Royals: Part 6

Chapter 1

"Thank you, Nanny Sophia, have fun!"

"We will," said the royal nanny with a warm smile, carrying Jackie's one year old daughter against her hip.

Jackie waved to Mary Kate, who flashed her four teeth in an otherwise gummy smile.

Nanny Sophia was taking Mary Kate out to the private gardens of Kensington Palace, where they would meet up with Mary Kate's cousin, George, and his nanny, Maria, for a playdate. Jackie needed some alone time in order to properly plan her next few days. Saying her plate was full was an understatement- her plate was piled so high it may snap in two.

Jackie's immediate concern was her wardrobe for the Invictus Games opening ceremony. It was September 5th, the Games just 5 days away. She wanted so badly to support Harry's hard work, he had been stressing over every detail of the event for nearly a year. The first step in supporting Harry was finding the proper outfit for the debut of the Invictus Games.

There was a knock at the front door of the apartment. Jackie walked quickly, swinging the door open to reveal Elizabeth Davidge, her lady in waiting, trusted advisor, and currently estranged friend.

"Your Highness," Elizabeth greeted.

Jackie put a hand on her hip. "Elizabeth, I've got some great news and I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me your full, un-acrimonious, attention."

"Have you finally decided to stop wearing those dreadful sandals?" Elizabeth asked, brushing past Jackie and making herself at home at the dining room table. Jackie and her lady in waiting hadn't been on friendly terms since she admitted her desire to pull back from the royal spotlight and focus her attention on Mary Kate. Elizabeth was a traditionalist, and believed that Jackie's first and foremost priority should be representing the monarchy.

Jackie looked down at her Birkenstock sandals, letting Elizabeth's comment roll of her back- for the time being. "No- it's better."

"I can't think of anything better than that."

Jackie pursed her lips. "Prepared to be shocked."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Jackie smiled. "I'm pregnant."

Immediately, Elizabeth's stony facade cracked. She stood from the table, crossing the room in a few quick strides before pulling Jackie into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, Jackie, I'm so happy for you."

Jackie and Harry had been trying for their second child for nearly 6 months before they discovered that she was finally expecting. Jackie suspected Elizabeth was nearly as anxious as she and Harry were for another addition to their family. However- Jackie's first ultrasound earlier that week had revealed they were expecting a bit more than they were bargaining for.

"There's more," Jackie said.

Elizabeth smiled. "You're pregnant and you're tossing those sandals in the rubbish?"

Jackie said the words that still managed to shock her, though she had been stewing over the idea for a few days. "I'm having twins."

Elizabeth's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "You are not."

Jackie nodded, her face cracking open into a smile. Elizabeth hugged her even tighter, before pulling back with a start. "There's so much to do and so little time!"

---

Jackie kissed Mary Kate's forehead before tiptoeing out of her sleeping daughter's nursery. It was 9:00, and Harry was due home any minute after another long day of Invictus Games planning. Jackie and Harry hadn't been spending much time together in the past few weeks, with Harry's busy schedule and Jackie's increase in domestic duties.

Creeping down the steps of her Kensington Palace flat, Jackie's mind wandered to a day nine months from then. The twins will have been born, Mary Kate will be speaking in sentences and more mobile than ever. Jackie wanted to be the main caregiver, but she wondered if it was possible for her to put two newborns and a toddler to sleep while Harry was working late without help from a nanny or two. Her heart sped up at the thought, mind racing a mile a minute.

Jackie let out a sigh, deciding to busy herself with making sure dinner was ready for Harry instead of worrying about things outside of her control. She'd worked hard on his favorite- roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. She wanted to spend some good, quality time with him before the chaos of The Games began.

Just as she finished plating up two servings, the door to the flat opened. Rupert, who was sleeping on the couch in the informal sitting room, didn't stir. Harry came into the kitchen, looking worn out.

Jackie smiled, pulling her husband into a hug. "How was your day?"

Harry put a hand on the back of Jackie's head, the best feeling in the world. "Good. Long. Exhausting."

"Well, I hope you're hungry," Jackie said, pointing to the table where she'd set out their dinner.

Harry beamed. "Thank you."

He gave her a kiss before they sat down, talking about their days. Jackie's heart felt full of happiness as she soaked in everything about him. She was brought back to the days before his deployment, just after they stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day. It seemed like they were never apart, and now, she saw him for half an hour before he left for work in the morning and for half an hour at night before they went to sleep. When they stood on the balcony, it all seemed so simple, it seemed like they were the only two in the world, despite the hundreds of thousands cheering below.

"I talked to Kate today, she says she's been feeling ill again, so they're going to announce her pregnancy soon," Jackie said, trying to take her mind off of things.

Harry took a bite of his chicken. "That's too bad, I wish they could keep it a secret for longer. Have you thought of when you'd like to announce it?"

Jackie shrugged. "12 weeks, I'd say. So we still have another 7 to keep it between us."

"You know they'll be the first twins born in the royal family since the 15th century?" Harry said with a smile. "I wonder what they are. Boy and girl, girl and girl, boy and boy?"

"The doctor says they're identical, she can tell because they share a placenta, which means it's either going to be two girls or two boys," Jackie said. "What do you want?"

"Two healthy babies, most importantly," Harry said, "But I think I'd like two more girls, to be honest. I want hundreds of little Mary Kates."

Jackie grinned. "So do I." She paused. "It's such a shock, though, because we've been saying how we only wanted one more."

"I know, I didn't believe the doctor at first." Harry put a hand on Jackie's. "It's going to be hard, but there's nothing we can't handle."

Jackie took a deep breath, trying to believe him. "Are you all ready for The Games?"

Harry sighed. "Just about. I can't wait for you to see it all come together at the Opening Ceremony."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

---

Thanks for being so patient for this update! I have lots of things in store for this book, but as always, I appreciate any plot suggestions you can think of!!

Thanks Atlantismyhome for the wonderful edit of Jackie and Harry on their wedding day!! It's so perfect I just had to add it to this chapter.