boundtoyouphff

[boundtoyouphff]

Chapter 16: Unwritten

A/N: Here is the next chapter! I hope you have enjoyed Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 that were posted yesterday! Please read those first before continuing to this one.

Oh, the magic of new beginnings.

The hope that fills you and inspires you that a fresh start is that key ingredient that you have been missing.

Opening the book to a new page, the start of an amazing adventure yet to come instills me with such joy and happiness looking into the unwritten future. It is time to start a new book in my life and close the chapter of the past. You cannot start a new book while remaining stuck in the last one. So I'm putting you away on the shelf because you are still a part of my past that has brought me to this moment. One I must not forget, but I cannot linger amongst the pages any longer.

But, when I looked one last time at the cover of the book I realized that I was not the author of this. That somehow this book of my life was not written by me, but by those who thought they knew me and those who tried to steer the plot into their own direction.

It is time to write my own book. But, this book is still unwritten. Filled with empty pages, but bounded in hope for what I will be writing in them.

It's time for me to write my own story, to be the author of my own life and the creator of my own voice.

It's time to show the world who really is Emilia Andelle.

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Emilia took in a deep sigh as Ella continued to style her hair for her engagements with Green Peace this afternoon. The princess was handed a briefing by her new private secretary Evie Sharpe. Emilia released a genuine smile seeing how engaged and enthusiastic Evie was about today. She was a stark difference from her previous private secretary, Mia Deacon.

From the moment she had met Evie, Emilia eagerly wanted her to be spear heading her newly developed team. Even her father was impressed by the young woman's resume and further encouraged Emilia that she would be a great fit. Throughout the interviews of Emilia's new staff, her father Frederick was present for all of them as per the Queen's request. But, he made sure to take a step back and only provide advice when Emilia asked his opinion only after she had shared her own thoughts on the candidates. He wanted this team to be purely Emilia's choice and to find people who could not only share her vision, but help her successfully create it. The Crown Prince was proud of his youngest daughter for showing the initiative to create this remarkable team, one of her own making. The ideas she presented to him were well thought out like she had been visioning this idea for a while and now she was finally making that vision come to light.

"The director, Mr. Langford, of Green Peace will greet you when you arrive and introduce you to key staff members. Then we will proceed inside and have a tour of some of the sanctuaries before opening the new wing dedicated to helping the endangered, but also extremely adorable if I may add, Fennec Foxes." Evie was beaming as she finally took a breath and sat down across from Emilia. "They told me yesterday that they have a new litter of baby foxes that are dying to meet a princess and need to be named."

Emilia tossed her head back in laughter. "Well I certainly can do that. Thank you Evie for this."

"Speaking of endangered animals..." Ella piped up into the conversation. "I have this piece of jewelry that you wanted me to order for today." Emilia's stylist held up a pair of earrings that were very delicately designed butterflies with a custom emerald green gem stone.

"Wow! These are perfect!" Emilia carefully cradled them into her hand. The princess was able to sit down with Ella and Evie to go through her personal style for attending engagements. Emilia wished to add even more of an impact through the clothes and accessories that she chose to wear to shine a light on young sand upcoming designers, local designers during her tours and showcase accessories that profits go towards a charity project or change initiative. These butterfly earrings were created by a Illyrian college student who was using the proceeds from purchases to fund her non-profit conservation project of protecting at risk butterflies and birds. It was Emilia's hope that she could shine a light on this piece and use her influence to aid this young college student that shared her passion for conservation. It was little things like this that Emilia would use to create her own identity. To show how far her reach could go beyond engagements and simply making an appearance.

Emilia suddenly became quiet as she dug out a bracelet that was sent to her by Harry. She noticed it on one of their recent video chats and asked him about it. It was a piece that represented Harry's rhino conservation project in Africa. Emilia was hesitant to ask the prince if she could have one and wear for today's engagement. Harry's smile lit up at her question and was happy to send her one. But, he did feel the need to remind her that he is known for wearing it all the time and that the press could link them together if she were to wear it.

"Ooooh, I love that bracelet. It would work so well with your outfit today Emilia! Those blues would tie in perfectly." Ella smiled happily before she got a glimpse of Emilia's uncertain expression that had formed on her lips.

"I know, I just don't know if I should wear it." The princess released a deep sigh. She stood up quickly and grabbed her phone. "I will be right back. I need to call someone." Emilia didn't feel right wearing it today without Harry's blessing for the simple fact that they could be linked, but a piece inside Emilia wanted Harry along for the start of her new journey today and by wearing the bracelet, he could be.

Evie and Ella both watched the princess find a private area to make a call. Evie slowly turned her head to look up at Ella who was displaying a happy grin as if she knew exactly who Emilia was calling. "Should I know anything Ella?" Evie stood up and faced her with an inquisitive look.

Ella shook her head. "No. Whatever do you mean?" Ella perfectly played it off and got back to her work.

"Hello?" Harry's deep voice resonated on the line immediately bringing a smile to her lips.

The princess closed her eyes and sighed. Just the sound of his voice was enough for Emilia to miss him. "Hey." She quietly responded.

"You ok?" Harry had picked up on her quiet tone. He knew that today was a big day for Emilia and her new team. He had stayed up quite late talking to his girlfriend and calming her nerves.

"Yeah I am alright. Getting ready for my engagement." She told Harry while finding a chair to make herself comfortable in.

"I am honestly so nervous. It needs to go perfectly well." The stress in Emilia's voice was evident. It was clear the amount of pressure Emilia was facing today was insurmountable. She had to prove to her grandmother what she was capable of achieving on her own merit.

"Babe..." Harry breathed out. "You are going to kill it. Just don't kill any of the endangered animals and you will be fine!"

Emilia groaned loudly at his attempt to make her laugh. "Henry..."

"Oh come on love. That was pretty funny." Harry continued to snicker on the other line being unable to hold in his laughter.

The princess could not hold in her laughter, hearing her boyfriend's infectious giggle ring out. She dissolved into a fit of giggles feeling the anxiety about her day float away. Emilia sighed deeply, silently thanking Harry for that moment of relief.

"Thank you for making me laugh." Emilia suddenly became quiet, thinking about the reason why she had originally wanted to talk to Harry. She held the bracelet he had given her in her hand, analyzing it carefully. "There was something I wanted to ask you..." she trailed off.

"What's that?" Harry encouraged her.

"You know how you sent me your Rhino bracelet that you always wear?" Emilia led on.

"Yeah, you got it?" His soft voice spoke.

"I did. But, I wanted to ask you if it would be ok if I wore it on my engagement today." The dark haired princess breathed out. "Before you say anything, I want to explain." Emilia felt the need to, as the bracelet would surely link Harry to her if the media picked up on it. "I know that the press could find out that it is something you may have given me, but it has been reported that we are merely royal friends. I want - " Emilia was hesitating to tell Harry what was growing in her mind.

"Just tell me, Emilia."

"Today is a fresh start for me. My first engagement with my new team who I chose and this is something that I have wanted for so long. A new beginning to do the things that I want to do in the way I want to do them. You were a big factor in encouraging me to do this Henry. I want you to be a part of this new start today and I know you cannot be here. So I thought I could wear the bracelet today... so I know that you are still with me in another way. You are a part of this new journey for me." Emilia took in a shaky breath after finishing her rant while she waited for her boyfriend's reply.

"Emilia, you did not have to ask me permission to wear it." Harry's deep voice sounded over the phone. "I want you to wear it today and remember that I always have your back, no matter what. I don't care if they link it to me." The prince spoke freely. "You came here for the Invictus Games and I just did a whole tour with you in Illyria."

"I just wanted to check with you first." Emilia smiled happily at her boyfriend's response. "Thank you for supporting me babe and believing in me."

"Now, go out there and kick some ass. Call me when it's all done and let me know how it goes."

The smile plastered on Emilia's lips was hard to miss. "I will." Emilia sighed heavily. "God I can't wait to see you..."

"Don't remind me that I have to wait a few extra days because someone was leaving later than planned and I have to sit through two days of engagements knowing that you are in the same damn city as me!" Harry started to moan.

"It's not my fault!" Emilia giggled. "I will try my best to distract you anyhow."

"You better. Have a safe flight tomorrow."

"Bye baby."

Emilia hung up the phone and saw the press secretary Olivia Holmes and her new head of security Hugo Blackburn walk into her apartment.

Olivia searched the room for the princess and found her off to the side. She smiled warmly and started to approach Emilia. "Are you ready to go, your highness?"

Olivia Holmes was hired as Emilia's new press secretary, a liaison between the palace communications team and the Illyrian media. She came highly recommended by one of her closest friends, Scarlet, who was a news anchor. Scarlet was even afraid to cross Olivia and with her impressive resume of working for the British Illyrian Ambassador and for the famous female empowering Illyrian Senator Louisa Banks. Olivia was a force to be reckoned with, but she was a hard sell initially until Emilia shared her vision of what she wished to achieve as she found out that she was not planning on being the same cookie cutter royals as the rest of her family.

"For the last time Olivia, please just call me Emilia." The princess smiled warmly then released a deep sigh. "I would be lying if I said that I was not nervous about today..." Emilia glanced down briefly and put on Harry's bracelet.

"I would rather you be nervous right now than over confident." Olivia smirked. "Now, I will go over the journalist who will be asking you a few questions. She has been told not to drift away from these set few or she knows the price she will pay if she does." Emilia's press secretary giggled, lightening up the mood.

Emilia was half listening to Olivia when she saw Hugo approach her RPO Tristan who was standing beside the newly hired RPO, Kane McKinney. Her eyes locked in Tristan's gaze as a proud smile grew on his lips making the princess beam in return.

The princess had endured a long internal debate while she thought of giving Tristan the position of her head of security instead of Hugo Blackburn. It was not because he did not deserve it, more so the fact that Emilia trusted him more than anyway on her team and she wanted him right beside her. She sat Tristan down and told him why he was not getting the position while she was in near tears, but Tristan understood her reasons and told the young princess that he would rather be out protecting her than having the worries of being head of her security.

Kane McKinney had actually been recommended to Emilia from Prince Harry. Kane and Harry served together in the British Forces and went through basic training together. He had recently lost his Illyrian wife to a long battle of cancer, but was not ready to return to the life of the military and had chosen to stay in Illyria after his wife's passing. Harry was able to convince him that he could use his skills as a protection officer and when Emilia told Harry of her plans to form a whole new team, Kane was the first to come to his mind. Tristan had been showing Kane the ropes of being a royal protection officer even though he had completed a rigorous training course prior to his employment.

Hugo was lecturing them when Emilia approached her security team with a kind welcoming smile.

"Hello ma'am." Kane bowed his head. 'Ohh, I mean your highness." He stumbled out of his mouth clearly putting his nerves on display. Tristan rolled his eyes with a light shake of his head.

"Good morning Kane." She giggled at his expense. "Just take a deep breath and remember to watch Tristan. Luke is with us for a few more weeks to help out until you find your feet" Emilia rubbed Kane's shoulder in a warm comforting manner. "Also, like I have said please address me as Emilia. Just don't call me by Tristan's nickname for me and I won't have to fire you." She made light of the situation and got a quick laugh from Kane.

Hugo remained standing there in silence rather stoic and serious. Mr. Blackburn was the only one on Emilia's new team that she had a few doubts about. Emilia's father Fredrick did like what he saw on paper, but the man was a bit of a drill sergeant. She wanted to give the position to Luke Balvondio, one of her present RPOs but his wife was having a child in a few weeks and planned to take some leave to which Emilia was happy to grant. Luke knew the ins and outs of the security side and would have been the perfect fit. She secretly hoped to make the change once Luke was ready to return to his duties.

"Are you ready to leave ma'am?" Hugo's deep voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Yes, let's arrive on time today." Emilia took in a deep shaky breath and glanced around the room at her new team. A sense of excitement filled her making her lips spread into a beaming grin. She had done it and now she was about to show the world and her grandmother, The Queen, who this new Emilia was.

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Tristan was quietly speaking to Kane, telling him what was about to happen as Emilia's convoy pulled up to the entrance of Green Peace Conservation.

Emilia sat quietly across from them, peering out the window to see the mass crowd lined along the metal barriers that had been waiting just to catch a glimpse of the princess. Her eyes wavered away from the crowd to see the media with cameras at the ready.

Clearly someone had felt her nerves exude from her body as she felt a soft touch on the arm. "Emilia, just remember to be yourself and that is enough." Evie's soft comforting whisper immediately dissipated all of her fears.

The princess turned her head slowly to lock in Evie's kind gaze. "Thank you Evie."

The car rolled to a stop in front of the entrance making the princess shift her gaze onto Tristan. "Ready Emilia?" His blue eyes held her gaze steady.

Emilia gave a light nod of the head signalling that she was indeed ready. Tristan jumped out of one side of the car, while Kane followed suit through the other side. Within a matter of seconds Emilia's door was opened by Tristan as a wave of screams greeted the princess.

She stepped out elegantly with a bright smile and turned back to wave to the crowd. It was the plan to do a walk about after the engagement, but Emilia felt it was best to do one now as well. These people had been waiting for her for hours and it only felt right to do so. Besides, part of her vision was to connect with the people and show the people that Emilia was merely one of them.

"Tristan?" Emilia only had to say his name to let him know what she was wanting to do. Tristan replied with a simple nod and spoke into his coms to alert the security team in the change of plans.

The princess stepped away from the entrance alerting the crowd that she was about to do a walk to greet them and they erupted in the loudest cheer that brought an enormous grin to Emilia's lips. Her light blue dress with white flowers that hung well off of her body flowed in the wind with each passing step. She tucked behind a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear while glancing quickly at the ground.

Emilia's Dress

Emilia's Hair and Makeup

She made it to the first awaiting group and took her time greeting the happy smiling crowd who were so eager to meet the princess. Emilia engaged in a conversation with a nursery school group who had come out to see the exhibition of the fennec foxes as well. They all had drawn pictures of their favourite animals for Emilia, giving them to her as a present.

"I might have to buy a new castle to put all of these pictures up!" Emilia joked and the crowd roared in laughter. "Thank you! I will see you inside." The princess was about to step away when a little girl escaped through the barrier and came running at her with her arms stretched open for a hug.

The little girl was so ecstatic that she had escaped through the confines of the barriers, but she was running so hard that she tripped and fell, scraping her knee on the concrete.

Emilia hastily went to her and knelt down to tend to the little girl who was now wailing. The blonde curly haired child clutched her knee and whimpered. Emilia brushed away the dirt and comforted the young child until the police officers let her teacher through. "It's alright sweetheart. Let's get your knee cleaned up so you can feel better."

The princess stood the young girl up and wiped away her tear stained cheeks and spoke to her quietly until she calmed down. Emilia then pulled the little one into the tight hug that she had come to receive and the whole crowd awed at the kind gesture. The child's teacher kept on apologizing, but Emilia simply brushed it off as no big deal and continued down the way to greet other members of the crowd.

She was stopped by a young woman seeming to be similar in age to the princess. The brave woman asked if she could spend a few minutes interviewing her for one of her college papers for her Journalism degree. Emilia knew she did not have time to stand there for an interview at that moment, but she told the college student to give her details to Evie and she would be happy to arrange another time to be interviewed.

Emilia felt Evie lean in and whisper in her ear that it was time for them to go for their engagement. The princess shook a few more hands and then stepped away from the crowd who was calling her back. "I will come around again after!" She hollered back and walked purposely towards a patiently waiting Mr. Langford, the director of Green Peace.

Mr. Langford politely greeted the princess in a bowed head and a firm shake of the hand. "Welcome back, your royal highness. It's a pleasure to have you visit us again."

"I am so sorry to keep you waiting, Peter. I appreciate the invite again to come and see all the work you and your amazing team are doing. Plus, I hear the Fennec Foxes are adorable and quite playful." Emilia was beaming. She felt relaxed, confident and excited to get this engagement underway.

"Emilia! Over here!"

"Give us a smile will you?"

The press behind the barriers started to holler at Emilia all eager to capture that one headliner image for the papers tomorrow. The princess put on a brave face and turned to smile at the media for only a brief second. Giving them limited time to photograph her which many photographers would surely be complaining about in the upcoming days. Olivia had briefed the media team and royal photographers that there would now be a few select members of the photographers actually allowed in the events and engagements coming forward. This change was quite the sore spot for the vulturous press pack that loved to capture every little moment of Emilia's engagements and fished for anything to use against her in the papers the next day. This idea was given to Emilia by Harry himself as he explained how the British royals conducted engagements with the press.

Olivia was hesitant to limit the amount of access to Emilia during engagements but found a way to work around this by allowing one or two photographers selected by Olivia to capture photographs of Emilia during her engagements. But, the catch was they had to share their content with any willing member of the media upon a request. The photographers had to sign an agreement before hand to ensure this would happen.

Emilia knew that there would be immediate backlash with this decision, but she wanted the engagements to be a bit more intimate. To be able to truly focus on the reason why she was there and not have a hungry pack of wolves on her back. By limiting their access to Emilia showed that she was not going to play their games anymore and that she held the power hand.

The princess continued on her way into Green Peace being introduced to some familiar faces and new staff before her official tour began. She sat in some of the teaching sessions that were being taught to local school children.

Olivia had pulled Emilia out of one of the sessions to conduct a short interview with Kelly-Anne Arbour, an Illyrian journalist. This was the part of the engagement that Emilia had tried to convince Olivia to forgo and not conduct one. She had never really been keen to do interviews as her parents had taught her from a young age to keep a healthy distance between the royal family and the media.

Emilia sat down across from Kelly-Anne and put on a smiling face, hiding the fact that she did not want to be a part of this. An innate gut feeling had settled in the princess's stomach that convinced her mind that something was not right about this situation. But, Olivia had vetted the journalist and she was to adhere to a strict line of questioning. She had to put her trust in Olivia.

"It's such a pleasure to sit here with you today, your royal highness, and be able to speak with you." The journalist welcomed here kindly.

The princess smiled with a gentle nod of reply. "Thank you for having me."

"Now, I know you are quite the busy woman here today out at Green Peace. But, I must steal a few of your minutes to ask you some questions." Kelly-Anne started out. "Now, as we have all been briefed, you have formed a new palace team as of late and today is your first engagement back with them. May I ask why you thought this change was needed? Why The Queen's previous choice of Mrs. Deacon was fired?"

Emilia took in a deep breath. None of these questions were what the journalist was supposed to ask Emilia.The princess turned her head and briefly locked eyes with a furious looking Olivia. "I appreciate your question, Kelly. But, the matter is rather simple that was outlined in the briefing you received." The princess informed her.

"Yes, but if you wish to comment about Mia Deacon?" The interviewer pushed further.

The princess tilted her head at the bravery she boasted. "I do not comment on past employees' work just like any other employer. Now shall we move on because you now only have two minutes left. As you said, I am quite the busy woman this afternoon." Emilia's sass came forth rather strong as Olivia got a glimpse of it first hand.

"Yes, let's talk about a few of your jewelry pieces." Emilia braced herself for what was about to be asked. "I noticed that one of your bracelets today is also famously worn by another royal, Prince Harry, who had recently visited Illyria on tour. Was this given to you by the prince himself? What sort of relationship would you say the prince and you have as it seems you two have been spending a lot of time together lately?"

Emilia was prepared for this and had the perfect reply. The princess glanced down at the bracelet and played with it a little before answering. "I am glad you noticed it. It was given to me by Prince Harry when he was in Illyria in an official capacity and I decided to wear it today to showcase how conservation is so important right now in the world. We are seeing animals getting added to the endangered list on a daily basis while their numbers are continuing to dwindle. It's important for everyone to play their part in protecting these magnificent creatures and give them that fighting chance at survival. As the reach me and Prince Harry have and the global platform that we are given, we have the responsibility to bring these issues into the light and broadcast the efforts of so many people that are trying to make change in the conservation world right now."

The journalist attempted to ask another question when Olivia stepped in and pulled Emilia out of the interview. "Thanks for your time Kelly-Anne, but her royal highness must continue to adhere to her tight schedule this afternoon."

Olivia fell into step beside Emilia and quietly scolded her. "Emilia... we need to talk about what you just confirmed about the British Prince Harry. This should have been run past me first."

"Not here Olivia. Clearly she was not even supposed to ask that question, this is why we don't do interviews." Emilia was furious at the journalist. "Scold her for not staying with the pre-planned questions, not me." The princess walked off being unhappy already with Olivia.

The princess stepped into the enclosure with a few members of the crowd watching her as she was guided through the endangered Fennec fox enclosure. Emilia was eager to learn more about these animals and how Green Peace was aiding them. She nearly gushed when asked if she wanted to meet and name a new litter of foxes, simply replying with a beaming smile and excited squeal to which the crowd found adorable.

She sat down on a nearby rock as a member of staff pulled out a couple of freshly born foxes who were fast asleep. Emilia had a few in her lap all snuggled together while she gently petted them. The mother then came out and rubbed up against Emilia.

"Is it ok for us to be handling them? They seem rather used to humans and the mom isn't as protective as I thought she would be." The princess questioned with slight concern. These were supposed to be wild animals after all.

"Excellent question. We are the only things that they know. Most of the foxes here will stay in a sanctuary like this until we are able to build a place more relatable to the wild and re-train them to be self sufficient." The handler informed her. "Now, we need to name them and thought it was best if our patron helped us with this batch!"

"I'd love to!" Emilia looked down adoringly at the little sleeping foxes then back up towards the crowd. An idea clicked in her mind.

"Would anyone like to help me name these little guys?!" Emilia hollered out and a few school aged children jumped at the chance to help the princess come up with names.

Emilia sat down into the backseat and released a heavy sigh. She closed her eyes and felt the door slam shut and the car pull away.

"Thank god that is over!" The princess chuckled lightly as. A wave of relief coursed through her. "Well done everyone!" Emilia glanced around at her team and thanked them for their hard work in such a successful visit.

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Later that evening, Emilia had called in Olivia and Evie into her apartment. She was dressed casually while finishing up packing for her trip to London for her training and Olympic trials for quite a few weeks.

Evie knocked lightly while she stood at the opened door to Emilia's private bedroom door with Olivia in behind her. "Good evening, Emilia. You wished to see us."

"Yes! Come on in!" Emilia waved them through as she placed a few more items into her suitcase. "Please sit down and make yourself comfy wherever."

The princess had picked up on Olivia's quiet demeanour when they arrived back at the palace. Emilia knew that she had to inform Evie and Olivia about her relationship with Prince Harry. But, she only wanted people to know who absolutely were required to.

Emilia sat across from them and smiled warmly. "I wanted to thank you for all of your hard work for today. You guys made everything run so smoothly and I think it was an amazing start for what's to come. So again, thank you!"

Evie was all smiles and said it was all around a team effort. Olivia was simply pleased with the results of the engagement today.

"I also called you here this evening because I wish to disclose a private matter to you that I only want your ears to know." Emilia lowered her gaze and found herself playing with the rhino bracelet on her wrist half indicating what she was about to tell them. "I am very cautious about my private life and do not wish to have many people in the know about my relationships, but I do understand that certain members of my staff need to be aware...." The princess trailed off and lifted her head to lock in Evie and Olivia's gaze while they patiently waited for her to continue.

"Prince Harry and I are in a relationship and have been since he ended his tour of Illyria last month. No one in my family is aware of this except for a few key people and it must remain this way until I deem it so. I realize that you need two need to be aware of this as key members of my staff. If any personal matters need to be addressed in this case then they must be done so in private and only with you two present." Emilia confessed solemnly. She did not want more people to find out about Harry and hers relationship at this time.

"Emilia, thank you for informing us." Olivia smiled warmly seeing how difficult it was for Emilia to openly trust them with this information, but it was vital that they were aware. "Will you be seeing him in London?" Olivia offered a kind hopeful smile.

Emilia lifted her head with a beaming smile graced on her lips. "Yes... it's been a long time since I have."

"I am sure that you miss him. I think you two are a perfect match, Emilia." Evie was gushing about this revelation. "We promise that this information is for our ears only." Evie took her leave.

"I am sorry about earlier, Emilia." Olivia began to apologize. "But, I need to know these sorts of things or else I would have advised you not to wear the bracelet today."

Emilia stood up. "No no. I need to apologize. I know you needed to know and that is why I am telling you now." She sighed deeply. "I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner about him, but I just wanted Harry to be a part of my day today. I do realize that may have been a mistake in how I achieved that. I don't always get it right Olivia, but I learn from my mistakes."

"No need to explain, Emilia. Have a safe trip tomorrow. We will be in touch."

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Emilia had finally landed into London after what appeared to be a long flight, but was only a few short hours. She was whisked away into an awaiting convoy with Tristan climbing into the backseat with her while Kane took control of driving the car.

The princess felt a sense of relief wash through her as she had made it to what would be her new home for the next month for her Olympic Training. She was still on a high after her successful first engagement yesterday with her new palace team and even received an adoring message from her father who watched the full coverage of it.

"Feels a bit like deja vu." Tristan commented as the memory of their last time in London came to the forefront of his mind. "Except this time we actually have a proper security team for you and I know I won't lose my job when we go back to Illyria or get my ass chewed off by the queen." He tossed his head back in laughter at Emilia's expense.

"Tristan... I can still fire you." Emilia glanced up and smiled warmly into his blue eyes.

"You could never get rid of me princess." He cocked a crooked smirk. "I think we have already established this on the fact you never could really lose me unlike my predecessors."

