18th of July 2008 - Birkhall
The sound of Prince Charles slamming a newspaper down on the dining room table broke the awkward silence that had gathered in the room since Adeline had arrived for breakfast that morning.
It was the same every day since she had joined her family in their Scottish retreat for the summer, Harry refused to say a word to her until she ended things with Simon.
Looking up from her toast, Adeline peered towards the newspapers that had caused so much upset her stomach twisting at the sight of the headlines.
Royal Rumble!
Prince Harry involved in fight with Viscount FitzClarence!
Princess Adeline's Secret Lover Revealed!
None of the Wales' spoke as they stared down at the newspapers that had so offend their father that he felt the need to slap it onto the table before them in anger.
Charles took a deep breath as he looked around the table, his eyes searching each of his children for any signs that they might know anything about this leak.
It was never a pleasant feeling when the palace aids reached out to him with deep concerns, there was only one way that this story could have leaked as it did.
"Does anyone here have anything to say?" Charles asked, he already had his suspicions on where the leak had come but he didn't want to say it out loud in case it caused further arguments.
It was the way the story about the fight happened that had tipped him off, he had no doubts and he couldn't explain how angry he was that this person thought it was okay to do this.
"I hope that they got who the victor was right," Harry smirked looking across the table at Adeline just wanting her to snap, he leant back in his chair eyeing the newspaper pleased with the picture that he saw on the front.
William reached forward and took the newspaper from the table, a frown deep on his face and he was used to having his own love life splashed across the front pages.
It had been one of the reasons behind him and Catherine breaking up last year, the press made life miserable and after talking for an hour they had decided to part ways because he didn't want to see her suffer like his mother had done.
The media had been pretty intense in the aftermath of their breakup, Catherine's flat in London had been under siege at one point which had forced her to return to her parents home.
Despite breaking up in April, they had gotten back together in June after running into one another at a mutual friend's birthday party where they had talked things through and decided to give things another go.
He would never forget Camilla's 60th birthday party, where they danced and he'd mouthed the words to 'It Had To Be You' by Frank Sinatra to her.
It was only at his RAF graduation in that the press had picked up on the fact that the couple had reunited at some point in the past year, something they had kept quiet even when Catherine had attended the Concert for Diana.
He had promised her that they would get married but for the next few years they could enjoy their twenties, it was all that Catherine had wanted from him really a sign of his commitment to her in all of this.
Hell he had even surprised her by landing a helicopter in her back garden only weeks ago much to Catherine's delight since she hadn't been expecting to see him.
It's what made him understand Adeline in all of this, she had found her bit of happiness and he wouldn't stand in her way for that; she had been desperate to keep her relationship a secret for this exact reason.
It did not surprise him that within weeks of Harry finding out the truth that it was suddenly splashed across the papers, he had really been the last to find out in the two years that Adeline had been seeing Simon.
There was surely no coincidence in William's mind that it suddenly made the papers now that he knew.
"I don't care which one of you did this, I want to make it clear that this is unacceptable. We don't invite the press into our homes for a very good reason," Charles stated firmly, his eyes focusing on one of his children in particular as he spoke.
Surely they knew better than anyone else why briefing the press would only do more harm than good, they had seen the affects that it had upon their parents marriage when they had trashed each other in such a way.
Once the press were inside, then it was near impossible to get them out again.
Adeline and William both nodded their heads while Harry rolled his eyes and went back to eating his breakfast without a care in the world, he didn't see how anything bad could come from this especially if it spelt the end of Simon and Adeline's relationship.
It had been hell for William and Catherine, enough for them to call it quits so surely the lesser relationship of his sister would not survive the hammering that it was about to take.
The news that Adeline was dating Simon was everywhere now, there was no hiding the relationship now that it was out there; he was rather gleeful that it hadn't taken much to get the story onto the front pages.
Anything about the royals seemed to automatically become front page news, especially in regards to Princess Diana's three children; the images of them walking behind their mother's coffin forever making them outshine the rest of the royals.
"Excuse me," Adeline said quietly moving to stand from the table, she couldn't bring herself to even look at the smug expression on Harry's face; she felt like strangling him right now.
Of course this was his doing and she hated him for it, surely he wouldn't be so stupid as to speak to the press about this; her brother could be many things but she didn't think he could be that hateful.
Hurrying out of the dining room, Adeline made her way back to her room unable to contain her anger as she stormed into her bedroom and slammed the bedroom door behind her.
Her hands shaking as she reached for her mobile and made to call Simon, she felt horrible that his name was being dragged through the mud right now all because her brother was an idiot.
Simon was supposed to be with his family in the countryside right now, not that she could be sure that he had stayed there considering the tense relationship that he shared with his father who would not be pleased with this news.
Pressing the phone to her ear, Adeline listened to the phone ring and ring; waiting with baited breath for him to answer but only to be disappointed when it went to voicemail.
"I am so sorry. I've just seen the papers, please call me when you get the chance. I love you," Adeline said mournfully as she shook her head and hoped that he would call her back when he had the chance.
There was a knock at her bedroom door as she hung up before William opened the door and stepped inside, he closed the door quietly behind him and shook his head.
He felt angry on her behalf, this was a betrayal far greater than any that either of them had suffered at Harry's hand before now.
Yes, it was understandable that Harry would be upset that his best friend was dating his sister but he had crossed a line by speaking to the press about Adeline's private life.
If anyone had skeletons in their closet that they didn't want people to know about it was Harry, surely he knew that he was opening a door he couldn't close by telling the press about Adeline's private life.
"I hate him," Adeline spat shaking her head, she had never felt so angry with Harry and she had never done anything to deserve this; she had always had his back, she hadn't even been mad at him when he'd broken her arm.
Sitting down on her bed, Adeline knew that she would never forgive Harry for this and she hoped that he stepped on Lego every time he walked around the house without shoes on.
"Not that I can say I blame you for that, you know what Harry is like when he gets something into his head there's no stopping him," William murmured moving to sit down next to her on the bed.
There was no way that he would trust Harry with anything now, he couldn't say that he wouldn't spread stories in the future when it suited him.
Adeline closed her eyes, she couldn't believe that after everything that she had done to keep her relationship with Simon quiet had now been for nothing because of Harry.
There would be no peace for them now, the press would dog their every step even when they weren't together and there was nothing that could be done about it now.
Simon would be treated no better than Catherine had been in recent years, his every step watched and commented on; his military career would never be the same after this.
William wrapped an arm around Adeline, he would help in anyway that he could and he would ensure that Adeline and Simon would not be punished for doing nothing more than falling in love.
He would extend the hand of friendship towards Simon, bring him into his old fold if Harry intended to shun him; it was the least that he could do and there would be no doubts that Simon was welcome.