Lecorondia couldn`t stop the sheer thrill that went through her as she caught her first glimpse of the studio.

　　Her heart sang as they pushed through the doors, a nervous crew member leading them while deep in conversation with Jerry. She couldn`t help but watch the older man as he laughed and joked with the younger man. Such a difference from the previous day. If he wasn`t so clearly tied down, she might snap him up. He`d do wonders dealing with her agent when she didn`t want to. A pity.

　　That thought of Jerry`s performance made her toss a quick look toward Lucy. The poor girl was watching her mentor with that same wide-eyed gaze. She`d need to get rid of that soon. Lecorondia needed her co-star to be confident and collected, not doe-eyed with nerves and past fears. People, no matter the species, responded to confidence. Doubly so when it came from someone as stunning as Lucy.

　　Behind her, Julep walked silently, unwilling to let her enter the building on her own. She appreciated the support. An intimidating presence would keep the interviewer on task better than any regulations. The last thing she needed was whomever this was rambling into self-aggrandizing speeches—that was her job!

　　"If you could wait here?" Their guide said, while stepping aside and allowing them to enter a comfortable-looking break room. "We`ll be sending in someone to look after you in a minute."

　　Lecorondia smiled and moved inside without argument, tossing a quick thank you over her shoulder as she did. It was always beneficial to play nice with the crew. Anyone who could switch your microphone off was worth being polite to.

　　He looked stunned, watching them until Jerry gave a small cough. Shaking himself, the young man turned, stumbling as he left. Lecorondia smirked but didn`t comment.

　　"So the program will be short and simple," Jerry said, his tone serious.

　　Lucy looked toward the door. "I—"

　　"Will be fine," Lecorondia cut in. "It`s all about confidence, Lucy, dear. Now, Jerry. Did they say if it was an open discussion or a basic interview?"

　　"Interview. You`ll both speak, and then they`ll ask the Prime Minister some questions."

　　Lucy nodded, and Lecorondia joined her, even as her mind spun with ideas. Short wouldn`t work for her plans. A longer interview gave more time for sound bytes and headlines to be produced. More clickable moments for the drooling idiot fans to obsess over. While their appearance would get attention, she`d need to sell this properly.

　　The dog-owner role she`d played with Lucy should work nicely. Tears and desperate pleas when they showed off Erodicilee`s picture to start. Grief was a powerful seller, especially when it was something so universal, like pet ownership. After that, some funny stories to lighten the mood. Perhaps the time he fell off the couch? That always went over well at parties.

　　Lucy`s tentative question interrupted her train of thought.

　　"Jerry, when you say you`ll both speak, does that mean you aren`t coming on?"

　　The old man laughed. "Sorry, not pretty enough to show my mug on camera. You`re on your own."

　　"Not entirely on her own," Lecorondia said as she wrapped an arm around Lucy`s shoulder.

　　"I`ll leave her in your care, ambassador."

　　His gaze spoke volumes. Threats and promises intertwined, and she took the hint. He wanted her to take the brunt of it. Protect his coworker. That was fine. She already planned to. Lucy was there to appear official and act as arm candy. Her actual required involvement should be minimal.

　　"What can you tell me about this Prime Minister?" She asked, releasing Lucy.

　　"Prime Minister Bozzo?" Jerry`s face screwed up like he`d bitten something sour. "Real name: Robert Grace. The media gave him a stupid nickname, and now he gets us all to call him that. Thinks it`s funny. Been in office a while, somewhat popular, but he hasn`t done much yet. Not a religious nut, thankfully."

　　"So he`s useless?"

　　Lucy snorted, and Jerry nodded.

　　"So the same story as everywhere, then." Lecorondia shrugged.

　　Both her babysitters laughed at that as someone knocked on the door. Julep moved to open it. The poor woman who appeared looked ready to scream, but somehow kept it under wraps.

　　"I. Um. I`m here to do makeup. If you`d follow me?" She squeaked, and Lecorondia rose to her feet.

　　"Of course. Julep! Stop scaring the poor woman. Lucy?"

　　Julep grunted as Lucy got to her feet, and together they followed the shivering woman out the door.

　　***

　　"Let him work." Lecorondia couldn`t stop her sigh as she repeated the same advice for the thousandth time.

　　Beside her, Lucy stopped fidgeting in her seat as the man wielding the comb shot her a grateful look. She smiled, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her babysitter`s behavior. A simple ponytail, some blush, and eyeliner were the extent of the job. Staples for any camera work.

　　However, Lucy appeared either incapable or unwilling to stay still. She would fidget, bite her lip, or play with the side of the seat. Lecorondia mentally sighed, even as she turned her attention fully to the other woman without actually moving her head. No point in annoying her own helper.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

　　Lecorondia pondered how Jerry might help her. Lucy liked his stories. Perhaps one of her old ones would suffice?

　　"Did I ever tell you I acted in a movie?"

　　The question caught the attention of everyone present, and Lucy`s eyes flicked towards her before the crew member repositioned her to face the mirror. When he`d returned to work, Lecorondia continued.

　　"This was before my time in politics, of course. It was a proper movie too—a spy thriller. I played the damsel in distress, my first major role at the time." She heard the honest joy in her tone, and she let it be.

　　Her memory of walking onto the set of Undercover Bride for the first time always filled her with a wild glee. The lights, sounds, and people all blurring together to make her the star she`d dreamed of being. A perfect day.

　　"My makeup artists had me in the chair for four hours, trying to make me look totally different. Not sure why, with this face."

　　She paused and caught the eye of a young man carrying some papers. He dropped them, and she grinned before returning her attention to Lucy. "Where was I?"

