Duty Calls
While driving back to the Sorgenfri Palace, as they have not yet relocated to King Christian VII Palace, Carolyn reported the conversation she had with Max to her most trusted friend, including Max's request about Ashley and her title.
Then Carolyn asked Selene to arrange some 'personal assistants' for interviewing, by herself and Selene. Not only as an extra assistance to help Selene, as Selene is now the head private secretary to the Queen, but also to source Selene a 2nd in charge.
They also needed one to manage and be on hand for the Duke, without taking over or worse – and Carolyn gave a certain look to Selene, which Selene nodded in understanding as she knew what it meant, and a special personal assistant for Ashley, to manage her affairs while protecting her from the world, and to also understanding her needs, and not overly treating her like royalty, just like Selene has for years with her.
Selene said she will do this immediately, as she already was screening some applicants with security checks, and would arrange for a chosen few to come in tomorrow morning, for a series of interviews. Then the finalists will be interviewed by Her Majesty herself for final acceptance.
Smiling, Carolyn said, "Selene, I trust your judgement impeccably, and if you feel you have found the right person, then arrange a meeting with me. But knowing you, I doubt I would dislike her or him."
Selene thanked her.
"Another thing. While you are my senior private secretary, I want you to also be my chief of staff and Palace manager. My left hand while Max is my right hand, per say."
Selene nodded.
Selene then hesitantly mentions the Prime Minister has been calling almost no stop to see the Queen on a matter of urgency, which he said he could not discuss with Selene, as Selene did not have the clearance nor rank.
Now Carolyn was really raging. She ordered the driver to change direction and head to the Prime Minister office at once. Selene quickly calls ahead to warn them.
After about twenty minutes of driving through traffic, with their police escort, they arrived at Christiansborg Palace in central Copenhagen, where the office of the Prime Minister was also situated.
Upon arrival, Carolyn ignores waiting for her PPG crew to clear the area. She exits the car with Selene, and the guards charging after her. Entering Christiansborg Palace, she heads to the Statsministeriet (Prime Minister's Office), which is located inside Christiansborg Palace, and storms towards his office.
All the staff saw this and stood aside, curtsying or bowing accordingly, in astonishment as their Queen was storming past them. Selene rushes up to her and quietly stops her. She calms Carolyn down and reminds her as the Queen, she can not act like this and needs to publicly control herself.
After a few deep breaths, Carolyn nods and walks at a more calm, decent pace, and more Queen-like. Upon arrival at his office, he quickly ushers her in regardless of protocol and closes the door on the staff with Selene and Philip stationed in his office.
"Your Majesty. I am so sorry to do this, but this matter needs your utmost attention. And I can only speak to you, due to security reasons. I am truly sorry and would normally have waited or let your personal assistant know what it was about."
Relenting, seeing his flustered look, she calms down and nods, sitting in the chair offered.
"Mr Prime Minister, I too am sorry for my earlier behaviour which is truly childish and completely unprofessional, and un-royally. But right now, I am declaring Selene, who until further notice, is my most trusted staff member and left-hand, while my right-hand person is my husband, who, thank the Lord, is doing okay after the emergency operation yesterday. But he will be out of action for quite a while. As you know, Selene has been with me since I was 16 years old, and I trust her more than anyone else, except for Max and God. So I am decreeing and declaring that Selene, as of now, will be known as Countess Selene Gardner," and Selene gasped out loud, "… Protector of the Royals, Special Advisor and Assistant of the Queen, Senior Private Secretary to the Queen, Chief of Staff. And when and where needed, she will have the power to act on my behalf when I am not able to. If and only if, Max is not able to do so. She will then, with my full permission, make any and all decisions necessary, and handle any and all affairs needed to be dealt with, whether state or personal, and regardless of the security clearance needed, for both she and Max will have the highest of all clearance."
Shocked, both the Prime Minister and Selene stared at their Queen while she smiled curtly back, and continued.
"So, now you will never have to exclude Selene from any matters or affairs, as she will now be, and forevermore, my 3rd in charge, after my husband, until I say otherwise. Of course, as for Philip, he is my personal Head of Security, who has a high security clearance. He too will therefore have FULL clearance, henceforth, where needed. They are my team, my trustees, my friends, my... you could say they are my family. Now, rude as I am right now, which I am truly sorry in advance for, I am agitated with my husband and all. So what is so important that you need me?"
Knowing he could not defy her, and as the Monarchy, she had the right to grant these privileges and titles, where she saw fit. Sighing, he nods and then informs them.
"We have been informed there is a major pandemic arising, and we have to act on it before it affects us or worse, if it has reached us, spreads madly."
All three gasp in shock.
Carolyn asks. "What pandemic is it? Where has it originated from? What do you know? Oh crap, I don't know what the protocol on this is, or what to do!"
"Your Majesty, with no disrespect intended, please - calm - down."
The elderly Prime Minister smiles at her.
"From what I have gathered in the reports so far. China has announced there is a virus spreading and they are trying to find out what it is. Italy, Germany, Australia also privately reported through the secure UN channels that they too are noticing a large number of people reporting sick with the same symptoms. The symptoms are exactly the same as pneumonia but the medication is not helping them. The World Health Organisation has been called in to investigate this and while the public are not yet fully aware of this, the numbers are rather high. There is a rumour it is a pathogen designed and intentionally planted in China for mass destruction. Honestly, Your Majesty, after the current relationship between the USA and China, I would not put it past it was them who started it. But that is my view and I have no evidence to support this. But, I fear this could spread and we need to start secretly at first, notify the heads of the hospitals and clinics, somehow enhance the hygiene and sterilisation requirements to its highest state without the public knowing just yet as this will cause a mass upset."
Nodding, Carolyn agrees and looks at Selene.
"Selene, you all have to rush that assistant project and then make this your highest priority. I want you working with the Prime Minister on this, to report to me directly. Mr Prime Minister, as soon as I am back at the Sorgenfri Palace, Selene will arrange to have the advisers in for a special meeting. Firstly, I need a lesson on what emergency protocols there are and what we can use. I want you there too. Selene will let you know when. I suggest you find the best Doctor in Denmark who knows about viruses and let's make a plan of action."
The PM nodded.
"In the meantime, I am granting you permission to contact the hospitals and warn them. Tell them for the next week, all hospitals are to up their sterilisation protocols on all patients coming in and leaving, in the hospital etc. Make it sound like it is a practice protocol and must run for 7-days straight as of now. By the time this 'virus' becomes public, we will have a head start on prevention. I think you need to get the airports, all ports of entry onto this protocol, for now. Stress it is a practice protocol and that anyone not abiding by it will be fined or charged depending on the penalty."
Nodding at this idea, he agrees and promises to implement it immediately. Then bidding her goodbye, for now, she departs the office with Countess Selene and the army of protection guards.
Once in the car, heading back, this time she orders to head to Amalienborg rather than Sorgenfri.
"We need to nip this in the butt. But I want Sorgenfri under lockdown and all staff… In fact, I want ALL the palaces locked down and sterilised or whatever is needed. Ashley is to be kept safe and Mrs Peters is to remain there with her and the Nanny. No one to go near them. As for my mother and sister, I want them secured and brought into this matter. Have Clementine move to Sorgenfri immediately. I also want sterilisation stuff, masks and gloves on hand. And I think all further outings and events are suspended until further notice. I also want updates on this virus, the countries infected, etc. Oh God and Max, his suite is to be locked down too. Double sterilised. I want to speak to Dr van José on the phone soon as we get to the Palace. I want him to be notified."