[Lauchenoiria]

I’ll make you happy, baby

 

“We have to call an election,” Kristensen said glumly as they left the helicopter, taking shelter with the Royal Family in the palace – the only place in the country the security services believed was sufficiently defendable from their own citizenry.
 
“I agree, it’s the only way to prevent this from slipping over into civil war,” Eliassen agreed, nodding nervously as if a protester was about to jump out from hiding behind a pebble. Tomasson just nodded, trailing along. He was the least important partner in the coalition, and had become nothing more than a yes man.
 
“Rocks… well, I’ll call the media and get it over with. At least this way they won’t literally kill us. I expect the general public will be pleased.”

 

Just wait and see

 

The betting shops in Zongongia, as well as in several other nations where they thought people would have any interest, were already quickly calculating the odds of victory for each party as soon as the election was announced. They, of course, had ongoing data but so much had happened over the last 24 hours to affect it. Several of the executives at these companies were blinking at their computers or their statisticians and asking them if they were quite sure the calculations were correct. Yes, they would respond.
 
The bookies were nervous. If they trusted their systems, they ought to accept what was in front of them. But with money on the line, and such seemingly impossible predictions, not all of them were willing to put their trust in the idea that Zongongians would turn their backs on a hundred years of history. The odds published online were more conservative than the statistics suggested. The statisticians pursed their lips in annoyance.

 

For every kiss you give me

 

The King and Queen of Zongongia were waiting to greet their guests from the parliament. The Queen had been very quiet about this whole affair, preferring to hide in the background than stick her neck out to verbally defend her husband or son from all the allegations. It had led to some criticism from their supporters in parliament.
 
“Dear, why don’t I do this alone?” King Osvald suggested. The Queen merely nodded and stood to leave. Osvald took her hand and gave it a quick kiss; to which she smiled slightly before turning and exiting the throne room.

 

I’ll give you three

 

Fifteen minutes later, the Queen was in her private, unshared bedchamber with her lady’s maid. They were both naked. And in the bed. And certainly not sleeping.

 

Oh, since the day I saw you

 

“That bitch!” Prince Kristofer spat, kicking a table over. “She fooled us all! This is all a Kerlian plot, I’m telling you! LET ME OUT!” he screamed, throwing an already-broken chair at the door. His father had ordered him locked in his room after the assassin incident. No visitors other than immediate family.
 
There was no response to his tantrum.
 
“When I’m king, I’ll have you all EXECUTED!” he screamed through the door at the guards, kicking the door again for good measure. He leaned back against the door and surveyed his trashed room. If only he had never laid eyes on Natasha Robinson, this could all have been avoided.

 

I have been waiting for you

 

In an unmarked office building in an unnamed city, a hand was writing on a chalkboard, doing calculations. The owner of the hand looked back at their work every so often, going in to make corrections. Eventually, they nodded, satisfied, and placed the piece of chalk back down gently as they went to make their report.

 

You know I will adore you

 

Natasha Robinson kissed Benjamin on the head as he fed from her breast as her own mother handed her a cup of herbal tea and she watched her sister playing games on her phone across the room. She felt a warm safety. She had no regrets.

 

Til eternity

 

Or not. Did you really think it would end there?
 

The story of the Robinsons will continue in Echoes of a Hidden Past.

The story of Zongongia will continue on September 12th, Election Day.