Accidents Happen

It was the day after dinner with Harry's family, and Kate had invited Victoria out to lunch, just the two of them. Tori had agreed without hesitation, because Kate was an amazing person and, as Kate had said, she was "sure we're just going to be great friends".

These plans had left her getting ready for a day out on the town, shopping and eating lunch. Tori had learned from Harry that when Kate said 'lunch', what she really meant was 'let's spend the whole day together doing girly things'. Victoria didn't mind one bit; it had been a while since she'd been out with a girl friend. Work had always got in the way, but since Harry had pulled some strings and convinced her boss to give her a week off, that wasn't a problem anymore.

She heard a light knock on her door. "Victoria, are you ready?" Kate's sing-song voice came from the other side.

"Almost! You can come in if you like," she started, and the door cracked open to reveal Kate, dressed in red. "... and please, call me Tori."

Kate's smile grew. "Of course, Tori."

Victoria giggled and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Ready."

***********************

Kate had shown Tori into shops she had never been to before, despite spending her whole life in London. There was one shop in particular in which they were spending more time than the rest. It was called Darling Clothes, and it was Victoria's favourite so far.

"Oh, look at this one!" Kate called over her shoulder, holding up a blue, floor length dress (http://www.weddingdressreview.com/wp-content/uploads/Blue-Evening-Dresses.jpg).

Victoria gasped. "Oh, it's beautiful!" When she looked at the price tag, her smile faltered. "A bit out of my price range though."

"Oh, nonsense! Come on, try it on!" Kate beamed.

Tori bit down on her lower lip and stared at the dress. It was beautiful. What harm could come from trying it on? "All right. I'll try it on, wait outside for me." She decided, making her way through the racks of clothes to the changing rooms, where she slipped the dress on and stared at herself in the full length mirror. "Wow." She breathed.

"Are you okay in there?" she heard Kate's voice from just the other side of the door.

Instead of answering, Tori opened the door and her new friends eyes widened considerably. "Oh, you look stunning!" Kate gushed, grinning from ear to ear. "Honestly, you have to get it. You can wear it to my weeding! Oh, please!"

"I don't have enough money." She frowned.

"Well, since it's for my wedding, I'll buy it."

"No, no, I can't let you do that!"

"Oh, come on, Tori. Just let me-"

"No." She said firmly. "I won't let you, and that's that. I'm taking this off, and then we'll go visit somewhere else. Maybe cheaper."

Kate sighed, defeated. "All right. But I'm buying lunch, at least."

***********************

"... and then he trips down the stairs in his boxers and fractures his ankle!" Kate fell into hysterics. She had been telling a story about Harry for the last ten minutes. He had gotten drunk in his bedroom, decided to go down into the kitchens for ice cream and toppled down the stairs.

"Oh, my gosh!" Tori giggled uncontrollably and put her head on the table. "I need to see him drunk now."

"Oh, you do!" She said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Try it out tonight. Just, do it inside the palace. We don't need a big scandal involving another drunken night from Prince Harry of Wales."