Chapter 2: London

"Good Morning Mr. Stewart, it's time to get up and get ready," Nancy said, gently waking me up. "We'll be landing in an hour and we have to get you fed and dressed properly."

"Morning Nancy, you look much too beautiful after nine hours of flying," I told her as I sat up.

She was in her short black skirt and white blouse that she had on when I first boarded the plane and looked as fresh as when I saw her then.

"I took the liberty of resting and then changing into a new uniform," she replied with a smile. "So, why don't you use the facilities and then we'll get you fed before we dress you into one of your new suits."

"Alright, give me a few minutes," I told her as I stood up.

I forgot that I was only in my shorts and she gave me a quick once over. She blushed when I gave her a grin.

"Sorry Mr. Stewart, that was unprofessional of me," she said.

"Don't sweat it, you sneak a look, I sneak a look, we're even," I said. "You're gorgeous; I'm surprised the pilots aren't chasing you around the airplane the whole flight."

"Oh, that's a big no-no," she told me. "Fraternizing with the flight attendant gets them shipped to Antarctica."

I grinned at her before shutting the door behind me. I used the toilet and then to gave myself a quick wash. I wet down my bed-head hair and tried to get it to look decent before I went and slipped into some sweats and a tee shirt that Nancy had laid out on the bed.

When I entered the main cabin, the smell of eggs and bacon almost had me salivating. Nancy came in from the attendant's room, separated from the main cabin by a curtain. She was carrying a tray with a plate of food and some apple juice. She set it down on one of the tables between two seats and beckoned me over.

"Sunny side up eggs, bacon only slightly crisp, hash browns, rye toast and apple juice," she explained. "I believe all are to your usual specifications?"

"Very much so, it looks wonderful," I said. "I won't even ask how you knew all of my specifications. There is only one thing missing."

"And what is that, Mr. Stewart?" she asked.

"A plate for you to join me," I told her.

"I don't eat with the VIPs, Mr. Stewart," Nancy said. "Besides, I have too much to do to get you ready. Hopefully your penchant for fast eating hasn't deserted you."

"No problem, I'll be done in a couple of minutes," I replied as I sat down.

She smiled and went back to her station for a couple of minutes while I dug in.

"Is everything to your liking, Mr. Stewart?" she asked when she next appeared.

"It's all very delicious," I told her. "You know you could call me Mike."

"Certainly, Mr. Stewart," she replied with a wink. "I'll get your suit laid out for you now."

She disappeared into the back while I quickly finished up. Five minutes later I joined her in the back and washed up in the bathroom. I found my travel case already in the bathroom, and brushed my teeth and then quickly shaved.

She came in the open door and looked me over.

"Shall we style your hair or leave it as is?" she asked.

I looked in the mirror and saw my usual do.

"Looks ok to me," I said.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Let's get you dressed."

We went out to the bedroom and she told me to get out of my clothes. I waited for her to leave but she just stood there.

"I can dress myself you know," I told her. "I've done it for years now."

"I'm here to help," she stated. "You just spent a week nearly naked with six women. You can't be shy or embarrassed."

"True, but they were nearly naked as well," I retorted as I took off my shirt, giving her a lecherous glance.

I slipped of my sweatpants and put them on the bed.

She looked me up and down and twirled her finger around. I grinned and did a slow three-sixty for her.

"Underwear too, Mr. Stewart, it was a long flight," she instructed.

I dropped my briefs and gave her a raised eyebrow.

Nancy grabbed a pair of black socks and squatted down and had me lift my foot up. I felt her breath on me as she slid first one and then the second sock on. She stood up and I felt her hair brush my cock and it started to rise. She took a new pair of briefs from the bed and squatted down and helped with them, tucking me in.

Nancy then grabbed the suit trousers and held them up for me to step into before holding a white shirt for me to slip on. She insisted on doing the buttons up and then expertly knotted a tie for me and clipped it down with a fancy tie clip. Finally she helped me on with the navy blue suit jacket. Nancy walked around me and picked off bits of fuzz off my suit as she smoothed it down.

"How does it feel?" she asked. "It looks like it fits well."

