I do not own the Royals. And Please excuse all language mistakes, English isn't my first language.
Still standing at the door, she watched the car leaving her house. Slightly sighing she closed the door. She knew whatever he was up to it wasn't good. It never was with him. And although he assured her that it wasn't her fault, she found herself wondering over and over again if it wasn't for her, he would be leading a different life, a normal one.
On her way back to the living room she paused in the kitchen to get herself a glass and a bottle of red wine. Little did she knew how much she would needed just minutes later. She turned on her television hoping for some action movie to be on. Whereas skipping through the programs something else caught her attention. ".. The palace just confirmed the news, which many had hoped to be a cruel rumour. Prince Robert has died in a Military accident."
She felt her heart explode and the glass she just had held in her hands slowly slipping through her fingers. Everything around her seemed to stop moving. Blankly she starred at the TV trying to listen what the reporters had to say. But she was in too much of a shock to realise anything. Not the scream that had left her throat, the red wine that was spread all over her, the glass that had broken into hundreds of little pieces and most certainly not the little girl awoken by her mother's scream.
"Mom...?" The little girl asked carefully. The words were like a slap in the face. She turned around to the little girl whose eyes started to widen, seeing her mother in such distress. She quickly recover, when the girl started to make her way over to her mother.
"Honey be careful, there is glass everywhere."
"What is going on?" She asked stopping in her step.
"Go back to bed Ria!" She told her turning off the TV.
"Was that Robbie?" Ria asked her mother.
"Yes. Now go back to bed. I'll explain to you what happened tomorrow. I promise." She told her daughter trying to keep a straight face. She had broken in front of her often enough.
Still concerned by her now standing mother she slightly nodded making her way back up to her room. Before she reached the first step she turned around again.
"I love you Mum." Her mother's face softened at her daughters words. "I love you too. Now go." The next half hour she cleaned up the mess she had created, being disturbed over and over again by her tears and sobs for her dead friend.
When she finished she poured herself a whiskey and turned on her computer. She knew she was in denial, but the thought that the next King of England had supposedly died in a military accident stroke her as not believable.
She wasn't sure when the last time was, that she saw Eleanor that broken. Sure she put up her usually mask of "I don't bloody care what the hell is happening around me", but Jay knew better. She had seen her do it a dozen times before. Hell it was the same mask she and everyone else in the room were wearing. Something she had never quite understood about funerals. People had come to grieve and still everyone held back their tears. She walked towards her friend, who embraced her in a tight hug.
"I am so sorry Len." She need to choke making sure she wouldn't be to one starting to cry.
"Thank you." A sad smile played around her lips.
"How are you doing." What was she talking she knew exactly how she felt. But then again she had never been great at making conversation, especially when feelings were involved.
"I am dealing with it." Another brave smile. "If you need anything just let me know okay, I am here for you."
"Thanks. But I am sure you have other problems to deal with then a princess. Where is Ria anyway?" She changed topic, of course she did. Avoiding to thinking about her own pain but to think about the others. It was just so much easier. If she had the chance to do so she would have done it as well.
"Evelyn is taking care of her. I didn't want her here. She is going through enough already." She nodded in understanding.
"Robbie loved her. We all do. She got even mum wrapped around her little finger." Jay had to smile at that. Ria had that effect around people. No-one could resist her a wish.
"I know. You remember when she stayed here for about a week and she asked him if he could teach her horse riding. Well knowing that I would say no if I had been there." Eleanor had to laugh at that she remembered very well, how angry her friend had gotten with her daughter and Robert. They both had just looked ashamed to the ground, nodded and apologised. That hadn't stopped Robert however to get Ria a horse for her 5th Birthday.
They kept talking for a while about Robert. Until Eleanor excused herself to talk to Beck who had just arrived. She looked at their short exchange, since they were interrupted by his wife moments later. Eleanor gave her a diplomatic smile and then left for the bar. Following Eleanor with her eyes she didn't see Beck approaching.
"Hey there." He greeted as if this was a meeting like every other. His wife still caught up in a conversation whit some MP.
"Hey!" She greeted back giving him a hug. They looked at each other for a few moments before both releasing a sigh.
"Why did you bring her?" Jay couldn't keep in the question. He slightly raised his brows at her.
"This is a funeral Jay, she was his friend too. Where is your husband then?" he asked in return, knowing he hit a nerve. She snorted at the mentioning of her husband.
"You mean my hopefully soon to be ex-husband? Probably screwing some model in an hotel in LA. Haven't talked to him in a while. Thank god!" He looked at her in concern.
"Why do you even still care what he is doing?" He asked confused. "We got kid together Beck. As much as would love to banish him out of my life forever I can't just forbid him to see his daughter, especially not since we are still married." He nodded slowly.
"Are you gonna stay here or go back to America?" he asked carefully. "Go back to what? Rias life is here and so is mine. Ironically his friends all like me more than him." He smiled at that.
"Hell yes we do. Never understood why Robbie wanted to keep him close anyway. That was until he brought you to Monaco for the first time of course." His smile had become cocky and somewhat knowing. "Shut up." Was all she told him before turning on her heel to go and give her condolences to the rest of the family. He just laughed at turned his attention back to his wife.
She opened her front door silently to not wake Ria or Evelyn, throwing her heels into the corner. She made her way up to the kitchen. She couldn't sleep, at least not yet. The events of the previous days still running circles in her head. She took a look at her phone finding a message from her brother.
I am fine. Will start work tomorrow. Hope u r ok. She sighed slightly at this and decided he could very well wait until tomorrow for a response. She was just about to get herself a glass of Scotch, when she heard a slight knock.
Confused she looked at the clock, which showed half two. Who the hell would come to her house and knock at this time and expected her to be awake. She shivered, unless someone was watching her or her house no-one. But then again why would they knock. Maybe she was just too drunk already she decided.
Another knock. Dammit. As quietly as possible she went to her work desk, unlocked one of the drawers and got out her gun. When she unlocked the door slowly, she had the gun ready to shoot any kind of intruder. But what she saw was nothing she had expected. Maybe her denial had been not so wrong after all.