Happy Monday evening, darlings! It's time for yet another "Not Every Royal Wears A Crown" update. Firstly, I want to thank you all for the warm welcome back the last chapter received after my little break! I really do appreciate it :) And after a long day I squeezed in an hour of very productive writing and managed to get this chapter ready tonight! I hope you find yourself enjoying it. Let me know with a little review, won't you? But I will let you scroll down for the actual story now…Don't mind the possible typos! Now, enjoy!

P.S. I'm trying to publish one NERWAC chapter on every Monday (or Tuesday if I'm too busy heheh) from now on! So, stay tuned! I hope I can light up your busy Mondays at least a bit :)

14th of August 1929, Buckingham Palace

The fourteenth of August dawned. And instead of the bright sunny skies came the first of August's rains and the rolling thunder followed along shortly.

But inside the sheltering walls of Buckingham Palace, the royal family kept dry and warm.

"Your highnesses.", bowed Mr. Wilson as he stepped into the drawing where the new prince and princess of Scotland were doing a bit of reading."Lunch is served."

"Thank you, Wilson. We'll come along shortly.", Charles answered from his seat and closed his book.

"Your highness."

And the butler, or as they had been told, the king's page of the backstairs, left the couple alone, closing the door after him.

"Time for yet another ordeal.", Charles heard his wife sigh.

"Don't worry, it won't be as bad as tea with princess Mary later today."

"Oh, don't remind me. I am dreading it enough already.", Elsie said, standing up from one of the armchairs by the window.

"You'll be fine. Although I'm rather sad I won't be joining you."

"Hmm. I suppose that's just how it is."

"I guess I will keep myself busy with my prince duties…Shall we go in, let lunch not get cold?", Charles asked, forcing the smallest of smiles at her when she nodded.

"Yes, let's."

The rain being a new sight seen through the palace's windows, today wouldn't be otherwise different. They had breakfast, tea in the library, then half an hour of free time to spend it together, now lunch, princess Mary joining the ladies for some tea later and the rest of the day would be spend talking about and planning their presentation to the public next Friday. Now that it was already Saturday, most of the preparations were done, but some things were still left undecided and would need to be done today or otherwise it would be too late. And next Friday would be the day when the so said coronation would happen. There would be a grand reception where the couple would be introduced to all the upper-class families, family friends and politicians, and after that they'd hold a big ball in honour of the lost princess. Everything would be so very grand, and far out of the Carsons' comfort zone.

But luckily lunch was a quick and uneventful event today, and the royals soon were out of the dining room, the ladies off to get ready for their teatime with princess Mary. With a quick peck on the cheek, Charles once again watched his wife walk away as they were separated for the next two to three hours. And he missed her already.

He didn't know if she was feeling the same way, but Charles felt that once they had joined the king and queen at the palace there was almost no time left for them to spend together, just enjoying the other's company. And yet no matter how hard things seemed to be at the moment, he couldn't help but smile when he imagined her as one of the most appreciated women in the world. The kindest soul he had ever known and the bravest girl he could imagine there could be. Just to think she was his wife, and that she was still willing to have him when she was given a chance to be whatever she could ever dream of, Charles felt like he could battle on no matter the obstacle.

But even if he wasn't allowed to think so, he wished they could have a few days to themselves, just to process everything that had happened in the past week and, most importantly, to truly show the other how much they cared despite the change in their lives. It was time that they needed. Only time.

"Your highness, are you quite alright?"

The voice coming from behind him made Charles turn around to face whoever had asked the question. Before him stood Elsie's lady in waiting, Laura Woodley, a kind smile on her face.

"Woodley- of course. I'm quite fine."

"Very good your highness.", Woodley was about to walk past him, but Charles stopped her with a question.

"I thought you would be joining the ladies for their tea?"

He watched as the lady in waiting turned to face him.

"No, your highness. It's just the queen and the princesses today."

His slow nod seemed to be sign enough for her to leave him alone as she soon walked upstairs, leaving him standing alone before the grand stairs, ones which we're covered in glimmering gold and had so many candles around them he couldn't possibly dream of counting them.

Charles slowly made his way back to the library, where the king himself was working on writing a few letters. He immediately invited Charles for some tea, which Charles kindly refused.

"If you don't mind, your highness-"

"Of course not. And please, call me George. We are family now; we might as well address each other as family should. Am I right?"

The king's suggestion sounded awfully weird to the former butler's ears. To call the king of England by his first name! Surely not! Of course, he was right, they were family now. As weird as that felt.

"Very well, yo-", Charles said, quickly correcting his immediate mistake."George."

"Good. And shall I call you-…?"

"Charles."

"Charles.", the king seemed to be lost in thought for a while until he spoke up again."So, Charles- how have you found this new…life?"

They got seated on one of the beautiful dark couches and, which of Charles was glad, chatter filled the thick air inside the old library. And to his great surprise, this was the first time anyone, despite his own wife, had asked him that question during the past week. They chatted about this and that, both trying to find something they had in common; the king mostly asking Charles about his time at Downton, which of Charles was more than glad to talk about.

But even if the king had been generous and kind to involve him, Charles couldn't wait for the night when he would once again be alone with his wife. Just the two of them, like it used to be.