The Glass Veil

Alliances of Convenience

The Piper's principal duty is to play every weekday at 9 am for approximately 15 minutes under His Majesty's window when he is in residence at Buckingham Palace. I have just over four hours until I hear the Piper playing and beginning the day of the Royals. The sun hasn't yet begun to rise from its nesting position, the birds are beginning to rise and sing their morning glory song, and the Palace grounds are quiet. It's a favourable time for me, there is no hustle and bustle of the staff, and there's nothing but a sweet serenity, something that I do not come across very often.

"You're late," I beam at Harry as he makes his way towards me, shoving his phone in his pocket and rolling his eyes, "Tsk tsk, you're tardy," I jokingly nudge him.

He lets out a chuckle, "I'm late. There's a first for everything, Princess. I have to report to Matthew by six, in full attire, so we need to get moving," Harry informs me, flicking his head towards the pathway we tend to take.

I nod and commence our jog, "So, why were you late, anyway? You're never late," I curiously examine.

"I had some things to take care of. Forgive me for being late and tired," Harry answers, jogging beside me, commencing to pick up the pace, giving me no choice but to drop the conversation and focus on my breathing.

One of Harry's responsibilities is to ensure that I am physically fit and ready for any possible scenario. This includes being able to run and maintain a steady pace without becoming overwhelmed. While I may not excel at shooting a pistol or taking my training as seriously as I should, I can run proficiently. I am grateful for the early morning runs we share when our schedules align. Occasionally, he is not already awake and working by four in the morning.

The palace is enclosed by 100 acres of grasslands, and each window of the Palace has a scene that is stunning and captivating in various ways. There is nothing better than overlooking the morning wildlife bouncing around the fields while the dawning sun inaugurates to wake up the gardens, and in the evenings there is nothing better than the gold tones pouring in through each windowpane.

I pause to catch my breath and slow my pace, while Harry continues ahead of me. Placing my hands on my hips, I begin to walk, prompting Harry to turn around and wait for me to catch up. He teases me with a smile, commenting on my sudden change in pace. "Giving up already?" he asks with a small smile.

I nod my head and reply, "I didn't want you to push yourself too hard." We continue walking along the gravel path towards the beautiful garden, where soft petals of various colours await us. I smile, leading our way towards my winsome serenity of satin soft petals while an amethyst-purple tint overruns the sunrise sky, begging to clash with orange.

I smirk and toss my hair over my shoulder as I glance over towards Harry with gleaming eyes. His honey-sweet lips which are lilac soft, begin to curve slightly before he flashes me an amiable smile.

The further I wander into the garden, the more I sense the golden hour rays kissing my skin with a flawless, bronzed complexion and my opulent hair glittering in the morning glory of the sun. It feels rejuvenating to belatedly breathe amid scents, the frill of flowers and the scent of the early morning breeze. "Do you want to talk about what's going on or are you going to ignore it?" Harry questions, "Because I don't think you can ignore that you will be ruling a monarch, soon." "I also don't think you can ignore that it changes everything."

"It's too early for me to think about this monstrosity of a monarchy, so can we please not talk about it?" I ask, and Harry shrugs his shoulders. "You know what is fascinating, Harry?" I turn to Harry.

Harry gazes at me with his fulgent, smaragdine-green eyes, "No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me," Harry responds.

I playfully roll my eyes at him, "Charming," I grin, "Have you noticed how flowers can wither away during the winter and still come back to bloom in the spring?"