More Titles ~ 10

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Chapter Ten

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The family had gone to a beach on a lake, but no one who knew about them had discovered that place yet. When they came back, Anna Margaret had Florian take photos of Alex in his new outfit for their Instagram account.

Florian was pretty thrilled with the assignment. He had attended a high-profile dinner as a crown prince a few days ago, but he had moved into the family villa as soon as the others had arrived. At his age he still preferred to be with his family and to do informal things.

That evening Isabelle had decided they would go out to dinner, to prevent more supermarket antics.

Anna Margaret was glad that at home she never had to inform any security of where she was going, only Frederick did. She felt she would very quickly grow tired of doing that every day. It felt as if she would no longer be in control of her own movements. There was always someone who could advise against it – and to be honest, there was so very little a security officer could actually do. They must have a miserable job, always looking out for threats that were not there.

But she gathered it was more relaxed here than at home. Until everybody knew where they were. It would be easy to follow them home from the rowing stadium, of course. It was unclear to her what one or two officers could do to prevent anything on such a walk.

Their being lodged in the garden house with a fairly good view of the pool was not exactly comforting either. “You mentioned transgressions by the pool,” she said to Isabelle. “But when do you ever get to transgress by the pool anyway, when it’s in full view of the garden house?”

“Not that pool,” Isabelle agreed. “But the hot tub is all right.”

“Do you actually transgress in the hot tub?”

“Not today.”

“How can you have six children when there’s always someone keeping an eye on you?”

“They mostly came into being before there were people keeping an eye on me. But I do draw a line somewhere. They are not always keeping an eye on me. Children are far worse, because they don’t understand the concept of privacy. You’d better get number two underway before number one starts walking and opening doors.”

“Number two...” She did not even know if that was the plan yet.

“You don’t have to go up to number six,” Isabelle reassured her. “I didn’t even plan to myself. But I think you’ll be able to handle three to five. You showed that you could.”

“Except that they always say that children don’t listen to their own parents.”

“There’s that. But anyway, can’t the prime minister push the idea of less security?”

“Citing the hot tub?”

“Not necessarily. But just the general logistics of it. It’s difficult enough to find houses or restaurants large enough to accommodate a family of seven – or eight – adults, but you always have to take into account several other people, or else they’ll shoot it down as unprotectable. Which half of the time is just someone justifying his own importance and not an actual fact.”

She would agree.

“And the hot tub,” Isabelle continued, “is not the best example. Queens don’t get up to naughty things. They get that all over with while they’re still princesses. Which is why people didn’t understand where Max came from. I got the impression some people genuinely didn’t understand. People who were not my children. Adult people with knowledge of biology.”

“Well, I have to say that before I knew a queen I didn’t think they’d be into that either. But then, I wasn’t into it myself.”

“Actually...” Isabelle said reflectively. “I have less of a need of it when we’ve already had enough private time. But a baby needs only one moment, so that isn’t really an indication of anything.”

“Did it bother you that people were discussing it?”

“For a while it did. But now...I think I’m more relaxed about it. I was brought up to think these things don’t happen, but they do. I was already not living according to those ideas, but they were still there somehow. Which does not mean,” she said in another tone, “that I approve of Florian trying these things out. Which he can’t now, anyway, because he’s always being watched. Fifteen minutes in a supermarket while security is outside is not long enough.”

“Not usually, no.”

“The social and financial costs of this are...disproportionate at times.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” But she doubted it was a lot.

“It’s for the children, mostly.”

---

The next day was more or less spent in the same way. The children slept in and then went to an aquapark. Anna Margaret read documents and went for a walk with Isabelle and the little boys to see some goats and sheep, which took them longer than expected.

“They’ll say we could have gone into Paris,” said Anna Margaret.

“We could have,” Isabelle agreed. “But we chose not to. We also need to work on our figures, or else they’ll call us fat.”

“Was Philip allowed to go out in the meantime?” asked Anna Margaret as they neared the supermarket. As far as she knew everyone else was keeping the protection officers occupied.

“I’m sure they would rather he didn’t, but someone needs to do the shopping and they can’t expect us always to go out as a group. We’re already having trouble coordinating who takes the house keys.”

“Did we take a key?”

“No, we didn’t, otherwise Philip could not go out.”

“Should we call him to see if we need to buy anything?”

“I can track his phone and he can track mine.”

Anna Margaret had never heard of this option. “Seriously?”

“Only for this trip.”

“But that means...”

“He’s already back.”

“Are you also tracking the children?”

“Yes.”

“Are they tracking you?”

“Could be. I had to give them that option, but I don’t think they find that as exciting. It’s not actually specific down to room-level.”

They had now passed the rowing stadium grounds and were entering the other part of the town. They were not the only ones walking there. Rowing fans were returning to their hotels or other accommodations, but since Frederick had not raced today, they were primarily fans from other countries.