"You are right." Emilia shook her head. "Then I would have to stare at poor Luke all the time."

"Ya, I heard that Emilia." Luke hollered from the front.

It had been nearly an hour when Emilia looked outside the window wondering why they had not even reached the outer city limits of London yet. "Tristan, why aren't we in London?" The curious princess questioned as she looked further out deciphering that they were still indeed in the English countryside, but the setting of the sun made it quite difficult to make out where they actually were in combination with the dark tinted windows.

"We had to take a detour to avoid an accident, Emilia. Shouldn't be too much longer until we reach the city." Tristan avoided eye contact with the princess making Emilia inwardly question his response.

A few minutes later, Emilia felt the vehicle turn down a country side road hearing the gravel crunching beneath the tires. The princess glanced outside quickly to find that they were still in the middle of the English countryside, but could barely make out their surroundings through the dark tinted glass. She locked eyes with Tristan and raised her eyebrow up in suspicion as her gut held a feeling that something was indeed up.

"Tristan... you have one chance to tell me where we are or where we are going." Emilia's tone was serious, but her protection officer simply shrugged in response.

"Like I said, we took a detour and should be arriving soon." His answer was vague and nonchalant.

Not even a moment later the car rolled to a complete stop and Tristan motioned to undo his seatbelt. "Guess we are here." He finally looked at Emilia with a glint in his eyes.

"Stop!" Emilia stopped him from getting out of the car. "Where's here?!" The princess was beyond confused and wondering why Tristan was acting so strange.

"You will find out soon enough." Tristan got out of the car and rounded the vehicle to open Emilia's door.

Emilia slowly climbed out, looking at a happily smiling Tristan who closed the door behind her. The princess glanced around at the exquisite countryside manor that greeted her amongst the dimly lit sky.

"We took a detour to the countryside, Emilia. To surprise you." Tristan quietly spoke.

"Surprise me?" Emilia looked away from the manor for one second to glance at Tristan. But, when she turned her head back to the manor she saw that someone had come walking out the front door towards her.

She gasped loudly and covered her mouth with both hands at the surprise walking towards her. Emilia could not believe what rather who was before her eyes.

It was Harry casually walking towards the princess with a beaming smile.

"Harry." Emilia whispered his name as if she had to speak it to believe that she was actually seeing her boyfriend. Her heart tugged in her chest at the mere sight of him as her eyes welled up.

The princess was frozen in shock, unable to move her feet forward for a few seconds. The prince had stopped walking towards her and placed his hands casually in his jean pockets. The beaming smile that was evident on his lips, present for everyone there to see, caused her feet to finally run towards him. It had been a month since she had last seen Harry and Emilia did not want to waste one more second not being in his arms.

She took off running towards the prince. "Harry!" Emilia called his name louder being unable to hold in her excitement from seeing him.

He started to laugh at her shock while opening his arms to welcome her. Harry felt Emilia's body come crashing into him making him take a few steps back to try and steady himself from the impact. Her arms wrapped around him tightly while she buried her head into his chest and squeezed him tight.

"Hi love." He cradled the crown of her head gently and closed his eyes, relishing in the fact that Emilia was once again in his arms. The couple stood there for a few quiet moments embraced tightly with one another before Emilia broke apart and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist while peaking up at him. "I hope you didn't mind the detour." Harry chuckled while he stared into the depths of her icy blues eyes that the prince so terribly had missed.

"You are here..." Emilia slowly shook her head as the shock continued to linger in her body at the surprise of it all.

Harry's blue eyes softened while he angled his head down at his girlfriend with an adoring smile. He nodded his head lightly. "I'm here Emilia." His hand reached out and cupped her cheek tenderly before gently stroking it. He watched her eyes close and squint shut before opening them again as if she was trying to convince herself that this was not a dream.

"I have missed you so so much." Emilia became emotional and stood up on her tippy toes to snake her arm Harry's neck to pull him down towards her lips.

Harry controlled his urge and stopped a few inches away from her lips. He could feel her hot breath float across his lips as if they were calling to him. Emilia nudged her nose against Harry's, but the smile that formed on her delicious lips was the one that he had longed to see the one he often dreamt about. It was her natural happy smile that very little people were given unguarded access to.

"I have missed that smile." His deep voice weakened Emilia's knees as her other arm grasped his forearm to steady herself.

She could not wait a second longer as she crashed her lips into Harry's, connecting them with a passionate kiss that lingered. Harry immediately cupped both of her cheeks to hold her still while he continued to taste her delicate lips. The world around them ceased to exist as they found themselves locked into their own embrace while time stood still. The universe allowing them to share this moment of reuniting together.

Emilia was feeling the cloudy haze effect that her breathlessness had caused her. Her lips gently fell off of Harry's as she inhaled and breathed in his signature scent that brought a sense of comfort within her. She moaned softly causing Harry to suddenly capture her lips once again, locking them back into the passion fuelled kiss.

The princess gave up all control and succumbed to Harry's touch, loving the way he kissed her hard with such desire. Emilia felt his tongue seeking further permission to lock with her own to which she freely gave, allowing Harry to deepen their kiss further. His hand trailed down her cheek to the side of her neck feeling her heartbeat pounding through her soft skin.

Harry broke apart from their kiss and opened his eyes to find Emilia staring up at him with lust filled blue orbs greeting him. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, resting it while they both attempted to regain their breath. Emilia's chest was rising and falling hard as the prince heard her jagged breath.

"I hope it was ok to surprise you like this." Harry was the first to break their comfortable silence. "I asked Tristan to keep it from you. I just couldn't wait a few more days to see you." Emilia's heartstrings tugged at his confession.

"It is the best surprise anyone has given me." Emilia giggled happily. "But, where are we?" The princess broke apart from their embrace to quickly look around.

"Highgrove House." Harry's hand dropped from her hip and blindly found her hand to hold. He turned around and gave her hand a light tug to follow him. "It's my fathers estate, but I used to spend my weekends here after school. It's quite secluded so I thought it would be best for us to spend the weekend here before you start your training."

Emilia lightly stepped beside Harry as she leaned into, grasping his forearm with her free hand. "Wait... what about your engagements?" She snapped her head up to find Harry smirking mischievously.

"They were never booked, Emilia." Harry chuckled lightly. "I lied to you so you would not suspect a thing, I'm sorry."

Emilia shook her head. "Just don't lie to me again, unless it is a surprise like this." The princess stood up on her tippy toes and placed a soft kiss to Harry's cheek.

"Come on, let me show you around." Harry squeezed her hand tightly. "I cannot wait to have 3 full days to have you all to myself."

"Hmm, whatever shall we do Henry?" Emilia could not hide her excitement even if she wanted to.

Quite frankly, she did not really care as long as if she was with Harry.

[boundtoyouphff]

Fanfic Recommendation!

Hello followers!

I wanted to share an amazing Prince Harry fanfic, Our Place in the Cosmos, that is written by a very talented writer that I have found and have gotten to know the author recently. Please go over and check out her story. You may find some similarities between ours as it is about modern day royal romance between a prince and a princess. It takes a different turn then Emilia’s story but I won’t spoil it with details for you as you must check it out yourself! I am so excited to see what happens and you should too! Click HERE if you want to get started @ourplaceinthecosmosphff​. (If you also would like a recommendation to your story message me xx) 

              Our Place in the Cosmos

Marie-Margueritte has been told her entire life that her duty is to support the king, be it her grandfather, her father or, one day, her brother. The life of the spare is not all fairytales would have led her to believe, but she has made the best of it: a degree from Harvard, a private job, and a promise from her father that as soon as her brother graduates from University, she’ll be allowed to have a more private life. She keeps most of these things to herself. Who else could understand her need, at 25, to have parental permission to live her own life? She finds the answer in England: another spare to another throne. Harry and Marie share a simple desire: a more private life, with someone who understands them. But when tragedy strikes, they are both forced to face an age-old question their ancestors spent centuries agonizing with: at the end of the day, what matters most: happiness or duty?

[boundtoyouphff]

Chapter 15: The Promise

A/N: Here is the next chapter that I promised you guys. Make sure you read Chapter 14 I posted earlier. Click HERE for the link before reading this chapter. 

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Promise. It's a big word. It either makes something or it breaks everything.

We live in a world built on them, but they often crumble into empty promises leaving us broken and falling further into the depths of untrust. Sometimes people toss us a rope to get out of the depths, but it is often frayed and breaking as the trust slowly dissipates.

Rarely, nowadays do people ever intend to keep them. They are nothing but sweet little lies that aim to provide nothing but hurt.

I never did trust promises as they so often fell short of their intention.

But, my father proved me wrong.

He kept his promise in the end.

He kept it when it counted the most to me.

He kept the promise.

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The princess tightened the harness around Bandit, her tall black quarter horse that she had been training with for a few years now. She gave the lead a light tug as Bandit began to walk along beside her for a cool down walk after a long training session. Emilia walked slowly beside the tall beauty, leading it around towards the field in a light walk.

It had been nearly a week since she had said goodbye to her boyfriend, Prince Harry, at the end of his tour of Illyria. Her mind kept drifting back to that private goodbye they shared in the airport lounge before publicly wishing the prince a farewell end of his tour to Illyria.

She closed her eyes to remember the feeling, the feeling of his arms securely around her while he kissed her forehead with those soft lips.

Flashback

"I cannot believe that you are leaving today..." Emilia bowed her head, averting her gaze away from the prince's mesmerizing deep blue eyes that were lingering on her own. She did not want to look away from Harry. It was those same deep blue eyes that kept her up late at night, wishing the night away until the morning came so she could gaze up into them once again.

"Well, you could always come with me." Harry's voice was low and endearing with a hint of humour that lightened the mood. He stepped forward and traced his finger down the side of her arm until he reached her hand and grasped it tightly.

The couple were at the airport in the capital of Illyria, spending a private moment alone that Harry had arranged in a private lounge in the airport. It was their chance to say a proper goodbye, before they would flip the switch and put on a display for the world to see Princess Emilia bid farewell to the English prince, ending his tour of her country. No such touch as the ones they had been giving each other would be allowed. Hence, their private moment right now.

"Don't tempt me, Henry." Emilia released a deep sigh as she found herself wondering how her family would react if she yet again ran away to London. The thought had definitely crossed her mind, but Emilia had other things that required handling here in her home country.

The prince started to chuckle at the thought of hiding Emilia away in one of his bags, she could surely fit in one. His infectious laughter grew, causing Emilia to lift her head and smile up at him adorably. "I am going to miss that laugh." She confessed without a second thought. Her hand delicately reached up and caressed his cheek softly. "Well, all of you really." Emilia's lips spread into a mischievous grin before she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Hmm...?" The prince angled his head down at the dark haired beauty. "Now, you can't be getting all lustful like that moments before I have to leave you behind here." He closed in what little space was left between them. "Plus, you are the one who wanted to wait until we could properly get to know each other." Harry simply reminded her.

"I know..." Emilia nodded lightly, hinting at a bit of regret for doing so while also suddenly becoming shy at her request.

"Don't get all shy on me." He softly whispered. "I think it's a good idea to take a step back even though we have already been there before. I don't want to rush into things with you, I want to take my time and get to know you like I have been this week. We will get there when we are both ready again." Harry rested his hands on either side of her hips and gently swayed her back and forth as she absorbed every re-assuring word he had spoken.

Emilia stepped into his body, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling her body snug against his muscular frame. Harry's hand cradled the crown of her head and lightly pushed it down to rest on his chest. She felt the prince release a deep sigh as his breathing calmed while his fingers gently combed through her long dark hair in a soothing manner.

The two of them stood there in a quiet embrace, relishing their last moment together. Emilia rubbed her nose into Harry's chest and squeezed him a little tighter, silently wishing for him to stay longer. Harry bowed his head and kissed her forehead with a gentle kiss.

"Mmmm..." She moaned quietly. "I love when you kiss me like that."

"I love having you in my arms." The prince did not hesitate to confess what he was truly feeling in that moment. "How am I supposed to say goodbye to you?" Harry wrapped his arms around the princess tighter and gently lifted her feet off of the ground briefly before setting her back on stable ground.

Emilia couldn't help but giggle at her boyfriend. She lifted her head and gazed up into his deep blue eyes, committing them to her memory for a later time when she would surely find herself missing them. The princess placed her hands on his chest and absentmindedly traced inanimate objects as she thought of a reply.

A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips as an idea popped into the forefront of her mind. "Let's not say goodbye then, let's just say see you later." Emilia watched as the prince's expression lit up with a happy smile.

"I think that is a great idea." Harry smiled down at his girlfriend, becoming completely mesmerized by her natural beauty yet again. "Have I told you how beautiful you are this morning?" The prince had been doing everything in his power this week to bring back Emilia's confidence in herself and that often meant showering her with compliments.

"You have now..." Emilia tossed her head back lightly and peaked up at Harry with an adorable smile stretching across her lips. "I want to thank you for being...." She pursed her lips together trying to find the best words to formulate an answer. "For just being you and making me feel enough this week. I feel like I am a completely different person now than at the start of the week." The princess hinted that it was all because of Harry.

His hand lifted and brushed away a stray piece of her dark hair, tucking it behind her ear making him able to stare into the depths of her ice blue eyes. For that moment, she allowed Harry to see past the defensive walls she so often built up around her and see her vulnerabilities for what they really were. Harry knew that placing her trust in him scared her to no end after the way things had ended with Thomas, but he was relieved that she was taking steps in allowing herself to have faith in him to be able to show her how different he truly was.

There were still many curiosities and questions about what had happened with Thomas Brandy, but now simply was not the time to bring it up. He inwardly smiled knowing that he would be given the chance to get to know this young princess more as their secret relationship grew in private.

"We shouldn't make them wait too much longer...." Emilia broke through his thoughts as she reminded Harry that they still had to formally say their goodbyes in front of the media.

"They can wait a little while longer while I say goodbye to my girl." The prince wasted no time in capturing Emilia's lips against his as he savoured the moment. Emilia felt breathless as the prince continued to massage his lips against her own in a passionate fury. She broke apart from him for a brief intake of breath, but immediately found those soft lips again, caressing them despite the cloud of haze she found herself falling in. Emilia grasped his waist in an attempt to ground herself.

It was if the world around them had ceased to exist and only the two of them lived in that moment. Emilia felt connected to Harry way beyond she ever thought was possible to the point she thought it was unbelievable. How could she feel this way about somehow so quickly? But, in that moment only one thing felt right.

What was right, was being with him.

Being Harry's girl.

End Flashback

Bandit nudged Emilia's side with his nose bringing her back to reality. She chuckled lightly and rubbed the gentle giant's nose. "I know, Bandit, I miss him though. You are good company too, it just isn't the same." Emilia loved talking to her horses even though she knew they really were not listening to her.

Emilia unlocked the gate and pushed it forward to allow just enough room for them to enter the paddock. The princess's other horse, Pebbles, a white and grey appaloosa came running to greet them. "Well, hello there gorgeous Pebbs." Pebbles loved to get extremely close to people and sniff their whole body in hopes of finding a treat for herself, that also involved messing your hair up too.

"Hey... enough. I don't have any on me!" Emilia put her arms up in the air as the horse grunted at her with disapproval. "It's not like you earned a treat, Pebbles." The princess continued to walk Bandit further into the field before releasing the black beauty and letting it run free alongside Pebbles.

She closed the gate, securing it with the lock. Turning around rested her arms on the white metal fence and watched the two horses run around in circles. Emilia released a deep sigh as she fell into the traps of her mind yet again. She had spent so much of her time lately training for the Olympics and finishing Harry's tour that she had yet to even consider options of a new press secretary. The thought was weighing heavily on her mind as of late and it was about time she sorted that part of her life out, but that meant confronting her grandmother, The Queen.

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Emilia stared at her phone in her shaking hands that displayed her father's contact. She sighed out deeply, debating once again whether to call him or not. For the past few days Emilia's mind had been heavily thinking about her future in all aspects of her life, but most particularly her future as a working senior royal in the Illyrian monarchy. After firing her last press secretary, it was now time to find a replacement. Having put much thought into it, Emilia knew the only way to succeed in this was to scrap most of her current team that was hand picked by her grandmother the Queen and develop a team of her choosing instead. This of course would need to have the blessing of her grandmother and for her to even stand a chance, Emilia required her father's assistance. There was a part of Emilia that feared her actions would warrant further repercussions with the Queen. But, she had to try.

All Emilia wanted was a chance to do things her way and show her grandmother and father that she could be the royal they always strived for her to be, but not by controlling her by hiring her support team. She even confided in her boyfriend, Harry last night discussing what the best course of action was with a lengthy conversation over the phone. He encouraged Emilia to speak with her father and share her thoughts with him. Harry sat there most of the evening listening to Emilia and her plans with how she wanted to go about things. He could tell she had given this a lot of thought and he was even impressed with what her plans consisted of.

The princess took the plunge and called her father. She fidgeted with her fingers and nervously bit down on her bottom lip as the phone continued to ring with no answer.

"Hello, sweetheart." Frederick's voice answered the phone. "How are you?"

Emilia paused for a brief moment and closed her eyes. "I am good, father. How are you?"

"Splendid dear. Your mother and I just returned from a walk in the gardens." Her father chuckled lightly. "Rather a hike if you know your mother at all." The Crown Prince whispered into the phone so his wife would not be able to hear his complaint.

The princess couldn't help but giggle knowing her mother's walks were more like a marathon than a casual stroll. Emilia breathed in slowly, mustering enough courage to bring up the real reason for her call. She continued to pace back and forth in her apartment wondering how to start it off. Without a second thought, Emilia parted her lips to speak and outright asked her father.

"Daddy..." Emilia's voice became soft. "I uh..." Emilia struggled to formulate her words properly, suddenly wondering if this was a bad move on her part, but then she remembered what Harry said to her last night. "He is your father Emilia, he will listen and do whatever he can. I'm sure he will want the best for you."

Emilia smiled softly and breathed out, finding a little hope. "I want to talk to you and gran about something important. I want to choose my own staff. I want a fresh start and work with who I want to work with."

There was silence over the phone while Emilia waited for a reply.

"Emilia, honey..." Her father held a long pause again. "Why don't you and I go out for dinner tomorrow night and talk about this. Let me hear what you want first and then we can speak to gran after ok?" Frederick's voice was soft and genuine. He did want to hear what Emilia had to say, but he knew how hard it was to convince his mother with changes. "I will get Antony to book us a table at Tommy's Kitchen in the private section. You can get your favourite pasta dish? With those garlic bread rolls?"

"Ok. Yeah that will be good dad." Emilia nodded her head. At least it was somewhat of a step forward. "Can you send me the details after?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Frederick confirmed, but Emilia could hear her mother shouting in the background. "Your mother says that she loves you honey. Would you like her to come along too or is this a daddy daughter date?"

The princess's lips stretched into a beaming smile at the thought of spending some quality time alone with her father. "Just us two daddy. It's been a long time since only you and I have spent time together."

"Perfect, Emilia. I will see you tomorrow night." Frederick replied. "Well, actually I will pick you up and we can take the old corvette out for a little drive? How does that sound? Besides I need an excuse to take it out for a spin... You know how your mother disapproves of fast cars."

"Only if I can drive it a little ways. You know I love that car, dad."

"Deal. Goodnight, my girl."

The princess hung up the phone and sighed a breath of relief. She opened up Harry's messages and sent him a quick text saying that she was having dinner with her father tomorrow night. Emilia knew he was on an engagement late tonight and would not have the chance to reply so she decided to get another run in for her training. This way she would be able to clear her mind and focus on the meeting tomorrow.

-------------------------

Emilia slipped on her cream coloured closed toed heels and walked towards Tristan who was holding her coat for her. The princess turned around letting her protection officer assist her with putting it on. She turned around and flashed a grateful warm smile to Tristan.

"It will all go well, Emilia." Tristan kindly offered some encouragement.

The princess slowly nodded her head. "I hope so, Tristan. I need this." She confided in her RPO. "You know I do intend to keep you around. Despite what happens and whoever I do hire you can rest assure you aren't going anywhere. I don't trust anyone half as much as I trust you." Emilia re-assured Tristan of his position.

"You know I wouldn't work for anyone else, Emilia." A smirk formed on his lips. "You are by far my most interesting client that loves to keep me on my toes. At least you don't try to escape anymore..."

"You arse." Emilia playfully pushed him. "Let's go for dinner." Tristan followed in behind Emilia and escorted her through Lexington Palace towards the car park where her father, Crown Prince Frederick had arrived in a black corvette.

Her father climbed out of the drivers side with a beaming smile, watching his beautiful daughter walk towards him in a blue pleated three quarter length dress with delicately placed red flowers. Frederick sighed, wondering when his daughter had grown up. It was like it was yesterday when he held Emilia in his arms for the first time. But now, she stood before him, a beautiful young woman, both inside and out.

        "Daddy!" Emilia's walk hastened to a light run as she ran to embrace her father. Frederick lifted Emilia in his arms and squeezed her frame tight.

"You look so beautiful, Emilia." Frederick set Emilia down carefully on her feet and looked down at his daughter adoringly. "Like the true princess you are."

"Oh...daddy stop it." Emilia's cheeks became flushed with a blush of crimson.

"Well, shall we get this daddy daughter date started properly?" Frederick dug into his pocket and tossed Emilia the corvette keys.

"You are sure?" Emilia's mouth dropped open in shock as she caught the keys in her cupped hands. "You won't let anyone else drive this... not even Edward."

"There is a first time for everything." The Crown Prince smiled with elation and took a few steps towards the car, opening the drivers side door for his daughter. "Come on. If we wait any longer we are going to miss our dinner reservation."

Emilia's whole face lit up with excitement. It was the first time in her life that she was first before Edward.

-----------------------------

"And can I get a bottle of your finest red wine for my daughter." Frederick smiled up at the waiter.

"Certainly, your royal highness. I will bring it out to you shortly. Is there anything else that I can get you in the mean time?" The waiter kindly offered.

"I think that is everything Shaun. Thank you." Frederick politely dismissed the waiter and turned his attention back to his daughter.

"I forgot how much I love this place." Emilia glanced around the restaurant taking it all in as the memories of their family dinners here came flooding back to the forefront of her mind. Memories of a time when things were simpler.

"We used to bring you and Edward here when you were children a lot." Frederick eased back into his chair. "Back when you two were so close, we could not separate you even if we tried." Her father slowly shook his head alluding to their now distant and strained relationship.

"With all due respect. I did not come here to talk about my brother." Emilia lowered her head down averting her father's gaze.

Frederick took in a deep breath just as their bottle of wine arrived. He reached for it and cracked it open, pouring each of them a healthy glass of wine to enjoy before their dinner arrived. "Let's get down to it then, Emilia. Discuss business then have a lovely evening together."

The Crown Prince set his wine glass down. "You want to choose your own staff and does that include firing your current team?" Frederick sat back and let his daughter take control of the discussion.

Emilia nodded her head slowly and took in a deep calming breath before beginning. "Father, I want to choose my own team personally. Not to have people who think they work for my grandmother rather than me and have her interests at heart and not mine. I want people who see my vision and want to help me portray that vision of who I want to be. I cannot do that if I do not trust the people who are working closest to me." The princess made some valid points, but she was not done there.

The princess looked her father directly in the eyes mustering courage from within her. "I only want to keep Tristan and Ella as current staff. I have never selected my own people before and I value your opinion and would like you to help me as an advisor to find suitable people for the job. But, strictly as an advisor and I get to have the final say. I am hoping that this way gran will be more on board with this knowing you are guiding me. I know I have lots to learn, father. But, I know that if I do not have the pressure of gran on my back I can do amazing things with what you and mother have given and taught me. All I need is a chance and..." Emilia's blue eyes gave her father a pleading look. "And your support to help me convince gran. I know I may not always get it right, but I am learning from my mistakes. I need to do things that I believe are right even if they are different from the norm and in time with a supportive team of my choosing I can be the princess that you and granny want me to be for Illyria."

A comfortable silence fell between them as Frederick digested Emilia's words and wishes for her future. He took a few moments to formulate his response, but he could not get the feeling out of his heart of how proud he was of Emilia and the growth that she continued to show as of late.

Frederick knew where he had to begin. "Emilia, I first have to apologize for breaking the first promise I ever made to you." He sighed deeply with regret. "I promised to never let you feel or be treated differently than your brother and I have failed you in that. I am sorry for that." The Crown Prince's features grew soft and genuine. "I have let you down when I have not stood up for you like a father should have, especially in Cavallo the other night."

"I promise you that I will not ever break that promise to you again." Her father smiled hopefully at Emilia. "Please forgive me."

Emilia reached across the table and grasped her father's hand. "Of course I forgive you, dad. I do not blame you one bit. It is not you...it's gran. That is why I need your help."

"Emilia, it is going to be difficult to convince your grandmother to change her ways...." Frederick was bound to help Emilia anyway he could, but she had to grasp the reality of it all. "I will support you with this and we will set up a time with the Queen to discuss it. I cannot guarantee what she will agree to, but I will be right there by your side with you."

Emilia nodded her head slowly understanding that her wishes may not be possible. "Thank you daddy. I need to at least give it a try."

Emilia and her father put their discussion to rest for the rest of the evening and enjoyed one another's company. It had been a long time since they had spent time just the two of them together. By the end of the evening, they vowed to have more evenings spent like this.

