I like to think that if Royals were a movie, the song above would play during the final scenes. Listen while you read!
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"That's the best food I've eaten in my entire life," Jackie said with a sigh, buttoning up the red evening coat she had borrowed from Kate.
The man at the coat check handed Harry his black coat before the Prince said, "I would usually say a Big Mac is my favorite meal, but if I was in the mood for something fancy, this would be my first choice."
Jackie laughed, taking Harry's hand as they left Carbone, a delicious Italian restaurant in the Village that President Obama had personally recommended to Harry when he got the news the Prince would be visiting Manhattan. Without the fuss that usually accompanied them in London, Harry and Jackie were able to slip into their waiting, unmarked car, that effortlessly joined the flow of New York City traffic.
"I may have to buy a little flat in SoHo," Jackie commented. "This is the most privacy I've had in months."
"It's nice," Harry agreed. "Though I don't know if my grandmother would approve of you living in America full-time."
"Not full-time, just have a little getaway when things get overwhelming in London." Jackie rested her head on Harry's shoulder, enjoying their quiet moment in the car that was moving slowly and surely uptown, until it came to a stop under the bright lights of Broadway.
Harry didn't bother to wait for the driver to come around and open his door, he stepped out first before offering a hand to Jackie. There were crowds of people mulling about outside of the numerous theaters that lined Broadway, and unfortunately, a few paparazzi had clearly gotten the word that the Prince and his girlfriend would be attending a play that night, because a crowd of about 15 immediately began flashing away as soon as the pair climbed from the car.
Harry took Jackie's hand and led her into the Imperial Theater, where they would be watching a performance of Les Miserables. It was Jackie's favorite musical, and she had been looking forward to seeing it for weeks. Harry had managed to get two seats just a few rows back from the stage on short notice, and the theater was neatly full by the time they sat down, flipping through their programs.
Jackie smiled to herself as Harry squinted at the song titles. "There're a lot of songs in this show," he commented.
"Well, it is a musical, it's all songs."
Harry's eyes widened. "There's no speaking?"
A woman to Jackie's other side laughed and whispered. "I've drug my husband along, I think he would much rather watch a football game than a musical."
Jackie smiled. "He would rather be doing anything than watching a musical, but that shows how much they love us, don't you think?"
The woman nodded with a broad smile. "That's right."
Jackie turned back to Harry and intertwined her fingers with his. "Thank you."
As the lights dimmed and red curtains swung open, Jackie took the opportunity to sneak in an appreciative kiss.
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"It's so late, they're really going to let us see it now?" Jackie whispered, holding tight to Harry's arm as they followed a man Harry had introduced to Jackie as a tour guide in the lobby of 1040 5th Avenue, Jackie Kennedy Onassis's old apartment building.
"They've made an exception for us," Harry said as they stepped into the elevator with "Mr. Smith", the tour guide. Mr. Smith pushed the button for the 15th floor, and the elevator rose smoothly, the occupants riding in silence.
When the elevator stopped, Mr. Smith swiped a card that allowed the doors to open, revealing a very empty, but very beautiful, apartment. "Mrs. Onassis owned the entire 15th floor from 1964 to 1994. There are four bedrooms, five and a half baths, a library, conservatory, chef's kitchen, two dressing rooms, a dining room, living room, and three terraces in all, the one leading off of the master bedroom overlooks Central Park."
Jackie broke from Harry and walked forward, taking in the magnificent sight. The ceilings were surprisingly high, the large windows giving a magnificent view of the city at night. The only furniture left in the cavernous apartment was a large clock hanging on the wall, its hands reading 11:30 pm. Once the play was over, Harry had swept Jackie to the Upper East Side, and told her they were getting a nighttime tour of the apartment.
"Can I go to the master bedroom?" Jackie asked Mr. Smith. The man nodded and motioned to a short hallway to Jackie's left. She almost tiptoed, as if she would disturb the magic within the place.
The master bedroom was just as empty as the rest of the flat, but the air was different, as if the importance and significance of who had slept within still remained. Jackie walked to a set of french doors on the other side of the bedroom and stepped out onto the small terrace. Snow swirled down from the sky, leaving a pristine white blanket over the dark grounds of Central Park that sprawled just below her.
