Madeline's Transformation

Plans for the King's coronation were being organized when things changed drastically. It was to take place in mid October, but in early September something terrible happened.

Madeline was in her office writing a letter to Michelle Obama when she received a knock on her door.

"Come in." She replied and did not look up.

One of the former Queen's secretaries entered. He was trembling and his face was completely white.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"Er.. Umm, you see..." He rambled, but did not seem to be able to say what he needed to say.

"Please, sit down." She asked him.

"Yes, that's right." He said, more of to himself, as he sat down. He sat awkwardly in the chair, as if the seat had a cactus growing on it.

"What's wrong?" Marie asked.

"I, I need to tell you that, that her majesty has, she has, um, it-" He paused to try and relax.

"Elizabeth? Did something happen in France?" Marie asked calmly.

"Yes actually, well, no it was coming back from France, um, she-" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "She died."

"Are you sure?" Marie asked surprised.

"Yes, she's gone, she had no pulse, they tried to revive her, but she was gone."

"Do you know how this happened?"

"No, not exactly, but it is believed to have been heart failure."

"I didn't think she was having any problems."

"Oh, yes, she has, well, had, a very bad heart, always taking medicine and other useless remedies."

"Well, this is terrible. How did William take this?"

"Oh, he doesn't know. You're going to tell him."

"I am? Why?"

"Because, you're his wife and he listens to you."

"Wife, yes that's right. Okay, I'll go tell him now." Marie said and stood up and walked out of her office leaving the shaking secretary nearly in tears in her office. As she was walking down the deserted hallway, she heard a clamor coming from the King's office. She ran to his door and looked in just in time to see him stab his silver, jewel encrusted letter opener into his chest and fall back into his chair. The other people in his room screamed and ran to his side, but Marie managed to snake her way through the crowd to be at his side. She held his hand and looked into his eyes.

"Charles, don't die, hold on!" She said into his dying ear.

"Tell William I love him," he gasped, "And tell him he will be a fine King."

"No, you're going to tell him because you're going to live." Marie said to him, but even as the words left her mouth, she knew she was lying. She looked into his eyes and watch as the light left and they closed. She held his hand tighter and yelled his name. She looked back at the crowed of ten or so people in his office. "Why'd he do it?"

"When he was told about his mother's death, he said he couldn't become King without her and he wasn't strong enough; we tried to get him to stop, but he grabbed his letter opener and..."

Marie looked back at the letter opener, all you could see was the end. It was the royal coat of arms in beautiful jewels mounted on a silver knife.

"Well, now I have two things to tell Will." Marie said and left the room. She thought about how she was going to tell him, what order should she say it, his father first or his grandmother, or both? She knocked on his door with the same enthusiasm the Queen's secretary had when entering her room.

"Come in." Will said. Marie walked in and stood in front of his desk.

"William," She said calmly. "I need to tell you something"

"What is it dear?" He said looking up from what he was writing.

"You're grandmother has died from heart failure and your father just killed himself." Marie said calmly but confidently.

Will was quiet for a few minutes. "Are you sure?"

"I watched your father die, I was holding his hand. He told me to tell you that he loves you and that he thinks you'll be a wonderful King."

"How did he kill himself?"

"He stabbed himself his letter opener."

"Is he still in his office?"

"Yes, I believe so. An ambulance was on the way when I left." Will got up and ran to his father's office. He stood in the doorway and watched the paramedics put him on a stretcher. Will walked over to his father's dead body and rested his hand on his father's cold, dead hand. A lone tear rolled down Will's cheek and landed on his father's hand. Harry arrived a few seconds later. They spent the rest of the day mourning their losses while Madeline sorted out the funeral arrangements. The King's coronation was changed into his funeral and it was scheduled for October 3. Around 12:30, Madeline had finished sorting out things and she went to bed and cried silently.

The next week, Will and Madeline prepared for the funerals of Charles and Elizabeth. Will mostly sat in his office and stared pensively out his window.

'What are you thinking about?' Madeline asked after the fifth day of silence.

'Everything, my dad, mum, and now granny's death' Will said. 'This is not how I imagined it.'

'Imagined what?'

Will turned around in his chair to face her. 'Becoming King. I knew it would happen, I didn't think I'd be so young.' He thought about it some more. 'At least I have you to depend on.' He smiled.

'I think that's the first time I've seen you smile in a few days.' Madeline said. 'Come on, let's get out of here.'

'Where are we going?' He asked taking her hand.

'Let's go flying!' She said excitedly. Will and Madeline flew out twenty minutes later. They flew out over the countryside of England and talked and laughed. They landed an hour later and went out for dinner. That night as they went to bed, Will reflected his thoughts to Madeline.

'Maddie, thank you so much for everything,' He said.

'Thank you,' Madeline replied, knowing this was going somewhere.

'I couldn't have done it without you,' he said. 'Everything I have accomplished in the past year or so is because you have been there by my side to guide me through it and fix my mistakes.' Will paused and looked into Madeline's eyes. 'Madeline, I just want you to think about this, but I'm thirty one, and you'll be twenty three soon. I don't want to rush you, but since my father's death I've been thinking about children, our children, and how my father never got to meet his grandchildren.'