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Frederick looked across to his nervous daughter sitting opposite of him in the Queen's blue drawing room at Kingstone Palace in Aldoria, the capital of Illyria. Emilia was exuding her nerves as she sat there fidgeting with a ring on her finger and then smoothening over the fabric of her elegant professional looking green dress. Frederick knew she had done her best to look the part while proposing her new plans for a selection of new staff. Emilia wanted to be taken seriously and Frederick could feel how badly his daughter wanted this chance.

    He sat there in silence with Emilia, roving over his own thoughts and plans on how to support his daughter through this, having no idea where his mother's final decision would land. After his evening with Emilia he had come back to the palace to confide in his wife, Elizabeth, to see how they could support their daughter together. His wife felt the same profound proudness in Emilia knowing that she was trying to step up and take things into her own hands with her own responsibilities. But, they both feared how Eleanora, The Queen, would take Emilia's request after Emilia fired the press secretary that the Queen hand picked for her.

The Queen's personal assistant, Alastair, opened the grand golden doors leading to the Queen's private drawing room and alerted Emilia and her father that she was ready to hold their meeting. "Her Majesty, wishes to see you now." He stepped aside and waited for them to walk through the doors.

Emilia stood up slowly and took a glance down at her dress one last time. Taking in a deep breath she lifted her head to find her father staring down at her fondly with a warm smile gracing his lips. "Everything is going to be ok, regardless of her answer. Just tell your gran what you told me the other night. I will be right there with you, I promise." The Crown Prince made sure Emilia knew he supported her. All the princess could do was nod gently in reply before falling in to step behind her father.

The Crown Prince greeted Queen Eleanora in a traditional bow before embracing his mother warmly. He took a step back and allowed Emilia to do the same as she dipped into a curtsey and addressed her grandmother first at Queen. "Your Majesty." Emilia looked up at her grandmother as she slowly stood back up from her curtsey. She paused for a brief moment before witnessing a kind smile form on the Queen's lips.

"Come here Emilia and give your granny a hug." Emilia chuckled lightly and embraced the Queen, wrapping her arms around her tiny frame, forgetting how fragile and delicate she truly was. "You look lovely today, dear. I adore this color on you."

The three of them sat down and made small talk, catching up on everyday life as they waited for their tea to arrive. Emilia was feeling more relaxed as the seconds passed by, but she had a feeling it was her father who had something to do with it as he continued to make the conversation light and fun even throwing in small tid bits of information about what Emilia has been doing lately as if he was slowly planting seeds to grow.

Knowing without a doubt that her father had her back through all of this, Emilia felt it was time for her to address the real reason for their meeting. She took one last sip of her tea and gently placed it back on the table. Breathing in deeply, she felt a sense of calm course through her before she started to speak.

"Granny." Emilia spoke up and looked across to the Queen. "May we discuss why I wanted to meet with you today?"

The Queen nodded her reply before parting her lips to speak. "Yes, Emilia. Your father called me the other day and said you would like to speak with me about an important matter. What is it dear?" Eleanora opened the room up for discussion.

"First off, I do want to apologize for firing Mia Deacon, the press secretary you appointed to my team. Mia and I did not see eye to eye on many issues together and it made our work relations stressed to the point where I needed to let her go. I do understand that you hired Mia to help form me into more of an idea of what you wanted me to be as a royal, but I do believe that it was the wrong step in trying to achieve that." Emilia admitted truthfully, trying to lay out the foundation of her request. The Queen remained silent, waiting for her granddaughter to continue before speaking.

"I have put a lot of thought lately in who I want to be and what I want my future to hold. I do want to serve you to my best ability as a senior working royal along with my equestrian career as an Olympian..." The princess paused and took in a breath. "But, I need to do it the way I think is best. I do believe that if I was able to choose who I work with I can find people who can help me shape this vision I have for my future and that does mean getting rid of most of my current staff and starting fresh."

The Queen glanced towards her son, Frederick, briefly then turned her attention back to Emilia. "Continue." Were the only words that Eleanora spoke.

"I know this is you taking another chance on me, gran. All I need is a chance and your support and blessing with this going forward. I know lately that I haven't always gotten things right, but I am learning from my mistakes. But, not all were mistakes in my opinion." Emilia was now starting to tread in dangerous waters, but this needed to be addressed. "I tend to not follow the straight black and white line that the rest of the family does and quite frankly I'm ok with that, because it is who I am." The princess felt an odd feeling course through her and she could not place it, but it felt like her old fiery self felt a spark of a flame from deep within her and gave her the confidence she so desperately required in that moment. "I do things differently. I show compassion and emotion when I feel it is right to and it helps me connect with people on a different level. I speak my mind unapologetically when I feel my voice will do good rather than silence that harms more if I don't. I get criticized and am under scrutiny because of this...but I know it does more good than harm."

Emilia peaked over at her father who nodded his head proudly and encouraged Emilia to keep going. "I have no experience in choosing staff and have already asked my father to be an advisor, guiding me through this process while I create a team that I ultimately choose. I do not wish to do this without your support, gran, and I mean no disrespect to you. I just believe that I can do so much more if I work with people I trust to have my intentions at heart. I can be the princess you have always strived for me to be. I only want a chance to show you I can." Emilia ended her argument with a pleading look towards her grandmother as a quiet silence filled the room while she digested Emilia's words.

"Emilia..." The Queen finally broke her silence. "It does seem that you have given this quite a lot of thought." She looked directly into her granddaughter's pleading blue eyes. "But, I cannot approve of this."

The princess gasped lightly as she felt her heart sink into her chest. A feeling of defeat slowly began to build in the pit of her stomach as it replaced all the hope she had built up. Emilia pursed her lips together, unable to formulate a response as the devastation was clearly evident on her face.

"Why?" Emilia's voice broke. She could not understand her grandmother's decision.

"Emilia... dear." The Queen shook her head at her granddaughter who was clearly devastated with her decision. "It's due to your past behaviour. I cannot allow you to go on your own. I understand it has been a difficult year for you. But, your lashing out, breaking protocol behaviour is simply the reason why I cannot let you do this. I cannot reward your behaviour like this." Eleanora explained to Emilia and her father.

"Breaking protocol?" Emilia leaned forward in her chair with tears brimming in her eyes. "Is that about what happened with Prince Harry at the hospital? Because that was not my fault and I did not put his life directly at risk. It was the press..." She stood up for herself but the Queen held up a finger to silence her.

"That was an unfortunate circumstance. Yes a foreign prince's life was put in danger due to the media interest in you thanks to your ex, Emilia." The Queen became short with her. "I had to make a call to Queen Elizabeth and explain to her why her grandson was caught in the cross hairs of your mistake!" The Queen informed Emilia.

"How was that my mistake? And my life doesn't matter?" She softly whispered her questions, attempting to gain some sort of understanding in the matter.

The Queen sat there in utter silence. " Your life does matter to me, Emilia. Do not think for a second that it does not. But, it was your choice to trust Thomas Brandy and your instincts were clearly wrong in that situation, end of discussion." Eleanora took a sip of her tea, contemplating her thoughts.

"So I am being punished for falling in love with someone?" Emilia sat back in her chair and shook her head in disbelief. "I had no control over my ex's actions."

She shook her head, unsure that this was the best decision, but she was willing to make a deal that would in turn benefit the monarchy as well giving Emilia a small portion of the freedom she craved. "I will compromise, Emilia. You and Edward's team will be joined to show that there is no rife between you and your twin brother like the press have been suggesting for months. You can select one personal assistant, but the rest of your staff will be Edward's." Eleanora smiled down at Emilia as if she was doing her a favor, but in fact it was the complete opposite.

Before Emilia could even protest, her father broke his silence on her behalf.

Frederick leaned in and sat on the edge of his seat, looking his mother directly in her eyes. "I have stayed silent here, hoping that you would give Emilia this chance that I wholeheartedly think she deserves. She has shown massive strides in her commitment to serving you and the people of Illyria while continuing to train for the Olympics." Frederick was finally holding true to his promise to Emilia and standing up to his mother like a father should for his daughter. "Did you not listen to a word she said mother? It was respectful, well planned and thought out and it is what she truly wants. It is completely unfair of you to make your decision based on her past behaviour when half of the 'issues' were not even her fault to begin with, you and I both know that. You cannot punish my daughter for the actions of that vile boy. Placing Emilia with Edward's team is something I will not stand for as they will only use Emilia to Edward's benefit like this family has been doing so for all of her life. This has got to stop, because I am tired of it as a father. If anything, she will be under my staff if you do not allow her this chance to show you the change that this monarchy so desperately needs. It is now time for her to figure out her own path and identity in this family, mother. Times are different and you need Emilia exactly the way she is if you want the monarchy to have a future. You know and I know it. Emilia is an essential part to the future of the Illyrian monarchy." Frederick said his peace in a convincing impactful way.

His head turned to find his daughter, Emilia, staring at him with tears in her eyes, but a grateful smile plastered on her lips. This was what Emilia had asked him to do, why she enlisted his help and support.

"I promised you..." He proudly mouthed towards his daughter.

"Frederick." The Queen called his name as they both turned to look at her. "I do not like how you spoke to me, but I do admire how you stood up for your daughter today. You have convinced me son." Her eyes strayed towards Emilia, locking in her gaze.

"You get one chance, Emilia." Eleanora changed her mind, but Emilia could tell she was not pleased to do so. "On two conditions... your father is to be an advisor through it all and Edward and you need to do more engagements together. That is not a request, it's an order. You must get along or at least pretend to. Either way, it needs to happen. I will give you a few weeks to find suitable staff under your father's advisement. This will be reviewed in a few months time and if there are no changes, or striders forward... you join Edward's team."

Emilia could not believe what had just happened. She nodded her head in understanding. "Thank you, granny." It was a win thus far and Emilia would take it.

The Queen stood up, as did Emilia and her father. "Do not take my reversal of my decision as supporting this. Know that my blessing will have to be earned, not freely given in this matter. Emilia. Best of luck." The Queen spoke her final words and took her immediate leave.

Frederick remained stoic watching until the moment that his mother was out of his view before turning back towards his daughter. A beaming grin formed on his lips and his hands flew up in the air with elation. "Emilia! You did it!" He walked over towards her and enveloped Emilia into a loving hug.

"Dad, let's be honest. It was you who changed Gran's mind when you stood up for me." Emilia rested her head on her dad's chest and relished in the comfort and security it gave her. She closed her eyes as a stray tear betrayed her and fell down her cheek. It had felt lately that her father was not on her side, but today she was being proved wrong in all aspects.

"No, sweetheart. This was all your doing." Frederick squeezed her frame tighter. "Now, want to get started on this today? I have my afternoon cleared for you." He felt his daughter lift her head off of his chest and glance up at him with excitement dancing in her eyes.

"Really?" Emilia's icy blue eyes lit up.

"Yes, love. Let's head back to Lexington and start the search of your new staff." The Crown Prince led Princess Emilia out of Kingstone and back to Lexington Palace.

[boundtoyouphff]

Chapter 14: Ocean Eyes

A/N: Hello amazing readers and followers. Hope that you are all well. I am sorry for my absence, but I am back on tumblr and will be posting some chapters to get you all caught up! They will be posted throughout the day so make sure you don’t miss any! I can’t wait to share them with you and hear from all of you xx

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I've been watching you

For some time

Can't stop staring

At those oceans eyes

Burning cities

And napalm skies

Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes

Your ocean eyes

No fair

You really know how to make me cry

When you gimme those ocean eyes

I'm scared

I've never fallen from quite this high

Falling into your ocean eyes

Those ocean eyes

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The next morning Emilia had woken up early, being kept awake most of the night by her thoughts. She could not stop smiling at the mere memory of dancing with Harry the previous night, remembering the way he held her so close to him as they moved as one across the dance floor to her favourite slow song. The princess rolled over in her bed to see the empty space beside her, silently wishing that a certain prince was occupying it.

With a heavy sigh she breathed out knowing that today was the day that she would have to figure things out with the English prince. But, in a way she found a sense of relief in the fact that they would finally be able to talk about what their future would hold, whether it be a course of friendship or embarking on a secret blossoming romance.

Emilia already knew in her heart which path she wanted to take with Harry, but a part of her felt she had to hold back in fear of getting her heart broken again. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath pushing that fear out of her. The princess laid in her bed for a while longer roving through her mind trying to think of anything but him, but it was impossible not to.

There was something about the prince that Emilia was innately drawn to. The chemistry between them was palpable and proved difficult to hide not only in public, but also in private with her immediate family. But, it was the way he made her heart beat when he looked down at her with those deep ocean eyes that spoke more than words that could ever be spoken. The way he looked past her masked face and into the depths of her soul and saw the real Emilia.

The princess pushed back the soft cozy covers off her body and tip toed towards the balcony. Emilia pulled the curtains apart as her eyes felt the immediate assault of the bright morning sun. Opening the door she stepped out onto the cool flooring and took in the amazing site of the Illyrian turquoise ocean that was spread out as far as the eye could see. She loved the coast of her country and the escape that it brought her from her daily life. Emilia could not wait to share more of this beautiful place with Harry.

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The princess was walking down the villa towards the patio where breakfast was being served. Hearing a set of foot prints running up behind her, Emilia hastily turned and locked eyes with a mischievous Prince Leonardo who came up beside the princess and loosely hung his arm over her shoulders.

"Well, good morning my dear cousin." A beaming smile was plastered over his lips.

"I never took you for a morning person Leo. What has got you all so cheery this morning." Emilia glanced up at her cousin with a raised eyebrow.

"Funny you would mention such a thing." Leo leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I think you know the reason." He offered Emilia a quick wink.

"Ella came in last night didn't she?!" Emilia practically squealed with delight. She truly did love her friend and stylist with Leo. They were the perfect match and she had set them up. "Oooh, Leo! I just love to see you so happy with Ella."

The prince and princess continued to walk together towards breakfast chatting away like they usually do. "I really am very happy at the moment with Ella. Been thinking about telling Fi and mom and dad soon about her." Leo admitted to Emilia with a proud smile.

"Why not? They will love her to bits." Emilia was ever encouraging. Too many times had she seen her cousin Leo with a broken heart and thinking of giving up on love in its entirety.

"So, I wanted to ask you." Leo started to lower his voice and casually glanced around to see if anyone was close by them. "I rented out a boat for the day, a small yacht to take Ella out on the ocean but I was told to ask if you and Harry wanted to join us. We want some private time away from the family and figured you two might want the same...." Leo trailed off hinting at something he should not know.

Emilia halted her steps and turned to look up at Leo with a forced confused expression trying to play innocent and clueless as to what he was talking about. "Harry and I? I think he would want to hang with the guys today." She brushed it off playfully.

Leo angled his head down at his cousin and crossed his arms. "Emilia... come on. I know about Harry and you." The prince confessed with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Emilia stayed silent, unsure of how to force a lie when she knew it was futile in its efforts. She could never lie to Leo.

"How....?" Emilia lowered her gaze to the floor and became silent.

The prince breathed out deeply with a sigh before he began. "When Ella arrived last night we went for a walk along the beach and we saw Harry and you dancing... and locking lips." Leo smirked as he saw Emilia's blue eyes grow big. "You were careful, but not as careful as you thought little cousin."

Emilia held her head in her hand and groaned at the thought of Leo knowing about them. "Did Ella say anything?" The princess had confided in her friend when she returned from London that she had indeed hooked up with Harry while she was over there.

"No, nothing at all. Other than telling me to invite you two out today on the boat." Leo shrugged his shoulders and then realization hit him. "Oh....my... god..." He shook his head in shock. "Ella knows about you two doesn't she?!" Leo leaned in and saw that little glint of mischievousness dance in Emilia's eyes.

"Yes..." Emilia confessed with a light groan.

Leo stood there with his arms crossed with a shaking head. "How long has this been going on Emilia? Since London? Did Harry 'show you a real good time' there or what?" He was blunt and to the point.

"LEO!!" Emilia yelled at him and then lowered her voice knowing that her family was waiting for them quite literally around the corner. "Stop it...."

The princess became quiet and took in a deep breath while Leo waited for an answer in silence. "Something did happen in London and I acted like it didn't mean anything to me when I left..." She paused and peaked up at Leo who was displaying a genuine expression. "It did though, but I was not in a place where I could handle anything happening again. We made up and have been talking for a few months. It just so happened that Harry had to come here in place of his grandmother for the tour. When he arrived, all those feelings I had pushed away came flooding back this week and we are trying to figure out what all of this is between us... privately." Emilia confessed it all to Leo, but she knew in her heart that she could trust him to keep things quiet.

"Wow..." Leo ran his fingers through his hair while remaining silent. "Well, come on the boat with us today then you can have the time you need to figure it all out." He encouraged Emilia to do so. "If it goes for anything.... I think Harry is a good bloke and I haven't seen you smile so much as you do lately. So if he has anything at all to do with how happy you seem, then I think you two should give it a shot." Leo smiled down at the princess with a soft smile watching one come to life on her lips at his comment.

"I will run it by Harry this morning and let you know." Emilia nodded and released a deep breath. "We should head to breakfast before things get cold!"

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Harry was walking beside Emilia along the dock towards the boat that her cousin Leo had rented out for the day for him and his girlfriend, Ella. An hour before, Emilia had come knocking on his door and explained what had happened with Leo and how he had found out about them. He could tell that Emilia desperately wanted some alone time with Harry to talk and knew that having a deep private conversation would be near to impossible with all of her family around watching her every move with him. So, he agreed to spend the day with Emilia and her cousin on the boat. Of course it was an easy decision for him to make.

The prince glanced down taking in the view of Emilia. His eyes roved over the skin on her body that her black and white bikini exposed. He did remember that Emilia had an amazing body from that night they had intimately spent with one another. But, he noticed how toned she had become since then no doubt from her Olympic training she had started a few weeks ago.

    Emilia lifted her head and caught the prince checking her out as he offered her a wink. She rolled her eyes at him and gave him a playful push to the side. "Eyes up Henry." She half scolded him, but also was flattered that he did enjoy what he was seeing. Emilia had been vigorously training for the Olympics and her hard work definitely started to show.

"Quite impossible." Harry muttered under his breath.

The pair had arrived at the small yacht and Emilia's face lit up in excitement. She clapped her hands together and released a small squeal of elation. "Today is so going to be so much fun!" Emilia snapped her head up to see Harry just as excited as she was.

The prince's hand settled on the small of her back, giving it a gentle rub. "I think so too." Harry had stepped onto the boat and turned back to help Emilia on. He reached out his hand to which she grasped it tightly while Harry pulled her onto the boat safely. She smiled up at him and silently looked up into his sunglasses missing seeing his deep blue eyes. Harry remained holding her hand tight while his thumb rubbed over the soft flesh of her skin on the back of her hand.

"EMILIA?!" A blonde woman came down the spiral steps from the top deck to greet them. It was Ella, Leonardo's girlfriend and Emilia's stylist. Leo was in tow behind her displaying a smirk finally seeing his cousin hand in hand with Harry.

"Ella!" Emilia remained holding on to Harry's hand as she embraced the blonde woman in a tight hug and gently swayed back and forth with her. "I am so happy to see you here!" It was evident to anyone that the two girls were quite good friends with one another.

"Me too! It is so good to see you...and...." Ella's eyes darted towards a patiently waiting prince that stood beside Emilia.

"Harry...." Emilia stepped back in beside him and peaked up at the prince before making an introduction. "Ella this is Harry. Harry this is Ella."

Harry leaned in and engulfed the small blonde into a friendly hug. "It's lovely to meet you Ella. Emilia has spoken a lot about you." The prince was kind as ever towards her friend before

moving on to her boyfriend, Leo, and greeting him.

"Hey mate, thanks for the invite to crash your party." Harry smiled warmly, being appreciative of Leo's offer.

"Of course mate." Leo wrapped his arm around his girlfriend and shared a quick glance at one another. "We figured you two might want some alone time, away from the family. What did you tell them you two were doing?"

Emilia swayed back and forth with a guilty expression. "Nothing.... We sort of just snuck out." She stifled a laugh as Harry looked down at her with a shocked expression.

"What?!" He angled his head down at Emilia. Emilia had told him that she would tell her family that they were going to go on a hike together, but clearly she did not do that.

"I am sorry.... I couldn't lie to them." Emilia bit down on her bottom lip nervously.

"Your father is going to kill me." Harry tossed his head back with a groan before starting to chuckle.

"Don't worry, it will be fine." Emilia gently rubbed her hand up and down Harry's back.

"Ahh! Don't worry. Nothing that a little alcohol can't fix." Leo turned on his heel and waved a them to follow him. "Let's get this day started off right!"

Harry clutched Emilia's hand and followed in behind Leo and Ella up to the top deck. She re-secured her beach bag up on her shoulder and sighed a breath of relief that Harry heard. He glanced down and displayed a look of concern.

"That was a heavy sigh...you ok?" They fell a few steps behind the couple.

Emilia leaned in and rested her head on Harry's shoulder while her other hand rubbed his forearm with re-assurance. "Yeah... just thinking about having that talk today." She confessed her thoughts without any hesitation.

The prince could tell that it was weighing heavily on her mind, but all he wanted was Emilia to have a day where she could relax and have a little fun. "Why don't we get settled and have a few drinks. Then we can talk and get it out of the way and chill for the rest of the day?" Harry sweetly suggested.

"Ok. I like that plan." Emilia took the first step up the spiral staircase with Harry in tow behind her.

"Harry, you need to put this on." Emilia stifled through her bag and dug out a bottle of sunscreen and held it up for him to see. He shook his head no and brushed her off. The princess rolled her eyes at the prince being a typical man, but she had another way of convincing him to put it on.

Emilia sat down right beside him and stared at the prince until his head turned to look her in the eyes. "I don't need it right now." He was insistent about it.

The princess tilted her head and pushed out her bottom lip into a pout. "That's too bad." She sighed and looked out towards the ocean. "See, I was hoping that you put it on me in return... rubbing this lotion all over my body..." Emilia let the words sink as she smirked with a lowered gaze. "But, it's fine I will get Ella to help me instead."

The princess pushed herself off of the ground beside the prince and took a step forward towards where Ella and Leo were nearly on top of each other already. She felt a light grasp tighten around her wrist and pull her back down. "No damn way Emilia. Get your ass back here." Harry had practically pulled the dark haired princess down onto his lap as Emilia giggled at his response.

She peaked up at Harry with a mischievous glint in her eyes and started to laugh. "I knew you wouldn't be able to say no."

Emilia settled herself in Harry's lap facing him in a straddle. She squirted a healthy amount of sunscreen into the palm of her hand and rubbed it together in her hands. "Let's start off with that handsome face of yours. We don't want you looking like a lobster for the rest of your tour."

The prince could feel Emilia's soft hands smoothen the sunscreen all over his body. He giggled when she innocently traced an outline of a heart over his. Harry leant in and placed a sweet kiss to her lips not even thinking twice that he had to mind his actions in front of her cousin. He felt a sense of relief that he could shower Emilia with kisses whenever he pleased. Emilia was absent mindedly tracing over the contours of his abs with her delicate fingers as her mind drifted elsewhere.

He patiently watched as she drifted off into her own mind, but he did not want Emilia to get stuck in her own head. Harry knew she was having a bit of a tough time at the moment with the pressures from her family piling on top of her and he wanted her to have a chance today to forget about it all and relax.

Emilia was forced out of her thoughts as she felt Harry snaked an arm around her back and pulled her off of him to the side. "Lay down, it's my turn."

The princess laid herself down comfortably onto the soft sun bed and released a deep sigh. Her body tensed up at first feeling the cool lotion hit her warm skin. "Relax, love." Harry's deep voice demanded her to.

While Harry was massaging the sun screen onto her body she found herself completely relaxed as his strong but gentle hands rubbed over the sore tightened muscles from her previous day's training session. By the time Harry was done with her, she was practically a noodle and refused to move from the relaxed position she was in.

A chuckling prince laid down beside her and turned his head to face the princess. Emilia opened her eyes to find Harry displaying a proud cocky smirk on his lips. "I told you I was good at giving massages."

"I know that now." Emilia closed her eyes again and drifted into a near state of slumber. She felt Harry grasp her hand and place his soft lips to the back of it in a sweet kiss. The pair of them laid there completely relaxed side by side connected with their entwined fingers as they relaxed under the warm Illyrian sun for the rest of the morning.

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Harry had the rest of the group in near stitches as they snacked on bits of lunch with their cocktail drinks in hand. Emilia tossed her head back in laughter beside the prince as he continued to tell them an embarrassing story of a trip he had to Africa. Their laughs slowly subsided into a quiet lull of the conversation.

The princess settled her hand on Harry's knee and took a sip of her drink. "I would love to go there sometime." Emilia commented with a beaming smile.

"I will have to take you there then." Harry was quick to reply. His head lifted to find Emilia staring at him with an adoring smile that graced her lips at the mere thought of it all.

Leo and Ella sat quietly across from them seeing the way that Harry and Emilia were looking at one another. Ella rubbed Leo's leg subtly with her hand to gain his attention. She leaned in to whisper, "Let's give them some space to talk. Why don't we head out into the water for a bit."

The prince nodded with a knowing smile as he stood up from the table. "Well, we are going to play in the ocean for a while. Let you two have some alone time together." Leo locked eyes with Emilia and saw a thankful smile grow on her lips.

"See you later mate." Harry felt Leo squeeze his shoulder before leading his girlfriend towards the back of the boat leaving Emilia and Harry on their own.

