The Thrill Is Gone

“Your grandmother wants me to what?” she asked, unable to wrap her head around what Harry had just told her. There couldn’t be any truth to his words. He was messing with her, having a laugh. That was it. That had to be it.

An amused little smile settled on his lips as he watched his girlfriend’s brow begin to furrow. She was trying to make sense of things, the pensive look on her face made that perfectly clear to him. He’d known all along that she was going to have trouble believing him. Hell, even he’d had trouble believing when his grandmother told him. It was an odd request for the elderly monarch to make but despite that, it was a request that he wholeheartedly approved of.

“She wants you to present the congratulatory gifts to the polo players, and the trophy to the winning team.” Harry repeated his grandmother’s wishes.

“But you can’t be serious.” Paulina blurted out, awkwardly. “Me, present the gifts and trophy?” she shook her head at how absurd that sounded. “As if your grandmother would really want me to do that . . . You’re just messing with me.”

“Why would I?”

“Because . . . because . . . well, I don’t know why, but I sure as hell know that your grandmother wouldn’t want me to represent her interests at the polo match. This is an official royal engagement for your charity, I'm not part of your charity and I'm most certainly not royalty, so I can’t.”

“You can.” Harry stepped towards her, his navy blue pajama bottoms riding low on his hips. “And my Gran desires that you will, as do I.”

She didn’t say anything right away, opting to remain silent as she studied his face. She was searching for anything that might betray him, anything that would let her know that he was playing some sort of unfunny prank of her, but there was no insincerity to him. He spoke in earnest.

“You’re serious . . .” she whispered, still unable to believe.

He nodded. “I meant to tell you about it last week, but with how busy we’ve been with official engagements and being with your family and mates, it sort of slipped my mind.” He paused, taking in her facial expression. “Gran is quite set on you being the presenter.”

“But why?” asked Paulina wanting some sort of explanation. She and the Queen were on better terms. Paulina no longer harbored contempt for the elderly monarch, but they weren’t on friendly terms. “I don’t get why she’d want me.”

“It’s actually quite simple, she said that since you’re the reason I’ve come out to the states, that you should be put work for the firm. Pitch in, if you will.”

“You’re joking.”

“Quite the opposite, actually,” he said. “Gran’s of the thought that those closest to us have to do their part for the firm. That’s how it’s always been for the family.”

“Kate hasn’t done anything like this though.” Paulina reminded.

“She hasn’t.” Harry acknowledged. “But the thing is that it’s not that Gran doesn’t think Kate ought to take an official role. It’s that Gran is a bit protective when it comes to Kate. Everyone in the family knows that Wills means to marry her. It’s only a matter of time, really, and when she marries him, she’ll be our future Queen consort, which makes Gran cautious in the way she treats Kate, because Kate currently lacks the disposition to be royal. That’s not to say I think bad of Kate. She’s brilliant. I honestly adore her as I would a sister. What I mean is that she’s very much inexperienced at it all, which may sound absurd given how long she’s been with Wills, but it’s the truth. She’s like my mum was before she settled into it all. And Gran, well, she wants to avoid having the same issues that she had with my mum. That’s why even after Kate marries Wills; she’s to have a very slow transition into public life, just too truly ensure that she’s settled in and all that.” Harry explained. “Kate’s very sensitive. Her skins not as thick as it ought to be, and she’s not particularly keen or skilled at public speaking, which makes roles like the one you’ve been given, impractical for her. But you, well, we all know you’re at ease with public speaking. That press conference you held after they broke into your flat, made it clear to everyone that you were eloquent and poised. And Gran took note. I reckon that’s why she’s keen on you to present the trophy.”

“Maybe, but I don’t know. It’s weird. I just think it’s weird.”

It was hard for her to believe that the same woman who had toyed with her in order to learn what her intentions with her grandson truly were was the same one who wanted her to take an active role in a royal engagement.

“When she phoned me, I was a bit surprised, really, and hesitant.”

“Hesitant?”

He nodded. “I know you can handle yourself. That’s never really been an issue for you, but sometimes I worry. I'm afraid I might be putting a bit too much on your plate. That is to say, I know I already have, what with the bloody press and all, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. I don’t want to put you through what my mum was put through. And even though I know you can handle whatever’s thrown at you, I'm still hesitant at times.” There was something incredibly protective to his look, his eyes relayed his earnest desire to keep her safe and happy, and that look, that penetrating gaze was enough to make her heart skip a beat. “I told Gran that I was worried a bit. She told me not to think much of it though, because according to her, there’s nothing to fret over. She spoke quite highly of you, went on about how you’ve superior manners and that your charm and eloquence will do us right.”

His words left her dumbfounded. How the fuck could the woman who had viewed her with such contempt, suddenly think her charming and capable of doing right by her? It didn’t make sense to Paulina. The Queen had previously viewed her as lowly and unworthy of being with her grandson, but now . . . now she wanted her to be actively involved in an official engagement. The Queen didn’t just want Paulina to smile on the sidelines. She wanted her to present the gifts to the participants and to award the trophy, in front of everyone. The monarch’s behavior was completely different from what it had been only eight shorts months ago, and Paulina was strangely honored by it.

“S’alright if you’re not up for it.” Harry assured, taking her silence as a negative sign. “I’ll –”

“I'm up for it,” said Paulina.

“You are?”

She nodded, eagerly. “Yeah, I am.”

“Brilliant!” Harry grinned. “In that case, I’ve something for you. Well, it’s not really something that I have for you. It’s from Gran. She had it brought over, just yesterday.” Harry walked over to the closet space, and from the top shelf, pulled down a large, elegantly wrapped box. “Here you are, love.”

Paulina eyed the box curiously. “Do ya know what it is?”

“Can’t say for sure, but I’ve an idea.” Harry took a seat on the bed. “Go on then, let’s have us a look.”

