a second chance in love

Chapter 9

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"Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me"

- Dream a Little Dream of Me by Doris Day

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August 1979

Diana and Charles have both decided to take things slow. It was no secret to Diana's immediate family that for over a year now, Charles have been courting her. Charles' presence at their house had become quite common that he already had a private room that was intended for him alone in the Althorp Estate. A room in which he rarely uses, apart from his abrupt visits that leave him no choice but to stay the night. Aside from his fear that his presence might be unwanted, he also believes that it is way too soon to be staying under one roof with Diana, regardless of his desire to do so.

Diana still felt the need to move to London to try and live her own life, away from the comforts of her house. Although there may be times wherein she misses her children so much, Diana knew it was too early to have them and if they don't follow the original timeline, they might not have William or Harry at all.

Diana, who was determined to be the best version of herself, had to relearn the basics of royal etiquette and protocols. A decision that was made out of her own will and was not imposed on her by others. Charles was hesitant at first, telling her that he will always love her and that there is nothing that she needs to change. But looking back, her lack of knowledge about royal protocols played a big factor that contributed to their fights during the early years of their marriage.

The Diana now knew better. If Charles is willing to do his part in this relationship, she must do hers as well.

That aside, Charles couldn't even count— even with all his fingers multiplied— the times that they have spent together, both in Althorp and in London, discreetly. They wanted to relish the newfound intimacy without the fear of their faces being plastered on the page covers the next day. A sheer thrill of hiding what they have from the public and keeping it to themselves.

However, there are also instances wherein being in a secret relationship is becoming a burden. To everyone, they're nothing but separate people, living their separate lives. But it also doesn't take a genius to see that deep down, there's an underlying love that has a profound history that only he and Diana knew about. An underlying love— something akin to a flower seed being planted in bad soil but still managed to flourish and bloom regardless of how it started.

It was common knowledge that they'd only seen each other 13 times before they got married, and may God bless their inconsistent calls in between. He couldn't blame his father for demanding him to put a ring on her finger right away, Diana was lovely and was the perfect woman for him.

"For a wife, one should choose a suitable and sweet character girl before she meets anyone else she might fall for."

He knew his father wouldn't take no for an answer, so he did.

At that time, he was deeply hung up on Camilla and knew that he and Diana were ill-suited for each other. Long story short, their marriage was dreadful and it ended miserably, as one would expect. However, it was also no secret that after the divorce, Charles and Diana eventually warmed up to each other.

It was uncommon for divorced people to go to their ex-spouses' houses and have tea— perhaps have a little chit-chat in between. But for them, it was. Their boys have now grown into fine gentlemen, who don't need their parents' constant attention. They don't have to argue about Camilla being the love of his life, as Diana has already accepted it and moved on.