The Youngest Royal

Chapter 11 And Then There was One

Mattie took a deep breath as they pulled up to her school. She was the last one, the only one left in school. It was the first time in her life she ever walked in with out her brothers by her side. She was nervous, hell she was scared. She missed Harry something awful, she missed William too but he was closer and she could still see him, but Harry was far away and that hurt.
Charles hugged his daughter outside of the car, he could barely believe he was sending her off to her last year. He has no idea where the time has gone, he was pretty sure it was just yesterday he was taking her to her first day of school now here he was watching her walk in for her last year and she was still saying she was going to Bosnia, Africa and America for her gap year. This year it was just him and her that went to New York for 9/11 and they only stayed three days before heading home. He took a deep breath and got in the car and drove away. He knew all three of his children were going to join the Military and that terrified him. They were at war  and they were fighting some dirty people. He knew if it got out that his children were depolyed to Iraq there woud be a price on their heads. He also knows that they won't send William, not to the front anyway, but Harry and Mattie they will. He tried to convince her to go to college all summer, but she told him that it wasn't for her and he knew that to be true.
Mattie went to her dorm and started to unpack, Alana wasn't there yet. She knew Eric was at his dorm and unpacking since they were already texting.
"Mattie!" Tabbie came in and hugged her.
Mattie hugged her back. "Wow Tabbie you act like you didn't see me yesterday."
Tabbie just smiled as Haily and Mary came in and the four girs were catching up when Alana came in, the two friends hugged and after Alana unpacked and they set their room up they went to the courtyard.
"Strange not seeing Harry huh?" Alana asked her.
"Very, I miss him bad."
"I know, oh guess what?"
Mattie looked at her as they both stopped walking. "What?"
"My mum and Dad said I can go with you, Eric and Roger for the gap year, after that I got accepted to Cambridge."
Mattie grinned and hugged her tight, "That's great. I'm so happy for you I know how hard you worked."
"I got a full ride too, you should apply."
"Alana, I don't have the smarts for that. No I'm going to the Miitary like Harry."
"Aren't you scared too?"
"No I'm really not."
The two walked to the courtyard and Eric and Roger who was now seeing Alana, came over and hugged and kissed them quickly before taking their hands and the four joined the rest of their friends. They spent the next several hours talking and dancing before they had to go to their dorms.
Mattie laid in her bed and thought about everything and nothing at the same time. Just as she was about asleep her phone rang, she grabbed it. "Hello?" She answered as she yawned.
"Ah shite, the time difference. Sorry sis." Harry said.
She grinned as she sat up."No it's fine Harry. How are you?"
"Tire, but good. Miss me?"
"Yeah, it's not the same without you. Are you coming home for Christmas?"
"As of right now I am. You remember what Mum use to tell us right? You can misbehave but..."
"Don't get caught." She finished.
"So don't get caught Mattie okay?"
"That's always my plan Harry, just not very good at it. Me and Pop butted heads all summer. He hates that I want to go to Bosnia."
"He's just scared is all. Then there's the fact that he knows Eric is also going with you."
"Yeah but so is Alana and Roger, besides you know I'll be watched like a damn hawk. I swear the man has eyes everywhere."
Harry laughed. "Yeah I think he does. Looks like Willie and Kate are heating up."
"She's the one for him Harry as long as he don't screw it up."
"Well we are talking about Will so he'll mess it up."
She laughed. "He'd be a damn fool if he lets her go."
"Again we are talking about King Willie here."
"True. I miss you something bad Harry."
"Yeah I miss you, but this year will fly by and before we know it we'll be in the Military together."
"Can't wait."
"Me either, I'm going to go now. Just wanted to wish you luck for your last year. I love you."
"I love you too. Talk to you later."
"Right."
The sibings hung up and Mattie fell asleep.
Since it was her fina year, she had more privledges then before and her Eric, Alana and Roger spent a lot of time off the school grounds and at the small village that was close to it. Her boyfriend and three friends were quite use to the photographers that folowed her every where and sometimes they'd make a game out of trying to ose them. But they always got a picture or two of her and Eric kissing and it would be al over the papers and she'd get a call from her father about watching how she acts in public. She hated it, why can't she just kiss or hug her boyfriend like evey other 17 year old in the world.
