The Bodyguard » Niall Horan

40 » Meeting the Queen

Dressing up for someone like the Queen was something I had done before, but the dress code still surprised me.

I wore heels with an enclosed toe and heel, a black and white pleated dress that fell past my knees. It had been in my wardrobe for months without having an occasion to wear it to. 

Two weeks had passed since my kidnapping and the death of Chester Hargraves, my biological father. The occurrence was still visible on my jaw and my bandaged arms and wrists. The bandage had been taken off my neck a day earlier, and really bugged me. Despite all that, I had put some effort into doing my hair and putting some makeup on my face.

The Queen had sent over a car to pick me up. The car included a driver.

"Miss Fulton?" The man asked when I opened the door. He wore a complete suit with one of those long backs tuxedo jackets. " Yes," I replied.

"I'm here to pick you up on behalf of the Queen," he said. I nodded, and followed him to his car, closing the door behind me. The inside was as luxurious and clean as the most expensive hotel rooms on this planet. It even smelled lovely.

The driver wasn't a blabbermouth. He was probably used to it, considering he chauffeured the Queen and her entourage around the city.

"May I ask your name?" I asked him. He looked at me in his rearview mirror. A flash of disbelief flashed on his face. " Jerry," he replied.

" I don't mean to be rude or to sound ungrateful, but I could've driven to Buckingham Palace myself." 

Jerry snickered. "I don't doubt that, miss. The Queen, however, thought it was only fitting to pick up our guest of the day." 

" And no one goes against the Queen," I finished his sentence. Jerry smiled and nodded once. I stared out the window, at the passing people, shops and lovely houses.

"If I may be free to ask, how are you doing miss?" Jerry asked. I turned my face back to him.

"I'm still alive, in contrast to my biological father," I replied and shrugged.

"I'm sorry for your loss," He respectfully spoke. His face was so honest, that I couldn't bear to hurt him. I just nodded once and shifted my gaze back out the window.

The trip had been quite short when I received the Victoria Cross. It was shortly after I had landed, after one of the most difficult missions I'd ever been on. I still couldn't talk about what happened, so I was grateful the mission had been deemed classified. I joined Six only weeks later.

We passed the gates of The Bucket after we'd been checked by security. Jerry then drove me up the front steps of the Palace and had even helped me out of the car. I flashed him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Jerry." He just nodded slightly, eying my Victoria Cross. He swallowed and walked back to drivers' side of the car to park the car somewhere else. I followed the car until it went past the corner.

I gazed around the courtyard, gathering my guts to walk inside. I took a shivering breath and then turned to walk up the steps. A woman was waiting for me at the entrance.

"Mercer Fulton?" She asked though I could tell she recognized me. "That's me," I said and took my identification out of my clutch and showed it to her. She told me to follow her.

Normally there'd be several people who'd be receiving their cross. But this time, I was all alone in a small,  but still heavily decorated, Royalty-like room where the Queen would meet me. The woman told me to take a seat and offered me something to drink. I asked for a bit of water and watched her walk off.

I looked around. There was barely anything on the walls, indicating no one really 'lived' here. Quite logic, if you'd know Buckingham was only the place she worked. I knew she spent most of her time in Windsor Castle.