A Royal Accident (A British Royal Family Fanfiction)

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Alice

Life slowly returned to normal again after Granny's death. And although there was still a lot of sadness when we talked about her. There was also a huge sense of a life complete. She wasn't taken too soon, she lived her life to the very fullest of her ability and none of us could have asked for anything more than that.

At the end of September, I returned to university in Loughborough for my second year. Freddie had already been back there for a couple of weeks, playing rugby so it was nice to be back with him.

But the happiness didn't last long and by December, the press was full of stories all about Meghan and Harry's documentary that was released. I spent the day at university trying to avoid any conversations about it.

Are you watching it? Do you know what they're going to say? Are you making a cameo appearance?  People asked, all day.

The only time I didn't hear the questions was at swim training that evening, when my head was under the water. I went from there, straight to Freddie's flat, where he had made dinner for the two of us. He knew I'd had a rubbish day, he didn't even need to ask me. I collapsed on the sofa and Freddie handed me a bowl of pasta, before sitting down beside me.

"I was going to ask you how you were, but that's a stupid question." he said.

"No, it's alright, I'm just glad to see you." I told him. We both sat, listening to some music and eating our dinner. "Can I ask you something Fred?" I said, once we were both finished.

"Anything Belle." he replied.

"Is it stupid of me to want to watch it?" I said, almost instantly regretting asking when I had. Freddie looked at me, tilting his head slightly as he thought.

"I would, if it were me. But you don't ever read anything about what the press write, why the interest to start now?" he asked.

"Because this isn't the press, this is coming from their mouths about my family, and I just feel as though I need to protect them." I told him, leaning forward and placing my bowl on the coffee table in front of me.

"Belle, you know that isn't your job." Freddie said, sensibly.

"Ok, not protect them then, just know what's happening. I think I'm just worried that one day George or Lottie will come to me and ask me these questions and I won't know the answers to them." I said.

"But what would you say if they did ask?" Freddie questioned.

"I don't know, but at least I would have seen both sides of it." I told him.

"I just don't want you to watch it, and then regret it afterwards. It's so personal Belle." he said. "But if you do want to, then I'll be here with you."

I had the same dreadful feeling when I remembered watching Harry and Meghan's programme with Oprah with my parents. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that no matter how much I drank or ate, I just couldn't get rid of. The feeling was a combination of shock, upset and betrayal. Harry was playing a dangerous game. The Oprah interview was a one time thing, mostly with Meghan in, but this, this was different. There was no holding back, no polite refusal to answer questions, he was brutal and that was hard to watch.

Freddie held tightly onto my hand throughout, as I silently took in all of the information that was being shared on the programme. It took everything in me not to storm off in anger and never think about it again. But I wanted to know, wanted to know what they'd said and really understand why they had done what they had done. When the first episode finished, I felt a burning desire to watch the next, just so I knew what they were going to say.