But Most of All
The Announcement
The crowd numbered in the thousands at Whenuapai airbase in Auckland. The Kiwis had turned out in full force to welcome Prince Harry on his Royal Tour, and since it was his first time in New Zealand, the Prime Minister and his government were keen to show off. They were eager to display their country’s beauty – its sweeping landscapes, the rugged mountains, breathtaking glaciers and the fiords that were more captivating than their Norwegian and Icelandic counterparts. It was not only the land that they wanted to show, it was also the charming villages and metropolitan areas that boasted the luxury and amenities of the large cities in Europe. That was why they packed the itinerary so tightly, whey they hardly gave the prince any breathing room.
After all, he was only to be there a week and there was far too much to be seen in that limited amount of time. That was why the Prime Minister had partnered with various communities and tour guides to ensure that Harry experienced only the best that New Zealand had to offer. They spent their days on the road, going from one location to another. It was with pride that the Prime Minister accompanied the prince, and it was with immense pleasure that the Prime Minister walked into Parliament alongside Harry on his final day in New Zealand. The country and its people were charming, that there was no denying, but Parliament was his domain. It was where he led and he immensely enjoyed leading Harry though its halls, and Harry paid all the usual compliments that were expected of him.
It was visits to government buildings that Harry disliked most of all. He hated being paraded around the halls by whoever was in power. He didn’t care about meeting politicians or knowing what legislation so and so were working on. That was tedious. Not to mention, it wasn’t any of his business. As a member of the Royal Family it was his duty to remain politically neutral, which was undoubtedly one of the reasons why politics bored him. He hadn’t been raised to be engaged in them, politics were something other people did. It was his duty to go out amongst the people, to engage them in conversation and flash his smile and use his charm. That was what he was good at. That was what he enjoyed most about Royal Tours. It was for that reason that the first six days had been so enjoyable. He had been out amongst the public, been out on horseback, gone kayaking with university students, and immersed himself in Maori culture, but now the fun was over and he had to humor the Prime Minister as he led him down the many corridors and introduced him to various Members of Parliament.
He spent three agonizing hours in that manner and feared that he would spend the rest of the day like that, but thankfully for his sanity, the Prime Minister announced that there was only one stop left on their tour through Parliament – his son’s office.
It had been agreed that Callum would stand outside his office to welcome Prince Harry. That was what his father had specified for him to do and knowing very well that his father was merely trying to show off how accomplished he was, Callum agreed to go along with it. After all, that was what he always did whenever a high profile guest visited parliament. His father would give them a grand tour that would conveniently end at his son’s office, which meant that Callum was accustomed to being paraded about. There were times when he didn’t quite feel up to that, but he knew it was his place to do so and he knew that charming whoever came to his office was his duty, not only to his father but to his own personal ambitions. That was why when his father’s aide sent a message stating that they were on their way, Callum left his personal office and stepped into the staff area. The staffers knew he wasn’t to be bothered at that moment, which was why he so quickly made his way into the waiting room. He was nearly to the door when a familiar name caught his attention, and sure enough, when he turned, they were talking about an old friend of his.
The television was tuned to an international news channel that was currently airing programming regarding the upcoming 2016 American elections. It normally focused exclusively on the presidential election, Hillary Clinton and her Republican opponent provided ample material to cover, but on that day, something unexpected happened – a former royal girlfriend announced that she was running for office and that was worth cutting down the presidential election coverage by a few minutes.
“Earlier today, Ms. Balcázar announced her intention to run for the empty Senate seat that the late Senator Stevenson left. Her announcement was made on The Rachel Matthews Show, a news and opinion program that airs on MSNBC. The following is a clip from that interview.”
Callum watched with interest as his friend appeared on screen.
“And you’ve been on the frontline of the immigration debate,” spoke Matthews. “During your time as the late Senator Stevenson’s personal aide, you assisted her with town halls regarding the issue and not only that, you were actually arrested alongside her during a demonstration. So now that context has been given for the viewers who might not have been familiar with your track record on the issue – what is your opinion on the federal judges that have spent the last year and a half blocking President Obama’s executive action on immigration.”
