Rise: Populations Crumble, Book 2 by Gandy, A. (read book .txt) 📕

else sends a wave of heat over me. Am I really jealous? I don’t want to be a political figure. I want to go back home to the ranch as soon as I can. And if Patrick and I stay together, that probably won’t be an option. But the idea of divorcing him— I shudder. Deep down, I’m already attached. The idea of going home a divorcee, for no reason other than his job, doesn’t sit well with me. I can already see the looks of disappointment etched into my parents’ faces if I were to go home and tell them that. It’s not an option.

Hey, Mom, yeah, that’s right. I was married to a really nice, gorgeous, understanding guy. Yep, we had two kids together, and then I kicked him to the curb because I didn’t want the hassle of being a political wife. Or queen. Or, whatever. The thought trails off, and I’m pulled back into the present by Faith’s question.

“What do you think, Sadie? Do you think it matters if we’re a monarchy? I don’t really see how it matters one way or another. We haven’t elected a new prime minister in over a decade, anyway.”

I blink twice, trying to think of something intelligent to say. “Well, it’s definitely a huge political difference, but with the way things are for women already, I don’t know how much of a difference it makes to us individually. We already can’t hold jobs or get a higher education until we’ve had children, and raising kids makes it harder to pursue a career, regardless of who’s in charge. Plus, with the latest emergency declaration, I’m not sure how that would work even after we have kids, since there’s no longer a cap of two babies and you’re released.” I frown, remembering Jenna and how much she wanted to go join the NAA ranks and become a pilot.

“Well, it’s impossible to tell without knowing the son. I mean, he could be like his dad and keep the status quo, or he could be better or worse for women’s rights,” Carolina muses. “I’m sure he’s not going to do away with the program either way though, with the population numbers still so bad.”

“Can you imagine how his new wife must feel? It’s a pure stroke of luck to have the right genes to snag a could-be-prince,” Faith says dreamily.

I stay silent, as it doesn’t feel lucky to me that Patrick could become a prince. In fact, I’m rooting for it not to happen. As long as we’re still a democracy, he can live the life he wants, not be forced into a political role. That’s one way in which it’s as much out of his hands as it is mine. He would be swept up in a role he couldn’t escape, too. A pang of compassion strikes my heart, and I reach for Patrick’s hand under the table and I give it a small squeeze. He squeezes my hand in return, and my heart warms.

The employee with the remote turns up the volume, and the reporter’s words wash over us again. “I’d like to draw your attention to the protestors we have outside the capitol. Rather than protesting the monarchy, you’ll see that most are actually in favor. However, we are seeing several signs calling for an unveiling of the prime minister’s son. Historically speaking, the people would know who the monarchy would be passed on to from birth of the child, but our situation is different given the fact that we don’t currently have a royal family in place. While the public has no way of forcing the issue, his extreme seclusion from the public eye up until now could negatively impact the vote’s outcome.”

The screen fills with the feed of men outside the capitol holding signs with crowns painted on them and sayings like “Monarchy Now,” and it flashes to one that says “Prince Royce, You’re Our Choice.” I feel Patrick stiffen beside me, and he squeezes my hand again.

The blonde news anchor pops back into the frame. “As you can see, the question on everyone’s mind right now is, who is the mysterious son of Prime Minister Royce, and who is his new bride? As a nation, it seems that everyone wants to know that our political foundation is secure, as well as our future. I’m Candy Thomas, and we at NAA One are always first to bring you global news.”

“What’s crazy is, this guy is out there at a honeymoon resort right now, same as us. How do you think they are still keeping his identity a secret? He’s got to have a security detail, right?” Teddy postulates.

Patrick finally speaks, “Maybe, maybe not. The security at the NLC and each of the resorts is top notch anyway. You saw that there was a kidnapping attempt in Georada, so the stakes are already high as long as there are extremists trying to abduct women.”

Teddy claps him on the shoulder. “Patrick was a guard at the Georada NLC before getting matched with Sadie, so he would know.”

Chimes start coming from Faith’s mini-tablet, which she pulls out of a pocket. “Ten minutes until our appointment. Are you done, Teddy? We can start walking over so we don’t have to rush.”

“Sure thing, beautiful.” He slides his chair out and gives me a quick peck on the cheek before taking her hand. “See y’all later. We’ll try to swing by for a movie tonight when we’re done with our tests.”

We all wave as they leave, but before they’re out the door my mind is already turning over the implications of the growing unrest.

✽✽✽

After making plans to meet up for an evening movie, we excuse ourselves from breakfast and head back to our cottage. The silence between us is tense, like a rubber band about to snap. An outsider would probably not notice anything, but I can see that Patrick’s jaw is clenched and his stride is choppier than usual. His agitation is clear