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“You are my Queen now, Ma’am.”

“I know the custom. It’s not necessary when we’re in private. Please call me Lizzy.”

“As you wish, Ma’am.”

Elizabeth glared at her.

“Lizzy,” Rebecca acquiesced but seemed to not like how the name sounded coming out of her own mouth and nodded again. “Are you ready?”

“No, but I don’t have a choice.”

Elizabeth walked down the long, wide hall with its stained glass windows and ornamental fixtures with Viking influence mixed with a more traditional English one. As she passed the few palace staff members, they stopped and either bowed or curtsied to her. They’d done that before, when she’d been Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth Antonia Victoria Louise Hanover, but this time, it was different. Rebecca used to always walk beside her. Now that Elizabeth was Queen, though, Rebecca would always walk behind her, as would anyone else.

Elizabeth entered the room they’d set up just for her and Victoria, who would come in later to say her final goodbyes before the state funeral where they wouldn’t be permitted to show emotion, as was the custom. Rebecca closed the door behind her, leaving Elizabeth alone in the room with seven urns. Her father was in the center of the room on a pedestal, like all the others, but sat back and a bit higher than the rest. To the world, he would be buried in a coffin as if his body hadn’t been blown into pieces and in this urn was only what they could find.

Elizabeth knelt down in front of his urn as she’d knelt before him the day he’d bestowed her official Her Royal Highness title. She’d only been born Princess. Her Royal Highness was given to her upon her twenty-first birthday as the first daughter of the King. Upon her wedding day, he had planned to make her a Duchess as well, as was the St.Rais’ custom. Now, she would never be a Duchess; she was the Queen. She’d giveallthe titles away if it meant she could have them all back.

She said her silent goodbye to her father since he wasn’t a man who wanted his children to show much emotion when he was alive. Elizabeth figured he wouldn’t want it displayed on his behalf now, either. Moving on to her brothers, Martin was first. Alexander came next. Then, Elizabeth said a quicker goodbye to Lyla, Martin’s wife of the past seven years. She cried as she said goodbye to her niece, Edwina, who had been born Her Royal Highness because she was Martin’s heir, and her nephew, little Anthony, a Prince; gone far too soon and only because they’d been born into this family. Her guilt at still being alive only intensified as she arrived at the urn of Teagan Gentry, who had been named Duchess upon marriage. Teagan had married Alexander only a year ago, and now she was gone forever. Elizabeth wiped at the tears in her eyes. She shouldn’t be crying harder for Teagan than she had for her own father, brothers, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, but shewas, and she knew why.

She backed away then, and after a moment, gathered herself enough to leave the room before saying one last goodbye in private. When she exited the room, Rebecca was there. She escorted Elizabeth back to her suite of rooms to re-do her makeup. After that, it was time to sit in a bulletproof town car, a separate one from Victoria’s, and join the procession of caskets filled with urns.

???

“Majesty, are you sure it’s not too soon?” Albert, the Prime Minister, asked.

“It’s been two weeks,” she replied, sitting down in the chair in her office.

She hadn’t been able to enter her father’s office;heroffice now.

“Yes, but the mourning period is one month, Ma’am.”

Elizabeth didn’t say anything.

“Very well.” Albert sat down in the chair opposite her. “The bombs were planted under the small stage that had been set up for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Altogether, there were fifteen lives lost outside of the royal family, including the hospital director, two members of the staff, your father’s bodyguard, his personal secretary, and ten others.”

“What are we doing for the others that were lost? They don’t all get state funerals,” Elizabeth replied, trying to remember to tuck her ankle appropriately.

“We’ve made arrangements for Victoria and your cousin Erik to make appearances.”

“Appearances?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“And?”

“Flower wreaths will be sent. We’ll also compensate the members of your father’s staff. Your private secretary has made the arrangements along with my staff.”

“I’d like to pay my respects,” Elizabeth said.

“Ma’am, we need you to make as few public appearances as possible right now, I’m afraid. The faction of anti-monarchists has only grown in recent years, and they’re bringing their battle with traditionalists to our doorsteps.”

“I knew there were problems. How did we not know things were this bad?”

“Things escalated quickly,” Albert sighed. “We knew the approval rating for the monarchy was lower than ever, despite your father being a great King.”

“People see the monarchy as rather useless; there’s a Parliament and a Prime Minister.” Elizabeth nodded.

“This country was founded with a monarchy three hundred years ago, and it will maintain the monarchy for years to come. You have my word, Ma’am.”