♡ Odette's POV ♡

If there's one thing I could never be, it's a public speaker.

The very idea terrifies me, having so many people stare at you while you try to recite lines you've memorized over and over. Maybe my fear is that I'll be judged, that everyone who is watching me is judging me on my looks, my voice, my actions, everything. It's scary.

Needless to say, I couldn't imagine how Zayn was feeling on the plane ride home. His hands were already shaking as he held the two sheets of printed paper, the text on them suddenly seeming daunting and frightening.

His first address to the Empire as king would be the day after we got back to the Manor, and it was freaking him out.

Forget a room full of people, this was the whole country staring at you. It was more than a little scary.

I was sipping on a glass of sweet tea, watching quietly as Zayn practiced over and over. He had read it probably fifty times over, but he was still stuttered on certain parts or fumbled over long words. His reading wasn't the problem, I knew that, it was his poor nerves getting the better of him.

I didn't say anything as Zayn fumbled over a word for the third time in a row and got frustrated with himself, throwing his papers down to the floor of the plane cabin and cursing as he angrily sat down in his seat. His head was in his hands, ruffling his hair and rubbing his eyes. I watched in helplessness. I couldn't say his speech for him, only stand dutifully by his side as he read it in front of a huge crowd.

Ivy had sent us a message just as we had left England saying she would be more than happy to help Zayn once we got home, and I was praying she would help him solve his public speaking problem.

***

Once we landed back safely in the Empire, Zayn and I had been escorted to a private limo that would take us back to the Manor. Apparently while we were gone Ivy and a few secret soldiers called the Royal Elite Guard had gone back to the Manor and inspected the place to ensure no Revolutionaries had been in hiding there, and deemed it safe enough for he entire Malik family to come back home.

"The Royal Elite Guard?" I had asked Zayn after he had debriefed me on everything going on.

"Yeah, they're basically the secret guard that protects the royal family in times of crisis. Ivy trained all twelve active members." Zayn told me, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we sat in the limo.

"Why not just have one huge Royal Guard at the Manor? Why have both guards and Elites?" I asked.

"The Royal Guard are general protectors of the Manor and it's inhabitants. The Elites are protectors of individual royals, one is assigned to each family member. For example, Ivy is my personal Elite protector as well my my royal advisor." Zayn explained. I nodded my head in understanding before another question came up.

"If every family member has an Elite, does that mean I have one too?" I asked, hoping I wasn't intruding too much. Zayn nodded before answering.

"You have an Elite to protect you. Her name is Isla. I should introduce you to her sometime." Zayn said, my Elite's name rebounding in my head. Isla. "Isla is in charge of protecting your personal well-being, should anything bad happen to you. You may not always see or hear her, but she will always protect you when you need her most, as per her orders."

That was all that was said about the Elites, Zayn choosing to stay silent afterwards, his speech probably still on his mind. I hoped Ivy would be able to help him, for both the country and his own sake.

I had never accompanied Zayn before while he did things he was supposed to as king, and I was surprised at the number of servants that were awaiting him with tasks for him to do as soon as we returned. There was a huge line, all the servants bowing customarily before handing him stacks of papers and informing him of the statuses of various royals that wanted to meet with him. Zayn seemed unfazed, probably used to it as he silently walked down the line, the pile of papers gradually getting bigger and bigger.

We continued to walk down the line of servants, stopping once we saw a thankfully familiar face.

Ivy wasted no time, grabbing Zayn's arm and practically dragging him inside the Manor, her only words being "Come on you idiot, we need to practice."

***

Zayn was being quite fidgety as he practiced, Ivy and I being his pretend audience he was reading to in his study. I noticed the poor king had to move somehow as he spoke, whether it was his hands shaking or his body rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet.

"A-and I know that together we can achieve an attitude of pacificism-" Zayn read from his page, Ivy immediately stopping him.

"It's pacifism, not pacific like the ocean. Start from the top again." She sighed, like she could be anywhere but here helping the king practice his speech. She slouched terribly in her chair, Zayn's hands shaking more as he put more pressure on himself not to mess up. I fumbled nervously in my chair, this was the third try for Zayn, and he still couldn't pronounce every complex word right or would stutter slightly.

"My dear citizens, today is-" Zayn tried again, only for Ivy to interrupt again.

"You need to stop looking at your paper the whole time, look up a little." Zayn stopped again, face looking like a kicked puppy's. He didn't like disappointing others, but he hated disappointing himself. I could tell he knew he could do better, he was just so nervous. Zayn was about to start over again when I stood from my chair, deciding there had to be a better way for him to practice than this.

"Ivy, why don't you get us some drinks? I think a break would do everyone some good." I offered, Ivy seeming confused as she stood up and left for the kitchen. As soon as she left Zayn's study, I saw my king seeming to deflate, both physically and mentally. He sighed and set the papers down on his massive wooden desk, collapsing in his leather chair.

"Hey," I gently murmured, attempting to ease some of the strain he was putting on his shoulders. "You're doing fine. Just relax."

"No, I'm not. I'm a joke of a king if I can't even say a speech." Zayn mumbled to himself. I could visibly see him shutting down, the nerves and mistakes finally getting control of him. "I'm gonna have to do this the rest of my life, you know."

I thought about it. Zayn had been practicing over and over, only for Ivy to shoot him down and make the tiniest remark about the smallest detail. Poor Zayn was being scrutinized for everything, he just needed someone to encourage him a little.

