Princess Hope

chapter eight

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April 2010

Just like that, it was April, and Andra was in Windsor Castle to attend her grandmother's birthday dinner. When she entered her room, there were vases of peonies waiting for her. It was a special directive from her grandfather because they were her favourite.

Vous êtes rentré à la maison? J

A text message asked. Andra blushed.

Just got in. A

She replied back. Not a few seconds passed, and she received a reply from him.

Eh bien, je vous verrai à votre retour. J

Je t'adore, belle. J

See you when I get back. A

After sending the message, she switched off her mobile and changed into her riding clothes. Then, she telephoned her grandfather.

"Hello," she meekly greeted. "May I speak to my Grandpa, please?"

"I'll put you through, Ma'am. Please hold."

"Good Afternoon, Your Royal Highness," her grandfather's private secretary said. "Please hold for His Royal Highness."

"Elliephant!" Prince Philip said, evidently overjoyed. "I was told you're already here."

"I've just got in, Grandpa," she replied with equal adoration.

"Do you want to go riding?"

"You read my mind. Can we go before the dinner?"

"I suppose we could, for at least an hour," he paused. "Your grandmother will go mad if we're late for dinner."

"Well, I was hoping that Granny come with us." She said shyly. She was going to tell them something important. It was better to tell them ahead of everyone else because it was expected to be a mess with the others.

"Alright, I will tell your grandmother."

"Thank you, Gramps," she said before hanging up. Then, she waited for her grandmother to call which happened within 10 minutes after she hung up on her grandfather.

"Hope Alexandra Victoria Elizabeth," her grandmother called.

"Hello, Granny. I hope you can spare me an hour or a half of an hour," she said directly.

"Yes, your grandfather told me," The Queen said sternly. "What is this about, Hope Alexandra?"

"I just have something to tell you," she calmly said although her nerves were a wreck.

"I'll see you at the stables in five minutes, dear Hope."

Andra put the phone down as soon as her Granny hung up. She headed down to the stables to see Dash, her two-year-old cream thoroughbred horse, and meet her grandparents. It was one of her two horses. The other one, Gloriana, a twelve-year-old white Arabian horse who was a gift from her Uncle Haakon for her sixth birthday, was at Sandringham Estate. Dash was her grandmother's 16th birthday gift to her along with her titanium compound bow and arrows.

"Shall I prepare your saddle, Ma'am?" The stable boy asked. She gently touched Dash's cheek.

"Yes, please. Thank you." She continued to caress her horse. Dash was as fast as her grandmother's best racehorse, but Gloriana was her favourite. Merely because it was her first horse and it was well-adjusted to her hunting style.