A New Dawn

Sam was holding Piper, our baby's name was Piper, and Sam was holding her a few inches in the pool with a smile on his face that could spread across the seas. I was standing along side the pool, snapping pictures and waving. It was Piper's first time in the pool and her eyes were wide, green, and within them, unknowingly, she held the keys to our world. It was her every move and sound that drew us in, her delicate laugh, her quiet smile, even in the way she held her small palm to our faces, her eyes endless galaxies that pulled you in and made you weak. Sam repeated sweet noises to her in the pool, dipping the tips of her toes in and out of the water ever so gently. Her hysterical laugh, when her feet released from the water, was quickly replaced by a look of surprise and concern when they'd dip back in. She was always curious, never scared, never fearful but maybe a little concerned. It was certain she was of no normal but beyond what either of us could have ever expected. Sam held her like precious stones over a volcano, and I was sure that birth of our daughter had changed him, changed the way he loved, for the better. It was sudden, when the crystal blue water in the pool turned bright red like blood and our baby, my baby began to weep uncontrollably. Tears of blood began to stream down the both of their cheeks and as Sam held our baby, my baby, they began to sink--

"Your Majesty..." I could hear Ezra's attempt to whisper and awake me peacefully, with what was presumably an urgent matter. "My queen..." I did not awake immediately, wondering how long I had been asleep, I wanted more time.
Ezra clears his throat "Rose..." I opened my eyes to a handsome Ezra, whose eyes were dark and sharp. He had changed since the shooting, we all did. I lifted my head and wiped the remnants of a small amount of drool from my face and off the fleece white cover that draped softly over Sam's hard, still body. The only movement that came from him was that of his chest which expanded and collapsed, matching the cadence of the machine next to him that monitors his heart rate. He is alive, the machine is helping him to breathe, doctors say his brain function has been minimal, but he is alive... and for reasons beyond me I know that he is there. I know that he is there and I know our baby is there too. Sam's hand was in mine but it didn't feel the same and I shed a tear for what used to be and now, what was.
"Your Majesty..." Ezra was pressing with his tone this time, "I am afraid there is a matter that requires you immediate attention." I wiped the tear from my eye and place one soft kiss on Sam's hand, replacing it back by his side. I exited the one place where I felt safe and sane, next to sam. "Eagle on the move" Ezra whispered into his headset.

I had one of the rooms in the house converted for hospital stay so that Sam was be able to move in to the home, where he would be better protected and where the status and secrets about our country would be kept safe. Down the stairs and into my office-- Sam's office, which was beginning to feel like my office because of the large amounts of time I spent there. I entered and there stood Elijah, head of international affairs and Commander in Chief, Patrick Bullock.
"At ease boys..." I spoke, and they sat in the chairs in front of my desk, Sam's desk, and I remained standing, turning to the window that faced our backyard and the sea. Flashes of memories from that night stain my vision and I close my eyes for a brief moment, replaying the chaos and trauma as if it were a saturday night movie on repeat. "Well.." I turned to the gentleman, "what do you have for me?"

"Suspects," said Bullock, "last night we arrested four US Rebels we believe know vital information about the attempted assassination." Bullock handed me a thick manilla folder with the words 'confidential" plastered on the front of it "amongst those were Abraham--"

"Collins..." I said upon opening the folder and reading about the suspect.

"Yes, Abraham Collins is suspected to have been apart the rebel leadership for about three years, and there are investigations pending that could tie him to the bombing of the CGC Marine Ship as well as the attack on the Lincoln Trade Center." I flipped to pictures of a our destroyed Marine Ship in December 2022, a incident that took 34 peoples lives, and 1 of 3 of our warships.

"Well Collins did always have a Sam sized chip on his shoulder.." I said looking through intel and old photos they had found through the internet on social sites of Collins, who was a shy looking boy with red hair and freckles.

"You know this man, personally?" Asked Bullock.

"Yes.. We all attended the same high school." I said flipping to one of the older photos in the folder that showed Abraham wearing a navy blue and gold football jersey. "Abraham and Collins we're on the same football team" I gave the picture to Ezra who then handed it to Chief Bullock.

"Great, your personal knowledge about the suspect will be of aid to us. Perhaps you'd like to participate in the capture and interview of the suspects?" Bullock asked me with no hesitation, this I respected. He never treated me differently because I was a woman or because it was now my husband who was the victim of these traitorous crimes. Ezra, who was now standing, quickly disagreed

"I don't think that will be necess--"

"That will be perfect. Have Ezra brief me on the extraction plans when they are ready." I interjected handing the folder over to Bullock, with my "no bullshit" face that implied I would not be budding on this issue and because I was now the queen... I didn't have to. Bullock nervously glanced at a stifled Ezra and then glanced back over to me.

"Of course your majesty..." Bullock stood and bowed "Ezra.." he said his goodbyes and exited the room. Ezra remained in deep thought, I can imagine, on how properly to communicate his concerns without being disparaging. I waited patiently...

"Your Majesty... If I could speak candidly with you for a moment?" Ezra spoke after a few minutes. I chuckled a bit,

"Oh... I was under the assumption we had been doing that already" I said, turning from the window that faced my daily nightmares and sitting on the edge of the desk along side Ezra.

