Location: A Burger King in Queens Year: 2011
POV: Third Person
The moment that followed Ren's declaration was a small universe in itself. The phrase "Ishikawa-Waldorf" hung in the air between them, a promise as solid and real as the formica table they rested upon. Blair looked at him, her smile a miniature sun, and Ren returned her gaze, his face filled with a devotion so profound it seemed to reshape the fluorescent light of the restaurant into something warm and sacred. They had forgotten where they were. The world had shrunk to just the two of them and the promise of a future contained within a small plastic toy.
It was a tiny voice that brought them back to earth.
"Excuse me, ma'am."
Blair blinked, snapping out of her trance. She looked down and saw a little girl, no more than six years old, standing shyly beside their table. She was one of the children who had been playing in the play area. She had large brown eyes full of serious curiosity, a small scrape on her knee, and a cotton dress with a strawberry print that had clearly been much loved.
"Hello," Blair said, her voice softer than she expected.
The little girl pointed at Blair's red Valentino dress. "Your dress is very pretty," she said with the brutal honesty of children. "And you're very pretty. You look like a queen."
Blair's heart fluttered. In all her years of meticulous self-presentation, of seeking admiration and envy, no compliment had ever affected her as much as this one, delivered by a child in a strawberry dress in a Queens Burger King.
"Well, thank you very much," Blair responded, a genuine, warm smile spreading across her face. "That's very kind of you to say."
Ren watched the interaction in silence, his face a mask of quiet amusement, but his eyes were fixed on Blair, seeing a side of her he had never before witnessed.
"How can I help you?" Blair asked the girl, leaning slightly forward, giving her full attention.
The little girl wrung her fingers, her initial shyness returning. She glanced over her shoulder at her parents, who sat a few tables away, watching with expressions of horror and embarrassment. Clearly, this was an unauthorized mission.
"It's just..." the little girl began in a whisper, "my mommy and daddy told me today was a special day because they had a little extra money, and that's why we came here. And my daddy always says queens and kings have big courts and they always need good people to help."
Blair listened, completely captivated.
"And you look like a very good queen," the girl continued, her childlike logic impeccable. "And he"—she pointed a chubby finger at Ren—"looks like a very strong king. And... and I was wondering... if maybe you'd have jobs for my mommy and daddy in your court. My mommy makes the best cakes, and my daddy can fix anything. I swear."
The innocence of the request was so pure, so heartbreaking, that Blair felt a lump form in her throat. This child wasn't asking for a handout. She was applying for a court position, a place for her family in the kingdom she believed Blair ruled. She was offering her parents' skills in exchange for a place in the castle.
Before Blair could formulate a response, Ren's voice filled the space.
"Of course," he said.
Blair turned to look at him. He wasn't looking at the girl. He was looking at her, at Blair, and in his eyes was a silent question: Is this the kind of kingdom we're going to rule, my Queen?
Blair met his gaze, and she knew the answer with absolute certainty. Their dynasty would not be built on intimidation and fear, like the Basses', nor on empty pomp, like the Grimaldis'. It would be built on this. On the recognition of value in unexpected places. On grace.
She turned back to the little girl and smiled, a smile that lit up her entire face. "Your king is right. Of course, we have work for them. A good queen is always looking for talented and loyal people. And any parent who has raised an ambassador as brave and eloquent as you, clearly has much to offer."
The little girl's eyes widened, filled with a joy so bright it was almost blinding. "Really!"
Just then, the girl's parents rushed over, their faces red with embarrassment.
"We are so, so sorry!" the mother said, a young woman with tired but kind eyes. "Sofia, we told you not to bother people! Please, excuse her!"
"There's nothing to apologize for," Ren said, his voice calm and authoritative, stopping their apologies dead in their tracks. He stood, a gesture that immediately shifted the dynamic. He was no longer a fast-food customer; he was a man of power. He looked at the father. "Your daughter says you can fix anything. Is that true?"
