Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Nineteen

When the airplane touched down in Vienna, Meredith wasn't as glammed out as she was the night previous. In Monaco, it wasn't a competition. In Vienna, it was class. A black dress covered swept across her body but left her shoulders bare. Red lipstick stained her teeth, which matched her shoes. Rubies hung from her earrings. A ruby bracelet glimmered in the light.

Jessica handed the duchess a black shall, which she wrapped around herself, and a small black clutch. The chilly breeze swept across the pavement as they slid into the car, and the door slammed shot. Vienna was lit up brightly as the black, sleek car traveled around, and it stopped outside the Schoenbrunn Palace. It was a Baroque palace filled with a lavish interior. While it was a tourist area in the day, at night it was lit up and became full to the brim with the wealthy of Vienna.

Meredith watched from inside the car as it rolled up. "Don't you think we should have more events, like charity and so?" She didn't like being around all these wealthy people. It didn't feel right, and she felt out of place. Harry felt this too, even having grown up in it. Both preferred the charitable events over the small talk that came from these people.

"I'll race you to the alcohol," Harry joked as he stepped out of the car.

Her door pooped open as well, and Meredith stepped onto the pavement. Her red heels clicked against the cobblestone. Slowly, she had grown more comfortable with walking in cobblestone in heels, as dangerous as it was. Meredith's arm slipped through Harry's as they approached the front doors that were wide open.

Dropping her shall at the coat room, Meredith carried the clutch in one hand while she shook the boney hands of the people around her. While it wasn't a formal royal event, where people were supposed to line up, people lined up here. They went down the line, where Meredith waited behind Harry. When he moved, she moved. At the end of the never ending line, the duke and duchess were handed glasses of champagne.

"Prost!" the room cheered.

"Look them in the eyes," Meredith warned with a smirk. "It's bad luck if you don't."

The royal couple lifted their glasses equally. "Prost," they said in unison, smiling. The champagne touched their lips, and Harry swallowed, obviously liking the taste. Meredith sighed and pretended to swallow, knowing she was to hold the same glass for the rest of the night.

Harry smirked. "You don't like it?"

"It tastes horrible."

"It is three hundred years old."

"Ich denke, wir sollten auf ein Bier fluechten," Meredith suggested, but with Harry's look, he didn't understand. "I think we should escape for some beer."

"Tomorrow," he promised, "Morgen." A smile spread across his face, pleased with himself to know a bit of another language. Meredith gave him approval, and his grin broadened from ear to ear.

"But I've never had Austrian beer."

"Do you think it tastes different?"

"I don't know until I try." Meredith placed the champagne glass to her lips again and pretended to sip again. The bubbly champagne barely grazed her bottom lip, yet Meredith was ready to call it quits. "How long do we have to be here?"

"Usually I just wait until Jessica tells me it's time to go," Harry whispered.

Meredith walked like a hawk as someone watched her through the crowd, and she did her best to look impassive. Harry watched as others spoke around them, giving little speeches to the duke, but never really glancing at Meredith. However, this person from across the room, gave a glared look of superiority; they began to make their way through the crowd. "Oh, here we go," Meredith sighed.

Harry glanced and then stiffened beside her. "Do you know them?"

"No. I was hoping you might." Her eyes never left the couple that came closer.

"No idea."

"So they have no title, wealth or something else I should know about?" Meredith didn't like how they walked, like the world revolved around them, as if the seas parted for them-- and they knew it. There wasn't a crown on either one of them, but they walked with their noses pointed in the air with a bad stench.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Harry breathed. "Good luck."

"The same to you." Meredith plastered a polite and dignified look on her face.

The couple approached. The man did a deep bow, and the woman did a perfect curtsy. Meredith's green eyes traveled over the woman, collecting information, and she settled on the makeup of the woman, which was natural with a tinge of pink blush. Oddly enough, when Meredith glanced at the man, he too wore the same makeup.

"Good evening, your highness," they introduced. "We do hope you are having a wonderful time tonight."

"It is wonderful here," the duchess said, keeping her voice light. "There is great company."

"As well as amazing champagne," the woman piped up. "Your highness, you must have more than one glass."

"I will keep things formal tonight, ma'am." The woman's eyes traveled over the duchess, and Meredith didn't bat an eyelash. After all, this was just a normal night, and these were just normal people that Meredith didn't know of yet. "What exactly is your occupation?"

"Well, we're both descendants, you see, from royal houses around Europe," he explained. "I come from a long lineage, through many of the German royal kingdoms. My wife is a descendant of Queen Victoria."

The woman raised her chin a little higher; her thin smirk almost became a smile. "It is a very prestigious honor. There isn't many of us," the woman said.

Over a thousand, Meredith wanted to state, but she bit her tongue. As of 2014, when those were the latest numbers, over eight-hundred were still alive. Also, as of 2014, Prince Philip and King Michael of Romania were the oldest living great-grandchildren. The Queen remained a great grandchild of Queen Victoria.

Harry interjected, "That is very nice to meet another member of my family." His blue eyes glanced sideways, as if he caught something interesting in the distance. "Will you excuse us, please." He kept his hand on the small of his wife's back as he steered her away. When they were a safe enough distance away, he leaned over and whispered, "Social climbers."

"You said they count themselves into the thousands," Meredith murmured.

"Sometimes they do. They obviously had." Harry smiled at the people as they passed. "They're probably past a thousand." His voice was kept low as they passed by other people.

"But why do they do it? What do they hope to gain?"

"Something, always," he promised, voice rumbling. "They always want something, usually favors, a place at the next wedding, a meeting with Granny, so forth. It is never a quick Hello and Best of luck with people like this." Harry wore a princely smile, but Meredith knew his eyes well enough that they betrayed him. "Never trust those people, Mere. They will come back to hurt the monarchy and you in the end."

Meredith placed a hand across his cheek, running a thumb over his growing back beard. "I will keep that in mind." She wore a calm smile. "Come on, let's do a few more rounds of the room before disappearing. Maybe we can sneak into a pub before they close." Slipping her arm through his again, they rounded.