"Don't let them get to you babe." Eric told her as they sat in a small coffee shop one afternoon.
She frowned as she glared at the photographers that were outside trying to get a picture of her. "What the hell is so damn interesting? All we're doing is having a cup of coffee. That's it huh? I am British and I hate tea. Such a rule breaker huh?"
He grinned as he kissed her. "Yeah you are."
"The rebel Royal." Alana said as she sat down with Roger, Tabbie, Haley, Joe and Tom. "That's the latest, someone got a picture of you on the motorcycle."
She frowned and grabbed the paper, sure enough right on the front page was a picture of her on a motor bike. It was Roger's bike and he let her ride it in the school parking lot. That was the place that she was suppose to be safe, but she's not. They just won't leave her alone. "Damn, Pop is going to blow his lid over this one. God I really hate them. I mean haven't they done enough to our family?"
Her friends frowned, they heard the anger in her voice. It was worse this year, of course a lot of it came from the fact that she looks so much like her mother did at her age. "I'll tell your father that it was my bike and it was just in the parking lot." Roger offered.
She shook her head as she laid her head on Eric's shoulder."No, what can he do besides yell?"
They walked out and her bodyguards pushed the press away, Mattie frowned at them as she bit her touge and turned walked away, all the while hoding Eric's hand.
Sure enough her father called her mad as can be over the motorcycle. He yelled for several minutes, but when he demanded to know if it was Eric's bike she lost her temper. "No Pop it wasn't." She snapped. "It was Roger's and it was only in the school parking lot where I wam suppose to be safe from them. So how did they even get the picture Pop?"
"That is not the point..."
"It is the point Pop, they have been extra horrible this year, I can't do a damn thing without them there."
"Don't put yourself in situations like that and they won't be able to get a picture." He snapped.
"Oh my God Pop you don't get it do you? They are getting me at school, where they are not allowed and yet there they are and you are mad at me? What happened to the school being my safe zone?"
Charles frowned, "I'll take care of that Mattie." He said calmly as it hit him what she was teling him.
"Thank you Pop because they are ruining my last year something bad."
Charles did take care of it, she had no idea how her father did it but there were no more pictures from the school anymore. She was able to enjoy her time at school without worring about the press everywhere.
Now off school grounds it was still open season on her, but she did her best to ignore them, even though they got plenty of pictures of her and Eric together either hugging or kissing. She just gave up getting upset over it and decided to make the best of it.
But a couple days before the Christmas Holiday a group of girls from the school were also out in the village and the leader of the group a spoiled rotton mean girl named Beverly couldn't stand Mattie and her friends and tried to cause her trouble as much as she could and for the most part Mattie was able to side step it. That was until the day in town.
Beverly and her followers  lagged behind Mattie and her friends taunting them the entire time, Mattie was getting frustrated but her friends and Eric kept her calm.
Beverly frowned, "See she is a snobby bitch just ike her Mum was." She told her friends loudly.
Mattie stopped walking and her friends frowned, everyone knew not to say anything about her mother. She turned and waited for Beverly to catch up. "What did you just say?" She asked calmly, but her eyes showed the true rage she was in.
"You heard me."
"I better never hear you say anything about my Mum again." Mattie threatened and turned her back to her.
Beverly pushed her, "I will say whatever I want bitch." She snapped.
Mattie stumbed, but didn't fall. She looked at Eric and Alana, both also looked mad but Eric shook his head. Mattie nodded and started to walk away, surprising Beverly as well as angering the girl so she charged Mattie and tackled her to the ground and punched her in the face twice before Mattie kicked her off of her and jumped to her feet. Beverly also jumped up and swung at Mattie who blocked it and punched her hard enough that Beverly fell back. Beverly didn't get up and Mattie turned and walked away.
"I know that will be all over the damn papers." She said to her friends.
Eric put his arm around her pulling her tight to him as the rest closed ranks around the Princess. "You were defending yoursef." He said.
"Yeah, but that won't be what is printed." She said simply.
The rest of the day was uneventful and the only mark she had on her was a small bruise on the left side of her head, where Beverly was sporting a broken nose and two black eyes, she was smart enough to tell the school she fell and nobody asked Mattie about her bruise since she could cover it up with make up. But that night she made the phone cal to William to ask his advice on telling their father.
