Scotland had always been Victoria's favourite place to visit, ever since she was a child. There was something about the serenity of it all compared to city life in London which made it so appealing to her, and she took every chance she got to travel up there. As is tradition with the royals, she always stayed at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, which had the most amazing view from her room, meaning every morning, she went to sit at the window, watching the sun rise before the inevitable clouds made their appearance.

Being a Senior member of the royal family was hard, but rewarding, which was why small getaways such as to Scotland were much appreciated by Princess Victoria. Victoria's life had always been hectic and drama filled in one way or another - being the daughter of the King and the younger sister of the future king had it's downfalls, but it also meant that she got to do what she loved the most - helping people. Victoria very much took after her mother in that respect; she loved to help people who were less fortunate than her, even if that meant putting them and their needs above her own.

The public were right when they said that Victoria, just like her mother, was the people's princess. She didn't care for all the publicity and the fancy crowns and ball gowns, she just wanted to do what she could with the resources she had. And so far, she'd done a fantastic job. Victoria was a part of so many foundations, charities and organisations that she'd lost count. Her personal assistant, Vanya, had a very long list of them all, and she made sure to write letters every month, checking in on them. Some people (namely her other older brother, Prince Harry) had said on more than one occasion that she had taken on too much work, and that she would be drowned by it eventually.

But he can't talk, she thought. He ran away to Canada with Meghan and Archie, leaving mostly everything behind. While she may be just above the water, he was flying high above it, with not a care in the world. Considering his influence, he could have done a lot more. Still; his life, not mine.

Sunday the fifteenth of March was no exception to any other day - an early start watching the sun rise, down for breakfast in the dining room, and then onto her last few engagements before she returned to London. This visit to Edinburgh had been slightly longer than her other ones, as her father had asked that she take on a few of his engagements to save him the trip. Obviously to anyone else this would sound rude, but everybody was getting increasingly worried about King Charles' health, as he'd shortened his trips and shared out at least half of his workload between herself and William.

These were the times in which Victoria found herself wishing Harry had still been here instead of in Canada, even if it was only to help with the workload. Of course, she was delighted to help her father, but there was only so much herself and William could do between them before it became too much.

"So, today's schedule; we have the hospital visit at ten-thirty, followed by the unveiling of His Majesties statue at one o'clock in the new train station. We'll then come back here for lunch and finally go to the winery at three o'clock. That sound good?" Victoria nodded at Vanya, finishing her plate before leaning back into her chair. The dining room wasn't as extravagant as other rooms in the house; it mainly consisted of cream and yellow colours with a grand light fixture in the centre of the ceiling. When Victoria was younger, she always used to feel tiny in the big room (in all of the rooms, in fact), and even now, she still felt as though the room would swallow her up whole.

"When does the plane back home leave?" Victoria enquired. Vanya looked back at her planner which was practically her third hand. Victoria was almost convinced Vanya slept with it tucked in her arms. A pity for her husband.

"Uh, let's see. Seven o'clock. Jessica's already started packing your things, so we'll be ready to leave as soon as we're finished at the winery. Why, did you need more time?" Victoria shook her head, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"No, that's fine, I was just curious. We'll need to leave in twenty minutes, yes?" Vanya nodded, getting up from her chair, gesturing for Victoria to follow her.

"Now look, I don't want to worry you or anything, but I had a call this morning." Victoria narrowed her eyes slightly, anxiety already starting to bubble up. "Your father has been taken ill, and he won't be able to do any more engagements for the foreseeable future." She shushed Victoria just as she opened her mouth. "Don't worry, he'll be fine until you get back this evening. There's no need to panic today, I just thought you should know now, so if things get any worse, you'll be informed. Okay?"

Victoria shook her head. "What if things do get worse throughout the day, and I'm not there with him? Maybe I should cancel today and go-"

"No! I promise, he's stable right now. You only have three more engagements, and then you're done - you can take a couple of weeks off to be with him while he recovers. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have already volunteered to take on your workload, so you don't have to worry about that either. But the quicker we get these events done, the sooner you can be with your father. Yes?"

The princess nodded her head and followed Vanya out to the car waiting for them. Today was going to be a long day if the only thing on her mind was her father and his health.

The whole day had gone by in a blur for Victoria. She was constantly on edge, waiting for a phone call plagued with bad news. She just hoped that her anxiousness hadn't projected in the way she interacted with the people she'd met that day - she didn't want anyone catching on that her father was ill. Although this was the main concern, Victoria also worried for her brother, William. If her father did pass away (which in her mind wasn't an option right now), then he would become King. She wasn't sure if he was ready for all of that pressure and responsibility, but nevertheless, if that happened, she would be with him every step of the way.

