Producing An Heir (Closed to zydrate)

[MisterChino]

He had been watching the plain, analog clock that sat above his office door for the past hour or so. His eyes, which had been steadily tracking the long hand as it pivoted mechanically along the minute hashes, was now glazed over. His heart beat reluctantly, as if it had been synchronized with the seconds hand of the clock, itself. He remained seated at an eloquent oak desk, with his arms folded across each other as it rested upon the firm establishment. A neat, organized layout displayed upon the desk; there was simply nothing more than three computer monitors, a keyboard, mouse, and a telephone which sat on the smoothed wooden layer. Amongst the array of devices, a golden tipped fountain pen with a jet black, marble barrel situated itself with a degree of exactness, sitting parallell to the short edge of the desk.

The man, himself, displayed a very proper military posture. His feet were dressed in a pair of polished, brown wingtip oxfords which placed firmly upon the carpeted floor of the office and sat with their heals together and angled outward at approximately forty-five degrees. The tailored suit trousers, revealed a conservative pattern upon the dark blue fabric of his socks. A waistcoat sat beneath his matching dark blue suit top, whilst a slim black necktie garnished his white collared shirt which had been neatly pressed and cleaned. The cuffs of his shirt peeked lightly from his suit sleeves to reveal a pair of cuff links with the royal emblem. The shirt collar fitted itself along a firm solid neck upon which a rather pleasing face sought it's foundation. The rich, dark brown hair had been combed over to the right side, while neat stubbles upon his narrow, chiseled jaws reveals the man's recently groomed and shaven face. A set of thick brown brows sat above a pair of piercing blue eyes. His set of full lips remained pursed together, as his face remained fixed upon the clock.

An internal battle had been raging beneath the man, who on the exterior had maintain a calm and rigid composure. In the next few minutes, Gabriel Archer would leave his office, walk down the hallway of the same building to the front entrance, and wait to pick up Michelle at the royal family mansion along with his team of plain-clothed military escort team. Princess Michelle, rather. Gabriel Archer had been hand-selected to be the head of security for the Royal Family by his best friend, Peter, whom happened to be the crowned Prince. Gabriel was a Major in the Royal Marines prior to this selection. His career saw him through tours and conflicts to include combat action in several of the war torn countries. His achievements and actions were commended by his grateful nation for valor and courage. It was during his service with the Marines, that Gabriel had met Prince Peter and they had become the best of friends. Before Gabriel made his selection to Lieutenant Colonel, Peter had approached him with the offer to be the head of security working at the royal family estates. Gabriel hesitantly accepted, knowing that it would be difficult to maintain his professional duties and responsibilities between his best friend. It was a fine line, and Gabriel would not allow himself to cross it.

The long hand of the clock had finally struck twenty minutes after the hour. As Gabriel rose from his seat, he brushed and straightened himself off. Neatly scooting the chair between the straddling desk, Gabriel proceeded out of his office, neatly closing shut the door behind him. Clearing his mind as best he could, Gabriel set himself mentally to focus on his mission and tasks at hand. As he walked down the hall, he was met with regards from the other staff workers working within the building. His presence naturally demanded respect, his walk and posture as he entered each part of the building, gained the quick attention of the staffers in the premises. Gabriel politely returned the courtesies, but was quick to resume his pace. As usual, Gabriel arrived early at the entrance at which a three vehicle convoy awaited him and the Princess. With pre-planned time to spare, Gabriel proceeded with the final checks and briefs with his security detail. Upon completion of the inspection, Gabriel returned to his perch at the entrance. Now, they sit and wait for the Princess.

 

[zydrate]

Her Royal Highness, Princess Michelle Langston, didn’t often get her way but when she did, it was for something she believed dearly in. The latest argument about her current trip took place just last night with her husband, Prince Peter Langston, next heir to the throne, had decided to ask his wife, once more to please cancel the trip. Of course, she said no. Not to be defiant to her husband just to spite him but to be more involved with her country and of course, bring light to the problems around the world that seemed to be conveniently forgotten on the news when only politics seemed to be most important. Princess Langston was not budging from this. It was a good thing the wing of their bedroom suite was well away from others.

This caused Michelle to wake up early the next morning alone. She had hoped Peter would have stayed to say good-bye but had instead, headed to the library and stayed there, probably falling asleep at his desk with a book…and of course, his favorite sherry. Michelle had wanted to find him and apologize but really, she had nothing to apologize for. She was a grown woman after all and this was something she wanted to do. She knew the dangers. She wasn’t some delicate flower who didn’t know that the world was a bad place. It was horrid. Day after day, those who fought in wars didn’t realize the aftermath of their battles which left not only wives without husbands, but mothers without sons. Babies without families. Not to mention the resources that have been wasted thus far. Or course, she could not stop it all herself but to let at least one person was more than enough to help in her cause.

Why couldn’t Peter understand that?

Throwing herself into her charity work was all Michelle seemed to have these days. Her marriage to Peter wasn’t one of romance but one of convenience. Of course, during the last year of their marriage they tried to make it work on a much deeper level, but his duty always came first. It was something she had to live with. Then of course, came the talk of why she wasn’t pregnant yet. The tabloids always put out something like ‘The Princess suffers miscarriage’ or ‘Prince and Princess sleep in separate rooms’. How they came up with all that was beyond her. If anything, they did try but nothing came of it. Perhaps, soon, after her trip, she and Peter would schedule some away time and make some time for themselves.

Her bags had been taken to the waiting car earlier and now, Michelle stood outside the library and knocked on it, calling out Peter’s name softly. He didn’t answer. She tried the door handle…locked. Without a word, she turned from the door and walked down the hall toward her entourage. Wearing a light blue pants suit, her long brown hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, she saw Gabriel Archer. At least she’d have one familiar face with her at all times…she gave him a small smile and got into the middle SUV, close behind her was her personal assistant, Jonathan, who would also be travelling with her. He held all the details of the trip and would be working with Gabriel to make sure everything went smoothly. For reasons of safety, her itinerary wouldn’t be released to the press, nor her departure time and date. Once she was situated in the car, they were off…

 

[MisterChino]

The Escort to the Airbase

It was not long before the Princess showed up at the front entrance. Gabriel was able to hear her light footsteps, despite enduring years of hazardous noise environments from his combat tours and training; he quickly distinguished the unique, audible footsteps of the Princess, which was soon followed by a pair of heavier, more deliberate trailing steps from his position at the doorway. The pleasant, familiar face of the Princess appeared before him, to which he lightly bowed his head in a subservient manner, but not before noticing the brief, small smile to which she greeted him with. He followed her in suit, and promptly made himself in front of her to open the passenger door of the vehicle for her highness. Jonathan, her personal assistant, was right behind her.

“Jonathan,” nodded Gabriel as he briefly exchanged regards.

“Gabriel,” returned Jonathan to acknowledge him, before entering the blacked-out SUV behind the Princess.

Gabriel politely closed the door, upon securing high valued packages. He readjusted himself briefly, fastening the last of the buttons on his suit as he made his way toward the driver’s seat of the vehicle. As he jumped into the vehicle, he glanced quickly to the back passenger seats to ensure that both individuals were situated. Returning his focus to the forward view before him, he quickly buckled himself in. His hand drew to his waist holster to retrieve his service pistol, only to secure the weapon in a customized, quick-draw storage slot right beneath the steering wheel. The dashboard in front of him was entirely customized to house a built-in, tactical radio system capable of communicating through secured frequencies. The vehicle was also retrofitted with ballistic windows, and steel-reinforced doors and body. Gabriel quickly scanned the forward cabin to ensure that everything was in place, as he picked up the hand-held radio mic.

“Sierra Six, secured. Charlie Mike,” radioed Gabriel over the secured net. Alpha-numeric call signs were given to specific members of the Royal Family; Sierra 6 was designated for the Princess, and was known through-out the security element, as well as military channels. The vehicles rolled forward, picking up a steady speed as the convoy crept toward the main security gate. The gate parted, allowing the entourage to leave the compound toward an extended road leading into the main drive; the extended road was designed as a stand-off mechanism in case there was a threat to allow some time for the Royal Guards to react and neutralize said threat.

Thanks to Jonathan’s expert planning, information management and strict operational security practices, the convoy was unimpeded by any media or crowds that would normally sit at the entrance of the stand-off road, hoping to capture a glimpse of the Royal Family as they left the estate. Jonathan, himself, was a rather self-made and stand-up individual. Despite being born from a privileged family that had historic ties and seats in the current government administration, Jonathan had elected to serve in the country’s armed forces with the Army. Jonathan served five years as an enlisted man, rising to the rank of Sergeant in an intelligence outfit, before leaving the service to obtain a higher level civilian education. Jonathan eventually graduated with Masters in Communication and Media, and returned to work for the Royal Family as an intern before being selected to be the personal assistant to Princess Michelle Langston.

The convoy proceeded on its approximately, 52 kilometer journey, which led through the countryside that was sparsely populated with small towns and dorfs. The destination would be the airbase to the southeast of the Royal compound. As the convoy continued through the briefed directions, the local constables had blocked off major intersections along the route, per Gabriel’s coordinated efforts, just moments prior to the convoy’s arrival at the particular crossroads to allow the entourage freedom of movement and to prevent any vehicular threat to the vehicle formation.

The ride itself was unusually quiet. Gabriel periodically glanced at the rear-view mirror to check on his passengers. Jonathan was preoccupied between his personal digital assistant planner and his smartphone. Meanwhile, Gabriel continued to notice the lesser-than-content expressions of the Princess. He watched her from the mirror as she looked outward through the tinted window; her body language and initial offering of the small smile cued him to the fact of the underlying problem. Obviously, Gabriel was well aware of the media rumors surrounding the fact that the Prince and Princess had not coupled to produce an heir, but was not knowledgeable of any relationship issues between the Crowned Prince and Princess. Prior to his marriage to Michelle, Peter had often confided and sought peer mentorship in Gabriel as any best friend would have done. However, it wouldn’t be long after the marriage and the emergence of rumors, that Peter had slowly retreated and secluded himself from everyone that was around him. It was difficult for Gabriel to keep his professional duties apart from his friendship with Peter, and often times, Gabriel felt helpless and unable to talk sense into Peter.

On the contrary, Michelle became more and more involved in charity work; she was almost filling in the “gap” and picking up the slack for Peter as it pertains to community presence and affairs. Michelle was soon involved in working with the military veterans of the country and volunteered herself to tour the different areas in which the militaries commanded by the nation were deployed. When Gabriel first met Michelle, he saw her as a young, naïve girl that was full of happiness. Now, that young girl has transformed into a mature woman dedicated to a cause. It wasn’t a surprise that her work would be met with resistance from the Royal Family and their advisors. However, Gabriel was well aware that the Princess was quite a formidable, determined and convincing woman. Michelle would stand her ground on her position, and now, Gabriel was responsible for ensuring her safety in a combat environment.

The vehicle column found itself at the secured entrance to the airbase. As the guards validated the credentials of the personnel and load that the convoy was bearing, they rendered honors and salutes toward the Royal Princess whom was entering their compound. The convoy drove itself all the way onto the tarmac, on which a bird, C-130 to be exact, had been prepped and waiting for the Princess.

 

[zydrate]

If she could, Michelle would have gotten out of the vehicle herself once it stopped. But of course, she didn’t…only because of the doors being too heavy for her to push. So she unbuckled the seat belt before gathering her bag as the door was opened for her. Stepping out, she acknowledged those around her. Jonathan quickly introduced her to the captain and his team that would be piloting the C-130.