Careful as she could, she set the box down beside Harry, and then focused her attention on the bow. The box was so beautifully wrapped that she didn’t have the heart to just tear into it like she would’ve to a poorly wrapped present. Her hands moved delicately, tugging at the bow until it became undone, and then, she searched for the space where the tape had been placed. When she found it, she lifted it upwards, mindful not to tear the wrapping.

In time, the wrapping was done away with, and all that was left was the large box that bore the Harrods insignia. Paulina stared at the box in distrust, unsure if she even wanted to open it anymore. Harrods was too expensive a store, far too expensive, and she, wasn’t sure if wanted to accept whatever it was that was in the box. It was one thing to accept a gift from Harry, but another to accept it from the Queen, because despite having moved on from their initial incident, Paulina always had the lingering thought that whenever the Queen did something nice for her, it was because she was trying to bribe her.

“What are you waiting for?” asked Harry, curious to see what’s in there. “That’s for you, and don’t even think about not accepting whatever’s in there. Gran had that flown out to you by her own security detail, I won’t have you refuse it.”

“How’d you know I was gonna do that?”

“Because I know you,” he stated, simply.

Paulina smiled coyly. “I can’t believe she had this flown out for me.”

“Not just that, there’s another box, as well. She said not to give you that one till later.”

“Harry!” she exclaimed.

“What are ya shouting at me for? It’s her doing. Let her have her fun. She’s keen on dressing everyone whenever they go abroad to represent her. Makes her feel in control, it does.”

Paulina didn’t say anything. She simply opened the box and looked inside. The first thing she saw was the shoes, Manolo Blahnik nude suede shoes. Paulina wasn’t much of a shoe person, but even she could appreciate those heels. After admiring them for a bit, she took out a small box, inside there was a pretty little fascinator that was a slight shade darker than the shoes. Beneath that box, lay a rose colored coat, and beneath that lay the main attraction, a beautiful pale pink Valentino dress that made her think of Disney princesses.

“Fuck . . .” she whispered.

With trembling hands, she reached into the box and pulled out the dress, which was then held out in front of her. Her eyes gladly took in the lace detail at the waist, the sheer shoulder panel, and the lace ruffle detail. It was exquisite, yet strangely understated. There was a lot of detail to it, the lacework was extensive, but it wasn’t overwhelming or loud, it was subdued elegance that comprised a gorgeous dress.

“You approve?” asked Harry after a prolonged silence.

“I do!” she said, louder than she’d intended. “I do,” she repeated in a more normal tone. “I just can’t believe your grandmother sent me this. It’s fucking surreal. I mean, not to long ago, she was calling me an American tart, and now . . . now, she’s sending me gifs.”

“There’s no point in trying to make sense of her, and why she does what she does. I’ve been at it for years, and I'm still as clueless as ever.” Harry grinned. “So don’t over think it. It’s just her making an effort.”

“Alright then, I won’t over think.”

That was a lie. She was going to over think it. To not obsess over it for a good hour or so, would’ve been against her nature, but she wasn’t going to tell Harry that. No. That was something she was going to do while he was fast asleep. She’d lay awake, think about what possible motives the Queen had for being so nice, and then pass out at some point. Undoubtedly, without having figured out why the Queen was treating her the way she was. Her relationship with the Queen was an awkward one. It had started off horribly, and was slowly on the mend. So Paulina wasn’t sure of what to think about the gifts, but she knew she had to wear them. The Queen sent them over, the Queen asked that she be an active participant in the charity polo match, and despite being unsure of why the monarch was being so agreeable and amiable, Paulina was going to do as she’d been asked and wear the clothes.

“Well, since you’re not over thinking, I reckon ya should open the other parcel.”

“Are you sure you don’t have anything to do with this?” Paulina inquired. “You seem a little too pleased, with yourself.”

“I’ve every right to be pleased. My Gran’s no longer being a twat to my bird. And that’s worth being pleased about.” Harry smirked. “So you gonna open it?”

“Might as well.” She mimicked his smirk. “Can you get it for me, please?”

“Only because I'm keen to see what’s in there,” replied Harry as he began to move towards the closet.

The second parcel was significantly larger than its predecessor, and the moment Harry saw it, he knew that inside lay the outfit that his Gran desire Paulina to wear to the Sentebale Gala dinner that was scheduled to begin four hours after the polo match’s festivities came to an end. Harry set the parcel down on the bed, right next to its predecessor, and Paulina, knowing fully well what to expect, couldn’t keep herself from excitedly tearing at the wrapping.

Just like the first parcel, the box was from Harrods and hidden within were black satin Manolo Blahnik pumps, an emerald and diamond urchin cuff, and emerald earrings. At the sight of those, Paulina’s eyes widened, but then she saw the accompanying note that set her mind to rest. It read: I do hope these are to your liking. Wear them with grace. Have them returned with James.

“Who’s James?” asked Paulina, when she finished reading the note.

“James?” Harry repeated, finding the question strange. “He’s the security detail that brought the parcels over. Why do you ask?”

“Because your grandmother mentioned him in her note,” said Paulina, she then handed it over to Harry. “I can’t believe she had a security detail personally deliver the parcels.”

“That is how Gran does things.” Harry scanned over the note, and then looked over at the jewels. “Especially since those are her jewels.”

“They’re hers?” Paulina had thought the Queen bought the jewels for the occasion, and planned to give them to her granddaughters later on or something along those lines, so it wouldn’t be a wasted purchase. “As in she’s worn them before?”

“Well yeah.” Harry chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. These jewels don’t belong to the monarchy. They’re Gran’s, her private property. And I think it’s quite fantastic that she sent them over. Out of all her grandchildren, only Zara had been allowed to wear those pieces, and now you.” Harry smiled, rather proudly. “Let’s see the rest of it. Is there a dress?”