An awkward silence fell between them as Emilia shied away from the prince. She knew that it was now time to have the conversation they so desperately needed to have, but a side of her wanted to avoid having it knowing that the outcome could so drastically change the course of their relationship.

Harry could sense Emilia's apprehension and figured he would be the one to bring it up. "Emilia..." He reached out and blindly grabbed her hand in an effort to bring about some sort of comfort towards her. "Let's have that talk."

The princess's head slowly turned to face him and nodded in silence. "Yes, let's." Emilia pushed her chair back and waited for Harry to follow suit. She let Harry find a place on the boat where they could talk. He led her towards the front of the boat to a comfortable sofa that allowed them to also take in the gorgeous view of the ocean.

Harry sat down first and glanced out towards the ocean and released a deep sigh. He felt Emilia settle close in beside him as her head rested on his chest and watched him enjoy the view. "I love your country Emilia. It's very beautiful, the same with the people in it." Harry confessed lightly as he secured the small princess in his arms. He held Emilia there until she was ready to talk, letting her take the time she needed.

Emilia breathed out a heavy sigh and felt Harry's hand soothing rub down along the side of her arm in a calming and encouraging manner. She always felt supported by Harry in whatever situation she found herself in. It was like he was right there by her side and knew exactly what she needed to hear or in this case what she needed to feel to find her state of calm again.

A soft smile stretched across her lips when realization hit her. She now knew where this conversation needed to start.

The beginning.

"Do you remember that day in London when we first met?" Emilia's soft voice coaxed Harry's attention back down on her.

"Yes, of course I do." Harry's lips spread into a warm smile. "At the Invictus Games. I approached you and you clearly did not want to be seen with me." The prince lightly giggled.

"I was trying to be incognito and your presence clearly was not helping the situation at all." Emilia stated matter of factly with a hint of her sass coming through. "Anyway... London was an escape for me and I was running from things back home." Emilia continued. "From everything that was going on with Thomas."

The princess lifted her head to find a set of blue eyes staring down at her fondly, patiently waiting for Emilia to continue as he listened to her. Her hand lifted and cupped his cheek softly as her thumb rubbed over the warm flesh of his skin tenderly. "Then I met you." The sparkle in his eyes grew as she spoke about him. But, Emilia furrowed her brow and a feeling of extreme guilt crashed through her while she searched into the depths of those deep blues.

"You made me feel so safe with you that I used you for my own benefits and distractions. I knew that if I had sex with you, you wouldn't say a word to anyone about it. That you wouldn't run to the press and scream at the top of your lungs." Emilia hung her head low and averted her gaze away from the prince feeling ashamed of her actions.

She felt a finger lift her chin delicately making her look back into Harry's sincere gaze. "I know you were and I don't hold any of that against you whatsoever." There was a profound level of sincerity laced in the tone of his voice that made Emilia believe him.

Tears started to build in her icy blue eyes over the profound guilt she felt over what had happened in London. Harry's brow furrowed in concern watching the princess nearly break right before his eyes. He felt the guilt seething from her over what she had done to him, but he never held any ill will towards her for it.

He cupped her cheek tenderly with both hands and shook his head slowly pleading to Emilia with his eyes not to cry. "Don't love, please don't cry." He wiped a stray tear away that had trickled down her cheek. "I hate seeing you cry."

"That morning after I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to leave you in that bed to wake up and find that I had left but I couldn't even face myself. I was confused and only did it to protect myself." Emilia grew quiet as the prince held her head gently in his hands while listening to her whispered words. "Protecting myself from the feelings I started to feel for you..."

Those icy blue eyes peaked up at the prince through her eyelashes as she admitted the truth of why she hastily left that morning and acted the way she did. "But, those feelings never went away from me no matter how hard I tried to bury them. Even dealing with everything with Thomas, they were there." The princess confessed softly and fell into silence.

Harry cleared his throat and nodded silently, gathering his thoughts before speaking. "It did upset me the way you left. I was a bit angry initially at you for using me, but I tried to see your side of things." His hand blindly grasped her fingers and started to play with them. "I forgave you along time ago for what happened. I understood that you did it only to protect yourself and I can't fault you for that knowing what you were dealing with at the time."

"I'm sorry." Emilia angled her head at the prince.

"No need to apologize, Em."

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Emilia's hearing his words of understanding. She released a deep sigh and felt relieved that she had confessed to Harry why she acted the way she did in London. Emilia bit down on her bottom lip nervously as the butterflies she felt for the prince returned suddenly and built up a healthy level of anxiety within her. They still had so much to discuss and she was unsure of where to go next.

"Let's get a drink." Harry leant down and pressed a soft kiss to her temple before pulling her along behind him to the bar down the steps of the boat. It gave the pair a well needed break from their intense conversation that they were having.

Emilia led Harry back up to the top of the boat towards a canopy where they could stretch out and enjoy the sun. Harry took his place next to her and lifted his arm to invite the princess to snuggle in beside him to which she accepted his offer making herself cozy beside him.

"Now, where were we." Emilia hinted at Harry to start off the conversation again while she took a few healthy sips of her drink to gain some liquid courage.

"I believe you were about to tell me how you can't resist my handsome sexy ass." Harry turned his head to wink at Emilia while she raised a suggestive eyebrow in response.

"You do have a sexy ass." Emilia muttered while she sipped on her straw.

"I am sorry, I couldn't hear you." Harry teased the princess in his arms.

"I said you have a sexy ass from what I can remember." Emilia spoke it loud and clear this time and watched the elation grow on Harry's face.

"Not as sexy as yours, love." His eyes instinctively fell towards her chest. He felt an elbow nudge him in the ribs.

"My eyes are up here, Harry." Emilia rolled his eyes, but was flattered that he appreciated her body.

"Ok, fine. I will be serious again." Harry took in a deep breath and sighed out heavily. "Where were we? Do you want to start again?"

Emilia nodded quickly in reply. Each thing she confessed to Harry felt like a burden was being lifted off from her and she relished in the feeling it gave her. She found herself wanting to tell Harry so much more as the walls around her came crashing down and her most vulnerable sides she so often kept hidden were coming out of the dark.

"It feels so good to just talk for once." She paused briefly. "To spend some time with you like this."

"I definitely agree." His gentle smile coaxed her to continue what was on her mind.

"I just can't believe that you are actually here. I didn't believe it until you walked off the plane and down those steps." Emilia rolled over onto her stomach so she could face Harry while they talked. "I didn't realize how much I had actually missed you until that moment."

"You missed me?" A cocky smirk formed on his lips after hearing Emilia's confession.

"I did!" She angled her head up at him. "I missed the man who understood me so well. Who understands the real me. It's also what scares me so much about you."

"It scares you that I know you so well?" He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to understand her.

"Yes... It's like I innately trust you and that terrifies me to no end. You understand me like no one else ever has in my life. I don't know why, but it's scary to me that you do sometimes. It's also why I like being around you." Emilia tried her best to explain her circulating thoughts in her mind. "I am quite the guarded person, but with you, you break down those walls so easy and that's what makes me terrified as I find myself blindly trusting you without a second thought. I have never connected with someone like that ever before."

Harry's lips spread into a beaming smile hearing Emilia speak about him that way. It was a revelation to him as well that Emilia did truly trust him even when she divulged information to him in complete confidence. "You know that goes both ways Emilia. We are both spares to heirs and not a lot of people understand what happens behind the scenes so to speak. What pressures we have to face everyday. I for one am lucky to have found someone who understands me like you do. It makes my relationship with you even that more special."

The prince glanced away briefly knowing what he was about to bring up next would strike a cord within the princess. But, he had to voice his concerns about how she has changed since London. "Emilia... are you ok?" His sincere eyes fell to be met with a set of vulnerable eyes staring up at him.

He heard the princess swallow a lump in her throat and divert her gaze away from the prince, remaining silent and giving him no reply. But, in all truth, her silence answered his question more than words could ever.

Emilia was not ok.

"I know you have so much on your plate right now and pressures coming at you from all sides." The prince began to acknowledge the difficulties she was facing in her life. "But, the Emilia I met in London is not the one I am looking at right now. It seems like she has lost the fight within her, that fiesty spark." Harry was completely honest with her. "And I am worried about you."

Emilia slowly turned her head and locked in Harry's sincere gaze. "I can't be that Emilia anymore who fights everything, Henry." She shook her head and pursed her lips together. "Believe me, I miss that Emilia too."

Harry patiently waited as he watched the inner turmoil battle across her face. Emilia parted her lips to speak, but needed a few more quiet moments to think. "I think that firing my press secretary was a big move towards where I want to be." The princess started out. "As much shit I got into for it, it was for the better. I want to find someone who I can work well with and help steer me in the direction I want to go in. I want to be able to prove somehow to my grandmother that I can still be me and still do what is acceptable of her standards. But, it is going to take time to build that."

"Do you think some time away from your family would do you some good?" Harry suggested softly as he brushed a stray piece of hair off of her face.

"Possibly." Emilia nodded in agreement. "I do admit that I am struggling, Harry." The princess finally truthfully admitted. She took in a deep breath and sighed. "I wish that just being me is enough, but it's not." The smile on her lips had faded and disappeared into nothing as she stared blankly out towards the ocean, trapped in her mind.

"The thing is Emilia, you are enough just the way you are. But, in order for them to believe you, you have to believe it also. I don't think you know how amazing you truly are." A hint of smile peaked through on the corner of her lips. "And I am happy to keep telling you that until you believe it yourself because I do see that in you."

The prince's words made her heart swell and also ache at the same time. It was a nice change to hear someone like him be so supportive and encouraging of her like he had simply done all week. "I may need your help a little bit longer then." Emilia snapped her head back to see Harry nodding with an adorable grin plastered on his lips.

"Happy to be of service princess." He chuckled lightly to take the heaviness out of their conversation. "In any way, that is." Harry leaned in and whispered in her ear.

Emilia scoffed and shook her head with an eye roll. But, the big question of the day popped into the forefront of her mind. Without a second thought, Emilia freely spoke it.

"What are we then, Henry?" Their blue eyes locked together, holding each other's gaze in a lingered moment. "What is this between us?"

There was a silent pause in their conversation as Harry and Emilia looked deep into the others eyes, searching for their own answers to those questions they had been asking themselves all week. His blue eyes softened and allowed Emilia in to see his vulnerabilities at face value. The prince knew he had to be the one to start off this conversation given Emilia's past relationship. He could see the fear building in her eyes starting to create a shield up in case she was going to get hurt by him.

The last few days, Emilia had been constantly on his mind even when she was not with him. She was the first thing he thought about when he woke up and the last thing he thought about when he went to sleep, often craving to have her next to him. There was just something about her that Harry was completely enamoured by and he could not deny the chemistry between them was so palpable, it was difficult to hide on the best of days.

If Harry was to be completely honest with himself. He was falling in love with Emilia with each passing second and there was no way his mind could stop what his heart was feeling for Emilia.

The prince released a deep sigh as a sweet smile pulled at the corner of his lips. He tucked a piece of her dark hair behind her ear that was blowing across Emilia's face. Those ice blue eyes remained stagnant on him while he noticed her breath became jagged observing the outward fear her body was portraying in that moment while she waited for him to break his silence. He could not keep the nervous princess waiting any longer. Harry parted his lips to speak and to start his confession that he indeed was falling in love with Emilia.

"Emilia..." He gently spoke her name with his deep calming voice. "I cannot be friends with you..." Harry trailed off for a brief pause wanting to look into Emilia's eyes and hopefully see the fear be replaced with something else as he confessed to her. "Because I am falling in love with you."

Harry let the words sink in as he heard Emilia's breath hitch with a light gasp. The fear that had been circling in her eyes dissipated as they bore more blue and began to sparkle. "I am falling in love with every part of you. The way you laugh... it makes me instantly smile knowing that you are happy. The way your eyes are so telling that by one mere look at you I can tell what your mind is thinking. But, most of all it's the way you never give up on yourself and the way you treat others with such kindness and empathy. You aren't afraid to show your emotions as a royal and people love that about you. I love that you are different and you stand up for what you believe in." The prince took a deep breath in and sighed. "So I can't be just friends with you and I cannot fall more in love without you."

Harry let the words of his confession of falling in love with the princess sink in to Emilia. He was comforted knowing that a beaming smile was forming on her lips as the fearful expression on her face was morphed into a genuine happy one.

It was Emilia's turn to take that leap of faith and share what her heart had been dying to tell Harry. The princess cupped Harry's cheek in her soft hand and gazed up into those ocean eyes with a tilted head. "I am falling in love with you too." The words escaped her lips so easily and without a second thought. "And it scares me how hard I am falling for you, Henry." The prince could practically see her heart pounding from her chest.

"It's those ocean eyes." Emilia softly whispered as she tenderly stroked his cheek with her thumb. "I am so scared of them sometimes." The princess closed her eyes and bowed her head. Harry pressed his lips gently against her forehead before resting his own head against it. "Because they see through my walls and they see me for who I am."

Emilia released a shaky breath as her hands started to tremble. The prince saw her shaking hands and wanted to take away all the fears circling in her mind. He cupped her cheek and soothingly rubbed it softly. "Don't be scared..." Harry could tell how difficult this was for Emilia especially after everything she had been through with Thomas and he only knew what the public knew.

She lifted her head up off of Harry's forehead to stare once again into the depths of those eyes. "I am scared that I am going to hurt you. That you are going to hurt me. And that I will lose you. But, I am willing to take a leap of faith because I need you in my life, Henry." Emilia pursed her lips together and shook her head. "It's so much more with you in it. You won't fall in love without me." The princess looked up at Harry with an adorable smile formed on her lips. Her blue eyes were shining as they emanated happiness.

"I want to be with you, Henry."

Emilia bit down on her bottom lip as she witnessed a beaming smile appear on Harry's lips. All she wanted in that moment was to feel his lips collide with hers. "Kiss me." The words freely fell from her lips.

Harry smirked and gave a small nod before closing the distance in between them. He paused a few inches away from her lips and felt her hot breath float across his mouth. A cheeky grin formed on his lips as he made the princess wait. "Not until you agree to be my girlfriend." Harry playfully asked.

A light moan escaped Emilia's at the awaited anticipation of his kiss. Emilia angled her head and closed the distance even further between them as their lips were nearly touching. She knew how to play this game too. "Ask me again... properly." Her hushed voice demanded.

It took all within the prince not to devour Emilia's lips. He knew that she was tempting him and he would not be the one to cave in. "Emilia Andelle." Harry spoke her full name. "Will you be my girlfriend?" The prince wished he could have captured the way Emilia looked in that moment. The look of pure happiness he had yet to witness was evident all over her face and it was all because of him.

"Yes, I want to be your girlfriend." Before Emilia could say another word, Harry lips had collided with hers and captured them in a passionate kiss.

Emilia wrapped her arms around the back of Harry's neck and pulled him down on top of her. Harry shifted his weight above Emilia, careful not to crush the princess beneath him. The prince continued to attack Emilia's lips with fervour and urgency, having longed to feel them again brushing up against his own. He captured Emilia's tiny moans when he maneuvered himself between her legs and accidentally brushed himself against her bikini bottoms.

The princess melted beneath Harry into a cloud of hazy lust. She wrapped her legs around the prince and moaned while biting down on her bottom lip. Harry's member rubbed up against her again driving her mad. The prince was deliberate with his kisses as he led the make out session between them as Emilia surrendered complete control to him.

She broke her lips off of him with much reluctance but she had to catch her breath. "Slow down, Harry." Emilia breathlessly spoke. With the direction of where things were going it would not be long before they could not stop their urges and had their way with one another right there on the yacht. But, Emilia did not want that, she needed to do things properly this time.

"Fuck, I want you so bad Emilia." Harry's mind was already there, she could feel his member starting to get hard, but she had to stop it.

Emilia pressed her lips softly against Harry's in a gentle slow kiss. She cupped his cheek as she trailed down the side of his neck, showering him with sweet gentle kisses to calm him. "I know... I want you too." The princess placed one hand on his chest and gave him a light push back to change positions so that she was on top straddling him now. Emilia continued to kiss down Harry's chest then found his lips again.

"We can't do it here and I want to do things proper this time." Emilia voiced her concerns to Harry. It took all of her self control to not have Harry in that moment, especially with how she was sitting on him while his semi-hard cock rubbed against her sensitive spot through their bathing suits.

A set of hands gripped her hips tightly and forced her to stop moving. "Then stop grinding your hips on my bits." The prince growled and sat up to face Emilia to capture her lips one more time.

Emilia shyly giggled. "Sorry, Harry."

A comfortable silence fell between them as Emilia continued to sit on Harry's lap while they stared fondly at each other. Harry could tell Emilia wanted to ask him something as she parted her lips and then shook her head no as if not to break the moment between them.

"What is on your mind, gorgeous?" His brow furrowed with concern.

Emilia's gaze dropped as she fidgeted nervously with her hands and bit down on her lower lip. "Can we keep things between us for a while...until I get things more sorted with my grandmother. Keep things private for now. I don't want to drag you into my mess." The shy princess admitted.

"Of course. I thought that would be the best option for now as well, Emilia." He lifted her chin with his finger, wanting to glance into those mesmerizing eyes of hers. "We don't need outside pressures in our relationship right now."

The princess sighed a breath of relief knowing that Harry was on the same page as her. But, it only brought up more questions. "How... how is this going to work?" She sought his thoughts on the matter.

"It will have to be long distance for the time being. But, we will just have to ensure we make time for one another. I will come see you here in Illyria and you will come to London." Harry made it seem so simple in a way like it was no big deal and nothing to stress about.

"You make it seem so simple, Henry." Emilia smiled softly.

"Don't over think things, Emilia." He placed a quick kiss to her cheek and smiled. "Zara has said the Olympic trials are going to be held in London for some countries in a few weeks."

Emilia nodded her head. "Yup, they are. I will be in London for about two weeks I think."

"Where are you going to stay?" He curiously asked the princess, hoping that some of her time would be spent with him at Kensington.

"At Belmond Cadogan." Emilia tried to remember the name. "I think it's in West London."

Harry scoffed lightly. "It's in Knightsbridge. Pretty swanky hotel, fit for a princess and just so happens to be pretty damn close to Hyde Park."

"Then I guess you will be seeing a lot of me then.." Emilia giggled with a beaming grin.

"Means I can take you on a proper date..." The prince suggested.

Emilia found herself staring up into those ocean eyes once again, but this time she was not scared. She was completely happy having made her decision to be Harry's girlfriend.

"Yes, we should go on a proper date." Emilia leaned in and dared to kiss Harry one more time as she pressed her lips against his. "But, for now I think I we should test out those jet ski's. What do you think? I can take you to these caves that aren't far away."

"That sounds pretty awesome."

For the rest of the day, Harry and Emilia played in the ocean and enjoyed their time drinking and relaxing in the sun while hanging out with Leo and Ella. They tested out the hot tub on the yacht and watched the sun set over the Illyrian ocean.

[boundtoyouphff]

Hello Amazing Readers

How are all of you doing?!

I AM BACK AND HAVE MISSED ALL OF YOU XX

I know I have been absent from Tumblr for quite some time, but I needed to take a break for myself. I update Wattpad more regularly (my stories are under emsescape if you want to check them out). 

I wanted to thank you for the kind messages that you have sent me and I apologize for the really late reply. But, those messages are what keeps me going and I love to hear from all of you. I have had quite a few major changes in my life, but writing is something that has kept me sane in all of these uncertain times. 

I have a few chapters to share with you that I will be posting to get you all caught up, keep an eye out for them! I hope you enjoy them and I cannot wait to continue on this amazing journey and share Emilia and Harry’s story with you.

Lots of love 

Emily xx

[boundtoyouphff]

I love this story!! I hope you update soon!! - Sara- 🙂

Hello Sweet Sara!

I update more frequently on Wattpad, but I am back on tumblr and will post chapters to get caught up and continue to post on here! 

Thank you for taking the time to send in this kind message xx

[boundtoyouphff]

Really loving this story so fair it’s so well written 🥰x

Hello anon! 

Thank you so very much! Your message is so lovely and I am so happy that you are enjoying it just as much as I am writing. There is plenty more to come! (Sorry for the late reply of your message, I took a break from tumblr. But I update my stories more regularly on Wattpad)

[boundtoyouphff]

I saw you put that you have 3 more chapters for this story and I can’t wait to read them. I also love your other Harry story. Please know that while publishing chapters may make you vulnerable, you have many fans like myself who can’t wait for you to publish a new chapter. You are an extremely talented writer. I look forward to seeing you become a successful published author.

Wow this is such an amazing message to come back to! Thank you very much for this kind and touching message. I know I have not been as active on tumblr, mainly because I have been updating my stories more so on Wattpad. I needed a break from tumblr and been focusing on myself personally. I feel quite bad that I have neglected this, but I will post all my chapters soon for people to read.  

Thank you so much, this message has meant the world to me xxo

[boundtoyouphff]

I find this story interesting buts it’s a bit depressing to read about Emilia. There’s just so much angst and her family seems very toxic, and no one is saying anything about it. And with how bad the world is right now, reading more angst is just not fun. But thank you for being a writer.

I know you may have tried to mean well by this message but I find it quite condescending and a bit on the rude side. Not entirely sure why you think sending me this message was a good idea and then ending to by thanking me for being a writer??

You do not need to read what I write, that is purely your choice. I don’t write all sunshine’s and rainbows. I make my stories real and believable. I do not find it depressing at all. I find it more as seeing where Emilia’s journey and struggles are currently and seeing how she changes along the way while her relationship with Harry develops. You will see her grow into someone and that’s what this story about.

Second of all, we as writers put our heart and soul into putting those words into a story(I have about 3 chapters I haven’t put up yet for this story). We put our chapters out there for people like you to read and it makes us vulnerable as we hope people will enjoy what we write and will want more. We spend a lot of time on it and when we get criticized like this for what we write, it knocks us down and we find it hard to get the motivation back. So next time, think before you send a message like this. From what it seems, maybe your negative outlook on life is what the real problem is. We always have a choice in how we view the world.

If you would like to privately message me and talk further please do.

[boundtoyouphff]

Chapter 13: Come Dance With Me

A/N: Here is the next chapter like I had promised! I cannot wait to share more of this story with you guys. I hope to hear from you soon. Enjoy xx

*Please make sure you have read Ch 12 that I had posted earlier today BEFORE READING THIS CHAPTER!*

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Dancing.

I love to dance.

You turned me around and I found those hopeful piercing blue eyes asking, “Come dance with me.” I grabbed your hand without hesitation as if an outside force pushed me into your arms. Our bodies were connected and moved as if we were puppets with our invisible strings being maneuvred from a source above the clouds.

I love to dance, but I found out that I love to dance with you more.

Maybe it’s the way you hold me securely in your arms as I put my trust in you to never let me fall.

But, I am falling. Falling in love with you.

They say to dance with your heart and your body will follow. Is that the case with love too? If you love with your heart, will your mind accept that love or is the voice of reason too strong?

Will this dance end before it can even begin?

I love to dance.

Come dance with me.

Come dance with me to a song that never ends.

————————--------

Giving the crowds one last wave, Harry jumped in the back seat of the vehicle and settled down into the comfortable leather while releasing a deep sigh. He finished his somber engagement at Fort Lennox this afternoon, one which held a memorial for all of those who fought and lost their lives at the Battle of Lennox. The majority of the Illyrian Royal family were present, including Emilia, but it was her brother Edward that was to accompany Harry today.

The prince closed his eyes for a brief moment relishing in silence that he had found. He breathed in a slow deep breath and released it through pursed lips as a wave of relief floated out from him. He now had a break in his tour where he would be able to spend some more time with Emilia.

The door flew open making Harry’s eyes spring open as his peaceful surroundings were distrubed by none other than Emilia’s twin brother, Prince Edward. He smirked and took the seat beside Harry before he unbuttoned his military uniform and threw his head back with a sigh. “I find these memorials are too somber for my liking.” Emilia’s brother voiced his unwanted opinion. His head turned to flash a smile at the quiet prince. “At least we are heading to Cavallo this evening. The resort we always book is off the charts mate. It will be good for you to have a fun evening off from this tour, Harry.”

The prince was doing his best to be courteous to Edward, despite his inward feelings for the man and the way he treated his sister. “I am looking forward to spending some time in the sun and on the beach I must admit. Is this a yearly dinner?” Harry engaged in conversation with Edward, hoping to pass the hour and a half drive to the resort.

But, his mind kept drifting off to an image of Emilia at the memorial. She had stood beside Harry and her brother Edward for the majority of the service. Her wavy long dress had Illyrian flowers printed across the fabric that flowed in the breezy wind that tousled her hair. Harry remained the stoic soldier beside her, dressed proudly in his military uniform he had brought along specifically for this occasion. From under the brim of his hat, he saw the princess bow her head and wipe away a stray tear. In that exact moment, you could hear a sea of cameras clicking away and capturing the moment. No doubt to use against Emilia in tomorrow’s papers. His heart sank in his chest for her, the princess was under constant scrutiny. Why were they so vindictive of her when she was the only one who showed true emotion, the one who wasn’t afraid to?

Harry joined the rest of the royal family, greeting the soldiers of the past and present to thank them for their continued sacrifice. Emilia was ahead of Harry to begin with, but he quickly caught up to the princess as she greeted and spoke to every single one of them who eagerly waited for her. She often kneeled down to their eye level and held a short conversation rather than just a greeting. There was one moment where they both delved into a deep conversation with a veteran who told them their story.

“Harry?” Edward had called his name, bringing the prince back into the moment.

