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Over the course of the week, the Queen held a large press conference every single day, inviting a different batch of reporters each time. Lynnette attended all of them, as Her Highness wanted her to be a constant presence in the background. A few times, the media directed questions at Lynnette, but she decided to remain quiet and let Her Highness do all the talking.

The topic of Hector Goffe proved to be one of the most difficult. The Queen explained, repeatedly, that he was no longer a fugitive, that she considered him a national hero. Instead of trying to explain how the people Hector was accused of killing had been dead already, the Queen chose a simplified version of the truth: that their deaths were not his doing. Furthermore, she went on to flat out lie, saying that the people who falsely accused Hector were trying to prevent him from aiding her. And as the conferences continued and more detailed questions were asked, the Queen’s tale grew rather elaborate. By the end, Lynnette wasn’t sure she understood it all anymore, but apparently, Hector had been working under the Queen the whole time. The public never knew, of course, because it was a state secret, a matter of internal security.

“I gave him a mission,” Helen was saying, “to discover who the architect of the plot against me was. He was unfortunately a bit too successful. They attempted to frame, imprison, and subsequently silence him. But obviously, they underestimated young Mr. Goffe. In spite of his age, he is not only strong--as you all well know--but also, intelligent and courageous, which is of course why I hired him in the first place. And after all that he has done for his countrymen, all that he has sacrificed, I want his true nature to now be made clear to all. I hope every single one of you--”

This would go on for a while. If nothing else, Lynnette had to appreciate the woman’s ability to weave a tale.

Some journalists ate the story up. A horrid villain secretly being a noble hero certainly made for an exciting headline. Others were rather understandably more skeptical.