“There is.” Paulina carefully pulled out the Lanvin lace one-shouldered gown. “I don’t know what I did or said to your grandmother, but it must’ve been good.”

“I reckon she just got tired of being a twat.” He looked over the gown. “It’s lovely enough, but I prefer the red one you brought along, suits you better.”

“You’re only saying that because you love me in red.”

Harry grinned. “It’s not my fault you look ravishing in red.”

“Do I? I'm glad to hear it, but I can’t wear it tonight.”

“Of course ya can.” Harry really did love her in red; the color complimented her skin tone and brightened her rosy cheeks. “Wear what she sent for the polo match, and wear what you brought for the dinner.”

“Henry, your grandmother had the dress flown out for the occasion, I'm not gonna not wear it. She’d be offended, and I'm not gonna give her reason to be upset with me. Not when she’s being so amiable. What I do need to do, is find a place to have the dresses steam ironed.”

“Have the hotel see to it. They’ve a dry cleaning service. That’s actually where I meant to send my tux for the evening.” Harry grimaced at the thought of spending his night humoring strangers that he didn’t care for, but he had to keep up appearances, and his charity needed their money.

Paulina giggled at his childish reaction. “I know you don’t want to go, but we have to.”

“I know. I know.” He grumbled. “But we’ve not really had time to ourselves since we arrived in America. And I was only thinking that I’d very much rather stay in, and spend the evening having you.”

Her rosy cheeks brightened at his words. “So would I, but you know how it is, it’s your duty to be there.”

“My duties are a fucking cock block.”

“You act like we haven’t had sex in months. We spent all of yesterday going at it. As soon as we got in from checking the horses and polo grounds, we went at it.”

“Wasn’t enough,” Harry mumbled. “An evening’s not enough for me. You know how I am when it comes to fucking you.” He stood, suddenly needing to touch her. “I need days on end, like in Paris, so I can have you every which way I want.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her in close, so her ass was pressed tightly against him. “Would you like that?” he whispered, his warm breath dancing across her exposed neck.

“We have to get ready for the polo match.” Paulina said in a strained, tight voice.

“We’ve three hours till then.” Harry placed a delicate kiss on the back of her neck, allowing his lips to linger.

“Henry . . .” she moaned softly as he continued to kiss her neck. “I have to . . . t-to send the dresses to be ironed.”

He gritted his teeth in annoyance. “Wait here.” he ordered.

Without saying anything further, he grabbed the dresses from their respective parcels, grabbed his tuxedo from the closet, and then left the suite. He walked across the hall to where the security details were staying, not caring if anyone saw him without his shirt on. All that mattered was waking Alistair up, and having him sort things out.

“Alistair!” bellowed Harry as he forcefully knocked on the door. “Alistair Mayhew, get your arse up!”

It was a half asleep Gethin who opened the door. He’d be on the way to the bathroom when he heard the incessant pounding.

“Good morning, Your Royal Highness.” Gethin greeted him, forcing the sleep from his eyes. “Is anything the matter? Is Miss Balcázar injured?”

“No, she’s quite alright. Only I have these clothes that need to be seen to by the dry cleaning staff at the hotel.”

“I’ll have them seen to straight away, Sir. What time do you desire they be ready?” inquired Gethin as he took the clothes from Harry.

“The pink dress must be ready in an hour. Paulina is to wear it to the polo match, so it must be in her possession within the hour. Is that quite clear?”

“Yes, Sir, of course,” replied Gethin.

“Very well,” said Harry. “The gown and tuxedo won’t be needed till the evening, but tell them that I desire for both to be ready by four. I want them in my suite by the time we return from the polo match. If that means you leave the match a bit early, then so be it.”

“They will be in the closet, awaiting your arrival, Sir. You may count on that.”

“In that case, good day.” Harry said, hurriedly.

Harry didn’t linger long in the doorway. Almost as soon as he’d finished speaking, he sprinted across the hall to the suite where Paulina awaited him. He ran with everything he had, not wanting to prolong their separation any more than he absolutely had to. He raced through the living room and ran into the adjoining bedroom where he expected to find Paulina standing, exactly where he’d left her, but she was nowhere in sight.

Shortly after Harry had run out with their clothes, Paulina had made her way into the bathroom to run them a bath. She knew exactly what he meant to do once he returned, and she was more than up for it. Only she wasn’t in the mood to have sex on the bed or the floor or on the couch, she wanted to have a go in the marble bathtub. She’d had that in mind ever since she set eyes on it. It was large enough to comfortably fit three people, and she knew it would do well for Harry and her, because they might not have mastered the art of fucking in a shower, but they were quite adept at shagging in a bathtub.

“Paulina?” Harry called to her as he moved around the suite. “Where are ya, love?”

“In the bath!”

“The bath?” he repeated, unable to believe she was going to take a bath when he’d just ensured that they’d have time to themselves. “This is no time for a –”

He stopped abruptly when he saw her sitting on the edge of the tub, her tan legs crossed at the ankles. The bathroom might have been a bit cool, but she seemed perfectly at ease. Her lack of clothing didn’t make her appear uncomfortable, her shoulders were pushed back, her chin slightly raised. She was poised. She was ready for him.

And he knew that she was. He knew that she sat there waiting for him to make his move, daring him to take her in whichever way he wanted. His eyes hungrily took in the sight of her; the soft, unblemished skin that he longed to take possession of. She was completely on display for him. Her long, dark curls were swept behind her shoulders so that he could see the effect her arousal had on her pink nipples. She desired him every bit as much as he did her. She was eager to have him thrust deep within her, to cry out his name in a state of maddening pleasure, and to have him bury his face in the crook of her neck as he grunted her name in a low, husky tone.

