Princess in Training (Prince Harry #3)

Chapter Forty-Three

Meredith was happy to be back in London when did finally return. Having begged her father to come along, he said no. He still had his job and retirement was coming up quickly enough. Even after Harry explained that Meredith's father didn't have to worry about that anymore, he still didn't go. Meredith's dad said he might go traveling or something, but he promised to be back in time for the wedding-- even more.

"And after?" Meredith asked.

Her dad vowed, "I'll be there when you need me."

She had no choice but to take that as the answer.

London's heat had only dissipated a bit as suddenly it became one month until the wedding. It surely wasn't enough time, and Meredith felt the edge. Weight fell onto her shoulders once again as it was back to the constant public eye, and everyone wanted to know about her wedding plans. Most times she had no idea what to say.

It wasn't that the public eye was heavy, even when she faltered, but it was the neediness to know what she constantly did. What she ate? How she dressed when not in the public eye? Why she chose that kind of makeup? Most times it was all about her looks, and it made her uncomfortable. Even when someone commented that she had lost weight, it made her uncomfortable. Each time she bit her lip so she didn't snap back that it was none of their business.

The magazines called Meredith's weight loss the "Wedding Look" and eventually the "Baby Making Body." Neither of those things were true. Meredith just walked more and she hadn't watched what she ate, but she certainly ate less, mostly because she didn't like what people made for her.

"My lovely bride to be." Harry got down on one knee, and his joints cracked. "I'm not getting old," he said before Meredith made a comment. Holding up the engagement ring, he asked, "Will you marry me?"

"I've got nothing better to do."

Harry slid the ring on and smiled up at his future wife. "I think you started a real trend with those heels the other day." He stood. "Didn't Jessica say you specifically couldn't wear those?"

"Harry, please, let's not have me reduced to fashion choices," Meredith groaned, "but yes, she said that. I took it to mean only when I wasn't around men that I shouldn't tower over, but choices must be made about the unsuspecting men."

He laughed. "Did you see what the Mail is running of you today?"

Meredith arched an eyebrow. "It isn't another article on just my Minnesotan accent and how they're convinced I'm secretly Canadian, like it's some conspiracy theory." Handing the paper over, Meredith read through the article. "Is this all about my height?"

"Suggestions for the extreme height: part giant?"

She snorted. "Could be? You've seen both sides of my family."

"So genes?"

"And calcium and meat-- but yeah, genes." She smiled. "If we have a boy, he'll most likely surpass me."

"I can't wait for that day." Harry wrapped his arms around Meredith. "Now, when do you think that will be?"

"At least after the wedding, and at least a year." She turned around and kissed him. "Didn't Granny want to send us somewhere for a tour? Can we not be useful?"

"I think it might be the Mother of All Tours when they finally bring us forth."

"What does that mean?" Meredith stepped back and watched Harry with an even gaze.

"Wills and Cath are needed here. Granny is getting older," Harry hated to admit it, "and Pa needs to be around at all times, along with Wills and Cath. It's just an order thing, and there haven't been many tours lately-- well, not large ones."

Meredith took a sip of her tea, and it still tasted terrible. The lemon tea was the only tea she dealt with and liked because it tasted like hot lemonade. Whatever Harry brought up to their room on this fine morning wasn't that. "So, it'd be a month instead of a two weeks, and we'd go to a continent-- or several, depending."

"Or all of them and a year," Harry suggested.

It wasn't that Meredith was disappointed because excitement filled her. There were so many places to go and people to meet, but that was a long time away from home. She felt comfortable in London, and she felt most relaxed here. A normal sized tour took forever to get through, but suddenly, a whole year.

"Explain please."

"Some people wish for the old days, where they saw their royals."

"People aren't ruled anymore."

"There is the Commonwealth, and Granny hasn't gone to many of these places. This Commonwealth tour and beyond would hit many places and more. It would be country hoping, and it would many endless dinners and long nights-- with even longer days."

"And they want us to do this?" Meredith asked. "It will be grueling."

"They think we can do it."

"Well, at least it puts off having children." Meredith heaved onto the bed. "It will be an adventure."

"You'll get annoyed with me easily."

"I think there will be other people to be annoyed with before you, like Jessica. I assume she's coming."

"Details are still be worked out, but I would assume yes. It will be a lot of work, and a lot of planning has gone into this. Nothing is quite set in stone, but it will be announced quickly after our wedding," Harry explained.

"We're going on a world tour, like Beyonce or Taylor Swift. We're going to be superstars."

Laughing, Harry laid on the bed beside his fiancee. They stared up at the ceiling. Fans hummed in the distance. Meredith needed some noise to sleep. "Mere, if it does get too hard when we go traveling, you'll tell me. These things are meant to challenge."

"I do love a challenge."

"Oh I know, but there most likely won't be a moment of peace and quiet. Every day we will be traveling or be seen. It will be on the heels in the world."

"But it's the world, Harry." Meredith faced him. "I get to see the world, no matter how grueling it might be. I get to see the world. I get to see people. I get to learn. There are positives for possibly being the most exhausted human in the world." She sighed. "My only question is when do we get started?"