Chapter 4
A/N. Just as a remind this is AU and all character choices are meant to coincide with character persona's in The Royals as well as help move plot in the direction that I have planned. I promise the character choices make sense in the grand scheme of things.
Graham and Emma step apart. They both knew what the barking dogs meant. Graham turns around to give Emma some privacy while she walks to her dresser and grabbed a burgundy sweater which she pulled over her head. She didn't care about her makeup or hair at the moment but at least her mother would be happy that she is decent when she left.
She walks up to Graham and followed behind as he walks through the halls and exit the palace. She walks down the stairs to watch as her awful cousins step out of a limo in front of the palace. She knows that they are family and that they are supposed to be here but they are the most awful human beings on the planet and she does not want to deal with their idiocy at the moment.
"Oh, my god, I'm never flying commercial again. Where's our plane?" Drisella asks as she walks in front of the limo.
Emma lays her head on Graham's shoulder as she watches the two girls flounder about.
"It's redic." Anastasia says responding to her older sister.
"It's recock." Drisella responds.
Emma watches as the girls struggle to maintain control of their dogs as their assistants hand them the leeches.
"Saw your fanny on the front page, Em. Well done, you." Drisella tells her with a large smile plastered on her face.
"Yeah, how many people read the tabs, anyway?" Anastasia chimes in. "Like three million? I mean, that's less than what's seen your bits anyway."
Their cousins both look at each other and bow slightly mumbling "yadda, yadda, yadda… whatever." Graham and Emma are next in line for the thrown before them so they had to bow but they hating doing it and only went through the motions when they had to. They walk up a few steps to be closer to Emma and Graham. Emma takes her head off of her brother's shoulder,
"Oh God…" Anastasia whispers,
"Sorry about Auggie." Drisella tells them.
"Yeah. Like, no fair." Anastasia says.
Drisella and Anastasia open their arms and move to hug their cousins. Drisella hugs Emma and Anastasia hugs. The awkward hugs last only a few seconds before the pair step back,
"So is our father about?" Anastasia asks as she begins to walk up the stairs.
"That neglectful tosser." Drisella adds while following her sister.
\*****/
Later that afternoon, Graham is sitting on a stone bench in one of the gardens while one of the palace staff pours tea into a tea cup for him. He has since changed out of last night's clothes and is clad in a dark gray sweater and jeans. He stares out into the garden thinking about the events of the last 24 hours. He does not see Ruby as she walks around the bench.
"Robin said you wanted to see me?" She says breaking him out of his reverie.
Graham looks around startled. "Erm… please sit." He says while gesturing to the space next to him on the bench.
"How do you like your tea?" He asks her as he moves to take a cup off of the tray the servant left behind.
"I like it when it's called coffee." She tells him. "Iced dirty chai with soy."
Shit. He forgot she grew up in America with her mom before she came to university here.
"I know those are words, but I have no idea when they mean." He tells her as a small smile forms on his lips.
She laughs at his comment. There is an awkward silence between them as neither know what to see in this situation. Ruby is the first to break the silence.
"Last year when my mom died, people didn't really know what to say or do. But it was always nice when they tried. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about August. He seemed like a wonderful person." She tells him with sincerity.
"He was." He says before he pauses and gathers his thoughts. "It's a bit mad around here now, so… I just wanted to say, about last night, it was…"
"It's fine." She responds cutting him off.
"I didn't know who you were. When Robin recognized you I realized it was you…" He confesses her.
"It's okay. I didn't know who you were either." She says looking him in the eye. After a few moments, a smile breaks across her face.
"So, you're funny." He tell her before taking a sip of tea.
"I haven't been back that long and even though we live in the same palace, it doesn't mean we live in the same world. Besides, my dad would prefer to keep things quiet." She admits to him.
"Was he upset when he found out?" He asks her.
"A little. But I knew what I was doing…" She informs him with a smirk. "Does the Queen know?"
Graham looks back towards the palace which looms large in the distance before responding, "The Queen knows everything."
The smirk fades from Ruby's face as the reality of what Graham said crosses her mind. She is not sure how she feels about the Queen knowing but she knows she will find out soon.
\*****/
Inside the throne room of the palace, Queen Mary Margaret and King David sit in chair placed in the room for people to pay their respects to the late Prince August. His coffin was placed in the room under the union jack until all the formalities occur in the coming days. Mary Margaret and David sit one seat apart as they stare at the coffin. Mary Margaret is the first to rise from her seat.
She walks towards the coffin as David watches his wife from his seat. She stares at the coffin while trying to hold back tears. David rises from his seat and moves to stand behind his wife. He places his arms around his wife in a loving gesture and she leans into him allowing a few tears to slide down her cheeks.
A servant comes into the room and turns away abruptly when he sees the private moment between the King and Queen. When Mary Margaret notices the servant she steps away from David and wipes the tears from her eyes. She turns around and begins to walk away from him
"Mary Margaret. Don't go." He pleads with her. "When a mother loses her first born son… I believe she's allowed to grieve." He turns to face her as a few tears escape from his eyes.
She takes a few calming breaths before answering her husband. "Not when she's the Queen." She responds before walking away from him.
