To Kiss a King - NIcole Burnham Page 0,1
great tools.” He widened his eyes in mock excitement. “I like to do walking lunges while holding one overhead. Real muscle burner.”
“This is a conspiracy,” Eduardo told them. “I can outrun everyone in this building except the security personnel—and perhaps even a few of them—yet all of you insist I see Greta three times a week.”
“It’s reassuring to the citizens of San Rimini to know that you are taking steps to protect your health and that your heart is as strong as can be following your surgery,” Sergio said. “Besides, you like Greta.”
“Not when she’s telling me to hold a side plank an extra thirty seconds. I informed her that San Rimini has strict laws against injuring the monarch.”
“I’m sure she reminded you that you signed a waiver?” Zeno retorted.
He eyed his press secretary. “She insisted that she wasn’t injuring the monarch. Then she informed me that it didn’t matter because I’d signed a waiver.”
Eduardo took a seat at his desk, then thanked Luisa as she reentered the room with a steaming cup of coffee and placed it on a coaster near his hand. When she was gone again, he looked at Sergio. The arrival of Eduardo’s first cup of coffee marked the official start of his workday. “Let’s discuss the difficult items first. You received a letter over the weekend from the Central District Historical Society?”
“Yes, Your Highness. They have concerns about your desire to upgrade the Strada il Teatro.”
“I expected as much, but hoped they would wait until tomorrow’s meeting to express them.”
“They want to ensure they are heard.”
Eduardo resisted the urge to grimace. Everyone wanted to be heard, particularly when it came to making changes to the country’s most famous thoroughfare. The Strada il Teatro sat above the country’s Adriatic coastline and offered stunning views of San Rimini Bay. It was home to several casinos, restaurants, historic buildings, and the Royal Theater, hence its name as Theater Street. It was the country’s most recognizable symbol, aside from the Duomo and the palace itself. However, the last major changes to the street—aside from paving it—took place long before automobiles were commonplace. Traffic often moved at a crawl and the sidewalks were packed with tourists at all hours. Despite the obvious need for refurbishment, San Riminians were protective of its appearance. It was why Sergio had organized a meeting for the following day to present the king’s proposal to those most directly affected. He’d invited representatives from the Central District Historical Society, the casino owners’ board, the San Rimini Business Council, and the San Rimini Grand Prix organizing committee, together with the country’s transportation minister. Sergio had even included those in charge of maintaining the public park that ran below one section of the Strada. Once Sergio had their input, Eduardo planned to present a comprehensive modernization plan to parliament for their consideration.
As king of San Rimini, Eduardo had more power to affect policy than monarchs in countries such as Japan or Sweden. He could not vote, but he had the right to introduce legislation and speak on any matter under discussion in parliament. In the centuries since San Rimini had transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, kings and queens primarily exercised their political might to improve relations with other nations or to promote charitable and humanitarian causes. They steered clear of detailed policy and budgetary issues.
This piece of legislation would cause many to dig in their heels. However, Eduardo refused to leave the modernization to his successors or to members of parliament who feared that touching the Strada il Teatro meant losing their seats. It was his responsibility to move San Rimini forward.
Eduardo looked at Sergio. “Inform the head of the Historical Society that the palace fully intends to pursue these improvements—make sure you use that word, improvements—to the Strada il Teatro, as they’re in the best interest of the country and to all who hold the central district close to their hearts. We welcome their input tomorrow, which is why we’ve scheduled this meeting.”
Sergio nodded as he took notes. While Sergio wrote, Zeno said, “Your Highness, they’re likely to argue their case to the press. They’ll note that it isn’t in the monarch’s usual purview to delve into such matters.”
Eduardo spread his palms on his desk. “As of last week, I understand that the royal family is viewed favorably by nearly eighty percent of the population.”
“Seventy-seven percent, sir.”
“Seventy-seven percent. Do you know how many members of parliament dream of that approval rating? We have