The Royalty (Prince Harry Fanfic #4)

Chapter Ten

Sitting in the dining room, letters were scattered around, all coming from around the world. There were bags filled with letters, some addressed to Harry and others addressed to Lucy. Since the engagement was announced, Lucy had gotten more and more letters, all of them at least somewhat kind. There were some disappointed girls out there, but most of them were happy, welcoming, as if Lucy would make the perfect princess. All letters were processed before they came to the royal household of the intended. Then someone would look through them, usually personal assistants and such.

Siobhan sat across from Lucy at the long table. Lucy took the time to write out personal responses to letters Siobhan seemed fit. One of Siobhan's assistants went through the letters as well. Siobhan would glance over the original letter, with the assistant choosing which pre-typed letter to put in to send back. Siobhan had a set of rules to follow with the letters for who got a personal letter back. Lucy finished writing another letter and placed it aside.

"Do I ever get to choose what letters I write back to?" Lucy asked.

"No."

Arching an eyebrow, Lucy gave Siobhan her best smile. "Please."

"Did you just use the word please?" Siobhan asked, even her assistant paused. "That's odd; don't do that, ma'am."

Lucy sighed. "Once, can I choose it once?"

"No, ma'am."

"Can I pick a letter out of the bag, open it and read it before you?" she asked. Siobhan didn't immediately answer back, so Lucy continued, "Is there a rule against that?"

"There isn't, ma'am, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"What?" Lucy asked. "Am I going to cut my finger on envelope and bleed to death? No. Am I going to cut my finger and then there will be blood, but wait, someone will make a clone out of me? No." She leaned across the table. "One-- let me do one."

Siobhan paused and finally nodded. "I want it said, ma'am, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Am I going to get stabbed?" Lucy stood up and walked around the long table. "Someone's going to try to murder me?"

Siobhan wasn't impressed.

The bag was open, and Lucy pressed her hand down. Envelopes brushed against her skin. The points cut her skin but there wasn't any blood. It was just slight pain. Yet, Lucy stuck her hand down further until she latched onto a letter. Pulling the letter up, Lucy moved away from Siobhan and the assistant. Sitting across the table again, she opened the letter and read it. Her eyes became wider and wider, and her mouth popped open.

"Is it a good one?" Siobhan asked, mistaking Lucy's face.

"Aren't all letters pre-screened?" Lucy asked.

"For drugs and poisons, also the addresses are looked up. None of the letters are opened unless there is a reason that they should be feared." Siobhan slowly managed to keep her panic out of her voice. "Why, ma'am?"

"Is Tony here?"

"Get him," Siobhan ordered, and her assistant automatically left the room. Lucy's personal assistant walked over to her employer and read the letter over the shoulder. Siobhan was better trained than Lucy, yet vomit bubbled in her stomach.

Tony entered the room and walked over. He was so calm and collected, like he was used to things like this. Pulling out a handkerchief, Tony pulled the letter out of Lucy's hand and read it. His eyes went back and forth. He set the letter and handkerchief down on the table gently, but then grabbed Lucy by the arm not-so-gently. Tony dragged Lucy out of the room, Siobhan followed behind. Lucy didn't know what was going on, but she at least didn't fight it. Without her knowledge of her own apartment, Tony grabbed a book from a nearby bookcase and a painting swung open.

"What the hell?" Lucy exclaimed.

Tony ignored her and brought her down the steps. Siobhan stayed at the top. "Notify them and close the door."

Siobhan did such, and it went dark. Tony knew where he went, still holding Lucy roughly, and then off to the side was a metal door. He put in a pin and then his hand print. The metal door clicked open, and he shoved them both inside. The metal door closed behind them, sealing them in, and then lights lowly flickered on, showing the large-enough basement and tunnels. It was one room with five beds lining the walls, a kitchen that was stocked, a restroom, a sofa, some chairs and a few other amenities. Tony dropped Lucy off at the bed and walked over to the corner. Cameras watched the entrance to the locked room, the tunnels, the picture and then around Kensington Palace and inside Harry's apartment.

"What the hell?" Lucy shouted.

Tony paid no attention. There was no one on the screens but he still pulled out his gun.

"What the hell?" Lucy yelled. "A gun, really? A gun!"

"Please be calm, ma'am." Tony only glanced back. "You should rest. We could be here a while."

Lucy supposed she was to be scared but she wasn't. Laying down on a bed, she stared at the door. In Tony's hand was a gun, a black Glock; he pointed it at the door. She was sure he knew how to use it properly, but she still hated the damn thing. She was more scared of the gun in the locked room than whoever threatened her. The note didn't scare her, when those things had been yelled at her before. Tony's job was to think of someone actually doing it.

Time passed, yet Lucy laid on the bed and stared at the door with Tony holding the gun. He moved slightly and then slowly. His eyes came back to her, saying something to her. Tiredness racked her body, but she sat up on the bed. The metal door slid open, with Simon and Robert in the doorway. Their eyes scanned the room. Tony put his gun away. Harry appeared in the doorway, and then he rushed into the room.

"You okay?" he asked, bending down in front of her.

"I'm tired," she said, "and yeah. A person wrote a mean letter. The person said they would do some stuff. I'm good, Harry."

"We're going to take care of it."

"I'm not scared."

"I know. You never are." Harry smirked. "I talked to Granny and Jessica, um, and Will, and then to the security." He held her hands. "I think it's time to take a nice trip back to Minnesota, just for a little bit, to say good bye."

"To say good bye," she repeated.

Harry had no idea.