Princess Darrel Crawley | A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Chapter Eleven | Plotting

Robert entered the library, where the King George V was sitting on the couch, with a drink in hand.
   "Please, help yourself," Robert said cooly, pouring himself a glass.
   "This is my country," the King shrugged.
   "And, may I ask why you have decided to pay me a visit, so early in the morning?"
   "Princess Elizabeth."
   Robert rolled his eyes, "While you are in my house, you will call her Lady Darrel."
   "Very well. I don't like beating around the bush, Lord Grantham, so I will come straight out with it. I do not want Lady Darrel to inherit. She knows nothing, and the story of how she will become queen is scandalous."
   Robert took a large sip of his drink, "I do not applaud you saying that my daughter knows nothing, but I can agree that I do not want her to inherit."
   "Good."
   "But how can we stop it? Unless she abdicates..."
   "I want her away from the palace, long before that."
   "So what then?"
   "You're going to refuse what is happening, thinking that my wife is playing with you. You will request a second DNA test to be done, and it will state that she is your biological daughter. Since she is not mine, she will not be able to inherit. My nearest relative is a duke, the throne will not fall."
   "But she's your daughter. A DNA test would..."
   "We will tamper with the evidence, Lord Grantham."
   Robert sat down, surprised at what he had just heard.
   "You seem unhappy with my proposal," his majesty deduced.
   "It seems wrong," Robert replied.
   "I thought you didn't want Lady Darrel to inherit."
   "I don't. But your plan seems wrong."
   "It's a win-win. You get to tell Lady Darrel that you are her father, she doesn't need to inherit, the throne gets a proper successor, and I never have to see her again."
   "She is still your daughter."
   "Not after this test. No one, besides the two of us, will ever know the true parentage of Lady Darrel."
   "It's wrong."
   "For God's sake Grantham! I am trying to make everyone's lives easier!"
   "We're cheating a system that has been around for centuries. I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this."
   Robert headed towards the door when the King stood up.
   "Think of Lady Darrel," he reminded, "you're thinking of your own values. What do you think she wants? Surely, she doesn't want to inherit, and wouldn't you rather spare her the hard decision of abdicating? She'd have to leave England."
   "Don't you dare..." Robert started.
   "I am stating facts, Lord Grantham. Unlike you, I am thinking about what would be best for everyone, including Lady Darrel."
   "No, you don't care about her. You plan to hide her away from the press, and never have anything to do with her."
   "Do you want her to be raised at the palace?"
  Robert didn't say anything.
   "You need to make a choice," the King informed, "you can't have everything."
   "What do you suggest?" Robert groaned.
   "Fine, I'll give you a simple choice. You can either go with my plan, and have her recognized as your daughter, or, she comes to live with her majesty and I."
   "Don't be absurd!"
   "Those are the two options. If you choose the second, make no mistake, we will change her name to Elizabeth Windsor, and she won't be seen as your daughter, ever again."
   "Please, your majesty."
   "You have one week to decide."
   The King walked out. Robert stood there for a few minutes, tears running down the side of his face.