“I am of the opinion that these federal judges in traditionally Republican states are blocking the implementation of the President’s executive action as a favor to the GOP. They are keeping the immigration debate alive, they are ensuring that it is still an issue for the 2016 election, that way the Republican Presidential candidate, along with the candidates for the Senate and House, can use the issue as a scare tactic. They will blame everything that is going wrong in this country on the immigrants. The immigrants will be the reason why you can’t find a job, the immigrants are the reason why the terror threat is high, the immigrants are the reason why drugs are flooding the streets – immigrants are their scapegoat. And we’ve seen that so far in this election cycle. We’ve heard would be Senators and Representatives stating that every single immigrant that has come through Mexico has been a drug mule. That was a statement that the GOP denounced back in 2013 when Rep. Steve King uttered those vile words, but now those same words are becoming part of their everyday rhetoric. And it’s because the party has steadily become more radical, it’s being pushed further and further to the right by the Tea Party and other conservative movements, which has put pressure on the more moderate politicians to become more conservative, otherwise they will be ousted by someone who fits the new mold. That’s a huge issue. The Tea Party has forced the Republican Party into an awkward position, because the Republicans recognize that they need the Hispanic vote if they want to take back the White House, but the Tea Party forces them to alienate their would be voters. The Tea Party and the conservative extremists are the reason why these federal judges are blocking the implementation of the executive action, and I am disgusted by it. I am disgusted that in a state like California, where nearly 38% percent of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, we have Republican candidates who openly target our community. That’s unacceptable. And I’ve been vocal about my opposition to Thomas Henderson and the other Republican candidates. I have spoken out against them time and time again, but I can no longer in good conscience simply be vocal about it. I refuse to let Senator Steven’s seat to be taken by an individual who doesn’t understand that diversity is California’s true strength beauty. That’s why I would like to formally announce my intention to run for the United States Senate.”
Callum was so engrossed by the news that he failed to notice when Harry and his father arrived. Not that it mattered all that much. The moment Harry heard her voice, he immediately went in search of it and when he saw her on that screen, he had time for nothing else. He slowly crept towards the television, completely obvious to the Prime Minister who was trying to introduce him to his son. All he could focus on was her. She was so different from the last time he’d seen her. Her cheeks were no longer hollow, they had regained their rosiness, and her hair was longer, much longer than she’d ever had it during her time with him, but what struck him most was the way she presented herself. He had often heard her speak of her political aspirations, he’d known all along that she dreamed of being a distinguished Senator, but despite her academic achievements and passion, he never really saw her in that light. Even when she was running around Washington with Warren, he hadn’t taken her political ambitions seriously. That was a childhood dream that would never come into fruition. She was destined to be his wife – the mother of his children!
That was how he had seen her.
Yet there she was, announcing to the world that she would be running for Senate. It was strange, hearing her talk like that. It made him think of that unfortunate night in Harvard, when he showed up expecting her to run off with him. She had turned him down by saying that she wasn’t prepared to sacrifice her political future for him, and he had found that absurd. What political future did she have? What was certain for her? She might have been running around Washington with Warren, but that didn’t mean that one of those offices would be reserved for her, that didn’t mean that people would support her and vote her into Congress. He had thought her naïve. She was throwing away a life with him to risk it all on something that would very likely not work out, and that’s what he’d thought for so many years. He thought she’d regret her decision and find her way back to him. He had loved her far too deeply to not harbor just a little hope, but now that he saw her on that screen, now that she had announced her formal entry into American politics, he felt in his heart that their paths would never cross again.
“She’s actually done it.” Callum broke the silence. “All those years of going on about how she’d be there, and how she’s having a go at it. Can you believe it?”
“I can indeed,” said Harry. He suddenly remembered where he was and why he was there, and wanting to get things over with as quickly as possible, he stretched out his hand to Callum and said, “It’s lovely seeing you again."
