A Death in the Family

Chapter ii

Queen Constance II was a direct descendant of Elizabeth I, the last of the true monarchs of the 21st century. The only daughter of King Alexander and Queen Constance I, she assumed the throne at 68 after her father passed of old age at 97 and her mother less than a year later. Born Beverly Eunice Windsor, she changed her name to honor her mother, who was indeed quite popular among her subjects. She and her late-husband, Prince Connor, had two children: Frederick, 49, and Sarah, 41. Now, at 78 rumors abound of her abdicating and allowing Fredrick to assume the throne; but that plan is now in shambles. As of Suri's arrival, the death of Prince Frederick had managed to be hidden from the public, but the lust for news about the royal family would soon break and then the entire planet would know within hours; if not minutes.

The list of individuals that could waltz into the Royal Palace unannounced was less than two dozen. After the heightened security, that number could be counted on one hand. Suri was numbered among the latter. Besides being an honored member of the Queen's court, her Inspector status allowed her access to high level areas; and the fact that her mother and the Queen were childhood friends didn't hurt, either. She was led by two palace guards to the Royal bedroom, where the queen sat weeping. Upon seeing Suri, she leapt up and hugged her.

"My dear, please come sit with me," the forlorn Queen asked. I'm trying to calm down enough to have some tea."

"Your Majesty, I am sorry for your loss..." Suri began.

The queen smiled through tears. "Little Su-Su, there is no need for pomp and circumstance at a time like this."

Suri produced a tear. "Auntie Bev, I'm so very sorry. Freddie and I were never close, because he was already away at university when I was born. But I know how much he loved you and his sister. I hate to be official at a time such as this, but I am handling his case personally and I need any information you can provide." Suri's tears stopped. One of her personal attributes was the ability to turn her emotions on and off like a switch. It was quite unsettling to those around her; especially Michelle.

The queen forced a smile. "Su-Su, I don't know what I could tell you. The 10 years I have spent on the throne have aged me fifty. I informed Freddie of my decision to abdicate last year so he could begin to get his affairs in order, and I let it slip to the media about 6 months ago that it was a possibility. But I don't know if someone or some group opposes his ascension to monarch, or if it is a personal grudge against him. He has made some mistakes; but he is a good boy."

Mistakes. Suri thought. Back on the Motherworld, the people of the United Kingdom had become so tired of the royal's lavish lifestyle that parliament was petitioned dozens of times to dissolve the monarchy altogether; which explained why two of the three planets that were settled by the once great British Empire wanted nothing to do with the throne at all. After the crown was moved from the Motherworld to Planet Britain, many checks and balances were set into place to keep the monarchy from falling into the same state of decay. But Alexander's refusal to abdicate until his death allowed his grandson Fredrick to assume he had no chance at the throne until his twilight years, causing him to become the brash young playboy that caused the commoners to dislike the monarchy ten generations ago back on Earth. As the legends of his frivolity abounded, so did his infamy. He was rumored to have several girlfriends and possibly even two children (which would obviously muddy up the claim to the throne after his death or abdication), and his lavish lifestyle was always in the tabloids. He was a source of embarrassment to both his sister and his mother, to the point that rumors began surfacing that he was on the verge of being disowned; which would sever any chance of taking the throne.