Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Sixteen

There was a nice thing about being in these majors cities, the British consulate was easy to get to. While the couple wasn't staying long enough to have rooms made up for them, it was a private lunch at the British consulate in Rome before heading out to see the rest of the city. Meredith shed the black to be given-- thankfully-- pants and a jacket.

"For good behavior, your highness," Jessica warned, giving a look.

Meredith was proud of herself, because she didn't roll her eyes as Jessica watched her. She rolled her eyes after Jessica left. Changing, Meredith ate a quiet lunch with her husband, tasting just a bit on Roman cuisine. They said she was able to have whatever she wanted, and Meredith chose pizza. Harry ate his pasta with mixed in vegetables and seafood, but she was happy with her margarita pizza.

"You've been listening to that song all day," he said, amused.

Once again, Meredith was proud. "I always said to myself 'If I'm going to Rome ever, I'm playing this song.'"

"Mere, I don't know what this song is."

"Let me give you knowledge."

Harry scoffed but didn't argue. Placing down his fork, he gave her his full attention.

"Lizzie McGuire, one of the best shows ever, and eventually it became a movie. This shy and awkward girl gets to travel to Rome with her class and best friend. And there she meets a pop star--"

"And they fall in love?" he suggested.

"No, actually. See Lizzie looks like his ex-love and singing partner, so he convinces her to pretend to be her. At an award show, she is forced to sing on stage. He comes out as phony. The old girl shows up, and Lizzie and her sing together. Thus ends the normal life of Lizzie McGuire. She sings her heart out, and dreams come true."

Harry has bitten down on his bottom lip so that he doesn't laugh outright, but his eyes gave everything away. Clearing his throat, Harry wiped a napkin across his mouth. "That's an interesting story."

"We'll have to watch it. I think it's on Netflix." Meredith stuffed a piece of pizza on her mouth.

Harry arched an eyebrow. "You're going to play this song all day?"

"I might switch it out with 'Why Not.' Would you prefer that?"

"No, it's fine."

After the early lunch, it was haul and a drive as they moved from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. Tours were given at all. It wasn't just the Colosseum that they saw, even though it was larger than Meredith ever thought it was. Rows and rows of seats awaited, just looking down toward the middle of the next gladiator to step into the ring. It was more than the Pantheon, which the couple spent less than ten minutes in because of the tight schedule. None of the pictures ever showed the irregularity. With the smaller space anyway, it an easier get in and get out with the tourists mulling about.

By mid-afternoon, the duke and duchess climbed the fame Spanish Steps with the whole of the cameras watching. Steps were not a strong suit of Meredith, and she did her best to keep the duchess look. Harry gripped her hand. Once they reached the top, Meredith flipped her hair back and smiled. Harry, who didn't have a problem with the stairs, smiled too at the cameras. The tour guide, who spoke easily the whole time, didn't notice-- or at least didn't comment-- about Meredith being out of breath.

When getting in the car after the Spanish steps, Jessica handed back water, and Meredith drank hers greedily, knowing it was going to come back to bite her. If she drank, a break as needed. If she didn't drink, it was possible to pass out. A headache started this morning, and now a migraine echoed through her skull. Meredith nibbled on the food that she was given, but it was a shorter drive with people all along the way to watch.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, concerned.

"I'm all good," she promised, ready for a break. Meredith reminded herself it was this, then the airplane and then Monaco. The day wasn't over yet, and it wasn't over until the early hours of tomorrow, when it time to start again.

Thankfully, it was cool outside in Rome. It was cold to the bodies of the people who lived here, but here, Meredith breathed in the fresh air. It was a bit too hot still, and she wanted to shed her jacket. Meredith didn't do that, knowing the look Jessica handed her.

The Roman Forum was massive with ruins from the old Roman days around. It was the old days when Romans were doing well at conquering Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa-- yet, Meredith remembered they didn't get very far in Scotland. The Roman Forum used to be used for commercial, religious, economic, political, legal and social activities, which made it all that more helpful that it was in the middle of Rome. Nowadays, the ruins were the only thing that stood.

Meredith's arm slipped through Harry's as they walked. The tour guide's English was perfect, and she mentioned every Latin word before speaking it in English. It was a back and forth as she explained how each piece worked. "Large stone steps led up to there," the tour guide pointed. Now all the stairs were missing.

As Meredith looked, they continued to walk, and Meredith tripped on an uneven cobblestone step. Harry caught her before she completely fell, only making it look like a small tumble instead of a nasty head bash into the old stone. Meredith kept a pasted smile on her face while Harry shot over a concerned look. The tour guide didn't seem to notice, with her back to them, but the cameras sure kept a good focus on them.

Harry tilted back, into her hair, so no one was able to read his lips. "You okay?" His eyes got worse with concern.

She nodded and smiled. "It's the cobblestone." While it was a more than busy day, last thing Meredith wanted to do was quit. Yet, the sooner the day was over, the better. Her head pounded, and her stomach twisted and turned. Meredith hated this concern, always, because she was a big girl who was able to handle her own things by herself. However, the long day combined with the diet, stress and heat made it harder for her to concentrate.

It was a car ride back to the airport with happy smiles and nice waves. It wasn't very safe on the airplane either, until Meredith and Harry went back into their private apartment. Meredith drank water greedily, feeling her stomach become jelly. Harry tried to give her some food, but Meredith shook her head no.

"Mere," he said, "I know you're going to hate this idea, but maybe you don't come tonight."

She didn't dignify that with a response.

"Please, Mere. It's a busy day. One of the busiest that we might have--"

"Then it's a good time to prove that I can do it, isn't it?" Meredith shed her pants, which were soaked in sweat. Able to smell herself, it gave her another reason to not go, but Meredith wasn't a quitter. Don't know until you die, she used to say. "Let's get ready."