Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Thirty-Two

They had flown into Podgorica, Montenegro, late at night to sleep once again at an embassy. It never mattered how worn out the beds were because by the time their heads hit the pillow, their eyes were closed. They were out within a matter of seconds. This was the only privacy, and they didn't even take full advantage of it. Harry was in his pajamas and in bed. Meredith tried to wipe as much makeup off her face as possible, once becoming a pale face with oddly red blotches on her face that came naturally. This was a side the public didn't see. She sneezed and blew her nose into a tissue. When she pulled the tissue back, she noticed the brown makeup that had filled it from going into her tear ducts, through her sinus cavities and then out her nose.

"Delightful." Meredith slept.

In the morning, Meredith was up. After a shower, she sat in front of the mirror, having her hair blown out and having her makeup down. On a morning that wasn't filled with dresses and museums, Meredith still had makeup on her face that was too expensive. On a more exciting morning than usual, the car took the royal couple out to Lake Skadar, also known as Skadarsko jezero.

At the lake, it wasn't breezy or cold. Warm air came across the lake, which came from the Adriatic Sea that was fairly close. After Jessica had tried to put a thick jacket on Meredith and the duchess refused, now she wore a light jacket. On this adventure, Meredith was dressed for the hike that they were going on today. Of course, she wasn't dressed how she wanted to dress on hike-- like she didn't want to go on a hike-- but Meredith had been promised it wasn't going to be too far of a hike or too many hills. Meredith grinned and beared it. Harry was beside her, and she wasn't into this kind of life.

The weather in February meant thawing here, and the plants had started to show it. There were still some snowy and icy patches, especially on some of hills, but it was easy to walk around them. Hiking upon some of the trails, Meredith did her best to keep up as the guide yapped about the lake. While it was all good information, sweat started to bead down her back and armpits. She wasn't out of breath, but her legs still hurt from her fall, which was... how many days ago? The days blended together.

Harry glanced back at his wife and paused the guide. "What is this tree? How does it affect the ecosystem? Are there many trees like this?"

Meredith was willing to give her husband whatever he wanted, right there and then. Relief stretched through Meredith. Perhaps, like Jessica had said, Lake Skadar was like the Highlands; at this moment, she remembered how she hiked the Highlands and swore off ever doing it again. Harry took a glance back at his wife, and she nodded. Bodyguards Bill and Bella neither had issues with this, but Bella remained at Meredith's side throughout.

When the guide was finished with the trees, they started their hike again. Thankfully, the pictures for this had been taken at the beginning of this journey.

As it finished, Jessica, who had been waiting by the car in heels and a pencil skirt, watched as the duke and duchess thanked the guide and then swiftly got into the car. As the vehicle started to go, she asked, "Was it fun, your highnesses?"

"All the fun," Harry answered genuinely.

"Can I go back to bed now?" Meredith asked, chugging water.

The flight from Podgorica, Montenegro, to Belgrade, Serbia, was not long, which was a problem for Meredith who actually thought she needed a shower. Her makeup and hair was redone. A dress was dropped over Meredith's body, and she stepped up into heels. Harry was placed in a gray suit. The black suits and tuxes were only worn for special events.

Stepping off the airplane, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were greeted by the Serbian royal family, also known as the Yugoslavian royal family. The family had been out of power since 1945, which was when communism had come to power in Yugoslavia. The Queen had personally pushed for Harry and Meredith to come here since at the front of the family stood Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, who happened to be the Queen's godson. His wife, Crown Princess Katherine, stood at his side. His children stood in order: Peter, Hereditary Prince of Yugoslavia; Prince Philip of Yugoslavia and Princess Danica with their son, Prince Stefan; and Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia.