The Royal Scandal | Prince William |

Circa Regna Tonat

Suddenly she felt very vulnerable like an axe would drop down on her, and she pitied a poor woman who she had never known.

"The Bell Tower showed me such sight
That in my head sticks day and night.
There did I lean out of a grate,
For all favour, glory, or might,
That yet circa Regna tonat." She recited remembering the poem they had gone over in one of her classes. It had moved her after hearing all the stories from that dark Tudor time, but it chilled her to stand in a place that had been so dark centuries ago while saying it.

William could only watch her, like he had been doing for awhile now, it was amazing how talented she was as well as intellectual. How at ease she could be one second and then stuttering the next.

"To think she loved, for a man who ripped his country apart for her, and it was her undoing." Her words ripped through him in an odd way her usually joyous eyes dropping with each word like it hurt her a little more.

Jaclyn wasn't at ease. If anything she was emotionally blank as her logical side internally ooed and awed. The thing between her and William was... Peculiar. She refused to admit it, but as time passed on it became so apparent to now she was staring it in the face. He wasn't even trying to hide his... curiosity with her anymore, and the time they spent out alone was increasing.

It was alarming, but she couldn't say no, not to his perfectly charming face.

While she would miss him there was a part of her that was thankful he would be leaving again. She needed time away from those blue eyes that seemed to follow her.

"His feelings for her changed so quickly," she said looking back at William to see his smile had dropped altogether. What was she implying? Was it a warning, and where had it come from? Not even she really knew.

"He was a sadistic man," William replied hoping his voice and expression stayed the same under her breaking gaze. Reflections in her eyes said she wanted to scream something, to get something out.

How could he have any feelings for her at all? Jaclyn wondered allowing him to come up beside her in the courtyard. The fact that he felt something was obvious, but it was most likely fleeting. Women like her and Anne didn't get to have happily ever afters, and she couldn't allow for her tale to end in a severed head.

"That seems to be a recurring problem." The words fell before she could stop them, and they spent the rest of the trip in silence.

-----

William clicked away at his computer while his phone was pressed between his shoulder and ear. There were a lot of people to call before he could finalize anything, and despite the time it took when he technically had a flight to catch, he wanted to do it all.

Jaclyn was scared, and rightfully so considering his families long track record, and by the way she fidgeted everytime he brought up either of their families he could only assume there was bad blood and similar situations in hers as well. But he wasn't going to stop until she believed him, that he really cared for her.

It could most likely take ages, but he had already promised his mum to never stop caring when the person was special.

The door to his study opened and he slammed his laptop shut feeling a little foolish when it was only his brother. "What do you want?" William asked only slightly irritated, but Harry was grinning like cheshire like he knew something that could make or break his older brother.

"Jaclyn's on the landline, apparently she tried calling your phone but you didn't answer." His younger brothers face told William Harry was on the verge of mocking him so he just brushed passed him maybe walking a little too quickly to the landline.

"Hello?" He asked praying he didn't sound as out of breath as he felt.

"William, you answered." Jaclyn was breathing heavily too as if she couldn't believe that he would want to talk to her, and he really wanted to shake that thought from her mind but she didn't give him the chance.

"I'm really sorry."

That wasn't what he was expecting.

"What?" He asked half aware of his nuance of a brother stalking from around the corner. "Earlier today my comments were out of line. You were just trying to have a nice last day, and I ruined it."

His grip on the phone tightened a little more holding it closely like he had held onto her elbow earlier in the day. "You could never ruin anything."