The Cambridges - BRF Fanfiction

18. Trooping the Color

The sun was shining over the city and a nice summer breeze was blowing. Not too much to ruin the day, causing the fascinators to fly away and the dresses of the ladies to have an uncomfortable Marilyn Monroe effect, but just enough to cool down a summer day.

Victoria hurried downstairs holding her brother in her arms, calling for her mother. They were a little behind the schedule, but no matter how little, that wasn't acceptable at all when you had to meet with Her Majesty and all the other members of the Royal Family.

Before such big events where also the kids were attending, the morning was always spent in a hurry, making sure everyone was ready, dressed, with their hair brushed and the shoes on the right feet. Which wasn't the case for Charlotte, that specific day.

"Vicky" she called her big sister as she saw her walking by. Victoria immediately turned to her with a smile. "I think I need help."

The eldest left Louis on the floor, and he happily walked towards the family dog, Lupo, who was napping in a corner. She then lifted up Charlotte and sat her on the nearest surface and switched her shoes.

"There you go Char." She helped her getting down and followed Louis while he tried to escape in the garden. "Not yet little guy." She smirked grabbing his hand and leading him back to the corridor, where Kate was now waiting, fixing the hair of a very bored George.

Less than five minutes later, the whole family was in the car, heading to Buckingham Palace.

***

Harry was nothing but a bundle of nerves parking in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. His breathing got heavier and heavier as the moment to step out approached. He didn't want to be there. He didn't want his wife to be there. He didn't want his son to be there.

He was in a cold sweat since they left the protection of their home, Frogmore Cottage.

Days had gone by since her wife had confessed to him her fears about his family trying to kill her, and she had been telling him that over and over, until he could no longer think of anything else but the love of his life and their son being murdered by his own family.

Meghan, sitting next to him, a smirk on her face, couldn't wait to step out and being under the spotlight. She had tried to convince Harry to let her bring Archie on the balcony; in that way, she was sure, the eyes of every single person would have been on her. A one-month-old baby on the balcony was something worth the first page of newspapers. But he had been firm about not doing it.

Her only other option to get under the spotlight was by doing something unusual. She couldn't break rules once again, as she already had during her first Trooping the color, so she had to figure out something different.

So when she boarded the carriage on sat in front of her sister-in-law, that day, under the hot June sun, she wore her dark-blue gloves on, while the parade went by.

***

"Need help?" William smiled proudly to his daughter, offering her and hand to get down the carriage.

"Thanks," she replied, kindly accepting that. She then fixed her dress and fascinator before taking few steps forward in order to let their carriage get out of the day and others to come in. "So hot today, wasn't it?"

The Prince smiled as he took off his fur hat. "With this on, it would be terrible hot in December, while it's snowing."

Victoria smiled. "I don't doubt it."