A Royal Accident (A British Royal Family Fanfiction)

Promise

Kate

It was the following weekend, when I dropped Alice off at Windsor Castle for afternoon tea with William's grandmother. I said hello briefly, but had told Alice how important it was that just the two of them talk. So I left them, drove into town and got myself a coffee, trying not to think about what Alice would come home thinking. I knew that William had said a conversation about becoming the King one day, had changed him, and all of a sudden he wasn't a child anymore, but an adult, even when he was so young.

William was working in Anglesey, so as I sat in the cafe, drinking my coffee, I sent him a text to say I'd dropped Alice off. He didn't reply, I knew he'd be busy, so I sat there, thinking about her, and who she would be when I got my sweet girl back.

Alice

Granny and I walked from the main door, where we said goodbye to Mummy, all the way to her drawing room, which looked out over the gardens. We sat at the table, where there were small cakes and scones and apple juice, as Granny knew all of my favourite things. 

"Did you have a lovely time in Kenya?" Granny asked, as she started putting a scone on her plate. I had learnt that when Granny started, that was when everyone else could start, so I took a scone as well and started to put some jam on it.

"Yes, it was lots of fun. Mummy and Papa-" I stopped, not sure if Granny knew and not wanting to ruin the surprise. I had tried so hard to keep it in until now.

"I know, about the engagement Alice, don't worry." Granny said, before sipping her tea. 

"Papa says that I can ask you my questions, about being the Queen." I said, once I'd finished a bite of my scone.

"Of course you can." Granny replied. I had taken another bite of my scone, so as I chewed it, I thought about the question I was going to ask.

"What is it, that I'll have to do? What jobs are there with being the Queen?" I asked her.

"Well, you see that red box on my desk over there," she said and I turned around to look. I nodded as I turned back to face her, "Well that is all of the things going on in the world that I need to know about, so each day, my private secretary, you know Christopher, he'll put everything in there that I need to know." I nodded as she spoke, taking another bite of my scone. "And when my father told me all about these boxes, he told me that the things they didn't want me to know were tucked away, deep in the bottom, so he would take everything out and turn it upside down. After 59 years, they know that I know that now, but let it be a piece of advice for you one day." she smiled and I smiled back. "And then there's the state visits, you know what those are don't you?" I nodded. "And meetings with the prime minister. They'll also be your duties as the head of the Church of England too." She titled her head at me slightly and I smiled a nervous smile in return. "What are you thinking in that head of yours?" she asked after a couple of moment silence.

"Is it scary, making decisions about the country and the Commonwealth?" I asked.

"It was at first, my father died when I was only 25 and I wasn't expecting to do the job so soon. But something everyone has to do as they become adults is make decisions and chose between multiple options, and sometimes those decisions are really difficult, but they get easier." she explained. "You ask your parents, I bet they've had to make some difficult decisions about you, like where you'll live and what school you'll go to." 

"Like going to boarding school?" I asked.

"Yes, I understand they told you about that." She said and I nodded, before taking a sip of my drink. "How do you feel about boarding school?"