"Hey Mattie bug." He greeted.
"Hey Will, how ya been?"
"Pretty good. You?"
She signed and told him what happened, when she finished she asked him what she should do.
He frowned, "Come clean with him, that way when it comes out in the papers he can get ahead of the shit storm."
"Think he'll be mad?"
"No, he won't like it but he doesn't expect you to just get hit and not defend yoursef."
"I tried to ignore her Will, I swear I did."
"I know you did." He told her simply.
"Granny's gonna be mad."
"Granny might surprise you."
She frowned, "Just nervous."
"I know, hold on for a minute." He said and the phone line went quiet for a minute before William came back. "Harry's on the line too Mattie, I filled him in."
"Hey Mattie, listen I know that little bitch and she's been trying to get you to fight for years." Harry tod her.
"Well it happened today." Mattie admitted.
"Why don't you call Pop with us on the phone?" Harry questioned. "We got your back little sister."
"Yeah we do. It's aways We Three." William added.
"Okay, thanks guys." She caled her father and connected so all three could talk to him.
"Hey Angle face." Charles answered.
"Got Will and Harry too Pop." Mattie told him.
"Hi boys, nice to talk to all three of my children at once."
Both William and Harry said hi and after they chatted for a minute Mattie told her father what happened earlier, with both of her brothers chiming in that Mattie was only defending herself.
"Can all of you stop talking so I can?" Charles asked in a happy voice. "Mattie, I hate that it got to that point with this girl but from what you sat you had no choice and now that I know I can get ahead of the shit storm and don't worry about Granny she'll applaud you. She would want you to defend yoursef, to stand up for yourself. So do I Mattie. I love you and I know you held back and I am very proud of you."
She grinned as her brothers told her that they told her so and the famiy spent an hour on the phone talking and laughing before they hung up and Mattie went and told Alana about the phone call and she text Eric as well.
Sure enough the next day the fight was all over the papers and the TV and the Palace released a brief statement that Mattie was attacked and she had to defend herself.
Wiliam surprised her by picking her up from school. She hugged him tight when she saw him and got in his car and they left.
"I didn't know you would get me Will." She said.
"Wanted some one on one before we were around the family. Miss you." He said.
"Missed you too." She said.
"It's hard growing up, we use to go every where together, aways the three of us and now not so much. So lets make this holiday about that. Me, you and Harry will stay up all night, we'll box, have you paint all of us and things like that. What do you say?"
She grinned. "That would be great. Can we go see Mum? Just the three of us?"
"Sure. Now Kate is coming to the Christmas party, not the offical one but the fun one. Is Eric?"
"Yeah he is."
"Cool, Harry is seeing a girl that is with him named Hannah so she's coming as well."
Mattie smiled, she was very excited about this holiday now. "I love you Will, you know that right?"
He smiled, "Ah little sister of course I know that, just ike you know how much I love you."
"Alana and Roger are going with me for my gap year."
"And Eric?"
"Yep. When we get home, I want to show you the painting I did of Pop and Camila and of Granny and Grandpa."
He nodded. "Can't wait. Harry should be there by the time we get home."
"Cool, can't wait to see him."
"Yeah me neither."
The two talked the entire ride home and once they parked the car, Harry was standing there and the three embraced for a minute before Mattie hugged her father and grandparents.
As she was unpacking Granny came in. "Can we talk Mattie?" She asked as she sat on the bed.
Mattie nodded and sat next to her as she bit her lip.
Granny slipped her arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I was bullied when I was around your age, this girl just kept it up and when she hit me I hit her back, broke her nose too. I told my parents as well but I didn't need too, there was no one taking pictures of me. I hate that you had to fight Mattie but I'm proud of the restrant you showed and how you stood up for yoursef. I know you and I would never believe some trashing magazine over you. I love you very much and I think you are growing into a strong beautiful lady."
Mattie looked at her and hugged her, "I love you Granny and I never mean to embrass the family."
"Oh baby you never embrass us. You and your brothers have it the hardest from all of my grandchidren. It's the three of you that everyone wants to know about. I know it's hard and so not fair but I really admire how you and Will and Harry handle it. As I look at you I see your mother so much now and so does the rest of the world so they are just plain curious about you and your life and your boyfriend. Like her, you handle it with extreme class that makes me so vey proud to call you my granddaughter." Granny told her as she looked at her.
