Princess Elsa
by AJ Marks
Part 14
Lynn stood in line waiting like so many others, wearing her cap and gown. She was graduating at long last. She had a lot of things still to do, like get a job, but today, she would celebrate a milestone her in her life, graduating college with a degree she had studied hard to earn.
Minutes later they were walking into the area to sit down, they would listen to a few speakers before the diplomas would be handed out. Everything went as it had during rehearsal the previous evening. She found her chair sitting down waiting for the first speaker to start. There was a report of a secret speaker which she looked at the program each were given.
At the end of the speakers was a guest speaker to be announced. She figured she would have to wait to see who it was. The normal speakers, a teacher and the top student, summa cum laude made a speech. She felt proud to be a manga cum laude after everything in her life.
Now for the final speaker, and the mystery would be solved as the president of the university stepped forward.
“It’s with great pleasure I introduce our last speaker, though she really needs no introduction, I am proud to introduce to you all, Princess Elsa.”
Lynn sat stunned even as a murmur went through the entire crowd. An excitement pulsed though everyone as out from behind the stage Elsa appeared. She had her hair in a long braid, and wore the robe of the college along with all the stripes and such of an accomplished graduate.
Watching Elsa approach the podium was very different than the other times she had seen the princess. The way she walked, her appearance, her stance, everything screamed out someone in control. She was very much a princess, not someone she knew while on a vacation and relaxing, eating pizza and drinking a beer.
Looking around she noticed several people had their phones out taking pictures recording the video and more. She looked on watching as Elsa spoke, clear and calm, speaking about the future, the past and present. It was a change as normally people spoke of the future, but Elsa was speaking of it all, knowing the past to know the future.
Her speech wasn’t long, and soon they were about to line up for their diplomas, and got another shock, Elsa would be handing them to the graduates. No one had been prepared for that, and Lynn was nervous as they stood and headed up.
Elsa greeted each one with a smile even as Lynn approached, wiping her hands on her robe feeling as nervous as everyone else. She heard a few whispers, one girl hoped she wouldn’t faint. The line closed and she thought she noticed Elsa look over at her a few times between names.
“Lynn Sauer, magna cum laude.”
She stepped forward as Elsa grinned at her.
“Congratulations Lynn,” Elsa said handing her the diploma, their fingers touching slightly before shaking hands. Part her Lynn wanted to just hug her, but knew she couldn’t right here and with a wink moved on to the other professors waiting and President of the college as the next person’s name was announced.
Making her way back to her seat she listed to the excited voices around her.
“Wish I was a prince,” one guy said.
“She’s even cuter in person,” another said as Lynn felt a bump to her ribs and turned to look at the person next to her.
“This beats my sister, she met Camillia Stone at her graduation,” he said with a grin. “And I shook her hand.”
Lynn forced a smile wondering what he might say if he knew Lynn had touched more, like in a hot tub. Pushing those thoughts from her mind she concentrated on the rest of the ceremony.
Finally it was over with the tossing of caps as Lynn made her way to where her friends were waiting. They had come to be her family, not knowing that the presence of Elia meant so much more.
“Wow,” Hans said, “that was a surprise.”
“Yeah, the princess, can’t believe it, so glad I went,” Brea said.
“And to think, I almost missed it,” Jessica said as well.
“Our Lynn is all grown up,” Hans said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.
“Time really does fly,” Jessica said getting into the act.
Lynn rolled her eyes at that.
“So, how does the job search go?’ Hans asked as they started walking along.
“Not good, can’t find anything,” Lynn replied back, stopping slightly upon seeing someone else come walking up to her, Kris. “Great.”
“Well, well, I see you’ve managed to graduate,” Kris said walking up along with a few others she had around her like always.
“Kris, we’re done, though, I’m not coming back to you,” Lynn said. She looked on seeing that Kris was beautiful, which was what attracted Lynn to her in the first place. Stunning brown eyes, and kept her hair looking good at all times, but now, Lynn had a better looking girlfriend.
“Oh,” Kris said. “You are destined to be mine.”
“No, I don’t think so, you don’t own me,” Lynn replied back feeling her anger start to rise.
“I think you’ll reconsider, if you want a decent job, I hold a lot of power,” Kris said giving her a smile which never reached her eyes.
“You’ve been sabotaging me?” Lynn said, getting angrier. “You are a bitch.”
“Now, you don’t want to cause a scene,” Kris stated in a sickly sweet voice.
“Interesting,” a new voice said, as Lynn looked over to see two familiar people standing there. “I’d be careful if I was you.”
“Marshmallow!” Brea squealed quickly giving him a hug.
“Brea,” he said, giving her a hug back as Lynn finally recognized them. They had helped her move, Marshmallow and Olaf friends of Kristoff and Anna.
Kris appeared to want to argue, but turned in a huff and walked off. Lynn understood why, the two were an unknown and Kris didn’t like to confront unknowns until she had more information Kris shared only made her wonder how to combat her.