“I take it the clothes are at the dry cleaners,” she said in a calm voice, trying desperately to seem unaffected by his growing erection that was making its presence known through his pajamas.

“They soon will be.” He replied as he stepped towards her. “Kamal’s seeing to it.”

“Glad to hear it.” She slipped her hand into the water to check the temperature, and was pleased to discover that it was finally warm enough. Slowly, she closed the taps, and when she redirected her attention to Harry, she found him standing right in front of her. With her dark eyes fixed firmly on his, she reached out to him, and tugged his pajama bottoms down, until they were nothing more than a pile on the hardwood ground. “You’re as bad as a teenager. You see a naked woman and you immediately get a hard on.”

“I woke up with a hard on.” He told her, huskily. “And I saw to it on my own, but this one . . .” his breathing hitched when he felt her wrap her wet hand around his cock. “. . . You’re going to have to see to.”

“Am I?” she inquired with a smirk.

“You –” he didn’t get to finish, her lips were already on him, her tongue gliding upwards, prepping him for what was to come.

They spent the better part of their morning, fucking in the bathroom, putting every ledge of the bathtub to use. There wasn’t an inch of it that hadn’t been claimed by them. Harry took her as he wanted, allowing his sexually aggressive nature to shine through, he relished in having her ride him, in peering up at her through lust filled eyes as she cried his name and her breasts bounced before him, he loved taking her from behind, in having her succumb so strongly to pleasure that her body lost its ability to hold itself up, and he himself, loved losing himself in her body, in the pronounced curves, in her full lips, in her very essence. She was paradise for him.

Hours later, after they’d cleaned themselves up and changed into the attire they were to walk the polo match carpet on, they left the hotel and were driven to the location where the match was to take place. The drive didn’t take very long, and for the most part, it was spent grinning at each other like idiots. The morning had been good to them, as would the evening, and they were just trying to get their fill of each other before they were forced into behaving well at her family’s home.

Upon arriving at the location, they emerged from the vehicle, and began to walk along the photographer riddled arrivals carpet. It was odd for Paulina to smile at the cameras and appear pleased in their presence. She had spent most of her time appearing apathetic towards them, sometimes genuinely annoyed, so to smile at them just felt wrong, but she had to do it, she had to smile and lean into Harry so that he could wrap his arm around her back. That was the pose they used for taking pictures, and she smiled for them. It might not have been brightly, but she smiled nonetheless. It was a demure sort of smile, one that Lady Fellowes had helped her perfect for public events. It was graceful, it was endearing, and it was pleasant enough to make her appear unaffected by her relationship with royalty, while still making it perfectly obvious that there was something in her air that was worthy of the young royal.

Paulina accompanied Harry all the way down the carpet, she was at his side when he picked up his uniform for the event, and was with him at the private tent that had been provided for their own particular use.

“So once you’re done getting dressed, we’re going to go out to meet people?” asked Paulina as she sat atop a table.

“Yeah.” Harry pulled on his polo shirt. “Though I’ll only be there for a few minutes since I’ve got to have a bit of time on the field with the horse that I’m to ride. You sure you’ll be alright on your own? Because if you’re not or you get bored or anything, you can just come in here.”

“I’ll be fine, Henry.” She reassured with a smile. “If I can make due with the British nobility, then I can sure as hell be alright with well-off Americans.” She ran a hand along the fabric of her dress. “Is there anyone in particular that you want me to talk to?”

“Not really.” He replied as he slipped on his riding boots. “All you’ve really got to do is circulate and humor as many people as you can. Alistair will be with you the entire time.”

“Alistair?” she asked, somewhat surprised. “What happened to Gethin? I thought he was my personal security detail?”

“Oh, he is. Only I prefer if Alistair look after you while I’m out riding. It’s . . . I trust Gethin, I do, really, but if I’ve a choice between Alistair and anyone else to look after you, I’m going with Alistair.”

“Alright then.”

“Where was I? Oh, right, uh, Alistair will be with you, and Kamal and Gethin will remain here. They’ve got to look after the tent to make sure no one mucks about in here. Well, no one other than us.”

“I honestly doubt anyone will try to sneak in.”

“You’d be surprised. One time in Monaco, some birds snuck in while Wills and I were out on the field. And when we came back, they were in the buff, lying about on some chairs we had on there. They were quite attractive really, and you know, them being willing only made them more desirable, but Zara was there, so nothing happened. But I reckon if she hadn’t been there, I would’ve had myself a go with them.”

“How terribly greedy of you,” she said, playfully. “What if Wills wanted to have a go?”

“He couldn’t.” Harry stated. “He was already with Kate, so even if he’d wanted to, he couldn’t have. Come to think of it, if I had had a go with them, I would’ve been doing Wills a favor. What with taking temptation from him.”

“If you were Catholic, they’d make you a saint for how selfless you are.”

“Selflessness is one of my many virtues.” Harry walked over to her, and took his place between her thighs.

“Of course, there’s no one that comes close to you in that regard.”

“I love to please, and to give and give . . .” he stepped closer, sliding her dress upwards until her upper thighs were completely exposed, and his pelvis was pressed against hers. “Don’t you agree?” He smirked when he saw her cheeks take on a rosier appearance.

“Don’t start things we can’t finish.”

“Who says we can’t finish?” he asked as he ran his calloused hands along her smooth thighs. “I reckon we’ve plenty of time.”

“And I reckon we don’t.” She took in a deep breath, desperately trying to reign herself in. “You have to go meet with people and then take the field.”

“I’d rather take you.” He said, huskily.

“Later.” Paulina promised. “But for now, we’ve got to see to your duties.”

He wanted to protest, truly he did, but the look on her face made it clear to him that there was nothing he could say to convince her to change her mind. Paulina was taking her role very seriously. The Queen wanted her to take an active role in the polo match, and she was going to do the absolute best job she possibly could.

