Tudor Roses & Romance

Chapter 1: Her Grace

People say everything happens for a reason. That eventually, all things fall into place as they should. Life is a learning process, so don't question that process. Go with it. Trust it and be patient. Well, the Princess of Wales would like to know what those people say when they're stuck in traffic and late for a meeting with His Majesty the King of England. She'd also like to see how those people feel when their faces are plastered on the front page of every gossip magazine in the whole bloody kingdom, especially after face-planting on the sidewalk because the heel of their shoe got stuck in a crack. The hardest part of everything that happens for a reason is waiting for that reason to come along. But one day, it did come along, or rather it ran along—- hot and sweaty and handsome.

It all started one beautiful early morning in June. The blue sky was fresh with puffy white clouds that looked so yummy they could be marshmallow fluff. Mary Tudor woke and dressed and started her day as usual. Her outfit, skinny black pants, sleeveless white silk shirt, a black cropped blazer, and killer heels, was her typical work attire.

Getting ready for work is not a chore. It's something Mary loves to do because she doesn't have to do so--- work. She could easily do nothing except fritter away her time because she's an actual princess. Not one of those fairy tale princesses that she read about as a child. No. She's the Princess of Wales, in fact. But Her Highness has had this dream of doing a real nine-to-five job ever since she was a teenager.

In the kitchen of the spacious, upscale Hyde Park townhome, Mary put a banana in her bag, picked up her cell phone from the charging station, and looked at the latest edition of Opulence Magazine. There for all the world to see is her glossy picture. It's been on the cover of the fashion magazine for weeks now. Opulence called to set up an interview about her charity organization, Her Grace. The charity specializes in helping women--- abused women, neglected women, and empowering women. As part of the empowering women initiative, the charity connects with communities of women in Africa who create these beautiful, hand-crafted jewelry pieces as well as sustainable goods like bowls. Every profit taken in goes directly to the African women. It's a lovely blessing that gives back.

But the one commodity that's all the princess's doing, the one she's most proud of, is her own cosmetics line called Dagger--- Dagger Cosmetics. For fun, the logo is a dagger through a crown. Fitting because some days that's what she'd like to do, send a sword through her princess title. All the money made from the cosmetics line goes straight into charity. Just like the community of African women, the beautiful thing about Dagger is that the cosmetics business hires women who have frequented Her Grace's doors. Something that became crystal clear during the first year of the charity's conception is the mindset of the women. The women who come to the charity are not looking for a handout but a hand-up. That's what Her Grace does. It practices what it preaches by helping women build a better future for themselves and equipping them with the tools to do so.

The cosmetics alone have sold millions in England and the US. Next month the line will be launched worldwide, with new stores opening in Belgium, France, Australia, and Japan. When Mary thinks about what she has accomplished outside of being a princess, she is filled with satisfaction. Her accomplishments are everything, and they're authentic. They're hers alone. Plus, it has nothing to do with her father whatsoever. He's stayed out of her company as she asked him to.

In actuality, she sold a diamond broach to fund the charity's start-up, which is aptly called Her Grace. She settled on that name because, for one--- she is a princess, and princesses are supposed to always have grace (or at least that's what her mother and Lady Salisbury say). Secondly, she also admires another Princess--- Princess Grace of Monaco. And thirdly, grace is nothing but courteous goodwill, free and unmerited favor. What better way to encapsulate all those things than naming the charity Her Grace?