After all, he was only to be there a week and there was far too much to be seen in that limited amount of time. That was why the Prime Minister had partnered with various communities and tour guides to ensure that Harry experienced only the best that New Zealand had to offer. They spent their days on the road, going from one location to another. It was with pride that the Prime Minister accompanied the prince, and it was with immense pleasure that the Prime Minister walked into Parliament alongside Harry on his final day in New Zealand. The country and its people were charming, that there was no denying, but Parliament was his domain. It was where he led and he immensely enjoyed leading Harry though its halls, and Harry paid all the usual compliments that were expected of him.
It was visits to government buildings that Harry disliked most of all. He hated being paraded around the halls by whoever was in power. He didn’t care about meeting politicians or knowing what legislation so and so were working on. That was tedious. Not to mention, it wasn’t any of his business. As a member of the Royal Family it was his duty to remain politically neutral, which was undoubtedly one of the reasons why politics bored him. He hadn’t been raised to be engaged in them, politics were something other people did. It was his duty to go out amongst the people, to engage them in conversation and flash his smile and use his charm. That was what he was good at. That was what he enjoyed most about Royal Tours. It was for that reason that the first six days had been so enjoyable. He had been out amongst the public, been out on horseback, gone kayaking with university students, and immersed himself in Maori culture, but now the fun was over and he had to humor the Prime Minister as he led him down the many corridors and introduced him to various Members of Parliament.
He spent three agonizing hours in that manner and feared that he would spend the rest of the day like that, but thankfully for his sanity, the Prime Minister announced that there was only one stop left on their tour through Parliament – his son’s office.
It had been agreed that Callum would stand outside his office to welcome Prince Harry. That was what his father had specified for him to do and knowing very well that his father was merely trying to show off how accomplished he was, Callum agreed to go along with it. After all, that was what he always did whenever a high profile guest visited parliament. His father would give them a grand tour that would conveniently end at his son’s office, which meant that Callum was accustomed to being paraded about. There were times when he didn’t quite feel up to that, but he knew it was his place to do so and he knew that charming whoever came to his office was his duty, not only to his father but to his own personal ambitions. That was why when his father’s aide sent a message stating that they were on their way, Callum left his personal office and stepped into the staff area. The staffers knew he wasn’t to be bothered at that moment, which was why he so quickly made his way into the waiting room. He was nearly to the door when a familiar name caught his attention, and sure enough, when he turned, they were talking about an old friend of his.
The television was tuned to an international news channel that was currently airing programming regarding the upcoming 2016 American elections. It normally focused exclusively on the presidential election, Hillary Clinton and her Republican opponent provided ample material to cover, but on that day, something unexpected happened – a former royal girlfriend announced that she was running for office and that was worth cutting down the presidential election coverage by a few minutes.
“Earlier today, Ms. Balcázar announced her intention to run for the empty Senate seat that the late Senator Stevenson left. Her announcement was made on The Rachel Matthews Show, a news and opinion program that airs on MSNBC. The following is a clip from that interview.”
Callum watched with interest as his friend appeared on screen.
“And you’ve been on the frontline of the immigration debate,” spoke Matthews. “During your time as the late Senator Stevenson’s personal aide, you assisted her with town halls regarding the issue and not only that, you were actually arrested alongside her during a demonstration. So now that context has been given for the viewers who might not have been familiar with your track record on the issue – what is your opinion on the federal judges that have spent the last year and a half blocking President Obama’s executive action on immigration.”