　　"Four hours in the chair?"

　　"Ahh, yes. Four hours, and the woman spoke three words to me the entire time. Crazy."

　　She spotted the grateful look that Lucy`s helper gave her for the distraction. Others had slowed or stopped tasks to listen, and she preened under their attention. Lecorondia let her voice raise a touch, making sure everyone could hear her clearly. No point in letting them miss the best part now.

　　"We ended up shooting my section late. Rain`s pouring through a hole in the roof, and when I spot the lead actor for the first time, he`s so drunk he can barely stand. When they said in the reviews that I carried his performance, I don`t think they knew how literal they were being."

　　She gave a breathy laugh, designed to let anyone who wanted to join in. Some did, and she smiled at them gratefully. They would be invaluable allies if she needed help against the host.

　　"Great guy, still friends. He works in politics now. So, don`t fret, Lucy. No matter what happens, you won`t be trying to carry a drunk cyborg through a kissing scene you never wanted to do."

　　More laughter flowed, and she continued to tell jokes and stories. Soon, chatter filled the room as she laced in questions with her banter. She`d learned a lot from that event, and one was to ask questions where she could. The movie star turned senator being a drunk wasn`t a secret, and the staff loved their gossip.

　　With Lucy calmer, she turned her attention to grilling the crew. She wanted to learn everything she could about their host, Julian Moore. From what she gathered, he was fairly basic. He liked a joke, provided it wasn`t at him, and he could banter well enough. His biggest issue was his pettiness, a fact that might hinder them.

　　One crew member stopped to mention Julian wasn`t the biggest fan of the current prime minister before asking for an autograph. Lecorondia gave it happily while pondering what that meant. Hopefully, he`d take his frustrations out on the third guest rather than them.

　　Soon, the young man who`d led them inside reappeared to ask if they`d follow him.

　　Lucy got up, shaking, as Lecorondia stood next to her. With a swift motion, she reached across and wrapped an arm around the blonde`s shoulders as they walked.

　　"You`ll be fine. Leave this to me." Lecorondia kept her words soft. "Breathe and stand straight. They`re going to love you."

　　Lucky glanced around, as though terrified someone might overhear them. "My mother`s going to see this. I`m not looking forward to that."

　　"What she`ll see is her daughter ushering in a new era while dealing with someone powerful and looking fantastic doing it. Listen. If you get overwhelmed, simply ask for my opinion. I know what I`m doing."

　　"Thank you," Lucy said, and it was obvious from her tone that she meant it.

　　Lecorondia tightened her grip before she let her go. "Think nothing of it. Remember. Back straight, smile, and Julep will scare anyone who tries anything funny."

　　"So will Jerry." Lucy glanced towards him, and Lecorondia followed suit.

　　He stood nearby, hands in his pockets, as he spoke to what she assumed was a producer. They looked concerned, their eyes darting around as though searching for an exit. She let out a quiet snort. Jerry was already looking after her.

　　"Exactly," Lecorondia agreed. "Don`t fret."

　　As they walked into the studio, she caught sight of the host already sitting behind a wide desk. He wasn`t anything she considered impressive. Slight, with sandy blonde hair and a plain face. His attention flicked to the couch, which was obviously a recent addition to the set, and its mere presence appeared to aggravate him.

　　That shocked her. She would have thought he`d be thrilled to get this scoop. Did he truly hate the prime minister this much? Or was something else happening that she`d missed?

　　The constant movement drew her attention to the rest of the set. Cameras formed a half circle around the stage, and Lecorondia did her best to nod and smile to everyone who caught her eye. With slow steps, she moved Lucy over to the couch, helping her sit towards the edge closest to the large screen set up on a fake wall. It would allow her to be seen while giving Lecorondia the ability to shield her with the smallest of leans.

　　"Hi, welcome to the show."

　　As the man spoke, Lecorondia understood why he was the host. His voice sounded like smooth butter, and it sent a shiver up her spine. She`d known people who`d made careers out of less. It benefited her as well. He would convince people to watch, and when they tuned in? All eyes would turn to them.

　　Around them, people continued performing the final check-ups. Few paid them any attention, and so she turned her full attention to the host. With a charming smile and a quick bat of the eyelids, she met his gaze with her own.

　　"You must be Julian," Lecorondia said, with the slightest hint of flirtation in her tone. "A pleasure."

　　She wanted to test the waters before any true recording started. She`d known enough hosts in her time to understand the game. Several were exactly what they appeared to be; the others were two-faced schemers. Better to know which he was early.

　　"Believe me, the pleasure`s all mine."

　　His false smile told her the second one. Though he wanted to appear disarming, the annoyance he`d displayed earlier remained. Her concern grew, and she kept up the banter. It would be easier to keep him away from Lucy for now. The poor girl already showed signs of stress.

　　"I`m glad. So, tell me, Julian. What did they tell you about what`s happening?"

　　He laughed, a pleasant sound, even with the notes of irritation. "Not much, truth be told. I`m interviewing you and the nitwit we voted to put in charge. Other than that, I`m to treat it like normal."

　　She didn`t miss the way his eyes slid over to Lucy. Lust and hatred sat there. Her beauty not overshadowing whatever problem he had with authority. It took effort not to let her tongue flick out and taste the air. She didn`t want to scare him. Not yet. Besides, there was still a chance he`d simply flirt with her.

　　An audience loved a good one-sided romance, after all.

　　"Have you seen a picture of my dear Erodicilee yet?" She asked, turning to Lucy to ask for her phone, when the producer suddenly coughed.

　　"Are we already ready to go? If so, we`re on in two."