21 Clean Slate

"Enjoy my little film, ladies," Maxen said before going back to his seat and pulling out his phone from his pockets.

"Mother's going to love her. I love her already," Princess Maya commented as she swiped her finger onto the tablet screen, looking for the special video that her husband presented to her last night before they went to bed. Apparently, Rockaway Tower belonged to her husband's family.

"Oh, here it is," she excitedly exclaimed, holding the tablet between her and Queen Isla with one hand. The two ladies watched as Maxen and Olivia entered the lift and didn't even bother to look at the camera, seemingly distracted over something. The queen and the princess's hands flew to their mouths upon seeing Maxen hover over the poor girl only to hold in their laughter when they saw Olivia's long slender fingers push Maxen to the elevator doors. Once Maxen was out of the elevator, they watched intently with squinted eyes and craned necks to the screen, afraid to miss an important detail, only to drop the tablet on the ground when Olivia's murderous glare registered on the screen.

"My my. We have a fighter," Queen Isla could not help but note her first impression. King Alistair picked up the tablet on the grass lawn and stared at the frozen photo. He pinched the screen and zoomed in the photo in an attempt to get a better view of Olivia's face but could not make out where he saw that same face. His silence boggled the queen beside him so she took a peep and yanked the table from the king. Queen Isla zoomed in and zoomed out the photo and held the tablet for the king to see, surprise painted over her sprightly face.

"She looks like Amelia, darling."

"OOOOH!" King Alistair clapped his hands and nodded his head. What would he be without his wife? "You're right. She does look like Amelia. Must be a doppelganger, don't you think?"

"What a lucky lady she is to have a resemblance to such a remarkable person. Oooh, I haven't paid her a visit. Maybe it's about time that we do and it's almost her accident's anniversary too. My poor Amelia," Queen Isla rubbed her thumb over Olivia's face and pouted.

"I don't think that's a good idea, mom. Remember how Ollie got in trouble last time just to sneak you in… and your entourage," Princess Maya reminded her mother before taking a sip of her fresh mango juice. She took another sip when the sweet velvety juice tickled her tastebuds and the little princess in her tummy kicked her belly for more then, she continued to speak, "You know how Uncle Henry still held that grudge over our family especially after he lost his 'child' in the accident and almost Auntie Amelia too."

"That child is his. It was and always will be Henry's child. Why do you people keep saying it's not his? She even took that dangerous amniocentesis test and it turned out positive." The queen took a stand on behalf of her dear friend. She looked one more time at Olivia's screenshot and let out an exasperated sigh. "If that child is alive today, how perfect she would be to be Maxen's wife."

King Alistair cleared his throat and called the ladies' attention, "Ok, that's enough. Let us not talk about other families at our table." Queen Isla shifted in her seat, and glanced over Maxen whose head was bowed as if in prayer. So she kicked her son's leg under the table and scoffed when she saw him pull out his arm, the glow of his cellphone was a sign that he was not paying attention to them the entire time.

"Next time if you want to talk with a girl, ask her out on a date. You know that phone is your personal phone. How could you use that for picking up girls? Security had to wake us up in the middle of the night because of your three-hour phone call," the queen reprimanded her son who had a goofy smile on his face so she kicked him again to get his attention.

"Ah! You dare disrespect me." Queen Isla was about to give another beating to her son when King Alistair lightly held her hand. "Children… that includes you," he said, squeezing his wife's hand, "Let's eat before the food gets cold."

Meanwhile, inside Secretary Abbott's office, Jack stood at attention, waiting for his senior to speak. He tried to gauge Secretary Abbott's current mood yet he could not do so with the latter's back facing him and the decades of experience of Secretary Abbott with the royal family had made him immune to even the slightest of nuances. That man… he could be one of the statues scattered around the estate with his zero to nothing facial expression.

"I heard about a girl…" Secretary Abbott said as he pivoted on his heel to face the buffoon before him. First, Jack turned off the elevator cameras. Next, he didn't track his highness's use of personal lines. And last, which is the worst of them all, he let Maxen meet that cursed woman.

"I sincerely apologize for my incompetence, Sir Abbott. Rest assured, I did a background check on Ms. Olivia and everything came out clean."

"Hmm… Clean slate you say?"

"Sorry, sir?"

"Do you know what's the problem with a clean record, Jack?" Secretary Abbott asked as he crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, slightly tilting it to a safe angle. "The problem with a clean record is they are… clean."

"I know what you are referring to and I have discussed that matter with Prince Maxen. You don't have to worry about those things because she didn't make her move yet. For all we know she's just as smitten as Prince Maxen is with her." Oops. Jack's fingers curled into a fist. He couldn't take his words back now, could he? And it's not like his highness was not that obvious. He already caused a scene last night.

"Maxen knows?"

Jack bowed in affirmation and sent a thumbs up to his senior's way. Secretary Abbott let out a loud helpless sigh and gave the buffoon a once over before he cleared his throat.

"If his highness is aware of her dealings, then that could not be helped. Keep that record clean at all costs before somebody else digs deeper than they should."