"Margaret Elizabeth Carter, what in the world do you think you're doing?!" Her mother asked as she stepped into the palace gym. The Queen looked menacing in a tailored suit with her arms crossed.
Peggy punched a punching bag then did a turn kick as her personal butler held it firmly. The kick caused Jarvis, the butler, to stumble backwards.
"I'm obviously baking a cake Mother." Peggy said as she grabbed her water bottle and walked towards her mother. She took a long sip of water.
Her mother gave her a look, "Well, it's not very becoming of a queen."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not the queen yet. You are." Peggy remarked as she breezed past her mother.
As Peggy left, Jarvis made his way over to the queen. He promptly bowed and said, "Your highness, I am terribly sorry for going against your wishes. I had no idea you were against the training sessions."
"It's fine Jarvis. It's just that I'm worried about her. There's a lot of pressure on her at the moment and I feel like I'm just laying on more when all I want is for her to be happy." She confessed.
"As do I, your highness."
"Jarvis, you know you can call me Amanda, correct? We have known each other for ten years now."
"You're the queen, it would be quite odd for me to call you Amanda."
"Jarvis."
"All right, Amanda. I must go and check on Ms. Carter." He said and hurried after Peggy, who was already on her way back to her suite.
"Ms. Carter!"
Peggy stopped walking and looked at him, "Yes Jarvis?"
"Please tell me you haven't filled out the application for a transfer?" He asked, out of breath.
"I may have already sent it. Express mail." Peggy replied sheepishly.
"Are you out of your mind Ms. Carter?!"
A few weeks ago Peggy decided that she wanted to transfer to a different college. A college in the United States, so that she could get away from the stresses of being royal. She had quickly filled out the application to transfer to New York University. She procured recommendation letters from her university instructors and included the fact that she was Princess Margaret Elizabeth Carter daughter of Amanda Gloria Mary Carter and Harrison Edwards Carter. It would take a month or two for her to know if her transfer was accepted, but she had still filled it out and sent it without telling either of her parents or even her brother.
"Maybe a little, but Jarvis I have to do this. And nobody can stop me, especially not my mother."
"Ms. Carter, you are going to have to tell her eventually. Especially when you get accepted to transfer."
"You mean if I get accepted."
"Don't be ridiculous Peggy, you are quite intelligent and brilliant. New York would be bloody stupid to not accept you."
"Thank you Jarvis, you have no idea how much that means to me."
"You do have to tell the King and Queen. You should also speak to Michael." Jarvis mentioned.
"I'm not talking to Michael. But I will speak to mother and father tonight during dinner. As a matter of fact I will go tell mother that I need to speak to her and father tonight." Peggy headed back to the gym, where her mother had last been.
Peggy didn't think her mother would still be there, but for some reason she was. Peggy stood in the threshold for a few seconds as she watched her mother. The Queen still had her arms crossed, but her cold exterior was temporarily down. She had wandered over to the punching bag, running her fingers over it as she glanced around the room. She eventually turned to the door and noticed Peggy. Her cold exterior was back as she walked over to her only daughter.
"What is it Peggy?"
"Nothing really, I just wanted to ask if I could speak to you and father about something important during dinner tonight?"
Her mother nodded, "Alright Peggy. Your father and I will see you during dinner."
"Thank you." Peggy said, giving her mother a small smile.
She nodded and walked out of the room. The sound of her heels echoed in the room as she left. Peggy pulled the hair tie out of her hair and let it fall down to her shoulders. She ran a hand through her hair then left the gym as well. Jarvis was waiting for her just outside the door.
"I will tell them all about it during dinner. Be ready for the fit that they're going to throw."
"And are you going to tell your brother?"
"We're not talking, remember?" Peggy said, turning away from Jarvis. She did not want to think about Michael right now.
"But he's your brother Ms. C-"
Peggy whirled around, "He abdicated Jarvis! He's the reason why I'm going to have to become queen!"
"He did? I had no idea."
"Of course not, mother and father don't want anyone to know about it just yet because they want to build up my image," Peggy turned away from Jarvis again, "I don't really want to talk about this right now. I have to sit in on some meeting with parliament." Peggy walked away before Jarvis could add anything else.
Peggy and Michael used to have a wonderful relationship and they always got along. They were always there for each other and Peggy felt utterly betrayed when her brother chose not to become the Crown Prince. Now it was down to her to become the next queen of England.