“Oh, alright.” Harry eventually huffed. “But I demand a kiss as appeasement.”

With one hand, he cradled the back of her skull, the other remained at her thigh, and then he leant forward and encased her mouth with his. Her head instantly tilted to the side as he slid his tongue between her lips. And for one beautiful moment, she forgot herself. She reached forward, grabbing fistfuls of his polo shirt so she could pull him in close. It wasn’t until she broke apart for air that she remembered what needed to be done. It was then she fully pulled away from him. He stared at her with wide eyes, confused as to why she’d pulled away when things were only just getting interesting.

“We have to get a move on.” She told him as she reached into her purse for her compact and lipstick. “We’ll have fun later, güerito. I promise.”

Quick as she could, she fixed her makeup, taking great care to do her lipstick just right, and when she finished, she hopped off the table and smoothed out her dress.

A short distance away, in the main tent, the celebrities, politicians, and wealthy Californians, anxiously awaited the arrival of the young prince and his California girlfriend. The guests talked amongst themselves, discussing what it was they expected from the match, and more importantly, from their host. Few had ever met the prince, to the vast majority he was an untouchable whose company they’d never been admitted to. He was royalty, and even for the extremely wealthy, that was something to envy, because they might have had bank accounts all over the world, but they didn’t have titles. That was something that no amount of money could procure them. That was why they were so eager to make his acquaintance. There were some were curious to see what it was about royalty that distinguished them from commoners, others who desired to make an advantageous acquaintance that might financially benefit them later on, and still there were some who dared to believe that if they were charming and beautiful enough, they might be able to steal the prince’s attention from his girlfriend, and secure it upon themselves.

Everyone was eager to capture his attention, that was why they paid the ludicrous fee to be able to attend the polo match, and when his entrance was announced, all those present suddenly grew quiet. All they could do was stand and watch intently as he strolled through the entryway with his girlfriend, whose grace was instantly taken into account by all those present. She walked with such poise, such simple elegance, that it was difficult to believe she wasn’t already a member of the British royal family. She carried herself like one, and the manner of her dress distinguished her from present company. Her attire didn’t contain bold patterns or modern elements, her headpiece wasn’t outrageously large so it bordered on the absurd, and her hemline wasn’t as provocative as many of those worn by her contemporaries. Her attire was tasteful, everything about it called to mind proper British polo matches. It called to mind garden parties at Buckingham Palace, and even if the Queen hadn’t sent out that particular outfit, Paulina would have still elicited a similar response. The attire that she had chosen, though costing nowhere near as much as the Queen’s, was strikingly similar in style. Paulina knew how to present herself. She’d learned well during her time with Lord and Lady Fellowes.

The first individuals admitted into the company of the young prince, were the Governor and First Lady of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. The Queen had been explicit in her desire for Harry to honor Arnold and Maria as his first acquaintances at the party. They were the most distinguished guests and deserved to be treated as such. It also helped that Maria Shriver was the niece of Ted Kennedy. She was a dear niece, and her uncle had told Paulina that he would be pleased if she would pay his niece the attentions that she would him. Paulina was more than glad to comply. The Kennedy’s were royalty to her, and she looked at Maria Shriver, the way that Maria Shriver looked at Harry.

As custom dictated, conversation was initiated by Harry. He approached the Governor and his wife with his natural charm, and upon being spoken to, Arnold gave a slight bow of respect, and then introduced his wife to the prince. Harry smiled warmly at Maria, and then introduced Paulina to her, though introductions weren’t truly necessary, which Maria made him aware of.

“There is no need for introductions, Sir.” Maria didn’t have the Massachusetts accent that Ted had, she’d been born in Chicago, and had spent decades in California. “While Miss Balcázar may not be well acquainted with me, I am with her.” She smiled when she saw the young woman’s eyes slightly widen. “My uncle has spoken very highly of you.”

“Has he?” Paulina’s chest swelled with pride. “I’m honored that Senator Kennedy talked about me. And to be sure, I’m very well acquainted with you and your achievements, Ma’am. Your speech at the 2008 Women’s Conference was truly inspirational. I may not have been able to attend, due to my being at Oxford, but I watched it online. YouTube’s a great thing. I watched a few hours after it was given, and it was not only moving, but empowering.”

Pleased that Paulina was engaged in lively conversation with Maria, Harry redirected his attention to Arnold, with whom he had a conversation of his own. There were instances in which it was a bit challenging to understand what the Governor was saying, but regardless, Harry charmed the Governor and fed his vanity for a little while.

After a few minutes, Harry and Paulina excused themselves from the Governor and First Lady, and moved onto the owners of the polo field on which he was to play. Again, Harry initiated conversation, and while Harry spoke with the owner, Paulina lapsed into pleasantries with the wife. It was her duty to engage the spouse and smile warmly, she was to appear engaged in her conversation with the woman and remain polite, even though she wanted nothing more than to run back to Maria Shriver so that they could continue their conversation, but Paulina remained at his side and did her duty.

She remained there until Harry announced it was time for him to take the field. At first, Paulina wasn’t sure if she was supposed to stay there with the owners, but when Harry told her that they both had to get going, she sighed inwardly and followed him away. She accompanied him to the stables, and once there, kissed him deeply before sending him off to mount his horse.

“Be careful out there,” she told him, her eyes shining with concern. “Try not to get too ruffed up.”

“But getting ruffed up is part of the fun.” He smirked. “And we both know that you can’t keep your hands off me when I’ve a few bruises.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You’re mental.”

“Part of my charm.”

She smiled approvingly, gazing up at him with such tender affection that he felt his heart would give out. It didn’t matter how many times she smiled at him, because whenever she did, he turned into a besotted fool that couldn’t help but grin brightly.

“See, my charm’s working. It’s made you smile, it has.”