“Your Highness, this Captain William Banks, who, along with his team, will be getting us safely to the next checkpoint of the trip.”

Michelle gave the captain a smile and held out her hand to him, “Yes of course, Captain Williams, we’ve met at the Galveston Charity Ball several months ago.” The captain seemed extremely flattered that she remembered him. Michelle listened to him as he spoke about his wife and how she had such a lovely time that night… as she was greeting of the rest of the flight crew, Michelle could feel Gabriel’s ever looming presence near also. Usually she paid no mind but today… it just felt different.

Pushing that feeling away, she was quickly escorted into the C-130 and given a brief summary of what was what inside the plane and of course, when they expected to land. There was an area designated for her and Jonathan, and of course, Gabriel and some of the other guards. The web seating in the C-130 where converted temporarily into something more comfortable for the Princess and her entourage. She was given a pair of noise cancelling headphones and was instructed to place them on as soon as she was able. Before doing so, she conferred with Jonathan to double check the schedule. So far, they were running right on schedule although Jonathan seemed concerned about an unexpected change in weather near where they were scheduled to first start their leg of this journey. But he assured the Princess that he would keep an eye on things and also consult with the captain before take-off.

Michelle had every confidence in all of those around her, so she had nothing to worry about. In fact, the plane they were in was also carrying supplies for the base they would land at. She, of course, had asked not to be treated in any special manner, meaning she could have easily done this trip on a first class flight or even taken the royal family’s private jet. But what would have been the purpose in that and staying low-key?

A crewman, or in this case, a crewwoman helped secure Michelle in her seat, giving her a few general instructions on their flight, including their ETA and what to do should she get airsick, and of course, to leave the set of headphones on due to the noise level of the cargo plane. The Princess thanked the woman and before putting on the headphones, she got out her own set of earbud earphones and plugged them into her personal music player. For security reasons, she didn’t have a personal cellphone. Why would she need one? She was surrounded by security, royal guards and personal assistants all day so who would she call and why? Not to mention if she did have a phone, there would be numerous chances of it getting hacked and her personal business could be leaked to the press. No, she hadn’t had a personal cellphone for a very long time. She was given the signal to put on her noise cancelling headphones as the plane was about to start and afterward, take off. From there, it would easily be an eight hour trip before they landed, which of course, gave her plenty of time to divulge into a secret passion of hers, reading. She hadn’t much time to herself lately but always tried to get in reading time when she could, even it was before bedtime.

 

[MisterChino]

The Flight of the Phoenix

As the SUV rolled to a stop, Gabriel placed the vehicle in park, and disengaged the locking mechanism that prevented the doors from being opened from the exterior of the automobile. Unbuckling himself, he quickly secured the sensitive items, and easily pushed open the reinforced door to exit the vehicle. Closing the driver’s door behind him, he swung around to open the armored passenger door for the Princess who had been seated directly behind during the entire ride. Jonathan, himself, had already exited the vehicle and made himself ready at the other side of the vehicle along with the members of the crew that would be piloting and managing the flight for their royal passenger. As the Princess stepped out from the vehicle with her bag, a crewmember deployed immediately to her to assist her and secure her bag.

Closing the door behind the Princess, Gabriel paused briefly to gain awareness of the pleasantries being exchanged between the Princess and the Captain. Jonathan had done a superb job at vetting the individuals and providing a public affairs role between the Princess and individuals she would encounter. The military community amongst officer ranks was fairly tight knit, but Gabriel had not much affairs with Captain William Banks. It was common knowledge that only the best military pilots that the country had to offer were hand selected to fly members of the royal family, whether it was on a military cargo aircraft or the royal family’s private jet. A brief run-down of the Captain’s resume and career would distinguish him far apart from most of his peers. The Captain’s career saw him as fighter pilot that flew multiple sorties during the Balkan conflict to be one of the few members of the Royal Air Force to engage in aerial combat with an identified enemy aircraft of the modern era. From there he piloted for multiple close air support missions in the Middle East region. Eventually, his professional military pilot career path placed him as a squadron leader, flying mainly cargo aircraft to transport supply and personnel to and from destinations across the globe. Needless to say, the Captain was well qualified and apt to fly the Princess.

Stepping away momentarily from the conversation, Gabriel proceeded to the rear of the vehicle and opened the rising tailgate of the SUV. Several bags, kits, and cases have been stored neatly in the trunk compartment of the automobile. Gabriel quickly unloaded the equipment; altogether he had 2 duffel bags with his military uniforms and tactical gear, and a secured rifle case. Unlocking the rifle case, he opened it to reveal his assigned, L85A2 standard battle rifle and several empty ammunition magazines that had been stacked neatly in pairs along the cushioned foam, interior. Retrieving his service pistol from his waist holster, he inately released the pistol magazine and pulled back upon the upper receiver slide, quickly inspecting the barrel and ejection port for any rounds to ensure that it was not loaded prior to storing it away for the flight. Placing the loaded 9 round pistol magazine into the slotted foam, he neatly placed the pistol into case, and re-secured it for the flight.

Gabriel’s security team gathered around to be briefed on the last set of instructions prior to the departure of the flight. Elements of the team would return to the royal compound in the SUVs, while two select members of the squad would accompany the Princess, Jonathan, and Gabriel forward to their destination. Those 2 members, also had with them their deployment gear readied along with their individual rifle cases, as well. The security team acknowledged their orders, returned to the vehicle column, and returned occupation of the SUVs. Without much fanfare, the vehicles began their journey back to the royal estates, leaving Gabriel and the small detachment on the tarmac. As the convoy departed, the loadmaster and his crew quickly approached the detachment.

“Major,” the loadmaster respectfully acknowledged Gabriel. “Are these the bags you are packing and taking with?”

Gabriel nodded, to which the loadmaster’s crew quickly secured the equipment at the loadmaster’s signal. The additional equipment and bags belonging to the Princess and her escort were efficiently palletized, and loaded onto the ramp of the cargo aircraft. The hinges and rollers of the palette locked in and slid effortlessly toward the front of the aircraft before locking in to the aircraft itself, along with the other palettes of supply and sustenance cargo that the aircraft was holding.

From this point forward, Gabriel was never too far from an arms-reach distance of the Princess. Gabriel and his team boarded the aircraft after the princess, only to be herded by the crew to their designated seats for take-off. With stormy clouds seen at a distance upon the horizon, the aircraft crew took no more time than necessary to prepare for take-off. As the last of instructions were briefed by the crew, the turbines and engines began to fire up. The propeller aircraft buzzed to life as the passengers put on their hearing protection, while the belly of the plane rumbled to produce a droning vibration through the entire cabin. The heavy smell of jet fuel fumes pervaded throughout, drowning out the senses. The ramp drew shut and locked in place Jonathan was seen returning to his seat with a satisfied look after consulting with the Captain to ensure that the looming clouds in the distance would not be a problem. Gabriel and his team had buckled in and secured themselves for take-off, sitting directly across from the Princess and Jonathan.

The giant bird bucked and rolled forward, turning around and gaining a bit of forward momentum as it proceeded to the long, runway strip. The cabin continued to buzz, while small, loose items rattled about, as the aircraft lined itself up with the runaway.

A light radio chatter can be heard from the pilot’s cockpit. “Flight Phoenix, you are cleared for take off.”

Suddenly the droning of propeller turbines would increase dramatically, pushing the aircraft forward. The aircraft continued to gain amazing and deliberate speed despite the amount of cargo it had been carrying. The forward nose of the plane began to lift, soon to be followed by the body of the plane. A sudden weightless feeling was felt as the wheels were lifted from the ground. After several brief seconds of being airborne, the plane banked sharply to the left whilst gaining altitude at an incredible rate. Shortly after take-off, the plane found itself in the midst of the storm, as dark clouds drowned out the light from the circular porthole windows of the aircraft. Despite the raging storm outside, the Captain piloted the aircraft so expertly that the passengers were barely able feel any turbulence. The cabin lights were turned off, allowing the bright green and red dotted lights to be shown through the aircraft interior. This produced a dim glow in the cabin. It would be an approximate 8-hour flight, not short by any means. By the time they would land, it would be barely dawn hours.

Gabriel looked across from his seated position, to see the Princess with her headphones on and reading some literature that she had brought along. The dim red light shown across her face, almost producing a bit of vintage look for the Princess. She appeared to be heavily engrossed with the reading to be aware that Gabriel had been keenly observing her. Soon Gabriel would follow in suit of the two members of his team whom were already passed out and sleeping.

Gabriel awoke to the aircraft banking sharply to either side, while taking a steep descent. A dim visible light shown through the port hole, and Gabriel was able to catch it on the horizon of the landscape as the sun was about to rise. The cabin was still dark and he could barely see the Princess’ face. His own weight shifted with the aircraft as the plane took necessary maneuvers to avoid the threat of any surface to air missiles. The faint popping sound of flares being employed for this purpose can be heard. The aircraft would suddenly level itself again as it continued to descend. As quickly as the wheels can be heard deploying, the plane would find itself landing on the base runway. The wheels contacted the tarmac beneath and the plane rumbled loudly as it stabilized itself on the runaway. The plane eventually slowed to a navigable speed. Darkness continued to pervade through the cabin while the C-130 shuttled its way into the night on the landing zone of the base. The plane suddenly came to a halt and the droning turbines began to slowly fade away as the engine was shut off.

A voice emitted from the intercom, “Prepare to disembark. Thank you for having us Princess Langston.”

The ramp began to open and lower allowing the smell and brisk air from the outside to enter the cabin.

 

[zydrate]

Even though she was briefed on what would happen when the plane descended, the sounds still startled Michelle as she awoke with a start. Luckily, the sounds in the plane were so loud that no one heard her and the darkness masked any expression on her face. She composed herself when the plane came to a complete stop. She put her things away in her bag as the doors and ramps opened up and military personnel started to work on getting items unloaded. The same crewman who came to help her with her straps before was back to help her out of them again. It would take a while to load up the vehicles with everyone’s luggage and other items. Jonathan had stepped aside to take a phone call and by the looks of his expression, it wasn’t good news.

Princess Langston since it be a few more minutes until the motorcade was ready, she took that time to thank the crew members along with the captain his flight crew. One of the other guards stayed with the Princess as she gave her thank-yous to the crew. She was then escorted to another SUV where she met Jonathan and she could instantly tell something was wrong. They all got in the vehicle and Jonathan waited until Gabriel was situated before he spoke, “It seems one of the Prince’s staff members accidently mentioned Princess Langston’s trip. Even though we were going to announce it as a last minute trip, this puts a damper on some planned items we had originally scheduled, not to mention the threat from other insurgents knowing that the Princess is in the country.” Jonathan didn’t need to go into detail about all this, Michelle was perfectly aware of what it meant that the press knew about this. Like he had said, they were going to announce this at their own time so any potential threat would not have time to plan anything elaborate, such as kidnapping the Princess or even worst yet, making an attempt on her life. The Princess was well aware of the dangers but that was not going to stop her.

Michelle kept her expression neutral, a skill she had to learn while in the public eye, “But we are going to proceed as scheduled, are we not?”

Jonathan, on the other hand… “The Prince made the suggestion that perhaps you should come right home. He wants to send the jet to come retrieve you as soon as possible.”