Later that evening, Peggy and her parents sat down for dinner and Peggy was beginning to get nervous.
A servant walked in with the first course and her mother signaled for her to stop walking, "We're still waiting on Michael. He will be joining us tonight."
The servant nodded and returned to the kitchen.
"That's a first." Peggy mumbled under her breath.
"What was that darling?" Her father inquired.
"Oh nothing, it's just that Michael usually doesn't have time to join us for dinner. He's always so busy."
Michael walked in and took the seat across from Peggy, "Well, I always make time for family Peg."
"That's rich coming from you."
"Peggy, don't be childish." Her mother interjected.
"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell us Peggy?" Her father questioned, attempting to change the subject. After he said that, servants started walking in, placing salads in front of each of them, but everyone's attention was currently on Peggy.
"Yes, there was. I applied for a transfer to New York University." She said, deciding to just rip the bandage off.
"You did what?!" Her mother shouted, standing up.
"Mother, I'm sure Peggy has a very good reason for doing-" Michael started to say.
"I don't need your help Michael, I'm quite capable of-" Peggy began.
"I know that Peggy, but I'm your brother I'm going to try to protect you even if you don't want or need me to."
Peggy stood up, angry, "Well it's a little too late for that! Also this isn't about you so can you please stop inserting your opinion where it's not needed."
"Why are you still angry about MY decision?" Michael asked, also starting to become angry.
"I thought you knew me so well Michael, but you still don't know why I'm angry with you!" Peggy shot back.
"How am I supposed to know that?! You don't tell me anything!"
"Stop! What is the matter with the both of you?" Their father asked, looking at the both them. He was disappointed in how they were acting.
Peggy looked down at the table. This was not at all what was supposed to happen. She hadn't talked to Michael in over two weeks and this was not how she wanted her conversation with him to go. Peggy sat back down and her mother did as well.
"My apologies father, my anger got the best of me. I didn't intend for that to happen." Peggy said as she picked up a fork. She avoided looking at Michael.
"Thank you, now let's discuss this transfer application. Is this something you truly want?" Her father asked looking at her.
"Yes, it is. I have to do this. Especially before my training to become queen begins. I need time to just live, not as the crown princess but as Peggy."
"The crown princess is what you are Margaret, you don't get to choose when you're the crown princess and when you are not." Her mother said abruptly.
"That's funny because Michael go to. Why are the rules suddenly different when it comes to me?" With that she stood up, "I've lost my appetite."
Her mother and father looked at each other across the table and shared a look.
"You can go, if you get accepted." Her mother said.
"But, under a few conditions, one of which is to try and fix whatever problem you have with your brother." Her father added.
"Thank you, and I'll give it a try." Peggy replied, glancing at Michael. He shot her a small smile.
"You should eat something, we can talk afterwards." Michael said.
Peggy nodded and sat back down.
The rest of dinner went on without incident.
Once dinner was over and the dishes had all been cleared away, Peggy and Michael went to one of the many sitting rooms, each with a cup of tea. Peggy curled up on one of the couches and took a sip, almost burning her tongue in the process.
"So New York huh? It's a wonderful city, I might be heading over there in the fall as well." He said as he sat down in a recliner.
"Can we just cut to the chase?" Peggy asked, staring out the window.
"Of course. I'm sorry for making a decision you didn't like." He said sarcastically.
She looked at him, "That's not why I'm angry. It's just that you were a given a choice, I wasn't. I can't abdicate, I can't just decide to not become queen."
"I know."
"Then why?"
"I'm not fit to lead a country, you are. You always have been." Michael said, shrugging.
Peggy raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You think I'm fit to be queen? Michael I swear to god I am not-"
"With time, you will be an extraordinary Queen. I know you hate me for putting you in this position, but you're the right person for the job. And you know I'll always be there for you."
"You're a real pain in the arse, you know that right?" She said, smirking.
"Yes, I do in fact."
"And Michael, I could never hate you. You're my brother and I'll always love you. Even when I do yell at you." She said as she placed her cup of tea on the coffee table.
"I know Peg, I love you too."
Peggy smiled and stood up, "Get up, we need to hug it out."
Michael laughed, but stood up and pulled his sister into a tight hug. She hugged him back just as tight.
When they pulled apart, "Can we just talk? About life? I've missed you."
"I've been here the whole time, you were just too angry to say anything." He pointed out.
"And I oh so deeply regret it." She said, laughing.