“Yes? Sorry, my mind went elsewhere.” Harry locked eyes with the prince and offered a kind smile.

“Better not have been thinking of my sister, she’s off limits!” Edward tossed his head back in laughter, making light of the situation.

Little did Edward know, that was exactly who was on his mind.

—————————

The prince had arrived at the Malvarossa resort in Cavallo after a mentally strenuous ride and immediately felt relaxed with the stunning ocean views that welcomed him. Prince Edward ensured that Harry was all settled in his room at the private villa the royal family had booked for a few days. The villa was a separate entity of the resort and was often the place the family used as a vacation venue.

He walked out towards the balcony and opened the white panelled doors, immediately feeling the sea breeze hit him. Closing his eyes, Harry took in a deep breath and felt the bright Illyrian sun warm him. He grasped the balcony rails and looked down, deciding to go for a walk and check out the villa until he had to get ready for the dinner.

Harry was wandering around aimlessly when he ran into Julianna, The Duchess of Molvania and her husband Prince George who had their children with them, Prince Leonardo and Princess Fiona, Emilia’s cousins. Leonardo enveloped the prince into a hug and welcomed him to the resort, immediately inviting Harry to join him at the bar for a drink to which Harry accepted.

Prince Leo ordered their drinks and sat down beside the prince, running his fingers through his thick dark lock of hair. He held Harry’s gaze as he saw those same icy blue eyes that was a clear genetic marker in the Illyrian royal family. “How’s the tour going, mate?” Leonardo casually asked Harry.

“Well...” Harry laughed nervously and took a healthy sip of his drink. “You know how tours can be exhausting. So this is a well needed break.” He turned to angle his body to look out towards the crystal clear waters, watching as the waves came crashing into the shore.

“I get it, Harry. Been on my fair share and I cannot say I would willingly volunteer again for one.” Leo barked a laugh and clasped his hands together. “Tonight will be fun. You will definitely get to see a different side to my family..... the dramatic side that is.” He continued to laugh.“Us boys always place a bet on how long until things blow up. There is always some sort of family drama that gets unleashed when we all get together.” Leo shook his head at the memories that had come flooding to mind. “At least there won’t be any Emilia and Thomas drama like last year....”

Harry watched Leo’s expression morph into a somber one. It caught him off guard and caused Harry to want to know more of what Leo thought of his cousin, Emilia. It had seemed that most of her family was ready and willing to drag her through the mud, but Leo appeared not to be in that same category. His gut feeling was that Leo was a genuine friendly guy.

“It does appear that drama is always surrounding Emilia...” He left his statement drag off in hopes that Leo would take the bait and share his thoughts with him.

“Not of her doing... don’t be deceived by what you read.” Leonardo did not waste a breath in his reply as he stared at the bottom of an empty glass before ordering a new one. He spinned the bar stool around to face the prince, locking in his gaze.

“Let me tell you something about Emilia, Harry.” Leo nodded his head slowly. “Emilia is like a sister to me and I know her like one. She has more heart and empathy than anyone on this earth and she is not afraid to show how passionate she is. I have worked on numerous projects with her and she literally puts her heart and soul into every little detail. But, at the end of the day she is judged more harshly than anyone in this family thanks to my grandmother and the media.” Leo shook his head and displayed a look of disgust. “She is exactly what this family needs, what this country needs to see from their royal family, but my grandmother is stuck in the past.”

“It breaks my heart to see her light being dimmed because others can’t stand to see how bright she can shine.” Harry could feel the love Leo held for Emilia emanating through his words of admiration for the princess. It was a relief to see that at least someone in this family saw Emilia for what she was worth and could see the potential in her. The prince lifted his head to glance up at Harry. “She’s been through so much this past year. I didn’t blame her at all for running away to London for a while. I think she shouldn’t have come back and given a taste to gran what she is missing.”

Before Harry could speak in return, his eyes captured Emilia walking down to the bar dressed casually in a pair of jeans, a simple white buttoned down blouse and black flats. Leo caught Harry gazing at the princess over his shoulder and glanced back to see who had caught his attention. “Perfect timing.” He giggled lightly.

Emilia tucked her long dark hair behind her ear in an attempt to tame in from the wind blowing off of the ocean. She was carrying a duffel bag of hers and was on the way to check in to her room when she saw her cousin Leonardo and Harry having a drink at the private bar. Emilia waved at them with a beaming smile, silently loving the fact that they appeared to already be getting along with one another.

“Hello boys!” Leonardo hopped off of his bar stool and leaned in to greet his cousin with a peck on the cheek.

“Hello gorgeous cousin. Glad to see you have arrived for the familial festivities.” He patted her on the head to remind her how much shorter she was than him. Emilia rolled her eyes and playfully swatted his arm away before turning her attention towards Harry.

“Hi, Harry.” Emilia took a step towards him and opened up her arms inviting him into an embrace. He wrapped his arms around the beautiful princess and squeezed her tiny frame.

“Hello, Emilia.” Their hug lingered for a few seconds too long as Emilia took in a deep breath and inhaled Harry’s sweet memorable scent. Breaking apart, she lowered her head in embarrassment knowing that Leo would pick up on it. She always struggled to lie and keep things from her close knit cousin.

“I see you two have already started drinking.” Emilia peaked up at Leo and reached across him, grabbing his drink and downing it before he could intervene.

“Ahhh!” Leo gasped in shock. “I really have missed you cousin!” He waved at the bartender to order more drinks, but Emilia had stopped him.

“Nah, none for me Leo. I need to get settled in and ready for dinner.” She sadly informed the dark haired prince and watched him dramatically extend out his bottom lip into a pout.

“I am good mate.” Harry held his hand up in refusal.

“Well, I can’t be here at my lonesome?!” Leo tossed his arms up in the air and shook his head in disbelief.

Emilia angled her head up at him. “Should have invited Ella then.” She held her hand up in the air to act like a visor and block the sun from her eyes.

“Ya, not after the disaster that happened last year when you brought your boyfriend to the dinner.” Leo’s eyes grew wide with horror.

Emilia smacked Leo’s stomach hard. “Leo!” She scolded her cousin before turning her body towards Harry. “Leo is dating my stylist, Ella. No one in the family knows, but me.” Harry nodded in understanding, but it was not that particular bit of information that he was more curious about.

“I am going to take my bag to my room. See you two at dinner.” Emilia bent down and picked up her bag with a small grunt, forgetting how heavy it was.

“Need help with that?” Harry was quick to offer the princess, but was met with a glaring narrowed set of blue eyes.

Leo raised his eyebrow and watched the interaction. “Good luck convincing the tiger.” He mumbled, but both Harry and Emilia had heard his words.

The prince took a step forward towards Emilia, making the close proximity to her very evident in his intentions. She peaked up at him, gazing up at him while his hand brushed up against her own to grasp the bag. Emilia did not put up a fight like she normally would have and dropped the bag into his hand.

“Where’s your room?” The prince motioned for Emilia to show him the way.

“Follow me.” Emilia turned on her heel with crossed arms and waved goodbye to Leo. “Bye Leo, see you later.”

Harry grabbed the bag and carried it behind his shoulder. “Good god, do you have a dead body in here? How much did you pack for two nights?” The prince complained as he trailed behind Emilia towards the direction of her room.

“Oh stop complaining, Wales.... besides.” Emilia turned around and started to walk backwards. “A girl can never have too many clothes!” Harry rolled his eyes and offered a quick wink before following Emilia down the corridor towards her room.

Emilia and Harry fell into step with one another as a comfortable silence fell between them. Emilia glanced up towards the prince and witnessed the elated smile that was still plastered on Harry’s lips. She gently grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers together, patiently waiting for his gaze to fall upon her. The prince angled his head and looked down towards the princess and caught her staring up at him with an adoring expression.

Harry squeezed her hand while his lips spread into a beaming grin for the princess. “You looked beautiful today.” He showered her with compliments watching that little glint in her eyes appear at his sweet words. Emilia’s cheeks blushed with a faint crimson red, making her gaze falter to the ground in embarrassment, but was flattered at his compliment.

“Thank you, you are too sweet.” Emilia giggled and tucked a piece of her long dark brunette hair behind her ear. When she lifted her head, the prince’s eyes were still staring down at her while he blindly followed Emilia down the hall. “I am really happy that you are here with me. I have such great memories of this place.” The princess released a deep breath.

“Me too, Emilia.” There was a hint of exhaustion laced in the prince’s tone. He had been non-stop since his plane had landed in Illyria.

Emilia had made it to her suite in the villa and unlocked the door while she continued to listen to Harry vent. She kicked off her flats as Harry set down her bag at the front entrance. Emilia heard the deep sigh he released and turned back around with an endearing smile.

“Come relax and sit with me a bit.” Her hand reached out to him as their fingertips brushed up against one another. The prince did not need further convincing to spend some time with the beauty before him. He followed Emilia to the lounge and sat down beside her. Harry instinctively lifted his arm as she snuggled her frame close to his body.

Emilia sighed and placed her head on his shoulder closing her eyes briefly. Relishing in the private company of one another, the two of them sat in near silence being left alone to their thoughts. But, they still felt the comfort that the other offered them through simple touches.

“Are you excited for tonight?” The princess broke through Harry’s deep thoughts and brought him back to reality.

“Yes.” Harry’s lips spread into a smile. “But, I am looking forward to spending more time with you.” The prince happily confessed as he turned his head to smile down at Emilia. He saw her lips spread into a beaming smile while her eyes held his gaze.

Emilia quietly stared up at the prince, looking deep into his eyes as her mind started to wander back to that moment in the back of the car when Harry told her that he needed an answer with where they stood with one another. Part of her was waiting for these few days knowing that she would likely have more time with Harry to figure out where her heart was, but truth was she already knew what her heart had decided. It was whether she could get her mind to follow.

Her eyes drifted down to their entwined fingers and took in a deep sigh. Harry’s eyes followed her gaze down as he felt the light brush of her hand trail down his forearm. He could tell that the young princess was in an internal debate and he did not want to disrupt her thoughts so he quietly sat beside her and enjoyed analyzing every part of Emilia to keep it in his memory for a later time.

------------------------

Emilia emerged from her closet wearing a purple off the shoulder dress that boasted an asymmetrical frill skirt. It elegantly flowed across her body as she stepped forward in her bare feet towards the floor length mirror in her bedroom.

Harry had been casually sitting on the edge of her bed waiting for her to get ready for the family dinner this evening. He was sipping on a drink when he nearly choked on it watching the princess come out in the dress, taking his breath away.

The princess slowly twirled around, carefully analyzing whether it was the right choice of dress for the evening's events. The back of the dress had not been zipped up, exposing a healthy amount of her backside and her black bra beneath. Harry was literally at a loss for words as he continued to sit on the edge of the bed in silence.

Emilia turned around swiftly and caught Harry in the act, checking her out. She shook her head at the naughty prince, giving him an eye roll.

“It is not my fault when you come out looking like that, Em.” Harry tossed his arms up in the air with a light giggle. He watched as Emilia turned her attention back to the mirror, but this time a frowned replaced that bright smile of hers.

“Do you really like it?” Emilia had suddenly become doubtful in her choice as a shy almost embarrassed version of herself emerged while the confident side of herself faded into the background.

Harry pushed himself off of the edge of her bed and slowly stepped behind her. This was what he was witnessing with each passing day. The strong confident princess he met in London was fading as uncertainty came forth clouded by the pressures of her grandmother's expectations.

He stepped in behind Emilia and gently grasped both of her arms, giving them a light re-assuring rub. “You, my princess… are absolutely gorgeous in this dress.” His deep quiet, assuring voice calmed her fears with a few simple words.

Emilia felt his finger delicately lift her chin, making her look into the mirror at herself with the image of Harry standing behind her. She locked eyes with the prince through the mirror and saw his genuine sincerity that killed any doubt that had grown within her being.

His gaze faltered down to her exposed backside and trailed his finger down to the zipper that was at the small of her back. He heard her Emilia’s mouth gasp from his simple touch as her breath became jagged. Harry smirked cheekily loving the effect he was having on Emilia. His fingers grasped the zipper and gave it a light tug. He did her dress up, reluctantly hiding her exposed skin and undergarment.

He looked back into the mirror at their reflection and found Emilia’s eyes locked on him while her body remained frozen. The prince lowered his head while tucking her dark locks out of the way to find her exposed shoulder. Harry placed a soft kiss on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Don’t ever doubt that you are beautiful again, Emilia. You are beautiful to me.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Illyrian Royal family’s festivities were well under way. The whole family had come together this evening and shared an enjoyable five course meal with local traditional Illyrian entertainers. They had even welcomed Harry as one of their own, as Emilia’s cousins included them in the familial banter and fun.  

The prince had been seated next to Emilia and her cousin Leonardo that apparently Emilia herself had arranged as alluded to by her father. He let it slip that his daughter wanted Harry to feel as welcomed as she did in London. Her parents were seated across from them as they engaged in a light hearted conversation. The Crown Prince couple were more relaxed and at ease than to what Harry had previously been witnessed to and he could see where Emilia got most of her traits from… her father.

“She has always had me wrapped around her finger since the day she was born.” Frederick smiled proudly at Emilia and shared a sweet moment with her. But, the prince could not help but wonder if her father knew how much inner turmoil was going through. She hid it so incredibly well and could pretend that nothing was the matter.

“I remember that day fondly.” Frederick continued as Harry and Emilia had focused their attention to the conversation with her parents while everything else faded into the background. The long wooden table was dimly lit above with hanging fairy lights while the reflection of the flames from the candles that lined the table danced upon their faces. “You were so stubborn, Emilia. So stubborn that you wouldn’t even breathe.” A glimpse of concern washed across his face as the memory of it all came flooding back to her father.

“No wonder Emilia is the way that she is. Lack of oxygen to her brain at birth really explains a lot.” Edward piped in from the seat beside his mother as he finally gave his family some of his attention instead of his girlfriend, Louisa.

“EDWARD!” Liza, Emilia’s mother gasped in horror. “You do not say that in front of our guest! Or period!” She scolded him, but Edward just chuckled and ignored his mother.

“Eddie, stop being an areshole.” Emilia glared at him with her piercing blue eyes.

“Or else what Emilia?” Edward egged his twin sister on.

Emilia parted her lips to speak her retort when a loud voice spoke her name from down the table.

“Emilia!”

Everyone became silent as Queen Eleanora scolded the princess, embarrassing her in front of everyone, including Harry.. “Behave and stop getting into these childish tifts with your older brother.” An awkward silence fell across the whole table as Emilia sat there in a clear state of quiet anger, staring at her grandmother with shock and disbelief.

Harry’s blood was nearly boiling as rage coursed through him. How in the world is Emilia getting in shit and being embarrassed for something that Edward had done. The thing that surprised Harry the most is her father did not even come to her defence, nor anyone in the family. He couldn’t sit by any longer in utter silence.

His lips parted to speak up on Emilia’s behalf, but he felt a hand quickly grasp his thigh and give it a hard squeeze. Emilia did not even look at the prince, but with a subtle shake of her head she begged him not to defend her.

“I am sorry Gran.” Emilia’s voice choked out.

The conversation around them started to become more lively, but everyone around Emilia was carefully watching her silent self. She refused to look at anyone or engage in conversation.

“Emilia…?” Frederick’s brow furrowed with concern as he watched a stray tear trickled down Emilia’s cheek. “I’m sor-” He was about to apologize when Emlia cut him off.

“Don’t.” She angrily spoke, wiped the tear away and turned her attention back to the dancers. Pretending that nothing had happened.

-------

Harry and Emilia were standing around in a circle with Emilia’s cousins Gabriel and Alessandra sipping on their drinks and watching the rest of the family dancing to the upbeat music. “This is not like you, Emilia! Standing on the sidelines while the rest of the family is dancing away. You are normally the instigator of fun!” Alessandra angled her head down at her younger cousin, with a cheeky grin.

Emilia shook her head and took a sip of her drink before replying. “Not tonight.” Her blue eyes drifted towards her parents dancing away with their silly moves. “I am trying to behave…” The tone in Emilia’s voice was evidently somber. There was a part of her pulling her towards the music, desperately wanting to let loose, but all she could see were her grandmother's eyes on her every move. She could not have another problem arise tonight for she was walking on thin ice.

“Behaving is really not in your vocabulary.” Gabriel smirked and fell into a fit of laughter. “Remember Ibiza?!”

“Oh Gabe! Ibiza was all on you, that I had nothing to do with!” Emilia tossed her head back in laughter at the memory of the debaucherous trip.

“You were right there with me, my partner in crime.” Gabe tossed his arms up in the air in innocence. “Stealing that boat.”

Harry’s eyebrows rose with curiosity as Emilia felt his eyes on her. She turned her head as the conversation fell to a silent shock. Emilia shrugged her shoulders, “What? It was a small boat ok, Harry!” She defended herself while confessing to the crime.

Gabriel cleared his throat and shook his head. “Emilia… we stole a fucking yacht!” He barked with laughter at her falsely portrayed innocence.

“A yacht?” Harry’s blue eyes glanced down and locked eyes with Emilia, watching the guilty expression on her face grow until she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“Ok fine!” She breathed in between breaths. “It was a yacht…” Emilia held Harry’s gaze steadily. “I was young and following Gabe’s lead. He took advantage of my innocence.”

“Yeah, there is nothing innocent in those blue eyes Emilia.” The prince slowly shook his head down at Emilia and stared deep into those adorable blue eyes of the princess.

“Oooooh!” Gabriel and Alessandra could not help but laugh at the prince’s words. They both caught the way that Harry was looking down at their cousin in an endearing way as their gaze continued to linger.

“Looks like Ana has got some competition for Prince Harry’s heart!” Alessandra chuckled lightly to herself as Harry and Emilia both snapped out of their unwavering shared glance as their minds were brought back to reality and realized what they had done. Emilia’s cheeks became flushed at her cousin's remark and looked away to hide her face, silently kicking herself for not being more careful around Harry. It had been difficult enough tonight not being able to hold his hand or touch him in the way she wanted to in fear of her family finding out they were more than acquaintances.

“Who is Ana?” Harry was curious to find out.

Emilia leaned into him and pointed past her cousins to a young blonde teenager sitting at the table by herself watching everyone else dance with a partner. “That is my cousin Ana Lilia. Alessandra and Gabriel’s sister.” He caught the way Emilia smiled proudly towards her direction.

“A little birdie told me she fancies you.” Alessandra giggled with a raised eyebrow. “But, I am afraid that I need to get in on this dancing action. Are you coming Gabriel?” Emilia’s cousins had left them alone to themselves as they joined the family, dancing away.

Emilia’s eyes remained stagnant on her youngest cousin, sitting there by herself. She felt Harry’s hand settle on the small of her back and gently rub it soothingly. “You know you are allowed to have fun with your family. I bet you are a better dancer than me.” Her lips spread into an amusing smile as she lifted her head to glance up at Harry.

“I’d like to see you dance.” Emilia could not help but giggle at the thought. “In fact…” Her eyes drifted for a brief second back to Ana. “Why don’t you ask Ana to dance with you.” Emilia locked in Harry’s intense stare. “I know she would love it if you did.”

“You sure you want me to ask her? You know she might win my heart.” Harry cheekily replied and earned a playful smack on the arm by the princess.

“Yes, I am sure Henry.” Emilia gave him a light push forward. “Go!”

Emilia watched from afar as Harry approached Ana and bent down to her level with his hand extended out in an offer to dance with him. A fond smile started to stretch the corner of her lips as Ana nodded her head and stood up from her seat, eager to dance with him. Harry pulled the smiling blonde teen to the dance floor and twirled her around, innocently dancing with Ana as she smiled with joy.

A few dances later, Emilia was ordering a new drink when a hand gently grasped her wrist and gave it a light tug to turn her around. It was Harry with an adorable beaming smile and rosy red cheeks from dancing.

“Come dance with me.” His deep posh British voice was alluring and difficult to say no to. His piercing blue eyes cut straight through to her soul, rendering her speechless.

“Henry….” Emilia reluctantly shook her head in fear of the repercussions and also scared of the fact that her family would find out about them. It had been a difficult evening not being able to hold his hand or reach out and touch his face or play with those tufts of his ginger hair at the nape of his neck. All because of that lingering fear. But… to dance with Harry? He had to be mad!

“You deserve to have fun like the rest of your family and I promise that I will be careful where I lay my hands on you. A respectable dance between a prince and a princess.” Harry did his best to convince Emilia, knowing full well that she was on the edge about to take that leap with him.

“Henry….” Emilia broke her silence and tightened her grasp on his hand. “Fine. But, just one dance.”

“Deal!” Harry tugged on her hand without hesitation and led Emilia to the dance floor where her family were happily dancing beside them.

Harry twirled Emilia around as they kept up to the beat of the lively music. He was observant of her family's reactions of them, careful not to place his hands on her body suggestively. Emilia’s unbridled laughter echoed in his ear, bringing a beaming grin to his lips as he watched Emilia let go and have fun.

Emilia had promised Harry just one dance with him, but that one dance turned into another and another until they found themselves being the last ones left on the dance floor. Emilia selected a slower classical song that changed the aura of the dance floor into a sensual romantic one. She stepped forward towards Harry with a shy smile.

“Will you dance with me? This is my favorite song to dance too….” She lowered her head, displaying a rare shy side of herself to Harry. (Come Dance With Me started to play by Norah Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbjZPFBD6JU )

“I’d love to.” He reached out and wrapped his arm around her body, bringing Emilia in close proximity, securing her in tightly with his grasp. Harry felt her hand settle on his forearm as she waited for him to take the first step and lead her.

Harry took a step forward as Emilia moved her body in sync with him. He slowly moved them around the dance floor as his hand drifted down to the small of her back. Emilia lifted her head up to look into the prince’s deep blue eyes. Being mesmerized, she fell under his spell and was thankful that his strong body was holding her weak knees up at that moment.

The corner of his lips tugged into an elated smile, relishing in the closeness of Emilia being flushed against his body again. He looked down into her ice crystal blue eyes and could get lost in the depths of them for days if he allowed himself to. Harry’s heart swelled in admiration for this beautiful woman in his arms. He could not help but admire her beauty both inside and out that encapsulated her kind heart.

“Henry…” Emilia’s feet stopped moving as she quietly whispered his name. Their bodies swayed in their cemented place as they looked longingly into each other's eyes.

“Yes, Emilia?” His hand lifted and cupped her cheek tenderly while he gently caressed it with his thumb.

“Will you spend the day with me tomorrow? I…” She lowered her head, averting her gaze to the ground. “I think we need to talk and figure out what all of this is between us.” Emilia took in a shaky nervous breath in fear of the potential outcome, in fear that this man in front of her could break her heart.

“Well, you could steal a yacht for us to hang out on.” Harry teased the nervous princess in an attempt to bring back that adorable smile of hers.

“Harry!” Emilia shouted his name.

“Oh… I know you can scream it louder than that!” The prince was relentless, but it was all in good banter.

“You are so awful…” Emilia shook her head and snaked her arms around the back of his neck loosely while his hands found a home on her hips. “Awfully handsome…” She stood up on her tippy toes and placed a soft kiss to his lips that was all too quick for his liking.

Emilia reluctantly tore his lips off of Harry’s but she could not risk their private moment together any further in fear of exposure. “We need to go inside Harry… We can’t get caught.” She was the voice of reason amidst their cloud of building desire.

The prince took in a deep breath and sighed heavily. “You are right.” His arms fell from her frame, breaking their embrace. “Let me walk you to your room.”

The pair left the dimly lit dance floor and made their way back to the villa. In the midst of the darkness, they searched for the others hands and interlocked their fingers, savouring every moment that they were able to share with one another. Emilia quietly moaned when their hands separated.

“Trust me, I don’t like it more than you do.” Harry walked Emilia down the villa’s hall towards her room which just so happened to be right next to Harry’s.

Emilia leaned up against the door frame and turned around to face the prince. “Good night Henry.” It took all of her not to just invite Harry in for the night, but the truth was she needed time for her own mind to think.

Harry flashed a brief smile and bent his head down to place a soft kiss to her forehead. His lips lingered there as Emilia breathed in his familiar scent. Her hands reached up and grasped his forearms making him stay there for a few passing moments.

His arms slipped through Emilia’s hands, unable to continue being in the same space as Emilia any longer. “I can’t stay here…” The prince admitted and pressed his lips one more time to Emilia’s lips and said his goodnight.

“Sleep well, tiny dancer.”

[boundtoyouphff]

Chapter 12: It’s Not All Glitz and Glamour

A/N: Sorry for not posting as regularly, but I am making up for it with TWO chapters being posted today. The first one now and in a few hours I will post the second one so make sure you READ THIS ONE FIRST! Enjoy xx --------------------------------------

I am sure you have heard of the saying… “It’s not all glitz and glamour.” Well, I wholeheartedly believe that. I believe that we often like to hide behind our material things as it masks our truer self. It makes people on the outside believe that just because we have all the glitzy material things in our life that it is glamorous, that we are purely happy in our lives. It is true to a point that it brings us a certain level of joy… but that joy in our lives is replaceable.

Material things are replaceable, but the people in our life are not and those are the things in life that brings us that irreplaceable joy.

As I sit here in this gorgeous ball gown and feel the strand of a diamond necklace being placed upon the delicate skin of my neck, these thoughts come to the forefront of my mind. I feel it trapping me in the false sense of belief that all of this matters. This State Banquet to show our kingdom's prowess matters.