“Absolutely not,” Michelle said to Jonathan, “I really don’t see what a premature announcement means versus one we going to do later one. This whole trip will not be a waste. I am confident that everything will be all in good. I have never before cancelled something like this and I’m not about to start.” It was then Jonathan got back on the phone to relay the Princess’ message of her decision to stay on schedule. They were currently heading toward the hotel where she would stay for the rest of the day and overnight before starting the first leg of their journey early tomorrow.

As they arrived at the small Inn that the Princess would be staying at overnight, they were met with a small crowd of civilians, wanting and waiting to catch a glimpse of the Princess, who was making sure she was presentable as she ran a small comb through her ponytail and touched up her minimal amount of makeup. Her arrival was supposed to remain low-key but now the press knew, the news of her arrival spread like a wildfire. With a deep breath, she exited the vehicle when the door was opened and she was greeted by a cheer from the crowd. It made her smile at them in a genuine fashion. She had wanted to meet with a few of them but was quickly rushed into the Inn and to her assigned room so at the time, she only could give them a quick wave before disappearing inside. As she was settled into her room, she had told Jonathan to get the Prince on the phone and wanted to speak with him alone.

 

[MisterChino]

The Prince's Anxiety

As the ramp lowered and came to a rest on the tarmac beneath, a staff of personnel had been waiting for the arrival of Sierra 6, alongside a staged motorcade composed of comparable SUVs relative to the ones the Princess and the security team had rode to the air base on. The detail, assisted by the aircraft crew, worked expeditiously to first unload the palatalized gear and equipment belonging to the Princess and her security team, along with the precious cargo that was inline behind it. A Brigadier, another liaison that Jonathan had worked his magic with, was present to greet the Princess, welcoming her to the country as his staff began to transfer the bags of gear and equipment from the downloaded palette to the waiting vehicles. Gabriel and his team provided overwatch on the bustling activity; Gabriel and one of the guards watch over the baggage handling, to ensure that all the essential gear had been loaded, while the other guard emplaced himself next to the Princess as she greeted and thanked the staffers whom made her journey so smooth and effortless.

During this interaction, Gabriel had noticed that Jonathan had been excused from the crown and had been on the receiving end of a phone call. Gabriel could only assume that it had been a call from the Prince himself confirming the safe arrival of his wife, however, his unimpressed and concerning facial expressions cast doubt that there may have been more trouble lurking beneath the steady waters. The trip was going on smoothly, rather too well, and Gabriel expected that it wouldn't be too long before Murphy reared his ugly head into the equation. As the last of the bags were loaded, the exchange of pleasantries had come to a close as the Princess was escorted to her designated vehicle. Jonathan had already been waiting in the vehicle as the Princess slid into her seat as Gabriel followed behind her to sit at her other side. The Princess, too had noticed, Jonathan's concerned expression, and her demanding eyes elicited Jonathan's explanation as Gabriel situated himself.

As Jonathan explained the current fiasco with the leaked information from another staffer, Gabriel scoffed in response.

"People just can't keep their mouth shut for a moment," remarked Gabriel as he shook his head.

Gabriel would never criticize the actions of Jonathan; it was rather unprofessional and unbecoming of a man occupying a leadership position as Gabriel was. However, Gabriel couldn't think of anyone else who would violate operational security and divulge this information to staffers who did not need to know. As Jonathan's mention of the Prince suggesting the return of the Princess, it suddenly dawned upon Gabriel that it may have been the Prince himself. It was an absurd idea, especially one that would involve his best friend betraying the safety of his wife, but certainly not far fetched. It would have been a brilliant scheme for the Prince; overwhelming the Princess with unneeded media attention and spurring the insurgent threat would definitely cause her security advisers to convince her of an early return. Nonetheless, Gabriel had now been placed in a precarious position as the stubborn Princess retorted with her decision to stay. Gabriel knew to himself that he should probably be expecting to receive a direct order within the next day or two to escort the Princess home, but it was not his place to make that decision. His job was the ensure the safety of the Princess, no more and no less.

The motorcade departed the runway as the sun rose at a steady pace, shedding its rays and lighting up the faces of the established base facilities. The occupants of these buildings began to emerge as if woken by the morning sun, despite the fact that most of them had already been awake all night conducting 24-hour operations. The faces of the men and women were all expressionless, only glance briefly at the out-of-the ordinary motorcade as it drove by, before returning to their zombie-like movements. The motorcade would travel some distance, leaving the security of the base at one point, only to pass through a guarded passage between the base and their destination in an area known to many as the "Green Zone." Coming through a second set of security gates, the envoy was now driving through an entirely different environment. The area appeared to be heavily dominated by local civilians and nationals. The Green Zone was the home to multiple Embassies and the local headquarters for many IGOs and NGOs, as well housing a plethora of media outlets and their journalists. The idea was that these were all neutral or "green" entities, which is why the area was named, thusly. It was almost like a small city fenced off within the real city that had surrounded it.

It wouldn't be a surprise that a crowd of media journalists and their cameramen awaited for the arrival of the Princess' envoy to the inn after discovering that the Princess' itinerary had been partially leaked. As the SUV came to a halt, Gabriel immediately jumped out of the car and signaled for the crowd to step back, as the Princess prepared to exit. The crowd cheered as the Princess emerged from the vehicle and began pummeling her with questions and demands for a photo opportunity. Gabriel pushed forward, with his security guards shielding the Princess on either side as they ushered her through to the lobby. Jonathan had already been a step ahead of them as he was able to sneak unnoticed into the lobby to check-in and secure the simple room keys to their reserved rooms. Although not the largest inn by any means, Jonathan was able to book the entire hall in the section of the establishment that they would be staying for rest of the day and through the night for security purposes. Gabriel's security team prevented the media horde from following any further, while Jonathan and Gabriel continued to escort the Princess to her pre-designated room. Prior to the Princess entering the room, Gabriel entered it and quickly inspected the room for any security concerns. Satisfied with his findings, the Princess was allowed to occupy the room to which Jonathan closed the door behind. Gabriel looked over to Jonathan, only to shake his head while offering a quirky smirk.

Gabriel occupied the room next door to the Princess, and Jonathan, likewise, in the room on the other side. Gabriel stood at the doorway, looking over the simple, but clean spotless room, before he was interrupted by one of the motorcade staffers. At this point, the motorcade staff and security had secured the bags and equipment and brought them to their location in the hallway. Gabriel directed for the bags to be unloaded and left in the hallway, thanking the motorcade members as they departed. Jonathan had rapped his fist upon the door to the Princess' room, to which she opened to allow him to carry her belongings into. Promptly returning back into the hallway, Jonathan dialed on his phone for the Prince. Gabriel took this time get himself situated in the room; they wouldn't be staying there for long, so there was no need for Gabriel to unpack all of his belongings. Closing the door behind him, Gabriel loosened his necktie, unbuttoning his collar as he did. His neck embraced the unrestrained feeling, as he continued to dress-down from the suit he had been wearing. Removing his button up shirt and undershirt, Gabriel would reveal his well adapted and sculpted form. Groomed curls of hair formed in a neat patch beneath his pectoral region, trailing down his defined abs to skip his navel downward to where the lines of his pelvis angled downward from his hips and pointed. Gabriel kicked off his shoes, only to neatly placed them together along with the folded components of his suit. Slipping out of the suit trousers, he opened one of the duffel bags to find a pair of heather-gray joggers to wear.

After putting them on, Gabriel flopped down onto the bed and immediately dozed off. Gabriel was suddenly awoken to the stirring and muffled quarreling from the Princess' room. Gabriel quickly jumped to his feet from the bed and placed his ear upon the shared wall between their rooms. From what he can hear, it sounded like the Peter and Michelle was arguing over the phone. He was unable to pick out distinct words from the conversation, but could tell that the couple was bickering due to the escalations of the tone and excitement from Michelle's voice. The argument soon came to a boiling point, as Gabriel realized that it wasn't his business or place to interject. Recognizing that there was no further threat to the Princess' safety, Gabriel went back to sleep.

He was awakened to his own alarm that he had meticulously set prior, while he was still at the Royal estates. He let out a brief yawn, before regaining all of his senses. The rooms and hall were rather silent, as he stepped out from his room to investigate while only wearing his joggers. A tray of assorted fruits, cheeses, charcuterrie, and breads, accompanied with a glass of each tea, water, juice, and coffee was set at each door of the occupied rooms. Seeing how Jonathan had not woken yet, Gabriel decided to check in with the Princess. Picking up the tray at her door, his hand balled into a fist before rapping gently upon it.

 

[zydrate]

If this had been home, Michelle would have been out, taking a long and much needed walk to clear her mind. Instead, she opted to stay in her room after returning Jonathan’s phone to him and telling him that she would be staying and continuing with the original plan. Of course, he didn’t ask how she did it or why, he just acknowledged the decision before leaving the Princess’ room and to his own. Michelle had caught herself several times raising her voice to Peter, only because he dared raised his own to her. When she asked him who it was that ‘leaked’ the news of her trip to the press, Peter became very quiet.

“Peter, answer me.”
“You wouldn’t know him.”
“But I know all those who are impor--”
“That’s the not the point Michelle! What is important is that your husband asked you to come home! Do not make me order you, Princess Langston!”
“Order me?! I’d like to see you try! When was the last time you ordered someone to do something Peter?! When was the last time you crawled out of that liquor bottle to order anything?!” *click*

Because of all that, Michelle found it difficult to sleep but her body needed rest so, after a hot shower, she forced herself to lay down and close her eyes. The next thing she knew, it was early morning, so said the small digital clock on top of the dresser across her bed. For some reason, she just woke up, feeling much better than she did last night. She had just gotten comfortable in bed again before hearing someone knock on the door.

Gabriel. She knew his knock anywhere. It was always the same. Same firmness and staccato…she wondered if he had it just for her or was it the same for everyone. She also wondered if that man ever slept. It was quite early and she figured he was up only to get ready for the day. Yet, here she was, still in her night clothes but really, they weren’t going to leave for a few more hours …Quickly, she got up out of bed and smoothed out her hair before putting on a robe. Her sleepwear was simple, a plain, over-sized t-shirt with matching sleeping pants. “Coming,” she said as she tied her robe closed and walked toward the door. She didn’t even check the peephole to see who it was…why? She was secured and trusted Gabriel and his men to make sure she stayed that way. Unlocking the chain latch, Michelle opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Gabriel…but not in his usual attire.

It took a lot to catch the Princess off guard and well, this was one of those times. The sight of Gabriel in just his joggers and holding her breakfast tray made Michelle stutter and actually fluster before she regained her composure and smiled as she waved him in to her suite, “I’m sorry, please…you can set that down over there… thank you for bringing it in, I had just woken up.” Was she blubbering? No… yes, she was.

 

[MisterChino]

The Comfort Zone

Gabriel waited patiently, holding the tray, while listening for movement in the room. Scuffling can be heard from within, before a voice confirmed the occupant inside. The chain can be heard fumbling around as it was unlatched from the slide in which it was secured in. The door softly cracked open, swinging inward into the room. Michelle stood before him in her robe and sleeping attire. It wasn’t often that Gabriel encountered the Princess in this manner. Her attire was not the most flattering, but yet the Royal Princess still somehow managed to present herself elegantly even though it seems that she had woken not too long ago. Her robe would shield and screen the strong, fierce woman underneath, however an aura of beauty and innocence had surrounded the Princess as she waved Gabriel into her room.