“I am of the opinion that these federal judges in traditionally Republican states are blocking the implementation of the President’s executive action as a favor to the GOP. They are keeping the immigration debate alive, they are ensuring that it is still an issue for the 2016 election, that way the Republican Presidential candidate, along with the candidates for the Senate and House, can use the issue as a scare tactic. They will blame everything that is going wrong in this country on the immigrants. The immigrants will be the reason why you can’t find a job, the immigrants are the reason why the terror threat is high, the immigrants are the reason why drugs are flooding the streets – immigrants are their scapegoat. And we’ve seen that so far in this election cycle. We’ve heard would be Senators and Representatives stating that every single immigrant that has come through Mexico has been a drug mule. That was a statement that the GOP denounced back in 2013 when Rep. Steve King uttered those vile words, but now those same words are becoming part of their everyday rhetoric. And it’s because the party has steadily become more radical, it’s being pushed further and further to the right by the Tea Party and other conservative movements, which has put pressure on the more moderate politicians to become more conservative, otherwise they will be ousted by someone who fits the new mold. That’s a huge issue. The Tea Party has forced the Republican Party into an awkward position, because the Republicans recognize that they need the Hispanic vote if they want to take back the White House, but the Tea Party forces them to alienate their would be voters. The Tea Party and the conservative extremists are the reason why these federal judges are blocking the implementation of the executive action, and I am disgusted by it. I am disgusted that in a state like California, where nearly 38% percent of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, we have Republican candidates who openly target our community. That’s unacceptable. And I’ve been vocal about my opposition to Thomas Henderson and the other Republican candidates. I have spoken out against them time and time again, but I can no longer in good conscience simply be vocal about it. I refuse to let Senator Steven’s seat to be taken by an individual who doesn’t understand that diversity is California’s true strength beauty. That’s why I would like to formally announce my intention to run for the United States Senate.”
Callum was so engrossed by the news that he failed to notice when Harry and his father arrived. Not that it mattered all that much. The moment Harry heard her voice, he immediately went in search of it and when he saw her on that screen, he had time for nothing else. He slowly crept towards the television, completely obvious to the Prime Minister who was trying to introduce him to his son. All he could focus on was her. She was so different from the last time he’d seen her. Her cheeks were no longer hollow, they had regained their rosiness, and her hair was longer, much longer than she’d ever had it during her time with him, but what struck him most was the way she presented herself. He had often heard her speak of her political aspirations, he’d known all along that she dreamed of being a distinguished Senator, but despite her academic achievements and passion, he never really saw her in that light. Even when she was running around Washington with Warren, he hadn’t taken her political ambitions seriously. That was a childhood dream that would never come into fruition. She was destined to be his wife – the mother of his children!
That was how he had seen her.
Yet there she was, announcing to the world that she would be running for Senate. It was strange, hearing her talk like that. It made him think of that unfortunate night in Harvard, when he showed up expecting her to run off with him. She had turned him down by saying that she wasn’t prepared to sacrifice her political future for him, and he had found that absurd. What political future did she have? What was certain for her? She might have been running around Washington with Warren, but that didn’t mean that one of those offices would be reserved for her, that didn’t mean that people would support her and vote her into Congress. He had thought her naïve. She was throwing away a life with him to risk it all on something that would very likely not work out, and that’s what he’d thought for so many years. He thought she’d regret her decision and find her way back to him. He had loved her far too deeply to not harbor just a little hope, but now that he saw her on that screen, now that she had announced her formal entry into American politics, he felt in his heart that their paths would never cross again.
“She’s actually done it.” Callum broke the silence. “All those years of going on about how she’d be there, and how she’s having a go at it. Can you believe it?”
“I can indeed,” said Harry. He suddenly remembered where he was and why he was there, and wanting to get things over with as quickly as possible, he stretched out his hand to Callum and said, “It’s lovely seeing you again."
♠ ♠ ♠
© James Barnes;
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I didn’t want to go to in depth with this chapter. That’s a lie, I actually wrote a draft that was ten pages long but then I hated everything so I got back to writing and decided to keep it short. That said, the following three chapters will do a better job of exploring where Harry is at in his life and his reactions to the most important moments in Paulina’s campaign. The next chapters are going to be longer, Kate and Wills will make an appearance, the Royal family will be involved, Skippy will definitely play a part and we will meet Bridget. I didn’t want to go to in depth with this chapter. That’s a lie, I actually wrote a draft that was ten pages long but then I hated everything so I got back to writing and decided to keep it short. That said, the following three chapters will do a better job of exploring where Harry is at in his life and his reactions to the most important moments in Paulina’s campaign. The next chapters are going to be longer, Kate and Wills will make an appearance, the Royal family will be involved, Skippy will definitely play a part and there will of course be a bit of partying.