The Youngest Royal

Chapter 9 One World

Mattie stood in front of her mirror for a long minute, the bruises were still there and her fingernails were not all the way grown back yet. At least she was out of the sling, but her hand was still in a cast. William had left for school the day before and she was already missing her big brother. Today her and Harry were going back to school. She was nervous, nightmares had returned. She was also excited, she has missed her mates, specially Alana and Eric. She smiled as she thought about the blue eyes American, they've talked on the phone every night. She hopes that Eric will ask her out when she turns 16, but that is stil quite a bit away. William told her that he had a long talk with him and he feels that Eric likes her a lot, but he is shy and nervous. After all she is a member of the Royal family, it's hard for other people to understand their lives. He told her to take the leap and ask him out. She was so happy that William liked Eric and her father said that he seemed to be a decent young man. She was looking forward to seeing Alana, she has really missed her best friend. Truth is, she'll be relieved to be out from under her father's constant watch. Mattie wasn't upset with her dad, she gets it. Harry and her had talked until late last night, he was nervous as well. His injuries were much more severe than her's. He still had a cast on his arm and his leg and like her his bruises were still visible. The gash on his forhead was going to leave a nasty scar and she compared him the Harry Potter, after all he is the boy that lived. He only smirked at the comment. But he agreed with his sister it would be nice to get out from under their father. Charles had not let them out of his sight at all since they returned three weeks ago. They've been tutored in what they have missed in school, so when they returned they were caught up. She signed as she sat on the bed and packed the last of her things, she wasn't looking forward to all of the stares and questions, but they would handle them. She was told by both Alana and Eric that they would be holding a combined school gathering in honor of 9/11 and they wanted both Harry and Mattie to speak at it. In which they both agreed to.
She stood and opened her door as the driver came to get her bags. She knew that her country would fight along side the USA and it made her want to join the Army even more.
"Are you ready Mattie?" Harry asked as they took his bag as well.
She nodded as she grabbed her purse and the two walked to the sitting room, both already in their school uniforms. It was Sunday night.
Pop, Granny, Grandpa, Uncle Andrew and Nan were waiting for the teenagers, but only their father would go with them to the school. Charles walked over to them and hugged them and kissed each on the cheek. "You two have no idea how proud I am of you both. You are so brave."
They hugged him back. "Thanks Pop." Mattie said.
"Yeah thanks." Harry said.
They hugged everyone good bye, Granny held them each a little longer than she normally would. After the byes and I love yous they finally got in the car and left. Both Harry and Mattie were assigned new bodyguards and like always they would be near them, even at the school. Four all together left with them, there was Frank and Danny, Frank was Harry's new full time body guard and Danny was Mattie's, they also had the two that would relieve Frank and Danny so they coud sleep and they were Rick and Luke. The six all got along really well.
Mattie and Harry smiled as they drove away from the Palace, they wanted to get to the schools before the free time was over. Every third Sunday, free time would include both schools, the other Sundays they didn't mingle at all. Tomorrow would be the gathering and both Mattie and Harry asked for no family to come. Both had told their famiy what had happened and what it was like and besides none of the other famiies were coming.
"I will miss you both so very much." Charles said breaking the silence.
"Gonna miss you too Pop." Harry said.
"Yeah me too. But we have to get back to it." Mattie said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head. "I know baby, but if I could I'd take you two and Will and just disappear." He admitted.
"Sometimes I wish that too Pop, being a teenager sucks, but being a teenager with our family ties sometimes really sucks." Mattie tod him. She had grown very close to her father since her mother's death and all that has happened since that August night. She was grateful for the bond they had, she now can talk to him about amost anything, somethings are still hard and she wishes her mother was alive for.
"Yeah I agree with Mattie too Pop." Harry told him, like his sister he had grown very close to their father since Diana's untimely death.
"Trust me I know how hard it is, but you both and your brother handle it all with class and bravery that I envy. When I was your age the paparizzi wasn't as bad, not every thing I did good or bad always made the front page like it does for you three." Charles told them. "You two are so much more than spare, hell I hate even calling you that. i know when it's time for your brother to take the crown it will be the two of you that he leans on. It really will be like all three of you are the King and Queen. When God choose you three for us, He knew what He was doing and I thank Him everyday that I get to be your father."
They both hugged him as they blinked back the tears his words had caused. "We thank Him as well Pop." Harry said speaking for both of them.
"And I know that your Mum is watching from Heaven and she is so very proud of you. I want to thank you two for opening up and trying to be friends with Camila. That means everything to me that you three are coming to terms with our relationship."