Gabriel seemed to be subconsciously following the Princess’ instructions, as he treaded into her room in a familiar manner. The comforter of her bed had been folded over in the spot where the Princess had laid, while the light ruffles in the bedding seemed to indicate that the Princess may have not received an ideal amount of sleep. Gabriel recalled the ruckus from Michelle’s room late last evening, and could only imagine the conversations that the Princess may have had. Gabriel walked toward the unoccupied nightstand that had been beside the bed to which he was directed to set the breakfast tray. The light from the rising sun filtered through a set of thin silk curtains. The light continued to illuminate the room, such that it shown across Gabriel’s muscular backside with the shadows accentuating his physique and form as he set the tray down.

Suddenly, Gabriel came to realization of his particular, under dressed attire which was not at all proper in the presence of the Royal Princess, after being cued by Michelle’s unusual and slightly less confident tone and speech.

“Oh, this is rather awkward,” stuttered Gabriel, as his cheeks displayed a light blush and his face heated in embarrassment. “I do apologize. I am so sorry, my Princess. I must excuse myself immediately, your highness. I do apologize, again.”

Gabriel lowered his head in shame and hastened himself out of the room, closing the door to the Princess’ room behind him. He quickly returned to his room and quickly shut closed the door. Placing his back against it, Gabriel muttered to himself in disappointment, “Ugh. Stupid.”

When his rapid breathing subsided, Gabriel set to clear the early morning blunder from his mind. He rummaged through the clothes that were stacked neatly in his duffel before finding a fitting shirt, a pair of ankle socks and his gym shoes. Gabriel unzipped the side compartment of the tactical duffel in which his hygiene kit was stowed. He gathered a couple of items from the kit, setting it on the desk beside him. He quickly donned the body spray, before slipping into a plain, form-fitting cotton t-shirt and footwear. Stepping into the pair of sneakers, Gabriel returned to his element. He reopened the door to his room, permitting himself into an empty hallway. Frankly, Gabriel was glad that there was no one in the rather quiet corridor, especially the Princess, since running into her would probably revive the embarrassing situation. Gabriel made his way to the inn lobby, and inquired briefly about the local gyms in the area from the receptionist. To his delight, the receptionist informed and directed him to the gym located on the grounds of the inn. Surprisingly, the inn provided quite a rather robust gym amenity; a multitude of equipment and machines was available to facilitate any type of workout. It also happened that Gabriel was to be the only one there this morning, which worked out for him to have the entire gym to himself, as Gabriel immediately began his routine.

After about an hour of his intense training, Gabriel contently finished off the last of his ab exercises. Sweat beaded at the top of his forehead, along the finely groomed scalp line, as he walked back into the cooled corridor of the inn. His body was aching from the workout, but it was a good feeling. Gabriel’s senses were rejuvenated. Finding his way back to his room, Gabriel quickly discarded his damp clothing into a neat pile at the side of the bathroom floor, whilst he pulled and turned the knob for the showerhead. It didn’t take long for the shower to steam up, producing a fine mist of moisture within. Retrieving several personal hygiene items that he had laid out prior, Gabriel hopped into the shower. The warm, temperate water as it sprinkled from the showerhead comforted and soothed his aching body. The rapid delivery of the water droplets splashed onto his face, running through his hair and along the rippled contours of his toned body. Lathering himself up with the body wash, Gabriel proceeded to shave the fresh growth of hair that had taken hold of his face. Gabriel reluctantly finished his shower, grabbing an available towel provided by the inn to dry himself. Finding his way back to his duffel bag, Gabriel began to lay out the outfit he would be wearing for the duration of their trip in country, before donning the attire. After lacing up his coyote tanned combat boots, he threw on his desert colored multi-cam top which displayed his name and Major rank proudly. The nation’s flag wore itself proudly on his right shoulder sleeve. As Gabriel finished gearing up and looked over himself in the mirror, a sense of pride and enjoyment came over him. It felt good to be back in uniform.

He grabbing his rifle case, his tactical bag, along with the rest of his duffels, Gabriel staged the gear in the hallway where he was met with the two other members of his security team whom were already waiting. The security detail now waited for the Princess per the detailed schedule provided by Jonathan. From here, the royal envoy would check out from the inn to not return to this location again.

 

[zydrate]

After she finished up the breakfast provided her, Michelle took another quick shower before dressing for the day. Like each day was planned by Jonathan, so were her outfits. But Michelle had to reiterate that this trip was not to show off the latest designer clothing she so loved to wear, but one where the outfits made the most sense. They still had to be stylish, yet functional for what she set out to achieve. Today she would be wearing a pair of tan cargo pants, brown boots, usually she wore 3 to 4 inch heels to give her some sort of height to her 5’3” frame but of course, those were not going to be practical. She had tucked in the tails of a crisp white shirt in her pants before wrapping a brown belt, with gold shimmers laced into the leather, around her waist. As she was putting her long, brown hair back into another ponytail, there was a knock on her door.

She blushed when she thought of what had happened earlier this morning with Gabriel…although the knock wasn’t his, it didn’t mean it was him… Just as she pushed her hair over her left shoulder, the knock came again, this time it was more urgent. Ahh, that had to be Jonathan…sure enough, as she opened the door, Jonathan bade her good morning before entering the room. “We have a problem, Princess.”

“Not quite what I wanted to hear but with everything else that’s happened thus far, I can’t say I’m not surprised.” She waved to the small table near the window where two chairs were situated. She packed up her things earlier so all that was left to do was leave. Michelle knew that a small briefing would be needed this morning to go over any last details with Jonathan but it seemed he had more to present.

The news wasn’t all that gruesome, at least not to Michelle but for Jonathan liked to err on the side of caution than just let something slip through the cracks. It was what made him so good at his job, as well as a good friend. It seemed that there was small protest that would be waiting for them at their next stop...nothing too much to worry about, at least in Michelle’s eyes. These things always happened where ever she or her husband went. Then there was news of more reporters gathering outside, both from reputable lines and of course, some from the trashy side of news… If it upset Michelle any, she didn’t show it. There wasn’t much she could do about it except go about her business. The tabloids would print what they wanted and all she could was go about and prove them wrong.

“Then it seems that I will just have to talk to them.”
“But, Princess, that has not been scheduled. We have secured the crowd, what if—“
“Really Jonathan, if I talk to the press now, ask that they back off, they’ll listen. At least most of them will. I really don’t see them being a problem. If anything, it should highlight the reason I’m doing all this in the first place.”

Before Jonathan could continue his argument, there was a knock at the door. Michelle didn’t have to guess it was Gabriel. She let Jonathan answer the door as she grabbed her bag, “Jonathan, I’m sure you’ll want to brief Gabriel on what’s happened. While you do that, I’d like to give my thank yous to the inn staff.” With that, she headed out of her suite and knew it was against protocol, but right now, with everything happening to ruin this…she was a little ticked but refused to let it get to her. Yes, she was a bit upset, but didn’t let it show. She quickly felt the presence of one of the other guards following her as she walked to the front of the Inn where she found the staff, and the owners of the Inn.

Once outside, Michelle was bombarded with questions, flashes from cameras and shouts from those who had waited all morning to catch a glimpse of the Princess. Michelle stopped and greeting a few people as reporters shouted questions at the Princess. She did her best to pay attention to those civilians she was talking to on a personal level but it was hard to with everything else going on. Before getting into their assigned vehicles, Michelle stopped and turned to address the press, “I will answer all your questions in due time. Please, right now, let me do what I came here to do and then I will gladly talk about it all. Thank you.” And with that, they were on their way.

Once in the side the vehicle, she could tell Jonathan was fuming, probably mostly due to the fact that her little stunt put them behind schedule but she would not apologize for it.

 

[MisterChino]

War Becomes a Bitter Reality

While Gabriel and the security team waited for the Princess, Jonathan emerged from his room with his bags. A look of concern appeared across Jonathan's palish face, which drew Gabriel's attention. Jonathan would briefly acknowledge the security team as he set his bags down in the corridor. Gabriel observed closely as Jonathan knocked feverishly on the door to the Princess' room; something had bother Jonathan more than usual. The door opened promptly, as the Princess allowed Jonathan's entry. As the door closed swiftly behind Jonathan, Gabriel glanced down at the watch that had adorned his wrist. This might take a while.

The conversation between the Princess and Jonathan was muffled by the door and walls, but Gabriel could tell that whatever Jonathan said had annoyed the Princess based on the cadence of her tone. Gabriel looked down at his watch again to get a time check. In addition to providing security for the Royal Princess, Gabriel also acted as Jonathan's timekeeper to ensure that the time hacks were being met. Realizing that the conversation being between the Princess and Jonathan may drag on, Gabriel made the decision to interject. He knocked on the door and was promptly greeted by Jonathan. Meanwhile, the Princess managed to slip pass Gabriel and walk off down the corridor. Gabriel looked at one of the guards, and without saying a word, the guard took off after the Princess. Gabriel turned back to Jonathan, whom invited him into the room to give him an update on the developing situation.

Despite learning of the nonscheduled protest at their destination, Gabriel shrugged off the idea that a minor demonstration could possibly detract from the overall safety of the Princess. Gabriel had been trained to adapt and be flexible to fluid environments especially during combat, so this news did not particularly bother him. There was not much Gabriel or Jonathan could do once the Princess had made up her mind. Likewise, there was not much to deliberate on. However, it was evident that Jonathan remain frustrated, but it was something that Jonathan had to deal with himself. Gabriel, Jonathan, and the remaining security guard managed to secure the Princess' bags along with their own equipment. They found the Princess engaged with the hotel keepers in the lobby. Another crowd of journalists awaited them as the Princess and her staff departed from the hotel. The guard remained beside the Princess the entire time while she addressed individuals amongst the group. Meanwhile, a personnel security detachment assisted with loading of the equipment into the Foxhound variant of the mine resistant ambush protected class of armored vehicles.

The Princess' encounter and time spent with addressing the crowd at the inn had put them behind schedule, but these kind of situations were to be expected from time to time. As the upgraded rear doors shut and locked behind the Princess, the armored column took off toward its destination. The Princess was scheduled to meet and speak to the Queen's troops at a smaller base in efforts to raise morale and provide some sense of security to the affairs back in the homeland. Jonathan was sitting in the front passenger seat and had remained to himself for the duration of the ride, with his frustration becoming quite evident. Meanwhile, Gabriel and the security detachment had busied themselves with their weapons and equipment. An ammunition can of loose 5.56 millimeter NATO rounds was placed in the middle of the spacious passenger cabin; Gabriel and the guards took turns drawing ammunition from the can to load it into their empty magazines. Gabriel and the team unpack their ballistic vests, kits, and helmets from their gear bags and began suiting up within the vehicle.

Suddenly the vehicle column came to a halt; chatter immediately came through the radio intercom to inform the vehicles in the column of the situation. Gabriel immediately look forward through the driver cabin in attempt to gain awareness of what was going on outside. There had been a crowd of people blocking the road at a local police checkpoint; the military convoy was literally stopped dead in place by the protest. The audible chanting can be heard and waving of picket signs was seen through the bulletproof windshield. The protest was originally identified near the entry gate to the base that the Princess was travelling to. Somehow that crowd managed to move and find their way several kilometers away from the base, situating themselves along the main route leading toward the tactical compound. The chatter on the radio net became more frantic as the convoy commander tried to navigate the armored column away from the choke point. The small hair on the back of Gabriel's neck began to rise as his senses picked up on multiple threat indicators. The crowd had made a perimeter around the vehicle column, while the vehicle gunners remained helpless due to the fact that the crowd were civilian non-combatants.

