The Thrill Is Gone

“Lieutenant Harry Wales, Household Cavalry Regiment posted to the attack helicopter force based in Wattisham, Suffolk to fly apache,” announced the host of the wings ceremony from behind the podium.

As soon as he finished speaking, the room erupted into a welcoming applause for the young prince. Harry marched towards the podium in the traditional manner that had been employed by the Army Air Corps for nearly seven decades. And the moment he stepped into view, Paulina abandoned her seat and began to applaud most eagerly. It wasn’t the appropriate thing to do, she knew that quite well. She was meant to be subdued in her joy, especially since she was in the company of Lady Fellowes and her eldest sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, but there could be no reigning in of the joy Paulina felt at watching her güerito fulfill a dream. She knew how much getting his wings meant to him, and her chest swelled with pride as she watched him march towards his father.

There’d been moments of doubt when he’d called her at ungodly hours to vent over the phone. He’d go on about how much he hated having to revise material, about how he was an utter failure that would never pass the written exams. It was that portion of his education that posed the greatest challenge to him. He didn’t get on well with books, he’d never been one for studying, and all of a sudden he was having to read manuals and stacks upon stacks of required and supplementary reading material. He wasn’t cut out for learning in the traditional sense. Books and papers and essays and manuals were better left for others to deal with, because what Harry excelled at was hands on training. Whenever he was actually working on an aircraft, be it from the cockpit or its exterior, he excelled. He loved the rush of being taught in person about the new technology available to them, of learning the different elements that made up the different aircrafts and how they worked together to properly operate, that he truly enjoyed, but books were an entire story altogether. They didn’t hold his attention long enough and he felt they mocked him with their use of tiresome language, but Harry had pushed through all that. He exerted himself in his studies, in his practical exams, and now he was reaping the benefits of his hard work.

He was graduating in the top of his class, and Paulina was glad that she was able to be there to share in such a special moment. She knew this was much more than just a graduation for Harry. This was his way of proving to the world that he was so much more than just the party prince. Everyone always wrote him off as not having much substance, which was absurd since he’d started his own charity and worked so closely with others, but the media was obsessed with portraying him in a certain light. To them, he was nothing more than the drunk spare that didn’t go to university, but now he was proving to them that when he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. He was going to fulfill his duties as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. When the time came, he’d fight for Queen and Country.

Those were his plans for the future. Harry wished to do his part in the war effort, to do another tour of duty in the combat zones of Afghanistan. And while Paulina didn’t quite agree with the political motives behind the raging war or with Harry’s actively trying to put himself in harms way, she respected him enough to support him no matter what. If he was to be deployed, then she would wait for him to return and do her absolute best to keep his spirits high while he was off fighting, and if he was to remain in England, safe from the front, then she would be grateful for his being kept from harm.

No matter what the future held for him, she was going to support him. That was her duty to their love. She would support him with his military career and he would support her while she finished law school. They were going to be grown up about things, they were going to fight less, they were going to appreciate each other and do their best to never take each other for granted. And it was because of that that she couldn’t just applaud politely from her seat. She had to stand. She had to cheer. She had to convey to him just how delighted and proud she was, and in order to do that, she couldn’t adhere to propriety. Propriety demanded that she applaud politely from her seat, but she couldn’t do that. She had to break protocol, even if it meant getting scolded by Lady Fellowes later on.

And so, without second thought, she broke protocol. She abandoned her seat so that she could applaud loudly and cheer him on. She didn’t care if she looked a bit mad. Truth be told, she didn’t even remember that she was in a crowded space. All she cared about was cheering him on and making him feel that she was truly proud of everything he’d accomplished. And her cheers were so infectious that Harry had no choice but to break protocol by glancing back towards her. He couldn’t remain focused on his father, not when she was clapping and being so damn lovely. He had to look back, to shoot her that little smirk that always left her weak in the knees, and that was precisely what he did. He shot her that smirk that she loved so dearly, and in return, she smiled with such tenderness and adoration that he felt his breathing hitch.

