Page 25 of Royal Rebel

“So Jesse lost his car.” Her voice is dry as we’re cleaning ourselves up.

I laugh loudly. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“I mean you wanted me to tell you.”

Pulling her in my arms, I wrap them around her waist before laying back against the pillows again. “Now.” I kiss her nose. “We can watch the rest of the movie.”

CHAPTER 14

AMELIA

“Amelia, I’m Charlotte, nice to meet you.”

The woman in front of me holds out her hand. She looks to be early forties, dressed as if she’s a member of the royal family and avoids my eyes as I try to get a good look at her.

“Hi, Charlotte, nice to meet you too. May I ask”—I take a sip of my coffee—“what are you here to teach me, because you’re obviously here to teach me something.”

She smiles patiently before pulling a briefcase from behind her body. I’m not sure if she was hiding it from me, but it wasn’t completely visible. “You’re observant, Amelia. Can I call you Amelia?”

“Please do.” I nod. There’s not a title attached to my name yet, and for now, I like it that way. I prefer for people to treat me as they would their friend, instead of being intimidated by who I’m going to be.

“Do you have an office?” Her gaze takes in what’s left ofmy breakfast and coffee. Apparently she doesn’t want to get into whatever it is we have to discuss at the kitchen counter.

“I believe I do.” I push my hair back from my face. “I’ve not used it yet, so I’m not exactly sure where it is. For the past week or so, Tristan and I have been getting to know one another, there hasn’t been any need for an office.” I feel the need to explain, feeling stupid, because I didn’t even realize I’d need such a place. Especially here.

Parker appears out of nowhere—he’s very good at that. “Ma’am, your office is right off the second landing of the stairs. To the left, first door. Tristan’s is the third door down that hall.”

So if we’re both working in our offices, we’ll be close to each other for the day. For some reason that warms my chest and makes me halfway giddy. Maybe it’s because yesterday, I had no idea what he was doing for the entire day, just like he had no idea what I was doing.

“I’ll show you up,” I tell Charlotte as I grab my plate, taking it over to the sink.

One of the women who works in the kitchen, I’m still not sure of her name, grabs it from my hands. “Ms. Amelia, how many times have I told you to leave it?”

More than I care to be reminded of, but I’m used to cleaning up after myself, and it’s a hard habit to break. “I’m trying.” It’s the same thing I’ve told her every morning since I arrived.

“Try harder, Ms. Amelia. This is what I’m here for.”

I sigh, nodding. “If you’ll follow me, we’ll go up to the office.”

As I enter the room I absolutely knew nothing about, I wonder who decorated it. It’s not really in my style, and I make a mental note to check with Tristan to see if I can change it. They won’t be huge changes, but there are some that would make me feel more comfortable. As Charlotte walks in, I close the door to give us some privacy, before going around and having a seat behind the desk.

This feels completely odd and out of character for me, but it appears to be what she expects me to do. “Okay, what can I help you with?”

She reaches into her briefcase, pulling out one of the biggest stacks of paper I’ve ever seen. “These are all charitable entities that would like you to support them, Amelia.”

“What?” I’m astonished as she keeps pulling papers out. It’s like the never-ending bag—like that thing in Harry Potter that doesn’t have a bottom to it.

“Part of your duties to the royal family will be picking charities to support, and you want to make sure you throw your support behind causes you care about. Things you believe in, and to a point, things that will make the palace look good. It’s your duty to do your research, to make this decision to the best of your ability. And this”—she taps the papers—“is where you’re going to begin. You have a week to get through all of these and select possibly fifteen that we can whittle down even further. I’ll be back to speak with you about what you’ve learned.”

She gets up from her seat and I feel as if I’ve been dismissed instead of her. “I look forward to seeing what’s been offered.”

“Oh dear, it’s a little bit of everything. No need to show me out, I know the way.”

As I sink back down into my seat. I wonder what in theworld I’ve gotten myself into. The pile of papers in front of me looks absolutely daunting, but I reach forward, grabbing the first folder and start reading to see what gets my interest.

Two hours later, my mind is blown. First because of how detailed this information is, and second by how some people in our country don’t have basic needs. This will definitely be something I take a stand on. I’d had my mind made up previously when Tristan had asked me. Now, I’m wondering if I have enough in me to help all these people. My eyes are starting to cross when I hear a knock on the door.

“Yes?”

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