The Crown (Prince Harry fanfic #5)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Upon returning to London, the couple were out and about again with royal events. Sometimes it was just them; sometimes they were William and Catherine; sometimes they were with Eugenie and Beatrice; sometimes the sons were along. Either way, the crowds came out. It didn't matter what the event was, but people were there. Sometimes they lined the streets; other times, people were stacked into the room. When Harry and Lucy did their own events, the ones where it was just one of them, people still came out in full force. Lucy never had these numbers before, which made her wonder why people suddenly took such an interest in her. Along with the the crowds came paparazzi, which crawled over themselves to get pictures.

It was early June with the hot weather in London, and Lucy tried to keep her cool. Originally their sons were supposed to accompany them to the event, but with the heat, no one would've been happy. Freddie and Henry would've been screaming their heads off. It was better this way. The couple wished everyone else would see it that way.

Lucy never did well with the heat, and she tried to fan herself off. Harry had removed his jacket and yet wore long sleeves. The heat didn't bother him, but he had spent time in the Middle East. Though Lucy spent time in Africa, she never grew accustomed to the heat. She chose to go Africa when it was supposed to be chillier-- or at least not beating hot. She had prepared for the event with a short but long enough skirt and evenly matched sleeves, but the warmth crawled on her skin. It was never ladylike to sweat.

The sun beat down on the whole tribe of people outside in London. Speakers came and went, and everyone seemed to be out of water. Lucy watched the crowds reactions and followed suit. Harry kept his hand on the small of her back, when she wished he would stop. He made her all hot and bothered. Harry intently watched the speaker, listening carefully. He enjoyed the subject, which was oddly enough about global warming. Lucy cared for the topic, just not when she had to deal with it.

No matter how impassioned the speaker was about global warming, Lucy's mind went back to the countryside, where they all had been happy for two weeks. It had been peaceful, but it was only two weeks. Harry and Lucy got back to their jobs quickly, always had. For two weeks, it was brilliant and kind. Most royals stayed in the countryside for longer; that wasn't for them. Henry didn't know differently but Freddie missed his home. He liked the holiday but he wanted his own crib again.

After the event, Lucy and Harry greeted the scientists and then left as quickly as possible. The swarming paparazzi seemed invigorated by the heat. They pushed against each other, against the small security team there. The couple's bodyguards tried to put more space between the car and the people were cameras. It didn't work.

The security line was broken, and Lucy was able to throw herself into the car with Harry following her before the paparazzi crushed their bodies and cameras to the car. The shouts filled the air. Panic didn't strike the seasoned couple as they waited. The bodyguards would get it under control soon enough.

The flashes of light managed to blind Harry for a second, and he blinked away wetness that sprung into his eyes. Clearing his vision, his blue eyes rested on his wife. She looked... annoyed, at the least, but not angry. She never looked angry or upset. Lucy's eyes turned to the nearest paparazzi that pressed against the window. Her head tilted to the side. A smirk rested on her face. Lucy challenged them.

Their shots rocketed through the glass of the windows. Insults were thrown at them with the occasional question. Anything was said to get a rise out of the couple. Stoic took over. Lucy's face didn't even falter as a hateful question came through the glass about Freddie's second birthday. An event wasn't planned and she wouldn't plan it. Harry apparently caught the hateful question, but focused his eyes forward.

Soon enough, the paparazzi were pulled off the car, and the car pulled away. The paparazzi were left in the dust. On the way back to Kensington Palace, it was perfectly peaceful compared to the event.

"Luce?" Harry tested the waters.

"Hmm?"

"The paparazzi has kind of a point." Harry hated to say it. "Freddie's birthday is coming up, and it's as much about the public as it is about him. The public expects a certain facade," he referred to one of the first things she ever said to him, "and a birthday party is perhaps one of the few that would be good. Pictures of him will be released. It'll keep them happy for a little while."

"They'll want pictures of Henry too."

"Obviously." Harry didn't like putting cameras in front of his children.

Lucy took a deep breath. "What if we did something different for Freddie's birthday?"

Harry perked in interested.

"It was recent already, like last year, that we went to Minnesota." She spoke of her old home. "There aren't events surroundings Freddie's birthday, so we could take our family there for a happy occasion instead of our last trip."

"I can ask Siobhan and my dad, but we still might need a birthday party."

"I'm sure I can find something," she sighed. "I have a few friends here and there with kids already." She was almost twenty-seven, or she would have been twenty-seven by the time they would to Minnesota. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind some free press for fifteen minutes of fame, and just to have a play date."

"And chocolate cake," Harry added.

"And chocolate cake," Lucy agreed with a smile. "That'll give them pictures, and there is stuff around my old home to do. I'm sure we can appease the public for a while with pictures."

"I'm sure too."

The car lurched through the security stop and entered Kensington Palace grounds.

"Then it's settled," Lucy said, "we're going to Minnesota once again."