Only a few days earlier, he’d been struggling with the very real possibility that she wouldn’t be present at his graduation. He was terrified that her stubbornness would keep her from giving him another chance. It was that unwelcome thought that plagued him throughout their entire break up. He didn’t know whether or not she’d reconsider taking him back. Had he been in her shoes, he didn’t know what he would’ve done. Accusing her of potentially fucking a Kennedy in order to get ahead in life had been low. It was the worse thing he’d ever told her, and he feared that those words would keep her from being there with him, that he wouldn’t be able to look out into the crowd and see her smiling face, but thankfully for him, his words hadn’t been enough to keep them apart.

Paulina agreed to give their relationship another chance, and now, a few days later, she was back in England, celebrating his achievement. And he got so caught up in the moment, in taking in her presence that she ended up having to discreetly motion for him to keep walking. Her gesture was enough to help him regain his wits. It might not have been an immediate reaction on his part, but soon enough Harry was facing forward to continue marching towards his father.

When Harry reached Prince Charles, Paulina took her seat. She half expected to be scolded by Lady Fellowes. That was, after all, what Lady Fellowes did whenever Paulina broke protocol. She’d scold the young American and then instruct her in the proper way of doing things, but when Paulina glanced over at the older woman, there was no disapproving gaze or displeased look, there was only a faint smile playing across her lips. The exchange between the young lovers had amused her. For she had seen the distasteful images of Harry prancing around clubs with strange women, and those pictures had led to her hearing that the charming American would cease to be a presence in her life, but thankfully Harry and Paulina had worked things out. And Lady Fellowes was pleased to see them so happy and in love, that she didn’t even care if Paulina had broken protocol.

From her seat in the third row, Paulina watched attentively as Prince Charles awarded Harry his provisional wings. There was no overly warm exchange between father and son, not that Harry had expected there to be one. Charles wasn’t the sort of man for public displays of affection. He was private, a terribly reserved man when it came to that sort of thing, and as such, he remained committed to his role as Army Air Corps Colonel in Chief. The only difference in his comportment to Harry was the fact that he bestowed upon him a sincere smile, one filled with pride and happiness at his son’s accomplishment. He smiled as he pinned the provisional wings onto his son’s uniform jacket, and once that had been done, Prince Charles stood still for a moment to admire the young man that stood before him.

Throughout the last decade there had been many instances in which Prince Charles feared that his youngest son would never mature. He’d feared that the drinking and smoking and beautiful women would get the best of him. It was only natural, given the circumstances, and also the fact that Charles had gone through a similar phase himself, but unlike Charles, Harry was the spare and could’ve very well spent the rest of his life acting the part of a royal playboy. It wasn’t necessary for him to marry and have children. He could’ve very well kept drinking and shagging as long as it didn’t interfere with carrying out his royal duties, but somewhere along the lines of the last two years, Harry had matured considerably. He’d set his priorities in order and focused on fulfilling them, and now . . . well, now he was being awarded his provisional wings, as well as presented with the blue beret that he would be expected to wear from then on. And Charles had never been prouder in all his life.

When Harry finished putting on his blue beret, he walked off in direction of the other graduates whom were seated off to the side, in a place of honor. It was from there that the young men would await the next portion of the ceremony, which included the presentation of awards. And if one was to be completely honest, that was what the young men were most eager for. They were anxious to see who among them was to be honored above the rest. All of them had worked hard throughout their training, they’d put everything they had into their lessons and hands on practice, and now, at the end of it all, they wanted to know was going to be honored above the rest.

The following half hour was spent handing out trophies to the elite that had merited the distinction, and when Harry was awarded the Peter Adams Trophy for best tactical ability during the operational training phase, Paulina loudly cheered on, immensely proud that all his hard work was being recognized. Harry was taken aback by the distinction. Upon first hearing his name, he didn’t quite process what had been said. He found it difficult to believe that he had been the best, but then his mind processed the information, and then his mind reminded him that the award hadn’t been bestowed upon him because he was royalty, but because he’d truly deserved it. It was then that he reacted. He practically leapt up from his chair and marched towards his father. Hs smiled the entire way and shot a quick glance over to Paulina, just to make sure that she was still there, that he hadn’t just imagined that she was in attendance.