I moved my arms and it had just the right amount of play to let me move without feeling restricted.

"It feels good actually," I told her.

I walked to the door and looked in the mirror. I looked pretty good, mature and sophisticated.

"You're hired," I told her. "I need you to dress me for all my events."

"I'm glad you're satisfied," she said with a smile.

She asked me to go sit in the main cabin and buckle in as we would be landing shortly. I looked out the window to find we were already over London and coming in to land. Nancy walked through the main cabin and did some straightening up at her station and then used the intercom before sitting down in a seat by the door. She gave me a smile after she buckled her seatbelt and not a minute later the plane touched down with a gentle touch. We stayed seated as we taxied to a private hanger, not stopping and starting as you usually did on the way to a terminal.

"That was a quick trip across the airport," I commented as she indicated we could unbuckle.

"You're in a very special plane, Mr. Stewart," she said as she opened the cabin door.

"Good luck this week," she said.

"Thanks Nancy, for everything," I replied before heading down the steps, carrying only the file folder of binders.

At the bottom of the steps a woman in her late twenties, dressed in a sharp business suit, stood waiting for me.

"Mr. Stewart, I am Miss Jones, I'll be your guide and coordinator this week," the black haired woman said. "If you would follow me please, we'll be on our way."

I nodded and the fell in beside her. She led me to a Rolls Royce limousine with tinted windows and a chauffeur standing by to open the back doors.

"After you, Miss Jones," I said.

"Thank you, Mr. Stewart," she replied.

I ducked my head and got in after her and took the seat opposite her. The chauffeur closed the door and then walked around to get in. Without any direction from Miss Jones, he drove off through the nearby security gate, not stopping at the guard station.

"How was the flight from Jamaica, Mr Stewart?" Miss Jones asked.

"I spent most of it sleeping so it was good," I told her. "I just had time to have some excellent breakfast before we landed. I highly commend the crew; I was well taken care of."

"Excellent, I'll pass on your remarks," she responded. "We'll be at our destination in about a half hour and we'll get you settled before your first meeting at one pm."

"How am I supposed to act around these people, whoever they are?" I asked.

For any of the royal family just address them as His, or Her, Royal Highness unless it's the Queen," Miss Jones informed me. "The Queen is Your Majesty. After you've done the salutation once, women can be called Ma'am and men can be called Sir. "If you want to show respect to them, you can add a head bow, like this."

She did a quick demonstration of a head nod from the neck.

"Ok, doesn't sound too hard," I said. "I don't know a lot about the nobility so I hope I'll be getting introductions."

"Certainly, no one wants you to feel embarrassed," Miss Jones replied. "They've brought you here for a purpose and we've been instructed to treat you as a VIP so we are to make sure you're comfortable and relaxed."

"So why am I here then?" I asked.

"I'm not privy to that information," she replied. "So I'll just get you to your destination and make sure your stay is comfortable."

We drove in silence for a bit as I watched the city go by through the windows.

"Would you care for something to drink?" she asked.

"No thanks, I'll probably spill it all over the suit and upholstery," I replied.

Eventually we turned onto a tree lined road with no traffic on it and came to a stop. I tried to look out front but couldn't see much as we continued on a short time later. We pulled into a parking spot near a tall building and I looked at her with an obvious inquiring look.

"Welcome to Buckingham Palace, Mr. Stewart," Miss Jones said with a smile.

"Jesus, they're pulling out all the stops, aren't they?" I said as the chauffeur opened the door.

She nodded and indicated that I was to exit first. I got out and helped Miss Jones out the door and she led the way into a small side door of the imposing palace. Again, I was walked past security with only a nod from the guards, first to her and then to me.

I was led down a corridor and up a flight of stairs and we passed through another checkpoint. This time we both had to sign in and I was issued an identity card and had my fingerprint scanned into the system. I then followed her through into the residential portion of the palace, making sure my card and fingerprint worked.

The room she led me to me was very elegant with an old chandelier and a large four poster bed covered by a heavy, rich looking bedspread. Miss Jones told me she would be back in fifteen minutes to take me to the first meeting. I looked around the room and peeked out the window and found it looked over the inside courtyard. The attached bathroom had an old style claw bathtub which had an attachment for a shower and one of those circular curtains.

I was looking through some of the books on the shelf when a man brought in two garment bags and my suitcase. I tried to give him a tip but he waved it off. I spent the next few minutes hanging up the suits in the closet and putting away my clothes in the dresser drawers. My handler came to fetch me and led me to a meeting room downstairs. I helped myself to some of the snacks laid out and then sat down. Miss Jones did the same and poured us each a glass of water.

At precisely one o'clock, a man I recognized as Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, came into the room accompanied by a younger woman. Both were dressed in business wear, the Prince in a suit and the woman in a matching jacket and skirt.

"Good afternoon," the Prince said pleasantly.

We both stood up and Miss Jones curtsied while I bowed my head.

"Your Royal Highness, may I present Mr. Michael Stewart. Mr. Stewart, His Royal Highness, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York," Miss Jones made the introductions.

"Your Royal Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said as I shook his hand.

"Mr. Stewart, the pleasure is ours," the Duke said. "Has Miss Jones been treating you right?"

"Yes Sir," I replied.

"Good to hear it," he said. "This is Lady Elizabeth Trenton."

"Lady Trenton, it's also a pleasure to meet you," I said.

"And I you, Mr. Stewart," she replied with a smile. "I look forward to working with you on our enterprise."

"With that, I'll take my leave and will come back at two thirty," Miss Jones announced.

"Thank you Miss Jones," Prince Andrew said and waited until she had closed the door behind her.

"Shall we sit down?" the Prince suggested.

He helped Lady Elizabeth with her chair and indicated I was to sit.

"First of all, I want you to relax around us, Michael," he started off. "We have much to discuss and neither of us need you to bow or call us His Royal Highness. Get comfortable with calling me Prince Andrew and Lady Elizabeth. We won't mind if you forget the Prince or the Lady prefix but others might when we're not alone. Ok?"

"Yes Prince Andrew," I replied.

"Lady Elizabeth is not just a beautiful lady; she also has her degree from Oxford in Business and helps me in my capacity as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment," he informed me.

"Very impressive, Oxford is one of the premier universities in the world," I replied.

She nodded and smiled.

The Prince continued, "As the Governor General told you, we have been working on a massive deal with the Duke of Castile that would benefit most of the Commonwealth countries, including Jamaica and some of the surrounding smaller countries in the Caribbean. The incident last week has put that on hold, even though his countryman was the cause."

"Yes, I tried to convince him to stay on Monday when he came to say goodbye," I told them. "He said it was hard to do business with a country where his daughter was attacked. I told him there were always a few bad apples in any country and that Rodrigo flashed a lot of money around. It didn't work, I'm afraid."

"It was good of you to try, but it was too soon," Prince Andrew said.

"So why am I here?" I asked. "If I couldn't convince him then, why do you think I can later?"

"We're going to give you some better backing when you approach him next," he replied.

"What exactly does that mean?" I asked.

"We need you to be a bit more of an even keel with him so there will be a ceremony tomorrow to take care of that," Prince Andrew answered. "We'll also be sending you with a couple of people to help with the negotiations."

"One, I'm just supposed to get him back to the table with you, there shouldn't be any negotiations when I'm there," I told him. "Secondly, he's a Duke which puts him on an even keel with you. What kind of ceremony will put me anywhere near that level?"

"The Queen would make you a Knight and provide you with a Barony so you could be called Baron Stewart of somewhere," he said.

"No thanks," I said. "I'm not noble and making me one just to talk to the Duke is ridiculous. So, if someone needs to come along, pick someone of equal stature and he can present a case after I get the Duke to the table to at least talk. How about you and I fly over and meet with him as soon as he gets home?"

They smiled at my naiveté and Prince Andrew responded, "I just can't jump on a plane and drop in on the Duke, there are protocols to follow for a royal visit."

