𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚗 𝟸𝟶𝟷𝟶
She had been persuaded.
Damn it. She had been persuaded.
It was the idea of increasing recognition for the sport that got her. That bit always got her.
Why had she allowed herself to be persuaded?
Now she was being followed by cameras.
Everywhere.
Well, maybe everywhere was a touch of exaggeration.
But it felt like that and that was the point.
Now she was getting ready to do another interview. Another interview. Not that they hadn't already asked her all the questions before.
But anyway, that wasn't the point. The point was to smile, be natural, funny, and she could do that. That was Bella. It was just after the third time of being asked to do it for one documentary that it all got a bit tiresome.
"Your Royal Highness, huge congratulations on coming second at Burghley this year!"
"Thank you." Bella smiled back, okay maybe she could hear that a few more times.
"You must be so pleased, three years after you had to retire on the cross country, you came back the year after and did very well but to be there, with a new horse as well, and to do so well, how does it feel?"
"No it's wonderful, and as you say to do it with Rio as well, yeah it's fantastic."
"He seems to be an amazing horse..."
"He's so cool," she laughed, beginning to forget her earlier misgivings about the interview, "no, I'm um, I'm so lucky to have him, he's really amazing."
"Seems quite strong and hot at times?"
"Oh yeah definitely! He's um, he's a hard horse to ride because he's quite fussy and he doesn't like you to faff around with him but then also at the same time he thinks that he always knows best and I sort of have to constantly remind him that galloping full pelt at a solid 6ft fence isn't a good idea!"
"He had, if I may say so, an amazing recovery from the dressage, you climbed a rather outstanding 16 placed following the cross country..."
"Yeah he's not a fan of dressage...he um, he just really feeds off the crowd and obviously their excited so all he wants to do is show off and, because he's so big as well, he finds it quite hard I think to sort of, keep it all under control."
"But a very good cross country horse..."
"Very good yeah, as I said I'm so lucky, he just eats up the ground and he always feels like he could go round again so, yeah he's fab!"
"Your now based at Windsor at the stud, is that permanent?"
"Um, I think so, for the time being anyway! No, it was um, I was at Highgrove with the polo ponies but Windsor is a bit closer to everything so it's easier to get everywhere and also the routine of the race horses is slightly more similar to mine compared to the polo ponies."
"Do you ever get a chance on any of The Queen's horses?"
"Some of them! None of the good ones though...they usually chuck me on to the young ones who are a bit wild because if I fall off and hurt myself it doesn't matter as much!"
"Future plans? The European's are next year and then obviously the Olympics after that, are they in your horizon?"
"Oh god!" Bella chuckled, "I mean that would be amazing, I think the Europeans definitely, especially if Rio keeps going as well as he is but I think with horses you can't really plan too far ahead so..."
"Might be Olympic hope in you yet?"
"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves!" She laughed nervously. Whilst she might have had her dreams, Bella was not about to share them to national television, especially so early in her career.
"Your Royal Highness, thank you."
"Thanks." Bella replied quickly, thankful that it was over.
For now.
♔♕
"You didn't use the ring."
Bella smiled at her eldest brother as he came to sit down next to her. Around them, the engagement party was in full swing with plenty of revellers shouting out slurred words of congratulations to William as he sat.
"No." He replied softly, handing her another glass of champagne as he spoke, "it's yours, whatever you say it's yours."
"Then why did you ask me about it?"
"Because, I wanted to know that you weren't dead set against it...but I saw you with it Bell, I know it still hurts at the minute but the amount it means...it's meant for you."
"Thank you." Her voice came out in a whisper as she leant her head on her brother's shoulder.
"It's back in the vault now," William continued, "and, when the time is right, which better not be for another 20 years at least, it's yours."
Laughing at his words, Bella pushed herself up and turned to face her brother, "I can't believe you just said that, I was actually just going to introduce you to my boyfriend...we're off to Gretna Green tomorrow!" She teased, watching with a grin as he processed her words.
"Very funny."
"It was." She countered, returning her head back to his shoulder.
"But, being serious now, there isn't anyone is there, I can't have bruised fists for the wedding."
Bella dissolved into laughter at her brother, giggling away, she just about managed to get out, "you never would!" before laughing again.
"It's a good job I learned long ago not to be offended by anything you do." He replied, pretending to rub his fists as he spoke.
"Oh Will!" Bella sighed, still grinning at him, "don't worry," she comforted, "there isn't anyone."
The words hurt to say.
She hadn't actually said it out loud yet. And it did hurt. Even though they were never actually together, now they definitely weren't and...it hurt.
♔♕
They had argued.
Over now what seemed to be something and nothing. But they had argued and argued. Neither of them refusing to stand down, both too stubborn to see the other side.
Alex had told some of his friends. Nothing much. Just that he was seeing someone. One of them had guessed, he hadn't confirmed it, but someone had guessed.
That sent Bella off like a rocket.
She wanted to keep it private.
"All my bloody sisters know!" Had been Alex's curt reply.
That was different she had insisted, family was different to friends.
Friends didn't have the bonds, didn't have the inside knowledge of what it would be like if they were found out.
Alex had tried to insist that if they were found out then they would just say they were together anyway, no reason for anyone to know about anything else.
Then that had got them onto arguing about whether or not they actually were in a relationship.
Both of them insisting that whilst they may have wanted it a little, they thought the other didn't which was why they had stayed in the awkward little pact they had.
"I thought you didn't want to get involved with all the royal stuff." Bella had shouted, her breath coming hard with the adrenaline of arguing.
"For god's sake, I'm already involved." He had replied, the tips of his ears red with the emotions that were bubbling under the surface.
"There's a big difference between growing up alongside and growing up inside Alex."
That had shut the both of them up briefly.
Each of them trying desperately to remember what it was they had actually started arguing about.
"I didn't mean for him to find out." Alex had whispered, remembering the stem of the argument first.
"I know."
"And nothing is in the papers so it's fine."
"Nothing is in the papers now. Trust me, they hang on to stuff like this, hang on and then use it to the best of their advantage."
"Stuff like this?"
As soon as she heard him repeat it, Bella knew. Knew that whatever was going on between them was over. Finished.
Their agreement had come to an end.
♔♕
𝗔/𝗡: 𝗶'𝗺 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆! 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁!
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿!