Her Royal Highness, Leonor: The Years Later

Unseen Walls, Rising

Zarzuela Palace, Madrid

Leonor

Leonor was holding the very same newspaper as if her life depended on it—as she waited for the hour to pass by.

She knew she couldn't concentrate on anything at this early of the morning, and even though the day had just started, she felt like wanting to end it too soon, not knowing how she'd be able to face her parents after seeing the headlines, more so, not knowing how she'll explain what is it about and who she is within the picture.

She was staring too long at the picture, was somehow relieved, seeing that, fortunately, the pictures taken of her didn't reveal Phillipa's face, but only the writer's hand holding her during that briefest time Phillipa held it to kiss it, which she remembered had her cheeks burning in shyness. 

The memory sprinkled in her mind the way water would move when someone threw a pebble towards the point, making continuous flows here and then. Her chest was doing the same, and so was her stomach, with the nervousness she was trying to calm within her. She didn't know if it'll ever calm down.

Leonor sighs, and looks up at the clock hanging by her bedroom, lifeless in its form, ticking by the passing minute. She wonders if Phillipa has seen the newspaper. She wanted to call the writer and tell her what was about to happen, but her mind was too focused on how the conversation she was about to have with the King and Queen would go. 

Would she be able to tell them who Phillipa is and what the writer means to her, or would she expect anything unforeseen?

Leonor inhales another deep sigh. She gripped the newspaper with a bit of force, it crumpled before her eyes, and realizing how much she despised seeing herself in the news, not that she cared less before---had her setting the paper aside, not wanting to read anything written on it further.

She docked her head, bit her lip, and felt her fist curling.

She finds herself pacing across the room and staring outside the bedroom window far more often than she intended. Later, the sound of a knock on the door hovered, and Aurelia called her from there.

"El Rey y La Reina están esperando, Princessa." (TL: The King and Queen are waiting, Princess.)

She straightened her shoulders nodded, and followed the secretary. As they were walking, with Aurelia following behind her, the secretary exchanged glances and she thought--the secretary must be just as nervous as she is.

After all, it was Aurelia who made seeing Phillipa possible for her, and she didn't want the blame to be put on the secretary, it should be entirely on her.

Aurelia opens the King's office door and gestures to go inside, and she looks back at the secretary, closing the door, with their eyes still connected. It's as if in this silent way, Aurelia was telling her with her eyes the uncertainty they both are feeling now with the whole thing.

The door closes, and her father and mother both look toward where she is, and there is an expecting look all over their faces. 

Lying to her parents hasn't always been the norm for her, and she had no idea how she would go about surviving the conversation they were about to have or even telling her side of the mentioned headlines.

The king stood up from his office chair, whereas her mother was sitting on the other facing his table. "Seguro de que sabes por qué te llamamos." (TL: "I'm sure you know why we called you.")