Muffled knocks was heard on Jonathan's passenger door. As Jonathan looked out, he saw a uniformed local policeman that came forward from amongst the crowd that had now surrounded their vehicle formation. Making eye contact with the man, Jonathan observed that the policeman signaled for Jonathan to open his door. The loud metallic click of the unhinging lock startled Gabriel, causing his heart to drop. By this time, it had been too late; Jonathan had already begun opening the armored door before Gabriel was able to stop him. The policeman, himself, assisted by pulling open the door to the vehicle, only to greet Jonathan with the muzzle end of his AK-47. The next few seconds became a blur as the Gabriel tried his best to pull Jonathan away. The policeman's weapon discharged into the cabin of the vehicle. A hail of bullets showered the front cabin in which Jonathan and driver had been sitting, causing a deafening ring inside. Seated at point-blank range, Jonathan had received the brunt of the assault, while the driver and gunner both suffer gunshot wounds to the face and legs, respectively. Smoke and smell of gunpowder violently invaded the cabin. Gabriel fell backwards after being grazed by a bullet. The gunners situated in the vehicle turrets in the front and rear vehicles were unable to get a clear shot of the assailant, as the policeman pulled himself into the vehicle to dispatch the remaining occupants. Gabriel's guards had thrown themselves over the Princess to protect her at this point. Just as Gabriel secured his rifle in his hands with his back on the vehicle floor, he was met face to face with the rogue policeman. Swiftly disengaging the safety, Gabriel squeezed off two shots and eliminated the threat.

It seemed almost a lifetime had pass before the dismounts from the front and rear vehicle came to their assistance; their voices called out to the Princess and the occupants within. With adrenaline still rushing through his body, Gabriel looked back to check on the Princess. Picking himself up slowly, Gabriel rose onto his knees to see the slumped over body of the policeman being dragged out from the cabin.

"Jonathan," muttered Gabriel as he looked over whilst grabbing Jonathan by his face. Gabriels ear was still ringing. "Jonathan..."

Gabriel's eyes fell to the pool of blood that had formed on the floor of Jonathan's seat, before he sat back into the passenger cabin in utter shock.

 

[zydrate]

Her breath was taken from her when the guards had used their bodies to shield the Princess from the gunfire. Princess Langston had just finished putting on her bullet proof vest given to her by one of the other guards just moments before the vehicle was stopped. She hadn’t seen Jonathan open the door but what she did hear was the shouts and then gunfire before the chaos ensued! Michelle didn’t have time to scream or react until it was all seemingly over. The guards wouldn’t get off of her until there were shouts of everything being clear; she could even hear sirens in the background and they seemed to be getting closer.

That’s when she saw Jonathan…and the blood around him! Michelle then saw Gabriel near Jonathan and the look he had on his face conveyed only one thing to Michelle. She pushed away at those surrounding her and fell to her knees next to Jonathan’s lifeless body. Michelle didn’t…couldn’t say anything as she couldn’t take her eyes off Jonathan. Everything after that happened so fast. The Princess was secured and whisked away in an ambulance with one of the guards that had been assigned with her by Gabriel. Where was Gabriel?!

At the hospital, under heavy military and civilian guard, Michelle was seen as a ‘just-in-case’ measure to make sure she was not injured. There was media crawling all over the hospital, asking for follow on the Princess’ condition. Of course, nothing was released or said for the moment. In her private room, Michelle hadn’t said anything since being brought in. The doctor had mentioned to the nurse that she was in shock… was she? Was this what shock was? She only felt numb with all that had happened…her mind racing with all that had happened. This was her fault. It was clear that this was her fault. She had upset Jonathan this morning and sudden, deep regret made her feel sick to her stomach. She had cut him off and hadn’t given him the respect on what he had to say about situation. Why didn’t she listen to him? Why—

The door to her room opened and she never even noticed. It took several calls to get her attention. With robotic movement, someone held a phone out to her. She took it and slowly and shaking, brought it to her ear. All she could hear was yelling on the other end. If she were more aware, she could recognize Peter’s angry voice on the other end telling her to come home immediately… she never heard him say this was all her fault because suddenly, the entire room went black…

 

[MisterChino]

Mourning and Recovering from the Loss

The convoy commander had already transmitted an emergency call over the net, as he switched from the unit frequency to that of the Theater Command’s Joint Operations Center, when the ambush began.

“BREAK BREAK BREAK!,” issued the commander over the net, which immediately silenced all communications traffic. “THIS IS PROTECTOR 7, SIERRA 6 TROOPS IN CONTACT, OVER.”

That was all that was needed to send the entire tactical operations center scurrying to their stations to execute their personnel recovery battle drill. All the available assets in the area were immediately diverted to respond to the threat, whilst fast movers kicked on their afterburners to support the operations with aerial imagery support. Normally, when such a call is made through the net, it would mean that friendly troops were in danger of being overrun, enemy was “in the wire,” and to expect mass casualties. However, exceptions were made to the protocol, due to the fact that the threat came direct to the royal princess. The entire Battalion of Royal Marines occupying the base down the road immediately mobilized to come to the aid of their Princess. It wouldn’t be long before a formidable and daunting horde of the Queen’s forces bulldozed into area. They were furious that anyone had dare attempted an attack on their Princess. The crowd had since dispersed upon the initial gunfire; those civilians were smart enough to realize that quick reactionary forces would soon be in the area. The dismounts from the convoy had already been assisting the wounded in the vehicle carrying the Princess when the Royal Marines had arrived. Traffic had been blocked on either side on the two lane road, beginning to get backed up for several kilometers, as the marines secure the area. Overhead, helicopter gunships maintained an overwatch holding pattern, deterring anyone else from trying their luck with the forces on the ground as they circled around. The other policemen manning the checkpoint were immediately detained without question or proof of their guilt; these unfortunate souls would be answering for their colleague.

Several military ambulances along with their heavily armed escort arrived to give further first aid and treatment to the wounded. When the outside environment assumed a more permissive and secured state, the security team opened the back doors to the up-armored vehicle to allow the medical team access from the rear. A group of marines had surrounded the back of the vehicle to protect it from being breached by another possible threat, while the medical team entered and secured the Princess. One of Gabriel’s security guards followed in suit to stay with the Princess the entire time as she was whisked away from the cordoned area and into an ambulance. Gabriel remained behind, watching as the Princess was helped into the vehicle; the doors closed behind her as she was immediately evacuated from the area by the armored envoy. It was then that he realized the tear in the upper shoulder sleeve of his uniform. The fabric of his outer garment had been ripped by the grazing bullet, exposing a freshly opened wound across his bicep and tricep formation. Another team of combat medics attended to him, dressing and bandaging Gabriel’s wound while assessing him for more injuries and his mental state. Meanwhile, Gabriel’s attention focused on the team that had attempted to resuscitate Jonathan. The team started performed rapid CPR before using the defibrillator; the attempts were unsuccessful at reviving Jonathan. He watched as one of the members unfurled a morbid, black body bag in the passenger cabin of the vehicle. The team then gently and carefully placed Jonathan into it, zipped it closed before returning back to their respective trucks. Gabriel nodded to and thanked the medics that treated him, as they departed. The marines and convoy had been on the road for over an hour, before the military forces started to withdraw from the area. Gabriel still be able to function and operate, jumped into the front passenger’s seat that Jonathan had occupied; he sat in the blood soaked seat, while his boots muddled in the pool of blood that was still on the passenger seat floor well. The other security member of his team hopped into the driver’s seat to operate the vehicle, as the convoy resumed their journey to the base.


Darkness befell upon the base, as the sun set on the distance western horizon and night settled in. Needless to say, it would be still be a longer night ahead of them. The combat support hospital occupied a hard, solid structure which provided an ideal shelter for the occupants. The hospital would be powered directly from the electrical grid, while having backup generator support in case the power grid overloaded to cause a black out. As the convoy pulled up to the hospital, a massive military and civilian presence had surrounded the hospital. It was both a mixture of the press, hospital staffers, and military guards. Military and plain clothed civilian guards controlled entry points into the hospital denying the media from becoming an impediment to the hospital's life saving operations. With the Princess safe within, the Base Commander was not taking chances toward a possible insider threat. Gabriel and his guard exited the vehicle as the convoy staged itself in a lot adjacent to the helicopter landing pad, and proceeded toward the hospital. After having their identities validated, Gabriel and the guard were permitted entry into hospital. As they walked through the emergency section, Gabriel noticed the surgeons and doctors working furiously on the original driver of their Foxhound vehicle who succumbed to a serious facial wound, as he laid on the gurney; his uniform had been cut open while nurses continued to monitor his status and provided additional support to whatever was needed. Gabriel was able to locate the private room in which the Princess was guarded, upon seeing the other guard from his team. With the team reassembled, Gabriel relieved them, instructing them to return to the quarters assigned to the royal entourage and bed down for the night. His loyal guards reluctantly left Gabriel and the Princess.

As his team left, a uniformed female emerged from the room the Princess had been occupying. The female was rather young for a Captain, and apparently she was the military liaison with their country's government and parliament working on the local base. She initially received the call from the Prince and subsequently addressed the call to the Princess. It was a tad bit premature to approach the Princess, but the Captain was only following orders.

"The Princess passed out while she was on the phone," the Captain stated unnervingly. "The Prince is still on the phone, and wants to talk with you."

Gabriel took the phone to his ear, while readying himself to be counseled.

"Gabriel," Peter stated sternly, before regaining composure in his voice over the phone. "I don't know what's happening over there, and how this situation came to be. Michelle's insubordination is getting ridiculous. Her escapades is threatening the safety of those around her, especially the employees to the royal family and our country's military. She has no business being in a war zone. The base commander should be meeting with you tomorrow, and will have his assets readily available to escort the Princess, you and your team back on a flight to return to the country. Call me tomorrow to provide an update."

The phone on the other end hung up. Handing the phone back to the Captain, Gabriel thanked her before heading into the room with the Princess. Michelle was indeed passed out; she was still in the clothes she had been wearing that day while her bullet proof vest and boots had been taken off and sat beside the hospital bed. The Princess appeared as fragile and delicate as ever as she laid on the white sheets of the bed. Gabriel walked to the available armchair beside the bed, briefly looking at it with a blank stare. He unslung his rifle and removed his armored vest, setting it alongside the chair. As he took his seat, Gabriel's chest heaved deliberately, letting out a long sigh as he looked at the clock above the door. His gaze returned to the unconscious Princess. She appeared to be sleeping after he had watched her closely for the next few hours. It was getting late and his own tiredness had caught up to him. Gabriel would place his hand over Michelle's hand and held it, before he passed out himself whilst seated in the chair.

 

[zydrate]

Princess Langston managed to rest for a few more hours…which was a result of her body just giving into the exhaustion and stress it had just been put through. She had woken up briefly sometime during the night and realized that Gabriel had shown up and was currently asleep in the chair beside her bed. She had wanted to wake him and tell him that he should get some rest in a real bed. He didn’t need to be there with her but he was and that made her feel better. She felt her hand in his and briefly ran her thumb over his knuckles and gave it a squeeze before falling back into a restless sleep. The next time she was being prodded awake by a nurse who had a tray of food for her and told the Princess she needed to eat something to keep her energy up. All Michelle wanted to do was go back to sleep but she remembered her dreams and hearing Peter’s voice, reminding her that this was all her fault.

