Scapegoat

2

Summary:

Palace

"I'm hungry. Can we eat before we go?"

To no surprise, neither mother or father answered Gregory. Greg sighed.

"Umm... Manny is also hungry?" he added, in hopes that the mention of the favored little boy would get his parents attention. Of course, he was wrong.

Greg sighed again, picking up his little brother and heading back downstairs.

Diana and Rodrick were already ready. Rodrick in a suit that, under other circumstances he wouldn't be caught dead wearing and Diana in a dress that, even to a middle school boy such a Greg, looked greatly uncomfortable.

"I'll make Manny dinner." all three of the older siblings offered in unison.

"Someone has to give him a bath" Rodrick said, reminding the others.

"I'll give him the bath." Greg offered, picking up Manny again.

"What do you want to eat Manny?" Diana asked, smiling gently at the three year old.

"Spagpti!" yelled Manny.

Diana smiled at him

"Alright. Spaghetti it is!"

Manny blubbered something incomprehensible, and waddled to sit down on the couch.

The family pulled up to the palace.

"It's huge" Diana says, earning herself a glare from her father.

"Of course it's huge! It's a palace! What else did you expect, you stupid girl?"

Diana winced

"Sorry father"

Frank snorted, opening the car door. Diana got out after everyone else.

"We'll be here for about 3 hours. Don't do anything stupid. This is Royalty we are visiting" Diana's mother said.

Diana couldn't help but notice Susan, her mother, glancing at her while she was talking.

Diana sighed as they walked in.

Surprisingly, the first person- or the people in the case, to greet them, wasn't the Queen. The triplets, all Diana and Greg's age, ran to them.

Diana recalled their names. Charles, Anne and Andrew. She was pretty sure they had a fourth child, Edward, who was around Manny's age.

"Hello. How are you" asked Charles, smiling, although, to her surprise, he was mainly looking at her.

"I'm... alright..." Diana said, shyly. The 13 year old Prince of Wales was quite the charmer, even at such a young age.

"Mum told us to take you to our room. It's very nice!" pitches in Anne.

"Except for the one in the suit." adds Andrew. "I think so anyway. He's the one mum and dad want to talk to your mum and dad 'bout."

"Rodrick? Yes, he's the one." says Diana.

"Sorry if our daughter is bothering you sir ." says Frank, looking down at Charles, the 13 year old shakes his head. He was used to being called sir, even by people older than him. Heck, people older than his father's father , Charles's grandfather, called him sir and his grandpa was rather old. His other one was dead. He never met him, so, no hard feelings.

Still, it kind of weirded him out when older people called him sir. He was 13 after all, he shouldn't have authority over anyone except Mario, and other characters from the video games he played.

"She's not bothering me." Charles said, looking at Diana.

"Let's go!" says Anne, grabbing both Greg and Diana, and dragging them off.

"Hey! Wait for us!" yells Andrew. Charles runs after him, looking back at the remaining Heffley's with uncertainty.