It’s time I claimed that destiny with both hands.
Today I’m meeting with Saint Gertrude Animal Sanctuary on the far end of the island. They find homes for animals without resorting to euthanasia unless the animal is so ill or injured that it would be cruel to make them suffer further. They even go to great lengths to train and rehabilitate the animals which would traditionally be deemed unadoptable.
This is the kind of royal duty that is literally the layup of work. Playing with animals, count me in. Finding out they do everything they can to care for the animals makes it even better. Even though I’m helping clean cages and walking dogs today while they show me around, I’m so excited.
I get up and get ready, enjoying the fact that I get to wear jeans, a french-blue blouse, and sneakers. It might all be fresh designer gear, but this is as good as it gets for me to be casual out in the world. Maeve helps me style my hair in a pretty ponytail that has interesting twists instead of a basic rubber band and I wear my makeup in soft peaches to go with my casual vibe. My wedding rings sparkle on my left hand and my breath catches as I stare at them in awe of how different my life is these days.
Maeve hands me an army green field style jacket and I slide my arms through before scooping Leo off the sofa in my suite and snuggling him to me. I take a moment to bury my face in his soft orange fur and just be. It’s insane how much he does to help me find balance in this new life.
I set him back down and he lets me know with his protestingmerowthat he would prefer we cuddle longer. I would stay here with him all day if I could, but I’ll be back this afternoon and then we can hunker down. Besides, if I know anything it’s that Dahlia, who has an off-duty day in her diary will be here any second to whisk him away for a day of tea parties andchasing butterflies in the south gardens. If there’s one person Leo loves, it’s his Auntie Dahlia and she could use some of the grounding he gives me. She’s been doing so well since my accident, she’s sober, she stopped partying, and she’s just different. I think it’s her true self she’s letting shine now… a little quiet and kind of nerdy. Definitely softer.
I like it and her. She’s the one I’ve bonded with most. Taylor I can’t get a read on. He’s self-centered and unpredictable. When we’re in the same room, I want to hide so that he doesn’t turn his sharp tongue in my direction. Not to mention he’s Saoirse’s lover, or one of many, and I don’t know who he’s loyal to. Rhys and Dahlia or her…
Until I know for sure where his favor lies, I can’t trust him to be safe for me. And it’s time I start looking out for myself because if I don’t, no one else will.
“Bye Maeve,” I call out as I open the door. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye darlin’,” she says. “Have fun.”
Leo, my protection officer, is waiting for me outside the door. “All ready ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
I let him escort me down the hall and through the castle to the private entrance. He holds the door open for me, and I make my way to the SUV that’s waiting for me. I slide into the backseat with a smile for our driver and let him close the door behind me.
As we take the long, winding drive down the cliffsideroad, the clouds in the distance hold my attention. Even though the island is small, the drive to Saint Gertrude’s takes about an hour. I wait patiently for Leo to step out of the front seat and then open my door for me. I climb out and brush my ponytail over my shoulder with a smile on my face. I’m ready to scoop some cat boxes and play with some puppies.
It still blows my mind that people flock to a public appearance simply for the chance to meet me. I hope I never get used to it. I don’t want to ever expect people to line up to see me.
I smile and wave at everyone, shaking a few hands and thanking each person who hands me flowers. They’ll be delivered to a mother’s wing at the royal hospital by the end of today. That’s something I love about the craziness of this life. We get to share these beautiful, thoughtful gifts with others.
The doors of Saint Gertrude’s open and a lovely older woman walks out to greet me. She dips into a quick curtsey before offering me her hand to shake and I take it with a smile.
“I’m Margaret, Your Highness,” she offers.
“Please, call me Stella,” I reply. “I can’t wait to see all that you do here.”
“I’m so excited to show you,” she says, leading me into the facility and through to the hospital portion. “We offer the best care available to all animals, big or small, and can do all kinds of surgeries and procedures here in the clinic.”
“Amazing.”
She leads me to an aviary full of lush trees and colorful flowers, offering different spots for the birds to play and climb, with plenty of room to fly around. As we push into the main room of the aviary, the cacophony of chirping and squawking surrounds us, making me laugh.
Margaret shows me how they prepare a fresh diet for the different birds that live here waiting for their forever homes. If I could get away with it, I’d transfer this aviary to the formal gardens of the castle and let them live their best lives for the rest of their days.
“Unfortunately, some birds live such long lives that they outlive their owners. When no one is willing to take them, they often find their way here.”
“I want to take them all home with me,” I reply, feeling a bit weepy at the idea of these poor birds burying their owners.
We say goodbye to the birds and then head into the catio, where all varieties of cats sleep and play. They’re all so cute that I wonder how my sweet Leo would feel about a kitty brother or sister. I take off my jacket and help clean the cat boxes and wash water bowls in a sink so that they can have fresh water in their temporary home.
When we’re done, I grab my jacket and we go out into the play yard where several dogs are chasing balls. I let them sniff my hands before petting them and then we run and play for ages before we finally say goodbye.There’s one dog I don’t want to leave behind and it kills me to walk away from her. She’s small with golden brown fur and a funny smiley face with a gentle disposition.
“So…” I start before leaving the facility. “If someone were to want to adopt sweet Sammy, how would they go about that?”
Margaret smiles at me sweetly. “We do have a process and a bit of paperwork,” she states. “But I think for our Queen Consort, we would just get a leash and tell her to have a beautiful life.”
“Margaret—” I start.