Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Ninety-Nine

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were perfect when they stepped out of their motorcade. The duke was in a navy suit with a white shirt. The duchess absolutely glowed in a bright colored jacket and matching shoes. The wind came through, blowing up slightly to reveal a tan dress below. She was filled with surprises today. Unlike yesterday, she wore no pillbox hat, which allowed her blonde hair to billow the air. It was gorgeous as it curled naturally.

The duke took the duchess by the hand as he rounded the car. They waved to the crowd that had gathered for their morning activity. It was one of the only times the public was going to see them today. This afternoon, they were going up to one of the hills for a private tour.

Quebec City had a history with French routes. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II spoke fluent French, but unfortunately neither did the duke or duchess. The duke had tried it as a youngster, but he did not have the knack of knowing multiple languages. The duchess, on the other hand, knew a few, but she had never dabbled in French before.

Outside the Quebec's Parliament Building, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor met with leaders of both parties before going inside. There, the duke and duchess met with other members of parliament from both sides. Since the monarchy was above politics, it was part of their duty to meet with all and hold no opinion. The duchess had done this wonderfully in the United States of America, her home country. They were given a tour before heading into the large chamber.

The duchess sat in one of the pews while the duke took center stage at the podium. People gathered in the chamber, and cameras lined the back wall. The duke was always nervous about giving speeches, and it was heard in the waver in his voice. However, when he looked down at his wife, a shot of confidence went through him. A grin spread from ear to ear.

He started out by thanking the parliament for having them-- the duke and duchess-- here today. He always loved traveling to Canada, and despite living in the northern part of the United States-- Minnesota, a state that touched Canada-- the duchess have never traveled to Canada before. Whether or not that was true was unknown. She loved it here, though, reminding her of her home. Then the duke dove into Quebec's history. Historically, Quebec wanted to split off into its own country, feeling that they were best suited by itself. The duke, slyly, argued that Quebec added to Canada's culture in an extraordinary way.

"I have traveled to Canada many times before, and Quebec..." the duke continued, doing his duty toward the monarchy. Usually when a place threatened to leave the Commonwealth, it was the queen herself that came to save the day, but the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were already on their way here. It was the perfect opportunity.

The duchess, in her pew, watched her husband with absolute awe. It was love between them, it was easy to see. She was his supporter and his wife. A few times the duke looked down at her for a boost of confidence, and once again, the duchess gave him a smile, just how the speech started.

When the duke's speech started coming to a close, he attempted to speak in Canadian-French. It was hard to say if his French or Canadian-French were better because both of them sounded just muddled. However, the point was there. With the end of his speech, thunderous applause erupted in the chamber. The duke turned pink and stepped away from the podium.

Outside, police officers lined the area. People stood behind them, mixing in age, race and creed. The numbers were always high for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Prince Harry had always been able to draw crowds with his natural charisma and enthusiasm. The duchess, still new to the business, had the ability, seeming just as ordinary as everyone else but entered the monarchy. It was a fairytale for everyone to enjoy.

People screamed for the duke and duchess, almost deafeningly so. People held signs, and the duchess got a kick out of many. Some of them were aimed at her, since they stole their eligible prince away. The duchess was able to take a joke, though, stating, "You'll have to ask him." Many people held flowers, which the duchess accepted on the walkabout.

The duke and duchess were on opposite sides, like they usually were. One did one side of the street while the other royal did. Not many of the flowers were ever meant for the duke, but he accepted them on behalf of his wife, stating, "I'll get them to her." Beside the royals were their two personal bodyguards, standing three feet away.

Wherever the royal was, the crowds tended to crowd toward them, squishing people in the front. Arms reached toward the duchess, and she did her part to shake them all, thanking them for being here today. Sometimes the duchess had no idea what arm belonged with what person. They snaked out from every direction, and the duchess was happy to shake them all. If they were taking their time out of their day to see her, then it was proper that she had time to meet with them all.

Reaching for another hand, the duchess met with another person while speaking to another. People had lots of questions and comments, ranging from normal to slightly odd. The duchess was used to being asked questions about her husband, a future pregnancy or how she was so pretty. The duchess heard that one a lot, even though she had been bullied in her youth about her looks.

Reaching for another hand, the duchess glanced over and then jumped back. The bodyguard pulled her back as well, almost making the duchess stumble out of her heels and fall to the ground. However, she was out of the way as suddenly five police officers rushed over, all aiming for the same person in the crowd. The people around started to scream and dash away, not wanting to be caught up in the frenzy. The duke was quick to be over, standing in front of his wife while another bodyguard was careful of their behind, scanning the crowd.

The man with the knife let out a roar as police officers tackled him to the ground. A few more pointed their guns. At least the civilians were out of the way. That was what mattered. The man with the knife, unnamed by the police and not reported by the press, continued to scream, trying to say words but none of them came out clearly. He tried to aim at the duchess, but the police had been ready. His words were directed at the royal couple, who were now surrounded by police. The duke's eyes were focused on the man who attempted to hurt his wife, but the duchess' eyes were far more focused on the scared people around them.

"Harry," she whispered, moving out from behind him.

"Mere." He reached for her, but she escaped from his grasp.

The Duchess of Windsor walked forward. People and cameras had a hard time choosing on who to watch more: the duchess or the man the police had tackled. The duchess didn't care who was watching as she bent down to pick up a bundle a doll that looked very much like the duchess. She was purely focused on the little girl who hid behind her mother's legs, and who was able to blame her? The mother shielded her daughter protectively, and who was able to blame her? No one knew the day was going to be like this. No one expected this.

The duchess bent down in front of the girl. "Here you go."

The girl looked down at the doll but didn't take it.

"Are you scared?" the duchess asked, and the girl nodded yes. "Me too, but he's not going to hurt you-- as long as I am here." The duchess tried to hand the Duchess of Windsor doll back to the girl again, and this time, the girl took it. "I'm sorry it ended this way," the duchess said, sensing that a bodyguard was behind her, urging her that it was time to go, "but we'll see each other again someday?"

The girl nodded.

"Promise?" The duchess held out her pinky, and the girl moved out from behind her mother's legs and interlinked pinkies with the duchess.

"Promise," the girl answered, and then she crashed into the duchess, holding onto her idol tightly. The little girl had only been talking about seeing the Duchess of Windsor-- or popularized but not royally correct: Princess Meredith-- for the last three weeks. When the little girl pulled back, she smiled broadly, all her fear gone.

The man that held the knife was hauled to his feet and taken away.

"This way, ma'am," the bodyguard said behind her.

"I have to go now, but I'll see you soon." The duchess followed her bodyguard and rejoined her husband. Due to security reasons, the walkabout wasn't able to continue. Much of the crowd left anyway, shaken by what happened, but their devotion to the monarchy had not been shaken-- only strengthen, which was the whole part of the royal tour.