The father, a strongly built man with calloused hands and an expression of wounded pride, straightened up. "Yes, sir. I've worked in maintenance and construction my whole life. Electrical, plumbing, carpentry... you name it, I can do it."
Ren nodded slowly. Then he turned to the mother. "And you, ma'am? Cakes?"
The woman flushed, but nodded. "It's just a hobby. But yes, I love to bake."
Ren looked at Blair, a silent communication passing between them. Blair gave him a slight nod. It was their first joint decree as monarchs.
"Good," Ren said, turning back to the couple. His tone was now that of a CEO conducting a job interview. "As you know, my... partner and I have just acquired a number of new properties. One of these is a large townhouse in the West Village that requires constant maintenance and a resident facilities manager. It's a position that demands meticulous attention to detail and the ability to solve problems on the fly. The position includes a private apartment on the property and a competitive salary." He looked at the father. "Would you be interested in the Head of Facilities position?"
The man gaped, his wounded pride replaced by stunned disbelief. "Head... of Facilities?"
"And," Ren continued, turning to the mother, "my organization often hosts events and dinners that require high-quality catering. We are always looking for culinary talent, especially in the area of baking. I'd like to offer you a contract as a baking consultant for Aegis Solutions. You would work mostly from home, developing menus and preparing samples. The salary is also competitive."
The woman's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.
"But... you don't know us," the father stammered. "Why would you do this?"
Ren reached down and picked up the napkin he had wrapped the small plastic toy in. He held it out to the man.
"Your daughter, Sofia, just conducted the most impressive job interview I've ever seen," Ren said with complete seriousness. "She demonstrated initiative, bravery, and a profound loyalty to her family. Those are the only references I need. We believe in investing in people with potential. And it's clear you two have raised a future leader. We want to ensure she has every opportunity to succeed."
Blair watched, her heart swelling with a pride and love so vast she felt it might burst. This was him. This was the man who rescued the forgotten, who saw value where others saw only despair.
Ren pulled out his wallet, not to give a handout, but to do business. He took out a business card and a wad of bills.
"This is my chief of staff's card," he told the father. "Call him first thing tomorrow morning to arrange the details of your new position. This"—he held out the wad of bills—"is an advance on your first month's salary. To help with the transition. Consider it a signing bonus from your daughter."
The couple stood there, completely overwhelmed, tears now streaming freely down the mother's face. The father looked at the money and the card in his hand as if they were artifacts from another planet.
"I... I don't know what to say," he murmured.
"Say yes," Blair said softly, speaking for the first time. She rose and walked over to little Sofia, kneeling down to her height. "Welcome to the court, Sofia. Your first mission as a member of our kingdom is to make sure your parents accept their new positions."
The little girl beamed, a smile as bright as the sun. She ran to her parents and hugged them around their legs. "I did it!" she cried. "We get to live in the castle now!"
The laughter that burst from Blair and Ren was genuine and liberating. In the midst of the makeshift royalty of a Burger King, they had performed their first official act as monarchs. They hadn't acquired a company or neutralized an enemy. They had changed a life. They had changed three lives.
As the family walked away, talking in excited whispers and looking back with gratitude and awe, Blair turned to Ren.
"Ishikawa-Waldorf," she said softly, trying the name again. "I like the sound of that. It sounds like... hope."
Ren took her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. "Our first royal decree," he said, his eyes gleaming with the same love and pride she felt. "To recruit the best and brightest talent, no matter where we find them."
They left the Burger King and stepped back into the silent luxury of the limousine, leaving behind the smell of french fries and entering their world of power and secrets once more. But something had changed forever. Their kingdom, Blair realized, would not be defined by the walls of their townhouse or the borders of their influence. It would be defined by moments like this. By unexpected grace. By the belief that even in the most common of places, one can find a loyalty worthy of a king. And that a true queen is not the one who wears the heaviest crown, but the one who knows how to lighten the burdens of others.