Grey Oaks

Chapter 4: The Summer Cottage

The summer cottage became a safe haven for the royal family. As March drew to a close and the terrorists' trial crept closer, the family seemed to congregate whenever they could at the estate near the coast. For comfort. For a sense of normalcy. To enjoy the moments they had with each other.

Adalina's Aunt Gwen, her father's younger sister, had arrived just after the funeral and was heartbroken that she had missed it.

Through some unfortunate series of international communication mishaps, and the fact that she was on a conservationist hike through the Outback, word hadn't gotten to her in Australia until the day before the funeral. Even though she had immediately sped to the nearest airport and jumped on a flight, there was no way that she would have been able to make the funeral.

She arrived at the palace in Thydberllan skin still sunkissed and hair still frizzy. A set of grieving clothes had been provided to her at the airport upon her arrival in Gwynival and the outdoorswoman looked out of place dressed in such fancy clothing.

Gwen squeezed Bernard's neck first. Pecked both of the younger children on the cheek despite their protests. Then wrapped both George and Adalina in a bear hug. She was a larger woman and the combination of her muscles and fat made her a joy to hug. Adalina melted into the embrace and the smell of grass and cigarettes that always seemed to follow her aunt everywhere.

Then the Queen came into the room.

Aunt Gwen and Great Aunt Regina never got along. Gwen was everything a royal should never be. She had many lovers, of all genders, and yet never married. She adored the outdoors and would sooner wear khakis than lace or silk. No doubt she would ditch the black dress she was given at the airport at her earliest convenience and switch it out for a black pantsuit.

Gwen curtseyed to her aunt. Not a vertebrae out of place.

Queen Regina held out her hand for her niece to take, which she did. Then they embraced politely.

The family traveled from Thydberllan to the cottage on the coast in separate, unmarked cars. It was normally a long, dreaded drive. Dreaded not in the way that it was boring or particularly strenuous, but in the way that Adalina couldn't wait to get to the cottage and so was antsy and impatient the entire drive.

Such wasn't the case that day. Or that week. Adalina had been to the cottage so much that week it had lost its luster. She had lost her giddy anticipation. And now she shared the backseat of her car with her Aunt Gwen, who was a great conversationalist.

True to the young woman's earlier predictions, she had changed into a pantsuit and, therefore, could have one leg thrown over the other. Her window was rolled down and cigarette smoke was sucked outside as they breezed through the countryside.

"I'm really happy to have you back home, Aunt Gwen." Adalina had to hold herself from lighting her own cigarettes. The flash of paparazzi could be seen every now and then on the streetside. It wouldn't do for their new princess to be seen indulging in such a bad habit.

"Babe, that makes one of us," Gwen said. Wrinkles were set into her face by the sun and she refused to powder them or try to conceal them in any way.

"Is Australia that alluring? That you would rather be back there?"

Her aunt raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. Adalina returned her own gentle smile.

"Let me ask you one thing," The older woman blew out a stream of smoke. She sucked on a cheap brand that stank. Adalina preferred her menthols. "If you had been raised unable to see color, and finally found a rainbow, would you want to go back to black and white?"

"I would take the rainbow with me."

Gwen tilted her head back in a loud laugh. Her aunt's bodyguard- a short stocky Australian man that followed her on her journey home and who was currently driving their car- looked in the backseat through the rearview mirror. The pinch in his eyes betrayed a poorly concealed smile. Jack Baldwin sat next to him, in the front passenger seat. He kept his eyes glued to the road ahead. They wouldn't risk a momentary glance with Aunt Gwen not two feet away.