When his eyes locked on hers, his smile couldn’t help but turn into a massive grin. She was still there, she was still smiling, and in his heart, he knew that no matter what the future had in store for them, she would always be there to smile and encourage him to do his best. She was always there to talk him through things, and what he loved most of all was that she didn’t pressure on him to be the best at his training, she only encouraged to be his best, to work hard and do as well as he could, and he truly appreciated that. He’d spent a life being told that he had to reach an impossible standard, and now, now he was being told that just being himself was more than enough. It was refreshing. She was his breath of fresh air, and even though he’d dragged her into his word, she was still that precious part of his life that was a sanctuary for him.

In her smile, in her gaze, he found refuge from the world at large. She was his paradise. Of that he was certain, and to have her standing there, cheering on as he was presented with his award, meant more than anything else ever could. The only thing that could’ve possibly made it better was if his mother had been alive to see him graduate. To have her there, sitting beside Paulina would’ve been absolute perfection, but alas that could not be. And at any other moment, he would’ve been privately miserable at the fact that his mother wasn’t there to share in the moment with him, but on that day, Paulina’s smile was lovely enough to make it so that his mother’s absence didn’t sting quite as harshly as it usually did.

A few other awards were handed out after Harry received his, and when the ceremony officially ended, the graduates gathered to take photographs with their commanding officers and Prince Charles. The moment had to be commemorated via photograph and film so that the Air Corps could boast of their most recent graduates. Throughout the photo session, Harry grinned brightly. He knew that the appropriate smile to use would’ve been a more subdued one, one that looked a bit coyer, but he couldn’t bring himself to smile in such subtler manners. He had just proven to the world that he was so much more than just a party prince that was keen on having a laugh and a pint. For years those bastards in the press had made him out to be some daft twat, but now he’d proven them wrong, and he was going to grin so that everyone in the UK saw just how pleased he was.

Harry had grown up a lot throughout the last two years. He recognized that. He’d always been a hardworking young man, but the issue with him was that he only worked hard when things interested him. Otherwise, he’d only do enough to get by and focus strictly on the charities and things that gave him pleasure, but now he was more willing to branch out. He willingly took on more responsibilities, and he was proud of himself for doing so, because he felt himself truly coming into his own. He was slowly but surely getting his life in order and he was glad of it. He’d spent too much time not knowing what he wanted to do. Being a prince was something that he had to do, but he needed pursuits of his own, pursuits other than charity that would bring him fulfillment, and now he had that. He had a blossoming career that brought him satisfaction and self-actualization, and he had a good woman at his side.

And that was more than enough for him.

He was perfectly happy with the way life was going for him, and the way he grinned at the camera made that perfectly clear to everyone else. He grinned throughout the photo session and during the hour period in which he had to mingle with the elite of the Air Corps, he grinned as well, even though he would’ve much rather slipped away with Paulina to his father’s apartment.
Harry fulfilled his duties as a royal and as a pilot, and as he did that, Paulina spoke politely with his aunts and then with Camilla and the others that went up to her. She’d thought that she was going to get away with not having to talk to strangers at the graduation, that she wouldn’t be of importance because there was the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in their midst, but apparently she still held a certain charm that people wanted to be in the presence of. She spoke with the boyfriends and girlfriends of the young men and women who’d just received their wings, and she even took pictures with a few of them. She had, of course, first shot Lady Fellowes a discreet look, as if to ask if it’d be alright for her to agree to pictures, and when Lady Fellowes nodded that it would, Paulina turned on her best smile and looked into the variety of cameras and smart phones that were shoved into her face.

It was odd having people ask to take pictures with her. It was one thing to be hounded by the press and stalked wherever she went, but to have normal people acting as if she were some big shot celebrity was an entirely different experience. They were kind to her and had an underlying shyness that was endearing. She particularly adored the children that went up to her. They looked at her as if she were a princess, not just a foreign commoner, and that looks they gave her were so full of awe, that she couldn’t help but think if she was truly as amazing as they made her out to be.

Paulina conversed politely and posed for pictures for over an hour. At the end of which, Harry appeared at her side. At first she didn’t realize he was standing behind her, she was far too engrossed in talking to a little girl that was going on about how much she wanted to be a pilot when she grew up. It wasn’t until the girl’s eyes widened that Paulina realized someone was standing right behind her, and when she turned to see what had captured the little girl’s attention, she saw Harry grinning brightly at her.