"Ok, I looked over the deal on the way here," I said, patting the file folder. "I'm not a business expert but the deal looks pretty even for both sides, depending on what the Duke finds in some of the mines you're letting him develop. There is too much to lose for him to back out of the deal, especially when his daughter wasn't seriously harmed. So he has another motive for delaying the deal."

"Go on, what do you think his motive is?" Lady Trenton asked, clearly curious.

"Either there is something wrong with the deal or he just wants you to sweeten it to come back to the table," I said. "Was there anything wrong with any aspect of the deal, especially with the Jamaican portion of it?"

"Not that I know of," Lady Trenton replied, looking at Prince Andrew.

"I can't think of anything either," Prince Andrew added.

"Then he wants something extra," I stated. "Was there anything negotiated out from your end that he wanted? Again, maybe in Jamaica?"

"He wanted access to some land on the coast to build another resort but the Jamaican government wouldn't allow it," Lady Trenton stated. "There were a few mines in different countries that he was also interested in as well."

"And did you have anything in Jamaica that he turned down?" I asked.

"We wanted him to establish a manufacturing site there to jump start high tech industry in the country," the Prince stated.

"So, offer some land in exchange for starting up the manufacturing site," I suggested. "Make sure that the deal slants a bit in his favour."

They looked at each other and Lady Trenton dug through to find her Jamaican folder and pulled out two binders. They looked through both folders and talked quietly while I got up and explored the tray of treats.

"You may be on to something, Mike," Lady Trenton said to get my attention. "It could be enough to get him back to the table to finalize the deal."

"If not, find some other nugget of information that doesn't cost you much to provide but will pay dividends to the Duke," I suggested. "You really don't need me for this."

"We do if we want to get this done quickly," Prince Andrew said. "The Duke isn't in the same time crunch as we are. We will need to get him back to the table by outlining our additional offers. Lady Trenton and I will get working on the additional proposal and look for another nugget as you say."

"Ok, good luck with that," I said. "Can I get a ride back to Jamaica or Canada please?"

"Mike, you're going to have to take the offer to the Duke," Prince Andrew said.

"Why?" I asked. "Now that it's just a negotiation, anyone can do it."

"It's not a negotiation until he's back at the table," Lady Trenton stated. "You have to get him there. Give us a couple of days and then we'll fly you over there and you can give him our proposal verbally and if he bites, you can hand him a binder."

I looked at both of them and sighed.

"I suppose I could see some sights while I wait," I said. "I'll need to be able to work out while I'm here."

"I'll get Miss Jones on it," Prince Andrew said, picking up his phone.

He talked quietly for a minute and then hung up.

"Ok, Miss Jones will be here shortly and will get you situated," Prince Andrew said. "We're going to get with the rest of the team and go over your suggestions. One of us will keep you informed of our progress."

We stood up and they both shook my hands before heading out. I waited for Miss Jones and she showed up in the company of a military man.

"Mr. Stewart, this is Sergeant Thomas, he will take you to the barracks so you can work out," she told me. "When you're done, he will bring you back and I'll arrange for some sightseeing activities while you wait for Prince Andrew and Lady Trenton."

"Sounds good, Miss Jones, thank you," I said. "Sergeant Thomas, it's nice to meet you."

"Mr. Stewart, the pleasure is mine," he stated diplomatically. "Shall we head out?"

"I should change first, don't you think?" I asked.

"I'll provide you with some workout gear, Mr. Stewart," Sergeant Thomas replied.

"Then I'm all yours," I responded.

We took the stairs down and exited at the side of the palace. He guided us to a small car and we drove over to a nearby old building. Once inside, the sergeant led me to change room and handed me a tee shirt and fatigue pants as well as some runners. I got changed and he led me to a weight room.

"This should suit you, Mr. Stewart," he said.

I looked around and nodded before saying, "It's little light on the amount of weight available, but I'll just do more reps. Sergeant Thomas, you can call me Mike, you're more than twice as old as I am."

"Alright Mike," he replied. "I'll just watch from here to make sure you are ok and then leave you to it."

I nodded and stretched for a bit before starting with the bench press. It only went up to two fifty so I just did sets of fifteen. I moved on to shoulder pull downs and again used the entire weight with more reps. When I was done I noticed that the sergeant was no longer watching.

