Status: Comments and critique are much appreciated.
How Long?
Chapter 1: Prologue
March 1995
As the rain pour down on another gloomy London day Louise stood next to her father clutching his hand firmly, afraid to let it go. She was merely 9 years old and had no idea what was going on but one thing she knew for sure was that her mommy is gone; she is never coming back. She was wearing a little black dress that Martha, her nanny insisted her to wear this morning. As she looked around the cemetery she saw that everyone there was also dressed in black. Luke and Mark her older brothers had puffy red eyes, they looked dreadful. Her eyes caught the familiar 10 year old standing next to his father but his blue eyes were looking directly at her. She gave him a weak smile.
Back at home she hid in her favorite spot under the basement staircase. There were too many people in her house and everyone kept telling her that they were sorry for her loss. She didn’t want to hear it again and she didn’t want to see their sad faces, so she hid. She heard someone coming down the stairs. She guessed it to be Mark; she had heard him looking for her sometime ago. When the footsteps stopped she looked up to found her blue eyed best friend looking down at her. She sifted to make place for him and he sat next to her. They sat in silence for some time. Both didn’t know what exactly to say. He offered her his handkerchief in silence, it’s only then she realized that she was still crying.
“Daddy says that Aunty Claire is in a better place now” The little boy said.
Louise didn’t reply she had heard this before from Martha and her father.
“Daddy says she doesn’t feel any pain anymore. Isn’t that a grand Lou? Now she can sleep in peace” Harry said.
She still kept quite.
“Lou, please Lou stop crying” He said so earnestly that Lou looked up. She could see that his blue eyes were filled with tears as well.
“Harry, I don’t have a mum anymore” Lou whispered.
“I can share mine. Serious, I will talk to mommy about it. She won’t mind nor will Wills”
While coming back from Lou place little Harry kept thinking about his friend. He hated seeing Lou like that. Lou cried constantly because her mum was always in the hospital battling cancer but for someone who did so much battling aunty Claire looked awfully weak to him.
Charles observed his young son being quite and looking out the window. It was a rare thing for him to be this quite; he was usually so full of life. He ruffled his hair in affection. He didn’t want to take him to the funeral but Harry had insisted. He wanted to be there for his friend. Charles was now left thinking of the children that Claire had left behind. Luke was 18; he was mature enough to understand the disease that took his mother life. Mark was almost 15, old enough to remember some good memories of his mother prior to her getting sick. But poor Louise just turned 9. She didn’t even get to know her mother that well, she never get to spend much time with her.
1996, Highgrove
Harry and William were staying with their father for the weekend before going back to school after the summer break. Louise was spending the weekend with the family. Louise father and Prince Charles had been friends since they were young lads. Louise father, Simon Tomlinson was one was the richest man in the United Kingdom and owned Beaufort Polo Club that Prince Charles was a regular patron of. Louise had been a friend of the young princes since she was a toddler and as they grew older Harry and she had become inseparable, always getting in trouble. Whereas William always looked after the two as a big brother he is.
After her mother death Louise had became very close to the boys. They were closer to her in age than her brothers. She would spend every other weekend with them. Especially the weekends they spend with their father. Prince Charles was quite fond of the young girl, he always treated her like a daughter he never had but really wanted. Simon being a father of two boys didn’t really knew what to do with his young daughter, so when Charles had lend a helping hand Simon had been much obliged.
Louise was a happy and energetic kid like Harry and that was a big reason both they them got along so famously. They were having a riding lesson this particular afternoon. William was feeling a bit under the weather. After riding their ponies for over two hours the young friends were exhausted. They were resting in one of the gardens after their lesson.
“I don’t think I am fond riding all that much” Young Louise said.
“Are you mental? What is their not to like?” Harry asked in total shock.
“It’s not very comfortable for starters. The leather saddle sticks to my bum” Louise said.
Young Harry busted into laughter. “You are mental” He said in between the laughter.
