"Ok, ask me one more."
"Dad..."
"Just one more, please."
"Fine" I say, rolling my eyes. "Who is that one?" I ask, pointing at the papers he has on his hands.
"That's easy. Aaron Ramsdale, goalkeeper, plays for Arsenal."
"See? You know them all. Relax."
"I just want to do this right. You are the one into sports, not me."
"You'll be fine, you already know them all from the Euros."
"Yeah" he says, letting out a big sigh. "What about you? Are you nervous?"
"Why would I be?"
"You may be meeting one of your crushers."
"I don't have a crush on anyone on the national team."
"Oh, c'mon Eleanor. You watch all their games, you must fancy at least one of them."
"I don't" I shrug.
"Not even Mason Mount? I've heard girls think he is fit."
"That he is what?" I laugh.
"Fit. That's what Sophie says about boys who are handsome and attractive."
"Yes, Sophie. But not you."
"Why? Because I'm old?"
"No, because you are the King of England."
"Whatever" he says. "You don't like anyone, then?"
"No one. So you better not try anything or do what you did when we met One Direction years ago."
"What did I do?"
"Tell Niall Horan that I had a crush on him? That I had photos of him in my room?"
"Oh, yes" he chuckles. "But don't worry, I won't do it again. I learnt my lesson."
"You better. Just imagine that someone hears something and runs to the press with it. I can already see the headlines: Princess Eleanor in love with a football player. And they'll probably pick the worst option."
"Like Grealish."
"You said it, I didn't" I laugh.
"We've arrived, sir" our driver says.
"Good, good. Are you ready?"
"Ready" I say, taking a deep breath before we step out of the car.
As part of all the media events the national football team is doing before they travel to Canada for the World Cup, we are meeting with them to say our farewells and also give them a little something to remember the occasion. And when I say we, I mean my dad, King Philip of England, and I, Princess Eleanor, heir to the throne.
"Welcome to St. George's Park, your Royal Highness" Gareth Southgate says when we walk in. "The boys are waiting over here."
"Wonderful" my dad says. "How are they feeling?"
"Ready. They can't wait to get on that plane."
After a few words from my dad and the gaffer, it's time to give the players that little something we had for them: a shirt with their number and the name of all the players who have previously worn it.
"We'll do one each, ok?" my dad tells me.
"Ok."
We start calling each player, congratulating them and posing for a photo, everything going smoothly... until it doesn't. Until I froze in place when I find myself looking at the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.
"Your Royal Highness" he says with a smile as breathtaking as his eyes.
"Hi" I reply, my voice sounding all squeaky.
"I was looking forward to meeting you."
"Me? Really?"
"Yes, ma'am. My mum is a big fan of yours, she says you are the best royal."
"Oh, she's too kind" I giggle. I giggled. Why did I do that? What am I, 12?
"Should we pose for the photo?"
"Uh?" I ask, still looking at him. How is he real? How is it possible that I had never noticed that Declan Rice was this handsome?
"The photo, Eleanor" my dad says behind me.
"Oh, yes, sorry. The photo" I repeat, trying to compose myself a bit.
"Big smiles... Perfect" the photographer says.
"Thank you" Declan smiles, taking the box where the shirt is, our fingers touching slightly but making me feel electricity through my whole body. And call me crazy, but judging by the way he looked at me when it happened, he felt the same.
Once we are done giving all the shirts, Southgate gives my dad and I a tour of St. George's Park, but I can't stop thinking about Declan. About his eyes, his smile, about the way that small touch made me feel. I still don't know how I managed to keep going, to be honest.
When we walk outside, some players are practicing free kicks on the training pitch, Declan among them.
"Eleanor, why don't you show these boys how it is done?" my dad says.
"What?"
"We all saw you training with the lionesses, ma'am. That right foot of yours can do things" Mount chuckles.
"But I'm not wearing the right shoes."
"C'mon, ma'am" Southgate insists.
"Ok, then. But if I end up breaking a window, or worse, my ankle... it is your fault" I say, making them all laugh.
"Ready, Rambo?" Rashford asks before shooting.
"Give me your best!" Ramsdale shouts.
"That was so good" my dad says when Rashford scores. "Your turn now, darling."
"Ma'am" Declan says, giving me a ball.
"Thank you" I reply, trying to avoid looking at him, my cheeks already getting hot. "Don't go soft on me, Ramsdale."
"I won't, ma'am" he says with that big smile of his.
"See?" I sigh after shooting and sending the ball far far away. "Wrong shoes."
"Try again" Declan says, putting another ball in front of me. "I know you can do it."
"Will you pay for the window I'm going to break?"
"And I'll carry you to the infirmary myself if you break your ankle" he smirks, making me feel funny things on my stomach, and my father clear his throat behind us.
"Ok" I whisper, trying to forget the thought of his arms around me and taking a deep breath, focusing only on the ball.
"I knew it!" Declan says next to me when the ball goes in, Ramsdale not being able to stop it.
"You believed in me more than I did."
"I've seen you play before, I know what you can do."
"You have?"
"Yep. When you were like... 15? You played a charity game in my area and my mum took the whole family to watch you. I remember that you scored and amazing free kick."
"Oh, wow. I don't know if I remember that day" I chuckle. "I'll have to check the photos back home. I may even see you."
"I didn't look this good, tho. You may not recognize me" Declan says with a cheeky smile.
"But you still had the same eyes, didn't you? Those are hard to miss."
"Thank you, ma'am" he replies, his cheeks turning a dark shade of pink. Did I just make him blush? Me? Oh, wow. "I also remember that I didn't expect a princess to play football like that."
"What did you expect, then?" I ask, raising a brow.
"I don't know" he shrugs. "Maybe that you enjoyed other type of sports, like cricket or that thing with the horses."
"Equestrianism."
"That one, yes."
"Posh sports."
"Yeah..." he chuckles, scratching the back of his head and making the muscles on his arm pop. Why did he have to do that when I was finally acting normal around him, maybe even flirting? Now I'm stuck again just looking at him.
"We must go, Eleanor."
"What?"
"It's time for us to go, the boys have to train" my dad says.
"Oh, yes, of course."
"It was really nice meeting you, ma'am" Declan says.
"You too."
"See you in Canada?"
"See you in Canada" I repeat
"Great" he says with a big smile that makes whatever I'm feeling on my stomach be more intense. "Until then."
"Bye" I say, definitely smiling like an idiot.
━━━━━━❃━━━━━━
"That was nice, wasn't it?" my dad says once we are back in the car.
"Really nice, yes."
"Fell in love with any of them?"
"What?" I say, feeling my cheeks getting hotter and hotter by the second.
"I was only joking, relax."
"Oh" I reply with a nervous laugh.
"You are a clever girl. You know that you can't fall in love with a football player."
"Why not? You married mum and she was a journalist."
"One with a degree and a PhD, a serious career. These boys have nothing beyond money and being good looking. At least some of them" he chuckles.
"These days more and more players are studying while playing, tho" I point out.
"Still, it isn't enough. You are meant to be the next Queen of England. You must marry accordingly."
"Dad, this isn't the 15th century."
"I know, I know. But there are certain things that must still be kept in mind. So when you travel to Canada to support the team, do not fall for any of them, ok?" he laughs.
"Ok" I say, rolling my eyes and looking out the window, thinking that it may be a bit late for that.