"Not always," Ezra laughed a little as well before taking a deep breath in preparation, "I need to know if I'm protecting... one of you or... two?" He did not look me in the eyes as he finished the question but rather past me, through the window, his face reflecting the pain of that night as it flooded his memory. I felt the pain too, deep in parts inside of me I never revealed. The lack of eye contact made him seem ashamed and I could see this had been question Ezra had been longing to ask but could never find the right words.

Unintentionally, my hand brushed my stomach in a fluctuating motion and the mood in the room had changed. I couldn't see the changes in my body, or if my belly had grown since the night, my breasts felt larger, but with all the surrounding stress I hadn't been keeping up with things as I should. Myra says she can see the difference, she says my feet and breast are swelling and that the changes I experience will be gradual. She say's not only can she see it but she can feel it, the presence of life. She also tells me not to worry so much, that worrying makes the time seem slow and will stunt the baby's growth. That one makes me laugh, I am sure that was her intention, but I had hoped she believed what she was saying as much as I wanted too.

"You know what Sam said to me before he... about a week before that night?" Sams magnificent smile appeared to me in a vision of the past, with the smell of lavender scented candles and coconut oil in the bath water. My favorites, he knows, and he didn't mind.
"It's good for you" I said to Sam. This made him laugh, he’d brush the bottom of his lip softly against my collar bone, his breath a tickle against my chest. “It is…” I teased”
“I’m sure it is…” he reassured me, “but imagine what will be said about me,” he said it slowly, as not to offend “if I attend meetings with other nations leaders’… smelling like cocoa and—”
“Coconut Oil” I corrected.
“Coconut Oil” He smirked, emphazing the syllables as it rolled of his tounge “and lavender” we said that together.
“Hmm” I thought for a moment, “I’m sure they will think that the King of The Great Country of California is not only charismatic…” I kissed him on his cheek, “…handsome” I kissed him on his forehead, “and wise…” I kissed him on the lips, “but he also has good skin!” I exclaimed. This made him laugh, loudly and he pulled me closer into his embrace, after he took a sip from a glass of Pinot Noir.
“King and Queen, yes?” He asked kissing me on the shoulder this time. “You will be at these important occasions as well, hmm?” I could feel the energy of his grin radiating through me as he planted another kiss on my neck. I sighed heavily and remained in a nervous silence for a moment, avoiding all eye contact in hopes to hide my unspoken doubts. “Hello?” He said this time pulling back from me a bit so that our eyes may meet, and a look of concern appeared slightly in the bend of his eyebrows at the same time it appeared on mine. "Rose?" he asked again, and this time expected an answer.
“What if... I don't know, what if... I'm... not ready for all of that Sam." I said hesitantly.
"Oh?" He stated in his usual calming manner, his lips pursed in a way, after taking another sip of wine.
"It's just what are people going to expect from me? I don't have experience in this kind of thing."
"And I do?" Sam asked seemingly amused. I rolled my eyes as Sam seemed to relax a bit.
"It's different with you, your a natural at this thing. You walk in a room and people automatically fall in line, they hang off of every word you say, they smile and laugh at your jokes. Even when your not funny! But to them your always funny, and charismatic. You've been that way your whole life, since high school, and I was always just the--"
"The young, full of life, beautiful, strong, way smarter than I could ever be, modest, most talented woman around..." Sam saved me from my narcissistic rant.
"Oh yea, and whoever thought that?" I asked stubbornly.
"I did." I could no longer hold my straight face and we both broke into laughter.
"You have to say that, your my husband." I said kissing him lightly on the lips.
"Yes, I am your husband" He said returning a kiss on my shoulder, "but that doesn't make it any less true."
"No, but maybe a little bias."
"Let me tell you something, there is no world where you aren't meant to be a leader, and my queen." he said this time handing me the glass to sip wine out of.
"Hmm..." I sighed, listening but not really.
"Can I let you in on a secret?" Sam asked, and I nodded. "Being a leader is not so much about being in your head and knowing everything, but listening to your heart." he pressed his hand on the left side of his chest and then to mine. "It will always tell you what's right"
"Yea, and what does your heart tell you?" I teased
"Tells me you need to stop acting like a queen... and be one." I gasped and Sam let out yet another loud laugh. I splashed him with the bath water in which he laughed even harder before drawing me into a long kiss. "I love you and I love that beautiful dream you're growing in side of you... I will go through whatever means to protect you."
"I believe you." I whispered...

"He told me I need to stop acting like a queen and be one. Can you believe that?" Ezra joined me in a pained laughter.
"Yea, that sounds like him." He replied.
"I can feel her, Ezra, growing and living inside of me... and I know that sounds crazy, and I know what the doctors said, but I can. Just like I can feel that man up there I can feel her. I can feel them telling me not give up on them, not to listen to what everyone else is saying, but to listen to my heart, and what I must do..." I said this turning face to face with Ezra. "It is my duty to avenge my husband, not only because it is what this country needs but because I know it is what he would do for me... and for you." I could hear Ezra's sharp intake of breath, nodding in agreement after.
"I will alert you when the plans are drawn up." Ezra swiftly rose to exit the room.
"Ezra," I called out as he was reaching for the door handle.
"Thank you." He nodded again this time with a smile.
"My Queen," He exited and I sensed he understood