The Prince's Secret (Prince Harry Fanfic)

Part 35 - Not Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Harry

It was a conversation I didn't want to have with Meg. Painful as it would be, I thought it would be easier just to break off our engagement. I've been on both sides of a break-up—both the breaker and the broken—and it's easier just to have a clean break. It's like an open wound—once it's made, you can begin healing.

But this? This postponement of our wedding at my grandmother's command? Her instructions to "get to know each other better?" This was going to be torture for both of us. For Meg, because she would spend months wondering if our wedding was going to take place, and for me, because I was pretty sure that in the end, no matter what happened, I would not want to marry Meg.

But I knew I had to broach the subject soon, because I wasn't sure when my grandmother would announce that our wedding was postponed until the fall. I couldn't let Meg find that out from the newspapers. As painful as it was going to be, it was something I had to tell her myself.

However, I did lay the blame on this whole crazy plan directly where it belonged...on the Queen.

We had just finished dinner, and Meghan was beginning to get snuggly with me on the sofa. I moved away a bit and said, "I went to see Granny last week."

Meg looked puzzled. "We just saw her at Christmas. Is anything wrong?"

Well, that depends on how you look at it, I thought. "We talked about our wedding."

Now Meg sat up, interested. "Yes?"

Here goes. I took a deep breath. "She thinks—and I agree with her—that perhaps we rushed into our engagement too quickly, without enough time to get to know each other."

"But we've been dating for almost two years!"

"She wants us to postpone the wedding until the fall."

"What?"

"Eugenie and Jack are going to move their wedding up to May, since so many plans for security and processions and all that have already been made. And our wedding...will be postponed till the fall."

"No!" Meg exploded, jumping off the sofa. "No! I won't!"

"It wasn't a request," I said, lowering my voice. "It was a direct order."

"She can't do that! She can't make us do that! It's our wedding! We've already made plans!"

"Meg," I said, speaking even more softly, hoping she would calm down. "She is the Queen. She is paying for the wedding. She can do anything she wants."

"No!" Meg was pale and shaking. "I won't! I won't wait any longer!"

"I don't think you have a choice," I said.

"Why?" she asked. "Why? What does she think postponing our wedding will do?"

"She thinks," I said carefully, "that this will give us more time to get to know each other. To make sure that we are doing the right thing."

"Why? Why wouldn't we be doing the right thing? Does she have doubts about me? Does she think I will embarrass your family? Does she have doubts about us?"

I could sit still no longer and stood up, pacing. "I have doubts," I said quietly.

There was one long, terrible moment of silence. And then Meg let out an unearthly wail and crumpled to the floor, sobbing.

"Why? Why? Why? You love me. You said you loved me. And I love you. I've done absolutely everything you asked me to do. I've given up my career for you. I've given up my life for you! And you have doubts?"