Madeline thought about this for a while. She too had been thinking about it, thinking of ways to postpone it. After a few minutes of silence she replied, 'Anything you want,' and leapt forward to kiss him. After a few minutes of making out, Will stopped and said, 'Why don't we try now?'

'Now?' Madeline asked.

'Yeah, what time would be better than now?' He asked.

'I think it should work, I mean according to, you know, cycles and stuff.'

'Right, of course,' Will added and he and Madeline began their journey to parenthood.

The next morning Madeline awoke and Will was already gone making arrangements for the funerals, now only two days away. Madeline didn't want to get up; she was tired and felt kind of sick. Then she sat up and bed and realized that if she felt sick, it could be morning sickness. She needed to know if she was pregnant. She dressed quickly and found her secretary.

'Carl, I need you to do something for me,' she asked him.

'Anything, your majesty,' he replied.

'What? No, don't call me that. The Queen was "your majesty"'

'Yes, but you are the Queen.'

'Yes, I know but,' she thought about this for a while. 'I need you to schedule a doctor's appointment for me.'

'Why, are you ill?'

'No, I just need to talk to her about something.'

'Okay, and when will you be needing this?'

'Today, if possible.'

'I will do that immediately, does his majesty know about this?'

'No, Will should not find out.'

'Yes your majesty.' Carl left and Madeline wandered off to find something to eat that didn't make her want to throw up. Carl found her around 9:30 and told her she had an appointment at 11.

Madeline then walked around the palace to find something to occupy her mind until then, though she could not stop thinking about what had happened the night before.

Finally, it was 11:00 and Madeline was at her doctor's office.

'What is it that you had to see me so urgently?' her doctor asked.

'I think I might be pregnant, but I don't know,' she blurted as soon as she sat down. 'How soon can I know?'

'When did you have intercourse?'

'About twelve hours ago.'

'I can test you right now and see.' Her doctor got a needle and pricked Madeline's finger. 'I'll bring this right down to the lab and we'll know in a few minutes.'

Madeline sat in the cold room for what seemed like hours, but when her doctor came back the clock had only changed minimally.

'Well?' She asked.

'You're pregnant.' Her doctor said smiling.

Madeline was speechless, she didn't want to be sad, but she kind of was.

'That, that's wonderful, thank you,' she said and got up and left.

The rest of the day Madeline was in a daze, avoiding people, especially Will.

That night as they went to bed, Will asked her why she looked so off.

'I'm just a little tired.' She said and rolled over and tried to sleep. The next day was the same, avoiding Will and trying not to get sick.

The morning of the funerals, Will was feeling kind of down and asked Madeline for advice.

'Maddie, I have to talk in front of many people.' He said.

'I wrote the speech for you, so you know it's perfect,' she teased him.

'I know, but it's such a sad day.'

'It is sad, but I think I might have something to cheer you up with.' She contemplated telling him and just couldn't keep it to herself any more. 'Will, I'm pregnant.'

He looked at her. 'Already?' he asked in disbelief. 'I'm so happy for us and everything, it's so sudden. My coronation has already been scheduled and it's exactly nine months from now.'

'Oh that would suck; I wouldn't miss your coronation for anything, not even birth.'

They laughed and then dressed for the funeral.

The funeral went by slowly, so many people talked and gave speeches and at the end, Will gave his speech and then he and Madeline exited. As they rode back to the palace they watched the thousands of mourners gathered at the streets to throw flowers. A chorus of 'long live the King' was scattered throughout the gathered people and it brought tears to Will and Madeline's eyes.

The next few weeks were spent trying to get back to normal, but there was no 'normal' for the new King and Queen. The prime minister met with Will every week and Madeline often accompanied him and listened in on these visits. A month later they visited the doctor for an ultrasound and it confirmed that Madeline was pregnant and she was due June 25, 2013, Will's coronation.

They planned to tell the public of her pregnancy in their Christmas address to the people. By then she was two months pregnant and it wasn't that noticeable. On Christmas eve they gave a televised speech and then the word was out, the next King or Queen of England was being made and on the way.

Christmas this year was sad, but Will and Madeline tried to make the best of it. They brought in the new year of 2013 with an unforgettable party. January started with a trip around the world to the different parts of the commonwealth. They finished their tour in Washington DC to visit the Obama family. By then Madeline was four months pregnant and it was visible.

Their second night in the White House, Madeline asked Michelle if she could speak to her privately.

'Is everything okay?' Michelle asked.

'I don't know,' Madeline replied. 'How did you do it? You have two daughters and I am so jealous, but how did get through everything?'

'You're young and you've gone through some tough things, but they have only strengthened you for this task. You are strong and confident and you always have Will to help you through everything. I know you've just experienced a lot of change, but don't think of it as a difficulty, but as a chance to start something new. You are the first American Queen of England and that is historic. It won't be easy, but I want you to know that we are behind you for the whole thing.'

'But, I'm so young and I don't think I'm ready for this!' Madeline burst into tears.

'It's alright, come here.' Michelle wrapped her arms around Madeline. 'You're going to be fine.'

Madeline hid her little breakdown from Will, not wanting to show him how unhappy she was.