Their Former Majesty
"Let me tell you something. You know nothing about the real world. None of you. Without the monarchy, you will be defenceless."
Her mother's words echoed in her head as former princess Eleanor stumbled in the pouring rain toward the little cottage in the East End. Her mouth was dry and she was itching everywhere. She had to stop for a moment to throw up before she reached her destination.
The house was, as usual, surrounded by paparazzi. At least, it was easy to find.
Alistair's cottage
"I'm telling you. She almost slammed the door in my face. No matter how good my designs are, she doesn't want to see them." – Helena exclaimed angrily while she was washing the dishes in the kitchen. – "Who does she think she is?"
Alistair put an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss on her cheek.
"The Queen of England?" – he said teasingly as he took a plate and wiped it dry.
He tried to duck away from the sponge that was flying towards him, but it was too late.
"Screw you, Alistair." – Helena cursed with an ill-concealed smile. – "Say another queen-of-england joke and I swear I'll leave you."
"Sorry. It was too easy." – he mumbled and kissed her again, this time on her lips.
He looked at her expectantly, but instead, she turned back to the sink and continued her story:
"Anyway, she hates me because I refused to wear those slutty Versace dresses when I was the Queen. Now she takes revenge by sabotaging my career."
Alistair waited a moment, then he remarked with a reassuring smile:
"I don't think she can beat you."
"Not in England…" – Helena replied confidently. – "But if I want to be taken seriously as a fashion designer, I will need something big."
They both startled when they heard someone banging on the entrance door.
"Mom! Mom, open the door, I know you are there. Mom? Let me in!" – Eleanor shouted from outside.
"Don't." – Helena said and raised her hand to stop her fiance who headed for the door.
It wasn't the first time. They both stood still, waiting for another wave of shouting and banging.
"I can't do this again, Al." – Helena whispered wearily and leaned on the kitchen counter.
Judging from the sounds, Eleanor engaged in a conversation with the photographers on the front lawn.
" Wanna get some good stuff?... Big enough, huh?... Oooh! You wanna see the Queen's? She'll show you if you ask her... Yes way! She likes to fuck very very… Yeah, seriously. Especially young boys."
"That's enough. I'll call the police." – Alistair hissed between his teeth.
Helena shot him an angry look.
"She is my daughter, for God's sake!"
"... hear that, Mom? I will tell them all your disgusting… dirty… fucking secrets! … Open the door! … Open it, you fucking bitch!"
"Such a great daughter." – Alistair said, disgusted.
The former queen glanced at the door, then she remarked softly:
"It's not her fault."
"No, it's not. How could you screw her up like this?" – her fiance snapped, which he regretted immediately. – "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, you know that."
"She was raised a princess. I had never thought it would change." – Helena said with a hint of resentment in her voice.
"Mommy, please, let me in… I love you… Please, don't leave me alone. I'm so alone… Fuck you, you damn bitch! I wish you were dead!"
"I'll let her in." – Helena decided.
Alistair shook his head disapprovingly and folded his arms.
"You don't help her." – he said with forced calm. – "Maybe she will be all right for a day or two, then it will start again. She will steal your money to buy drugs and she'll come back when she runs out of both."
Helena let out a short sigh and put her hand on his forearm.
"I know. But it's raining and I don't want her to get cold."
Eleanor almost fell in the door when it opened.
"Let's get over with this. Give me the money and I'm out of here." – she said firmly, but it was clear that she could barely stand on her feet.
Her mother put her arm protectively around her to prevent her from falling and spoke to her in a soft voice:
"That's not how it works, Eleanor, you know that. The guest room is ready. You'll sober up, then we'll talk."
"No!" – Eleanor screamed and tried to escape her grasp. She scratched her mother's face so hard that it drew blood on her lip. Helena hissed in pain and let go of her.
Eleanor backed away, but Alistair grabbed her and pushed her to the wall.
"You touch your mother again and you can sleep in the street."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." – the ex-princess replied a bit frightened. – "Just let me go if you don't want me to puke on you."
Alistair released her and motioned toward the bathroom:
"Please, you know the way."
After she left for the restroom, Alistair quickly turned to his fiancee to see if she was all right. He went to the liquor cabinet and poured a drink for both of them.
"I'm sorry if I was too harsh with her." – he began, but Helena interrupted him:
"No, you were not. Listen, could you keep an eye on her?"
"Where are you going?" – her boyfriend asked in surprise.
Helena looked at him and lied without a blink:
"Grocery shopping. I will be back soon."
Since the paparazzi followed her every movement, Helena needed to be extra-careful unless she wanted to find herself on the front page. She parked her car in a narrow street and approached her destination from the backyard.
Jasper Frost's home, Shoreditch
"Good evening, Jasper!" – she greeted her ex-bodyguard with a fake smile when he opened the door.
Without waiting for further invitation, she entered the house.
"How did you find me?" – Jasper asked suspiciously.
"My name still opens doors." – the former queen answered mysteriously, then she let out a soft chuckle. – "I live two streets away, I have seen you. Nice neighbourhood, by the way. Shoreditch has its own magic..."
The former bodyguard, current Scotland Yard detective didn't appreciate the small talk and cut to the chase:
"What do you want?"
Helena unbuttoned her dress coat and casually handed it to Jasper. He followed her into the living room, still holding on to the coat on his arm, waiting for her to speak.
