The sequel to Princess Darrel Crawley
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Elizabeth, Princess of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Formerly known as Lady Darrel Crawley, the youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Grantham.
Now 18-years-old, Darrel's life seems to be as norma...
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The next morning, William Turner arrived at Buckingham Palace for his interview with the Princess of Wales. He got out of the cab and met Wilson at the front door.
"Mr Turner," Wilson greeted, his voice laced with hatred. "Welcome to Buckingham Palace."
"Good morning," William replied. "I'm here to meet with Her Royal Highness."
"Yes. Follow me."
William nodded and walked through the entrance as he followed the butler through the halls. He'd never seen the Palace on a normal day. The one time William was at the Palace was for Darrel and Sebastian's engagement ball three years ago.
Wilson stopped by the drawing room door and then turned to the Reporter.
"When you enter the drawing room, bow to Her Highness. Do not talk until spoken to, do not sit until Her Highness does. Address her as Your Royal Highness and then as ma'am for the remainder of your meeting. At the end stand as she does, bow once more and back out of the room," he informed. "I will be here waiting to open the door."
William nodded, not knowing what else to do.
Wilson opened the door to the drawing room and sunk into a bow.
"Mr William Turner is here to see you, Your Highness," the butler announced.
"Thank you, Mr Wilson," Darrel nodded.
Wilson gestured for William to enter the room. The journalist bowed his head, keeping his eyes on the Princess.
"Your Royal Highness," William nodded.
"Good morning, Mr Turner," Darrel smiled. "please, take a seat. Can I offer you something to drink?"
"With all due respect, ma'am, after my last article, it might not be safe for me to accept any drinks from you."
"Why would that be Mr Turner? Everything in your article was true."
William opened his mouth then closed it again. He had no idea what to say. He entered the room expecting Darrel to make excuses for Robert's words. The Princess of Wales gestured for William to sit down, and he did.
"Everything that Lord Grantham said was the truth?" William gasped.
"Almost everything," Darrel clarified. "Indeed, the Crawleys and Their Majesties do not get along, and they did lock me in my room a few years ago."
"Then what part of the article was incorrect?"
"Things are different now. I do get along with Their Majesties, and I feel as if I am a member of the Royal family."
"If you get along with Their Majesties, why did they not send the Royal physician to Downton Abbey?"
"Despite everything that's happened, they know that the Crawleys care for me. They trusted that I was in good hands."
William nodded, then hurried to grab his notepad and jot everything down. He could not understand why Darrel was so nice to him. He expected her to act condescendingly.
"I do not understand why you wanted to meet me, ma'am," William announced.
"Well, you wrote three articles involving me. Surely you would appreciate an interview," Darrel shrugged.
"Usually, members of the Royal Family do not ask for an interview unless there is an important event or announcement for the public."
"Well, I am not an ordinary person."
William bit down on his lip and then let out a laugh.
"You have a point. You are not an ordinary person. You had an interesting life before you arrived at Buckingham Palace. What are your thoughts on it, ma'am?"
"This may sound odd, but I am happy with how it happened. I truly enjoyed growing up at Downton Abbey with the Crawleys. It gave me an experience I would never trade for anything else," Darrel responded.
"Even though Lord Grantham kept you from your family for 14 years?" William asked.
"The Crawleys are my family. They cared for me as a young girl, and I will be forever grateful for what they did for me. No matter what happens, I shall always see them as my family."
William nodded and smiled. He thought Robert was dramatic when they met, but could see that Darrel was still a Crawley. She was not a pompous Princess, she was a polite kind composed young woman.
"Do you have any other questions for me, Mr Turner?" Darrel inquired. William thought for a moment, but he already had his conclusion, "No, ma'am. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."
"It was my pleasure. It was nice to meet you, Mr Turner. I read your articles last night; you write well."
"Thank you, ma'am, I appreciate that."
Darrel got to her feet, and William followed the Princess extended her hand, and with a shocked expression, the journalist shook it.
"I hope to meet you again, Mr Turner," Darrel smiled.
"Thank you, Your Highness," William nodded. "I hope so too."
As soon as William returned to his flat, he hit his forehead with his notepad. His boss told him to get a scandalous article to spark drama. However, after meeting Darrel, he knew he could not do that to her. He finally realized the truth; she'd been a normal young girl forced into an impossible situation.