“We both know I can’t resist it.” She lifted her hand to his face, and gently brushed her finger tips along his cheek. “I reckon I ought to be going now, but before I go . . .” she tilted her head upwards and captured his lips in a deep, passionate kiss. It wasn’t a distasteful kiss, not sloppy and overly grabby, it was unrushed, it was exquisite, and when they pulled apart, she pecked his lips softly one last time before taking a step back. “Good luck, güerito. Go kick some ass.” She waited until Harry disappeared inside the stables, to turn to Alistair. “You think he’ll be alright, Alistair?”

“He always is, Miss.” Alistair replied from his place a few steps behind her. “His Royal Highness only ever comes out with minor injuries during matches. There is no need to worry.”

“I can’t help it though. I always worry when he’s out riding. It’s silly, isn’t it?” She didn’t give him time to respond. “He’s been at that his entire life.”

“He has, Miss.” Alistair moved so that he stood beside her. “And he is, undoubtedly, a most accomplished rider.”

“He is . . .” she repeated to reassure herself. “Well then, I guess it’s time we head back to the main tent.”

“Only if you so desire, Miss.”

Strangely enough, she did want to return to the main tent. It wasn’t because she was eager to meet and humor the wealthy strangers. It was because she wanted to do her part and hopefully, make the Queen proud with her behavior. She knew it probably sounded silly, but she had been deeply honored to find out that the Queen desired her to be directly involved with the polo match. She might not have understood why it was that the Queen was being so agreeable, but after such a shaky beginning, Paulina was relieved that things were heading in the right direction.

“I do.” She told Alistair. “Only, I’d really love it if we could make a quick pit stop at our tent. I want to drop off the coat. I don’t really feel like walking around in it.”

“As you wish.” Alistair smiled politely. “This way, Miss.”

Alistair led her back to the private tent, where Kamal and Gethin sat talking amongst themselves. They sprang to their feet when she stepped in, immediately inquiring as to whether or not she necessitated anything. She warmly assured them that she was quite alright, and that there was no need to trouble themselves over her, she was only going to drop off her coat. As quick as she could, she walked towards the dressing area of the tent, and hung her coat alongside Harry’s suit. She then redirected her attention to the mirror next to the dressing area, she checked her makeup, reapplied it where she deemed necessary, and when she felt ready to have pictures taken of her, she emerged from behind the curtain and told Alistair that they would be on their way.

When Paulina arrived at the main tent, the attention was once again placed on her, only that time, the guests didn’t grow silent. They acknowledged her presence with smiles and looks of interest, but they didn’t quiet down like they had for Harry, and she was grateful for that. It was awkward enough having their attention on her, and it would’ve been even worse if they’d stopped talking so that they could just stare at her as she moved along.

Since Paulina had already met Maria Shriver and had been introduced to the owners of the field, she decided it’d be best to be in the company of someone else. With that end in mind, her eyes scanned the crowd, searching for whom to approach, and when she saw Gloria Allred, Paulina couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been sure if Gloria was going to show up to the polo match. It truly wasn’t her sort of thing to attend, but Harry had insisted on sending a personal invitation to Gloria Allred. It was his way of thanking her for having been there for Paulina throughout the court proceedings in England.

Paulina thought she was going to have to interrupt the conversation that Gloria Allred was having with her daughter, Lisa Bloom, but that wasn’t the case. The moment that Gloria realized Paulina was walking towards her, she turned to her daughter, and told her that they’d continue their discussion on the sexual discrimination case Lisa was working on, later.

“Pardon me,” spoke Paulina when she reached them. “I do hope I’m not interrupting, Ma’am. And if I am, I’m sorry, but I saw you across the way and just had to come over.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Paulina.” Gloria smiled reassuringly. “I’m glad to see you again. It’s been a long time since London.”

“Only a few months short of a year,” said Paulina. “Though it feels like only yesterday we were in the thick of it. I still can’t believe all that happened. It was very surreal.”

“Surreal, yet incredibly enjoyable. I don’t think I’ve ever taken such pleasure in winning a case as I did that one. That bastard, Murdoch, was absolutely livid. He actually addressed an e-mail to me. It was quite lengthy.”

“Was it?” Paulina couldn’t hide her interest in knowing the contents of such an e-mail.

Gloria nodded. “Took me nearly ten minutes to finish reading it. Of course, he tried to keep a veil of civility in his words, in case I were to leak it to the press or share it among those closest to me, but when you’ve been around as long as I have, you come to know what men like that actually mean, even when they’re feigning politeness.” She paused, suddenly realizing she hadn’t introduced her daughter. “Where are my manners? I’ve completely forgotten to introduce my daughter. Sorry about that dear,” Gloria apologized to Lisa, “But these things happen when you get to be my age. Where was I? Ah. Yes. Lisa, dear, this is Paulina Balcázar. I’d give a little description, but I think it unnecessary, given the fact that everyone present is already well aware of who she is. And Paulina, this is my daughter, Lisa Bloom. She’s a civil rights attorney who founded her own law firm.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ma’am.” Paulina spoke, extending her hand.

Lisa took Paulina’s outstretched hand. “Feel free to call me, Lisa. I think Ma’am is better reserved for my mother.”

“Lisa it is then.” Paulina smiled. “Either way it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” Lisa assured her. “I’ve been wanting to meet you ever since that press conference was held in London. You handled yourself very well. My favorite part was when you snapped at that guy who’d taken pictures of you buying pads. Oh, I couldn’t stop laughing over that. I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but a broadcast over here in America actually caught his reaction when you threw that incident in his face, and it was just priceless.”

“I honestly can’t say I’ve seen that. I’m going to have to look it up. It definitely sounds like a right laugh.”

“It is.” Lisa chuckled lightly at the thought. “If you want, I can get your e-mail from my mother later on, and I can send you the link.”

