Marching On

The windows and curtains were open throughout all of Fredensborg Palace, allowing the cool, dry September air to fill the room.

Lavin stepped into the entrance hall, Essie following closely behind with her suitcase, and noticed the amount of fresh flowers that sat on every available surface.

The palace was ordinarily a noisy place to live. The maids tittered in groups of two, attacking each room with exact precision; the butler Anders stalking the halls to make sure every staff member was doing their job; and the chefs could be heard singing in their baritone voices during meal preparations.

Lavin turned her ear closer to the depths of Fredensborg, listening.

There was nothing.

“Where is everyone?” she wondered out loud.

Essie shrugged by her, knowing that it was a rhetorical question. “I’ll take these to your room, ma’am.”

“Thanks, Es. Take the rest of the night off, please. I’ve put you through enough.”

The two shared a knowing smile before Essie nodded, turned her back, and made her way up the stairs.

Lavin continued down the hallway towards the kitchens, looking down every corridor for some sort of movement. It was a Sunday afternoon, but someone had to be home.

She skipped down the small set of stone steps before entering the kitchen. The open room had been vastly updated with new counters and appliances since its construction.

No one was here, but there was a small pile of flowers from the garden on the large island in the center of the room. A few sunflowers were being smothered by a springy heap of crimson chrysanthemums.

Lavin grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and an orange from the fruit bowl. She turned and saw her grandmother entering from outside, arms full of flowers.

“Gran?”

“Lavin?” Lucy mirrored Lavin’s confused tone.

“I didn’t think anyone was home,” Lavin said, pulling up a stool in front of the counter that Lucy had claimed. She watched Lucy set the bushel down and begin to separate each type of flower.

Lucy brushed her hands on the dirt-covered apron that displayed a delicate pattern of flowers, garden spades, and watering cans.

“No one is home, besides me.”

Lavin made an unintelligent affirmation as she dug her thumbnail into the orange. “Where is everyone?”

“Well, Benjamin is at practice, he has a polo match this weekend. Alexander is riding with your grandfather, and your mother is out.”

“Mother is out?” Lavin repeated. “That’s vague.”

Lucy quirked an eyebrow at Lavin, a devilish look appeared on her face. “Well, you’ve been vague about your whereabouts this past fortnight.”

Lavin hung her head in shame. “I know. I’m sorry about that.”

“Care to tell?”

“It’s a little complicated.”

Lucy shrugged. “I married into this family, didn’t I? I like complicated.”

Lavin laughed and began telling her grandmother about her two week hiatus. The week long depression that came to a head inside her manor, the email from Tom inviting her to New York, and spending the last few days with Harry.

Lavin sighed once she was finished and looked to her grandmother. Lucy’s face was solemn, but she allowed a smile to flutter briefly across her aged features.

“Wasn’t much of a vacation, was it?”

“No, not in the slightest,” Lavin said, shaking her head.

Lucy pulled up a stool and held Lavin’s hand, patting it a few times before saying, “I think it’s perfectly acceptable for you to still be grieving over your father. It makes no difference if you’re a queen or a penniless artist, you’re still human. No one expects you to be this impenetrable superhero, and, quite frankly, no one wants you to be.”

Lavin sniffled, her mind caught between a laugh and a cry. She looked at Lucy, smiling, a few tears falling from her eyes.

“Thank you, Grandma.” Lavin nodded her head, placing her hand over Lucy’s. “I really needed to hear that, thank you.”

“Anytime, love.” Lucy pulled Lavin’s hand to her mouth and kissed it. The faint mark of Lucy’s lipstick colored the back of her hand.

Lavin circled the perimeter of the mark with her finger as she sat content with her feelings.

“Now,” Lucy said, getting up from the stool, returning to her flowers. “As I recall Tom is the same Tom that you dated at university, right?”

“Right,” Lavin said with a nod of her head.

“The one that came between you and Harry?”

Lavin cringed. “I suppose so.”

“You flew all the way to New York to see an old boyfriend. That seems pretty serious. Are you getting back together?”

“No,” Lavin groaned loudly, burying her face in her hands. “You know how I feel about Harry. Tom and I were never meant to be.”

“Then why did you go?”

“To get my mind off things like Dad, Harry, and my responsibilities.”

“Did it work?” Lucy asked, stuffing a few sunflowers among the chrysanthemums in the dark blue vase before her.

“Yes…well, when I drank enough it did. It was nice to see Tom again and my friends from Uni. But I still felt sad.”

Lucy sighed. “Yes, that tends to happen when your life turns topsy-turvy.”

Lavin managed a laugh, Lucy followed with her own high-pitched easy chuckle.

“And how was it with Harry?”

“Honestly, it was weird at first. He was very awkward with me, and hesitant. After a few days together and my apology things got much better.”

Lucy eyed her quizzically. “Does this mean you’re dating again?”

Lavin hesitated, but nodded her head. “Yes. I think for good this time.”

Lucy’s face brightened, and her red lips pulled into a huge grin, something Lavin was not expecting. “That is great to hear, my love.”

“You’re serious?” Lavin said suspiciously.

Lucy nodded exuberantly. “I was against the whole thing anyway. What’s marriage without love? A bloody terrible situation, that’s what.”

“But,” Lavin protested, “what about that day in Dad’s study with the prime minister? About tradition? About ensuring the line of succession?”

“Sod it all!” Lucy exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “It’s not a legal requirement of a monarch to have a spouse. And technically you’re already breaking tradition by being an unmarried queen.”

Lavin blinked. She had never thought about it before, but her grandmother was right. She had been queen for one month without a husband, without even a boyfriend, and people were not protesting in the streets.

“What about grandpa? He was very serious about this entire thing,” Lavin said.

Lucy nodded carefully. “Yes, he was, but I think you’ll find him a changed man after we lost your father. It’s ungodly for a parent to bury their child.”

Lavin remained quiet.

“I think it’s time for this family to have some happiness, don’t you think? Harry makes you happy, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he does.”

“Good,” Lucy smiled, “we’ll start there, then.”

Lavin nodded, unable to stop smiling. “Thanks, Gram. You made me feel a lot better about this.”

Lucy smiled. “What are grandmothers for?”

She laughed as she slid off the stool, tossing her orange peel away before heading towards the doorway. “I’m gonna go unpack.”

“Sure thing, darling,” Lucy said.

Lavin smiled before passing into the hallway and then her grandmother’s voice rang out, “It’s good to have you back home!”

Lavin called back, “It’s good to be home.”

She made her way from the depths of the kitchen to the upper floors of the palace, winding around the rooms where her brothers lived.

She passed Alex’s room, hearing noise from within. She knocked on the door frame, seeing Alex dressed in riding pants and boots. His fingers were pressing rapidly against his phone.

Alex’s head turned in her direction. His eyes went wide when he noticed it was Lavin.

“It’s you.”

“I detect surprise.”

“Can you blame me?” Alex said.

Lavin sat next to him. “No, I can’t. I’m sorry for leaving like that, Alex.”

He put his phone down. “You don’t have to apologize. I would have wanted to run away too.”

“Yeah,” Lavin muttered. “But that doesn’t excuse me from being a lousy sister to you and Ben. I wasn’t the only person that lost Dad.”

Alex smiled, it was sad but hopeful. “You have time to make up for it. I’m just really glad you’re back.”

“Oi!” the voice of their brother startled them from their conversation. “You,” Ben said, pointing to Alex, “owe me money!”

“What?” Lavin said, baffled.

She looked between her brothers and realized what was happening. “You two had a bet going, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Ben said obviously.

“What was the bet on?” Lavin asked. She stood now, hands on her sides. She had an idea what the bet was about.

“You and how long it would take for you to come home. We didn’t think you were actually going to listen to Mum,” Ben told her.

“Is this true?” She looked to Alex, who could scarcely tell a lie.

Alex nodded, brave enough to keep Lavin’s gaze. “Ben thought you were going to come home within a few days. I didn’t think you’d come back, to be honest.”

Lavin’s eyes widened. She did not realize how much her running away had affected her brothers. It pained her to know Alex, the most intelligent of the three siblings, did not believe she would come home.

“Ben, of course, prayed every night for you to come home,” Alex said quickly.

Lavin swiveled her head to look at Ben.

“Shit, Lav. Don’t look at me like that,” Ben told her. “Of course I wanted you to come back, I’d be made king if you didn’t and nobody wants that.”

Ben shrugged, half serious. “Besides, I’ll buy you something nice with my winnings for saving my ass.”

Lavin narrowed her eyes, making them wait for her to speak. She was upset about the bet, but more upset at herself for abandoning her family.

“It better be something good,” she said finally, voice flat and serious.

Lavin allowed a smile and began to laugh. Ben joined in and Alex followed cautiously after.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she told them.

“Me too, sweaty from practice,” Ben said.

They left Alex’s room together. Ben threw his arm around Lavin’s shoulders. “Sorry about the bet, Lavin; it was just some fun.”

Lavin waved his apology away. “I understand.”

“So, you and Harry back together again?” he asked.

“Yeeesss,” she answered slowly. “How do you know that?”

Ben tapped his front pocket where his phone sat. “Harry and I are mates, you know.”

Lavin shrugged. “I was going to tell you anyway. I’m not going to keep it a secret this time around.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Lavin nodded her head, feeling satisfied.

“That’s good news, then.”

“I’d say so,” Lavin said.

Lavin and Ben shared a smile before slipping into their rooms.

_______

Good news, Lucy is on board with us, Lavin texted Harry as she made her way through the first floor corridor towards the library.

So is Ben, was Harry’s immediate reply.

