Red & White

twenty four.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday!!

The following week, Leah went home to visit her family. The guilt of leaving the twins with the duty of assisting their mother began to eat her alive. So one morning, the two lovers awoke from the daylight peering in through the large windows, and Leah turned over on the silk sheets to kiss the man's cheek and quietly inform him that she felt obligated to go home.

Prince Harry understood. She was spending continual days and nights with him. At some point, the girl would have to go home.

Besides, that separation granted him time to think about what his mother had said about proposing to her.

Proposing. Marriage. Honestly, those words terrified Harry. To commit to one person for your entire life was a massive challenge, it seemed. But it wasn't like the Prince was a player, wishing to hop from one lady to another. No, not at all. But what if they argued so badly one day, forever ruining their relationship? That is what frightened the man's thoughts. What would they do then?

After Leah left with Louis in the carriage like always, Harry decided to have an early breakfast. He hoped he wouldn't be much of a bother to the kitchen staff, being that it was a half hour before the scheduled breakfast time.

"Mrs. Hughes?" The Prince called out, pushing open the kitchen door.

There was a bustle of commotion going on in the vast area filled with devine smells and steam bubbling from pots. The chefs, clad in crisp white uniforms, bowed their heads at the sight of the Prince before going back to their jobs.

A woman around the age of fifty with short, curly locks of ginger hair poked out from around the corner, carrying a mixing bowl with stew in it that was being stirred.

"Ah, Harry dear!" The lady chimed, grinning widely at the boy. Mrs. Hughes had worked as head chef in the palace longer than the Prince had been alive. She had watched the little boy grow up into a charming young man. Born infertile, Mrs. Hughes was never able to have a child, therefore treating Harry as her own when he would skip down to the kitchen every day for a snack.

"Hello." He embraced the woman in a tight hug. "I hope this is no trouble, but I was wondering if I could eat breakfast now?"

The older woman nodded, "Of course, Harry! I'll whip you up something right now. Go sit down in the dining hall and it'll be there shortly."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hughes."

Just as promised, the food did arrive shortly and the Prince ate alone in the spacious room.

He missed Leah's company. God. What was she doing to him? Harry shook his head to himself in disbelief. He wasn't supposed to fall for her. He wasn't supposed to yearn for her touch. He wasn't supposed to miss her. He wasn't supposed to have genuine feelings for her.

She was supposed to be something he used. For his own gain. She was supposed to be used for Queen Anne's happiness. She was supposed to be something he married and then tossed aside months later.

This wasn't supposed to happen. He didn't plan on falling in love with her. The peasant.

But he did, and that was that.

"Harold, there you are! I've been searching everywhere for you? Why in the Lord's name are you eating breakfast now?" King Robin's thick voice boomed through the doors of the dining hall. His body, draped in jewelry and a silk robe was trailed by his guards, each one appearing equally confused at his outburst from the living room where the butler delivered the day's telegrams.

"I-"

"Come! Come quick, son. Read this!" his father interrupted, ushering him with a hasty hand motion.