“Are the children back from the aquapark yet?”

Isabelle checked her phone. “They’re on their way.”

---

On the day of the quarterfinal, they all headed towards the rowing stadium again. Anna Margaret had not had a comfortable trek to a seat halfway up the stands on the first day with a baby, so when they got there she said she would stay in the restaurant. Isabelle decided to join her.

“It was so high and so scary and so crowded. I just can’t do it today,” Anna Margaret said. “I felt I had to do it the other day, but I really wasn’t comfortable.”

“We’ll go when they text us that the race has started and then we can still see the finish without having to climb up to a seat.”

“Oh, that sounds so much better,” Anna Margaret said in relief. “I don’t want to let him down, even though he won’t see us anyway. But suppose something vital happens and I didn’t see it?”

“I have to say I understood why taking babies was not recommended. Thankfully neither of them decided to poop during the heats, but we’d probably not be as lucky today.”

A passing man, wearing blue and gold, hesitantly stopped by their table. He addressed Anna Margaret and then looked at Alex. “Excuse me. Is that Alex? I saw the outfit on Instagram and I know Alex from Strava, but...” He was evidently confused because Isabelle was holding him – the wrong mother.

“Alex, are you on Strava?” Anna Margaret exclaimed. Alex heard his mother’s voice and smiled widely.

“First he was only in photos and now he’s got his own account,” the man explained. “I’m sorry. You didn’t know?”

Anna Margaret looked at Isabelle helplessly. “What? His own account?”

“What is Strava?” Isabelle wondered.

“Sit down,” Anna Margaret ordered the man. “Show me. Which sports does he do?”

“Swimming, boxing and weights.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes, but not in a bad way. “And grown-up people follow this account?”

“Er, yes,” the man admitted. He was scrolling on his phone and then showed it to Anna Margaret.

Isabelle leant in for a look as well. They both laughed.

“Wait...” Anna Margaret squinted. “That is an unauthorised picture of me in swimwear from yesterday.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” said Isabelle. “Frederick won’t post ugly photos of you. But I’d like to know what happens if I inadvertently do workouts with Alex. We need to get our own accounts to monitor this. Is my husband on this?” she asked the man.

“I don’t know, Madam.”

“We swim. I didn’t think he logged it, but apparently you never know with men.”

“We run...” Anna Margaret gave the man a doubtful look.

“Yes, I know.”

“Photos?”

“Sometimes.”

“Oh, that’s it. We’re getting our own account. Later. We’re now here for the race. Thank you for informing us. How did you start following him?”

“We spoke about nutrition on Twitter once and then started following each other on Strava. I didn’t know who it was, though, until I saw on the maps where he ran.”

“Oh, that app,” said Isabelle. “Caused a huge row. All the objectors have since then been fired, so it’s supposed to be common sense regulating it now. But if we are not involved, maybe it isn’t.”

Anna Margaret tried to smile politely, but she was reminded of the meetings she had insisted on attending a year ago. They had not really wanted her to attend the revisions and evaluations of the personal security of ‘first-category persons’ and they had certainly not liked her insisting that no expansion of the measures was necessary. They had probably not liked apps either.

An official-looking man in a suit with earpieces hurried nearer and was clearly intent on speaking to them. Frederick’s Strava follower looked worried. “Oh, I’m not allowed to talk to you?”

Isabelle gave the man with the earpieces a look and then shrugged. “No, we don’t know that man. It’s a Frenchman. He probably doesn’t like babies.”

The Frenchman obsequiously spoke to the ladies in French, asking if they were indeed the queen and the prime minister. Isabelle confirmed it. She asked to see his credentials and then remarked that anyone could make an accreditation like that.

Anna Margaret inwardly died at the lack of logic in that move, considering how she had been perfectly fine with confirming her own identity verbally, but the Frenchman kept on trying to prove his identity.

“I do not generally speak to strange men,” said Isabelle.

Frederick’s Strava follower still feared the man had come to remove him because he had dared to speak to a queen and he still looked alarmed.

The Frenchman wished to know why they had normal tickets.

“Because we want to see one race and we have babies,” said Isabelle.

“I can offer you an upgrade to the exclusive lounge,” said the Frenchman.

“No, thank you. We have several children with us.”

“No problem! Children can come.”

Isabelle smiled politely. “I don’t think that’s worth the money for seven minutes, but I appreciate the offer.”

“But for free? We cannot allow you to sit here!”

“Why not?”

“You are a guest in the country! We must give you the welcome you deserve.” He looked as if the whole nation would be affronted if she kept saying no.


“Oh well. Let me text my husband to see if he’ll give me permission to go with you.” Isabelle started to text.

“What if he says no?” Anna Margaret asked in their own language.

“Do you really think I’m asking for permission?” She kept looking at her phone until she had an answer. Then she looked back at the Frenchman and spoke in French. “He approves.”