Lavin grinned. About to go and convince my grandfather, she typed.

Good luck, love.

Lavin whispered a quiet thanks to Harry before shoving her phone into her back pocket. She stuck her head through the open doors of the library.

“Hello?” she tested, stepping into the room and peering around. The books were silent in their answer: Grandfather was not here.

Lavin checked his study, his bedroom, the entertainment room, everywhere that Sebastian normally spent his time.

Her ears heard the quiet music of Chopin coming from the art studio; it was a small room with a large window that overlooked the gardens. It had been an unused room for decades until Fredrick decided to remodel it into a studio, hoping to spark Lavin and her brother’s creativity as children. Over the years it had become her refuge during boring dinner parties and after etiquette lessons, but now someone else had taken her place.

As she got closer to the room, she saw her grandfather sitting before an easel with a palette in his hand. His hands were spotted with brush strokes and his jeans carried the stains from where he cleaned his hands.

“You’re painting?”

Sebastian swiveled on his stool and grinned at Lavin. The hard frown lines disappeared and his eyes danced.

“Hello!” he said. “And, yes, I’m painting.”

“I didn’t know you painted.”

“Well,” he said, shrugging before turning back to the canvas. “I let life get in the way of some of my hobbies.”

Lavin came closer, studying the painting. It was a rendering of the Fredensborg stables with horses sticking their heads out of the stalls. It was near finished.

“How long have you been working on this?” she asked.

“A few weeks, give or take,” Sebastian said. “It took a while to get back into the swing of things. I’ve only just begun my work on it today; was riding with Alex earlier today.”

Lavin nodded thoughtfully. “It’s beautiful, Grandpa. You’re really good.”

“Where do you think you get it from?”

Lavin watched her grandfather as he painted. Was he joking with her? It seemed she had stepped into an alternate dimension when she landed in Denmark.

“We should paint together some time,” Lavin said.

“Set up an easel. I won’t be going anywhere for a while,” Sebastian said, gesturing to the easel in the corner.

Lavin set up her easel, placed a canvas, and filled a palette with paint. She draped a smock around her before taking a seat.

They painted together, listening to the music, not speaking of any serious topics and soon they fell into a lull. Both grandfather and granddaughter were consumed by the canvases in front of them.

“Grandpa,” she began timidly. “May I tell you something?”

“You may.”

Lavin looked at her grandfather once more. His face was close to the canvas, working on some intricate detail of a horse’s face. Sebastian looked so relaxed.

“I went to visit Harry this week.”

“Oh,” he said, wanting for her to continue.

“We’re back on; we’re together…for good.”

Sebastian lifted his brush. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Sebastian met Lavin’s confused look with a sad smile. “You’ve always been strong-willed and determined, Lavinia. It would take the whole of Denmark’s military to get you to stay away from Harry.”

Lavin laughed uncomfortably.

“Are you okay with it?” she asked.

“I am more than okay with it,” Sebastian told her. “Harry’s always been lovely to you and to us, and I don’t think that a silly tradition and my stubbornness should keep you from him.”

Sebastian returned to his painting. His voice still held its seriousness when he spoke again, “This last year was hard on all of us and I did the only thing I knew how. I allowed the cold, no-nonsense king to come out and take care of my family, and of myself.”

He shook his head, seemingly shaking an image from his mind. “I get it from my father. He was like that for most of my life and I despised that side of him. And I hate that part of me.

“Stubbornness seems to have tainted our family tree,” Lavin teased.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “In all seriousness, Lavinia, I do want you to be happy. If that’s Harry, then it’s Harry.”

Lavin’s heart swelled with adoration for her grandfather.

“Thank you,” she told him. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

He grinned. “I think I get the idea.”
They both smiled at each other. Lavin liked this new version of her grandfather; he was calm, level-headed, and for the first time in her life he seemed truly happy.

Maybe it took the death of her father for her family to change, to understand that life is not about duty and it is not about pleasing others. Though she would never understand why her father had to go before his time, she was thankful that it had some transformational effect on her family.

“Another thing,” Sebastian said, “I will offer my help in any way I can to help you adapt to your new role. If there is ever something that confuses you, come right to me, and we’ll work through it together.

“If there is ever something that seems difficult or something that is just too overwhelming for you to handle, come to me. You will never be alone with this, Lavinia.”

Lavin bowed her head, hoping that her grandfather could not see the tears that sat in her eyes. A simple thank you did not seem enough for Sebastian’s generous offer.

She felt his arms wrap around her, squeezing her, reminding her of when she was a child. She relaxed into his embrace, letting her head rest against the coarse painting smock and wrapped her arms around his torso.

There was a feeling of security that spread throughout her when she hugged her grandfather, something that she had not felt in a while.

“I love you, Lavin,” Sebastian said, pressing a kiss onto her head.

Lavin tried to hold back the sob that was locked in her throat. “I love you, too.”