"She's nice Pop, she doesn't try to replace Mum, just tries to be our friend." Mattie said. "Last year when she went on holiday with us, at first I was mad that she did but after a coupe days I was glad she did."
Harry nodded, "I'm with my sister on this Pop."
Charles smiled at them and the chatted the entire ride to the school. Charles stood outside the car, their bodyguards took their bags to their rooms and allowed the family time alone to say goodbye, even from the outside they could hear the social going on in the court yard, both kids wanted to go to it. Harry hugged his father first, he knew he was getting too old to hug after all he is 16 but he did it anyway.
"I love you Pop, I'll see you at Christmas."
"I love you too, behave son."
Harry grinned as the mishif returned in his eye, "Aways Pop."
Charles laugh as he pulled his daughter to him.
"I love you Papa, see you at Christmas." She said simply.
"I love you too and you behave as well young lady." He told the 15 year old.
She grinned, "No worries Pop."
He took a deep breath, "Mattie I've done alot of thinking and realized that it wasn't fair that I allowed your brothers to date at 15, but insist on you to wait until you are 16. That is wrong of me and I'm sorry, so you can date now if there happens to be a boy you fancy."
She gasped as she looked from her father to her brother and back to her father. "Really Pop? But..."
"Your Granny, Camila and your brothers have all told me that it wasn't fair to you, so there you have it and like I said before behave."
She hugged him again, "Thanks Pop, and I will."
He nodded and watched as the two walked to the entrance, they both turned and waved before disappearing in the school. Charles took a deep breath and got in the car and the Prince of Wales left to go home.
Mattie and Harry looked at each other as they came to the door that would take them to the court yard and to their friends, to the place they were free to be just teenagers. They took hands, "Are you ready little sister?" He asked her.
"Yeah, are you?" She asked as she bit her lip.
He nodded, "I'm gonna tell Eric that you can date now."
She blushed, "Did you know?"
"No I didn't."
She nodded and they walked out, both scanning for their friends, who were all gathered together. Alana saw them first and yelled out Mattie's name and ran to her friend and they embraced as Harry released her hand and was greeted by his friends.
"Damn Mattie I have missed you, I was so scared I'd never see you again." Alana told her as she held her best friend. She was crying tears of joy.
Mattie held her just as tight and was also crying. "I've missed you too Alana, you have no idea. I love you."
Alana looked at her. "I love you too sis."
Tabbie hugged her next and the rest of her friends as Harry's hugged him and her and Mattie's friends hugged Harry.
Eric grabbed Harry's hand, "So glad you made it back friend." He said simply, his voice thick with emotion.
Harry pulled him into a hug, "Good to see you too mate." He said and then whispeed in his ear. "No joke Eric, my Pop gave Mattie the go to start dating now."
Eric looked at him, "Really?"
"Yeah."
"And Harry?" He questioned, he wanted to ask her out but he wouldn't if Harry didn't approve. Everyone knew that the siblings were too close and Mattie woudn't date him if Harry disapproved.
"I would've kept my mouth shut if I didn't like you Eric." Harry told him.
"Thanks man."
Harry nodded and started to greet other people as Eric walked to his sister, but he did keep a watchful eye on the two.
"Hi Mattie." Eric said.
She smiled at him. "Hey Eric."
"Man have I missed you." He said as he took her hand and kissed her on the cheek and pulled her to him and held her close as his hand went to the back of her head holding her against his chest. He kissed the top of her head as she hugged him back. "Will you go to the dance with me? He asked her speaking of the dance in three weeks,
She looked at him and nodded.
"Will you go out with me Mattie? To a movie or something?" He asked her.
She grinned and nodded, "Yes I will." She exclaimed as she hugged his neck.
He looked around and noticed that their friends had them blocked from the instructors so he looked at her and said: "I have been wating to do this since the first time I met you." He placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her on the lips and she gladly kissed him back. Their friends cheered, except for harry he only smiled.
"I've wanted that as well Eric." She told him as they parted, he still had her hand gently in his hand. He lightly rubbed her injured hand with his thumb.
"You are my girl Mattie." He told her.
"And you are my man Eric." She said simply.
"Good, from here on out I got you Mattie."
She nodded, "Same Eric, the same for me."
The group of teenagers went back and sat down, Eric and Mattie never released hands. They were allowed to hold hands at school but that was as far as they could do on the school grounds.
"We were so worried." Alana confessed.
Harry and Mattie looked at each other for a minute before they looked at their friends. "Yeah we were pretty scared." Mattie told them as she gripped Eric's hand tighter.
He kissed her hand, "Sorry you guys went through that shit." He said.
Harry nodded, "Thanks."
