𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛. ʙʀɪᴛɪsʜ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

11 ♔♕ 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹

Quickly, she began to walk towards it, it had to be Bella, there was no one else on this floor at this time in the morning. She headed towards Bella's closed door, gave two knocks on it and then opened it. Camilla poked her head round the door, the bed was empty, and all the covers were on the floor, there was however, a stream of light escaping from underneath the bathroom door.

She took four quick strides over to the door and then, very slowly, peeked her head round the corner. Camilla still wasn't sure how far she should go with Bella, if it had been her own daughter then she wouldn't have even questioned it, she'd have been in there with her. But, Bella wasn't, and she didn't know if she would want her there. The decision was made though when she saw her for the first time.

Bella was hunched over the toilet, not being sick but still breathing heavily from the last onslaught. She turned her head to look at Camilla who was still stood in the doorway, her eyes were glassy and all the colour had disappeared from her face, "I'm not well."

"No." Camilla replied softly as she walked over to her and gently pulled her blonde hair out of the way, tying it back with a bobble passed to her by Bella. She watched with concern as she slowly sat up and pressed her back against the wall next to the toilet.

"Sorry I woke you up." She croaked, grimacing as she swallowed.

Camilla was already up, getting her a glass of water when she replied, "don't be silly." Handing it to her she sat down on the edge of the bath, watching as Bella tentatively drank from the glass. "What else is wrong?"

"My tummy hurts but I'm not sure if that's from being sick..."

She nodded in reply, "food poisoning maybe?"

Bella just shook her head, swallowing thickly she began, "I only had some toast this morning...besides we have world class chefs, I think if they were to give me food poisoning by toast there'd be a problem." She watched as Camilla's mouth tugged up at her words before she went back to thinking again.

"Have you, um...have you..." She watched as Camilla fumbled over her words before it dawned on her what she was trying to say.

"My periods are never like this." She gave a small smile as relief washed over Camilla's face that Bella knew what she was trying to say, "and unless Angel Gabrielle has been round here recently and I just so happened to miss him then I'm not pregnant either if that's what your thinking."

"No, no, of course not." She replied, chuckling at her words. "Well I don't know then...perhaps we should call the doctor."

"Not at this hour." Bella replied, frowning at the thought, "besides, I'm feeling a bit better."

"Good." Camilla watched as Bella folded her legs up and rested her head on them, grimacing as she did so. "Do you want to go back to bed?"

"No, if I'm going to be sick I'd rather do it in here than on however many thread cotton sheets." She looked back up at Camilla, who was still perched on the bathtub, "you can though."

"Nonsense, I'm not leaving you like this."

"Well, at least sit down on a chair rather than the bath." Bella replied, nodding towards the two plush chairs at the other end of the room. Camilla followed her instructions, and sat down, watching as Bella finally relaxed and went back to sleep resting against the wall.

She too must have fallen asleep because she woke with a jump at the sound of her being sick again. She quickly got up and went towards her, once again pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Camilla rested her hand on her back, noticing with concern how warm she was, "god you're so hot." Bella didn't reply,  still breathing heavily over the toilet, but she stood up anyway and went to get a cold flannel for her.

"Thank you." She whispered hoarsely as Camilla pressed it to the back of her neck. Bella let out a cry as another wave of pain washed over her, followed shortly by another go at being sick despite the fact she had emptied her stomach a few hours ago.

"I'm going to go get someone okay, I think you need to go to hospital." Camilla said quietly, looking at Bella with shock when she reached out to grab her hand.

"No, please don't go." She cried, beginning to sob as the pain increased again, "it hurts...it really hurts."

"I know, I know." Camilla whispered back to her, putting an arm around her, she pulled her in tightly, "but that's why I need to get someone okay, you need help." Bella finally conceded, she let go of Camilla's hand and slowly lowered herself to the ground, wincing as she did so. "Okay, I won't be long."

She wasn't long. In only a matter of minutes Bella could hear the sound of quite a few footsteps running towards her and Camilla's voice above all the others, "she's been sick for a few hours and now she's really hot and in a lot of pain." They all came back round the door into the bathroom rushing forward towards her.

"Your Royal Highness," began someone but she didn't, she couldn't, look up to see who, "we're on the phone to Her Majesty's doctor now, but he thinks that we need to get you to hospital immediately, his guess is that your appendix has burst."

♔♕

There was definitely a reason the best doctors were chosen for them, he had indeed been correct, her appendix had burst. She had been rushed into hospital by an ambulance, Camilla had gone in with her and then everyone else had arrived shortly after. She was then rushed into theatre to have what was left of her appendix removed and to try to stop the resulting infection caused by it bursting.

Bella couldn't remember where she was when she initially woke up, the haziness of anaesthesia still working it's way out of her system.

"Hello." Camilla said quietly, smiling as she turned her head towards the chair she was sat in next to her bed, "how are you feeling?"

"Better." She croaked, coughing slightly as she did so. Camilla got up immediately and handed her a small glass of water which she took with a grateful smile.

"Your father's on his way back," she began, sitting back down in the chair she continued, "you gave us all quite a scare."

"Sorry." Bella replied, giving her a small smile as she did so, "when will pa be back?"

"This afternoon...but you should sleep for now, I think they're going to want to keep you in for a few days in case there's any infection."

Bella nodded in understanding, she moved slightly, trying to find a comfortable position, only to be met with a wave of pain. She gave a small wince in response, deciding that it was perhaps best to stay where she was.

♔♕

She felt as though she had been asleep for hours and barely any time at all. It was the sound of her fathers voice that pulled her from the deep void of sleep, opening her eyes just a tiny bit, she saw a glimpse of a beige jacket resting on the arm of the chair. So he was really here.

She opened her eyes fully, smiling at the sight of him sat in the chair next to Camilla. He turned to look at her when she made a small noise and she could almost see the relief wash over him as he realised she was awake. Her father took the two strides to her bed quickly and gently let himself down onto the edge of her bed, looking at her with concern when she grimaced slightly as his weight made her move. "I'm sorry ma joie, I'm so sorry I wasn't here." He whispered to her as he stroked her hair.

"It's okay, you were busy."

"No, no it's not okay, I should have been with you."

"Don't worry about it pa, besides Camilla was here." Bella caught the look of surprise that passed over his face at her words, she smiled slightly, knowing that this might change how she was seen by the rest of her family.

"I know, I know...but it must have been so scary for you my darling."

"It was." She replied, allowing herself for the first time to remember the fear that had run through her when the pain had gotten worse, tears started to run from her eyes as she thought about it, "it was really scary pa...it hurt so much."

"I know darling, I know." He replied as he wiped the tears from her eyes, "I'm sorry."

♔♕