Mattie smiled as she blinked back the tears. "Do you think Mum would be proud?"
"I know she is proud of you. I know you miss her something bad and would love to be able to tak to her about school, your gap year, but mostly I know you wish she was here so you coud talk to her about Eric. Mattie I'm here anytime you want to talk about anything okay?"
Mattie nodded. "Even Eric Granny?"
"Yes, tell me sweetie do you love him?"
"I do, he's all I think about sometimes. He's kind and sweet and funny."
"Does he treat you good?"
"He treats me great."
Her Granny nodded, right now she was not the Queen but she was just a grandmother. "He better if he knows what is good for him. I fell for your grandfather when I was young like you and look at us now. A lot of people will tell you that you are too young to fall in love, that first loves don't last. But they're wrong if it is meant to be it'll last."
"You think Granny for real? Because he's the only boy I am attracted to."
She nodded, "Sweetheart are you on birth control?"
She blushed at the question and looked away as she nodded. "But we haven't Granny."
Granny smiled, "Good, because that should be something you do only for love and no other reason and only when both of you are ready."
Mattie looked at her and nodded and hugged her tight. "I love you so much Granny."
She kissed her as she held her tight to her. "Oh my sweet girl, I love you too. We should go to the hair salon together tomorrow."
Mattie grinned and nodded as she looked at her. "That would be amazing."
They went out to the kitchen where her father and brothers were and after Granny hugged and kissed each of them she left them alone.
The next day Mattie and the Queen went to the hair salon and after that they enjoyed lunch at a small restrauant before they went back to the palace.
Besides the offical functions they had to attend the three siblings spent all their time together. They drove out to where their mother was buried  and the three stood quietly on the littte island as they all thought about the woman who gave them life. They missed her so very much and every day they wished she was still with them.
"Mum, I miss you." Mattie said softly as she placed her hand on the stone. "I pray everyday that you are proud of me. I wish you could know Eric, I think you'd like him. I love you so much and I try very hard to honor you everyday."
William stepped up to his sister as Harry hung back, Will placed a hand on the stone and on his sister. "Mattie you do honor her. Mum I miss you every day. I'm seeing a great girl named Kate and I think you'd like her a lot. She might just be the one for me. I love you so very much."
Harry walked up and as he placed both hands on the stone, his wall crumbled and tears rolled down his face as his knees gave out and he fell to the ground and sobbed for his mother. Both William and Mattie knelt on either side of their brother and put their arms around him as he cried telling his mother that he loved her over and over again and that he was so sorry that he rushed her off the phone. He dropped his head down to the ground and cried and once he started he couldn't stop and all William and Mattie did was hug him and cry along with him. The three always kept up a strong front when it came to their mother, but in reality they sometimes barely held it together. They all missed her so much it hurt at times to even think about her much less talk about her so they didn't do either. But now as they cried at her final resting place they could just grieve, they could just be three kids who miss their mother and nothing else.
Finally they got theirselves under control and the three stood, Mattie stood between her brother. They stood arm in arm. They were so strong and so close and they knew that was because of their mother. They stayed a while longer before they left and drove through the country side and found a secluded place and had a picnic.
"Think I'll ever find love?" Harry asked them as they sat on a blanket.
"You will." Mattie told him.
"Yeah you will." William agreed.
Harry signed, "I hope so. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever just be happy."
"Yeah so do I." William said.
"Me too." Mattie said. "Sometimes I wish I was the daughter of a store owner or a teacher and not a member of the damn Royal family and it pisses me off that our cousins can do whatever they want and get away with it, mean while if any of us have a bad day it is the end of the world."
Her brothers nodded.
"But when I become King." William said. "I'm giving Mum her title back."
Harry and Mattie smiled. "And we'll be by your side the whole time Will." Harry told him.
"Yeah we will." Mattie added.
"I love you two." William told them.
"Love you both as well." Harry said simply.
"Me too." Mattie added as she grinned.
They returned home shortly before dinner. They enjoyed their holiday very much, but it flew by and before they knew it the three had to split up.
Mattie signed as she sat on her bed in the dorm, she hated the fact that the time with her brothers wasn't as much as it once was but she was happy that they were still very close. Soon Alana came in and the two spent the night just talking.