But, it doesn’t.

I never cared about the material things that someone could give me like this sparkling diamond necklace my father gifted me. What I care about is the time I spend with my loved ones, the smiles on their faces and the joy sparkling in their eyes, not the sparkles sitting on my chest.

What matters in life is not about the glitz and glamour.

It’s about our hearts and who they beat for.

It’s about the way he makes my heart beat.

-------------

Harry tightened the strands of his bow tie, pulling it securely into place. Straightening his tuxedo suit coat, his hands smoothed over the soft fabric that lined his anxious body. Edward was behind him going over last minute details of the State Banquet that would be held for the royal visit on behalf of the British Monarchy. His words faded into the background as Harry replayed a conversation he had earlier with Emilia in his mind.

Flashback*

Emilia climbed out of the back seat with haste, afraid to look the prince in the eyes. Slamming the door shut she stepped forward with purpose towards Lexington Palace.

“Emilia!” Harry’s deep voice called from behind her to which she ignored and continued on her path. Hearing footsteps quicken to a run behind her, Emilia took in a deep breath knowing she would have to face him, but she surged forward.

She barely made it through the entrance before she felt his light grasp brush against her fingertips followed by the quiet whisper of her name. “Em....” His simple touch on her skin made her heart skip a beat. The way his deep voice quietly spoke her name almost made her give in to Harry in that moment, but a familiar voice cut through her thoughts.

“Ah! Harry, there you are!” Ed, Harry’s private press secretary had come around the corner to greet him and was quite in a hurry to take the prince away to prepare for the state banquet that evening. Urging him that he did not have time to waste.

“Not now, Ed.” Harry stepped around Edward to get to Emilia who had carried on with haste through the palace leaving Harry behind in her wake.

He watched her head turn slightly to the side and speak something to Tristan who turned immediately onto his heel and stepped in front of the prince, blocking him. Harry’s jaw clenched tightly, pursing his lips into a hard line. “Emilia is not ignoring you. Go to your suite, talk to Eddie or whatever his name is. Then come speak with her.” Tristan’s voice was calm yet commanding.

Fury coursed through the prince after hearing those words from Tristan. Who does she think she is telling him what to do? “Fuck that. Step out of my way.” Harry moved Tristan out of the way as the RPO he clenched his jaw disobeying Emilia’s orders to not let him by, but knowing that it was what was best for her at the moment. To have someone who cared about her after what she bore witness to today.

Emilia shut the door behind her and closed her eyes. Revelling in the silence that welcomed her home. She kicked off her heels and stepped barefoot on the cool marble flooring that soothed her aching feet. But, the silence did not last long as the door flew open and slammed powerfully shut. Emilia had wished he hadn’t come and listened to Tristan, but in all honesty she knew he would.

“Seriously Emilia? Shutting me out again?!” His voice rose in an angry tone. Her back remained turned to him while she glanced out the window in silence, not answering him. Emilia was afraid to speak, fearing that only her sobs would come out of her mouth while she attempted to hold herself together.

The deafening sound of silence fell between them.

Harry had taken a few deep breaths and calmed himself down knowing that anger and an argument was not what Emilia wanted nor could handle in that moment. He stepped towards the quiet princess carefully and broke the wall of silence down between them.

Both began their surrender to one another as Emilia was unable to evade the prince any longer. She turned slowly with a lowered head and arms crossed defensively, waiting for Harry to come the rest of the way to her. With each erratic breath, the prince closed in the space between them.

“Emilia, will you please look at me.” Harry was now nearly an arms length away. His tall figure towering over her, but not in an intimidating way. All she wanted to do was to run into him and feel security in the confines of his arms like she had earlier.  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly lifted her head to find a concerned set of deep blue eyes glancing down at her with a furrowed brow.

But, what scared her the most was how Harry saw through her in that moment. The mask she still had on her face was there, but he saw through it and knew without a spoken word what Emilia wanted from him.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms slowly around her, until the walls she had built around her willingly crumbled to her feet. Their gaze did not waver from each other until Emilia stepped into his chest and buried her head into the prince. His grasp of her frame tightened as he felt her body succumb to the feelings inside of her and to start to tremble as they outwardly escaped.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking through his shirt. His hand cradled the back of her head gently holding it into him tighter attempting to stop her endless sobs that floated out of her being. Harry had heard the words that broke the princess in that moment. The reporter that questioned who her actual father was...it wasn’t the question itself, it was Emilia’s thoughts of the answer to it that broke her.

“I’m here.” Were the only two words that Emilia needed to hear as she allowed her body to feel the pain behind closed doors, in private with Harry. The princess clutched his shoulders tighter and held on to him.

Within a few minutes, her tears subsided as the release of emotion freed the princess. Emilia lifted her head off of Harry’s damp chest and gazed up at him with tear stained cheeks. He brought his hand to her cheek, cupping it tenderly and dried her cheeks with the smooth caress of his thumb.

“I am sorry that I hurt you...” He confessed with a furrowed brow while his thumb comfortingly stroked her cheek. Emilia closed her eyes and angled her head into his cupped hand, relishing his touch. “I was only trying to —“

“Protect me.” Emilia interrupted Harry and finally spoke to him. She breathed out deeply and sighed, offering him a smile. Her hand reached up and snaked around his neck, putting slight pressure on the back of it to bend it down and rest his forehead upon hers. “Thank you for protecting me. It’s more than most people have done... and thank you for being there with me today.”

A smile crept up on his lips as he stared fondly down into the depths of her icy blue eyes. “You can’t listen to them Em. You know in your heart that you are your father's daughter. They are only attacking what they know will hurt you, cut you deep because you have taken everything else in stride. They cannot break you, and that fucking irritates them to no end.”

Emilia could not look away from Harry as she hung onto every word his deep comforting voice spoke. He lifted his forehead off of hers briefly to lay a sweet soft kiss to her forehead. The princess grasped both of his forearms tightly and held them in place.

The two of them stood in an embrace for a while longer, relishing in the company of each other and knowing that no matter what happened between them, they would always be there for one another.

End Flashback*

A smile crept upon his lips at the memory of Emilia. But, it grew wider with anticipation of seeing her again tonight at the State Banquet.

———

Harry had arrived early to the reception room where he was to speak with the members of the Illyrian Royal Family prior to the start of the State Banquet. He was greeted by the Crown Princess, Elizabeth, Emilia’s mother and she thanked the prince for keeping her daughter safe after the outburst from the press after their engagement. It was clearly evident that she displayed a sense of concern for her daughter over what had transpired earlier in the day.

“Thank you for making sure Emilia got home safely.” Elizabeth’s soft eyes thanked him. “I know she must be feeling a bit mortified at what happened this afternoon.” The Crown Princess angled her head as a soft motherly expression morphed onto her face.

“There is no need to thank me, your highness.” The prince put on his charming smile. “I know the feeling of being hounded by the press as well, I can relate.” Harry nodded in understanding before seeing another woman from behind them approach.

The Duchess of Molvania greeted her sister in law with a swift kiss on the cheek. “Good evening, Elizabeth. I adore your gown, is it bespoke?” The Duchess marvelled over the gorgeous gown, taking a step back to admire its elegance.

“Hello there, Julianna.” Elizabeth smiled warmly to greet her. “Yes, it is!” The Crown Princess turned her attention back to the prince. “Harry, this is Julianna Duchess of Molvania.”

“Oh! I am so sorry your highness. I was enamoured by Liza’s dress and I apologize for my rudeness.” Julianna stepped forward and kissed the prince on the cheek twice. “I’m Julianna, George is my husband.” The Duchess glanced around to locate her husband, but simply could not find him. “He probably nipped out for a quick drink.” She chuckled nervously, but continued to glance around to locate his whereabouts.

“How are you finding Illyria?” The Crown Princess changed the subject, wanting to make Harry feel welcome here in her country.

The prince flashed a charming smile. “Illyria is a beautiful country from what I have seen. I cannot wait to experience more of what it has to offer. The people here are so friendly and welcoming.” Harry ensured Elizabeth that his trip was going well and was looking forward with great anticipation towards the next few days.

“I do hope that my daughter has not been causing too much problems for you here.” Elizabeth took a small dig at her own daughter, laughing at her expense.

Harry’s brow furrowed as he took offence to her comment. He was truly getting tired of hearing how difficult people thought Emilia was and it was time to set the record straight. “Not at all, your highness. Emilia has been an enthusiastic ambassador for your family and even the country itself. I even witnessed this when she attended the Invictus Games in London. Everyone seems to really love how well she connects with people. I saw it today, with the kids and families at the hospital. She has been not a problem at all, more of a breath of fresh air.” The prince felt like he had to defend Emilia.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, feeling touched by the prince's words. “That is what I want everyone to feel about my daughter. But, sadly that is not the case.” The Crown Princess’s smile faded for a brief second before her eyes lit up.

“Harry, Frederick and I want to extend an invitation to you tomorrow night to attend our family getaway and dinner in the evening!” Emilia’s mother, Elizabeth and her aunt Julianna, Duchess of Molvania warmly invited the prince to join them on a planned traditional Illyrian evening out at one of their favourite resorts by the sea. Harry’s only engagement tomorrow was a memorial at Fort Lennox where the Illyrian Freedom Forces held off a German Invasion in WWII at the sacrifice of many lost. The memorial was held yearly and the majority of the Illyrian royal family would be in attendance. After tomorrow, the prince had a day break in his schedule.

“It is a private family event and we always have the best of fun! It would be an honour for you to join us!” The Duchess of Molvania further added wanting to ensure the prince would attend. “Plus we typically take a boat out on the water the next day and have some fun at the beach. Emilia always seems to start a beach bonfire!”

The prince hesitated for a brief second, but nodded his reply with a smile. “Yes, of course I would love to join your family.” Harry hoped that Emilia would be ok with it, but he really did not have much of a choice in refusing the invitation.

“It’s settled then! I will ensure that my son Edward will bring you to the resort tomorrow from Fort Lennox. It’s about an hours journey.” It was arranged that Emilia’s twin brother, Edward would be accompanying Harry on the next day of his engagements in Illyria before coming back to the capital.

Elizabeth searched the room for a clock, questioning what time it was and wondering where the rest of her family was. “Surely, we must be starting soon. I wonder where Frederick is...?” Her eyes glanced up at the grand staircase to find her husband dressed in his state banquet attire walking down the steps. “Ah, there he is. Always fashionably late.”

“It is quite the chore to get these military uniforms on.” Harry teased with Elizabeth.

“Evening dear.” Crown Prince Frederick placed a brief kiss on his wife’s cheek before shaking Harry’s hand. “Welcome to the festivities, Harry.” Emilia’s father joked lightly, easing the intensity of the situation.

“Thank you, Frederick.” The prince parted his lips about to make conversation with the Crown Prince when he caught a glimpse of Emilia at the top of the grand staircase. The room fell silent as the rest of the family turned to watch the third in line to the throne embark down the staircase in such a graceful manner. Harry felt the breath being completely knocked out of him at the mere sight of Princess Emilia.

Her head was lowered to the ground with one hand grasping the staircase rails for balance while the other held a handful of fabric from her gown. She was completely unaware that all eyes in the room had fallen on her. Emilia was the epitome of a true princess, dressed in a timeless ice blue floor length gown that draped her body beautifully. The light in the room captured the sparkle of the diamonds that eloquently decorated the bodice of the gown that flowed out from her hips with delicate tule. She chose a royal blue sash that hung her Royal Family Order.

“Oh my!” Emilia’s mother gasped and clasped her hands together in complete admiration of her daughter, emanating the love she held for Emilia through her smile.

The young princess glanced up from the ground feeling confident now that she would not miss a step, but she found everyone’s eyes had landed on her. Her lips spread into an embarrassed smile, feeling her cheeks become flushed. She searched for a certain prince and found him standing next to her parents with a mesmerized expression on his face. The beaming smile that greeted her caused Emilia to reflect the same smile in own her lips.

Harry simply could not take his eyes off of Emilia. The princess had such a presence about her that could literally make a whole room stop and want to admire her. His heart skipped a beat seeing her stepping closer and closer to him.

Emilia waved to a few members of her family as their conversations started to continue again. The first person she greeted was her father who enveloped her into a loose hug, careful not to displace her gown. Elizabeth was still gushing over how gorgeous her daughter was and the effort she had asked her to display in tonight’s banquet. “Emilia... you are so stunning in that gown honey and you chose your own tiara from granny?!”

Emilia nodded with her blue eyes shining bright. Her hand went up and delicately touched her Arendelle Bandeau Tiara. It was specifically made for Princess Emilia from the Queen on the occasion of her birth and felt it was a homage to Queen Eleanora for tonight. The diamond necklace that covered her near plunging neckline was a gift from her father when she had turned eighteen. It hung beautifully off of her neck and added that royal touch to the dress that put her whole ensemble together in a well thought out manner.

The princess took in a deep breath knowing that it was Harry she had to greet next. Turning her  attention to the silent prince she took a step in his direction and smiled once they made eye contact. It was then that Harry was able to get a good look at Emilia and was honestly quite taken back at her beauty, rendering him nearly speechless. He could tell she truly had no idea how beautiful she was.

Emilia out stretched her hand, offering it to the prince. Feeling her parents eyes steady on her, she felt it best to greet the prince in a formal manner. “Your highness.” Harry lightly held her hand and watched Emilia dip down into a perfect curtsy that was not particularly necessary for her to do, but it showed a level of respect towards the British Prince.

“Princess Emilia.” Harry addressed her formally and offered a slight bow of his head to return the level of respect back onto the princess. He reluctantly released her hand, but gained her icy blue eyed gaze in return. “How are you this evening?”

The princess’s lips stretched into a warm smile. “I am well, Harry. I do hope my family has been entertaining enough for you while we wait.” Emilia cheekily side eyed her parents who giggled at her comment then walked off towards Fredericks brother George and his wife Julianna.

“Hey you...” Harry gained Emilia’s attention again and smiled fondly down at the beautiful princess. “You look absolutely gorgeous Emilia.” The prince complimented he dark haired beauty.

Emilia tilted her head with her lips tugging into a smile. Her hand reached out and grasped his forearm giving it a light squeeze. “Thank you Henry. You look quite handsome as well.” She took in a shaky anxious breath and was able to let down her wall for a minute. Emilia’s head drifted towards the ground as Harry kept his eyes on her. “I am so nervous... everyone will be watching and I am really trying not to mess up tonight. I cannot embarrass my family even more today.” The princess confided in Harry, opening up to him.

“Hey...” He watched her blue eyes lift and lock in his gaze. “That was a perfect curtsy and you did not have to do that for me. You know this stuff like the back of your hand, there is no need for you to worry about it.” Harry tried his best to reassure Emilia and help her regain that confidence she always had that had apparently been misplaced.

Emilia nodded quietly as a look of doubt floated in her blue orbs. “My grandmother came and spoke to me after you left.” Her voice whispered, careful not to let other members of her family hear. “She’s so angry with me...” Emilia breathed out and almost started to sob right there. She bit down on her bottom lip that held the tears in her eyes at bay. “God, I am so emotional today.” The princess laughed it off.

The princess's confidence had been shaken and she was at an all time low in that moment. She was feeling defeated and everyone was coming at her from all sides of her life. Emilia did not know where to turn to, but to Harry. The one person who seemed to understand her life and not judge her.

“For you firing your press secretary?” Harry’s eyebrow raised in suspicion, but he could not deny the budding anger he felt towards Emilia’s family. The princess staring back at him was not the same one he had walked away from her last day in London. A thought that started to scare the prince.

Emilia was slowly breaking.

“That was a part of it.” Emilia confessed. “That I put your life at risk today...” Her voice grew into a somber tone. “All granny said was that there were going to be some major changes... she said it in a threatening way. I cannot mess up.” Her head angled up at him with fear in her eyes.

“Seriously?!” Harry’s jaw clenched tightly. “None of that and I mean none of it was your fault. You had absolutely no control over it.” He tried his best to assure the princess that it was all beyond her control.

“Henry…” Emilia’s features softened as she calmly spoke his name. “Don’t be angry this is my battle. Let’s just get through tonight.”

Prince Harry hesitated in his response to Emilia, but her blue pleading eyes begged him not to make things worse for her. “Ok.” He took in a deep sigh and flipped his internal switch to ‘prince mode.’

Emilia nearly leaned in to place a kiss onto his cheek, but stopped herself and took a step back from Harry. The prince could not help but chuckle at her. “You just can’t resist me…..” Harry leaned into whisper in her ear. “Can you, Emilia?”

He was intentionally trying to tease Emilia with his close proximity to her, causing the princess to become annoyed with him and find a source of her sassy feisty self. “Not in that ridiculous uniform Captain Wales.” The princess barked back and started to step away from him to create more distance between them.

“What can I say? It’s not all glitz and glamour.” The prince angled his head down at Emilia, fondly staring into her eyes.

“Now that is something that we can both agree on.” The two of them stood there silently across from each other as their gaze did not waver despite the room around them filling up with people ready for the evening's events.

Emilia’s lips parted to speak when the doors opened at the top of the staircase to reveal Queen Eleanora’s and the King Consort Francis’s arrival to the reception area. She turned her attention and expertly hid her emotions from the rest of her family and planted on that perfect smile she had learned to give. The royal family and esteemed guests had first arrived in the reception area first to sort their order of arrival to the state banquet that was to be filmed on national TV not only in Illyria, but in the UK as well.

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The procession into the marvellous state room had begun with Prince Harry accompanying Queen Eleanora, escorting her to the monarch’s seats while the Illyrian national anthem played by Queen’s Illyrian Guard orchestra. Princess Emilia escorted the Illyrian Forces General Major and took her seat down the row from the prince. She lifted her head and caught a glimpse of Harry stealing a quick subtle glance her way. Remaining standing she peaked down at her dress and ensured everything was in proper placement.

Queen Eleanora leaned in and spoke a few words with the prince, waiting for the rest of the members to make it to their seats. “I trust that you are enjoying your time here in Illyria, Prince Harry.”

“It’s been a delightful visit so far, Your Majesty. I am eager to complete the rest of my engagements with members of your family and see what else your country has to offer.” Harry had flipped a switch, turning on his princely charm and manners in order to represent the Queen well.

Everyone had taken their respective seats as the Queen stood back up to address the room and conduct her speech to open the state banquet.

“Your Royal Highness, King Consort Francis and I are delighted to welcome you to Lexington Palace this evening. Through this state visit we celebrate the enduring friendship which has enabled our two nations to prosper and grow side by side. Over the many numbers of years of our shared history, there are few nations who are able to claim a closer bond. Through your highness’s visit and your acts of friendship, you have formed your own personal collection of the Illyrian people that were recently showcased in the Invictus Games you founded that embodied the true spirit of the unconquerable soul that directly embodied the spirit of the Illyrian people.

To this day, our close relationship greatly contributes to the economic and cultural life of Illyria. The United Kingdom is one of Illyria’s largest investors as we have a thriving British community that is developing across the nation, furthering our economical ties. Internationally, we have a strong shared commitment to the people we serve and who serve our country. Through our shared history of revolutions, our families have shared the battle field and to this day have fought side by side to ensure a better future for the next generations to live in peace and freedom.

I can recall the State visit of your grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, an admirable friend of mine that we are saddened to hear of her untimely illness preventing her from this visit. Her fondly remembered visit, accompanied by your grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh in 1993, I spoke of our nation's close understanding and relationship that would become increasingly important as a new configuration of Europe was emerging.  As we look towards a new partnership, it is our shared values and commitment to each other that are our greatest asset and demonstrate that even through change, our enduring alliance remains strong. As innovators, traders and internationalists we look with confidence to the future. As we continue to work together to ensure peace, prosperity and security, I am confident that this friendship between Illyria and the United Kingdom, which we greatly treasure, will continue to deepen and to prosper.

We hope that your visit to Illyria will broadcast the values we as a nation share with the British people and strengthen our ties to your country. Thank you all for attending this truly special evening as we welcome His Royal Highness, Prince Henry of Wales, to Illyria.” Queen Eleanora angled her body down towards Harry and offered a slight bow of the head in acknowledging him with an admirable smile. Taking her seat, Harry waited for a few seconds to stand to deliver his, as per protocol.

Emilia watched Harry stand and straighten his tuxedo along with his sash. She could not help but admire the military medals that decorated him as a British soldier. He stood up confidently and grabbed his speech by the palace aide behind him. The Illyrian General that was sat next to Emilia leaned in and whispered. “It’s a nice change to see a prince who has truly served his country the way Prince Harry has and continued to do so.” The General spoke fondly of the prince to which Emilia offered a slight nod in agreement as Harry’s speech began.

“Your Majesty, members of the Illyrian Monarchy and esteemed guests. Please allow me to begin by expressing my gratitude for the extraordinary honour of attending this state visit to Illyria on behalf of my grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen wished me to express her best wishes to you all and wished she could have attended herself as she holds an admirable love for the people of Illyria.” Harry delivered his speech with such confidence and touched on important aspects that his country valued. Being a military man, he spoke about fighting on the frontlines with the determined Illyrian forces and their military commitment to providing both peace abroad and in their home country.

The princess sat there completely enthralled listening to Harry speak even sometimes from the heart, adding in last minute remarks that were off script but added so much to his speech. His eyes locked with Emilia and saw her proud expression as she sat there in silence watching him. It gave him a boost of confidence to finish his speech strong and make his family proud of him.

“You have shown the people of this world what it means to be Illyrian and with the unwavering affection of the British people towards Illyria; we surely can say that we are your loyal friends and allies that affirm the common values that will unite this friendship long into the future. On behalf of all Britains, I offer a toast to the eternal friendship of our people, the vitality of our nations and to the long cherished and remarkable reign of Her Majesty, Queen Eleanora.”

Harry turned to the Queen and offered his assistance in aiding her stand to complete the toast. Everyone in the room stood in unison and grabbed their glasses, holding it up into the air.

“To Illyria... Long live the Queen!” Harry’s voice resonated throughout the banquet hall.

“Long live the Queen!” The guests repeated in unison

*Stay tuned for the next chapter soon!*

[boundtoyouphff]

Hi, i was just wondering if you plan to continue this story

Hello! Yes I am definitely continuing this story. Still working on a new chapter. Been spending more time working on my other story that I just re-blogged!

[boundtoyouphff]

Chapter 13

A/N: Hello everyone! I want to thank you all for the messages and support in continuing this story. The responses were so amazing and made me very motivated to bring more work for you guys to share.

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“Ok so mozza sticks or nachos for tonight?” Alice turned around and held up both items for Alexa to decide. They were stocking up on supplies for their board game and wine night with Hallie and Naomi that evening at their flat.

“Mozza sticks! Hallie loves those chessy fully loaded carby things.” Alexa pushed the cart forward as Alice pilled in a mound of junk food. “Alice, I think that is plenty for tonight.” She couldn’t help but giggle at her roommate who had a bit too much of a sweet tooth.  

“You can never have enough junk food… or wine!” Alice winked back before becoming serious. “So, are you going to tell them about Harry?” She brought up the subject; curious to know when Alexa would let a few others in on her little secret. Alice understood why Alexa was hesitant in telling Hallie and Naomi about who she was really dating, but she encouraged her anyway knowing that in the end Alexa would feel better about having her close friends be able to confide in.

“I don’t know honestly.” Alexa pondered briefly, wondering what the best option would be. “I want them to know, but I am also a bit nervous of how they will react.” She grabbed a box of cereal and placed it in the cart, avoiding making eye contact with Alice.

“Alexa, stop that.” Alice wrapped her arm around Alexa’s shoulder and slowly walked forward down the aisle lined with food. “They are going to be thrilled for you. You already told them you are seeing someone and you told me how happy they were for you!” Her roommate patted her shoulder gently in reassurance. “They might be surprised a bit, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to talk about your relationship with your close friends? I know that I don’t think Jay and I could handle this long distance relationship if I did not have my girls to confide in.”

“I know that, Alice.” Alexa sighed with hesitance. “I didn’t tell them who for a reason.” She looked beside into her friend’s eyes.

“You think they won’t like the idea of you dating another guy similar to Reese…” Alice hit the hammer right on the nail.

“Well, yes.” Alexa breathed out heavily. “He’s not the same though and I want them to see that he isn’t. That our relationship is different and he’s more than just Prince Harry to me. That he is my boyfriend...” The two women strolled down the aisle of the grocery store as Alexa kept a watchful eye on who was around them in case anyone over heard their conversation.

“Alexa, in the end it’s your decision to tell them or not.” Alice expressed an sympathetic look for her friend. “But, I think that they will see how happy you are with Harry and they will be happy for you to!”

“Thanks, Alice.” She pulled her smiling roommate into a side hug. “You really are a true friend and I am so happy that you are mine!” Alexa gushed. “We better get going so we can make it home in time before the girls get there.”

Alexa pushed the cart towards an empty cashier and started to unload their items on the grocery belt. Glancing up she saw a row of magazines of celebrity gossip as she scanned through them only to see an image of Harry plastered on the front of one. He appeared to be in his military uniform embarking down the steps of a plane in Arizona. Of course the paparazzi had got wind of his training stint in the United States and followed him there.

It had been a week since he had left the UK for further training that was required of him. Harry’s schedule had been so busy that he barely had any time to speak with Alexa let alone reply to her texts. He had apologize for his absence when he responded days later in a quick reply saying he had a class or more training to run off too.

