Princess Adeline of Wales

Chapter Three: Returning to London

5th of September 1997 - London, England

Wrinkling her nose, Adeline peered at herself in the mirror as the nanny rushed to get her ready for the day; they did not have much time especially having just arrived back in London after their time in Balmoral. 

The train ride had been rather silent and Adeline along with her brothers had been left to their own devices while their father spent most of the trip talking quietly about their mother's funeral with other members of the family. 

There was so much to be done now that they had returned and the public were awaiting the first glimpses of the family; grief seemed to have gripped the world and there was no hiding from what was about to come. 

The black dress that she had been forced into made her look paler than normal and her dark locks were pulled back from her face; put into a neat updo to keep the hair from her face. 

Her brothers were dressed in suits and none of them had said a word since the train had come to a stop and they were told that they must get ready at once. 

They each looked rather solemn in the clothes that had been given to them and the carefree time that they had shared in the aftermath of their mother's death had clearly come to an end. 

"Are you listening Adeline? You must be on your best behaviour," the nanny insisted snapping Adeline from her thoughts, she nodded her head as her blue eyes peered up at the woman who had been charged with caring for her. 

Turning her attention back to the mirror, Adeline eyed her reflection once more not sure what to make of the little girl that stared back at her. 

She saw nothing of her mother in the reflection that stared back of her, nothing of the blonde locks that William had nor the sparkle in her blue eyes that her mother had shared with Harry. 

"When do we leave?" Adeline asked stepping away from the mirror, she just wanted to go home and a part of her almost felt like her mother would be there waiting for them with a smile on her face. 

That this horrible trick would be done with and she would wrap them each up in a hug, reassuring them that she would never leave them behind; she just wanted one of her mother's big hugs.

"Once His Royal Highness is ready," the nanny replied before stepping away to help William with his tie, they would have to be ready by the time that the Prince of Wales returned and she could not have them unprepared. 

Today was the start of what would be an entire new life for them, there would be no ignoring the fact that their mother was no longer with them and they would have to deal with that. 

There was much to be done for the young ones before the funeral, they would be expected to act for older than their age in the coming days. 

Adeline turned her attention to Harry, his gaze firmly on his shoes as he waited to leave the train; no one seemed to pay much attention to the siblings while they rushed around trying to get ready for the madness that sat just feet away from them. 

The news that the royals had finally returned to London had seemed to appease some of the people even if many were still angry with how Diana had been treated; they wanted their royal family to show grief like the rest of them had. 

Taking Harry's hand, Adeline smiled up at her brother and gave his hand a squeeze while they waited quietly together; neither said a word as they thought about what might lay ahead for them. 

They would be expected to return to school soon, there was no avoiding that and it was what their mother would have wanted for them. 

Harry was due to start at Eton College were William was already in attendance while Adeline was expected to return to St Andrew's School; a fact that made both children even more uneasy.