Was it? Of course she had doubts about all this before going in but Jonathan… Jonathan had assured her that she was going to be well protected and that it would help the troops if they got to hear her speak and visit with them. She also figured Jonathan wanted to be back out in the field once more. He wasn’t that much older than Michelle and at times, treated him like a brother. He had also been married but only for a short time only to lose his wife to cancer. Yet, through it all, he prevailed and threw himself into his work for Her Highness and of course, his country.

Michelle immediately noticed that Gabriel was no longer in the room. Had he been there in the first place? Did she dream that he was there also? The nurse had left the room so Michelle could clean up. One of her bags had been brought to her room so she could change…which she immediately did after washing her face and brushing her hair, letting it fall loose around her shoulders and down her back. She put her things away...well, she trashed the clothing she was wearing the day before only because the clothing smelled of gunpowder or whatever it was that filled the cabin of the truck she was in yesterday. That and she didn’t want anything to remind her of the day prior…it was just too much to bear right now. Feeling a little more like herself, she nibbled a bit on the food provided for her on the hospital tray.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed as she ate some of the food and turned on the TV, bracing herself for what she was about to see and hear.

Princess Langston Assassination Attempt Foiled was all that could be seen in red, as well as pictures where the attack occurred. People were still milling around the roped off areas, There were military forces still guarding the streets and protesters could still be seen out and about. There was a knock on her door…Gabriel’s signature knock, but the Princess was too engrossed with the chaos being shown on TV. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach as she turned off the TV, suddenly realizing that Gabriel was in the room. Thankfully, they were the only two for the moment. He didn’t have to say anything as the Princess could only guess what was to happen next.

“Don’t tell me, the Prince has ordered me back home immediately.” She said as she pushed her tray away. The only thing she could remember from his call was that he blamed her.

With a deep breath, Michelle stood, “I want to see Jonathan’s body. I also would like to see the driver that was shot.” She had been told he was recovering from surgery. “Please Gabriel, I will return home as ordered, but I want these last two requests granted first.” Could he make it happen? Surely there wouldn’t be any harm in the request. "Please."

Gabriel informed her of the condition of Jonathan’s body but she asked again to see him. She wanted to give her friend a proper goodbye...

***

She had her good-byes to Jonathan in private. After that, the Princess was quiet as she was being escorted from the hospital to the secured airfield on the base...from there she would board a private jet and head back home. Her trip back home would take at least twice as long as before due to the fact that the jet had to stop several times to refuel before reaching it's destination. She hadn't wanted to hear anymore broadcasts about what had happened once on the plane. Instead, she stared out the window of the plane and let her mind wander. It would be quite late when she would arrive back so she took this time to think about everything that happened and what was to come next...

 

[MisterChino]

The Return to An Empty House

It was quite early in the morning, as the dim light from the window reflected from the spotless white sheets of the bed and woken Gabriel. Scooting up from his relaxed, slouched position, Gabriel sat up in the seat as he gently combed his face with his hands. The sleep and rest he had on the armchair was not ideal, but it was not the worst sleep he's had and would suffice to get him through the day. His fingertips trailed along his face, running across his parched lips before feeling the fresh stubbles of hair along his chin and jaw. Looking over to the bed, he saw that Michelle had still been asleep; his hand had still been interlocked with hers. Gabriel was able to gently sneak his hand from Michelle's without waking her, secure his equipment and quietly exited the room. His guards were posted at the door, having woken a couple of hours earlier. They greeted Gabriel and exchanged pleasantries before Gabriel started to briefed them on possibly returning home earlier than scheduled.

Gabriel headed to their assigned CHUs; they were housing units that were made out from large shipping containers which nicer accommodations compared to the open bay tents that the majority of troops had slept in. He unlocked the door to the unit with the key that his guards provided him and found his bags waiting for him. Gabriel was still wearing his uniform that was soaked and now caked in blood and sand. Downgrading his gear onto the room floor, he sifted through one of the duffels to find his set of civilian field attire to lay it upon the bare mattress in the room. Gabriel grabbed his hygiene kit, a packed towel and his shower shoes, locking the door behind him before walking across the pad to the shower truck. The warm water felt great on his skin and reinvigorated his senses, washing away the sweat and grime, appropriately as Gabriel rinsed himself. Gabriel returned from the shower, and quickly dressed himself in the pair of khaki colored cargo pants and dark blue polo top. As he finished up lacing his mid-rising hiking boots, he got up and re-slung his weapon over his shoulder.

Gabriel made his way to the operations center, where he was to meet with the base Commander. He immediately caught eyes with a towering figure of man, whom he recognized as Colonel William Jones.

"Gabe," addressed the Colonel as he extended his hand forward with a friendly smile. "It's good to see you again, despite the unfortunate event."

Taking his hand in a firm shake, Gabriel responded respectfully, "Colonel. The honor is mine. Thank you for all of your support."

The meeting was brief. The Colonel indicated that a private jet had been prepared and ready to escort the Princess back home, and that he made all assets available at the Princess' disposal to ensure her safety and journey home. From the conversation, it appeared that the Princess' departure was unarguably arranged. After the conversation, Gabriel excused himself for a moment to make a call to the Prince, as directed. The female Captain initiated the call to the Prince and handed the phone to Gabriel. On the other end, the phone would keep ringing before Gabriel terminated the call after not being received. It was quite odd that Peter didn't answer the phone, despite the time zone difference. Peter seemed very eager for Gabriel's update.

"Please let the Princess know that I am unfortunately not able to see her off and to send my regards," Colonel Jones remarked. "And for yourself, I could use a man as you here at my side." Of course the Colonel wouldn't allow Gabriel to leave without teasing him, to which Gabriel responded with a smirk.

Gabriel returned to the hospital; he wanted to see Jonathan before getting back to Michelle. Making his way through the medical maze, Gabriel found the coroner's office and the morgue. The staff from the mortuary affairs unit showed him to Jonathan's body. Jonathan's body had been placed within a plastic lining within an aluminum coffin in the middle of the refrigerated room. The staff was still making final preparations, but had already done a tremendous job at ensuring that he was in respectable form for his flight back. Jonathan's personal belongs were itemized and sealed neatly in ziplock bags which were set on the table to the side of the coffin, to be flown back alongside his body. Gabriel was not religious at all, but he prayed for Jonathan to find peace where he may go.

"Have a safe journey to the gates, brother," Gabriel whispered. "I shall be there with you one day to dine in Valhalla. Until then."

The Princess was awake by the time Gabriel returned; the noise from the television subsided when he knocked and entered the room. Michelle was rather intuitive and made sense of things rather quick. Gabriel did not have to say a word to her for the Princess to understand the orders given. Gabriel watched and could see that the Princess appeared quite defeated. Michelle wanted to do a couple of things before leaving, which was uncontested by Gabriel at this point. With the Princess preoccupied, the team made final preparations for their journey home. Reuniting with the Princess at the hospital grounds, the team made their way to the small airfield and hopped into the private jet waiting for them. The plane took off without a hitch, as the flight journey was rather uneventful less a few stops in between legs to refuel. It was night by the time they returned to the royal estate, which was rather unceremonious. Oddly enough, Peter was no where to be found. The staffers at the estate quickly came to the Princess' needs and aid, accompanying her to her room.

Gabriel released the guards for the night, and returned to the familiar safety of his office. Just as he sat down, his telephone rang. This was quite an unusual hour for someone to be making a phone call to him. As Gabriel picked up the phone, Peter's familiar voice quivered over the other end. Gabriel could tell that Peter had been drinking from his edgy voice.

"Gabriel... I messed up. I fucked up big time," Peter stated sobbingly, while the faint noise of a woman can be heard in the background rustling and packing some things. "Gabriel... I slept with one of the staffers.... things didn't go so well. She is threatening to tell Michelle..."

 

[zydrate]

The staffers were unusually quiet as they unpacked Michelle’s items but she didn’t think anything of it due to the fact that perhaps all that happened they were just being respectful. Even Peter was nowhere to be found, now that in itself was unusual because she was sure he would have a few choice words for her. Again, she didn’t think anything of it as she sat down on the edge of the bed and called up her sister to let her know she was alright and had arrived home safely.

Not long after she had hung up the phone, the door to the bedroom opened as Peter stepped in. His clothes were disheveled and he eyes blood shot. He didn’t say a thing to Michelle as he started to loosen his tie and proceeded to lay down in bed. Michelle could only look at him and sigh, “Peter…I—“

“Not now Michelle…please, I’m bloody tired.”

So that was the sort of greeting she was going to get after all that had happened?! She sat at the edge of the bed next to where Peter was laying, “Peter, please...”

Before she could continue what she was saying, Peter shot up, grabbed Michelle hard by the upper arm and slapped her, knocking her to the floor, “I fucking said not now!”

Silence.

“Oh God…Michelle…” Peter on his feet instantly, the look of pure shock covering his face, “I’m sorry!” He said before turning on his heel and running out, leaving Michelle on the floor…

All Michelle could do was sit there well after Peter had left and try to figure out what the hell happened! Was she that annoying that he had to do that to her? She only wanted someone to talk to about what happened. He had never hit her before…and she was in utter shock about how things had escalated tonight. She could go running after him and…and what? Apologize? Demand an apology from him?! No…she didn’t want to start any rumors among the staff. He was stressed and besides, from what she could tell and smell…he was drunk or at least, on a downhill of being drunk. Picking herself up from the floor she didn’t cry…but her face hurt…

***
The next morning, Michelle got ready for the day. She had much to get accomplished today due to the fact that tomorrow was going to be Jonathan’s funeral. It would be a grand affair; she would make sure of that. She needed to meet with Peter’s staff and of course, Peter himself. That was something she wasn’t looking forward to. He hadn’t come back and she could only assume he slept in his study again. This was going to stop this instant. She would have a talk with him later about his drinking and neglecting his marital duties. Things were going to change, damnit. Michelle also contacted the Queen’s personal assistant and they would be sending another assistant for Michelle later today because she was to speak at a press conference, which had been arranged by the Royal family. This was to address everything that had happened with her and her entourage on her trip…also it would address the death of Jonathan and his funeral arrangements.

Looking at herself in the mirror of her vanity, her face showed a faint trace of what had happened last night—what could she do? She would just have to cover it well with make-up and hoped no one would notice. Suddenly the door to the bedroom swung opened and there appeared Jonathan. He didn’t look at Michelle as he quickly headed to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Good. He needed to clean himself up because he was to be present with her during the press conference and then also, dinner with his family tonight.

Down at breakfast, Michelle and Peter ate in silence. If she were to be honest, Peter looked terrible, but at least he was there. After breakfast, the Princess would take care of some business in her office and then her sister would be arriving to visit later that morning, afterward, she and Peter would head off to the press conference. Excusing herself, she stood and headed to her office…

 

[MisterChino]

A Broken Home

Peter had mentioned the name of the female staffer, Elizabeth, who Gabriel had recognized as one of the secretaries working for the royal family.

"Gabriel," whispered Peter in his drunken state. "I need you to take care of it."

"What do you mean t-!?," questioned Gabriel only to be cut off as Peter hung up the line on the other end.

Gabriel was in disbelief as he hung up the phone. Peter, you drunken, bloody fool. What have you done? You couldn't have held your cock inside your pants for a week before sewing your oats with the royal staffers. Gabriel thought back to Michelle. Poor girl couldn't catch a break. She had just watched one of her good friends die and now her husband cheating on her. Gabriel could not phathom how much more Michelle could handle before she broke. Gabriel then thought back to what Peter had said. Was he just drunk or did he really mean it when he mentioned such a ridiculous and ludicrous idea? Gabriel was a respected security guard for the Royal Family, not a hitman for hire. He quickly shook that thought from his mind.

Not long after their phone call, Peter had returned to the royal estates; apparently he was not too far away. Gabriel shook his head in disgust as he stood over one of the security guards that had been monitoring the security camera mainframe. From one of the small monitors, Peter's car could be seen dashing up the driveway, swerving precariously to and fro. Gabriel heard the front door open and Peter groaning as he stumbled in. Gabriel stepped into the hallway to see Peter barely holding himself up.

As Peter stumbled toward him, Gabriel grabbed him by his blazer, pulling him in and setting him up.

"You look like shit, brother...." Gabriel said softly to Peter. "Try to look normal ok? Your wife has been waiting for you."

Peter looked at Gabriel with a condescending expression with the mention of Michelle, but proceeded to make his way to the royal bed chambers. What was that about? Gabriel decided to call it a night and wasn't going to stay up pondering about all the events that had recently unfolded.

The next morning would be a rather busy day. The staffers were preparing the grounds for the media; they would be hosting a press conference in light of the recent events. Gabriel and his team would naturally be responsible for the security and safety of the event. Gabriel gleaned over the stack of documents that sat on his desk. The papers pertained to the outlets and journalists that were vetted and granted permission to access the conference. Gabriel would provide the final quality assurance on the vetting process to ensure that the adminstrative procedures have been properly performed.

Gabriel stepped out into the courtyard and briefed additioal instructions to his security team. They were to assist in inspecting the equipment that the media crews would bring and performing random bag checks. One guard will continuously monitor the security cameras as the media and press arrived, whilst another team would be in proximity to the royal family at all times. The team received their instructions and proceeded forth to carry them out. As Gabriel turned around, a staffer dressed in bright red caught his attention as she was walking nonchalantly in his direction. Gabriel knew exactly who she was and recalled Peter mentioning that it was her that he had bedded with.

"Elizabeth," greeted Gabriel. His eyes remained observant of her subtleties.

"Oh hey Gabriel!" responded Elizabeth with a grin. "You look remarkably handsome, per usual."

Gabriel had to broach the subject carefully with Elizabeth, but he needed to find out Elizabeth's side of the story and her intentions.

"You look quite radiant yourself. Had a good evening last night?" Gabriel carefully prodded.

"Actually, yes," smirked Elizabeth with a devious grin. "It was most royalin nature, I must say. Perhaps I should tell about it during the social after the family dinner tonight."

It seemed like Elizabeth caught onto his drift. Before Gabriel could say another word, another staffer interrupted to speak with Gabriel. Elizabeth teased him with a wink as she walked away in her red pumps.

"Gabriel, we need the Princess' prewritten address for the conference," exclaimed Samantha. She was a bit young and a tad ambitious. However at the moment, she was rather anxious and frantic. "They should be in the Princess' office. You're the only one here with keys to her office. Would you help us get them?"

Gabriel smiled and told her he would get it. Returning indoors, Gabriel proceeded to his office while his mind was wrapped around what Elizabeth had said. Was she going to spill out the secrets of the affair after dinner time when everyone was gathered? He quickly opened the drawers to his desk and without looking, grabbed a handful of keys along with other items that it had collected there. Shoving them into his pocket, he made his way to the Princess' office. His hands rummaged through the deep pocket of his suited pants for the keys. As he retrieved the key set to the office, he was unaware that a Magnum condom packet, which managed to find its way into his posession when he grabbed the key, had slipped out and fallen to the floor beneath. As he opened the door, his shoe had kicked the black and gold packet underneath the Pincess' office desk. Gabriel walked in, closing the door behind him and saw a stack of papers on the desk. Picking them up, Gabriel briefly glanced through the text to ensure that it was the prewritten speech. Suddenly the door parted open, catching Gabriel a bit off guard. It was the Princess.

"Your highness," greeted Gabriel before noticing something odd about Michelle. He was going to explain his business in her office, but saw a bit of extra makeup had been expertly employed on the side of her face, barely noticeable to the unsuspecting eye.

"Is everything ok m'lady?"

 

[zydrate]

Before Michelle had even made it past the doorway of the dining hall, Peter had stood up and grabbed her, “We need to talk later after the press conference.” He stated simply, not bothering to look her in the eye. All Michelle could do was yank her arm away, “I’m quite done with you manhandling me, Peter. If want to talk to me like an adult, then you know where to find me.” She said before continuing on toward her office.

She hadn’t even reached the stairs when she came face to face with Elizabeth Gentry. At times, she didn’t know what it was the woman did but she knew she was trouble. She was someone Michelle made a point of staying away from but seemed to be at every engagement arranged by Peter and his staff. Personally, Michelle couldn’t stand the woman. She was as fake as they had come…it was known that she had even dated Peter back when he was ‘playing’ the field before meeting Michelle.

“Ah, Princess Langston, I’m ‘so’ glad you’ve come home to us safe. Perhaps this little incident should warn you that not everything out there is safe…Peter--I mean, the Prince was worried sick about you during the entire time..." she had said with a little smirk, "And also, I’m very sorry on the loss of Jonathan…have you thought of who is going to replace him? If I may be so bold, I would love to be considered as your personal assistant seeing as my background is much more decorated than Jonathan’s was—“

“Stop…just stop, Elizabeth.” Michelle took a deep breath, trying to control her anger that was about to bubble over. How dare this woman even…do this right now?! Michelle knew she was going to say something she would regret and not becoming of a Princess, instead she took a deep breath and faced the woman, “I appreciate your offer but anyone with even the smallest amount of decency would at least wait for a proper time instead of having dare disrespect someone who hasn’t even been buried. Good day Elizabeth.” Of course she could have said more but what was the use? That woman…Michelle shook her head as she got to her office where she would have at least a couple of hours to herself before the press was to arrive.

Opening the door to her office, she noticed Gabriel standing at her desk. Because of her little run in with Elizabeth, she had wanted to ask him what he was doing there but she caught herself just in time when she heard him ask if everything was all right.

“I don’t know Gabriel…one second I think it is and the next, it's not." She closed the door behind her and stepped fulling into her office before composing herself, "I'm sorry, I..." She bit her bottom lip, one those signs she was stressed, "What are you doing here anyway?" She asked, lightening her voice and trying to sound more like herself. "Is everything all right with the security clearances?" The last thing they needed was something else to go wrong. Although, if there were an issue, surely he would take it up with Peter rather than her...after all, it was Peter who had arranged this fiasco this soon.

Peter. What was going on with him lately? OK, well, not lately. They had been drifting apart forever…as it was; this marriage was never about love but about convenience. Peter was well known before marriage as the Playboy Prince. The only reason Michelle and Peter were married was because pressures from his family and it mother not being in very good health lately. Also, he needed heirs. This should have just been an arranged marriage for the way things seemed to have played out. Michelle’s was born to a rich, high society family. Her family dealt in commercial real-estate all over the globe and she was sent to several fine schools and even graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Science. Never in a million years did she ever think she’d end up marrying a prince. She had dated Peter for a bit over a year before they broke up. She had decided that the lifestyle wasn’t for her...besides; Peter had cheated on her with another woman while they were dating. The only reason she ended up marrying him was because he had apologized and they had gotten serious…but shortly after the nuptials was when she had found out that she was his best choice.

Michelle tried to make it work between them but Peter never cared to try. In fact, he had suggested they get separate bedrooms just last week. Of course Michelle had said no…but now, perhaps she should have just agreed to it seeing has how Peter had preferred his study rather than their bed.

Michelle suddenly realized that she had asked Gabriel a question and hadn’t heard a word he had said. Her face flushed as she shook her head, “I’m so sorry Gabriel…I think I need to lay down for a bit. I’m still a bit tired from everything.” She turned and left the room to head to the bedroom in order to rest.

As she passed Peter’s study, she heard arguing…the voices sounded like Peter and a woman…? Michelle thought it was perhaps one of the maids so she opened the door, which was surprisingly unlocked and that’s when she saw it all…. Peter was on the sofa, which was against the wall but that wasn’t what caught Michelle’s eye! It was the fact that straddled on top of him was Elizabeth, who looked up and saw the Princess…she didn’t even bother getting off or saying anything… “Michelle?!” Peter exclaimed as he pushed Elizabeth off of him and tried to sit up. “I—“

Michelle didn’t want to hear it. All she could see was Elizabeth’s look that said it all. So all Michelle could do was walk out on the scene she originally walked in on. Michelle hurried through the mansion until she found herself outside in the back garden. She kept walking and headed directly for the stables. There was an old abandoned barn near the stables… By the time she reached the barn, she realized she was near the point of hyperventilation. She didn’t cry. She couldn’t cry…thankfully no one followed her as she tried to get a handle on herself and what she just saw. Kneeling down in the damp hay, Michelle just shook her head as she continued to try to calm her breathing.

 

[MisterChino]

A Bold Betrayal

"Everything is going rather swell," acknowledged Gabriel, as he gathered the documents in his hand. "All the clearances have been checked and verified. Samantha had asked me to retrieve your address that you plan to deliver this afternoon. My guess is that they want to take one last look at it and have it ready on the podium for you."

As Gabriel answered, he noticed that the Princess' attention had shifted momentarily to another thought. Her mundane gaze cued him to the fact that she was not consciously listening for his response. Additionally, he noticed that the Princess appeared a bit stressed based on her subtle idiosyncrasies, from the biting of her bottom lip to her confused speech. Jonathan's abrupt death had definitely contributed to her abnormal and unusual behavior, but there seemed to be more underlying factors. Gabriel continued to observe as Michelle re-tuned to their brief interaction, only to excuse herself, leaving him by himself as she found him in her office.

Gabriel secured the papers, and closed the door to the Princess' office, locking it behind him. He caught a glimpse of the Princess storming down the hall, away from Peter's study and their chambers, before she disappeared around the corner of the corridor of the mansion. Prompted by curiosity and suspicion, Gabriel hurried after her, making his way quickly down the hallway. The door to Peter's study suddenly opened as Gabriel walked near, from which Elizabeth had stepped out from. Her eyes had been looking downward at herself, while her hands pulled and tugged at her outfit to adjust her red skirt and blouse. As they looked up, her eyes met with Gabriel.

"Oh," quipped Elizabeth, slightly surprised by the impromptu encounter. "Hey Gabriel."

She smirked teasingly at him before walking away. Gabriel watched as Elizabeth quickly disappeared down the mansion's maze of hallways as quickly as she emerged from the room. Gabriel's view returned to the now open door to Peter's study. Gabriel looked around inside briefly and ascertained that Peter was the only person in that room. He watched Peter as he stumbled toward him, fumbling to tuck in his shirt and to zip and belt up his trousers. Peter looked petrified and horrified. Peter had mumbled something incoherent to Gabriel as he stumbled passed him.

"Peter!" Gabriel said sternly, while grabbing Peter by his wrist. "What is going on? What was Elizabeth doing in the room alone with you?"

