The Sword (Prince Harry fanfic #3)

Chapter Eight

Lucy awoke before four in the morning on November twelfth, twenty-eighteen. Wide awake and barely any sleep in her, she stared upward at her ceiling, white and rough. Quilts laid around her but never on her body. This room had been her room after her parents and brother died and she moved out of the old house. This had been her room until she escaped on her eighteenth birthday. She never technically went back to school, like she would today, but got her high school diploma online. Parts of her life before the shooting had been moved into the room, like her massive book collection and her old pictures. Most things had been packed away somewhere, not that she wanted them.

Rolling over, she checked her phone, which Harry had texted her Good morning. You'll do great today. She bit her lip and wrote back Thanks, short and sweet. She didn't want to do great today, but she didn't want this day to come. Really, she had just been regretting coming here.

Lucy thought he might write back but he called instead. "Hello." Her voice was heavy but not tired, like she had been awake for hours.

"Can't sleep," he assumed. "How much time before you have to actually get up?"

"Two more hours." She continued to stare up at the ceiling. "How's London?"

"Rainy," he laughed. "And how's Minnesota?"

"Cold but sunny." Lucy tried to joke but it got lost in the back of her throat. "What do you have on your agenda today?"

"In the afternoon, I'm going to children's hospital."

"Your favorite." She knew Harry smiled.

"They're are so much nicer than actual adults, which I haven't gotten to tell you. Yesterday, I had three marriage proposals from some women at a charity event."

"Are you engaged now?"

"No."

Lucy laughed at that. He sounded completely defeated. "Now, what if someone said no to you? It's rude." There was a pause on the other end of the phone and she thought they had been disconnected. "Harry?"

"I'm here." He paused again. "Are you ready for today?"

"No, but no one really has a choice. You can't stop time."

Harry chuckled into his mobile. "What do you think will happen today?"

"There's a schedule."

"Luce."

"I know," she said. "I suspect something crazy to happen, but I wish it wouldn't. I wish we could have enough respect for each other that there won't be an argument. But in five years, nothing had changed. We've just gotten more polarized, and tensions still run high. I don't expect that to change today."

"Did your grandfather show up?"

"He's coming in next week. He wanted to come in before but work pulled him away."

"Does that mean you're staying in the U.S.?"

"Don't sound too sad." Lucy rolled her eyes. "Harry, I guess I should. You were right that maybe I should spend some time here." Still, she didn't know why he recommended it.

When Harry spoke, he sounded sad. "You could always stay there longer."

She scoffed. "Like that's going to happen." Lucy stared outside, where no clouds covered the stars and the moon. You didn't see the stars like this in London, just how bright they were. "Harry, I'm coming back."

"I know."

"You sound concerned."

"I'm not." Harry knew that was a lie. "Lucy, I don't want to push you to stay in London. You can be back in the U.S. for longer if you want."

"No, Harry, no. I'm coming home," Lucy promised.

"I'll be waiting for you."

"Good."

"Luce, do you think that--" He stopped. Another voice came from Harry's side of the phone and he responded quickly. Lucy wasn't able to catch a lot of it but it was something about paparazzi. It was a minute before he decided this was going to take a while. Harry returned to the call. "Luce, I have to go. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Do you want me to call later?"

"I'll let you know. Have a good event."

"You too."

Lucy tried not to laugh. "Good bye."

"See you."

The call was ended.

Lucy stared out at the window again, at all those stars. The moon already began to disappear and soon the stars would too. There would be nothing left, and the sun was meant to shine today. Coldness would pull the weak from the strong today. Still, her eyes focused on those stars. They didn't change.

After a while, Lucy forced herself out of bed and took a long and hot shower. Any way to clean her body was what to come next. Harry had sounded concerned about something on the phone but she couldn't think about it now even if she wanted that. People were getting up from their beds and they were coming to her old city today. She had read the schedule over and over again, and Sydney had done well. Yet, she wasn't sure about today.

Lucy did her hair several times, changed her makeup, and this was before she even came to her closet. She had brought clothes back to the U.S. that she thought appropriate for the event. She didn't like them, and she had gone shopping at the Mall of America for new clothes. She had a new outfit, and then she didn't like it for the event. She had made the final decision last night but hated the clothes now. Lucy wasn't as much as nervous but angry for some reason. She didn't like this weight on her chest.

After staring at the clothes for the longest time, she made her decision. There were some events inside, so her jacket heavy winter jacket would come off at some point. She highly doubted anyone would judge her clothes, but it was more her scar. Those scars covered most of her body. Because of this, she did choose to show them off. She decided for people to see the scars, see what had happened that day. Harry always said she wore them beautifully. It was put to the test today.

The sun began to rise and she stared outward. Lucy forced cereal into her stomach and drank coffee to fully awake. The national news came on and the first news story was the five year anniversary. Behind the journalist was the old high school. Lucy said old now, like how this city was her old town. The high school had only been five years old when a classmate killed his peers and teachers.

Lucy never thought to return to the school but it didn't matter now. She was going back, and she would rise above.