Like every year Mattie and Eric both got the lead rolls in the play they were doing at the end of the year, this year they were doing Bye Bye Birdie. Since it was her last play her whole famiy minus Harry would be coming to it. That fact alone made most of the cast very nervous but Mattie kept telling them that it was just ike having their families there.
"Yeah except your grandmother is the Queen." A gir named Daphnie pointed out.
"She is, but for opening night she is just Granny." Mattie stressed.
Finally everyone camed down about it and they got on with the practice. Mattie loved being on stage, but she knew that she could never do that as a iving, her family woudn't allow it. Even as some of her friend got on social media she was not allowed to.
Opening night came quickly and the cast could see that it was a full house but once the play started their nerves calmed down and it was a flawess performance from the entire cast. After it, Mattie quickly went to her family and hugged them all to include Kate.
The next couple of month went very quickly for Mattie and her friends and still the paparizee followed her every time she left school grounds, she pushed one at one point and that spread like wild fire and both her father and William called her and reminded her not to let them get to her. There were also rumors of her cheating that she denied. At first her father didn't believe her but soon proof came that she in fact did not cheat and he called to tell her he was sorry but she wouldn't answer his phone calls for a week. It hurt her that he didn't believe her. Charles showed up on a Sunday and there was no way Mattie could ignore him in person.
"Why are you here?" She asked dryly as he came in her room. Alana wasn't there.
"Well you have been ignoring my calls."
"Didn't want to be called a liar anymore." She told him.
"Mattie I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
"Yeah whatever Pop, the only reason you do now is because the teacher came out and said she made it up. You neve believed me."
Charles frowned, his daughter was right to be mad at him. "I was wrong angel face, come on and forgive your old man."
"Mum would've believed me." She tossed back the hurt easy to hear in her voice.
He took a deep breath, he hated when any of his kids threw their mother up in his face, but Mattie did it the most. "You're right, she would have and I should have."
"Pop I have never lied to you. Yeah I'm not smart like Willie is but I don't cheat and the fact that you thought I did really pissed me off. You are my father and you should always have my back always."
He nodded, "I do have your back Mattie, I was just wrong." He opened his arms to her.
She hesitated for a minute before she hugged him.
He held her tight and kissed the top of her head. "I love you baby."
"I love you to Papa." She told him.
Charles left after taking to her for a while longer, he felt so horrible for not believing her and he won't make that mistake again.
As Mattie walked across the stage later that year, she heard her brothers over eveyone else and that made her smile. After the hugs and promises to keep in touch she left with them to go home and spend a month with family before she goes off to Bosnia and then America and Africa ending her gap year in the UK working with the homeless and Aids victims like her mother before her. She was looking forward to leaving her childhood behind her and finally growing into her own person, not just William and Harry's little sister. She woud prove to her family and the world that she is just as stong as her brothers and her mother. She was well loved through out the world a lot like her mother was. She knew that her gap year was just the beginning of her adventures as an adult. As she stood in her room and ooked around she was filled with so many mixed emotions, fear, joy, saddness but mostly she was filled with pride, pride in who she was and what she was about to do. She wanted to carry on her mother's dream to make the word just a little better. She would miss her family someting bad because she would only come home for Christmas and her father's wedding to Camila. She will be truly on her own, her brothers will not be with her to help her or to pick her up when she stumbles. She smiled as she turned and walked out of her chidhood room and got in the car to go to the airport here she would meet Eric, Alana and Roger and the four will eave for Bosnia where Mattie will get to walk in her mother's footsteps. As they sat in the airplane she looked out the window and watched England fade away. It was time to leave the child behind, when she returns to her home she will be a strong adult and she will join the Military and she will fight for her country, but that is in a year for now she will live in the moment and take every chance she can to succed.
"Are you ready babe?" Eric asked her as he squeezed her hand.
"I am, what about you?"
"As long as I'm with you I'm ready for anything the world has to through at me."
"I love you Eric."
"I know, I love you more."
She grinned as she kissed him. "I love you most."
"You two knock that off okay?" Alana groaned.
"Right, gonna make me through up." Roger joked.
They laughed and the four talked as they flew to Bosnia where their loves will start and what a start they will have. By the time Mattie returns to the UK, the word will love her as much if not more than they did her mother.