I kept my back straight and my muscles flexed as I prepared to walk on the stage and address the thousands of citizens waiting in the stadium. I went over the speech in my head. Memorizing what I was to say when I stepped in front of my subjects took up my two free days. From the morning awkwardness of waking up to a man in my bed till going to sleep either before or after him, I was rehearsing.
We made it clear our positions in governing. He had more knowledge than I on how to deal with the economic, social, and standards while I would handle the military. Our families would help along the way but I wanted to not ask them too many questions.
Standing behind the tower of metal, I heard the roar of thousands making idle chatter. The various sounds bounced off the concrete walls that encased us, sending vibrations down my body. To my side, Myles stood sweating bullets from his nervousness. I had been speaking in front of people for years, so a speech was nothing I worried about. I had tried to make him comfortable and was speaking so he would not have to, yet he still looked mortified at the idea of walking in front of everyone.
"They are ready for you two," Alejandro said. He and Mileta wore black body armor over jumpsuits. I nodded at him and followed behind him at a relaxed pace. The band played the official song of Panama, a percussion heavy melody as we hit our mark. I could feel the beat of the drums all over and conversations in the arena died out as we stepped into view.
The sea of people had their heads bowed as a sign of respect when they realized who walked onto the stage. Very few looked at us without bowing. Most people dressed in cider colored garments, some even waved flags, or had their faces painted.
It took exactly twenty steps to make it to the podium. Our guards moved behind us so we had the foreground. Standing there, I took in the sheer number of people and the weight of their expectations. I was sure of myself before standing in front of them, but that had changed into questioning if I was ready to take on the task.
Steel yourself.
Clearing my throat, I looked out at the people and spoke.
"Good Afternoon, my fellow Panamanians. My name is Prince Bernardo Rouanet. I apologize, Prince Bernardo Cider-Rouanet. One of the new princes of Panama and every territory under its name. My husband, Prince Myles Porter Cider-Rouanet and I have the responsibility of ensuring the prosperity of this highly contested land. My goal for the future is to bring this kingdom up to the standards of both the South American Kingdom and North American Union."
The words came out slower in Spanish than they would have in English, but I made my point. As I spoke, I watched the reaction of the people in the stands.
"We understand that this change is both rapid and unannounced and come to you humbled as we learn our responsibilities to you all. With that we ask you to remain patient as we acclimate to our new responsibilities and be vigilant in your duties as citizens. We accept the esteemed duty to protect this beautiful land and lead it to a prosperity the world has withheld it from in the past." I let the words soak in.
"Our job is to repair the damage caused by decades of intercontinental battles inflicted by greed and jealousy. I want you and the world to know how mindful we are of this duty. We also would like to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the citizens who went to work for the betterment of all of our home and want you to know that work won't continue to go unseen." The crowd applauded my comment, so I let them go without cutting in.
Looking over at Myles, I saw he had calmed considerably. A further glance revealed those golden eyes I had not seen since the wedding day. He was taking in every reaction from which was what got him calm. He prepared himself for a cold introduction and jeering. I did not expect my speech to get received well since I was not a traditional orator, but the crowd gleefully responded to what I had to say.
"This land will fail if reliant only on the merit, intelligence, and adroitness of the royal family. It will succeed in the collective efforts of all of us. We must put our skills to use as a unit to drag this kingdom to the spotlight. That includes citizens who started at the top of the ladder and those who climb from the bottom. From CEOs to farmers we call upon your skills and insight." I added Myles's point. His part of the speech got the most applause since the largest population demographic in the kingdom was laborers.
"Your shy leader, Prince Myles will be the lead for domestic issues. He will work to better the day to day lives for everyone. We both believe that no one should have to decide between food or electricity." I pointed my hands to Myles.
"I will focus on foreign issues. My job will be to protect our safety as a kingdom. It is both of our promises to keep you safe and healthy in the best ways we know how. We know that we are just as human as all of you and fallible, so we need you to speak up, and demand that we remain true to the promise we make today." I took a sip from the water sitting on the podium and looked at the crowd.
"Panamanians as we embark on this journey together I ask that you weather the hardships with us and rejoice in the prosperity that we will see. I can only ask that you fight fervently during both periods. Thank you for your time today, and hope that you make it home safe. Prosperidad para todo."
"Prosperidad para todo!" The crowd echoed the national chant. Applause thundered around us, and the band resumed their song. Myles waved at our people. His eyes returned to normal. With the speech finished, I raised my hand, and the crowd bowed to their new leaders before we departed. Our guards ushered us off the stage into the underground tunnels.
"You did well, it was short and to the point." Mileta said without turning to face us.
"Thank you. Did not want to keep them in the heat long," I replied as I wiped sweat from my brow. The walk out to the private garage took a little time, and we were in the car and headed back home.
"You did well. I wouldn't have been able to get all of that out and watch everyone. They all looked interested in what you were saying. A few of them didn't seem to like us at all. I was expecting more dissenters actually," Myles said.
"We have time to win them over. I don't expect everyone to like us as long as they don't create chaos." I looked over at my exhausted husband and chuckled.
"I think I want to head into the city and see the conditions for myself. My advisors are giving me sugar coated information on the issues since their pockets are filled by those benefiting from the disparities. They will not be much help. What are your first plans? Since we are officially in charge."
"I need to speak to the military advisors to see our strengths and weaknesses. I will probably do a few administrative changes depending on how our defenses look," I replied. I looked at him fidget in his tan suit. Bronze shimmer glinted on his cheeks. I had not noticed it before.
"You wear a lot of makeup?"
"Just shimmer. Do you not like it?," he asked.
"I don't care. It's got nothing to do with me," I said.
"Oh, okay," he said in a low tone. I hoped I said nothing wrong. We were in a good place, and I wanted to keep it that way. I wished he would say the things on his mind instead of being passive aggressive. If this was to be a productive arrangement, we would both have to learn our quirks and soon.