She filled her own schedule with lunches with friends, catching up on her work, taking extra shifts with SORRT and now filling the weekends she used to spend with Harry with girls nights. Alexa needed to keep her mind off of how much she found herself missing Harry, a little feeling that started to scare her.

“Damn…” Alice sneaked up on Alexa and whispered in her ear. “He does look good in a uniform.” Her roommate grabbed a copy of the magazine and cheekily bought it for Alexa.

Alice handed Alexa the magazine with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Here, when you miss that ginger soldier late at night.” Alexa’s mouth dropped in shock while feeling Alice pat her back lightly.

“Shhh...” Alexa hushed her friend and looked around to see if anyone over heard them. “You are awful, you know that! I think you need to fly to Jay in Germany for a couple of months.”

“Yeah, probably do, but you will thank me later!” Alice pushed the cart away towards the exit and held up the magazine waving it in the air.

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“Naomi you can’t just do that because you want too!” Alice stood up from her seat and started to laugh at Naomi for not following the rules of the game of Monopoly as the competitive nature within Alice came forth. Tossing her hands up in the air she plopped down on the empty space beside Alexa and angled her head up at her. “You do realize Naomi is going to be staying here tonight… again.” Alice whispered only loud enough for Alexa to hear. Naomi always seemed to enjoy her alcohol a little too much on girls nights often leading to her crashing at their flat.

“Hey, I only came here for the wine.” Naomi giggled while staring at her half empty wine glass. “Speaking of which, top me up Alice!” She hoisted the glass up in the air.

“If you do that Naomi is crashing here with you two!” Hallie protested with her hands held up in the air. “I am not looking after her sorry drunk ass again!” Naomi glared at Hallie for her comments, but brushed it off while Alice poured more red wine into her glass.

“I will just snuggle with Alexa tonight anyway, right?” Naomi stared hopefully into Alexa’s eyes as she reached for the dice.

“Uh… ya sure Noe.” Alexa hesitated in her reply as Harry had texted her saying he would be free to chat later once her girls night was over. “You can crash here tonight.”

“What? Your boyfriend isn’t coming over for a booty call later?” Hallie piped in, teasing Alexa and taking a long sip of her wine.

If Alexa were going to tell Naomi and Hallie about Harry, now would be the perfect time to do so. Part of her was nervous in how they would react to the news, but Alice had convinced Alexa that they would be happy for her that she found someone in her life that makes her smile as much as Harry does.

“About that…” Alexa’s green eyes scanned the room to fall on Alice’s brown eyes that were full of encouragement as she gave a subtle nod. She had rolled the dice and moved her player down the monopoly board as the room filled with silence, waiting for Alexa to continue.

“There is something that I have been wanting to tell you two.” Alexa breathed in and lifted her head to find Naomi and Hallie staring at her with questioning expressions.

“Oh come on! Spit it out!” An impatient Naomi was eager to hear what her friend had to say.

“Naomi…” Alice smacked Naomi’s knee and scolded her quietly.

“You all know that I am dating someone now.” Alexa’s mind brought up a memory of Harry on their last day together walking Peanut in the local park as an image of his smile lingered in her mind. “But, I am in a relationship with someone who makes me extremely happy and it’s been really great being able to get to know him privately.” The smile that was plastered on Alexa’s lips that matched her statement could not be denied.

“Privately?” Hallie angled her head with a curiously raised eyebrow at Alexa.

Biting down on her lower lip, Alexa took in a deep breath with slight hesitation. “I am in a relationship with Prince Harry.”

The room fell into a deafening silence as Alexa’s confession surprised Hallie and Naomi.

“Excuse me, did you just say that you are banging Prince Harry?” Hallie bluntly blurted out to break the silence. “Like the Queen’s grandson Prince Harry? Like Harry? Ginger Harry?” Hallie kept repeating his name while Naomi’s buzzed mind took a bit longer to process it all.

“Yeah…” Alexa softly replied, as their expressions were still unreadable. “Prince Harry is my boyfriend I guess.” She slowly spoke it again, as if speaking those words finally made it seem more real.

“This is the same Harry you told us about before?” Naomi broke her silence. “The one you told us about a lunch a few weeks ago?”

“Same Harry.” Alexa pursed her lips together and nodded before taking a generous sip of her wine and topped off her glass.

“Wow! Well girl you done goooood!” Hallie rose her wine glass and clinked it with Alexa’s. “Bagging a prince! Would have thought our little Lexi to be snagging the world’s most eligible bachelor!”

“Awe, Lexi!” The hopeless romantic in Naomi was starting to surface. “I am sorry I was so shocked, I just it’s so hard to even think about. But, you two met at Eugenie’s engagement party, right?!”

“Yeah we did.” Alexa smiled fondly at the memory of it all. “I should have told you sooner, but I honestly was not sure what was going to come of it all with Harry.”

“You don’t have to explain why you chose to wait to tell us, Lexi.” Hallie leaned in and squeezed her knee in a gesture of support. “We all could tell that you were happy with whoever it was and now to find out that it’s Prince Harry that has made you not stop smiling is so wonderful.” Hallie’s words struck a heartfelt chord with Alexa.

“I think I can speak for all of us that we are so happy for you.” Naomi added in. “I did not expect it to be Prince Harry, but damn he better know what a good catch you are!” The room erupted in a fit of giggles. “You are way out of his league girl, seriously he must have had some smooth moves up his sleeve to get you to go out with him!”

Relief washed through Alexa now that her close friends all knew about her relationship with Harry. It was such a weight off of her chest that she did not need to hide it anymore from them all. She could confide in them now and not feel like she was alone in all of this. It felt amazing for them to know and be so supportive of it making her wish she had told them sooner about him.

“Seriously, they are so cute together.” Alice had remained quiet throughout it all, but she had to admit what she saw that morning Alice had shared breakfast with them. “He could hardly keep his eyes off of you!”

“You have met him!?” Hallie’s head snapped towards Alice as she questioned him.

“He came over when I was sick last weekend to look after me.” Alexa started to share more information about their relationship, the full story of how they met and what they did on their first date and how nervous Alexa was staying overnight with Harry at Kensington the first time together. The board game had stopped, but the wine kept flowing as the girls bombarded Alexa with question after question about her relationship with the prince.

“I couldn’t imagine dating a prince. I mean with all the media constantly following you…” Naomi breathed out deeply. The fact that her friends were fixated on the fact that Harry was a prince made Alexa want even more for them to meet Harry and see that he was more than what the media had labeled him as.

“Harry’s more than a prince.” Alexa spoke up and gained all of her friend’s attention on her as she pulled her legs up on the couch. “He’s so kind and such a dork sometimes, but he does really care so much about people and works so hard in the army.” She paused for a moment. “I never thought that I would want to be in a relationship with someone like Harry after Reese, but he is a far better man than Reese could ever be; I can already see that in him. I know you have doubts, but I want you to meet Harry and see him for how I see him. Because when I look at him, I don’t see a prince, I just see Harry.”

“I honestly was scared when you first said that you were with him.” Hallie nodded slowly. “I just don’t want to see you hurt like that again Lexi… and Harry is in the same class of people that Reese so I do have my reservations about him despite how happy you are. You were exactly the same with Reese at the start and well…” Hallie shrugged her shoulders. “Harry has been labeled as a player... please be careful.”

“Hallie…” Alice spoke her name through pursed lips as she watched Alexa’s smile fade with the harsh reminder.

“What? I am only saying what you are all thinking.” Hallie defended herself before looking to see Alexa staring blankly ahead. “I won’t let that happen to you again. It was crushing to see you like that, Alexa.”

“I would know, wouldn’t I? Why do you think I waited to tell you this?” Alexa closed her green eyes and willed the budding tears away. “Thank you for your concern Hal, but it’s different this time and believe me I am not the one that needs to be reminded of how crushing it was.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know you have your doubts and that’s fine, but do not talk about my boyfriend like that when you don’t even know him.” Her green eyes found Hallie’s and bore into them with hurt circling in her orbs.  

“Who wants more wine!?” Naomi grabbed a bottle and started to fill everyone’s up in an attempt to distract Hallie and Alexa. “We should watch some cheesy chick flick? Maybe The Notebook?”

“Nooo!” The three girls all said in unison. Hallie inwardly smiled knowing they wouldn’t go for it, but it distracted them for just enough time to hopefully move on.

“How many times have you actually watched that movie, Naomi?” Alice started to laugh.

“I stopped counting after fifty two.” Naomi playfully pushed Alice for giving her an incredulous expression while Hallie and Alexa remained deep in conversation.

“Alexa…” Hallie shook her head. “It’s coming from a place of concern. I don’t want you to get hurt again. But, I am happy for you that you found someone.” She paused as her features began to soften. “I guess I need to meet him then.”

“Yeah! When can we met your boy toy?!” Naomi lightened the mood.

“I want you all to meet him, I really do, but he is away for another week.” Alexa sighed deeply. “And I don’t know what his schedule looks like after that. He spends most of his time on base.”

“Well, whenever you are ready for us to we would love to!” Hallie smiled warmly with her brown apologetic eyes. “I am sorry, but I want him to treat you well like you deserve.”

“Invite him to one of our wine and board games night?!” Naomi piped and blurted out her idea. “I can bring Oliver so there is a bit of testosterone in the room. Maybe Jay will be in London too?” Naomi was doing what she did best, trying to make everyone feel welcomed and at home.

“I could talk to Jay.” Alice shared a look with Alexa to see if that is what she wanted to do.

“I think that would be great! We are trying to keep things low key so that would be perfect.” Alexa started to beam at the thought of Harry meeting her friends like they had talked about before he left. “Also, I know it goes without saying this, but please keep this information to yourself.” Her green eyes pleaded as they scanned the room. “We are doing our best to not let it get out at least until after Eugenie’s wedding. We don’t want the news to overshadow her day at all and I am trusting all of you and I know that you won’t say anything.”

“Lexi, you do not worry about us.” Naomi assured her.

“Our lips are all sealed as long as you give us the deets on his crown jewels!” Hallie barked a laugh that everyone in the room was quick to join in on except for the embarrassed Alexa.

Alexa crawled under the warm comforter and pulled the blanket over top of her. Laying her head down on the cool pillow she grabbed her phone sitting on the bedside table. Peanut jumped up on the bed and moved in a circle for a few times before settling down by her feet. Picking up the phone she dialled Harry trying to think of the time difference in the states wondering if she had missed her window of opportunity to call him.

“Hello, gorgeous.” The sound of his voice instantly made a smile appear on her lips.

“Hey sexy pilot.” Her buzzed mind from the consumed wine had evidently lacked a filter.

“Sexy huh? How much wine did you drink? Not that I am complaining.” His laughed echoed through the phone.

“I miss that laugh.” Alexa grew quiet as she looked to the empty space on Harry’s side of the bed. “I miss you…” She confessed softly.

“Babe, I miss you too.” Harry admitted as he released a deep sigh. “It’s been tough here. The training has been rigorous and I have had no time to talk to you like I promised.”

“You can do this, Harry. It’s only a few more days and then you are back on a plane to me.” Alexa smiled hopefully. “Then we can have all weekend to ourselves.”

“Uh… Alexa.” Harry grew quiet not wanting to tell her he would no be able to come back on the weekend. “About that.” He paused as she heard him released a deep sigh. “I can’t come back to London next weekend. I have a flight test that they just scheduled on the Sunday.”

“So it’s going to be three weeks that I don’t see you for?” Her smile faded away as the thought of not seeing Harry for that long upset Alexa.

“Unfortunately. I am so sorry babe.” Harry felt awful as he felt the disappointment in Alexa’s voice.

“Wait!” Alexa thought of an idea. “I could come to you… I have some time off I could take and spend a few days on base with you? If you want me to of course?” She shifted her body in the bed.

“Really? You think work would be ok with that?” Harry did not want Alexa to get in trouble at work just to be able to see him.

“Yeah, they won’t care as long as I have people covering for me.” Alexa’s smile started to grow at the thought of taking a trip to see Harry. “Besides, you have been the one always coming back here and I can drive out there this time. It’s only fair I make the commute sometimes too.”

“I would love that, babe. I really would.” Harry sat down on the edge of his bed. “It’s so different in Suffolk. I can take you out on a date without worrying about the paps. You can even bring Peanut if you wish, there is a great park there.”

“Peanut do you want to go on a road trip?!” Alexa petted the dog to get her attention. “She’s never been on one so we will cross that off her bucket list!”

“Great!” Harry sighed deeply; feeling his state of exhaustion hit his body hard. “How was your girls night?”

“Well I may have told them that I am in a relationship with you…” Alexa trailed off as she quietly waited for Harry’s reply being unsure of what he would say.

“And?” The prince chuckled having heard Alexa’s hesitant tone.

“They are happy for me mostly.” Alexa sighed, “You aren’t mad I told them?”

“Of course not, babe.” Harry was quick to stop her growing doubts. “I want you to be able to tell who you want, but be careful who you do tell. I am only saying this to protect you because some people think it’s their business to share the fact that we are in a relationship. I trust your judgment, Alexa.”

He paused for a moment having remembered a key word. “Wait… mostly happy?”

“My friend Hallie is a bit cautious of you I guess is the best way to put it.” Alexa shook her head. “She’s only worried that you will hurt me like I have been in the past. But, I told her to wait and meet you so she could see that it’s different.” She tried to reassure her boyfriend.

“I am not upset at that at all. You need a friend like that after what happened and quite frankly it will be that much sweeter when I win her over!” He tossed his head back in laughter as his infectious laugh lightened the mood.

Alexa fell into a fit of giggles hearing the prince’s contagious laugh that she had dearly missed. It felt good to hear him laugh knowing how stressed and exhausted he was. “How are you doing with it all? You sound exhausted, babe.”

“I am tired, Lex.” She heard her boyfriend release a deep sigh. “Quite frankly I didn’t think it would be this hard. The flying is relatively easy, it comes second nature to me, but the exams get me all the time. It’s like I freeze and blank on everything.” The prince confided in his girlfriend.

“You can do this, Harry I know you can.” Alexa encouraged him. “You have been working so hard for this, why stop now? You have what, five months until your course is done? Then you will be an actual Apache pilot like you have always wanted to be.”

The support Alexa showed him gave Harry an extra boost of confidence. “You are the best, you know that right?” Harry shook his head lightly knowing that he had won the jackpot with Alexa. “I needed to hear that.”

“Good! Now I am going to go to sleep because I am nearly passing out over here and you go kick some exam ass and show them how capable Lieutenant Harry Wales is.” Alexa’s eyelids became heavy with sleep.

“Alright, gorgeous. Get some sleep.” He did not want to end the conversation, but he had to go for another training exercise.

“Goodnight my ginger boyfriend.” Alexa giggled softly.

“Hey…” Harry stopped her from hanging up.

“Yeah?” Her sleepy voice replied.

“I miss you.” The prince whispered into the phone as a group of guys entered the room.

“You better be missing me.” Alexa sassily. “Also, what are your thoughts on board games and wine?”

——————

Alexa ran to the other side of the vehicle and opened the door to help her grandmother, Alexandria, get out of the passenger side. She was asked by her parents to take her granny to tour a retirement facility that Alexandria was interested in moving in to.

She grabbed a firm grip of her gran’s hand aiding her out of the car. “You steady there gran?”

“Yes dear. Will you be a dear and grab my coat?” Her tiny grandmother proceeded ahead.

“Here you are!” Alexa handed her the coat and offered her arm as they walked into the facility.

Alexa slowed down her pace giving her a chance to look up at the entrance and the building they were about to walk into. It was bitter sweet to help her granny find a new place to call home as her grandmother had remained in the house she raised her children in. But, it was her wish to move into a smaller space with more people her age.

“Are you sure about this gran?” Alexa took in the tall beautifully designed building that were lined with decorated flowers and shrubs that rounded the corner in what appeared to be an open green space for the residents.

“I am not as spry as I used to be, dear.” Her grandmother tapped her hand lightly before glancing ahead of her. “Let’s see my new home!”

“Well, let’s see how we like it first no need to move in tonight.” Alexa could not stop the smile that was reflecting on her own lips, as her grandmother was eager to embark on the next stage in her life.

They walked through the double white French doors that opened into a brightly lit modern facility. It was not like the old folks home that Alexa had envisioned, it was much more than she expected.

“You must be Mrs. Grey. My name is Gloria and I am the director here at Park Terrace Retirement Home.” A middle-aged woman dressed in a black pencil skirt and burgundy blouse greeted them.

“Yes, I am.” Alexandria shook the kind woman’s hand. “This is my granddaughter, Alexa. She will be joining me on this tour.”

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you Gloria.” Alexa shook the woman’s hand and then proceeded on the tour along with her grandmother.

The two of them were shown the spacious rooms complete with a private bathroom and enough space for a bed with a lounge chair. They met the kitchen staff and enjoyed a light lunch meal to get a taste of the food that was cooked for the residents. The home provided three full meals, afternoon tea as well as a night snack.

“What kind of activities do you offer?” Alexa had been bombarding Gloria with question after question ensuring that her granny had all the information necessary to make a decision and to find out herself whether the retirement home offered was the best option.

“Oh, Alexa…” Her grandmother shook her head and lightly grasped Alexa’s hand. “So many questions, my dear.”

“But, gran I only want you to stay in the best place available.” Alexa defended her array of questions.

“No need to worry about that, Alexa.” Gloria smiled reassuringly. “I would be happy to show you the activities we offer here.” She led them down the hall towards a group of elderly men and women deep into a game.

“This is our activity room. As you can see we have a calendar to show what activities are happening and when.” Alexa was pleased to see how the home keeps their residents active and young at heart. “We also plan monthly shopping trips as well as extra trips to museums, galleries, musicals and even the ballet.”

The ballet.

That was why her granny was so adamant that this was the place for her. Alexandria had a love for the ballet as she was trained in the Royal Ballet before she had met her husband. She would often take Alexa as a child to see ballets, mostly to her favourite, Swan Lake.

Alexandria had to give up her love of ballet when her husband, Christian, a second world war air force pilot was killed in action after the war in a foreign conflict, leaving her to raise four young children on her own. Alexa’s father was the eldest of the four children and helped her mother raise his siblings. To this day, he still felt the need to look after his mother after all she had done for his family.

When Alexa was born, her grandmother was one of the first people to hold her and her father saw an instant connection between the two of them. Her parents had already decided to name her Analeigha, but they both agreed that they had to change their mind. That is how she got her name Alexandria, after her grandmother hard working, feisty, beautiful grandmother. Though throughout her childhood, everyone called her Alexa for short.

“The ballet?” Alexa could sense that her gran wanted to know more information about it, but remained quiet so she asked on her behalf. “How often do you attend them?”

“Once a month, but we are working to add another into the schedule in the next few months.” Gloria informed them before she allowed Alexa and her grandmother to tour the rest of the facility on their own.

They were walking along a path outside lined with an array of flowers admiring the care that went into the place. “So, what do you think gran?” Alexa asked having already known the answer.

Her green eyes peaked up from her tiny frame shining up at Alexa. “They have trips to the ballet, they give me all my meals and look at this garden!” Alexa scanned around the garden.

“They even have some of the same flowers you do at home!” She walked quickly towards a patch of sunflowers, her grandmothers favourite. “See?!”

“I think it’s a match then!” Alexandria tossed her arms up in the air with the biggest smile that Alexa hadn’t seen in a long time. Her grandmother gently grasped Alexa’s arm. “Will you help me fill out the paper work?”

“Of course granny. I would love too as long as you feel this is where you want to be!” Alexa searched the same green eyes she had inherited from her grandmother as she gently placed her hand over top of her gran’s, giving it a light squeeze.

“I think it’s time I move sweetie.” Alexandria released a deep sigh with a gentle nod of the head as she came to terms with her decision. Alexa’s grandmother was still of sound mind and physically pretty healthy, but she simply could not keep up much longer to the large space of her home.

“I did not want this to influence your decision, but I am literally half a mile away if you moved in here.” Alexa smiled warmly as she informed her grandmother. “I can visit you more often then!”

“Oh really?!” Alexandria’s eyes lit up at the thought of it all. “I would love that dear!”

“Ok, gran! Why don’t you have a seat here and I will go grab Gloria and some of the paper work.” Alexa left her grandmother sitting outside on a little patio table while she ran inside to get the forms.

Alexa assisted her granny with all the paperwork and it was now official that she would move into Park Terrace in a few short weeks. The only problem was that it coincided with her parents trip that they had been planning for well over a year meaning she would have to enlist her brothers, friends or even Harry’s assistance in moving her grandmother.

Alexandria invited her granddaughter back to her home for some tea and home made baking, an offer that Alexa could not refuse as the taste of her gran’s ginger snap cookies melted in her mouth.

Sitting on her grandmother’s living room floor she searched through an old box of her gran’s and pulled out an old black and white picture of what appeared to be a younger image of her gran beside a man in a military uniform. “Gran, is that granddad?”

Alexa handed her grandmother the photo while she sat in her rocking chair. The smile that instantly grew on her lips gave Alexa the answer. “Yes, dear it is your grand daddy.” She sat back into her chair and slowly rocked it back and forth.

“This was on our wedding day. The day after he returned home from the war.” Alexandria reminisced of the day. “I was waiting for Christian at the train station as did so many other women waiting for their men to come home after the war ended. Your grandfather wasted no time getting down on one knee and proposing to me.” Alexa sat quietly on the floor listening to her grandmother tell the story.

“Seeing him in that uniform…” Her granny giggled with a mischievous wink.

“Gran!” Alexa’s mouth dropped in shock that her innocent little grandmother would say such a thing.

“I said yes right away and we could not wait any longer to be married so I went to the dress shop and bought the first one I tried on.” Alexandria was grinning from ear to ear before sighing. “We had a good life together, the short years we spent married. I kept dancing for the ballet and your grand dad was at every show he could be at.”

Her grandmother looked down and held Alexa’s gaze. “We had your father and then your uncles. I got stuck with all boys, could you believe that? Not one daughter. But, Christian had to get deployed again and this time he did not come back home. Not the way I wanted him to.” Alexa’s eyes softened as she saw the sadness grow on the wrinkles that lined her granny’s face.

“I raised those boys all on my own. Only your father has a few memories of his dad, but I always told them stories of him so they would know who he was.” Alexandria locked eyes with

Alexa and smiled through the sorrow. “I know, Alexa.”

“Gran?” Alexa angled her head up at her grandmother. “Know what?”

“Oh, Alexa.” Her gran smiled cheekily. “There is a little sparkle in your eye, a swing in your step that I have not seen before, dear.” Alexandria raised her pointer finger and leaned forward. “I may be old, but you cannot get anything passed me that easily.”

“Granny…” Alexa suddenly became shy and hid her face in her cupped hands.

“Now, spit it out. Tell me who the boy is.” She started to giggle, but the smile that was plastered on her grandmother’s lips forced Alexa to tell her.

“His name is Harry.” Alexa was beaming as she told her grandmother about Harry, leaving out the fact that he was a British Prince. Talking about Harry only made Alexa miss him more than she realized. A part of her was scared of that feeling that lingered within her as it meant she truly felt something for Harry, for Eugenie’s cousin, for the British Prince.

[boundtoyouphff]

Chapter 11: Royals Do Not...

A/N: Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I have not been as active on here. I have moved to England temporarily and its been quite the adventure! I feel inspiration here and there to write this story so I am hoping that this inspiration and I can continue to share more of this story with you. Much love xx

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From the moment I was born I have lived my life in the spotlight. Many people I have met are envious of that fact, of the fame and apparent glamour that my birth right gave me. But... it is far from what they dream it as to be.

It is not all glitz and glam or dressing up in a pretty designer dress and wearing magnificent sparkling jewelry. It’s about being a public servant to the people of your country and with that, there are rules that are not meant to be broken. Rules of how I should be greeted by another, who is allowed to touch me, how I am supposed to act in every occasion you can think of.

My grandmother instilled this quote in me at a tender young age as my rebellious side craved to appear... ‘to be believed you have to be seen. You have to give the people a monarchy they desire and envy to be like and thus act like one.’

I have stopped counting the amount of times I have been lectured on what “Royals do not...” do, mainly its because I don’t want to do things the way I was taught. To show no empathy or compassion, to not embrace and hug someone or try to relate to them by putting myself down from this pedestal that I should be cemented in.

I have been told to act ‘more royal’ but what does that even mean? Does anyone really know? What really makes me different from anyone else I pass by on the street?

Nothing.

I can hear my grandmothers scolding tone invade my mind when I am on an engagement, telling me how I should be acting or the fact that I held someone’s hand was wrong. And yet, I can never learn to stop that. I cannot put on a fake smile or not feel genuine emotions that these people elicit in me.

Those three little words.

Royals do not...

They define my life. Or at least that is what they want me to believe.

—————————————

Emilia lifted her chin up in the air as her stylist and make up artist, Ella, applied a natural layer of make up to her face. Mia Deacon was rambling off in the corner about the day’s full itinerary of Harry’s tour accompanied by the princess, stressing over every single detail with little side notes of protocol reminders, no doubt her grandmother incorporated in through Mia.

Ella rolled her eyes with her lips spreading into a cheeky smile picking up on the fact that Emilia was starting to get annoyed with her private press secretary. “Just be you, Emilia.” Her stylist encouraged in a sincere tone that was matched within her eyes.

The princess closed her eyes with a slow nod and tuned out all the voices from around her to focus on calming her nerves. Emilia felt the pressure from every angle and today would only be another day that every moment would be cautiously watched and scrutinized not only by her grandmother, but also the Illyrian media.