“I don’t know what you are laughing about. I am being total honest. I don’t like riding”
“Well, I absolutely adore it. I want to be like daddy. I want to play polo like him. Dad, me and Wills will have our own team and we will play at your father’s club with Luke and Mark”
“That’s the second thing I don’t like about riding. All Daddy, Luke and Mark talk about are horses. It’s just so boring”
“You are so dumb to even say that”
“I am not dumb. You are dumb”
“Take it back”
“No, you said it first you take it back”
Like always Harry tried to have it his way. He kept on yelling at her and because William was not there to stop him, she ended up storming out of the garden angry.
This how this kind of situation usually went, Harry didn’t like people not agreeing with him especially Louise, so he would throw a tantrum. Where he would yell and scream to get his way. Usually around this time William or someone else intervene and try to sooth the young prince. Later, the young prince’s ego will stop him from apologizing to Louise. Why would he? He is a prince after all. So, it’s always Louise who after calming down will come back to the prince and apologize or make a joke and then the two friends will go back to being inseparable again.
6th September 1997, Highgrove
William opened his door poked his head out to find that the corridors were empty. He knew that he was supposed to be in bed and that there were a lot of people downstairs. The day had been excruciating for the young prince. Not only was today his beloved mother’s funeral but he and Harry had to stand in front of the whole wide world to grieve their great loss. Though, he desperately wanted to sleep he couldn’t before checking up on his little brother.
He tiptoed toward Harry’s room at the end of the large corridor and opened the door. The room was dark and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. What he saw made a new bunch of tears form in his eyes. Harry was sleeping on the bed still in his suit; his cheeks had tears lines running. William moved closer to Harry and that’s when he saw Lou sleeping next to Harry, his head on her shoulder and her hand clutching his. Her face as tear smeared as his. William pulled the blanket above the pair and left the room thinking his brother is so lucky to have a friend like Lou.
As the rain pour down on another gloomy London day Louise stood next to her father clutching his hand firmly, afraid to let it go. She was merely 9 years old and had no idea what was going on but one thing she knew for sure was that her mommy is gone; she is never coming back. She was wearing a little black dress that Martha, her nanny insisted her to wear this morning. As she looked around the cemetery she saw that everyone there was also dressed in black. Luke and Mark her older brothers had puffy red eyes, they looked dreadful. Her eyes caught the familiar 10 year old standing next to his father but his blue eyes were looking directly at her. She gave him a weak smile.
Back at home she hid in her favorite spot under the basement staircase. There were too many people in her house and everyone kept telling her that they were sorry for her loss. She didn’t want to hear it again and she didn’t want to see their sad faces, so she hid. She heard someone coming down the stairs. She guessed it to be Mark; she had heard him looking for her sometime ago. When the footsteps stopped she looked up to found her blue eyed best friend looking down at her. She sifted to make place for him and he sat next to her. They sat in silence for some time. Both didn’t know what exactly to say. He offered her his handkerchief in silence, it’s only then she realized that she was still crying.
“Daddy says that Aunty Claire is in a better place now” The little boy said.
Louise didn’t reply she had heard this before from Martha and her father.
“Daddy says she doesn’t feel any pain anymore. Isn’t that a grand Lou? Now she can sleep in peace” Harry said.
She still kept quite.
“Lou, please Lou stop crying” He said so earnestly that Lou looked up. She could see that his blue eyes were filled with tears as well.
“Harry, I don’t have a mum anymore” Lou whispered.
“I can share mine. Serious, I will talk to mommy about it. She won’t mind nor will Wills”
While coming back from Lou place little Harry kept thinking about his friend. He hated seeing Lou like that. Lou cried constantly because her mum was always in the hospital battling cancer but for someone who did so much battling aunty Claire looked awfully weak to him.