Victoria practically raced off the plane as soon as it landed, taking the sedan straight to Clarence House, where Charles was staying with his wife, Camilla. Although Camilla had been a big part of Victoria's life, she never cared for her stepmother much. Part of her would always blame her for her mother, Princess Diana's death. If her father hadn't divorced her, then she wouldn't have been in the car ride that led to her death. But she didn't feel like dwelling on that for too long, and instead focused on getting to her father.

When she arrived, she was greeted by William, who was standing under an umbrella, waiting for her. Even from a distance, Victoria could see that William looked worse for wear. No sleep, stress lines and a slouched posture.

"You should get some rest, Will." She finally spoke as she got under the umbrella with him. "You're going to need it." He shook his head, staying quiet for a minute before speaking.

"I don't want to miss anything, if something...happens. I'd never forgive myself." Victoria nodded her head, following William up to Charles' room.

"How are Kate and the kids?"

"They're coping, not something I can say for myself. They stayed at home though; I don't think I could deal with three children right now, no matter how much I love them. I just still can't believe that Harry isn't here. He should be here." Victoria nodded her head, choosing to stay silent. She had also thought about contacting Harry to see what his game was, but Vanya suggested that she leave it - he'd already been contacted by William and Camilla, and if she got involved, he would likely be even less inclined to travel back.

As they approached the King's room, they spotted Camilla standing outside. She gave Victoria a weary smile as they got to her.

"Hello, my dear. I'm glad you could make it. Did your trip go accordingly?" Victoria smiled back.

"Yes, it went fine, thank you. How's Dad doing?"

"Well they're just giving him a check over for the night - you can see him afterwards - he's been asking for you." Victoria gave a little nod as she took one of the seats outside the bedroom. "We're all hoping he turns out to be fine, but the doctors seem to be getting progressively concerned as the hours pass. They're trying to hide it, but I know how this works. Once he...passes, everything goes into motion for the next monarch. Not much time for mourning." She directed her gaze to William.

He knew that he wouldn't have much time after Charles died to get himself together. The country may need their monarch, but the monarch needed his father more. It was easier when their Grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II was on her deathbed - it had been expected, considering she was 97. Charles had had time to mourn her just before she died, meaning he could take the reins straight away. He, however, was only 84, and his illness had been unexpected, so everything was extremely rushed, considering the preparations for the new King.

After a few minutes, the doctor came out of the bedroom, a solemn look on his face.

"I'm afraid he hasn't got long. His blood pressure has dropped drastically and his breathing has become shallow." He stopped for a minute before finishing. "He may not last the night." Victoria turned away, covering her mouth with her hand, trying desperately to keep herself together. She calmed down and faced the doctor.

"Can I see him?" He nodded, gesturing to the door. She tentatively stepped inside, laying her eyes on her father, led out on the bed looking deathly pale. He smiled faintly, weakly gesturing her over. "Hello, Dad. How are you feeling?"

He gave out a small laugh. "I feel as though a pile of bricks have been balanced on my lungs and my head. So not too bad. How are you doing, my love?" Victoria exhaled shakily, on the edge of breaking down.

"I'm not too great. I don't want to lose you. Not yet." A tear rolled down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away, even though her efforts were futile as more and more dropped. She stopped trying to hold them in, and sat next to her father, holding his hand as she wept for the end of his life.

"Oh my dear, you mustn't get so upset over me. You have to be strong for William - he'll need your help when he becomes King. He's not as strong as he makes himself seem." Victoria nodded, calming herself down. "Do you know if Harry and Meghan will make an appearance?" She shook her head, looking down at their connected hands.

"I don't think he's coming, Dad. I'm sorry." Charles shook his head, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

"It's an awful shame that I won't get to say goodbye, but I get why he's chosen to stay away." Victoria scoffed internally; of course he would be understanding about it. There was silence for a few moments, before she spoke.

"You know I love you, right? I don't say it nearly enough as I should, and I'm sorry." He shook his head again, looking disapprovingly at her.

"You shan't beat yourself up over this. I've always known. I love you too, my dear. With all my heart."

Waking up the next morning wasn't an easy task. Victoria had absolutely no motivation to leave her bed. King Charles III had passed away at 1:30 AM on Monday the Sixteenth of March. By effect, her brother, Prince William would now become King William V, and she just hoped to god that he didn't abdicate. Because Harry had renounced his royal title and duties, if William were to give up the crown, Victoria would automatically become Queen Victoria II. She definitely didn't have enough strength to take on the role of monarch.