There was a moment in which they both stood silent, simply staring at one another, and then, quite suddenly, Paulina stepped towards him and reached up to touch his blue beret.

“You look very handsome with your beret,” she told him, her fingertips gently brushing against his hair.

“Do I?” he asked, trying his best not to smirk, though his best wasn’t enough to keep his smirk at bay.

She nodded. “You do, Lieutenant Wales.”

“I reckon I’m quite keen on how that sounds.”

“Well of course you do, you’ve worked very hard for that title.” Her gaze softened as she lowered her hand from his hair. “Congratulations güerito.”

They didn’t even stop to think that there were press cameras all around. They were so swept up in the moment, in his having graduated and her being there, that they lost themselves in themselves. For a moment they forgot all about his rank as a royal, and they were just another couple, like the blokes and birds that had kissed passionately after the ceremony ended. He placed one hand lightly on the back of her neck, and for her part, she rested her hand against his chest, grasping at the fabric to lower his face to hers, and then they kissed, sweetly.

The moment the photographers spotted the young couple kissing, they began to snap away pictures. Thankfully, they were confined to a designated space and couldn’t wander off, so all the pictures they took had people in the way, none of them were a clear shot, but the pictures were still useful and they would certainly end up on the front page of some tabloid or another.

When they young couple pulled away, Paulina introduced the little girl to Harry. The sweet child was so star struck that she just sort of stood there and stared at him for awhile, but then Harry crouched down to be able to talk to her better and he made her feel so comfortable and at ease that she gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, like she had Paulina.

The pair didn’t remain much longer at the Aviation Centre. They’d both done their duty, Harry had chatted up the high ranking officials and Paulina had humored their wives as well as the other guests that were there to cheer on their graduates. With that done, they were free to embark on the hour and a half drive that would take them back to Clarence House for the dinner that Prince Charles was hosting in Harry’s honor, though in truth it seemed to be more than a dinner. Evening gowns and black tie attire were necessary for the intimate family dinner. Only the inner members of the British Royal family were to be in attendance, well, the ones that weren’t out fulfilling any pending royal engagements. William would be there accompanied by Kate, Zara would be in attendance, as would the Duke of York and his daughters, Prince Edward and Sophie would be in attendance though their young children would remain at home, and the Queen had ensured that she would have the night off to attend the dinner with her husband.

It was going to be quite the royal affair, and Paulina was terribly nervous. She’d never been around so many royals at the same time. Usually it was just a couple of them, and even then there were other people to take the attention off her, but now she and Kate were going to be the only outsiders in the midst. And what made things even more nerve-wracking was the fact that Paulina had never met Prince Edward or the Countess of Wessex, she’d also never met Beatrice, though Harry assured her time and time again that it’d all be alright.

“I don’t see why you’re so nervous about this,” said Harry as they were driven to Clarence House. “There are only three of them, and it’s not like they’ll swarm you or anything like that. They’re not like your relatives.”

“I know,” she assured. “But it’s just . . . it’s still nerve-wracking, because I want them to like me.”
At that, Harry burst into laughter.

“Oi!” bellowed Paulina, smacking him on his arm. “What’s that laugh about? I’m being serious here.”

“I know ya are.” He managed to say between his laughter. “That’s what makes it so bloody hilarious!”

“Well, I’m not laughing.”

“Ya should be.” He wiped a laughter induced tear that had fallen from his right eye. “Honestly Paulin, ya won over the Queen, my other relatives are nothing compared to her. She’s the tough one to crack. If you’ve got her on your side, then there’s no need to worry about anyone else. They’ll all adore you.”

“It’s not as easy as all that.”

“It is.” He stated. “When she’s keen on someone, everyone’s keen on someone. So don’t worry. It’ll be fine. You’ll be grand, and come tomorrow, we’ll be off to Cornwall for the weekend, and then come back to London on Monday since I’ve they moved up a bloody meeting on me.”

“The one for your Apache training course?” she inquired.

He nodded. “They want to discuss security measures, where I’ll be staying and all that nonsense. I know it’s important and all, but I was hoping we’d have five days at the cottage in Cornwall before having to come back, but they want to discuss what’s to happen in July.”

“So soon?” she asked.

“I know I said September, but I felt there was no need to put it off. You’re only here until early July. So I reckoned it’d be best to just immerse myself in it. Why? Are ya planning on staying longer? I can switch it back to September. It’s no trouble at all.”

“I don’t want you to change it. I was just wondering, and I think it’s great that you’re gonna go straight forward. That way you can finish up with that eight month training, and then go to California to complete the gunship training.”

“And then once that’s over with, I’ll hopefully be deployed.”

“And I’ll be waiting for you to come home safely.”

“Does that mean this’ll be home?” He was trying to play it off as a playful little comment, but it was so much more serious than that. He wanted England to be her home. He wanted to have her waiting for him, even if that meant asking his Gran to give him a little cottage somewhere for them to live.

“It has potential for home.” She replied, smiling coyly.

“Potential,” he repeated. “I like the sound of that.”

They arrived at Clarence House two hours before the dinner was to take place. Since they were both quite hungry, they decided an early evening snack was in order and proceeded to have tea and biscuits in the garden area. They sat there for a better part of a half hour, completely having lost track of time, and when Alistair went out to inform them that William and Kate had just arrived from a royal engagement up north, Paulina jumped from her seat and ran upstairs to start getting ready. The thing that annoyed her most about staying at royal residences was the fact that they changed three or four times a day. To her, it was ridiculous to have to be dressed in proper clothes for breakfast, to have to change out of those clothes to go out to perform duties, and then to have to change again for dinner. It was a waste of time to have to do her hair three separate times, to have to shower so frequently, even if it was just a body shower and she didn’t get her hair wet. To her, it was absurd, but that was the way things were done. So she spent the next hour getting ready for Harry’s dinner.
At the end of that hour, she went to the downstairs sitting room where she found Kate sitting alone.

“Am I late?” asked a breathless Paulina, who’d literally sprinted through the corridors.

“Not at all,” Kate replied, standing to greet her American friend. “Dinner’s not for a half hour.”

“Oh, thank God.” Paulina placed a hand on her hip. “I thought I was gonna be late. I got some of my hair wet when I was showering and then it got all curly and I had to . . . ah, you probably don’t want to hear any of this.” She chuckled nervously. “It’s great to see you, Kate. How were things up north?”

“Things went quite well,” replied Kate. “William was lovely with the children. I absolutely adore seeing him in that setting. He’s just fantastic with them, and they’re so taken to him that it’s just makes me look forward to when we –” Her eyes widened in horror when she realized what she’d said. “Bloody hell, we’re not even engaged yet and here I am going on about nonexistent children that may or may not come into existence.”

“I think we both know those children will definitely exist.” Paulina said, smiling coyly. “It’s only a matter of time until that.”

“Quite some time,” Kate added. “I don’t think, even when we get married, that I’ll be ready to have . . . well, you know, the heir. It’s not like I’ll just be having a normal baby, there’ll be so much more to it and I . . .”

“No offense Kate, but I don’t think royal babies come out of the womb with a tiara or a crown. So you’ll be fine. When the time comes, you’ll see your way through it, like every mom before you has, and you’ll have the crown’s help and your mom’s, so you’ll be set.”

“Will you be thinking the same when you’re having –?”

“When she’s having what?” Harry asked as he stepped into the room.

“A pedicure,” Paulina chimed in, covering for Kate. “Kate wants me to go have a pedicure with her, but I told her that I’m grossed by feet and then she was talking about how fantastic it feels and well, you know, she just wanted to know if I was still going to talk crap about pedicures when I’m having one done. Not that I’ve agreed to have one done.”

“I think ya should.” Harry stated. “It’d be brilliant for you and Kate to have your nails done and grab lunch. You can do that while I’m at that meeting on Monday, that is, if Kate’s free.”

“I think I should be.” Kate replied. “We’ll have a girl’s day. It’ll be brilliant.”

“I don’t do pedicures though.” Paulina hated when people touched her feet. It made her uncomfortable. “I’ll just get a manicure.” She wasn’t one for manicures either, she sometimes bit her nails and wrestling at the Harvard gym made it so that pretty nails weren’t something she could have. “And that’ll be fun.”

They chatted amongst themselves until William arrived with his father and Camilla. It was then that Kate and Paulina started watching what they said a bit more. And shortly after Prince Charles and Camilla walked in, the other royals began to arrive. Zara and Mike were the first to arrive, and they were followed by Prince Edward and Sophie, then by the Duke of York and his daughters. Paulina was proudly introduced by Harry to his relatives, and she was glad to see that Sophie was every bit as warm and friendly as Kate had made her out to be. Beatrice was the same as welcoming as Eugenie had been, and Prince Edward was very much the gentleman.

Shortly after the Duke York arrived with his daughter, the Queen arrived with Prince Philip. Now that everyone was there, they went ahead and made their way into the dining room area, which had been lavishly decorated for the occasion. It looked like something out of a wedding magazine, with all the floral arrangements and decorations. It was obvious that Prince Charles had spared no expense to celebrate his son’s achievement.

Paulina had thought that since the royals were in such a private setting, they were going to be a bit more vivacious than usual and have a lively conversation at the dinner table, but that didn’t happen. They were still very much reigned in, and Paulina couldn’t help but think that perhaps that was due to the Queen’s presence. Children did, after all, have a habit of behaving differently whenever there parents were around, and perhaps that was what kept Prince Charles from uttering the unfunny jokes that he so often told Paulina at the dinner table.

After dinner, they retired to the largest sitting room on the premises, though it wasn’t actually much of a sitting room, it was so much larger that it rivaled the size of the dining room. In that sitting room, Paulina had never stepped foot in before. It was the one reserved for hosting foreign dignitaries and the one used for special occasions. The Queen wasted no time in taking the best seat in the room, her husband sat at her side and then everyone dispersed. Prince Charles began talking with his younger brothers, Kate and William spoke with Zara and Mike, and Harry engaged in conversation with Beatrice and Eugenie while Paulina talked with Sophie. She conversed with Sophie for a considerably long time. They didn’t really talk about any serious issue. They mostly talked about Sophie’s children and Paulina’s education, that was enough to keep them busy for the ten minutes that they were left alone, and then Harry brought in Zara and Mike and the laughter began.

Whenever Harry and Zara got together, they always teased each other and told jokes. They weren’t as bound to propriety as everyone else. Their dispositions were livelier, and they felt freer to laugh and tell naughty jokes even in the same room as their grandmother, and that night was no exception. Zara told Paulina stories about when Harry was younger, the trouble he’d get into and the trouble that he’d get her into. Harry was a very cheeky little boy that had no trouble breaking rules and Zara was the same. Most of time, she was the one that came up with the ideas that would later get them scolded, but Harry was usually the one that received the blame, because he was a boy and Zara could never have come up with those naughty plots.
Their stories were absurd, and hearing about all the trouble that Harry and Zara used to get into, made Paulina feel more at ease. She began to smile less nervously, feel more relaxed in the company of so many royals, and she even began to laugh quite a bit, though she did her best to keep herself from laughing too loudly. She didn’t want to risk upsetting her, not when things were going so well between them.

“Ya still playing rugby out there in America?” Mike asked Paulina.

“Haven’t been able to,” she told him. “I was looking for an intramural league to join, but the only rugby teams available on campus are the official Harvard Rugby teams, and I can’t join those because those are part of Harvard College.”

“But you’re at Harvard.” Mike stated. “Isn’t the same bloody thing?”

She shook her head. “Harvard College does the undergrad degrees, and I’m at Harvard Law so I couldn’t join a team, which was somewhat upsetting given the fact that they have a woman’s rugby team and I would’ve loved to have competed on it, but it wasn’t meant to be. And even if it had been, I don’t think I would’ve had enough time to commit to playing on the school team.”

“That is true. They’d have you training every day, sometimes twice a day, and then ya wouldn’t have been able to attend tournaments because you’d have to fly out here.” Mike knew firsthand how much of a commitment playing rugby was. “Are ya doing any other sports though? I remember you saying that you were quite fond of American football and wrestling.”

