Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Forty-Nine

When the airplane had landed the night before, there had been silence. One of the many talents of Meredith Rogue, now Duchess of Windsor, was her ability to hold a grudge. She had a right to be mad, but the problem came about with awkwardness between Harry and Meredith. She was closed off from everyone, which included her husband. She knew she was supposed to open up because he was on her side, but the fact was that Meredith threatened to leave Harry if this continued. As for the next morning, some of it had eased off, but it none of it felt different.

In the morning, she sat in the chair with people doing her hair and makeup. She dressed in the said clothes. At breakfast, it became apparent that things hadn't changed too much. While she was given her choice of breakfast, it was still portion controlled. Meredith didn't have much of an appetite anyway. Namibia waited for them.

Before leaving, Meredith stood in the bathroom, pinching her cheeks to bring color back to them. The more she stared at herself, the more Meredith wasn't able to believe how weak she was right now. She remembered standing in front of the mirror back at university before facing the paparazzi, reminding herself "You're not weak, Mere. You're not weak." Fast forward to now, and suddenly, university wasn't so long ago and Meredith hadn't grown as much as she thought.

A knock came to the bathroom door. "Mere," Harry said on the other side.

Meredith sniffled to keep the tears out of her eyes, even though they started to burn.

"Mere, talk to me," he pleaded. His voice was barely above a whisper, just for the people outside the room weren't going to hear. There was pain in his voice. "Mere, please."

Meredith whipped the door open and came face to face with Harry. "Stop." If he continued like this, then Meredith was going to cry.

Harry recognized this and let his wife go past.

Barely holding herself together and needing the break that was coming one day too late, Meredith put on her best duchess face. Perhaps it was a day meant for pretty dress, heavy makeup and jewelry because she needed the confidence boost. It was possible to hide all of it anyway. However, she was not so lucky today because she matched Harry again, which the clothes only were called safari clothes. It was back to khakis and white button-up shirts. Meredith never thought she was going to wish for dresses.

The car departed from the hotel and took them to the helicopter. How fun for her as Meredith boarded the helicopter that headed for the Etosha National Park. Her stomach hurt again, and helicopters rides weren't her friend. She was already stressed about Jessica, and Jessica sat next to her on the way out. Harry sat across. If there was a worry in the world that maybe this one day wasn't going to have photographers, then there didn't need to be. The royal photographer was along as well, but they were considered outsiders and knew nothing about the inside of the monarchy.

The Etosha National Park covered almost 23,000 square kilometers. The park had hundreds of different species, such as mammals, birds and reptiles. There were also endangered and protected species within the park, such as the black rhinoceros.

At the Andersson gate entrance, dolomite hills called Ondundozonananandana made the path. There had been a story of a young boy that used the gate and never returned, which was why the hills were called Leopard Hills. Guns were out with every step of the royals, as if it wasn't the royals that stepped into the animals' territory. Oddly enough, this was something Meredith had done before, when Harry had taken her to Africa for their honeymoon. There was an ache in her chest when she remembered that was only a few months ago. It felt like forever ago. Meredith wasn't even able to count the days that she had been away from London.

She missed London the most as she stood in the hot sun for photo ops, and her breasts sweated so badly. She wanted to pull them off. Meredith had never been one for the heat and sun, and she so badly wanted the rain and clouds. Out here, Harry was a natural with the sun and the photos, especially as it went into royal mode about saving black rhinos out here with a group.

Speaking of him, she glanced toward him, and he was watching her with a patient but determined look. The last thing he wanted to do was push her away more, but it felt as if he was. Meredith did things alone, always had, and she hated being told what to do, which ended up becoming the problem. If she was so determined to do this alone and needed the space, then he was willing to give it to her. Yet, he wasn't willing to give her up.

The group gave a tour of the park, or at least this region of the park. Four Jeeps went racing through the desert. Heat rose from the ground, making the world in front of them wave back and forth. Meredith pulled her hair down from its perfect bun and let the curls flow through the air. Harry looked at her and smiled. When Jessica glanced, it wasn't a happy look on her face, but she had no ability to tell Meredith that she was wrong.

This group that worked to save endangered black rhinos had everything set up, just like the monarchy liked it. A rhino was in the middle of being tagged so that studying was going to occur. Guns pointed into the bushes, just waiting for a branch to snap and gunshots to go off. Meredith knew her thoughts were negative, but at this point, she just wanted the day to be over. Thankfully, the photo op was over quickly before it was a drive back through the desert. Meredith's quite happy to feel her wind flap through the wind, and a freedom smile left her face.

Back in the helicopter, it was obvious that Jessica wanted to say something, but Meredith wasn't in the mood to listen and this wasn't the time with so many prying eyes. Harry had his eyes on Jessica, and it was purely out of concern for his wife. Whatever Jessica wanted to say, Meredith didn't want to hear it, and Harry was willing to make Jessica stop from saying it. Someone was still a high ranking royal here, and someone had the power. Meredith turned her face back to the window and looked at the flying by of Namibia.

The afternoon stop was on the coast, where Meredith was ready to run into the water at any time. It was only half a thought; she didn't want to leave Harry-- Meredith loved Harry completely, with every part of herself. That love led to this marriage and this life. Diana had called the palaces prisons, but Meredith hadn't spent enough time in one to know. Nonetheless, Meredith had spent enough time with people who ran the monarchy, and that was enough prison for a while.

The Skeleton Coast was one side thick dunes of desert sand and the other half was the Atlantic Ocean. A breeze blew off the sea, where Meredith saw a few of the guards wrap arms around them tightly. Meredith stood with her shoes in the water, breathing in the salt. Listening to the waves, she tuned out the world around her. Somewhere behind her, the photographer spoke with Jessica about the best angles, and somewhere behind her, the soldiers talked about their plans later tonight. Meredith tuned it all it and pretended to swim.

She was in the ocean, feeling the water curl around her, feeling the coldness creep on her for it had been a while since she was cold. She was in the ocean, the sun only lightly touched her skin. She was in the ocean, where she was free to do what she wanted and when she wanted. She was in the ocean, and she for once just floated freely and she didn't have to fight whatever the monarchy had planned for her.

Opening her eyes, Meredith was back on the beach with the wind pushing her back to shore and onto the land. Harry stood a few feet away as the photographer got a good picture of the couple doing something together. Meredith turned her head to her husband and studied his features. His beard was back by now, and he loved that beard. His nose hooked, and his hair was thinning. He was still the man she loved-- forever and always.

Meredith took Harry's hand, and they walked along the beach together.

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I will admit I've been struggling. It's been coming since Harry got a girlfriend named Meghan, and then it got worse when he got a fiancee named Meghan, and now he has a wife named Meghan. And they're adorable-- don't get me wrong; I absolutely love them. That's what makes it difficult because Harry is married now and he's no longer attractive to me. But I love writing this and I love writing for all of you.

I need your help. The rest of this book will continue of going across the world, which gives you some time to think about if you don't already have an idea. I have an idea of how to finish it up, but it would anger most-- if not all-- of you. I need ideas if you want a happier ending that what I have in mind, so if you have an idea you are willing to give me via comments here or by messaging me (now that I know how to work it), please do so. I can't say I'll use it, but I can say that it will most likely give me inspiration.

I hope you are all doing well! :)