The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter 23

Dinner with William and Kate was quiet, reserved and told tell of the small, tight, protective circle that surrounded Harry. No doubt, Harry's friends had been protective only in a slightly different way. Meeting his brother, again, and his wife was a wonderful experience for Maddie.

William was warm and welcoming; noting that the last time they had met were not the most ideal circumstances, and congratulating her on her recovery. He was smart and funny and Maddie could sense that, given the opportunity and the right group of people, he could really cut loose. Of course, he had met Maddie before, he had sat at her bedside with his brother sick with worry—so his familiarity with Maddie was on a different level than his wife's.

Kate was the more reserved of the two. She was sweet and lovely and much more beautiful than her photos did her justice. She was soft spoken and slightly modest. Maddie quickly attributed that to the presence of a complete stranger; a newcomer to the circle. And she understood that. Maddie imagined that this particular circle was very careful about who they let in, who they opened up to.

Though Ella had, appropriately, turned down the offer to attend dinner with the four of them, Maddie wished she could have snuck her in, if only so that she would have somebody to turn to, somebody to witness with her what she was witnessing. Instead, she had made plans with Bishop and politely excused herself.

As the dinner ran on, the group eased into friendly conversation with Harry as the willing ring-leader, offering up humorous and harmless tales about all three of them. When Maddie followed Kate into the kitchen to help bring out dessert, Kate smiled somewhat apologetically about her shy demeanor and told her that if, in the process of becoming Harry's girlfriend publicly, she needed anything; to feel free to contact her. Maddie was thankful for the offer that would prove to be incredibly useful in the not too distant future.

And when they finally left, after finishing off a bottle and a half of wine, Maddie tucked her arm into Harry's and sighed with a warm smile. It had not been as immediate as with his father and step-mother, nor as wild and boisterous as with his friends, but the approval of his brother and sister-in-law was there.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Ella..." Maddie's voice called out as she knocked on the door to her friend's room. Harry had left for a meeting and the two of them were heading out to do some shopping.

"Come in!"

"So..." Maddie pushed into the room. "Are you and Bishop like...a thing now?"

"No," Ella shook her head. "We were for two glorious nights, but no. He is a really sweet guy but, I'm a lot to handle."

"Oh I know," Maddie giggled as they made their way downstairs to head out.

"But truly, he is a great guy and...he couldn't speak more highly of Harry."

"Sure," Maddie nodded as they stepped into the waiting cab. "Harry loves him too."

"And...Bishop really likes you..." Ella smiled at her best friend. "He thinks you're a great match for Harry."

"Well sure, He would have to tell you that."

"Na," Ella shook her head. "He meant it. I can tell."

"That's sweet," Maddie sat back in the car. "So, are you ready to do some shopping for Highgrove?"

"Hmmm..." Ella bit her lip. "Yes and no."

"What do you mean; yes and no?"

"Well..." Ella took a breath and smiled, knowing what she was about to say was going to surprise her friend. "I am ready to go shopping. But not for Highgrove. I'm not coming with you."