"You love my daughter. Please, I know you do." – she said when she saw that Jasper was trying to protest. – "I want you to arrest her."
Alistair's cottage
Eleanor knew that the worst part was still ahead of her. Her head was spinning and she needed something, anything to ease the crave for drugs.
"What are you looking for?" – she heard Alistair's voice behind her back as she went through the kitchen drawers.
She turned around and rolled her eyes.
"Just some cigarettes, relax." – she replied with a sigh. – "I'm sorry for the mess I made. Again."
Alistair nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.
"It's okay. You are family, Eleanor. No matter how big is the mess you have made you can always count on me."
He took out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter and gave it to the former princess.
"Thanks, Alistair. You know you are kind of cool stepdad." – Eleanor answered as she lit her cigarette.
Alistair raised his eyebrows.
"Stepdad, wow! I thought I was just your mother's new boy toy."
Eleanor shrugged her shoulders, then she said:
"Consider yourself promoted."
She hesitated for a few moments before she spoke again:
"Can I be honest with you? You really seem like a good guy. What do you want with my mother?"
Her stepfather crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.
"You don't know her." – he remarked softly. – "I mean you know the Queen she became, but the girl she once was... That girl was kind and caring, passionate about a bunch of things. She grew up on this big farm where she knew the names of every employee... She always had some nice words to them."
Eleanor let out a short sigh and put out her cigarette.
"I think Robert knew that girl. I met her a few times too, but he really knew her."
"That girl is my girl and I will find her for you." – Alistair said confidently and Eleanor couldn't help feeling a little hopeful listening to him.
Jasper Frost's home, Shoreditch
Jasper took a closer look at the huge diamond ring in his hand before he gave it back to its owner.
"So that is your plan. You want me to frame her for stealing."
"You don't have to frame her, she will steal it." – Helena reassured him. – "It was my royal engagement ring, it's worth more than you could imagine. She will probably try to sell it, but you will be there to catch her and take her to the police."
Her former security detail still wasn't sure what she wanted from him.
"Then what?" – he asked cautiously.
"Then my lawyer will have her declared mentally incompetent and I can finally get her into a rehab facility." – Helena replied with ease.
Eleanor was out of control and her drug addiction was the tabloid's favourite topic. Even her mother couldn't make it go away, which meant that it was something really serious. Jasper knew that.
"If I do this, she'll never forgive me." – he said after a long pause.
Despite his words, Helena could see that he didn't need much more persuasion.
"You are doing this for her." – she told him harshly. – "Besides, I don't think you have much to lose right now, bodyguard."
Alistair's cottage
By the time she got back, it was already dark outside. She put her keys on a coffee table and gently placed her diamond ring beside it.
"Where are the bags?" – Alistair asked in surprise when he saw her.
"What bags?" – Helena replied and pressed a quick kiss on his lips.
Her fiance backed away and looked at her, a bit confused.
"I thought you had gone to the grocery store."
Luckily, Eleanor entered the room and saved her mother from another lie.
"I think I get going." – she announced and headed for the door.
Helena reached for her wallet, but her daughter shook her head.
"No, thanks. I'll be okay."
Her mother couldn't hide her shock, but she quickly composed herself:
"Listen, before you go. I have a present for you."
She left for her bedroom to get it, leaving her daughter alone in the room for a little while.
"A present? I hardly deserve it." – Eleanor cried out after her, then she noticed the ring her mother had left on the table.
She let out a disapproving snort, then she slipped it into her bag.
"Since when getting a present has anything to do with deserving it?" – Helena asked when she returned, holding a black dress in her arms. – "Come on, try it on!"
Eleanor dropped her short and top on the floor and put on the dress.
"Do you like it? I had you in mind when I made it." – her mother remarked proudly.
The black leather dress was decorated with zips, which have created different patterns depending on which one was open and which one was closed.
"Mom! This is beautiful." – Eleanor cried out in excitement as she was zipping up and down the tiny zippers.
She finally decided on the crown and the rose motives to be seen on the dress.
Helena glanced at the coffee table and noticed that the ring was gone. She turned back to her daughter with a forced smile:
"It looks wonderful on you, darling."
Eleanor looked at her mother and herself in the mirror as she replied:
"You will be a great designer, Mom. A real fashion queen."
The former queen let out a short laugh.
"We will see about that." – she remarked with a smile, then she turned serious: – "I just hope you won't forget that I love you. Even if... just don't forget it, all right?"
"Okay." – Eleanor answered casually, though for some reason her mother words made her a little nervous.
An hour later the former princess's arrest dominated the news. The photos and videos of her being handcuffed and escorted to the police car were spreading like a virus on the Internet.
Alistair was watching the TV in horror while Helena sneaked out to the bathroom to make a phone call. Her assistant picked up on first ring.
"Have you seen the news?" – Helena asked her immediately.
"Eleanor's got arrested."– she replied matter-of-factly, then she added knowingly. – "Nice dress by the way. I wonder who was the designer."
Her comment drew an appreciative chuckle from Helena who finished her assistant's thought:
"Why don't you make other people wonder about it too?"
"I'm on it, Your Majesty."– came the quick answer from the other end of the line.
"Thank you, Rachel." – Helena replied and hung up the phone with a satisfied smile.