Tiara

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Book excerpt

Her mother, Lenore of Scotland, taught her that life was all about choices. Life provided opportunities for everyone, from the rich to the poor, and choices determined one’s path in life. Jennifer Mac Manus believed she had a special destiny, a calling to protect and defend the rights of the people of the United Kingdom. As a child she was always the first to volunteer for charity events, the look of joy in the eyes of the unfortunate making the holidays truly special. She chose the happiness of others over the pageantry of the aristocracy, and the humility of the young princess was not overlooked by her people or the world press.               

When she entered high school, she became even more involved in humanitarian causes. Poverty, unemployment and women’s issues were her main concerns, and she wrote essays and made public appearances whenever possible to promote her agendas. Many of her works were published in newspapers and magazines around the world, and the young scholar was acclaimed by humanitarian groups the world over for her tireless efforts.

Her celebrity was not lost on members of the British monarchy. Prince Conrad of England had become infatuated by the beautiful girl’s looks as well as her intelligence and charisma. Though he was nine years her senior, he proposed marriage to her and she readily accepted. She was smitten by the dapper though homely-looking man, knowing that marrying into the Royal Family would be a life-changing event for her. The wedding made headlines around the world, and it appeared to be made in heaven.

Yet the fissures began to appear when the tabloids started rumors that Conrad was still making overtures to his ex-girlfriend, Lady Sarah Hepburn. The Prince vehemently denied it, though his personal life suffered another trauma soon afterward. His great-uncle, Lord Layton, was killed in an Irish Republican Army bombing attack in London. A reporter overheard a grieving Conrad referring to the Irish as ‘pigs’ at the funeral. It created a scandal that was exacerbated by Lady Hepburn’s personal attempts to console the Prince. Jennifer made a public statement disclaiming any animosity towards the Irish by the Royal Family, which was perceived as much as a rebuke to Conrad as a reaction to the controversy surrounding the royal couple. Her efforts to protect and defend her husband was seen as just another of her noble causes.

The Prince’s inferiority complex was near-legendary. He tried to make up for his less-than-average looks and his undeserved privilege by establishing a reputation as a ladies’ man and dabbling in extreme sports. Though he distanced himself from Lady Hepburn, he was seen with other women at London nightspots and thrilled the media with attempts at hang-gliding and skydiving. It was not long before the unthinkable happened, and Conrad was killed in a speedboat accident that left the Royal Family and the United Kingdom in shock and grief.

Jennifer began devoting her efforts to mending relations with the Irish nation, which had been caught up in a mortal struggle between Loyalists and Republicans in Northern Ireland for nearly half a century. She began meeting with both sides in an effort to bring them together for peace talks in ending the Troubles at last. At first she was denounced as a do-gooder and a meddler, but those who met her began to realize her intentions were sincere. She immersed herself in research on the conflict and soon impressed representatives on both sides with her acumen. Eventually she was accepted as a legitimate mediator and was soon engaged in phone talks with the American President in the international peace effort.

The turning point came when representatives of the outlawed Irish Republican Army were invited to negotiations along with their political branch, Sinn Fein. They would be scheduled to meet with Loyalist emissaries as well as a contingency from the British Government led by Princess Jennifer. It would set a precedent in recognizing the IRA as a combatant force instead of a terrorist group, which would be a breakthrough in securing prisoners’ rights and establishing their legitimacy as a military organization.

It was met with outrage by Loyalists throughout Northern Ireland, whose hardline policy defined the IRA as a criminal gang dedicated to the overthrow of the Ulster government. They threatened to boycott the peace talks and hinted at violent reprisals against Republican sympathizers. Militant groups such as the Ulster Defense Association awaited the go-ahead from their political counterparts, welcoming the opportunity to strike back at the hated IRA after chafing under the restrictions of the recent cease-fire. The whole world watched and waited as the next step towards peace in Northern Ireland had yet to be taken.

“I’m against this sitdown, your Highness,” Lord Scott Lipscomb, Jennifer’s most trusted advisor, remained adamant as they approached the weekend of the peace negotiations at Stormont Castle in East Belfast. They met at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, where Jennifer began spending more time after Conrad’s death to lend her aura of prestige to the Scottish monarchy. “The possibilities of disaster are endless. It is almost as if we’re trying to ride a two-headed mule. Neither side seems willing to budge despite the fact that the Empire, the European Union and the United States are all doing everything in their power to make this happen. The crux of the argument is that we are legitimizing these IRA gangsters in the eyes of the world by inviting them to the table. There are rumors of the meeting itself being a target of a terror attack by extremists on both sides. I don’t think anyone would blame you for missing this meeting.”

“That’s impossible, Scott,” Jennifer insisted. She was a lovely woman at 5’6”, 130 pounds, with long blonde hair and emerald eyes, a generous bosom and an hourglass figure. “We were the ones who set this meeting up. How could we possibly walk away after getting both sides to give us their commitment? Not showing up is telling the whole world we don’t trust either side.”

“If anything were to happen, it would entirely destroy the peace talks as well as cause irreparable damage to the Royal Family. Lord Layton was killed just a couple of years ago by terrorists, and our people are just recovering from the loss of the Prince. How could you expect us to bear yet another catastrophe if you were attacked by a gang of murderers?”

“We’re going to be going around and around with this, and it’s not going to accomplish anything. I think if we spent more time coordinating the event rather than planning to avoid it, we can ensure an even greater success. Why not look into having some special events for children and senior citizens from the Catholic and Protestant communities? Surely even the most hardcore extremists have a heart for their own children and the elderly. We can also invite church leaders from both sides to help us plan some events. If we use our imagination and put some effort into it, we can make all kinds of things happen.”

“These people don’t give a damn about church or religion, it’s never been about that. It’s about the economy and political power. The Catholics are tired of being treated like foreigners in their own country, and the Protestants think we’re going to abandon them to the Republican agenda and allow them to be absorbed into the Irish state. Both sides are like children frightened of being turned out into the cold.”

“They are our children, aren’t they?” Jennifer insisted. “They’re part of our family, and they will be treated as such. We have a responsibility to both sides, and history will be our judge if we do not take this opportunity to bring peace to Ulster at last.”

“I hope you’re right, Your Highness. I certainly hope you’re right.”