Hayley of Wales

XVII

Finding out I was pregnant again was surprising, to say the least.

As I am about five months in, we have been able to determine the gender and we have another girl on the way. We've decided that her name will be Georgia. Named after my Mother's sister.

But being the pregnant Princess that I am, I still need to attend to Royal events. So, I watch my Father and Mother walk to their car, my wife and I following soon after, the poor woman has to help me walk. The little girl is taking up a lot of space.

One of the gaurds open Father's car door, when all of a sudden:

BANG

My Father collapses about three metres from the car.

BANG

His body jolts with the second bullet hitting through him. I am rushed inside with Mummy and I see my wife rushing to my Father's side. I'm scared, my heartbeat speeds up. I saw where the first bullet was. Straight through his head. The assassin is still out there, and could be trying to shoot Hayley as we speak. Luckily, Megyn and the children didn't have to see that.

I look over to Mummy, splatters of blood on her dress. Her lip quivers as she realises.

I hear the sirens, the paramedics rushed voices and the sirens fading away.

Hayley returns, looking distraught.

"I did everything I could. They've taken His Majesty to the hospital, he's still alive." she explained. Her eyes... They're distant, traumatised. I usher my wife to sit next to me. Her hand instinctively finds my bump.

"I'm so happy that you are all safe."

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"His Majesty, King Sebastian I, passed away on the thirtieth of October at twenty past ten." The Royal announcer states.

That makes me the Queen.

I won't have time to mourn. None at all. I feel terribly sorry for Hayley, too. It's her birthday.

Mummy walks up to me, and I would like nothing more than to receive a cuddle, but she stops short and curtsied. That made everything so much more real.

I let out a cry and Mummy rushed to me. We cried together for goodness knows how long.

Poor Violet and Lila, they haven't a clue what's going on. All they see is that their Mother and Grandmother are upset and their Grandfather isn't around. I'm going to have to explain it eventually. The three year olds will be exposed to death for the first time.

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"Mummy? What's happening?" Lila's little voice questions me.

I take a breath as I look between the two girls in front of me, "Darling, you must understand that what is happening is very sad it causes Mummy, Auntie Megyn and Gran a lot of pain."

They both nod, "It's okay, Mummy. We will be very patient." Violet says, impressing me with her dialogue. I'm only thrown for a second though.

"On Mama's birthday, we were going to go out for lunch and we were meeting your Nanny and Nana and all of your aunties at a really nice venue to celebrate hers and Auntie Raphie's birthdays. Do you remember that?"

"Yes! But then we couldn't go and we didn't see Grandad for a long time." Lila remembers.

"Yes, sweetheart. But unfortunately, we're never going to see Grandad again, because someone killed him on Mama's birthday." I began to cry.

"What? Grandad died?" Violet pouts, tears brimming both sets of eyes.

"Where's Mama? Mama!" Lila called. She ran away to find Hayley, I presume, while Violet cried into my shoulder.

"Mummy? Does that mean that you are the Queen?" Violet akss, still crying.

"Yes, darling."

She pulled away from me and curtsied.

"You don't need to do that, sweetheart." I tell her.

"I know. But I think you're going to be a really great Queen."

"Thank you, sweetest."

"Long live Queen Mummy!" she chanted. The smile on her face creeping back in.

Hayley walks back in with a crying Lila in her arms. Her face is concerned as she bounces the young girl to comfort her. Still, she relentlessly sobs into her shoulder.

"What's happened?" Hayley asked.

"I told her. About Father."

She nods in understanding as she sits next to me on the couch. She holds the girl until she calms down, kissing her head and whispering to her.

"Mama! Did you know that Mummy is the Queen now?" Violet excitedly quizzes Hayley.

"No, I didn't!" Hayley muses.

"Well, she is! Isn't that great?"

"Of course it is. Your Mummy will make a great Queen, won't she?"

"Long live Queen Mummy!" she chants again. It makes the two of us laugh and she appears proud of herself.

"You are just like your Auntie Apollo, did you know that?" Hayley smiles. I love her smile, it makes me feel warm inside.

"Is Auntie Apollo as cute as I am?" the little girl sasses.

"If you'd ask me, I'd say no. But my parents might say otherwise."

"How about we're both cute, yes Mama?" Violet reasons.

"Yes, dearest."

"Violet, you do know that your Mama is also the Queen?" I question my daughter. Lila removes her face from Hayley's shoulder and looks straight into Hayley's eyes.

"Is that true, Mama?" she asks Hayley.

"Well, I suppose." she shrugs.

Lila wriggles from Hayley's lap and curtsies to me and then to Hayley.

"You don't need to curtsy when we're at home, darling." I chuckle.

"I know." Lila replies.

I love the utmost respect these children have for us. They go to lengths that no other Royal child has made, lengths certainly I didn't go to when my Father first became King. I was too distraught that my Grandfather had died.

The ability to move on is something I wouldn't expect these young children to have just yet. I thought they'd be so upset and cry for days. Instead, the saw the brightside, their Mummy becoming Queen.