Grabbing his speech in from his desktop and holding it out to him, I gave my king a small smile in encouragement to try just one more time. I only got a dejected look in return, my energy deflating quickly. I didn't know what to do until an idea popped in my head.

Quickly turning to a joking mood, I exaggerated straightening out the papers with a few quick flicks of my hands. Zayn looked up in curiosity, opening his mouth to protest, only for me to begin.

"My dear citizens, today is both a day of remembering and a day of new beginnings. It is with a heavy heart but hopeful prospects that I take on the throne to serve you, forever promising you my greatest efforts in ensuring the Empire lives on with Delia's spirit." I started Zayn's speech, exaggerating some sentences way out of proportion, even mocking Zayn's deeper voice as I read.

Zayn smiled just a little, leaning back in his chair to hear me give his speech.

"We are under threat from a new force, one inside the very borders of our country. Our beloved Empire is under attack from those who have turned away from its promise of peace and tranquility, Revolutionaries who have turned to treason to make a point." I continued, making funny imitations of serious speech faces I assumed a king would make, one in particular making Zayn chuckle softly. "However, our men and women are strong, and-"

"And I know that together we can achieve an attitude of pacifism in this nation stronger than the precedent before." Zayn finished the sentence, a small smile on his lips. He gestured me over to him with the curling of his finger, myself obliging. His hands grabbed my waist and pulled me up so I sat on his lap, arms wrapped tightly around my middle.

"Pacifism, not pacificism like the ocean." I joked in an imitation of Ivy's voice, tapping Zayn's nose to hopefully cheer him up.

"I'll try and remember that."

***

The morning was one full of adrenaline, Zayn staying silent the entire morning as Falene smoothed out the crinkles in his usual red uniform and fixed some ringlets in my up-do of curls. We were to be the only two royals to be visible to the public, and this time more precautions were to be taken than at the coronation. Zayn informed me that Ivy and Isla were going to be close at the ceremony, just out of our sight in case anything went wrong. I wasn't worried until we were both standing just inside a public balcony of the Manor. People were crowded along the gates of the huge Manor, more important government officials being graced with a view just outside the balcony.

My hands were unconsciously clenching and unclenching in my white dress. It was different than any other gown, not a puffy princess one for a starter. Instead it hugged my body and had a plunging v-neckline. I had a feeling this dress was Zayn's favorite so far, considering he had been literally speechless when he first saw me in it.

I had only blushed as Zayn stared at me with a smile, private words for me exchanged as he kissed my cheek. "Like an angel."

Familiar sounding trumpets announced Zayn and my arrival to the outside world, Zayn taking a deep breath as he unfolded his speech from his pocket. The moment had arrived. His worried crease he always got between his eyebrows was showing, making me instinctively pull him down just enough to kiss it away.

"Breathe, you'll do fine." I reassured him, receiving a barely visible nod of agreement.

The trumpets ended, and it was Zayn's time to shine. I had to wait a moment as the doors to the balcony were opened, Zayn stepping out alone at first since he was the king, myself following a step behind. Cheers erupted from the huge crowd as we appeared, the sound awe inspiring and more than likely nerve wracking for Zayn. I took my place next to Zayn, my hand intertwining with his secretly, silently wishing him luck.

Zayn's hand gave mine a light squeeze of a thank you before he began, holding out his speech papers and preparing himself to speak into the microphone set up in front of him.

There a long pause, and the king of the Empire began.

"My dear citizens, today is both a day of remembering and a day of new beginnings. It is with a heavy heart but hopeful prospects that I take on the throne to serve you, forever promising you my greatest efforts in ensuring the Empire lives on with Delia's spirit." Zayn recited, taking his time to look up and acknowledge his subjects as Ivy advised. Our interconnected hands began to shake slightly as Zayn's nerves came back, but I only gripped tighter. I would stand by Zayn's side till the very end, no matter what.

Zayn seemed to pause longer than necessary, and I took a glance at my king. He was staring at his papers, hands still shaking. I thought his nerves were getting the better of him, but when he crumpled his speech in his hands and dropped it to the floor, I realized he had a totally different purpose in mind.

"Delia was probably the nicest and most deserving of this post than anyone else I know. I'm not going to pretend that our family is completely fine after her death. We all needed help, and just like how our family depended on each other to heal, I hope you all will depend on me to mend this country from the recent treason of the Revolutionaries, and ensure that this country returns to the peace it had before." Zayn spoke confidently, no resemblance to the man who had just struggled with his speech.

This man was confident, unhesitant, and knew exactly what to do and say.

This man was King Zayn Malik of the Malik Empire, the man everyone needed right now.

I watched on with wonder as Zayn kept speaking, power and confidence clear.

"The Revolutionaries are commiters of treason, and will be charged with such a crime. The Royal Guard and myself personally will eradicate this problem. I want nothing more than to know that my citizens and their families can sleep safe at night without fear that they will be attacked from the radical Revolutionaries, and I won't rest until that is possible once more. I beg for your cooperation and your help, and together I know that we can restore peace. Long live the Empire!"

That was it. His speech was short yet to the point, and the crowds seemed to love it. Cheering was heard all around the Manor grounds, and in celebration, Zayn lifted our connected hands up in the air, both of us turning into a symbol of strength as the cheers only grew louder. We waved customarily to the crowd before turning to go back inside, Zayn chuckling softly.

"What's so funny?" I had to ask, Zayn only sporting a mischevious smirk.

"Ivy's gonna kill me for not saying her speech she wrote."

A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, but things will be better and more exciting next chapter, I promise :) Be sure to vote and comment!