatrice and Henry, Catherine did ponder her options carefully. If Philip had no qualms about hurting Bea or Henry, he definitely would have no care about hurting his wife.
Catherine knew she needed to make some decisions.
1. She needed a new equerry. One she could trust, who was of her choosing, not the Crown's. Someone who was fierce and loyal. Someone not afraid to take on the Crown.
2. She needed to get Martha alone and get the young woman to open up to her. Catherine knew that she hadn't wanted to marry her son and her father had all but forced her to. She knew she needed protection lined up for Martha, if she wanted out or needed out. Possibly with Bea and Henry. No, not with them. But somewhere safe.
3. She needed to find a way to prove that her mother, and possibly her son, had set her up. She also needed to find a weak link to expose them on the process.
4. As much as she hated to do it, she would need to ask Ellen for a couple more favours. One that involved the CIA investigating the two agents that had interrogated Shaan. Catherine was sure they were dirty agents.
Shaan and Zahra were just finishing up in the kitchen when Zahra's White House cell phone rang. Shaan resisted the urge to groan out loud. He had been there, in the Residence earlier today, when Alex and Henry had dialed in, assuring them they were now safe with Leo's cousin and that they were welcome to stay with him until the end of the week.
At the end of the week, Shaan had arranged with Trent to fly over and collect them. Tomorrow morning, there was to be a meeting between himself, Zahra, the President, her husband and her ex-husband, as what to do next. So far today, they had successfully avoided Alex's sister, Henry's sister and their friend form knowing any more than absolutely necessary.
Upon Zahra and Shaan bidding Ellen goodbye for the evening, the President had told Zahra to switch her cell off and not come in until noon. To spend some time with her fiancé. That was why Shaan was resisting the urge to groan out loud at the sound of her White House cell phone ringing.
His fiancée had been true to her word, dutifully ignoring it, as she had promised him. When it had rang for the third consecutive time in under a minute and a half, Shaan nudged her. "Go answer it and tell them to bugger off."
Zahra let out a large sigh and muttered something that Shaan couldn't quite decipher. But he did catch both of Henry and Alex's names being taken in vain, before something hostile under her breath that Shaan could only imagine had to do with Alex.
"Oh, forgive me Your Royal Highness." Zahra's voice penetrated Shaan's amusement at his fiancée's antics. "Yes, Shaan is with me. Please allow me to join him in the living room and we can put the phone on speaker and talk."
Shaan raised his eyebrows, questioningly. But Zahra was just as clueless as he was. When he had left the Princess last, she had been ok. She had reassured him that she would be ok. As they sat and listened to the future Queen's concerns, Zahra began taking notes. While Shaan hypothesized scenarios out loud, running viability stats as to how each suggested plan of attack would play out.
"I wish it was as simple as I could hire you to come back and work for me." Catherine sighed softly. "But that would be a rather large, bright red flag and give away our entire game plan.
They brainstormed for almost an hour before Zahra suddenly bolted upright from where she was leaning against Shaan, knocking her Shaan's empty teacup to the floor in the process.
"Me pregunto si Sara querría trabajar para ella." Zahra muttered as she began pacing, back and forth across the living room floor.
(ENG: I wonder if Sara would want to work for her.)
"Is everything ok there, Shaan?" Catherine's worried voice came through the line.
"I'm ... not ... sure." He said hesitantly. He didn't speak Spanish, but he knew his fiancée did, as did the First family. Alex spoke Spanish. Zahra spoke Spanish. "I think so... Ah, ... I have seen Alex do something similar ... to Henry on occasion. Perhaps, a habit he picked up in his childhood, from my Zahra. Alex and Zahra certainly feed off each other enough, it can be equally annoying and amusing to watch how animated they get. Henry and I have had a good laugh on more than one occasion at their expense."
"Quizás necesite persuadirla. Oh, diablos, no, joder, ella me debe una."
(ENG: Maybe I need to persuade her. Oh, hell no, fuck, she owes me one.)
"Every time it has happened, it has usually coincided with an outrageous idea from the both of them and resulted in a reprimand from His Royal Highness Prince Philip, or Her Majesty."
"Dios, ¿y si Alex se acuerda de ella y se lo cuenta a Ellen? ¿Le dice Óscar? ¡MIERDA!"
(ENG: God, what if Alex remembers her and tells Ellen? Do you call him Oscar? SHIT!")
"Perfect." Catherine beamed.
"Seguramente Oscar y Ellen verían el bien mayor. Catherine estaría a salvo. Ella tendría ayuda para quitarle la Corona a su mamá. Ella podría controlar a ese idiota de su hijo y Henry sería libre. Lo que haría feliz a Henry. Un Henry feliz es un Alex feliz."
(ENG: Surely Oscar and Ellen would see the greater good. Catherine would be safe. She would have help to take the Crown from her mom. She would be able to control that idiot son of hers and Henry would be free. Which would make Henry happy. A happy Henry is a happy Alex.)
