Third In Line

Chapter Five - Behind Palace Gates

The roar of the crowds seemed to finally disappear as they drove through the tunnel and into the inner courtyard, almost as if they'd entered a soundproof room. Even stuck inside the Rolls, Ellie could sense the quiet calmness of the Palace that had engulfed them. The crowd was almost quiet enough to not notice it at all, leading her to wonder whether they were even there at all.

They're there, she reminded herself, the cameras, the people, they're all there.

Ben slowed the Rolls to a snails pace and stopped just outside the palace entrance, and as soon as the wheels stopped turning the guards were opening the car doors. She could feel the air of excitement and anticipation that was brewing amongst her parents and herself, and it was itching to get out just as much as they were.

Ellie was the first to plant her feet on the gravel, and the palace guard offered her a gloved white hand to help her out. She smiled shyly and thanked him as politely as she could, while he gave her a curt "Your Highness" and a dry smile before averting his eyes.

She steadied her feet and stood as poised and graceful as she could, and waited as her parents followed her out of the car. The guard was as courteous and boring with her parents as he'd been with Ellie, even daring to call her mother "Ma'am". If they were at home, the guard would usually get an hour-long lecture from her mother about how much she hated being called that, but in Buckingham Palace it was no longer her house and no longer her rules.

She knew her mother well enough to know that she'd be fuming inside, but she kept any anger well hidden and the guard soon vanished as suddenly as he'd appeared.

The calm and peaceful aura around them didn't last for long. She heard a rush of footsteps coming towards her and then, before she could turn to see, she was lifted off her feet and was being spinning around on top of her attacker's shoulder. In the blurred images of her parents she could make out her mother holding a hand over her mouth with a terrified look on her face, whilst her father had his arms crossed and seemed to be waiting patiently.

She didn't need any time to think of who had rushed her. There wasn't anyone else who'd do that to a future Queen whilst standing in the middle of Buckingham Palace. The blue RAF uniform, the ginger hair and the big goofy grin were easily enough to prove her suspicions were true.

"Uncle Harry!" she shouted at him gleefully in mid air.

"'Ello darlin'" he said in a terrible Yorkshire accent as he gently placed her feet back on the ground.

She swung her arms around his neck and planted her head against his shoulder, mostly out of love, but also to stop her from falling over. Her shoes, the gravel and her dizziness all seemed to be conspiring against her, and her uncle was like an anchor, only smaller and more handsome.

His thick arms held her around the waist and easily lifted her off the ground, but this time he didn't insist on swinging her around, instead preferring to gently sway as he held her.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too Princess" he said with a sly smirk.

Harry sat her back down on her feet once again and greeted her parents. He kissed her mother on the cheek and hugged her, somehow preventing himself from spinning her around on his shoulder as well.

"You look amazing Kate," he said.

"Not so bad yourself Harry" she patted him on the arm.

He turned to her father and smiled.

"Willy"

"Harry" Her Dad smiled back.

Ellie couldn't stop grinning as the two of them came together in a warm brotherly hug, and were patting each other on the back so loudly that the sound seemed to echo around the courtyard. They parted and shared the same goofy grin on the faces, and neither of them had to say a word. They knew they were both glad to be back around each other.