The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter 38

Maddie would never have been able to guess just how crazy her life would become over the next six weeks. It was the strangest sort of dichotomy. As Maddie's professional life settled, her personal life was tossed up into the wind.

She began volunteering at Saint Joseph's co-leading one group of returning soldiers, one group for families of deployed men and women, and she began seeing new individuals as the need arose. This, along with her continued work with the children provided her with the mental and intellectual stimulation that kept her mind lively and engaged.

Her personal life was an entirely different story. Harry was drawing her further into his life; closer to his family. And as Harry introduced her to the family, the press was slowly discovering who she was and introducing her to the world.

After the pictures from the polo made their debut, it was easy to see that the mystery blonde was not the supposed British actress, nor was she the return of Chelsy. But so far, that was all they knew. She was back to mystery blonde. Though Maddie knew that with every outing, with every meeting, they were all growing closer and closer to a time when the mystery would lift.

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Maddie met Harry's cousin Eugenie and her boyfriend Jack at a concert. Maddie was nervous initially but when the four of them met up at Harry's before heading out, her nerves were instantly tamed. Eugenie was warm and funny and incredibly sweet. And Jack, having been in Maddie's shoes offered jokes and hilarious tales of the family—putting Maddie at ease.

After the concert, they stole away for drinks in the corner of a dark and crowded pub as tales of a royal childhood tossed back and forth across the table. And after they finally parted ways well into the next morning, Harry confirmed his suspicions. Eugenie and Jack loved her...and he had a picture message on his phone of them both offering two thumbs up to prove it. Maddie allowed him to take a similar picture of her to send back to them. She loved them too.

Though photos never emerged of this night out, at least none with Maddie in them, there was a series of tweets that went out telling of Harry's whereabouts and that he was indeed out with the Mystery Blonde who was very clearly not just a flash in the pan for the young prince.

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More pictures emerged shortly after Maddie's second polo match where she met Harry's cousin Zara and her hilarious husband Mike. Zara was quick to agree with her brother's read on Harry's feelings for the young American who held genuine interest in hearing about Zara's Olympic experiences all while matching Mike's quick witted jabs; punch for punch. That night, when she and Harry had drinks with the Tindalls, Maddie felt a part of the group, completely comfortable in this new environment.

As the press was focusing in on her, the photographs from that day were clearer, her face more detailed.

Ella called the next morning with the good news;

"Your hair has improved significantly since the first photos."

And the bad news;

"If Harry doesn't learn to keep his hand off your ass, people are going to start to talk."

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It was on a return trip to Highgrove House that the press gained their greatest advantage in the search for the mystery woman. Taking an extended weekend, Maddie and Harry had packed up with Harry's crew and Ella in tow and left the city. The trip was amazing; late mornings, later nights. They ate amazing food, drank fantastic wine and enjoyed the relative freedom from onlookers at the local pub fare.

It was in one of those pubs, when Maddie was overheard ordering a drink at the bar, that the hunt for her identity reached a turning point. A tweet went out, then a blog post and before the end of the extended weekend, the world knew.