I finished up an hour later and dried off with a towel. I found an open area in the corner and did my stretches and then went through my forms. The sergeant was watching as I finished up.

"Do you do any sparring?" he asked.

"Just with my two instructors," I told him, "nothing competitive or organized."

"Want to get some in?" he asked.

"Sure, but I couldn't tell you what level I am or that I know any of the accepted rules," I told him as we walked down a hallway.

"No problem, we'll start at the low end and work our way up the ranks," he said as he guided me into a gym.

There were perhaps a couple dozen men and a few women using the various pieces of equipment around the gym or sparring on the mats. The sergeant walked to an open mat and called over a small man practising kicks against a punching bag.

"Ok, Private Smith, feel like sparring with Mike here?" sergeant asked him. "He's got you in reach and strength, but we don't know his level of competency yet."

Sure Sergeant," the private replied.

I took off my shoes and joined him on the mat.

"Any rules I should know about?" I asked. "Do I pull my punches or what?"

"No maiming hits to the face or vulnerable areas," the sergeant said. "Private, let's start slow so Mike gets a feel for how we do things."

"Sure Sergeant," the private said with a grin.

We squared off in the middle and I stood in my ready position. The sergeant said start and the private came at me slowly. He threw a punch that I blocked easily. I didn't use a counterpunch though he left himself wide open.

Private Smith slowly sped up, mixing both punches and kicks into his attack. I found him very slow and easily avoided getting hit. After a particularly wild swing, I pushed him off balance and swept his feet from underneath of him so he fell on his back.

"I think that shows you're much better than Private Smith," the sergeant said dryly. "Off you go, Private."

I nodded to the private and then watched as Sergeant Thomas picked a bigger man who was sparring with a woman on the other mat. They both came over.

"Corporal Peters, this is Mike Stewart, we're trying to find him a sparring partner but Private Smith was sadly lacking," the sergeant told the man. "Care to see if you match up with him?"

"Sure Sergeant, it would be my pleasure," Peters said.

We lined up and the sergeant said start.

The corporal came at me in a rush and used an offence designed to quickly overwhelm me. I avoided the punches and blocked the kicks easily as we moved around the mat. His attack became predictable and I simply pushed him to the side when he overextended himself.

"And stop," Sergeant Thomas shouted. "Corporal, you overextended yourself there, didn't you?"

"Sorry Sergeant," the corporal replied and left the mat.

The sergeant looked around while I rested.

"Ok, let's go way up and see how you do with one from the top five," Sergeant Thomas said. "Sergeant Ming, front and centre!"

"Yes Sergeant," a tiny oriental woman soon stood in front of him.

"Your turn against our guest," he said.

"Certainly Sergeant," she replied with a grin.

We took our positions and waited. Sergeant Thomas said start and we just stood there.

"Ok you two, let's see some offence," the sergeant said. "Mike, you haven't shown us any yet, why don't you open up a bit."

"Alright, you ready Sergeant?" I asked.

"Bring it," she replied with another grin.

She wasn't a bad defender, but was nothing compared to Asuka or the Sensei. I had her concentrating on a few punches when a front kick got her in the stomach and she folded up. I bent down to see if she was ok and while she was having a hard time catching her breath, I hadn't used much force on the kick. She was up in another minute and helped off the mat.

By this time the rest of the people were avidly watching the matches.

"Ok, Staff Sergeant Miller, it's up to you to defend the Company's honour," the sergeant said, looking at a tall, well built man, the oldest person present except for the sergeant.

"I'm afraid none of us is in his class Sergeant, but I'll try my best," he said.

The Staff Sergeant was decent, clearly the best of the bunch so far. We had a good thirty second attack and counter attack going before I decided to end it with a leg sweep and light elbow to the stomach.

"I believe you're out for the count there, Staff Sergeant Miller," the sergeant said as I got up and pulled Miller up as well.

"He doesn't even look winded," Miller replied. "It's your turn Sergeant."

"Oh, I don't think so, can't have the troops see me lying on the ground like you just did," Sergeant Thomas replied with a short laugh. "Mike, tell these troopers how long you've been studying martial arts."