“That’d be great. Thank you.” Paulina was well aware of Lisa Bloom’s illustrious career as an attorney, and was glad that the successful attorney wanted to be in contact with her, because the e-mail was just a pretext, she’d learned that from Lord Fellowes and the correspondence she kept with Senator Kennedy. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble coming up for the polo match, what with it being held on a Tuesday.”

“It wasn’t any trouble at all.” Gloria assured. “The Prince had given us plenty of time to plan our schedules accordingly, and it made for a nice getaway. We don’t usually get to go on trips on our own.”

“We don’t.” Lisa nodded in agreement. “I have two kids and a husband, so we’re always lugging them around, not that I don’t enjoy going on vacation with them, I do. It’s just nice to be able to head out without the kids and the husband, it’s less stressful.”

“It is. Once you have children, you honestly can’t have as much fun as you used to. There are those that will argue otherwise, but those are the ones with fulltime nannies.” Gloria shook her head in disapproval. “It’s not that I’m against nannies if you’re employed, but if you’re a stay at home spouse, then looking after the children should be the priority, but there are so many wealthy housewives that neglect their children in order to parade around.”

“Say that a little louder mom, I don’t think a table in the back heard you.” Lisa said, taking into the account the amount of glares her mother’s response had earned them.

Gloria chuckled to herself. “What do I care if they heard me? It’s the truth, but at any case, I was already done speaking of that. Tell me, are you excited for Harvard?”

“Extremely excited,” replied Paulina. “I’m actually going to drive out there in a few days.”

“Drive?” Gloria repeated. “Why ever would you drive? It’s best to fly.”

“It is better to fly, but since I’m taking all the furniture for my apartment from home, it’s better that I make the drive over.”

“Well I do hope you won’t be making it alone.” Gloria didn’t think such a long drive was safe for a young woman on her own, there were unsavory characters out there that might wish to do wrong. “It’s far too long a drive.”

“I won’t be alone.” Paulina assured. “Henry and Alistair are going to make the drive with me.”

“Alistair? Is he the gentleman keeping guard over you?” asked Lisa, finally noticing Alistair, whom stood close by.

“Yes. He is. He’s the head security detail.” Paulina replied, quickly. “Would you like to me? He’s a great guy.”

“I think it best we don’t disturb him.” Gloria stated. “I once disturbed a secret service agent while he was on duty, and it didn’t play out well. They think it an offence, so it’d best to just let him be. I will say this, I’m glad you’re being looked after.”

The women spoke on a little while longer before Paulina politely excused herself. There were other conversations to be held, and the women understood that as the girlfriend of the prince, she had to be a social butterfly and attempt to hold as many conversations as possible.

Throughout the course of the polo match, Paulina became acquainted with reality television stars that were eager to talk to her, with actors and actresses whose films and television programs she adored, with a few musical artists, several politicians, and countless private citizens. She did her best to be an amiable companion throughout the conversations, and always appeared attentive and in good spirits. She smiled politely, laughed at the appropriate moment, and she couldn’t help but feel that at the end of the day, her cheeks were going to hurt from smiling so much. It was exhausting having to humor so many people, but she reminded herself that it was good practice for if she ever became a politician or a duchess. Meeting people and humoring them was a part of both, so she pushed through it.

When the match finally came to an end, Paulina excused herself from the group of women she’d been talking with, and made her way over to the podium. It was there that she handed each competitor a Tiffany & Co. box that contained a commemorative gift. She suspected it was a watch or something of the sort, but honestly hadn’t a clue as to what she’d just presented the competitors with.

Once the boxes had been handed out, she was presented with the large silver trophy that was to go to the winning team, which fortunately, was Harry’s. Paulina grinned brightly as she handed the trophy over to him. Harry couldn’t help but return her grin, and after holding the trophy and then handing it off, he walked over and planted a kiss right on her lips, it wasn’t a passionate kiss, it was chaste, by all means, but it was enough to send the crowd and photographers into a frenzy. The crowd chanted for another kiss, the photographers snapped photo after photo, and all Paulina could do was blush as she buried her face into Harry’s chest.

She wasn’t there long. She had to take pictures with the teams, and stood in the middle of the sweaty men as they held up the trophy and grinned at the camera. The photo session didn’t last long. The pictures were quickly snapped with the winning team, and then she stood with the opponents, and then they all stood in a picture. The entire process took less than five minutes, and at the end of it, she retook her place at Harry’s side, and accompanied him as he met with guests for a short period. He mingled for the better part of an hour, paying the necessary compliments and attentions to the right people.

In time, the pair retreated to the hotel where a quick shower was taken in order to make time for an hour long nap. Harry was exhausted from the polo match, and Paulina was tired of walking around in heels all day. She desired nothing more than to simply lay in bed until she felt rested. It’d be nice to have a lazy night, to lounge around in sweats, order a movie on the television, and eat takeaway, but that would have to wait until they arrived at her new place in Massachusetts. That was where they’d be able to be lazy and enjoy themselves by doing nothing, like they used to in Oxford.

“Wake up . . .” mumbled Paulina when her alarm went off. “Güerito, you’ve got to wake up. We have to get ready.”

“Don’t want to,” he grumbled, his face buried into his pillow. “I need a nap.”

“You’ve already had a nap.”

“Wasn’t long enough.”

“Henry,” she said his name a bit more firmly. “Get your ass up.”

“I’ve only got to put a suit on.” He argued. “That doesn’t even take five minutes. You go get ready and when we’re almost leaving, wake me. Yeah? Yeah. Good. I’m glad we had this conversation. Goodnight then.”

