The Prince's Secret (Prince Harry Fanfic)

Part 12 - The Sleeping Lion - Part 1

Samantha

I arrived at the Sleeping Lion about 20 minutes early. It was nearly empty, with only a few older men parked at the bar watching soccer and discussing each player's merits in raised voices.

Tom, the bartender, gave a nod as I walked up. "You're in early. And without your twin sister."

He meant Randa. It was his favorite joke, that brown-skinned, curly-haired Randa and I were obviously twin sisters.

"She's at work," I said. Then, leaning on the bar, I said in a conspiratorial voice, "Actually, I'm meeting someone here...someone who values his privacy."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Oh you are, are you? Somebody who'd rather not be noticed?"

"Exactly."

He nodded and smiled. "Well, since you are one of my favorite girls...why don't you take a seat there in the corner?" He jerked his chin towards the dark booth I had mentioned to Harry. "And I'll make sure no one takes an interest in what's going on back there."

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He was old enough to be my grandfather and happily married to 'Doris, love of me life' as he often told me, but I think he liked to play protector to Randa and I. "Thank you. I owe you one."

"Oh, you owe me more than one, Sammy girl, but who's keeping score? Just make sure this gent treats you well, or I'll be throwing him out of here on his ear, no matter how 'private' he is." Tom drew a pint and handed it to me.

"I'm sure he'll be a perfect gentleman," I said, and took a seat where I had a view of the door.

Harry was also early. He looked like a normal working guy, wearing a dark wool coat over jeans and a black baseball cap. I stood quickly when he entered, and he smiled when he saw me.

"This is a well-hidden place," he said, sliding in across from me. "We had to circle the block twice before we even saw it."

"We?"

He shrugged towards a beefy man who entered the pub. He looked around quickly, spotted Harry, and then took a seat at the end of the bar.

"Friend of yours?" I asked.

"One of my security officers." He sighed. "They don't let me out of their sight for long and believe me, when I was younger and wilder, I tried desperately to lose them, with little success. But Duncan knows how to mind his own business." Harry put his elbows on the table. "How's the food here?"

I laughed. "It's not bad, actually. Might surprise you, from the way the place looks."

Harry surprised me by waving Tom over to order. He didn't announce who he was, but he didn't really try to hide it, either.

"Samantha tells me your shepherd's pie is the best she's ever had," Harry said to Tom. "So I think I better try it. And a couple of pints. Sam, what will you have?"

"Ploughman's lunch," I said.

"As you like," Tom said, winking at me. "And I'll bring over a few of those jam tarts you're so fond of. No reason why you can't start with the sweets while you're waiting for the rest."

The tension seemed to ease a bit when the drinks arrived, and Harry dug into the jam tarts with appreciation. "These are pretty good. The bloke likes you, that's for sure."

"My friend Miranda and I are in here several times a week, usually after we get off work at the riding school. Tom never complains about the dirty boots, but then he's a big fan of horse races. You couldn't get a word in edgewise around here during Royal Ascot, so I hear."

Harry laughed. "He and my gran would get along famously. It's all she ever talks about in June."

A tiny shiver went down my spine, but I ignored it. Here we were, exchanging get-to-know-you's just like anyone meeting for the first time, and yet I could not forget that his gran was not just some kindly grandmother who loved horse racing—she was the Queen.

"I should probably thank you for putting a word in with Mr. Coster," I said quickly, to cover any awkwardness. "It was you, wasn't it? His polo manager called up and offered me a job."

He smiled. "Seems I do have a little influence. I saw the way you handled that gray mare of his. She's bad-tempered, even if she is fast on her feet. I just mentioned that if he was looking for someone, you might be available to pick up some shifts. Was I wrong?"

"Oh, no, you were right. His offer was very generous."

"Paul can afford to pay for the best. If that was your first time in the polo yard, then I'm even more impressed. A good groom is worth every penny. So you'll be working for him then?"

"I'll try it. His stable is a fair distance from here, so I'll have to take transit to get there. It's nice to be able to just walk a few blocks to the riding school, even if it does pay a lot less."

There was a pause in the conversation while the food arrived, and Tom waited while Harry tasted the shepherd's pie and complimented it extravagantly. Tom brought us a few more pints, and at last we were alone again.

"So is working with horses what you want to do, then? You must ride, of course."

"I've been riding since childhood. Did a few horse shows, but I wasn't really into it like some people. I did have a great time making costumes for me and the horses for costume classes though. But we sold my two horses when I went off to college. If I'd gone to one of those fancy eastern colleges, I probably could have taken one of them with me."

"Do you hunt?" he asked.

"I've never had the chance, actually, although it sounds exciting." I admitted.

His grin widened. "We'll have to see if we can't get you out on a hunt. I'm sure one of my cousins or friends could find a horse for you to ride."

I found Harry's intense blue eyes hard to ignore. He had a way of focusing his attention so I felt that at that moment, I was only the person in the world. It was an amazing feeling, and at the same time it was a bit frightening. I could not shake the unasked questions from my mind. What do you want from me...and from this friendship that is beginning? Is it only friendship, or will it be something deeper?