Princess in Training (Prince Harry #3)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Harry blinked his blue eyes open and focused them on. Already wide awake, Meredith studied him, her eyes running over his body. Harry reached out and brushed his fingers through her blonde hair. She smiled at him. Taking his hand in hers, Meredith kissed it. Her own land slid across his cheek and down to his chin. Her thumb ran over his lips.

"I probably have morning breath," he said.

"You most definitely have morning breath." Meredith rolled over to face the ceiling. "But it isn't the worst."

"You've smelt worse?"

"My dog," Meredith joked.

Harry laughed heavily. Tiredness threatened to overtake him. Meredith retired early enough, tired after all the driving she had done. Harry came to bed much later, after having spent a full and fun night with his brother and cousins. While the parents had gone straight off to bed, the cousins and brothers were up to mystery again.

"Mere," Harry stated in a too-British accent, which he only used when he wanted something, "if Granny asks about the lawn today, which she will, say that you don't know anything."

"I don't know anything."

"And you especially don't know anything now."

Meredith arched an eyebrow. "What did you do last night?"

"Um... the less you know, the better."

She continued to wear the face of how she was unimpressed. 

Harry explained, "Well, we got drinking, and I know how much you love a drink. William dared me to drink more than you can."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "It's impossible."

"I did try, though, and suddenly,  I was caught in the middle of dares other times in my life." He sighed. "Wills, Eugenie, Beatrice and I would spend our summers up here, and sometimes we got bored. We would dip into the liquor cabinet, and we would dare each other."

"And this dare last night?"

"It was all fun in games until it started to pour, but by that time, we were so far out that we happened to leave footprints in the mud." It wasn't that bad. "And we happened to walk on the newly planted grass, which shouldn't have been ran on."

Meredith scoffed.

"I was being spontaneous. You said I should be more spontaneous. You said I was getting boring."

"I did not say that, and now spontaneous you is going to have a headache all day." Meredith rolled out of bed. "Have fun with that hangover while fishing today."

"You have to go fishing with me."

"Yes, but if you vomit, I'm not cleaning you up."

Jumping out of bed, Harry said, "I'm not going to vomit." He spoke too soon as his stomach started to twist and turn. Easily he decided to lay back on the bed. "Mere, help me." Bringing over water, Harry didn't immediately take it from Meredith, but eventually he drank it. "Why did I think this was a good idea?" he groaned.

"You're right; Granny's not going to know," Meredith responded sarcastically, pinching his cheeks. "Get up." She kicked the bed. "Up. Up. Up. We're supposed to be leaving for the loch in a few minutes."

"Go without me," he pleaded, face in the pillow. "Please, Mere. Please."

Glancing at the clock, Meredith had to make a choice, and she made the choice to leave Harry behind. She asked one more time if he wanted to come, but Harry mumbled into his pillow and then snored.

Down at the meeting point, William looked terrible, staring at the ground, while his children ran around his legs in morning joy. Catherine stood beside him with an amused smirk on her face. The two cousins didn't look as miserable, but dark bags did hang under their eyes.

"Where's Harry?" asked William.

"Still asleep. He wasn't feeling very well," Meredith responded. "And how are you feeling?"

"I'm great." William put on a dazzling smile, which was the same smile he used for events.

Meredith rolled her eyes and got into the car with Eugenie and Beatrice.

Having seen the usually attended loch, Meredith realized she had been here before, somewhat. Never had they stopped, but she had driven past it enough times. Sometimes while up here, Harry had just driven by, like he was inspecting the place. She imagined many happy memories came from here.

As they parked, George pulled out his fishing rod and ran down to the edge. Charlotte teetered after him. William and Catherine took up the back, bringing down other supplies. Eugenie and Beatrice had fishing rods, which they brought, but they didn't appear to have much interest in the whole thing.

Meredith didn't care too much as she cast out Eugenie and Beatrice's rods. They splashed as they dunked in. George tried again and again to cast his that far out, even trying his father's rod, but it never went that far. Catherine cast Charlotte's out, and the little girl giggled uncontrollably.

Sitting down beside her future cousins, Beatrice and Eugenie spoke about the new work and traveling. It was something about fashion trends. Meredith listened politely, but she had nothing to say about fashion. She didn't quite understand it, and she wore what she liked.

Beatrice noticed this. "Okay, no more talk of this. How's wedding planning?"

"The usual." Meredith stifled a yawn. "It's all mostly done, and now we wait until the big day. We have training and the whole thing to do, but, I mean, it's coming."

"And you're just... chill?" Eugenie asked.

"I'm going to try not to panic until I get there. It's seems easier."

"Has Cath spoken to you about your bridal shower yet?" Beatrice asked, and Eugenie shot her glance. "Never mind. Forget I said that."

No was Meredith's first stop, but with how quick Beatrice back tracked, apparently it wasn't brought up for a reason. "Should I be concerned?"

"No," Eugenie said. "It's supposed to be a surprise, you know, from us royals."

Beatrice had a better response: "Don't be concerned about the bridal shower. Be concerned about the hen do."

Meredith's ears perked up, like she had suddenly forgotten about all the things she was supposed to do with her girlfriends. There was the hen do, and Meredith had given no thoughts about it. Male strippers could be ordered, she thought, but as for the bridal showers, Meredith hadn't given a care. Her friends were flying in a few days earlier, but that wasn't enough time.

"Bea, you made her freak out," Eugenie said, squeezing Meredith's hand. "Don't worry about it. We have it all under control."