“I am,” said Paulina, touched that he’d remembered. “And I’m actually playing on an intramural football league. It’s mostly guys from the business school, but there are a few law school guys mixed in as well. We practice three times a week for about an hour so it’s a good release, and then we have matches on Sundays so that’s good. I mean, I really enjoy that. And I’ve slowly been getting back into the swing of wrestling, though that one’s been kicking my butt.”

“Has it truly?” Mike was of the belief that if one could master rugby, one could handle any sport.
She nodded. “The two years I took off from it at Oxford really brought down my endurance on the mat. I still have the right technique and can follow through, but it’s actually going the full three rounds that I’m having trouble with, so I’m doing some conditioning on my own to get back to that and then I do the wrestling classes at the gym.”

“How often is that?” Mike asked.

“It’s five days a week.”

“So you’re doing both bloody sports?” Zara chimed in. “No offense love, but you’re mad.”

“It’s not at the same time.” Paulina clarified. “Football’s done in the fall semester. We’re done with that before finals in December. And wrestling’s sort of the second semester sport. We actually only finished up two week’s before finals week. I’m hoping to continue with wrestling while I’m in California, and I want to branch out into grappling. I mean, there are elements of grappling in Greco Roman wrestling, but I really want to delve further into it. It’s a good work out and a good stress release, so hopefully that’ll work out.”

“I’ve faith that it’ll work out.” Zara stated. “But I reckon Harry’s gonna have to be on his absolute best behavior or else you’ll wrestle him down.”

“And who says I don’t want that to happen?” Harry smirked, arching his brow suggestively.

Paulina’s face flooded with color. “Henry!” she nearly shrieked. “Your Gran’s over there,” she said in a low, disapproving tone. “You can’t be saying things like that with her around.”

“Things like what?” Harry questioned, playing the innocent card. “I’ve not said or done anything inappropriate.”

“You cheeky –” Paulina began to say.

“Careful now,” Harry caught her off. “You wouldn’t want to say anything that Gran would disapprove of.”

“You’re incorrigible,” muttered Paulina.

“Speaking of incorrigible, are you lot still in for tonight?” Harry asked Zara and Mike. “Because this has been a lovely dinner and all that, but I’m far too sober to be celebrating a graduation.”

“What kind of question is that? Of course we’re in.” Zara replied. “Honestly Harry, when have Mike and I ever passed up on an opportunity to get proper smashed? The one’s you’ve got to worry about are Eugenie and Beatrice; they’re having drama with Kate again, so they might not go.”

“Again?” groaned Harry. “Those three are always bloody quarreling. You’d think by now they’d have given it a rest, but no, when Bea and Eugenie put an end, Kate starts it up, and when Kate puts an end, those two start it up.” He scratched the base of his neck. “I’ll go have a chat with them. I wish they would’ve mentioned something about that while I was talking with them, but I’ll just have a chat and smooth things out. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t be gone long.” Zara assured Paulina. “It’ll only take a few words to smooth things over. Those three are always quarreling about something or another.”

“Should I be worried about that?” Paulina asked. She didn’t want to have drama with Beatrice and Eugenie like Kate did.

Zara shook her head. “Not at all,” she said. “That’s just daft stuff that those three quarrel about. They’ve just never really gotten on. They quite like you though. Beatrice covered one of Harry’s royal engagements so he could go off to America to woo you.”

“You knew about that?” Paulina said, softly.

“We all did.” Zara replied. “He never formally announced that you two had broken up, but everyone just sort of knew, and when he ran off to America, we all sort of figured that he’d gotten his head out of his arse and was trying to make things right. By the way, thanks for coming back. I’ve become attached to you and I refuse to have you just running out on us. Okay? If you ever break up with him again, I’m going to need a two weeks notice to emotionally prepare.” She paused. “Better yet, you’re not allowed to leave. We’re going to kidnap you. You’ll be a hostage of the royal family, like Mike is.”

“It only sounds terrifying,” Mike went along with the joke, “But it’s actually quite nice. Ya get three meals a day and all the tea you can drink.”

“Sounds like a dream.” Paulina chuckled softly.

“Miss Balcázar.” Alistair interrupted. “Might I have a word?”

“Yes, of course.” She was at a loss as for why he’d want a word, but she wasted no time in excusing herself from Zara and Mike. “Is everything alright, Alistair?”

“It is, Miss.” He assured. “I’m here on behalf of the Queen, she wishes you to sit with her awhile.”

“She what?” questioned Paulina. She couldn’t believe that the Queen, whom was sitting just across the room, had sent Alistair to fetch her.

“She wishes for you to sit with her.” Alistair repeated.

“Okay then, I’ll go sit with her.”

“Right this way, Miss.” Alistair was about to lead her to the more secluded area where the Queen sat with Prince Philip.

“There’s no need to escort me, Alistair. I won’t get lost, I promise.”

With that, she smiled affectionately and then walked off in direction of the Queen. The moment the Queen spotted Paulina, she discreetly motioned for Philip to give them a bit of privacy. He knew that his wife wanted to converse freely with the young woman, and as such, went off in direction of Andrew and Edward.

“Do sit down, Miss Balcázar,” the Queen spoke and motioned for Paulina to take a seat. “I trust you’ve had an enjoyable second day back in England.”

“I have, Your Majesty.” Paulina took the seat that the Queen had motioned to. “It’s been a truly eventful day, what with Henry graduating and now this beautiful dinner.”

“And it shall certainly continue being eventful, I have heard Zara talk of continuing the celebrations at a nightclub.”

“There will be that continuation, Ma’am.” Paulina replied. “It’s not a graduation until the guest of honor is quite off their face.”

“I shall keep that in mind for when we celebrate your graduation from Harvard Law.”

“There’s still quite sometime until then.”

“Two years, is it not?”

“Yes, Ma’am, it is.” Paulina nodded, and then shifted awkwardly in her seat. “The ceremony from earlier today was quite lovely, particularly when Henry was awarded a trophy for being the best at tactical ability.”

“I would have very much liked to have been there to witness that moment, but I was quite occupied in Balmoral.”

“You were in Scotland?”

“Indeed, I was. There were a few matters that necessitated my immediate attention. After I saw to those matters I flew down to London, and come tomorrow morning, I shall return to Balmoral to pass the summer months.”

“Balmoral must be lovely in the summer.” Paulina commented. “Scotland is a very beautiful country with picturesque landscape.”

“I am most glad to hear you praise it so highly for I have an invitation to extend to you.”

“An invitation?” repeated Paulina.

“An invitation,” confirmed the Queen. “I wish for you to join us at Balmoral for a few days. There is quite a bit to see there and to do. Prince Philip spends a considerable amount of time hunting. That is a pursuit which Harry is also quite fond of, and I thought that perhaps you might want to partake in the sport.”

Paulina didn’t want to, not at all, hunting wasn’t for her.

“And the countryside is ideal for one only starting to ride. I am quite certain that you will find a passion for horseback riding.” She paused, and then, only out of courtesy, asked, “Tell me, would you be so kind as to accept such an invitation.”

Paulina didn’t want to hunt, she didn’t want to be on horseback, but she knew better than to not accept an invitation from the Queen.

“It would be a true honor to accept such an invitation.” Paulina replied, dutifully. “Although I must confess that my fear of horses might not allow me to become as avid a rider as you believe me capable of being.”

“Nonsense,” stated the Queen. “That fear shall be done away with. By your stay’s end, I am quite certain that you might be well enough to join me on a ride through the estate.”

Paulina was taken aback by the statement, that was the Queen’s way of telling her that she would have alone time with her, just the two of them. Sure, there’d be security details nearby to ensure the monarch’s safety, but the fact that the Queen had invited her to ride, was a massive honor.

“Then I shall endeavor to be a well enough rider.” Paulina stated.

The Queen smiled. “Now that we have discussed that, tell me, how are your studies?”

It was odd to have the Queen take such an interest in her studies. It was an intimacy unlike any that Paulina had previously had with the elderly monarch, and it was so strange that she wasn’t exactly sure if she was dreaming or not. Paulina found it difficult to believe that the same woman, whom had once referred to her as an American tart, was now inquiring after her studies and family, but she was. This was a new level of intimacy, and as much as it unnerved Paulina, it also excited her. This was the Queen welcoming Paulina into her home, this was the Queen inviting her to stay in her castle and to go riding with her, this was a new level of intimacy, and Paulina wasn’t going to fuck it up.