"Are you guys going to be okay to talk about it tomorrow?" Roger asked them.
"Yeah we already told Will and our Pop and grandparents, telling the lot of you will be easy." Mattie said.
They started to talk about other things, neither Mattie or Harry could join in on the games but they could cheer their friends on. It was a good night with both of them laughing all night long.
"I'm so happy you're back." Alana told her as they laid in their beds.
"So am I, we needed tonight." She admitted.
"I bet you did. Let me tell you, Will was worried to death, he stared at the TV the whole time. He really loves you two."
"Yeah we really love him." Mattie said.
"I can't believe your Pop is allowing you to date now. That is amazing." Alana told her. "And you and Eric make such a cute couple. Did you see Yolanda, she was so upset that you and Eric are together, like she ever had a chance. I love seeing her upset, feels me with joy."
Mattie giggled at her friend, "Yeah me too. I can't believe Pop gave me the green light."
The two talked until late at night and they finally fell asleep.
The next found Harry and Mattie standing back stage as the auditoriun filled up with students, they were both nervous, not of speaking in front of the crowd but of telling the story. They half listened to the speakers before them and when they were announced everyone stood and cheered as they walked out.
The two smiled at everyone and told them what had happened to them and what it was like in the tower as they waited for rescue. After they told the story, Mattie said: "What we learned from all of this is that evil can't win, it just can't. Yeah we saw a lot of bad things, but it's the good things we are going to carry with us. The amazing spirit of humans, how they all came together to help people they don't know, there was alot of saddness and anger, but just as much hope and determination to survive. The peope that did this are the worse of the worse, but the people Harry and I met are the best of the best. People working 24 hours a day to find survivors or to recover the ones that didn't. People lining up to donate blood, people doing whatever they can to help whether it's making ice cream or working on the injuried. I will forever remember it as the worst time in my life and the best time."
Harry smiled, "She always says what I want to say, but she's right they might have hurt America, bu they didn't knock her down. They wil rise up and fight and they will win. It was an honor to see the amazing spirit they have. I will never forget them or what happened and I pray none of you do either."
Everyone cheered as they stood and a teacher asked them what they coud do to help America and both Harry and Mattie told everyone to just pray, than they sung the American National Anthem. After that it was over and they went to their classes.
Over the next several weeks both of the siblings healed from their physical wounds and Eric and Mattie grew closer and have gone on several dates and so far they have been able to keep it out of the press. Harry also started to date a girl named Mary and soon the four were going on double dates, but it wasn't until March that it made the front pages of the tabloids. Eric handled it with no problem, but Mary didn't like it and broke it off with Harry, who just shrugged and was soon dating another girl. Her name was Georgia and she was okay with all of the attention. Both Mattie and Harry had been caught and photographed kissing or just hugging them and that made the front pages as well. Neither cared even though they were going against the no PDA rule.
Their great grandmother passed away in March and they had to go home for the service and like the time their mother died they walked behind the coffin.
What their family didn't know was that both teenagers were drinking and smoking pot. They were very careful not to be seen doing either one of those things, but they so wanted to be normal kids.
When summer came Mattie and Eric still saw a lot of each other and less of Harry, he was single again. William was away for most of the summer, coming home for only a month but during that time he had his girld  friend Kate Middleton join him, Mattie, Eric, Harry and his new girlfriend Danielle for lunch. They did it in secret since Kate wasn't ready to go pubic yet. At one point the three boys got up to play a arcade game leaving the three girls alone at the table.
"How long have you and Harry been together?" Kate asked Danelle.
"Oh this is ony our third date, but he is a charmer."
"I can see that, so is his brother." Kate said with a smile. She looked at Mattie, "And you and Eric?"
Mattie smiled at her, she really liked Kate and she was hoping William won't screw it up with her. "We've known each other for almost two years and been dating since last September. What about you and Willie?"
"A year now. I really like your brother, but your life it scares the shit out of me."
Mattie nodded, "yeah I get that, but if you really care for him and he cares for you it's worth the risk. Eric says it is any way, he said nothing will scare him away, that me and him are soul mates. I believe that too." She said surprising even herself that she confessed that much to a woman she just met.
Kate nodded, she liked the young Princess. "Then don't let anyone get in your way Mattie, people will tell you that you're too young, but love don't care about age, if two people are meant for each other then nothing will stop them."
Mattie nodded, "Agree with you a the way. He just makes me happy you know?" She told her simply.
"Will makes me happy too, he's really sweet."
"Harry is fun." Danelle chimed in.
Mattie nodded, "He always has been."
"So all of you are going to New York in September?" Kate asked Mattie.