"A few months," I told them.

"No shit?" the staff sergeant asked.

"No shit, Staff Sergeant," I replied with a grin. "I just happen to have two very good teachers. You need to bring someone better in to train these people or they're going to be mincemeat out there. I'm sure you must have access to some of the best in the world in your Special Forces and such."

"I'll see who I can scrounge up for tomorrow and maybe you can help again," Sergeant Thomas replied.

"Sure, I'd be happy to," I said. "Maybe we can start with this before I work out, if you're bringing in better trained people."

Sure, how about in the morning then?" he suggested.

"I get up at five so anytime after that is fine," I agreed.

He led me to the change room and I showered before putting on the suit pants and shirt.

"I hope I didn't embarrass anyone today Sergeant Thomas, that wasn't my intention," I told him. "I might have misspoken when I talked about their training."

"Since we're the ones doing the training, only the Staff Sergeant and I were embarrassed," he said. "I'll reserve judgement until after tomorrow and see how some of the others fair against you."

"Ok, it was a bit hard to spar against them, I haven't had to pull my punches before," I said. "It will be interesting to see if the new ones are good enough to really go at it."

"How old are you?" he asked as we walked out of the barracks.

"Eighteen," I told him.

"And you work out so much just to stay in shape?" he asked as he unlocked the car doors and we got in.

"I play hockey and I have the combine for the NHL draft in less than a month," I told him. "I will have to do all sorts of exercises for the teams so I need to keep in peak form."

"I see, well you should do well enough, you're in as good a shape as anyone I've seen," he told me. "We should get you out for a run with the company tomorrow."

"I don't run much," I admitted. "Skate lots and use the elliptical or bike, but I don't run."

"Alright, we'll skip the run then," he said was we started back.

We drove in silence back to the palace and we showed our ID cards to get back in.

"I'll see you tomorrow at five fifteen then Mike," Sergeant Thomas said.

"Alright Sergeant Thomas, and sorry again for speaking out of turn," I said.

He nodded and left me to find my way back to my room. I finally did by asking a staff person. I changed into some casual clothes and made my way out of the palace. I walked towards the Thames River and found a bank that would change my U.S. money into pounds and got directions to the London Tower and the Tower Bridge.

I spent a couple of hours prowling around the various towers and keeps of the Tower and then took a walk across the Tower Bridge. I even visited the museum light Cruiser ship HMS Belfast moored in the Thames River.

I returned to the Palace and found Miss Jones pacing in front of my room.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Out for a sightseeing jaunt," I replied. "I took in the Tower, the Tower Bridge and the HMS Belfast."

"I've been looking for you since the sergeant dropped you off," she said.

"Why didn't you just call?" I asked.

"I don't have the number," she admitted.

"Here it is," I said, showing her the number on the phone.

"Thank you," she said as she programmed her phone. "Ok, we need to hurry, you're dinner date scheduled for half an hour from now and you need to shower and get dressed."

"I have a dinner date?" I asked. "Who with?"

"I don't know, I was just told to have you ready for seven," she replied as she hustled me inside. "Ok, take a quick shower while I get your suit ready."

"Yes Ma'am," I said, grabbing some clean underwear and shorts.

Twenty five minutes later I was outside one of the entrances standing beside Miss Jones when a limousine pulled up.

"Have a good evening, Mr. Stewart, don't forget you have a five fifteen start time with the sergeant," Miss Jones said.

"You too, Miss Jones," I replied.

I approached the car and the chauffeur got out and opened the door. I leaned in and found the car empty. I sat down and the he shut the door before going around and getting in the driver's side. He drove off and I wondered where he was taking me. A few minutes later, he stopped outside the Ritz Hotel and opened the door for me. I got out and looked at him.

"The lady will meet you in the bar, Sir," he said.

"Thanks," I replied and walked up the stairs and into the lobby.

I marvelled at the elegant decor and had to move to the side before being trampled by a couple of men eager to get somewhere. I asked for the bar at the concierge's desk and was directed to the Rivoli Bar down the hall.