"What do you think?" Harry asked as he joined Jackie on the terrace, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"It's- I- I don't have any words for it. I've been looking at this place from the outside for years, and now- I'm standing in the master bedroom. It's like a dream." Jackie brushed a stray stand of hair from her face. "But why's it empty? I thought someone lived here."
"The current owners want to sell it," Harry said. After a pause, he continued, "And I want to buy it."
Jackie's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe her ears. "You do?"
"Well, I want to buy it for us," Harry continued. Jackie was in shock as he said, "I thought you would like to decorate it, and we could use it as a sort of vacation home."
"I would love that-" she laughed disbelievingly "-but what will your grandmother say about you buying a home for us, when we aren't married? It sounds like a PR nightmare to me-"
The look on Harry's face, a sort of emotional beam she had never seen before, caused Jackie to stop talking.
Harry grinned. "About that-" Jackie about fell backwards over the railing of the terrace onto Fifth Avenue when Harry retracted his hand from her waist and sunk down onto one knee in front of her. Jackie's mittened hands flew to her mouth, her chest swelling with joy.
Harry reached into his coat pocket and pulled a small black box from within. With a click, he flipped open the lid, revealing the most gorgeous ring Jackie had ever seen in her entire life. A cushion-cut diamond, the largest she had ever seen in real life, sparkled like it was stuffed with a thousand stars. "Jacqueline Baker, will you marry me?"
Jackie let out a mixture of a laugh and a cry, barely managing to say, "Yes!" She dropped down to her knees, throwing her arms around Harry's neck and giving him the most sincere kiss she ever had. Harry laughed as Jackie threw her left mitten to the side, allowing him to effortlessly slide the ring onto her ring finger.
Jackie and Harry admired the ring in silence, the diamond was almost as large as the first section of her finger. It rested on a delicate silver band, a stunning classic ring. "When did you- how did-" Jackie sighed. "This is perfect."
"It's from one of my great great grandmother's tiaras," Harry explained. "I had some help picking it out, of course. Kate and I spent hours looking over them in the Crown Room."
Jackie grinned. She had the best friend in the whole world. With a mischievous smile, she asked, "So it's one of the crown jewels?"
Harry laughed, watching her lovingly. "Sort of."
Harry stood and pulled Jackie to her feet and they stood at the railing of the terrace, looking out over the city. "How long had you been planning this?" Jackie asked. She studied Harry's face, which was illuminated by the light of the moon and the street lamps some 15 stories below. A sprinkling of snowflakes stuck to his eyelashes and beard, glistening in the soft light.
"I can't tell you the secrets behind the magic," Harry teased. "But I can tell you, I've wanted to do this for a long time."
"Like how long?" Jackie teasingly pried, squeezing his hands in her's.
"Like, since we first bumped into each other in the elevator in Kensington Palace," Harry said. Jackie could remember that moment like it was just yesterday, though it felt as though it happened centuries ago. Her life was so different now than it was then.
"That long?" Jackie laughed. "So it was love at first sight? Well- first sight in a while?"
"Exactly," Harry said with a smile. "So- what do you say? Should I buy the place?"
Jackie's stomach was fluttering with excitement, and her mind was flooded with so many thoughts she could hardly think at all. "I think it would make a suitable engagement present."
"Well, the ring was your engagement present," Harry corrected. "The apartment is a Christmas present."
"Oh, I see." Jackie pretended to be in deep thought. "Throw in some furniture, and it's a deal."
Harry laughed and kissed her, and called out, "Mr. Smith, we'll take it!" He added, "Mr. Smith isn't a tour guide, he's a realtor."
"Ah, that makes a lot more sense," Jackie laughed. "But wait- I thought you said your grandmother wouldn't approve of me owning property in the U.S."
"I was just trying to throw you off my trail. I've already spoken to her about it, and she approves." Harry suddenly reached for her and picked her up into his arms. "C'mon, fiancée, let's go back to the hotel."
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The End! I will be starting Royals Part 2 very soon! I hope you all enjoyed!