A Royal Accident (A British Royal Family Fanfiction)

Walk away

Alice

"How's it going? You know you don't have to work in here, with this lot running around." Mummy asked as she came into the kitchen one afternoon to find me sat at the island revising. Maria was cooking dinner at the hob, while George and Charlotte played in the living room, with Louis asleep upstairs.

"It's alright, I don't mind. Maria was helping me with my Spanish revision anyway. I'm almost done." I told her. 

"You work so hard Alice Wales." Mum said, stroking my hair as she kissed my head.

"I'm not going to get good results in my A-Levels if I sit around doing nothing." I told her.

"I know Alice bug." she smiled.

Later on the same day, Maria had gone out for an appointment so I had been playing with George and Lottie in the garden. When it started to rain, I brought them inside, where Pa had put on the TV for them while I went into the kitchen. Mummy was stood in the kitchen, with Louis on her hip, talking to Pa when I walked in.

"Hey Alice bug, thanks for entertaining them." Pa said.

"That's alright." I said, going to the fridge, where I got out my water bottle and took a sip of my drink, while Mummy and Papa awkwardly stared at me in silence. "Sorry, did I interrupt you?" I asked them, once I'd swallowed the water.

"No, Alice, it's alright Mummy and I were just chatting." Pa replied, but I knew, by the look on his face that he was lying. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"She should probably know Wills." Mummy said, placing her hand on Pa's arm.

"Know what?" I asked.

"I went to Sandringham yesterday, saw Granny, Grandpa Wales and Harry, and the four of us had a conversation about Harry and Meghan taking a step back from royal duties." Pa explained.

"So they won't do royal work anymore?" I questioned.

"Yes, they want more privacy." Pa replied. 

"But they can't just do that. That's what you've always said to me, that you can't just turn your back on your duties." I said, feeling rather frustrated.

"Alice, sweet girl, we've always said that because you can't turn your back on your duties, but Harry and Archie's position in this family is different, and they can." Mummy said.

"What? Just because Harry was born after Pa, that means he can walk away from everything?" I questioned.

"Not everything Alice, it doesn't mean he isn't your family anymore, it just means he won't work for the family, like Zara and Peter and Bea and Eugie." Pa said. I took a big sigh and stared at the table in front of me, not sure what to say. I wanted to cry. Everything I had ever been told about our family always sticking together felt like a lie, like someone had ripped a massive part of it straight out of me.

"Sorry Alice sweet, I know it feels rubbish." Mummy said, placing her hand on my shoulder before pulling me into her.

"It's not your fault." I mumbled.

"Just like it isn't yours." She said, leaning down and kissing the top of my head.

"Are they going to make it public?" I asked as I lifted my head from Mummy and looked at Papa.

"Yes, they have to, Granny just needs to make sure it comes from her, and not through their Instagram or something." Pa said, walking towards Mummy and I.

"Is she worried that they'll say something bad?" I asked.

"What do you mean bad?" he replied.

"Just last time I saw them, things were just weird. Their press secretary was there and I remember them saying about putting something out on Instagram that would tell the whole world the truth." I explained. "I didn't really understand what they meant, so I just ignored it, but now, I don't know, feels like they could have been talking about this."