Made For Gold

Like Mother, Like Daughter

When I wake up the feeling of dread hits me. Tonight is the night. The night we're going to kill the queen. I guess I can't say 'we' because I'm not doing much. I'm just aware. I get ready and start on my long list of things I need to do. Talk to Gai about tonight and his role, find Harriet because she seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, and warn Timone. The last thing we need is to have the trainee get killed instead of the droid.

I get into my overalls and button up shirt and set out on my mission. I'm hoping to find Harriet first because there's a lot I need to confront her about. I start down to the machinery which is mostly empty. But there are still a few people there so I hope that Harriet is one of them. I weave my way through the machinery to the back room.

"Took you long enough to come back," I tell her. She looks up from whatever she's working on. She looks surprised by what I said. I don't really care because she knew my mom but didn't bother to tell me.

"I'm sorry? I told you I had to deal with personal business, sorry if I didn't make that clear." I scoff which deepens her confusion.

"I guess I didn't realize that planning the new queen's death was personal." Her eyes go wide. She opens her mouth to speak but I beat her to it. "Sorry for coming off rude but I have a few questions for you if you don't mind."

"Look kid, My reasoning-"

"I'm not asking about your reasoning. I'm here to ask you about my mother. Why didn't you tell me you knew her?" She sighs and runs her hand through her short grey hair. She shakes her head and says,

"Because I didn't know where you stood. I mean, sure, you're Charlotte's kid but how was I supposed to know you wouldn't stab me in the back? I was trying to protect us as a whole. And, be honest, wouldn't you have asked how I knew her? She wasn't a very social person."

"Fine, that's reasonable. But what was the point of building the droid?"

"Remember when I told you that everyone has their reasons for sticking around? That was mine. I was gathering information about the royal family when she died. After my son died from the war they put him in, I joined the others who pledged themselves to freedom. Leaving would've made me look suspicious. Especially after how long I've worked here. So I stuck around after and made sure to solidify our plan. I even made sure she'd glitch to hint at the truth."

"You planned that?" I ask as she nods. "That could've cost us so much, what on earth were you thinking?" She shrugs nonchalantly making me feel more livid than I was. She would have risked everything for a 'small hint'. But I guess there's no going back now.

"So now what are you going to do? Rat me out?" I shake my head.

"Not in the way you think." I continue to tell her how Jax and I wanted to tell Gail and Timone about the plan. I explain how the cycle will repeat itself if we don't end the monarchy entirely and Gail seems to be the perfect person to do that. "He hates the droid as much as we do."

"You have my blessing, do what you please. But before you go I want to give you something." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a chain. No, a necklace. "It was your mothers actually."

"I know." She wore it for as long as I could remember. She told me it was from my father, he gave it to her when they were kids, way before they were married. Harriet passes it to me. On the bronze chain rests a vine-wrapped heart about the size of a pinkie nail. I close my fist around it.

"Now go finish telling the two boys about tonight, I'll be here planning. I'll see you then."

"I'll see you tonight Harriet."

~*~

After talking with Timone I head to find Gail. Timone didn't really react to the plan, he just nodded along the whole time. I don't blame him, it sounds crazy. He said that he'll make sure to stay out of our way and then pointed me in the direction of where he last seen Gail.

I enter the Keep where almost all the servants are, whether they're cleaning or decorating. It's almost like a maze of people. I dance my way around until I quite literally run into him.

"I need to talk to you. It's urgent." A servant tries to get his attention, talking about wrong color decorations. He immediately dismisses it telling her to go ask one of the other courtiers. He leads me out of the Keep into a hallway I've never seen before.

"This hallway is only used by the courtiers and they won't be here for at least another hour," He explains. I take a deep breath and start explaining everything up to this point.

"This leads us up to now. I know we don't know each other well but hear me out. The Blackburns almost ran the country into the ground way before Maci had a chance to touch the throne. If my knowledge is correct, so has every other monarchy. We need a change of government. We think that this change will be you. You care about the country of Newpalma more than any other worker here, you would be a perfect leader. Plus, you told me you know a lot about the government. So what do you say?"

He pauses and stares at me. I do feel bad dropping this on him so suddenly but we didn't have this plan until a few nights ago. I was so caught up in the perfection of the plan it never really crossed my mind that he would deny the position.

"Technically I have the upper hand in elections because of my current position. We'd still have to hold one and work out the type of government right off the bat." He continues to mumble things that I can't even comprehend. He looks up at me looking slightly confused.

"So, you're saying yes?" He chuckles and says,

"Yes River, I'm agreeing to your term. Now go get ready, I'll have someone bring you your outfit and mask. I'll see you soon."

"Thank you Gail, see you tonight."