The next few days were very hard. Everybody had been rushing around like headless chickens, trying to sort out arrangements for the funeral, and then the coronation soon after. To Victoria, it seemed as though a celebration so soon after mourning wasn't appropriate. And of course, it wasn't. But she didn't have any say in tradition. The staff planned everything, and she was told what would happen and how to dress and where to go.

"Come on, Vickie. Let's get moving, otherwise you're going to be late for the funeral." Vanya softly touched her shoulder before leaving the room. Victoria's dresser stood on the other side of the room, making sure her outfit was sorted properly. She was a mousy girl, quiet but good at her job. Victoria had always tried to make conversation with her whenever silence loomed between them - she knew what that type of anxiousness felt like. Feeling like you didn't belong.

"Everything's here, your highness. I'll leave you to get changed. Just call for me if you need anything." With a curtsy, she left the room too. Victoria led on her back, suddenly taking an interest in the ceiling of her room while trying to block out the muffled voices coming from outside her bedroom. She was barely old enough to remember her mother's funeral, but all the emotions she felt then, were flooding back to her now.

It took a lot of coaxing from herself to get up, and it didn't help when looking in the mirror, she had a ghastly reflection. Dark circles under her eyes, the usually vibrant blue in her iris' dulled. Slowly, she started to get ready, slipping on the uniform black dress and heels. There was also a small hat sat on the dressing table which she secured to her head after she'd tied her dark blonde hair back. Her makeup was minimal, as usual, but it took her twice the usual time to put her lipstick on, trying to stop her hand from shaking. Finally, she was ready.

Throughout the whole service, it was a silent battle to stop herself from crying in front of everyone, especially when everybody's eyes were on her, William and Harry, who had turned up with Meghan and Archie a few days after Charles died. Victoria and William had laid into him when he'd arrived - not being there when his own father died, and not even helping with the funeral preparations. Victoria had dragged herself out of bed every day to play her part in helping William and Camilla, refusing to stand on the sidelines, watching everything happen around her.

She didn't speak to many people at the service or the reception, but she smiled politely at everyone who made their condolences. Victoria couldn't count the amount of times she'd heard 'I'm sorry for your loss', said with a sympathetic smile before they moved on to Harry.

During the reception, Victoria had also had a chance to speak with Mycroft Holmes, a man who held an impossibly high title in the British Government. He had always been in the background, observing everyone from a distance, but he regularly came to talk with Victoria. She was the most grounded member of the Royal Family, and there was no pressure when speaking to her. Victoria felt the same about Mycroft - he was a very private man, but she always managed to have an enjoyable conversation with him. She stayed close to him for most of the afternoon, bidding him farewell when she felt that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Victoria eventually returned home, and after the very eventful day, she collapsed on her bed, barely bringing herself to get changed before she passed out.

The day of the coronation also went by in a blur. As the Princess Royal, Victoria had been a big part in organising the event, trying to make it as smooth and easy going as possible for William, who was of course still shaken up by Charles' death. Watching him walk down the aisle of Westminster Abbey in the whole uniform was weird - even though it was inevitable, she never thought the day would actually come. She couldn't help but imagine herself doing the same thing if the opportunity ever came around. She didn't think she would be any good at it. She was 32 and not even married yet, for god's sake. How would she be able to rule a whole country without some sort of support system?

Victoria could see the nerves on William's face as clear as day, and made a funny face whenever she caught his eye. They'd always been like this, and on countless occasions, they'd been complimented on their relationship as brother and sister. Maybe I would have a support system after all, she thought.

Both the funeral and the coronation had taken so much out of Victoria, so she decided it would be best to step back for a couple of weeks, choosing to go to back to Canada with Harry. William had practically forced her to take a break, even as Victoria was refusing to leave him so soon after him becoming King. Secretly she knew he could handle it, but she didn't want to ditch him straight away.

"Are you sure I'm not needed here?" She'd asked as a last attempt, just before getting on the plane.

"I'm sure! Now go, otherwise you'll never have another break for the rest of your life." Victoria could imagine working herself to death - it was definitely a possibility. She wasn't afraid to admit that she was a complete workaholic.

"Fine, fine, I'm going!" As she boarded the plane, she knew that this break would do her good. Two weeks in a completely different country, no engagements and no condolences.

~~

Authors Note - So, that was a long first chapter! There will be more dialogue starting from Chapter Two; I just wanted to give an introduction to Victoria, and the things that she's had to endure just before the start of the storyline. Please feel free to ask any questions if you're not sure about something concerning the Royal Family, and feedback/general comments are very welcome as well! I hope you enjoy the story. - 𝒜