Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Fifteen

For the convenience of Jessica, Meredith just put on the jacket. It certainly wasn't cold enough for a jacket, as it was in the low 60's for Fahrenheit and around 15 in Celsius. Harry was always amused. Even though Jessica said Meredith was on good behavior, today was not the day for pants. It was a black dress for the morning when they went to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and then Meredith was allowed to tone it down in the afternoon. Yet, at night, when it was a quick flight over to Monaco, it was where the real fun started.

"Hey, Jessica, anywhere in the schedule today is there time placed aside of gelato?" Meredith asked.

"It's January, your highness" was Jessica's old response.

"We have this saying in Minnesota: ice cream is best in winter because it doesn't melt."

Harry snickered. "I've never heard that saying."

"Well, it's not really said," Meredith allowed. "It's just known. Why do you think Diary Queen is so popular?"

Jessica flipped her hair from taking a smudge off of Meredith's black shoe. "I don't know what that is, ma'am."

"I know where we're stopping when we get to the U.S." Eventually, Meredith added internally.

Standing, Jessica wasn't impressed. "We'll be landing in a few short minutes, and do pace yourself, your highness." There wasn't a question of who Jessica talked to as she left.

"I think pace myself fine," Meredith said, flopping down on the couch and putting on her seat belt. She was getting better at all this travel, but that was not during take offs and landings.

Harry didn't argue with her. "This might be the most formal thing of the whole trip."

"Don't screw up with the Pope. Got it."

He was also unimpressed. "There is a reason that Jessica pushed you so hard on this one."

"I also grew up Catholic, because apparently you forget," Meredith reminded him. "There were many times in my life that I was very much forced to go to mass, where I sat, stood and knelt for hours on end. It was later in my life that I was, like, never mind. My father is still a proud Catholic."

"You're in the Church of England now."

"Yes, all I had to do was renounce my Catholic-ness." Meredith turned up the music and glanced out the window. While she had never been to Rome, as the airplane began to fly lower, Meredith's breath was taken away, like usual. There had always been a hope to come here, ever since she was a little girl and she watched a Disney Channel movie about just an ordinary and awkward girl becoming a global superstar. "Also, Pope Francis is cool. He's not a scary one. He believes in climate change."

Even in the middle of January, it looked warm. The tan buildings stretched on, and the world built up around her. She felt right in the middle of all the action, and she loved every moment of it. "You're worse than a child," Harry commented, and Meredith didn't even care. She was just excited to step out and enter the busy world around her.

After the airplane landed, a black and sleek car came into view. The sun had yet to rise, and out of respect, none of the paparazzi showed up to take pictures of the dark garb. It wasn't much out of respect for the royal couple but for the Catholic Church. Meredith understood it. It was off to Vatican City from there.

The sky lightened by the time they got there, and the streets weren't busy. Meredith didn't remember the date at all by this point; she knew it was January, maybe close to February. The days blurred together, and oddly enough, it wasn't because of alcohol. With everything so stuffed in, Meredith wasn't sure how she managed to stay upright. There were many naps in between, though. Harry had been doing this his whole life, just not at this magnitude, yet this didn't have an effect on him. Meredith liked to think of this as a vacation-- or as her new home called it: a holiday.

The car stopped in the back, and Meredith's car door opened. Pope Francis waited on the steps as paparazzi held out the long lensed cameras. The Duke of Windsor got to the pope first, and they exchanged proper greetings. The Duchess of Windsor was a bit slower getting over there, but when she did, Meredith was the princess perfectly.

With one last glance at the paparazzi, there were only two photographers to follow them: the royal photographer and the Vatican photographer. The five of them moved through the basilica, as the pope spoke about some of the more interesting features. Meredith grew nervous under the eye of God, remembering what she had been taught in Sunday school. She also remembered the protocol, which Harry did with ease. While it was a somber occasion, brought out by the black dress on Meredith and the black tux on Harry, but it was it also a joyous day. This was another step forward with the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Harry and Meredith weren't the high up royals, but they were royals of England nonetheless.

"How do you find married life, your highness?" Pope Francis asked.

"I find it lovely. It makes me very happy." If there was something special that Meredith was supposed to call him, she completely forgot.

"I said a blessing on that day," the pope continued. "A union between a Catholic and a Protestant should be a celebrated occasion. It was not too long ago that it was unheard of. I have another blessing for you, if you would like to hear it."

The royal couple nodded.

The photographers were sent away as the pope took the royal couple into a closed off room. Stained glass windows shed beautiful hues into the room of carpet and wood. The room was almost basic and normal compared to the rest of the basilica. Meredith assumed the position as she knelt down on the bench as the pope hovered over them. A second later, Harry joined her.

Pope Francis spoke in murmurs with his hands pressed together, speaking to God and only Him. His eyes were closed as he praised God. When they opened, the pope spoke in English, blessing the duke and duchess in a happy marriage with children, many of them, wishing health and wealth, which God will shed His light on them in the years to come.