The Royal Scandal | Prince William |

The Storm

A/N - I have taken some historical liberties with this chapter. This is completely FICTIONAL!

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March 16, 2007

Growing up, life was never easy.

She watched as her parents struggled to make ends meet, listened as her mom cried because she would have to deny her little girl another opportunity. At some point her grandfather came back into her life, he paid for classes, for competitions, everything as long as he got to see Jaclyn.

Seven years old, and that was where she learned the truth.

Jaclyn consumed her life with dance, her youthful dreams were no longer just for her. She had to become a rising supernova, so her family would never worry again, so her father would never again apologize for the water being turned off, so her mother would never again cower before Bill Hutchison in desperation.

Until then, Jaclyn needed the man. So, she fixed the twang that was starting to pop up into her voice, and acted the way he wanted.

She remembered the first time he made her cry. The feeling of his calloused hand gripping her tangled curls demanding she fix her country bumpkin hair. That night she wailed in the bathroom, hairbrush stuck and face puffy. Michelle had found her, and Jaclyn had cried in her mother's arms.

"Why is life so hard, mom?"

"The hardest struggles are given to the world's strongest warriors."

Back then she had forced a smile and battled on, honored in some young twisted way, but now...

Now she was done.

Her heart dropped with Charles' words, air losing it's path within her body as everything within her shriveled and died. Life had been hard for her then, but this felt like so much more. Too much more.

"As of right now there's a possibility William could be deployed with Harry."

All eyes were on her. No one needed to anticipate William's reaction, but they all needed to hold their breath for hers.

And how was she supposed to react?

Her heart was teetering near a full on hissy fit, complete with fat tears and pouting, but her mind had more willpower. It willed her to blankly stare ahead taking in Charles and Camilla's worried expressions, but unable to react.

"Are you sure," William asked. Jaclyn winced hearing the hope and excitement build up in his voice. She knew it was wrong. William was nothing but supportive of her dreams, and this was the one thing he wanted. The one thing that his crown couldn't touch, and she detested it.

"There is no certainty," Charles explained, "service for you my boy will look different than what is for everyone else. It will even be different from your brothers."

Slowly among all their words Jaclyn slipped her hands under the table, hiding the tremors that were slipping between each space of her slender bones. She didn't expect for William's hand to find hers so quickly. For him to be so in tune with the troubles she tried to push back for him.

"What's changed?" Chelsy asked, voicing all the questions she knew Jaclyn would want to ask, but was too shell shocked to do so.

Charles wrung his hands together, head dropping as his words came to him. Carefully. "If William is deployed closely after Harry we can use the same agreement with the press. Allowing them to take their pictures before for their silence until he returns. The palace officials are also considering how this can improve the monarchy's image with the people, for them to see both princes as normal people."