The Shield (Prince Harry fanfic #2)

Chapter Four

All in all, it had been three hours since Harry showed up to the charity event with his brother, William, and it was not like learning how to ride a bicycle again. He didn't know what to do or how to act. He didn't smile at the right moments. He felt awkward when he stood there. His words didn't help either. However, he was still as charming as ever, everyone else said. Harry could do no wrong. Even William believed so, though he had hope soon Harry would get it again. He just needed practice. Harry took it hard still.

When he had come back from war, going back to his daily life had been difficult at times, but the charity events were. Whenever he took holidays, he came back and ready. He always did well with events of these sorts. But this was a different out of commission, where he had been on bed rest for a while and he worked to walk again.

As well as, during the event, his mind wandered. Interestingly enough, it happened in his past, but he was able to hear what was going on. He knew what happened in his surroundings. It was different now. Some part of him felt dead. His mind wouldn't focus. He wanted to say that his mind would focus on Lucy, and sometimes it did. Sometimes he strayed away from the present and joined her in the past. Sometimes he wandered off to wherever she was and whatever she did. But he was mostly focusing in and out, never upon a thing.

Whenever Harry stumbled on a talking point, which today he didn't give a speech, William helped him out as the best of his abilities. However, William was sometimes gone, and Harry was left to his own devices.

Shaking hands with everyone and a few kisses on the cheeks, Harry made it around the circle. He wished to have spent time with children today, who were always forgiving. Children never judged him, but today he was with the people who made money donations to the hospital. When it came time, Harry and William exited the charity event and reached their black and sleek car.

"I think that went well," William said, always the positive one.

Harry laughed. "That went well?"

"It could have gone worse."

"That was terrible. I was not ready and--"

"Harry, no one expects you to be ready. You wanted to push yourself to get out there again, so we didn't push you to stay inside."

"Do you think I pushed myself too hard?"

"Do you think you did?"

Looking out the window, there was a crowd of women, and Harry looked at every face to find Lucy. She wasn't there, not that he thought she was anywhere near him.

"Stop looking for her out the window," William said calmly.

Harry realized it must be his reflection of the glass that gave him away. "I need to push myself hard, Wills. I need to get out there. You know I don't do well just sitting around and waiting. I don't care if that's how I heal because it's so boring. It doesn't feel right. There's so much to do in life. Why should I just wait around?" Harry looked at his older brother now, and William reciprocated.

He cleared his throat. "Harry, we're not talking about that anymore. Now we're just talking about this girl."

"Woman," Harry corrected.

"Woman," William admitted. Quietness filled the air that neither of them answer to. "Harry--"

"Please don't, Wills. Not today. Not now."

Harry didn't want another lecture upon Lucy, which he had gotten from basically everyone in the royal family. Lucy wasn't a bad candidate for Harry's love, but she wasn't good. She had many points against her: age, geography, education, and the list continued. Her past played a key part, good and bad points to her. Her past included a mass shooting, where she could get points for being a hero by taking down the gunman as well as she was given sympathy. She didn't learn points because of the situation. Like being a hero, Lucy had points for her, like her charity work and her money. She had enough money where she couldn't be called a gold-digger. As for her charity work, she was blamed for Harry's injury, somewhat.

If Harry did bring Lucy into his world, it wasn't known how the world would react, but the odds were against her. There many things that people would find not to like her. They would try to tear her apart, or at least they would try. The media, especially the British media, would start with her looks and then divulge in her past. They would do anything to get the "story," even if it was all false. They would make up lies about her, all to ruin her. When they went into her past, they would start at the mass shooting, talking about her family that died, and they would ask her family member that wanted money and her old peers. Actually, the media would ask all her peers or family members for quotes about her, no matter what it was, for some money and a story. They would go to the people who didn't actually know Lucy, all for some fake stories.

He didn't want to do that her, and undoubtedly, Lucy didn't want that done to her. Perhaps that was why she stayed away.

When they reached their Kensington Palace compartment, Harry didn't speak to William again as they walked in. Harry clawed at his jacket, unable to get it off without causing himself pain. William offered to help and Harry almost accepted, but he walked off. To drown out the angry silence Harry felt, he turned on the television and William waited for his brother to calm down.

Breaking news was reported, running in red captions of boldness upon the small screen. BBC reported a terrorist attack had tried to take place upon a train on its way to London but was stopped by a passenger. The name had yet to be reported and probably wouldn't be reported for at least several hours. The name wouldn't be important now, rather people aboard the train. Currently there were no injuries reported, and it was hoped to keep it that way. Whoever stopped the attack must have done it efficiently and quickly, not scared in the face of danger.

"How terrible," William said. "This keeps happening for no apparent reason, and now they're coming here." He shook his head. "It's a good thing the passenger stopped it before it even started. I expect them to get an award or even awards." He looked down at his younger brother. "Harry?"

All that Harry focused on was the one word he said, "Lucy."