"Zahra, Darling?" Shaan interrupted her, softly. Her Spanish mutterings had rambled off into a whisper and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what she was rambling about. "Are you ok?"
"¿Eh? Sí" Zahra then looked over at his clueless face. "Sorry." She said sheepishly. "I forgot you're a británico." Letting her Spanish creep back in.
Shaan looked her over, before wordlessly indicating that she should explain.
"I have a cousin. Close cousin. Sara. Cousins, that grew up like sisters. She and I went to Brown together, too. Both studied Government and Political Science. She graduated magna cum laude of our class. But unlike myself, she doesn't have a shred of decency when it comes to romantic relationships. She followed me when I went to work on the Claremont Campaign for Lometa in '98." Zahra smiled softly. Shaan recognised it as melancholic. Something, he noted, she only did when would think of little Alex. The cute, adorable kid, Alex. "That was when I first met this adorable little Alex, who I swear, thought I could walk on water."
"Zee -" Shaan interrupted, knowing she was about to get sidetracked and brag about how the current First son used to follow her around like a little lost puppy dog. "You can tell Her Royal Highness all about little Alex another time."
"I'm going to hold you to that." Catherine smiled. She really liked Shaan's fiancée.
"Anyway, she owes me a favour and you're it." Zahra announced. "Oh, and if you think I am tough, she is tougher. I am driven and I am not afraid of the Crown. Whereas she is fearless and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She is ... tough."
"Ok," Catherine whispered hesitantly. "I am sensing an ellipsis, and I'd like to explore the comment, 'she doesn't have a shred of decency.' She will be privy to sensitive information and meeting me on a regular basis. Not only do I wish to clear my name, I wish to force the Queen's hand at abdicating. I need someone who's not above ... coercion."
"Want to blackmail someone, Sara's your girl." Zahra reassured her. "As for the ellipsis. She came to work with us in '98. You cannot repeat this to anyone, especially Henry, June, or Alex. In fact, tell no one."
Both Catherine and Shaan swore they wouldn't.
"In early 2000, Ellen had just been elected to the US Congress and had been working away from home periodically in DC for two weeks already." Zahra took a deep calming breath. "Ellen was upset, very, very upset. Ellen Claremont has cried exactly three times in all of the years that I have known her. When Alex and Henry's emails were leaked, and they were outed by the media. When Alex graduated High School, and on that particular day in her office. She had received a call, late the night before into our hotel room. It had no one had been on the other end of the line, but she had been able to hear her husband's voice. He was with a woman. Then came the unmistakable sound of a woman's voice. A woman who spoke Spanish. Ellen speaks Spanish. Oscar is Mexican, he speaks Spanish. Alex was learning to speak it. I speak Spanish. She motioned me to come closer and we listened in, as Sara attempted to seduce Oscar. Ellen's heart broke when she heard Oscar reply to her.
"Sabes que quiero. Pero no puedo. Estoy casado. Sólo porque Ellen no esté aquí no significa que no sea mi esposa. Ay como me tientas, Hermosa."
(ENG: You know I want to. But I cannot. I am married. Just because Ellen isn't here, it does not mean she is not my wife. Oh, how you tempt me, Beautiful.)
Nothing had actually happened between them, but Oscar had been tempted. Very tempted. That was enough, in Ellen's eyes. They managed to talk about it. Went to couple's counselling, but in the end, it took a toll on their marriage. They started fighting and Oscar returned Ellen's accusations of an affair with accusations of his own. Which I can tell emphatically tell you weren't true. In the end, while Alex was at summer camp, they filed for separation. The next day Alex returned from camp, Oscar took his packed bags, got in the cab and moved to California. June was old enough; she knew about the fights and the accusations they had hurled at one another. But she did everything in her power to protect Alex from it all. But the way Oscar left, it still broke Alex."
"That explains a lot about Mr. Claremont-Diaz and his unscheduled appearance at Kensington Palace." Shaan murmured.
"Alex has abandonment issues from the way Oscar left." Zahra admitted softly, before defending Alex, gallantly. "But they're his superpower. They motivate him to fight for what he wants, what is right. They help him, not hinder him."
I am confused." Catherine broke the awkward silence between the affianced couple. "Who made the call?"
"We always believed it was Sara. But we could never prove it. There's a possibility it was June, the older Claremont-Diaz sibling."
"How can I be sure she won't stab me in the back and turn my life upside down, further?" Catherine asked Zahra, because after hearing the story of the dissolution of Ellen Claremont's marriage to Oscar Diaz, she wasn't sure she could trust this woman.
"You can't really." Zahra sighed. "But you could meet with her. Look, I know you're scared, I am scared for you. But Ellen wasn't joking about the evidence the CIA claim they have on you. Sara is your best bet."
"I guess, there is no harm in meeting her." Catherine conceded. She was already running low on options.
"Oh, and if Sara is a little starstruck when you meet," Zahra grinned into the phone line, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "Don't mind her. That will be because she is your number one fan. Not one of Arthur's and not your family's fan. Your fan."