"Yeah, I want Eric to go but Pop and his Pop both said no."
"Are you nervous?"
Mattie signed, "A little I guess."
"I would be, you and Harry are both so strong to go back and face that."
Mattie shrugged, "It's not really strength, it's just what we need to do. That day was horrible and I still have nightmares over it, but I also have good memories and made life long friends. I feel connected to America like never before."
Kate nodded, "Becasue you are."
By the time they parted Kate and Mattie had exchanged numbers.
The three siblings sat in William's room on September 9th, they were flying out to New York the next day and staying for 4 days so they could all get back to school.
"I really like Kate Will don't mess it up." Mattie tod him.
He rolled his eyes, "Why woud you say that litte sister? Maybe if things go wrong it's because of her and not me. Did that ever occur to you?"
"Yeah it did, but I know if it goes bad it'll be you."
He shook his head, "Anyway, I really like Eric."
"So do I." Harry added.
She grinned, her brothers approving of Eric was huge to her. "Thanks guys, I really like him."
"And he really likes you." Harry told her.
"Wish Mum was alive, could really use one of her talks." Mattie admitted as the grin faded from her face. "I mean I love talking to you two and Pop, but some things a girl just needs her Mum."
William pulled her to him and kissed the almost 16 year old on the head. "We understand Mattie, there's some things you just can't tell us cause we don't understand."
"I miss her too." Harry said sadly, he would be 17 shortly after they return from America and his sister will turn 16 a month later. "This is my last year in school and I so wish she was there to see it."
"I missed her for that too." William said. "I wish I could introduce her to Kate nd tell her about school and see her face when I join the Military. Her not here just sucks."
"We were robbed of her and that wasn't fair." Mattie said. "So Harry have you thought about your gap year?"
He nodded, "Yeah going to go to Australia and work like Pop did on a cattle station and  try to pay in the polo match, also would like to go to Lesotho and work ith the orphans there after that I'm going to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and I'm planning on staying in for several years."
"I was thinking of doing the same thing in a coupe years." William said. "I want to finish school first. I like the Navy and might go that way."
"Well just so you know, my mind hasn't changes, still want to go to Bosnia and Africa and America in my gap year and I'm aso planning on going to RMAS and becoming an officer, I like communication so I think that's what I'll go in for. Eric is going to join as well and before either of you say anything I know we are at war and that makes me what to join even more." Mattie informed them. "They won't send you Will, you are next in line behind Pop, Harry they may send you but I'm way down the line and I know they would send me."
Both brothers frowned, what she said was true but neither liked to hear it. "You might change your mind." William tried.
"I might, but I won't. I love my country and I want to serve, so I will."
The next day they flew out to New York, they didn't tak much each lost in their own thoughts. After they landed they went straight to the hotel and rested for the day. The next morning Harry and Mattie got together with the survivors that were with them. They all hugged and cried. Harry and Mattie found out that all of the adoption had gone through.
When they arrived at Ground Zero, Harry and Mattie took hands and stood bravely on the makeshift stage and helped read the names of those that were lost, along with the other survivors and families. They toured the area with their brother and father close by them. They were shown the future plans for the sight. There were many photo ops, and both Harry and Mattie laid a wreath down. Mattie sucked in sobs as she placed hers next to her brothers and whispered a prayer to the fallen. The famiy spent the next couple of days visiting the Mayor, Fire departments, police department and other survivors and famlies of those who didn't survive.
By the time they flew home they both felt like a weight was lifted, neither will ever fullly recover from what happened that September day, but seeing the plans and the progress that was already made helped them move forward. Mattie was even more determined to join the Army and go fight the ones that did this. She carried a lot of anger with her over all of it. Eric helped her with it, he was the one she would tel everything to. He kept her secrets and she kept his. There were moments that she felt sorry for herself, not understanding why so many bad things happened to her, first her Mum died, then she was beatened and abused by people that made her believe were her family and then being in the South Tower and being trapped in it for hours. She prayed that all of that behind her and she could really start to enjoy ife. She knows that drinking and smoking wasn't the answer but they helped her cope to it all. She knows her father would lose his mind if he finds out so she has to make sure he never does.
When they got home, they only spent a couple days at home before the three went to school. Harry was very excited about his ast year, but Mattie held mixed emotions. She was happy for her brother but she was dreading her ast year with out him. At least Alana and Eric were both in her grade so they would be there. She decided just to enjoy every moment she had with Harry before he left for his gap year. She knew that would be the hardest because her and Harry were always together, but in a year they would be miles away from each other and that fact really bother her. But she would face it like she does everything, her head held high and a smiled on her face.