Princess Hope

chapter five

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10th February 2010

Andra was back in London. She was wowed by the crowd that greeted her at Heathrow Airport when they stepped onto the tarmac. It wasn't like that when they left for Belgium because they left early in the morning with their flight details kept a secret until they were up in the air. People were holding up their phones trying to take photographs of her. She politely smiled and waved at the people.

It was an eerily familiar scene for Charles. He looked at his daughter with concern. It's begun, he thought. He wouldn't be able to protect her as he did before. The people had respected his and Diana's wishes, and now that they presented her to the world—he knew they would want to know more about the Princess who had been hidden. His daughter's life would be nitpicked and she'd be criticized for anything, and all he could do is watch.

Harry hated it when he saw the crowd. When their mother died, all he wanted was to keep his sister away from the constant harassment from the paparazzi and the public scrutiny. He wanted her to be able to live the private life that he couldn't get. But now, that seemed impossible. They opened a pandora's box, and no one could ever seal it back.

"Things have changed, Alexandra. You had a great overseas tour, and now the whole of Britain and Northern Ireland will be watching you. We have been preparing you for this, I hope you are ready." Charles told her as they rode in the car on their way to Clarence House.

On the same night that they arrived, the Wales family was scheduled for a dinner with The Queen and some members of the Royal Family in Buck House. Princess Anne and her husband were in attendance. The Earl and Countess of Wessex arrived with Lady Louise. Also in attendance were Camilla, William, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara, Peter, and Autumn Phillips.

"Congratulations on the success of your tour, Andra," Zara hugged her.

"Nasty paps but you handled it quite well if I may add," Beatrice said, approaching the two. "Hello, you."

"Hello, you. I've had a crazy month," Andra said, almost sounding like she was whining.

"Prince Amedeo following you to Norway? Crazy, indeed." Zara wiggled her eyebrows.

"It's not what you think," Andra said in her defense.

"What isn't what we think?" Eugenie asked.

"The thing between Amedeo and I."

"So, you admit there's a thing." Beatrice pointed out.

"No! What I meant was—" she stopped in realization. "—you three planned this, didn't you?"

"Huh?" Eugenie feigned confusion.

"Planned what?" Zara chimed.

"Yeah, what plan?" Beatrice had a look on her face. Andra instantly caught the lie. It was because of Bea's tell—wide eyes, scrunched nose, and small quivering of lips.

"Bea, you're a bad liar."

"We've waited until you were back before asking. We are in desperate need of gossip, and this is the juiciest we've got." Zara said.

"That's the closest you could get Zara to begging, Elliephant," Peter butted in. "'I've come to give you my congratulations, dear cousin."

"Thank you, Peter. And, as I said, there is nothing between Amedeo and me. He already had plans to visit Lillehammer for a ski trip." She said, sticking to the script she and Amedeo prepared.

"He has a private home in Switzerland. If he wanted to ski, it's a less controversial choice for him with the rumours floating around."

"He already had plans to visit Lillehammer for a ski trip," she reiterated.