Once Upon A New York Minute: Part 1

by Sherry Ficklin

  A slight ripple of shock and gasps ripple through the crowd. My mind goes back to that night—the worst night of my life—and I swallow hard, shaking all over as I fight to keep my voice from wavering. My eyes well up with tears and I blink them away. My eyes find Liam, and he mouths a silent message.

  I’m here, he says. Focus on me.

  Nodding once, I continue. “Knowing I was the only witness against him and that the evidence would not stand up without my testimony, he assaulted me, beating me badly before finally stabbing me with a broken bottle and leaving me to bleed to death. A passerby found me unconscious and called the police.”

  I rub my fingers together, taking a deep breath before hitting the key that brings another photo to life behind me. This one is of me, on a breathing machine in a hospital bed, beaten and bruised and bloody. My mouth twitches as I see it on my little screen, an audible gasp from the crowd as they see it too.

  “I was hospitalized for several weeks. Meyer was apprehended trying to flee the country, and arrested for attempted murder. He plead guilty to the charges and the matter never went to court. Meyer was dealt a ten-year sentenced for his crimes. The police sealed my file in hopes of keeping the ordeal out of the press, for the sake of the other victim’s privacy as well as my own.”

  Closing the laptop, the image vanishes, but I keep going. My eyes lock on Liam as I speak, as if I were speaking only to him, no one else even in the room. His expression is fierce, but gentle, and I let his strength flow through me, borrowed through an invisible bond.

  “What I went through left me scarred both physically and mentally. I don’t talk about it with anyone—and honestly, I never wanted to have to think about it again, much less have it splashed like so much tabloid fodder across every media outlet in the country—but I understand that I need to address it. What I did was wrong, and the price I paid for it was severe. It’s a shame I’ve carried for a long time and I know I will carry it for a long time to come. But it has also helped forge me into the person I am today, into the woman standing before you, bearing her scars so that you might know her better. The night of my attack, I realized I was going to die. It was an absolute certainty. And all I could think about was how disappointed my parents would be—how disappointed I was in myself, and how if I was given a chance to do it again, that I would do better—be better. I know beyond a doubt that from that day on, every moment I have on this earth is a gift. Every breath I take now is my second chance to be the person I want to be—the person who would make my family proud. I have a chance to leave this world a little better than I found it, to help people when I can, and to hold myself to a standard that, when my time comes again, I can look back on my life with no regrets.

  I have made mistakes, some of them unforgiveable, and if you are unable to forgive me now, I will understand. Know that if I could go back and do it again differently, I would, but all I can do is try to atone—to move forward with as much grace and mercy and humility as I possess. If you feel that because of my past I’m not fit to be your queen, I will accept that. But I ask you not to judge me on the person I was, but the person I am today. My past, my scars, formed me but they do not define me. Today, I’m here to roll up my sleeves and work on behalf of Onah-Napor and her people. Today, I’m here because I believe I can do good in this place and for this place. Today, whatever my future holds there is one thing of which I’m certain, I’m not going anywhere.” I level a glare at Genevieve as I speak and the first cracks form in her stern façade as she deflates just a little. “Thank you.”

  The assembly is quiet as I walk back to my table. Liam lays a hand over mine and squeezes it tight. I want to look at Aiden, but I don’t dare. What would he think of me now? Knowing what I’ve done?

  “Are you alright?” Liam whispers.

  “I might puke. Or pass out. Or both.”

  “Please don’t,” he teases. “You’ve made the headlines enough for this week.”

  “Be honest. On a scale of one to ten, how much do you hate me now?” I ask, turning to him fully.

  He shakes his head, “If one is mild dislike and ten is me getting torches and pitchforks, I’d go with…negative four.”

  Sitting back, I chew at my lip.

  “Honestly,” he whispers again, leaning in. “I think I like you more now, knowing the truth. You were always a little too perfect for my liking.”

  If my stomach weren’t doing backflips, I might laugh. As it is, Sarah stands, and it’s all I can do to meet her gaze.

  “There is, of course, a serious matter before us today. Having heard the entire story rather than just the headline that was initially presented, I would like to begin by thanking Lady Haven for her candor. I know how difficult that must have been for you, and you have my respect for your courage. As to the matter of whether she is fit to be queen, I don’t believe I’ve ever been so impressed by someone honestly owning up to their mistakes and offering a heartfelt desire to do better. Seeing first hand her poise, grace, and bravery, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather see on the throne beside King Aiden. But I am, at very least, glad to have her on the council, and personally proud to call her a friend. Thank you.”

  Duke Lee stands next.

  “I agree that Lady Haven has shown exceptional courage speaking to us today. While her past actions are troublesome, I do not believe they reflect who she is, or the kind of leader she will be, nor do I believe she is in any way a threat to the monarchy or the reputation of the country. I am also glad to have such a stalwart member of our council, and she has the support of House Neuygen in her desire to marry the King.”

  From the corner of the room, Lord Darcey stands, his hands clasped in front of him, his head high. “I would like to officially call forward a vote on the matter.”

  “Seconded,” Duke Lee agrees.

  The Prime Minister inclines his head. “Before we vote, does His Majesty wish to rescind this proposal to marry Lady Haven in light of recent events?”

  Aiden stands, and I look at him for the first time since I spoke, my mouth going dry with fear. Is he going to rescind the proposal? Is he going to abdicate? I can’t bear the silence before he speaks.

  “I would only add my thanks to Lady Haven for her courage and honestly. She continues to prove herself to be the strong, capable, forthright woman I have always known her to be. I would not have proposed our marriage if I were not completely confident that she would make a more than adept queen. My opinion of her has not changed, nor has my desire to marry her. Thank you.”

  He meets my gaze again, this time with a warm smile, and it feels like a weight has been lifted from my chest. He never doubted me, and by now I should know better than to doubt him.

  “Thank you, Your Majesty. Alright, we will vote on the acceptance of King Aiden’s proposal to Lady Haven.”

  “House Neuygen?”

  “I vote to approve.”

  “House Norwood?”

  “I vote to approve.”

  “House Blackburne is not in attendance. House Rathborne?”

  “I vote to disapprove.”

  “House Darcey?”

  He stands, and I know he’s the swing vote. Genevieve stares him down, but he nods my direction. “I vote to approve.”

  “House St. Lauraunt?”

  Genevieve sweeps into a graceful pose, “I vote to approve.”

  Beside me Liam snorts. “Of course she does, once she knows she’s beat.”

  “House MacGregor?”

  I stand, “It’s always a bit uncomfortable voting for yourself in these situations,” I offer with a smile. “But selfishly, I vote to approve.”

  “The motion carries, and the proposal will be signed and ratified by the Supreme Council. Thank you.”

  Taking my seat, I can’t help the ripple of joy that spreads through me.

  “You did it,” Liam whispers.

  “For now,” I say, eyeing Genevieve. “She won’t give up. But she’s backed into a corner now. That makes her
dangerous.”

  “As long as you don’t have any other skeletons in your closet, I think you’ll be fine.”

  “I’m skeleton free,” I assure him.

  The gavel strikes loudly, drawing everyone’s attention back to the podium.

  “His Majesty has prepared his tie breaking vote on the matter brought forth yesterday regarding the rezoning and commercial development of OlawPai.”

  Aiden stands again. “After careful consideration, the crown votes yes on the proposed legislation, so long as stipulations for the continued preservation of the historical sites are put in place as suggested.”

  A glance is exchanged between Darcey and Aiden, and suspicion flairs inside of me. Aiden turns, leaving the chamber, and the meeting is closed with no new business. As the media begins to file out, I make my way to Milton.

  “Lord Darcey,” I begin. “I want to thank you for your support today.”

  “Please, call me Milton. Of course, as you said, it is good to have another forward thinker on the council. And on the throne.”

  I press my lips together tightly, not sure how to proceed without outright asking him if he’d struck some sort of deal with Aiden—and wondering if I might have done the same, in his place. Grinding my teeth, I decided to let it go. Better to accept victory than to rock the boat…at least for today.

  When he walks away, Genevieve approaches, a stiff smile plastered across her face.

  “Congratulations, Lady Haven,” she offers flatly. “It seems you have turned a scandal into a sob story. You are certainly more deft that I gave you credit for.”

  “I just told the truth, unlike some people who run to the press with half a story and a splashy headline just to stir up trouble,” I glare at her. “It’s good, actually. It forced me to deal with things I’ve left under the rug for too long, so I suppose I should thank you for that.”

  She wipes an invisible piece of lint from her shoulder, “I’m not sure why you would thank me.”

  “As if anyone else at court would have reason to go digging around in my past just to throw a little mud at me. But you should be careful playing in the dirt, Genevive. It has a way of sticking to you.” My tone is sharp, my warning clear. Behind her I watch the photographers bustling about. One motions to me, lifting his camera in a silent plea for a photo.

  She scoffs, “Is that a threat?”

  “Oh, no,” I say, smiling sweetly and pulling her into a tight hug so I can whisper in her ear, “When I’m threatening you, you’ll know it.”

  She pulls away, but I keep an arm around her, turning us both to the press who snaps a photo of us.

  “This isn’t over,” she says through her smiling teeth.

  “Of course it’s not, you aren’t bleeding yet,” I respond in kind.

  Releasing her, I incline my head, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling the need to go celebrate with my friends. If you aren’t familiar with the term, I’m sure you can look it up on the internet.”

  With that I turn on my heel and walk from the room, to the outer hall where Tommy and Sarah wait, Liam at their side.

  Pulling me into a hug, Tommy squeezes until I have to gasp for breath before he releases me.

  “That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “A clever strategy,” Sarah agrees. “You managed to gain their sympathy while remining strong and bold in their esteem. A difficult feat to manage.”

  I shrug, “Honestly, I never wanted to have to think about again, but it had to be done. I hope none of you think less of me now, knowing the truth.”

  “What? That you’re a human who makes mistakes?” Liam snorts. “I mean, I knew you were tough, but now I understand just how deep that strength runs.”

  I offer him a reluctant smile, “Thanks, Liam. And thanks for being there with me today.”

  “Always,” he promises with a nod.

  “Well, I think this calls for a celebratory drink,” Tommy offers, holding out his arm to me.

  I accept and let him lead me back into the main Palace and through the corridor to the informal dining area where Aiden waits. Stepping inside I freeze. His back is to me, his posture rigid.

  Had he meant what he said about not changing his mind, or did he simply want to do me the courtesy of telling me to my face that he wasn’t going to marry me after all.

  Tommy releases me, “I’ll just go see what I can find at the bar.”

  I take a hesitant step forward, holding my breath as he turns to face me.

  Closing the distance between us, Aiden pulls me into his arms, pressing his forehead to mine.

  “Haven, I’m so sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?” I feel the confusion etching itself into my face. “Why?”

  Lifting his head, he holds my eyes. I can’t believe anyone would call his eyes brown. There’s not a drop of such a simple color in them. They are both wondrously luminous and unsettlingly deep, a shade like the worn leather of a book cover concealing a wistful story. They are dark earth and midnight waters and just gazing into them grounds me in ways I never thought possible.

  “You never should have had to go through that,” he says, his brow furrowed. Cupping my cheek, his lips part, trembling. “To relive all that pain, and in front of the entire world, Haven I would have done anything to spare you that. If I’d known what you intended to do—”

  I cut him off with a kiss, long and deep and filled with every emotion I’ve kept so carefully locked away for far too long. When I finally pull back, I lay a hand over his heart.

  “I should have told you, all of it. I was just so ashamed. I was afraid that if you knew the truth, you’d decide you didn’t want to be with someone like me. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

  “You made a mistake, and people were hurt because of it. Can you imagine there’s anyone else in the world who might understand that burden better than me? You did what you could to try to make it right, and you paid a terrible cost for it. How could you think I would be anything less than proud and humbled by you?”

  “Aiden,” I whisper.

  Taking my hand, he slides the ring back onto my finger, kissing it softly. “I only wish I could have protected you from all this. Haven, seeing you suffer through that press conference is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. All I wanted to do was go to you and hold you and make it all go away. I’ve never felt so helpless. But you, you were so brave. I have never loved you more than I do right now.” He offers me a half-grin, “Though to be honest, that’s not saying much since every day I wake up I seem to love you a little more than I did the day before.”

  When he lowers his lips to mine, its soft, featherlight, and yet fire explodes in my belly. A soft moan escapes my lips and whatever resolve he’s holding snaps and he pulls me roughly against him, his hands trailing down my back and up into my hair as his lips hold mine in an unyielding lock.

  “Excuse me, Your Majesty,” a voice cuts in, breaking us apart with a jolt.

  Aiden sucks in an exasperated breath, visibly composing himself before replying.

  “Yes, Revis?”

  “Sir, the builders have arrived and are awaiting you in the study.”

  “Thank you, I’ll be right there.”

  Revis bows and leaves.

  “Who is that?” I ask, looking after the older man. He’s got a ring of black hair around the back of his head, though it’s just shiny scalp up front, and he’s wearing a suit that accentuates his broad shoulders and round belly.

  “My Lord Chamberlin, Revis. He is responsible for the running of the royal household of the king and queen, so you’ll get to know him quite well. You’ll also have a Lady of the Chamber as well, of course.”

  “To do what, exactly?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

  He shrugs, “Anything you need. Think of her as your personal assistant.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Much as I’d like to continue where we left off,” his gaze slides over me hungrily, “I really must take
this meeting.”

  I release him with a parting kiss on the cheek, “I get it. Go run the country or whatever. I should probably find Tommy and Liam before the booze is gone.”

  He chuckles and kisses my hand before striding out the door. Following the last known direction of Tommy, I discover the group seated at the informal dining table in the next room, a bottle of wine open and half empty. Putting his foot on an empty chair, Liam pushes it out.

  “Saved you a seat,” he offers as Tommy fills me a glass of merlot.

  I swirl it around the glass for a moment before taking a sip. It’s dark and rich with just a hint of chocolate.

  “This is good,” I offer. “But then, I’m used to my wine coming in a box so…”

  Tommy sits back, looking affronted. “I thought that was just a joke. Does wine really come in boxes in America?”

  “Only the best Cardboardeaux,” I say, taking another sip.

  Liam snorts and Sarah sets down her glass. “Today was a hard-won victory, Haven. But it was a victory none the less.”

  “You made the press look like monsters for splashing the story around and managed to do it with the grace of a queen. Bravo,” Tommy ads, finishing off his glass and pouring another.

  “Alright, alright. Stop filling her ego or her head won’t fit through the door to her bedroom.”

  I salute him with my glass, “Thanks for keeping my feet on the ground, Liam. Speaking of, where are Liz and Neil?”

  Tommy raises a hand, “I had to put them on a plane this morning. They wanted to stay but Neil had to get back to work. They said to tell you goodbye and Liz will call you when she lands.”

  “Thanks for looking after them, and for bringing them here, if only for a day.”

  “Anytime. But, I do think you’ve earned a day off. Anything in particular you’d like to do?”