Intuitively he turned around and pulled her close to hold her. He inhaled the smell of her hair, this sweet freshness, still the same scent as when he had hugged her for the very first time half a lifetime ago. The same scent that usually took his breath away every single time. But now he was worried. He couldn't remember an emotional outburst like this since her last pregnancy. Or maybe never...
"Are you okay, darling? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Everything!" She raised her head to look at him, her eyes almost overflowing with tears. "Robert... the twins, your brother, the referendum... us. Our family... It's all too much... All at once. It's all too loud. Sometimes I feel as if I'm drowning, and my head's about to burst. I try to swim as hard as I can. But I just keep sinking.
I'm really trying, Simon! Even though none of you want to see it. Even though, everyone thinks I'm just some kind of manipulative bitch lusting for money and power. Well, maybe I am. But I'm doing it for us! For our family. I only want the best for us. I want to make it alright again."
He sighed: "It has never been alright, Helena."
"I know", she nodded, "Oh, I know. But... it can be, one day... can't it?"
He sighed again, closed his eyes and placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead.
"Let's get away from here."
She frowned and shook her head. "I beg your pa... What?!"
"I don't have any further appointments for the weekend. Or at least none that couldn't be postponed. And I think you don't either. The children are in Monaco, you said. I think we too deserve a bit of time away from it all, you and I. Don't we?"
She understood what he meant, and usually she would have strongly disagreed. They were the King and Queen on England! They weren't here to travel the world and have a good time. But right now, she really needed nothing more than a good time. Away from it all, and as far as possible. She smiled.
"But where do you want to go? The children took the plane."
"Then I guess we'll go by car. Or by boat."
Her smile got even bigger as she realized his intentions. "I'll go pack!"
She gave him a quick kiss and headed for her dressing room. He sighed, then couldn't help but smile. "I'll get the car ready in the meantime. Just make sure you go unnoticed! I would greatly appreciate no security detail around for once..."
Semi-randomly she put some clothes and cosmetics into the smallest bag she could find. Even though she couldn't even remember the last time she packed her bags herself, it was not as hard as she might have thought! For once, she didn't care what she would wear and if her make up was impeccable. She knew that where they were going, it didn't matter. Least of all it mattered to her husband. Furthermore, the less she would look like the Queen of England, the better the chances of not being recognized and disturbed.
She was just trying to fit one last pair of shorts into her bag when she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in, please!", she said, thinking it would be Simon telling her that the car was ready.
Instead, someone else entered, looking as flawless as ever in his black suit and tie, and cleared his throat. With a deep nod of his head he greeted her: "Your Majesty..."
"Jasper from Shortage!" She didn't try to hide her surprise. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
He seemed a bit confused. "I believe Your Majesty ordered me to be transferred as her personal security detail. Or so I have been informed by Mr. Pryce."
Now she remembered. Biting her lower lip, she thought about her initial plan behind this transfer. She had seen the way this boy had looked at her daughter. More importantly, she had seen the way her daughter looked at him. And she didn't trust him. She couldn't say why. It was just a funny feeling.
Sure, he was handsome. More than handsome. And on another day, under different circumstances, she would not have said no to an opportunity like that. But right now, she just wanted her husband.
She sighed: "I'm deeply sorry, there must have been some kind of misunderstanding. You're already guarding the gorgeous body of my daughter, aren't you, bodyguard? So I suggest you use the time until her return analyzing how come that this body is in Monaco right now while yours is here."
He blushed a little and began to stammer: "I... I'm deeply sorry, Your Majesty, it was..."
She cut him off with a move of her hand. "Don't you worry, I know my daughter just as well as you, better even, I shall hope. Still... I have no use of you right now. You can inform Mr. Pryce. Now walk away!"
He bowed and turned to leave, then he saw the packed bag on the divan. He frowned, and out of caution after the princess had already slipped through his fingers, he forgot that one should never ask the queen any questions. "Are you going away?"
She felt caught, like a little school girl, and embarrassingly tried to hide the bag. "No, I'm not", she replied, "I'm... just sorting out a few things... My closet..."
Then she remembered that, actually, one should never ask the queen any questions. She straightened up, put on her most seductive but devious smile and said: "Listen, bodyguard. I have a feeling you're starting to stretch your competence here. A man who doesn't even manage to keep a 20-year old under control. Now, as I said, better walk away, Jasper from Shortage."
Obediently, he cast down his eyes and left her to it. A mere twenty minutes later, she had escaped the palace, miraculously unseen, through the tunnels and sat next to her husband in a rather shabby looking, ordinary Ford Fiesta, on their way towards another reality, a universe where nothing and no one existed but them.