“There how do you like this Em? I could add a bit more but felt a natural look would be perfect for today and then this evening for the state banquet we could amp it up!” Ella delightfully smiled at the finished product and grabbed a mirror to hold up in front of Emilia.

“Looks perfect like always Ella. Thank you very much.” Emilia’s lips tugged into a smile and stood up from her stool motioning for her stylist to follow her into the closet. “Now, I forgot which outfit we talked about last week for the first engagement.”

Mia’s heels clicked behind them and entered her walk in closet ready to put her opinion in. “Let’s make sure it’s elegant and regal. The style of a true princess.” Emilia’s press secretary was adamant that she would be the one to ultimately decide if her dress was suitable for the occasion, but the princess was not going to succumb to the pressures placed on her when someone else would decide every single little detail.

“I appreciate the input Mia.” Emilia sorted through her closet analyzing a few options before continuing. “But, I think this is a decision for Ella and I. Besides I am heading to a children’s hospital in a lower socioeconomic community and do not believe that is the place to be ‘regal’ as you put it, but more... relatable...” Emilia angled her head down, admiring a dress she thought would be a good fit for the event.

“Emilia… these engagements are important for you.” Mia was not backing down from the princess.

“Important for me? Or important for you so you don’t lose your job.” Emilia sassily replied and turned around to confront her private secretary with a disappointed expression morphing onto her face. With each passing day, it seemed like Mia was no longer interested in working with Emilia, rather for her grandmother. Able to keep a close watchful eye on the young royal and persuade her actions to those that would align with the Queen’s.

“Both.” Mia crossed her arms defensively and narrowed a stare towards the princess. “Your grandmother hired me to set you on a straight path and you have been making this job more than difficult because of your attitude and the need to be on the front page of the daily paper... daily.” The brunette freely spoke her mind, not holding anything back. “You need to grow up and be the princess your grandmother wants you, rather needs you to be.” Those words cut through Emilia like a knife, stinging on their way out.

Tristan had walked in mid conversation and was casually leaning up against the framed entrance watching the encounter unfold in front of his eyes. His brow furrowed in displeasure seeing how Mia was treating Emilia. He could recall all the difficulties he previously had with the princess, but he showed Emilia how they could work together and gave her the freedom she craved every once in a while in return for her cooperation and in time, built an understanding relationship. The moment he met Mia, Tristan had an inkling that she would rub Emilia the wrong way mixed with the fact that she was not the princess’s choice rather the Queen’s intention to keep a closer eye on Emilia.

Emilia’s silence was profoundly felt amongst all standing around her as the awkwardness in the room rose. The disappointment that was etched on her face provided more proof of what the silence meant as she stared down Mia

Mia had over stepped majorly and she knew it. Opening her mouth to apologize she was interrupted before she could even start.

“Mia.” Emilia spat out her name. “I need people on my team who can work with me, not work against me. There really never was a cohesive feeling when you arrived and partly for the fact that you believe my grandmother is your boss as she is the one you are required to please and not me. That was your first mistake.” The princess calmly spoke, mustering all she could within herself to not lose it. “Your second mistake is thinking you could speak to me that way and this is not the first time I have let it go unchecked.”

“Emilia, I apologize.” Mia stepped forward towards the scowling princess to beg for forgiveness, but Emilia was through with her.

“It’s your royal highness or ma’am to you.” Emilia interrupted with a clenched jaw. “Mrs. Deacon, I think this is where we say our goodbyes. Thank you for your service and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.” The princess raised her head to look past Mia at Tristan giving him a slight nod of the head. “Tristan, please escort Mrs. Deacon out of my apartment. I am sure she will be wishing to speak with the Queen on this matter.”

“Gladly, ma’am.” Tristan stepped forward and gripped Mia’s arm tightly, giving it a tug back. “It’s time to leave here, Mia.”

Mia’s big brown eyes that were filled with regret peaked up at the blonde RPO. “You know this is ridiculous Tristan.” She was practically being pulled out of the princess’s apartment.

“What is ridiculous is how you thought you could change Emilia. Maybe she is what this family needs right now.” Tristan stood up for the young princess he had grown fond of despite her unprecedented ways. “A breath of fresh air.”

Emilia turned around being no longer able to watch Mia’s figure slowly disappear in the distance. She had to hide the tears that were threatening to over pour. Never had she felt so alone in this world before, but her mind could not stay on that thought as it brought images of articles to the forefront of her mind knowing this would have to be revealed publicly. Not to mention how her grandmother would react once she heard the news of Mia Deacon no longer being her look out for Emilia.

The princess fought back the tears and gained her composure while sorting through her dresses. “Can you pick one out Ella, I trust your judgment.” Emilia sat down on top of a white cushioned bench taking a moment to herself.

“I think this one will look fabulous on you along with these shoes and a simple pair of pearl earrings.” Emilia lifted her head and smiled weakly at a beaming Ella who was holding up a black and white simple dress with a turquoise heel to add a pop of color.

“Me too.”

————————

“Good morning.” Harry leaned in and pressed a greeting kiss on both of Emilia’s cheeks. He had been waiting for the princess to join him on their first engagement as his team waited at the convoy along the palace’s gates, but Emilia was nearly twenty minutes late. Judging by her quiet demeanour the prince guessed that something had happened.

“Morning.” Emilia spoke with a quiet voice and was visibly distracted, barely looking the prince in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Harry’s brow furrowed with concern while the princess peaked up at him through her dark lashes with those mesmerizing piercing blue eyes. For a brief second she allowed him into her thoughts that were painted across her face for him to clearly see, but they morphed into a fake smile that hide it all too quickly for Harry’s liking.

“Nothing.” Emilia brushed him off and stepped around him to get in the vehicle. “We better leave, Henry.”

The princess stared out the window hardly acknowledging the prince’s existence. Neither of them spoke a word to one another throughout the whole drive to the children’s hospital alerting Harry that something was definitely up with Emilia. His head lifted and locked with Tristan through the rear view mirror who was driving them to the engagement. Her RPO gave him a simple nod and pushed the button to bring up a separator between the back seat and the drivers, giving Harry and Emilia a bit of privacy.

“Talk to me, Emilia.” Harry’s soft voice was laced with genuine concern for the princess. “Please.” The prince begged of her when he was met with a silent reply.

Emilia closed her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat. She could not bare to look at Harry so she continued to glance out the window, staring absentmindedly at the buildings they passed by while her thoughts consumed her.

All her mind was filled with was her grandmothers ridiculing voice saying...

Royals do not be irrational about their decisions.

“I am sure you will hear a few people commenting today that I fired my private secretary this morning.” Emilia sighed at the end of her sentence.

“Well, that happens.” Harry non-chalantly played it off, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. “I am sure there are other people more capable for the job.”

“No…” Her head snapped towards Harry as he was met with a hard stare. “You don’t understand, Henry.” Emilia’s cold icy stare bore into him. “Mia was hired by my grandmother to keep a closer eye on me and change my unroyal ways. I am just waiting to hear word from her about how disappointed she is in me... again.” The princess turned away from Harry to hide her somber eyes. “Nothing I ever do is good enough. No matter how hard I try, I am not good enough.... not royal enough.”

“I am sorry, Emilia.” The prince’s heart felt for her while her words tugged at his heart strings. “But, think of this as an opportunity to find someone who you can work well with, who will be on your side now and do things the way you want to do them.” Harry shifted in his seat to move closer to Emilia. “Come here.” He whispered and gripped her arm gently to pull Emilia into him.

“Nooo.” She fought it for a second, but quickly gave into his request craving his comforting touch. Emilia wrapped her arms around Harry, releasing a deep sigh and finding comfort once again in his arms. “I feel so alone, Henry.” The princess fought back the tears, but a stray one trickled down her cheek. “Why can’t being me just be good enough for someone? Why do I have to bend to their will only because I do things a little differently?”

“You aren’t alone.” His thumb rubbed over the soft fabric of her dress on the back of her arm. “You have me.” Emilia picked her head up off his shoulder to look up into his eyes to see if the sincerity in his voice matched. “And you are good enough, Emilia. Don’t let anyone tell you different.” The kind words that rolled off his tongue made the hurt subside a little, as she found solace in them.

“Thank you for being you.” Emilia cupped his cheek and without warning, leaned in and captured Harry’s lips. The princess had no idea what had gotten over her, but having someone on her side without any ill intentions brought a sense of reassurance and security to her that had been lacking for numerous years, so she welcomed it with open arms. She realized what she had done and tore her lips off of Harry’s only to feel Harry’s hand on her neck to stop her from moving any further away.

“Don’t pull away.” His lips embraced Emilia’s again while holding her head steady. She smiled into the kiss and welcomed the feeling of Harry’s lips softly kissing her. He was gentle, but passionate as the prince continued a feverish attack, making his motives clear that he indeed wanted Emilia.

There was a piece inside of Emilia that had feelings for Harry, making it more difficult for her to ignore with each passing day as it continued to grow stronger within her. It was undeniable that there was this palpable connection they shared like an outside force was playing like a puppet with their heartstrings.

Harry tugged hard on Emilia’s lips and captured a tiny moan that escaped from them. She clutched the collar of Harry’s shirt and pulled him down, fighting for a piece of control, but the prince did not back down and fought back with soft kisses trailing down her jaw line down towards her collarbone. Emilia was breathless as her head gently tipped back, giving Harry full access to her neck.

“We should stop…” The princess forced out from a fully clouded mind with evident regret laced in her tone.

“We should…” Harry mumbled against her soft skin as he found his way back to her lips and delicately tasted them, savouring the taste.

The screams of fans muffled from outside the vehicle brought them hastily back to reality. Emilia released her grip on Harry’s shirt and immediately sat back, clearing her throat and checking to see if her dress was in proper placement.

The prince was beaming from ear to ear as he licked his lips, tasting the remnants of Emilia on them. His eyes drifted towards a half stunned princess as she stiffly sat beside him, attempting to get the moment out of her mind.

“We should not have done that before an engagement.” Emilia’s shaky voice sounded as she fidgeted nervously with the ends of her dress.

“Don’t worry, it will be fine.” The ever-assuring prince calmed her. “It’s not like they are going to ask if we locked lips, Emilia.” Harry tossed his head back in laughter after seeing her ice blue eyes wide with shock.

“You can thank the blacked out windows for that.” The princess nervously giggled.

“Just, let’s keep it professional.” The princess informed him and even shifted further away from him. “Keep a good distance away from me.”

“Yes, princess.” Harry tugged on the sides of his suit jacket to straighten it out as their vehicle pulled to a stop. “Let’s not forget to have a little fun too. You aren’t the only one who likes to do things a little differently so let’s show them how the Brits do it!” Henry flashed a flirtatious charming smile at Emilia before his door sprung open and exited the vehicle to hear the hundreds of screaming fans hollering their names.

But, the same voice in her head was still louder than the cheers from the people... her grandmothers scolding her, again.

Emilia, Royals do not show any displays of affection.

Emilia gracefully stepped out of the back seat of the vehicle and briefly locked eyes with Tristan who displayed a genuine smile back towards the princess. Her eyes scanned the awaiting crowd and offered them a cheerful wave as they shouted her name. The princess walked around the vehicle to see Harry waiting patiently for Emilia before they headed towards the entrance of the hospital to greet the CEO and founders of St. Thereasita’s Hospital.

Harry motioned for Emilia to step ahead of him, technically against royal protocol but he was bound to break a few rules today to show the Illyrian media that breaking protocol was not as awful as they were portraying Emilia while she did it.

“Your royal highness, it’s a pleasure to have you visit us again Princess Emilia!” The founder of St. Thereasita’s Hospital greeted the princess with a warm handshake, attempting to speak above the erupting crowd behind them.

“It’s always a pleasure, Mr. Davies. Thank you again for allowing us to visit and see the children and their families.” Emilia smiled warmly and angled her body to proceed down to the next person while the prince stepped in behind her.

Harry and Emilia walked down through the pediatric cancer ward and visited a few families along with their eager children who were so excited to meet a prince and a princess. Along they way, they were educated on the different programs offered for families in this low income community and how their out reach in their community has changed many lives for the better.

Emilia sat down on a little girls bed who was playing with a stuffed animal. She looked quite pale and ill, lacking any expression. “Hello there.” The princess quietly intruded in the little girls thoughts as she peaked up at Emilia. “My name is Emilia, what’s yours?” The girl leaned forward and tapped Emilia on the nose with her stuffed bunny.

“Charlie.” She cupped her mouth and whispered, shyly eying the hoards of cameras behind the princess.

“That is a very pretty name, Charlie. I love your bunny!” The princess tried to distract Charlie from the media quietly listening to every one of their words.

“Do you have a bunny?! Like this one?” Charlie held the ratted out stuffed bunny proudly in the air, showing it off.

“You know, I don’t but I really wish I did though!” Emilia shared a glance towards Charlie’s smiling parents and delved into a conversation with him. She listened to Charlie’s story with empathy etched on her face, learning that this little girl was indeed a fighter but her treatments had recently stopped working. This family was at a crossroads in their life, unsure whether to let Charlie enjoy the rest of the little time she had left or go on to explore treatments in other countries that would put her body through so much to extend her life only by a little.

Emilia’s eyes were brimming with tears while her heart ached. Her hand flew to her chest as she leaned in and tried to formulate a string of words that got caught up in her throat. “I can’t imagine. She is a very strong little girl.” The princess felt a stray tear trickle down her cheek that she quickly brushed away and heard an array of cameras clicking making Emilia hide her face away from them.

Royals did not show emotion. Emilia could hear those exact words in her mind being spoken by her grandmother.

Harry was leaning up against the wall, watching the whole encounter take place before his eyes. The media were practically starving for anything they could use against the princess, rather anything that would sell the papers. He felt for Emilia deeply. Even though he had an understanding of the level of scrutiny she was under, this felt more like an obsession, like she was a money target.

The prince stepped in and made a joke with Charlie to which everyone laughed. Emilia was grateful for the distraction and was able to thank the family for a visit before moving on to the next event on the agenda. Emilia felt the immediate presence of Harry beside her and silently whispered a quiet thank you. She received a small nod from the British prince before Emilia heard the shouting coming down from the hall.

“My friend! It’s my friend!” A small little girl was holding on to her IV pole as she came running down the corridor towards Harry and Emilia.

As the child came closer and closer, Emilia was both heartbroken and caught off guard to find out that she recognized the young child with her tilted purple beanie slipping off her head that revealed her hair was all gone. It was Olivia, the little sweet girl she befriended at her patronage, the Breakfast Club, a few months back. She was sitting all alone because the bullies at school did not like her shoes.

Emilia crouched down and opened her arms out to invite Olivia in for an embrace. The little girl wrapped her arms around the princess and squeezed her arms so tightly around Emilia. Closing her eyes, she heard the clicks of the cameras going off behind her capturing what should have been a private moment between them.

Emilia hugged Olivia tighter as the words crept in, blocking them out and relishing the feeling of the embrace as if she tried to convince herself it was worth the risk.

Breaking away from the embrace, Olivia stared up at the princess with her big blue eyes smiling. “Did you come here to visit me?” She innocently asked with an excited tone in her voice that made Emilia giggle.

“Yes! I did!” The princess stood up from and laid eyes on what appeared to be Olivia’s mother.

“Come sweetheart, the princess is busy at the moment. Maybe we will see her later.” Her mother reached out for her hand, but she grasped Emilia’s instead.

“But, mummy! My friend is here to see me!” She pleaded with her mother. “I have a drawing for her.”

Emilia’s head turned to see Harry smiling down at her with a fond smile plastered on his lips as he silently watched the sweet, but sincere interaction. His head lifted to stare into the depth of her blue eyed gaze that looked to him for guidance. He understood what Emilia wished for in that moment, private time away from the intrusive press, but if she asked for it there would be no doubt something written about her being difficult with them the following day.

Royals do not be difficult with those promoting their causes. Smile and give them what they want.

The prince stepped in and cleared his throat, approaching Mr. Davies. “Would you like to take me on more of the tour? I would love to see more of the work you are doing here and meet some more of the families and children here if possible. Emilia will join us for the story telling session later.” Mr. Davies hesitated briefly and looked beside the prince towards Emilia who subtly nodded her approval.

“This way, your highness.” He led the way as the press followed in behind them.

Emilia stood there holding Olivia’s hand loosely as she watched Harry glance back over his shoulder with a small smirk at the corner of his lips. One photographer lingered behind and snapped his lens at the princess, bringing her back to the moment.

Before Emilia could speak, Tristan stepped in front of him. “Sir, please join the rest of the media crew ahead. Princess Emilia has a privately planned meeting.” The photographer reluctantly left them and joined the rest up ahead, leaving Emilia alone with Olivia and her family.

“Hello, I am Emilia.” The princess stretched out her hand and shook the mothers hand, greeting her warmly.

“I must apologize. I have no idea why Olivia thinks you are her friend and for her barging in like that.” Her mother attempted to apologize.

“No no! Do not apologize.” Emilia was quick to re-assure her. “Actually, she is telling the truth. We are friends, aren’t we?” She glanced down at the smiling little girl. “Why don’t you take me to your room?”

“And this is for you!” Olivia handed the princess a drawing to which Emilia took in delicately in her hands to analyze it. It was a drawing of the two of them at breakfast that day, but both of them apparently had massive feet as she had show cased them both wearing her idea of replicas of the shoes she had worn. Their smiles stretched across their whole face, making Emilia’s reflect the same in that moment.

“This is so well done Olivia! Do you mind if I keep it and hang it up?” The princess gently asked. Olivia was quick nodding her head in reply.

“You can have it! It is a drawing of our friendship.” Olivia tilted her head and gave the most proudest, sweetest smile that tugged at Emilia’s heartstrings.

“I know what you are wondering.” Olivia’s mother broke the moment as she gained Emilia’s gaze upon her. “Of what happened to my little girl.”

“I do... but you don’t have to tell me.” Emilia reached out and brushed the little girls beanie gently with her hand. “In my eyes, nothing has happened. Olivia is still that sweet, adorable girl I met that day. Who is now rocking more amazing style choices just like she always has.”

Olivia’s mother, Leah, was taken back and grew into a silent demeanour while tears quietly streamed down her cheeks. It had been months since someone had looked past her daughters diagnosis and saw Olivia for who she really was and Princess Emilia did that. Wiping away her tears subtly, she watched from a close, but far enough distance to observe her daughters interaction with the royal. But, one thing her eyes could not stray from is the smile, rather the sparkle of life that had grown in Olivia’s eyes at the moment she saw Emilia.

Leah had read her fair share of the news that surrounded the Illyrian royal family, more so of the princess who was now sat in front of her. The media had been slamming her for nearly every blink of an eye, tearing her down. But, she witnessed another version of Emilia that was often not showcased in the news and the rare time it was, they ridiculed her for being too ‘common’ and ‘not enough royal.’ In reality, that made her more relatable than most people who had walked through her daughters hospital room.

————

Emilia followed the sound of laughing children with Tristan in step beside her. She could hear the sound of Harry’s laughter from down the corridor that elicited a growing smile on her lips. Her feeble attempts to mask it failed miserably, she loved his laugh. Entering the room, Emilia opted to sit back and watch Harry interact with the children. Leaning up against the frame of a door she quietly kept her eyes on him, careful not to alert the media to her presence.

Harry was sitting on the tiniest chair she had ever seen, obviously meant for a child and not a grown man. But, there he was with a book in hand reading a group of children a story. He made silly faces and gave each character a different voice. Harry had the children holding their bellies in laughter, forgetting for a few minutes why they were in this hospital to begin with. They, were just being normal children the way they were supposed to be.

She sighed a breath of relief. Some piece of Emilia knew that Harry was putting on a bit of a show to show the media that it was ok to be relatable and to have fun on engagements. She deeply appreciated what he was doing for her, but in the end she knew things would never change as that small voice in the back of her head came to the forefront.

Royals do not have fun on engagements.

————————

Harry and Emilia exited the hospital after having a lovely visit at St. Theresitas. They both thanked Mr. Davies and chatted for a few minutes longer. Emilia felt Harry’s body become tense next to her and saw his jaw clench out of the corner of her eye. But, she continued the conversation with Mr. Davies.

The princess said her goodbyes only to turn around and find a swarm of paparazzi that had not been invited to attend the event, nearly pushing some of the barriers forward. The police told them to step back raising their arms up in the arm as a line of police built a barrier with their bodies, but Emilia knew exactly what was about to happen.

“Princess Emilia, Duchess of difficult! Why did you fire your private press secretary this morning?” One of them yelled at the princess. “Or did she actually quit because you were so demanding of her?”

Of course they had found out.

A sickening feeling in the pit of Emilia’s stomach began to grow as anxiety coursed through her body.

She felt a hand being placed on her back, settling her nerves with a simple touch. “We should go.” Harry’s voice broke through the clicks of the sea of cameras, his hand riskily guiding her forward. He knew that placing his hand on Emilia would insinuate rumours, but her safety was at the forefront of her mind.

Emilia quietly nodded and turned on her heel to leave, settling into Harry’s guiding hand on the small of her back. Showing off a fake smile and waving one last goodbye to the people who were awaiting so patiently to see them. But, with this media circus, a walk about would not be possible for security reasons.

The sound of metal crashing and shouting caused the princess to glance back over her shoulder to see some of the barriers being knocked down and a flood of paparazzi breaking through past the officers. Emilia gasped in shock as they shoved a policeman to the ground just to get to her, a hoard of running determined photographers came at her.

Tristan turned around and looked directly in Harry’s eyes for a brief second. “Get Emilia in the car now and go!” He barked an order at the prince, hoping he had made the right choice in trusting Harry with Emilia’s safety. There simply was not enough security to hold them back from the group rushing at her.

Emilia felt an arm wrap around from behind her and brought her body protectively into Harry’s to shield her from them. “Emilia, run.” His voice was commanding and cold. She picked up her feet as her fear drove her to run towards the vehicle that had swiftly pulled up.

Glancing back over her shoulder she nearly stopped in her tracks to see Tristan and the rest of her security team combined with Harrys attempt to hold them back just long enough to get the royals out of what had become an unsafe situation for them. Tristan grabbed someone who lunged forward, trying to break through and shoved him to the ground.

Emilia locked eyes briefly with the man as he smiled devilishly seeing the fear in the young princess’s eyes and yelled....“Emilia! Are you not royal enough? Is that why no one can stand working for you?! ARE YOU EVEN PRINCE FREDERICKS DAUGHTER?”

Those words cut deeper through her more than anything before, wounding her internally.

Harry grasped her forearm tightly and pulled her ahead with such force her arm stung with pain. “Emilia! Get in the fucking car!” He spoke to her through clenched teeth, forcefully pulling her along side of him. Not understanding why she was stalling and ultimately in fear of her safety.

He opened the back door and nearly shoved her in the back seat. “LET GO OF ME!YOU DO NOT NEED TO SHOVE ME!” She glared back at the prince who climbed in beside her and slammed the door closed in a fury of rage.

“GO!” He yelled at the driver. “I said go! Get the princess fucking out of here!”

The vehicle hastily sped off into the distance.

Emilia had not spoken a single word since they had driven away. They both sat there in silence. But, unknown to Emilia who refused to look at Harry as she looked out the window, Harry’s gaze never faltered from her.

He felt a pang of guilt when she grabbed the spot on her arm that he had gripped so tightly, wondering if he had hurt her. All he was doing was trying to protect Emilia without showing the onlookers how much he actually cared for her. He couldn’t just grab her hand and interlock their fingers in an intimate gesture for fear of reprisal.

“Are you ok?” He broke through their silence, asking a question he already knew the answer too. Harry had heard the words and accusations being tossed her way. He placed his hand on top of her knee, feeling a stiff tense body that did not reciprocate his touch.

Emilia didn’t acknowledge Harry. She sat there with her head resting on the window, absentmindedly watching the world go by as she was trapped in the depths of her mind, replaying the words of grandmother over.

Royals do not be irrational about their decisions

Royals do not show any displays of affection

Royals do not show emotion

Royals do not be difficult with those promoting their causes

Royals do not have fun on engagements

Royals do not cause a scene

“Emilia! Are you not royal enough? Is that why no one can stand working for you?! ARE YOU EVEN PRINCE FREDERICKS DAUGHTER?”

After everything the media had bore witness to, after seeing a side of Emilia she was hesitant to even show, all that would be reported about was the scene that had unfolded while they left the hospital.

A deep sigh was released from the princess.

“No, Henry.” His head lifted, hearing his name roll of her tongue.

“I am not ok.”

[boundtoyouphff]

Working on a new chapter...

For this amazing story I have forgotten about!

I am attempting to start updating more regularly on here!

[boundtoyouphff]

Why I haven’t been writing/active!

Announcement

Hello readers,

I apologize for not being as active on here lately but I figured it is about time that I share why... well...

I have moved to London!

It has been a massive change for me (kinda a quick and hasty decision) and was working all summer to get things sorted for me move. Now I’m getting used to living like the Brits haha!

With that being said, I have not forgotten about this story and once I am more settled I promise promise to update and continue with this. It’s not the end of it in the least.

Cheers,

Em

[boundtoyouphff]

Are you going to be posting anymore of this story. You left me on a cliffhanger. Please continue writing. I can't wait to read more.

Hello!

I will be continuing this story. I will be making a post about why I haven’t been active shortly