Charles observed his young son being quite and looking out the window. It was a rare thing for him to be this quite; he was usually so full of life. He ruffled his hair in affection. He didn’t want to take him to the funeral but Harry had insisted. He wanted to be there for his friend. Charles was now left thinking of the children that Claire had left behind. Luke was 18; he was mature enough to understand the disease that took his mother life. Mark was almost 15, old enough to remember some good memories of his mother prior to her getting sick. But poor Louise just turned 9. She didn’t even get to know her mother that well, she never get to spend much time with her.
1996, Highgrove
Harry and William were staying with their father for the weekend before going back to school after the summer break. Louise was spending the weekend with the family. Louise father and Prince Charles had been friends since they were young lads. Louise father, Simon Tomlinson was one was the richest man in the United Kingdom and owned Beaufort Polo Club that Prince Charles was a regular patron of. Louise had been a friend of the young princes since she was a toddler and as they grew older Harry and she had become inseparable, always getting in trouble. Whereas William always looked after the two as a big brother he is.
After her mother death Louise had became very close to the boys. They were closer to her in age than her brothers. She would spend every other weekend with them. Especially the weekends they spend with their father. Prince Charles was quite fond of the young girl, he always treated her like a daughter he never had but really wanted. Simon being a father of two boys didn’t really knew what to do with his young daughter, so when Charles had lend a helping hand Simon had been much obliged.
Louise was a happy and energetic kid like Harry and that was a big reason both they them got along so famously. They were having a riding lesson this particular afternoon. William was feeling a bit under the weather. After riding their ponies for over two hours the young friends were exhausted. They were resting in one of the gardens after their lesson.
“I don’t think I am fond riding all that much” Young Louise said.
“Are you mental? What is their not to like?” Harry asked in total shock.
“It’s not very comfortable for starters. The leather saddle sticks to my bum” Louise said.
Young Harry busted into laughter. “You are mental” He said in between the laughter.
“I don’t know what you are laughing about. I am being total honest. I don’t like riding”
“Well, I absolutely adore it. I want to be like daddy. I want to play polo like him. Dad, me and Wills will have our own team and we will play at your father’s club with Luke and Mark”
“That’s the second thing I don’t like about riding. All Daddy, Luke and Mark talk about are horses. It’s just so boring”
“You are so dumb to even say that”
“I am not dumb. You are dumb”
“Take it back”
“No, you said it first you take it back”
Like always Harry tried to have it his way. He kept on yelling at her and because William was not there to stop him, she ended up storming out of the garden angry.
This how this kind of situation usually went, Harry didn’t like people not agreeing with him especially Louise, so he would throw a tantrum. Where he would yell and scream to get his way. Usually around this time William or someone else intervene and try to sooth the young prince. Later, the young prince’s ego will stop him from apologizing to Louise. Why would he? He is a prince after all. So, it’s always Louise who after calming down will come back to the prince and apologize or make a joke and then the two friends will go back to being inseparable again.
6th September 1997, Highgrove
William opened his door poked his head out to find that the corridors were empty. He knew that he was supposed to be in bed and that there were a lot of people downstairs. The day had been excruciating for the young prince. Not only was today his beloved mother’s funeral but he and Harry had to stand in front of the whole wide world to grieve their great loss. Though, he desperately wanted to sleep he couldn’t before checking up on his little brother.
He tiptoed toward Harry’s room at the end of the large corridor and opened the door. The room was dark and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. What he saw made a new bunch of tears form in his eyes. Harry was sleeping on the bed still in his suit; his cheeks had tears lines running. William moved closer to Harry and that’s when he saw Lou sleeping next to Harry, his head on her shoulder and her hand clutching his. Her face as tear smeared as his. William pulled the blanket above the pair and left the room thinking his brother is so lucky to have a friend like Lou.
♠ ♠ ♠
Lately I have been obsessed with the royal family especially with Prince Harry and this idea just came to me. I would love hear what you people think of the start. Let me know. Thanks for reading!