The Royal Scandal | Prince William |

Snow Fall in Summer

July 9, 2017

Somehow, despite being wrapped in layers and layers of clothing her bones rattle until she's shivering. Jaclyn can barely move her arms, and swears she's walking around like a stick figure. Under the pristine white winter coat she shoved at least five different undershirts on, and the borrowed snow boots are mostly likely a size too big.

William takes to the weather and the mountains like a pro, so does Amelia who runs through the powdery snow with Esmé and Giselle. PJ is ultimately slower, but his enthusiasm is there even when he trips right into a snowbank.

"How does it feel to be normal?"

Jaclyn turns to Victor already glaring through her heavy goggles

"We are normal, Victor

"Your family is anything but normal.”

Her mind replays the scenes from just an hour back, the paparazzi all lined up behind rickety barricades threatening to tumble through. All four of the kids tried to play with thirty different lenses up their noses. But the shots have to be candid, is what they told her when William and her both complained. They wanted the standard posing photo call and nothing more, but the world wanted something as close to the real thing as possible.

So the kids stomped through the snow together while William, Victor, Alice and her stood off to the side. Powder flying through the air and the mountains cutting dangerous figures behind them.

“Giselle, please don’t push your sister into the snow!” Alice scolds, rushing over to pull Esmee up out of the pile of soft and fleeting snow. Victor beside her shakes his head, but is unable to hide his fond smile. “That one is too much like me I’m afraid.”

Jaclyn hums, scuffing the ground until powder flies and sprawls before them. PJ is bundled from head to toe as she is, running awkwardly restrained by the puffy snow pants and coat. Swallowed by his scarf and hood until he is only two blue eyes jumping from place to place. But she can see the smile through the layers fighting the cold from his lips because it is hidden. It is seen in the way he jumps and runs and throws himself around.

“PJ is the same way. Sometimes I worry his similarities to me will ale him as he gets older."

"Being like you is nothing to be ashamed of."

She shrugs, though it is barely seen under her puffy coat. She loved his big heart, and his optimism to always see the best in people, but she knows all too well what such openness can lead to. It makes a person an easy target to be struck down, they don't see the danger until it flashes before their eyes.

Her gloved hands clench into fists, but instead of feeling the cut of her nails it just feels like she's squeezing a weight so tightly her hands shake.

Amelia is helping Giselle build a snowman in the distance, Esmée and PJ searching for rocks for eyes. The scene calms her enough, placating her heart to not burst through her chest, but her mind reaches its talons forth and plucks at her strings.

The feeling of Joseph's hand on her jaw follows her like an early morning shadow. It's a non existent touch that she still jolts to twenty-four hours later, but it all could've been avoided if she just had the good sense to walk away.

Snow, cold and wet yet solid enough to form a sphere, smacks her face and breaks into pieces down her coat. She shrieks, jumping a foot in the air, catching the attention of their spouses passing by them on their skies. Victor's smile is just as serpentine as ever, and he takes several steps back as she clumsily lunges to get him back.