Quick update before I head to bed. Please forgive any formatting errors. I'm having an episode and I'm trying to distract myself from the pain.


Emma's lecture on international relations, and the effect they had on the political and economic climates, went well. It was a subject she knew inside and out, thanks to both her education and her upbringing. She'd been taught from a young age how to speak publicly, and it was a skill that had grown with her.

However, as she stood at the lectern, looking out over the thousands of eager faces watching, something occurred to her. While she had been raised with the knowledge of how to properly address a room full of people… Killian had not. She knew that he had some understanding of how to do so, given his experience at conventions. But speaking about his job, and addressing a room full of students; or the press; or business people, about such difficult subjects as politics; or the environment, were two completely different things.

Emma realised in that moment that Killian was right. She needed to arrange for a voice coach when she returned home.

She didn't want to put him into a position he would be uncomfortable with. And, as a member of the royal family, Killian would be expected to speak publicly on a regular basis.


After her lecture, Emma pulled Anton aside to ask him to begin making the arrangements for Killian, before she accepted a guided tour of the university. Tours were standard practice for her engagements. Everyone liked to show off their facilities, not only with the hopes of impressing Her Royal Highness, but also with the hope that one day, they might receive her financial backing for a future project.

For that reason, Emma made sure her personal assistant kept comprehensive notes about all of the facilities they visited.

After their tour, she agreed to meet with a handful of chosen students, to answer any questions they had. This was perhaps the part of the day Emma had most been looking forward to. While she was often asked questions at events, the ones that Emma would be receiving that morning would be based around the theme of the day, and not around her private life. It gave her the chance to show her critics that she wasn't just a pretty face, born into the right family, at the right time. Emma had understood from a young age what her future would hold, and had prepared herself for it as best she could. She was the proud owner of her own degree in International Relations, and she had one of the most comprehensive knowledges of politics in the country.

Not that many people knew it.

The question and answer session lasted for around ninety minutes, with Emma giving answers that she felt would help the students best. Most of her replies were based not only on her intellectual understanding of the question, but on her experience as a member of the royal family. She hoped that by providing a balance of both, the students that she spoke with would realise that what you learn in a classroom is only a fraction of the knowledge that you could possibly hope to gain on a situation.

When she was finished, Emma agreed to take some pictures for the university's press coverage, and some selfies with each of the students she had spoken with, before Anton was guiding her back into the familiar comfort of the Range Rover for the drive back home.


"Ugh, I need a holiday," Will moaned, as he dropped down heavily next to Robin and Killian in the makeup trailers.

"You just got here," Robin pointed out.

"Yeah. After just leaving her six hours ago."

All three guys groaned a little at the thought. Sleep was a fleeting thing that came when they were not eating or filming. And at the moment, it definitely wasn't the full eight hours that they should have been getting.

"Count yourself lucky that you don't have a paper on the House of Commons due at midnight," Killian moaned, his head already bent over a book as someone fussed with his hair.

"Okay, you win," Will agreed. "Why don't you defer a year or something?"

"Because if I do, then I'll end up deferring another year because I'm busy, and then the year after that. You see where I'm going?"

Will nodded his agreement, a little at a loss for what else to say. He hated that his best friend was so tired, thanks to their busy schedule. But Killian had a good point. It was always crazy towards the end of their filming year. And things weren't going to get any easier for him, once Killian started mixing in royal duties with his work.

"You ever think about quitting?" he mumbled, a little ashamed of himself for even suggesting it.

"Every single day," Killian admitted, his focus still mainly on the textbook in his lap. "But Emma wouldn't want that. And, at the end of the day, neither do I."

The three guys remained silent for the longest of moments, contemplating Killian's words and what his future would become.

"Hey, do you think that when you're king, we'll still be friends?" Robin asked suddenly.

"Never gonna be king," Killian stated, turning to Robin. "And yeah, I don't see why we wouldn't be. I mean, the show's not gonna run forever. And this isn't what's holding our friendship together."

"Cool." Robin was quiet for a moment before he added, "Because I've kinda always wanted to sit on a throne. So… I'm hoping you can help me realise that dream one day."


Thanks for reading.