Princess Adeline of Wales

Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Rehearsal Dinner

"I am so happy that you made it, how was your flight?" Adeline asked not being able to imagine how that long haul flight had been for Esther in her early nineties.

They had upgraded her to first class for the flight to London and would be sending her back the same way.

"It was wonderful thank you," Esther said knowing that she had Adeline to thank for the upgrade, it was the most comfortable she had travelled in years and she intended to stay in London for a while.

She longed to be around for the birth of any great grandchildren that she might be blessed with, she wanted to be around her family in her final years of life more than ever now.

Anne had opened up her home to her, insisting that FitzClarence Manor had more than enough room for her to stay; although she had noticed how much Mary resented the idea of her moving in with her eldest child.

The competitive nature of her younger daughter had always been a great concern for Esther, she had hoped that Mary would marry for love after Anne was married off for a dynastic match that had proven to be an unhappy marriage.

Mary had felt the need to outdo her sister, she had married the Earl of Wiltshire knowing that one day she would be the Marchioness of Winchester one day.

The news that Simon would be a Duke upon his marriage to Adeline had been rather upsetting to Mary, she saw it as another way that her sister had out done her in life.

The fact that Simon had gotten together with a royal, one high in the line of succession was another slight that Mary had conjured up in her mind that her children would never be able to do.

From there it was a blare for Adeline, she was introduced to many members of Simon's extended family that had all been invited to the wedding and had been put up in hotels at the expense of the Windsors.

"Attention please," Charles called, tapping the champagne glass in his hand as he called for all the guests attention; it was time for his speech and he was so happy that so many people had managed to make it.

It had been wonderful to meet so many members of Simon's extended family, it was wonderful getting to know each of them and he knew that his daughter had chosen well.

Simon's family would be the family of any child that Adeline had with her husband, they had all been so supportive of the news of the wedding and it was wonderful to have them all gathered together for this occasion.

"Camilla and myself would like to thank you for all coming this evening to celebrate Adeline and Simon," Charles stated nodding towards the happy couple, he was so happy that two of his children had found such wonderful supportive partners that understood what they were getting into.

The FitzClarence family like the Middletons would be welcomed with open arms, they were a further support system for the royals and that would not be forgotten.

"I could not have asked for a better man for my only daughter, Simon I thank you for making Adeline so happy," Charles continued on nodding towards his future son-in-law.

This was what Diana and himself had always wanted, for their children to have the chances that they had been denied and he knew that Diana would be smiling down on the union.

Adeline had picked well, she had found someone that would always support her and was willing to put up with everything that being a royal entailed.

"I know that the path hasn't been easy for the two of you, betrayal sometimes is hard to overcome especially when it comes from someone you feel like you should be able to trust. But you've handled everything that the world has thrown at you with such grace," Charles said with a shake of his head.

It was at the hands of his son that they had suffered but he was relieved to see that Adeline and Simon had refused to let that ruin things for them in anyway.

Harry gritted his teeth and forced a smile to his face, he pretended not to notice the looks that some of his only family offered him at his own father's words.

He felt thrown under the bus for something that had happened years ago, he doubted they would have been talking about it now if Simon and Adeline had broken up like he'd wanted them to.

"I hope the two of your continue to feel the happiness and love that you both deserve, that you work together to face any issues that you have and don't let the past rule you," Charles said with a smile, in two days' time he would be walking his daughter down the aisle and he couldn't wait for that moment.

The rehearsals had gone well and he couldn't imagine anything more that needed doing, everything was in place and there was nothing left to be done now.

Adeline's dress had been completed and fitted perfectly from what Charles knew, the maid-of-honour dress and the dresses for bride's maids were all completed and were ready for the wedding.

"To Adeline and Simon," Charles said leading the toast, he wanted nothing more than happiness for them; happiness that he had found with Camilla, that he wished he could have found with their mother.

Diana was a good woman, they just hadn't been compatible at all and there was no way that they would have ever found that happiness together no matter how much people wanted them to force it.