Mi Princesa

Part Two - Chapter Eighteen: The Final Preparations

Vanessa took a deep breath as she was finally left alone, she sank back on the couch and rested a hand on her stomach; she couldn't believe how fast her coronation was approaching and now they were only a week away. 

It seemed unreal how quickly things had run since Charlotte has gotten married, the palace was so busy with coronation plans and everything seemed to be only getting worse with Joseph's wedding approaching in a couple of months. 

Vanessa chewed on her lip, her pregnancy would be announced in August and she knew that Fernando didn't want her overdoing it; she was doing her best to stay away from all the stress however it wasn't easy. 

Vanessa sat up and ran a hand through her hair, she was sure that she would get to go home soon and she was hopeful that Fernando was doing well with his charity; she wished that she could have gone with him but plans needed to be sorted out. 

Vanessa brushed some hair from her face, she had details to nail down for her coronation and she was so nervous about all of this and she didn't want to mess up; she knew that everyone would be watching her on that day. 

"I remember your grandfather's coronation," Elizabeth mused stepping into the room, she hadn't really seen any of her grandchildren recently and she did feel bad that she hadn't been there for them. 

It was only because of Margaret that she had finally come to see Vanessa, she had to help her eldest granddaughter and she knew that becoming Queen would be hard for her. 

Vanessa stared at her grandmother, she hadn't been expecting Elizabeth to show up since she hadn't really seen her since her father had passed away; she had assumed that she would avoid the palace completely after what had happened.

Elizabeth walked across the room, she needed to talk with Vanessa and she hoped that her granddaughter wasn't going to be upset with her for shutting her out.

"You're glowing," Elizabeth murmured remembering that Margaret had told her that there was going to be another royal baby by the end of the year; she was happy for Vanessa but she still wished that George was here to share this.

 Vanessa didn't say a word, she didn't know what to say to her grandmother after months of practically nothing; she had been so busy lately and she could have used her help sooner. 

Elizabeth sighed moving to sit down, she knew that things were crazy right now and she knew that things weren't going to be simple; she recalled Arthur's coronation and all the work that had needed doing for that. 

"How have you been?" Elizabeth asked watching her granddaughter, she had been keeping an eye on things for a while now and she was so proud of how Vanessa was handling being Queen. 

It was strange to think of her as the Queen of Andorra now, she would be coronated soon and then it would be official; everything would change again and it made Elizabeth nervous. 

"I've been fine," Vanessa replied simply, she had no idea why her grandmother had come to see her and she guessed that it had something to do with her impending coronation. 

Vanessa imagined that Elizabeth had some words of wisdom for her and she wasn't sure what to think right now; she watched her grandmother wondering what was going on in her head. 

The two were silent for a moment while Elizabeth gathered her thoughts, she had a request for her granddaughter and she doubted that Vanessa or anyone would like what she had come to speak with Vanessa about.

***

Fernando stepped into his home and frowned when he realised how silent it was, he looked around wondering where the children were; he had expected them to run to greet him since it was only late afternoon. 

Fernando shrugged off his suit jacket as he made his way further into the house, he didn't like that it was so quiet and he hoped that everything was alright; he hadn't heard from Vanessa all day and he was starting to worry that something had happened. 

Walking into the living room Fernando stopped and frowned at the sight of Vanessa with a glass of wine that was sat on the table; he raised an eyebrow walking closer to his wife wondering what was going on. 

"You know you can't drink that right?" Fernando murmured sitting down next to Vanessa, he guessed she'd had a bad day and he wished that he could have been there to help her; he had been busy with his charity work and he had been sure that there was nothing that she couldn't handle. 

"Doesn't mean I can't stare at it," Vanessa replied looking at Fernando, she knew that she couldn't drink and she wasn't going to but she was so annoyed right now after her talk with Elizabeth. 

Fernando wrapped his arms around his wife and started to cuddle with her, he didn't know what had happened but he knew that nothing usually bothered Vanessa this much; he rested his head against hers knowing that stress wasn't good for their baby. 

"My grandmother came to see me today," Vanessa revealed carefully, she closed her eyes replaying what had happened in her mind; she couldn't believe what her grandmother had said to her. 

Fernando looked down at Vanessa surprised, he knew she'd been at the palace and he had never thought that Elizabeth would go there after what had happened with George. 

Elizabeth had been practically off the grid since George had passed away and Fernando knew that for her to appear now so close to the coronation would be hard for Vanessa.

"She asked me to abolish the monarchy," Vanessa said pulling back to look at Fernando, she was still so angry that after all this time that Elizabeth had only come to see her to ask her to do something. 

Fernando stared at his wife, he knew that she missed her grandmother and that her request would hurt; Vanessa had been doing so well since her father had passed away and he didn't know what to say to her. 

"She said this job would kill me... like it did my father and grandfather," Vanessa whispered knowing that both her grandfather and father had been killed because they had been put under a lot of stress; she wondered if that could happen to her. 

Fernando shook his head and kissed Vanessa, he would never let that happen and he knew that Arthur and George had been practically alone when it came to things; he would never let Vanessa do all of this alone, she would always have his support. 

"Is that what you want?" Fernando asked brushing his fingers gently through her hair, he hated that her grandmother had only come to her for that reason; she hadn't been involved in her family since George had passed away and she had cut herself off from the world. 

Vanessa shook her head, she would be Queen as long as her country wanted and needed her; she would never turn her back on Andorra and she was sure that things would be fine. 

"Then I will always be here for you... you are not alone in this," Fernando told her cupping her face, she was his wife, the mother of his children and he would never turn his back on her. 

Fernando knew that none of this was ever going to be easy but he would always be there to support Vanessa and he knew that she would do the same for him if he ever needed it.