𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑿𝑿𝑰𝑰, 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓

January 11, 2023

The teenager had had time to think things over about her uncle. For a long time she thought she could fix things, but the publication of her book brought Victoria's life crashing down. The documentary hadn't been such a big deal, but the book was the straw that broke the camel's back.

In a quote from her book, she said that her parents never wanted her and that it was one of the worst things that could have happened to them.

It hurt her deeply and she knew that things would never go back to the way they were and that the fun guy she knew was gone, never to return.

She didn't sleep all night, reading the news non-stop and wondering if it was worth talking to him. Her head told her he wasn't worth it, especially after he wrote that about her. But in his heart he still hoped that he didn't mean it and that he was just blinded by his wife.

Inevitably she began to remember times with her uncle, which made her cry her eyes out, asking over and over again what had changed to make him want to hurt his family so much.

April 22, 2011

William and Kate were finalising the last details for their wedding which was a week away. While Victoria stayed in Kensington with Harry and the three-year-old couldn't have been happier. Being with her uncle meant only one thing: fun.

The little girl ran through the corridors of the palace while the red-haired boy chased after her, trying to tickle her.

—I gotcha!— exclaimed Harry, picking up his niece and placing her on the sofa to start tickling her non-stop. The girl's laughter echoed around the room making the man laugh.

—Stop it!— she said with a giggle as her tummy began to hurt.

—Only if you say I'm the best uncle in the world— the red-haired boy explained, which caused Victoria to shake her head. He was her favourite uncle without a doubt, but she enjoyed denying it, just to make him angry.

—No— she replied with a chuckle, causing Harry to tickle her even more with a vengeance. —I take it back, you're the best— she confessed with a chuckle.

They spent the whole afternoon laughing, playing many different games until the girl's parents came through the door, indicating that their fun afternoon was over. The girl cried as she wanted to spend more time with her uncle, who promised to see her the next day. Harry and Victoria had the best uncle-niece relationship.

•••

She got out of bed to grab a piece of paper, a pen and a book so she could write better. She began to write down everything she wanted to tell him and in the blink of an eye she had written a few pages. The relief he felt as he put the last point down was so satisfying that sleep took over his body.

The next day she felt the anguish run through her body again. She took a cold shower and tried to go on with her life as if she wasn't a wreck inside, but the bags under her eyes made it very difficult. Maya noticed this and went to hug her. They didn't say anything to each other, they didn't need to. Victoria was grateful to have her best friend in her life and to be her main support.

When classes were over, she went to the only place where she could find peace in those moments. She sat down looking out over the city and took a deep breath, feeling the cold air rush through her body, giving her a shiver. It was winter so the cold could be painful, but he didn't mind in the least. The pain he felt in his heart was far greater.

She lay there for what seemed like hours, until a voice brought her out of her trance.

—Hi— Andrew greeted, making the princess turn to look at him, and the boy noticed her teary eyes at once, which caused his heart to break and he rushed to her side.

—Do you want to tell me what's happening?— he asked cautiously as Victoria rested her head on the blond's shoulder, something she loved to do. She nodded and began to tell him her concerns about her uncle. Andrew listened to her attentively making the princess feel very good to open up to someone.

They stayed in that position for a while as they enjoyed each other's company. Victoria decided to talk to her uncle to tell him all the things that had been bothering her. She knew it wasn't going to be easy as it probably wouldn't go well, but knowing that Andrew supported her made her feel a little better.

He walked her to her room and the whole way there they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Victoria's arms were around his hips as she rested her head on his chest and he rested his hand on her shoulder. Anyone could see them but they didn't care as they were comfortable.

—Goodbye— Andrew kissed her on the cheek, making the chestnut blush and duck her head in embarrassment.

—See you tomorrow— she said closing the door with a huge smile on her face.

She took a long hot shower as her throat was beginning to ache from the cold. She remembered the pages she had written hours ago, and wanted Harry to read them, so that he would know the damage he had done to her. She never imagined he could do that to her.

As she thought about it Maya came running into the room.

—They've seen you!— she announced in agitation, causing the princess's heart to start beating fast and she began to regret having gone into his arms. —They're talking about it all over the school.

At that moment Victoria thought her life was over as it wouldn't be long before she would be in the press. She prayed that it wouldn't and that she could have some peace of mind.

Her head began to ache from the millions of thoughts surrounding her. She had a lot of worries not befitting a 14-year-old girl. Her life had always been like that, millions of rules to follow. Many of them unbecoming of her age.

—I wish I was normal— she repeated to herself almost every day after becoming aware of the future that awaited her.

A wave of nervousness ran through her whole body, she was restless so she couldn't sleep. She hadn't been able to sleep for more than 24 hours and her tiredness was evident, but every time she closed her eyes all her problems came back to her mind causing her heart to race. The need to talk to Harry was very strong, she wanted to scream at him but at the same time give him a hug as she knew it would be the last one. She turned on her phone to reach her uncle's contact. The tears soon came and for a long time she thought about whether or not to call him. She thought about the letter and if it had been for her she would have sent it right then and there, but she thought she had to show it to her grandfather first, as she didn't want to do anything without him knowing. She knew he had given her permission to talk to Harry, but having his approval was very important.

That night he was finally able to get a good night's rest. She didn't know if it was the accumulated tiredness or that she already knew what she had to do. She woke up to a text from Andrew that said, "Sorry". She sighed as she couldn't remember what had happened the night before. Take a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. She could see that she was much unhappier as her eyes didn't have their usual sparkle. For a moment he lost in them, blue as the ocean. Whenever she saw them they reminded of her father as they were the same. And for a moment she thought about how angry her father would be if the news got out and she knew she had to fix it as soon as possible.

She walked into music class and could see the blond get up from his seat to walk over to her.

—I'm going to see my grandfather tomorrow afternoon, he'll fix it— she spoke before he could say anything. She walked away as she didn't want them to be seen together, as the rumours would only get louder. Andrew nodded and left with his friends as he thought he would talk to her when she was less stressed.

***
It wasn't my intention to take so long to post, I'm already working on the next chapter and I hope it will be out soon. Sorry if there are any mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks for reading!! 🤍

-𝑨. 𝑱