Knowing very well there was no point in trying to wake him, Paulina left the bed and wandered over to the bathroom where she proceeded to style her hair into an up do that would show off her curls, and her makeup. She was at it for well over an hour, and there was a part of her that wanted to give up and go back to sleep beside Harry, but she knew she had to keep at it, even if she thought it tedious at the moment. She went for a dramatic eye and a subtle lip, and when she finished, she slipped on the lace one shoulder dress, and woke Harry up so he could zip her up.

He grumbled for the first few minutes, complaining that he needed to sleep a bit longer, that she could have Alistair help him instead, but when she smacked his butt, his eyes snapped open, and he helped zip her dress up, and then got himself ready for the dinner. All he had to do was brush his teeth, put on his tux, and spray on some cologne. In less than ten minutes, he was ready.

The dinner was to be held at La Pacifica Ballroom and Terrace at the Four Seasons. The ballroom was decorated beautifully, but it wasn’t done in the British style, it had a casual sophistication to it, it was elegant, yet very much laidback. It was truly Californian, and when Paulina stepped inside, she couldn’t help but be reminded of the dinners she’d gone to during her time at Stanford. The university was always holding special events for high profile visitors, and Paulina had been fortunate enough to accompany three of her professors on different occasions. The first time, she had felt out of place, but the second and third made her feel at ease, and when she strolled in alongside Harry, she felt as if she belonged there.

That confidence shone through in her performance that evening. She was more natural and comfortable than she usually was at high profile events back in England. She smiled brighter, enjoyed herself more, and that led to the night being a better experience for herself and Harry. They went about the rounds again, only that time, they were only together half the night, and the other half they spent apart, socializing with different people so they could cover more ground.

When the socializing period came to an end, and the charity auction portion of the night commenced, they reunited at the table they shared with Arnold and Maria, the owners of the polo field, the CEO of Bank of the West and his wife, and Gloria and her daughter. It was a diverse bunch, and for the most part, Paulina enjoyed their company. She was engrossed in conversation with Maria, Gloria, and Lisa. Apparently, Maria was a longtime friend to the two women, which in retrospect made sense, considering they were so high profile and influential. Paulina relished in the conversation had, and has Harry charmed the Governor, the CEO, and the polo field owner, Paulina spent her time having more enjoyable conversation with the ladies.
It was in that fashion that she spend the auction portion of the night, they whispered amongst themselves, suppressed their laughter when one made a particularly witty comment, it was magnificent, and when it came to an end, so did the night.

The ballroom and terrace were slowly emptied, until the only people that remained were the staff that were charged to clean up the mess. Harry and Paulina returned to the hotel. They were so exhausted from the day that Harry didn’t even remember that Paulina had promised they’d had sex that night. All they did was peel off their clothes and slip into bed. They were going to have to wake up at nine the next day to pack up and head back to Azusa to spend four days with her family before they embarked on the drive to Massachusetts.

It was a restful night for them. They slept comfortably, without worry. Harry held her in his arms for half of the night, and when they began to unconsciously fidget and move about their hands still managed to touch ever so slightly.

When morning came, Paulina was the first to wake. She stumbled out of bed with sleep filled eyes and took a long shower, she then walked into the living room area, making sure to close the door that connected it to the bedroom, and plopped down on the couch. Harry wasn’t going to be awake for another hour and a half, truth be told, she wished she could say the same for herself, but for some reason she just felt like she had to get up. And in that need, she grabbed the control off the coffee table and nestled into the couch so she could watch the morning news on MSNBC.

She expected to hear the anchors going on about how the Republicans in the Senate were overusing the filibuster in order to stop legislation they weren’t fond of or to hear them talking about how increasingly polarized the parties were getting or the recession, they were always going on about the recession, but on that morning, none of those topics were being discussed. There was only one topic on MSNBC, only one topic on every single cable news channel, and that topic was the death of the Lion of the Senate.

She didn’t believe it at first. There was no way that Ted Kennedy, the Lion of the Senate, her mentor, was dead. There was no way that was possible. Not when she’d spoken to him a few days earlier. She’d carried a ten minute conversation with him, in which they discussed when she was to travel to Harvard, and what day she could meet up with him so they could start talking about the future. There was no way he could’ve died when there was so much to be done, but the anchor made it perfectly clear that he had passed away. The woman on the television screen made it perfectly clear that Senator Ted Kennedy had passed away shortly before midnight on August 25, 2009 at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

“The Kennedy family has issued the following statement, ‘We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood by him for so many years in his tireless march for progress towards justice.”

She stared at the television screen in confusion, tears streaming down her cheeks. He couldn’t be dead. He was Ted Kennedy, he was the last of the three great Kennedys. He wasn’t supposed to join John and Bobby until much later, until years down the road. He had so much left to do, so much left to teach her. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. How could he die when his mentoring her was just about to get underway? How could he die when he was about to fully take her under his wing? She had spent the last eleven years of her life dreaming about what it would be like to be in his presence, of what she could learn from him, and she had been so close, she had been so very fucking close, but he died, and as she sat there, crying on the couch, she couldn’t help but wonder if his death was some sort of sign. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for American politics, maybe her place was elsewhere, because Ted had been her connection. Gloria was fine, as was Maria, but they couldn’t make people in Congress. They could destroy careers, but they couldn’t build them, not alone. But Ted had been able to do that. Ted had endorsed a relatively unknown Senator from Chicago, and given him the backing of an old political family when everyone doubted in his experience, that man went onto get endorsements from other high profile politicians, and ultimately became the President of the United States. Ted could make a career. He had the influence, he had the ability, and he had planned on making Paulina into his protégé. That was why he’d secured her a place at Harvard. That was why he secured her a coveted research assistant position with Elizabeth Warren. That was why he’d gone out of his way to be in regular correspondence with her, because she was going to be a part of his legacy, but now . . . now he was gone. And his would be protégé sat alone on a couch with tears streaming down her face, feeling utterly lost.