Peter stared back at Gabriel with the look of a mad man. Peter shook off Gabriel's grasp on his wrist and walked away briskly, disappearing into the depths of the mansion. It was apparent what happened in that room; it smelled of recent sex as the odor permeated the study. The Prince's audacity and boldness was beyond Gabriel's belief. Gabriel and Peter had talked about their lives outside of the Marines before. Peter had always boasted about his sexual "conquests" and his playboy lifestyle prior to marrying Michelle, but Gabriel did not think much of it. Likewise, Peter had always joked about Gabriel's relative abstinence. Gabriel was quite the "humble monk," devoting his life and work to whatever cause he had set his mind to at the time. Gabriel had never really given much thought to dating or settling down with a woman. In fact, Gabriel had only been with one true partner prior to enlisting and commissioning as an officer in the Royal Marines. That relationship was compromised and ultimately ended by Gabriel's unwaivering dedication to his duty. Gabriel had not since held a meaningful relationship. Gabriel had never expected Peter to hold on to that former lifestyle after marrying Michelle, but now that same playboy had manifested itself in Peter and threatened to destroy the royal family. He had to do something about this.

Gabriel looked all over for the Princess, but she was no where to be found. Finally, after exhausting all his resources, Gabriel decided to look for the Princess at the stables where the royal equines were kept and sheltered. There was an abandoned barn that had been marked for demolition, but had to wait for the work order to be contracted. It was there that he found Michelle knelt down on the haystack. Gabriel watched, as he walked slowly in behind her, careful not to disturb the disheveled Princess.

"M'lady," Gabriel called out softly to her.

His hand extended, reaching for Michelle as she remained kneeling upon the damp hay that bedded the barn floor. His firm palm seated upon her shoulder, as Gabriel attempted to console her. His other hand began to reach under her opposite armpit as Gabriel began to slowly hoist Michelle up from her knelt position. As Gabriel allowed Michelle to stand up on her own, an urge overcame him to comfort her. His arms fell to her elbows where he spun her around. Gabriel held Michelle briefly with his hands at her arms, before pulling her into him while his own arms cross behind her back. Gabriel hugged Michelle tightly, allowing her head to rest upon his firm chest as he cradled her within his hold. He looked down briefly to see a broken woman. Suddenly, without explanation, Gabriel allowed himself to place a gentle kiss at the side of Michelle's forehead.

"Excuse me," Gabriel remarked with embarrassment as he released his embrace of the Princess and stepped away. Turning around, Gabriel hurried himself back into the mansion. What are you doing Gabriel?

 

[zydrate]

The day after Jonathan’s funeral, Peter had needed to leave on some business and thus, Michelle hadn’t been able to talk to him about what she had walked into with him and Elizabeth. Hell, he had been avoiding her since that time and only seemed semi-supportive during the press conference given a few days prior. Michelle had decided to take a few days off to spend by herself at home so she could gather her thoughts and get things in order. She had since banned Elizabeth from the family home and required her to check in with security when she did come but her business had to be cleared with Michelle first.

The morning after Peter left, Michelle had been working in her office all afternoon when her thoughts drifted over to Gabriel… she rolled a pen between her hands as she thought about the incident in the barn after she had walked in on Peter and Michelle. His embrace was so warm and inviting that she couldn’t help but lean on him due to the fact that she was just about to break down into tears just moments before he showed up. She hadn’t wanted his pity…she didn’t want anyone’s pity but that’s not what she saw when she looked in his eyes and it seemed in that instant, he understood her and vice versa. But he had left right after giving her a kiss on her forehead yet she didn’t call out to him to stop him. She just wanted him go. Well, that hug, in addition to the kiss gave her a renewed strength…a purpose if you will, saying that she wasn’t in this alone.

A knock on her office door startled Michelle and she dropped her pen onto the desk but it then rolled to the floor but she paid it no mind as she composed herself and cleared her throat, “Come in.”

Even though she had vowed to take some time off, Michelle didn’t want to do so soon. But she needed someone to help her with her appointments so the Queen’s Chief of Staff had sent someone over on a temporary basis to help her. Plus, it also gave them more control of Michelle’s schedule so she wouldn’t be doing anything else foolish without clearing it with the higher ups of the monarchy. It made it seem like they were punishing her but she didn’t complain, at least not yet. Right now, she would go along with them and then, soon, she would get her way again in her public engagements.

About an hour later, she and her temporary assistant finished up and the assistant left her office. Michelle stood and realized her chair wouldn’t move so she looked down and saw her pen on the floor…kneeling down, she grabbed at it and then something on the floor under her desk caught her eye and she reached for it. As she stood, she looked at the gold foiled packet and had a confused look on her face. Who could have—Peter?

No. Peter would have no business in her office, let alone a set of keys to get it...so who?

Michelle’s face blushed as she remembered Gabriel had been in her on the day of the press conference. They had talked but that was the last time she had been in here…and, so had he? Michelle picked up her office phone and dialed the security office, “Can you please send Gabriel to my office?”

“Of course, Princess, is something wrong?”

“No, just please send him as soon as possible.” She said, feeling that whoever it was that answered could sense her blushing. Of course, that was a ridiculous notion.

A familiar rhythm of knocking at her office door sounded not even five minutes later and Michelle was leaning against the edge of the desk as she answered, “Come in.” She hoped to hell she didn’t look as nervous as she felt. Why was she like this? They were both adults, right? When she saw him come in, she gave him a small smile, “I think I found something of yours.”

 

[MisterChino]

Rekindling the Princess' Passion

The rest of that day went about as any other regular day and as if nothing extra ordinary had besieged the lives of the Royal Family. Gabriel continued to observe the Princess expertly maintaining her composure and sanity throughout the day and during the press conference as to not arouse suspicion of her underlying feelings. The ability for Michelle to present some semblance of normalcy whilst performing under the pressure and barrage of journalists questioning her, as if they were giving the Princess herself a trial, was an amazing deed that would leave Gabriel in awe. Surely, the maturity of the Princess had been underestimated by many of those whom were close to her. Peter, on the other hand, seemed distant and hesitant during his address. Likewise, his remarks and response were semi-supportive and less than complimentary to the Princess' address. It soon became obvious to the audience that the Prince and Princess were out of synch and the level of respect and confidence of the couple subside with each contradiction that Peter had made.

The family dinner following the press conference further demonstrated the Princess' patience and bearing. By this time, Gabriel had understood Peter's relationship with Elizabeth and determined that the Princess had discovered this affair. Fortunately, the Prince was wise enough to send Elizabeth off, rather than having his "mistress" present at the family dinner. Who knows what would have happened or how the Princess would have reacted if Elizabeth was there at the same table. Peter's loudmouthed mistress would be kept at bay, for the time being. The rest of the staffers were busy readying the areas to receive the family members and guests who were requested through exclusive invitation only. The members of the royal family rather slowly, arriving one by one. Gabriel was there throughout the dinner affair, standing guard, and listening, while the royal family dined. The discussions at the dinner table would further challenge and test the Princess' resolve and ability to handle criticism. The family somehow managed to tie everything back to the fact that the Princess had not produced any lineage for Peter. It almost appeared as if the family was blaming Michelle. Meanwhile, Peter had kept quiet throughout.

Jonathan's funeral would take place in the days following. It was quite a sobering event. As Michelle mourned, Peter seemed absent in comforting his wife. Peter was physically present, but his mind seemed to have wandered elsewhere. Jonathan was given full military honors from the nation and buried at the country's the national memorial beside many other prestigious men and women whom gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Peter's lack of emotional support and commitment to Michelle continued with his immediate departure after the funeral. Peter indicated to Gabriel that he had business matters to attend to, and that he would need Gabriel to stay with Michelle, rather than providing security for the Prince's travels. It was rather unusual instructions and Gabriel suspects otherwise, but held his place from commenting inappropriately to Peter. Gabriel could tell that Peter had plans of a more personal nature, but would not dare to question Peter.

Back at the royal estates, Gabriel was given specific guidance in terms of permitting Elizabeth to enter the royal compound. Gabriel gladly followed these orders, ensuring that the Princess was aware of Elizabeth's intentions and reasons for showing up to the mansion. Meanwhile, Michelle was preoccupied with her new assistant that was provided by the Queen. Working with a new assistant was always a challenge and a bit of a learning curve, as both the Princess and temporary assistant had to learn each other's personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.

With work settling down for a bit, Gabriel was able to find more time to work out to improve his physical physique and performance. Gabriel had just finished his morning run, when he received instructions to repor to the Princess. It had been a while since his last meaningful encounter with the Princess at the barn. Wearing a pair of thin running shorts, Gabriel quickly threw on a loose fitting t-shirt over his sweating body. Gabriel hurried down the corridor, panicking over his embarrassing actions toward Michelle at the barn. They have not had a meaningful conversation since, so this may become rather awkward.

As Gabriel was invited into Michelle's office, he was greeted by the sight of Michelle leaning against the table, in her hand waved a relatively large condom package. Gabriel was initially confused by the Princess' statement, but then gulped in shock after realizing that the package had most likely belonged to him. Gabriel's heart fluttered and skin beaded in sweat while he looked at the Princess as she held the condom packet, in utter shock. Was that condom packet really his? Gabriel traced back his memories and remembered the time that the condom packet was presented to him as a satirical gift. Gabriel and members of his security team were showering after participating in a team building sporting event. With men being men, his security team teased at how extremely endowed Gabriel was and it was a shame since Gabriel would probably not use it on any woman. His team decided to further make light of the situation by presenting their boss the magnum sized condom packet. But how did this end up in her office?

"Well this is quite embarassing," Gabriel blushed. He shamefully grabbed the oversized packet from Michelle's hand and placed it into the pocket of his shorts which befittingly formed tightly against the bulge of his manhood.

 

[zydrate]

On days when she wasn’t conducting any sort of formal business outside the home, Michelle preferred to dress down and it was something she was talked to about quite often to the point that she just didn’t listen. The Royal family may control large parts of her life outside the walls of her home but inside, she decided what would be done or not…especially the rules of her dress. Today, she wore a pair of jeans and a white tank top covered by a men’s style button up shirt in white. Her hair hung around her shoulders in loose waves.

She waited on Gabriel, who showed up to her office dressed in workout clothes…which showed a lot. She had seen a lot of him like this lately it seemed. Well, she had seen him before as he jogged around the compound many times. Then there was the time at the hotel when he was in just his sweatpants and now this. As a woman, Michelle had to admit he looked rather…manly. A little color tinged her cheeks and she looked down and smiled after he took the packet back from her and spoke.

“Well, this is quite embarrassing.”

Michelle watched as he put the condom in his pocket but quickly looked away before her eyes met his, “It’s only embarrassing if we were teenagers, Gabriel, which we’re not.” In a bold move and most casual way, Michelle walked over to him and hooked her arm in his and led him to a couch by the door, “Come, let’s talk.” She said and took a seat on side of the couch and patted the other end, “Let’s forget the formalities for a while, shall we?”

She waited until he sat down. While he did so, she rubbed her hands on her jeans and took a deep breath, “I guess I want to start with what happened while we were out…when we lost Jonathan and I was in the hospital. I know you were there all night, holding my hand. I wanted to thank you for that. Although a lot of what happened is still a little blurry, I never got to properly show my gratitude for all you’ve done so far…especially that night in the barn.” The hug he had given her seemed to give her the strength to deal with all that had happened that day…especially with Elizabeth. And the kiss..well, that was an added bonus.

“I will be honest here…No one had ever done that before with me... the hug that is…not even Peter…he never was very intimate with me in that way.” Oh, God, was she really saying this to him? What did he care? “So, as much as it was a surprise, it was quite welcomed and needed.” She didn't realize that her hand had somehow found it's way on his knee as she spoke..."So thank you for that," she finished quietly.