“Come on, let’s party,” Hans said. She allowed herself to be dragged off.
“Don’t worry, we heard it all,” Olaf said, “I think the playing field can be evened.”
Lynn wasn’t too sure about that but decided to not push her luck.
*****
Elsa paced around the room a bit after learning from Kristoff what Olaf and Marshmallow had overheard by Lynn’s ex. Kris it appeared had been working to stop Lynn from getting a job. Now Elsa wondered what she might be able to do, stopping in her pacing.
She left the room and headed down though the palace towards an area she never visited and past several stunned people as she entered the museum part of the palace quickly looking for the person in charge.
“Princess,” he said, looking around a bit. “Um, is there something I missed or forgot?”
“Oh, no, I was wondering about something,” Elsa said not suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed for the rush. “I was wondering, you had an open position in the museum?”
“Yes, we are looking for someone to help with exhibits, served as an assistant to me,” he replied.
“Did you have someone named Lynn Sauer apply?” Elsa asked, knowing this was slightly abusing her position but went ahead anyways.
“Sauer,” he said, pausing in thought, rubbing his chin. “The name sounds familiar to me, let me look.”
Elsa waited a few seconds as he picked up his tablet and flipped though several screens before looking up.
“Yes,” he said, now suddenly nervous.
“Were you told not to hire her?” Elsa asked, watching him sweat slightly as his shoulders dropped.
“I did get some pressure from Senator Brown’s office over her,” he said.
“Is she qualified?” Elsa asked.
“Yes, what I was looking for,” he replied. “But I don’t want a political battle.”
“I will only say, if you allow the senator to make up your mind, it will anger the throne,” Elsa said to him.
“Ah, I see,” he said taking a second to wipe his forehead. “Perhaps an interview.”
“If she is qualified, and you like her, don’t worry about the senator, I’ll handle him,” Elsa stated, then turned and walked back off hoping she did the right thing.
*****
Lynn sat at the large table signing several documents. It had been a few days since her graduation and now she would receive her inheritance from her parents. Things were looking up, especially considering she had finally gotten an interview with the palace museum, an unexpected call after being told no at first.
Looking across the table she saw, for perhaps the second time, her uncle. He was taller than she expected, over six feet tall, in good shape for being in his fifties and black hair like hers. He was accompanied with several others, all looking like typical thug bodyguards and felt sure that they were all armed.
“Well, that about does it,” the lawyer said, making a few more notations. “Just sign this last one here.”
Lynn signed it, watching as the notaries signed as did her uncle.
“All right,” he said, turning a tablet towards her. “Pick a login ID and password and we’ll be done.”
Lynn looked around, and finally chose, entering the letters, number and symbols watching as it log her in to her account. There really wasn’t much, but it would help her get started after college, that much was for sure.
“All right, that’s everything,” the lawyer said, wrapping everything up and standing along with the notaries, who left the room. “Miss Sauer, it was a pleasure working with you despite the circumstances, Mr. Trezety.”
She watched as her uncle nodded the lawyer’s way as she stood as well, ready to leave the room.
“One minute,” her uncle said to her as everyone not associated with him left the room making Lynn slightly nervous.
She watched as he nodded and the others left the room and he pulled out a slightly spherical object and placed it on the table. It glowed slightly and hummed before settling in on a slight buzz, no louder than an engine on a shuttle.
“An anti-bug devise,” he said to her, standing as well and walking over to her. She was ready for anything, except for the hug he gave her. “I’m so very proud of you, and I know your mother would be as well.”
Lynn backed up slightly unsure what was going on as she looked at him.
“You probably hate me, or at the least despise me,” he said to her. “I will say, I do deserve that, but it was also my idea.”
Now she frowned.
“The path my life took isn’t one for you, or your mother. She met a great guy in your father,” he said now pacing the room slightly as he continued to speak. “There was no rift, no hatred, all manufactured to protect her and you. Ruth was always so innocent, willing to help others, please others, she would have been eaten alive in my world, so I protected her from it.”
“By ignoring us?” Lynn asked, confused.
“Yes, she also knew the law, and if anything happened to them I would only take care of the money. If you were still underage you would have gone to a foster parents, I would give them a small amount to help raise you. If you were over eighteen, you had to get your degree, something your parents stressed, neither of them did that, nor did I.”
Lynn felt her world go upside down a bit at the words.
“After this, I will have no communication with you, though I think it will help your chances with a certain princess,” he said to her. “Know this, I will always be proud of you, and I do watch you from a distance.”
Lynn was still too much in shock over the words as he gave her another hug, slightly kissed her cheek, wished her the best, picked up the spherical devise and walked out of the room as if nothing had been said.
Blinking she realized she was crying and quickly wiped her eyes and taking a moment to compose herself. She had not expected to hear all of that, nor the words that he actually love her and did everything to protect her. It all seemed like a waste to her before she cursed what he did for a living. He had to be a criminal, and one of the most powerful in the empire.
Heading out of the room she had a future to live, and an interview to take.
End part 14