Third In Line

Chapter Two - Unconventional Royals

"Do I have to wear this?" Ellie asked, anxiously pinching the fabric of her dress as she stared at herself in a full-length mirror.

"Well you can't wear jeans and a hoodie to your great grandmother's birthday." Kate stood beside her daughter, doing her last minute primping.

Ellie sighed, "It's not even her real birthday, that was in April"

"You know we had this same talk last year" Kate rested her hand on Ellie's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Ellie looked up at her mother and smiled, she seemed to remember everything.

"Sorry, Mum"

Kate pouted and knelt down to Ellie's eye level. "Don't apologize sweetheart," she said calmly, her eyes were piercing deep into Ellie's soul, the motherly love swirling around inside of them.

"I know by now that you and your sister don't see the point of all these yearly events, but you should try to see the fun side of things," Kate gently stroked her cheek, "You know we'll be sharing a carriage with your Uncle Harry, don't you?"

Ellie chuckled, remembering last year when she'd stolen Prince Harry's white beret during the royal procession, and she hid it from him until the last minute when he desperately needed it. In return, he'd made her wear his beret on the carriage ride back down the Mall, with thousands of people watching. The photos of the snickering Princess wearing her uncle's beret were covering the newspapers the next day, and the whole media went into frenzy.

"I haven't seen Uncle Harry in a month" she said longingly, "Don't worry Mum, I'm sure he wont wear a hat this time, we'll just play rock, paper, scissors or something" she couldn't help but smirk at that image.

Her mother tilted her head and gave Ellie a look.

"And I'll smile and wave to everyone in the crowds as well, of course" Ellie added hastily.

"That's my girl" Kate smiled and tucked a strand of Ellie's hair behind her ear. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

Ellie turned her head to gaze into the mirror once again. Her mother was wearing an embellished silver-grey dress, a large silver fascinator, and matching heels, looking as beautiful as ever. Ellie then looked at herself and sighed, she started anxiously picking at the fabric of her dress once again. She was wearing a vibrant red long sleeved dress, a matching pair of heeled sandals.

Her hair was in a half up half down style, with one side pinned over her ear to reveal her diamond stud earrings and the other side allowed to flow down to her shoulders, ending in soft curls. Her hair was just as voluptuous and voluminous as her mother's, and they were more or less the same hair colour too. It was no surprise that her mother had done her hair, acting as her stylist as well as her close friend, advisor, bodyguard, nanny and of course, her mother.

Ellie loved what her mother had done with her hair and everything else, but the dress was just too much for her.

"Mum, I can't go out like this" she declared, "I look like a giant red traffic light!"

"Hush it, you look beautiful Eleanor" her mother reassured.

"No, you look beautiful" she pointed at her mother accusingly "Me, big red traffic light" she crossed her arms and sulked.

"And to make it worse, Alex isn't coming either" she whined, "At least if she came we could wear the same thing and it wouldn't be so bad, but she just had to be ill today"

"Hey!" another whiney voice shouted behind them "I didn't choose to be ill today!"

Ellie and her mother turned around, and standing there on the stairs behind them was Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Cambridge. She was only a year younger than Ellie, and was wearing a light pink dressing gown and fluffy pink slippers, with her long brown hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Her skin was pale and was covered in a thin layer of sweat, whilst her nose was red and swollen.