𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑿𝑿𝑰𝑰𝑰, 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓

January 12, 2023

After school Victoria went to Windsor Palace where her grandfather was staying for a small reunion over tea. She was nervous as she didn't know how she would act on Harry's letter. She really wanted him to say yes.

It was only a ten minute drive from the boarding school to the palace but for the teenager it was an eternity.

—Grandpa— she said with a smile as she entered one of the majestic halls of Windsor. She curtsied slightly after giving him two kisses.

As they took their seats, one on each side of the small sofa, all the nerves she had felt minutes before disappeared.

—How are you darling?— Charles asked, taking a sip of his tea. He never said it but he loved spending time with his first granddaughter.

Victoria shrugged her shoulders and whispered a soft: —Fine— as she ducked her head. The man noticed her sadness so he moved closer to her and put his arms around her. The King guessed why the teenager was like this. And he couldn't blame her since she felt the same way. Harry's book had hurt them all.

—I want to send this to him— Victoria said, pulling herself out of her grandfather's arms and going to her backpack, which she had left by the door. She pulled out the pages and handed them to him.

The king read them carefully and could not help but feel the pain with which his granddaughter had written, as well as the little circles crinkled by her tears. Which made him want to cry too.

—What do you think?— she asked fearfully, for her grandfather's face was still serious, though inside he was in shock.

—Do you want to send it?— he questioned with raised eyebrows, causing Victoria to nod, looking at him with pleading eyes, "Then you can do it," he announced, which caused a big smile to spread across Victoria's face.

—Thank you— she said giving him a hug.

—If it doesn't work, I don't want you to feel bad. It's not your fault, it's him— the last thing she wanted was for her granddaughter to think it was her fault.

He'd seen what their relationship had been like for years and how she'd suffered when he'd decided to move to California. Apart from the fact that he could never say no to her, her coming into the world was a bundle of joy as he had always wanted a daughter.

The King called one of the guards to give her the letter and send it to Montecito. He only hoped for some small reply, not from him but from Victoria, who had high hopes that Harry would return to being the uncle she knew.

They continued to talk quietly, though the princess was still noticeably uneasy. She didn't know how to tell her grandfather what had happened with Andrew. She took a deep breath before speaking.

—I need you to do me another favour— she said nervously as she moved her leg up and down while playing with a lock of her chestnut hair. Something she only did when she was very nervous.

—Go ahead, dear— he gave her a smile to try to reassure her.

—Maybe...— she was quiet for a few seconds trying to find the right words before continuing. —Maybe rumours are getting out to the press that I'm dating a boy— she said looking down at the floor, not wanting to see her grandfather's reaction.

The king was shocked by what Victoria said, but he understood that she was no longer a little girl and that it would happen at some point.

—Do you need me to stop them?— he asked calmly, giving her to understand that he wasn't angry.

—Please— she begged, looking him in the eye. The man nodded and promised to do everything he could to stop them if the rumours reached the newspapers. Victoria sighed in relief and thanked him with a hug.

—Do your parents know?— he questioned as they pulled away from the embrace. The teenager nodded. —Papa wasn't very happy about the news, but mummy talked to him— she explained, making him laugh a little.

—It's hard to believe you're going to be 15— he replied longingly, as it seemed like only yesterday when he first held her in his arms.

—Will you come to my birthday?— she asked hopefully. She wanted all her family and friends to be there.

—I wouldn't miss it for the world— she replied with a smile.

They continued to talk all afternoon, as they strolled through the majestic Windsor gardens. They both felt a sense of tranquillity wash over them with every step they took, which caused Victoria to take a deep breath, feeling the coolness rush into her nostrils.

—You can come here as often as you like— the man said, thinking that maybe she could use some peace now and then.

—I will, thank you— she smiled in thanks.

—I want to show you something dear— he said when they reached the man's office. The teenager looked at him expectantly as she sat down in the comfortable chair in front of the desk.

The King opened the red velvet box, which was renewed every day with documents he had to read.

—What's inside?— she asked without thinking, causing him to regret it a second later. No one but The King could know what was inside. —I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...— and before she could say anything else her grandfather interrupted her.

—Everything they want me to know they leave at the top, and what they would rather I didn't know, cabinet reunions, Foreign Office, they hide at the bottom— he replied calmly, which made her nod —That's why, when no one sees me, I do this— he grabbed all the sheets of paper from the box and turned them over, which made them both laugh.

—Is it boring— asked Victoria fearfully.

—Sometimes it is— replied the man sincerely.

The princess felt a knot form in her stomach. Seeing her grandfather sitting at his desk full of papers inevitably made her think of the future and what her life would be like when the time came. Millions of thoughts ran through her head, she thought about how sad she would be, as it meant that her father had gone to heaven. But the thought that lingered most in her head was her disinterest in being queen. No matter how hard she tried to imagine herself in the position where her grandfather was, she couldn't do it.

—It's not as bad as you imagine, it has its good parts— the man spoke after a while in complete silence, as he imagined everything that was going on in her head. Victoria just smiled at him.

On the way back to the boarding school, a phrase her father had said to her a few years ago kept echoing: "Being a queen is the best thing you can do, not for yourself, but to serve your country. It is part of the duty. One day you will realise that." But she had not the slightest interest in being queen. She just wanted to be a normal teenager, but that wasn't possible. She never thought that was her destiny.

***
I'll try to post 2 or 3 more chapters before I go on a trip, then I'll be without updating for a few weeks. If there are any mistakes let me know.

Thanks for reading! 🤍

-𝑨. 𝑱