The Royal Affair

Part Two: Perfume Memories

Author's note: A little short, but so happy to get another chapter out! Xo

Once she entered the car, flashes of cameras came to her eye pupils.

Still dizzy with what had happened, Rayna had no idea what to think about their kiss.
Given, it was a long time coming in her eyes. She just didn't expect it.
She took a deep breath as she put up a wave for the cameras. She loathed even leaving Buckingham Palace.
What would they brand her as if they only knew?
A whore? A tramp? The Other Woman?
Rayna looked down sullen as the flashes remained as her chauffeur drove away.

Rayna awoke to the headlines on her phone,

The Duke and Duchess Of Cambridge Adorably Attend Church With George and Charlotte

She began to read the article, but started wondering why she would put herself through such torture.
It barely had sunk in what happened with William when she finally went over it in her head.

Did he want to kiss her? Did it mean anything? To her? To him?
They had been friends for a while now, and the fact that they had taken that leap of being affectionate was something that Rayna was trying to figure out. What it meant. They hadn't been that close in a long time.

She decided to bathe and read some Sylvia Plath. Once out, she made sure to spritz her perfume mixture.

Her phone rang, and she answered it with ease, still in her bra.

"Hello?"

"Yes, is this Ms. Miredo?" A male asked.

"Yes, it is,"

"Your Royal Highness, The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, would like to invite you to dinner tonight. 7pm sharp,"

Rayna bit her lip almost simultaneously. Dammit.

"Uh... yes, yes I would like to accept the invitation," She answered the best she could.

"Perfect, just like old times, aye Ms. Miredo?"

"Yes, yes I suppose so," she chuckled before hanging up.

"Just like old times..."

Rayna thought back how many tears she had shed over William. You see, back in the day, William pursued Rayna excessively. To the point where it even broke Kate and Will up when he was just courting her.

It was devastating for Rayna to realize that things were just not meant to be.
Though, she does not regret the time she had spent with him.
She just promised herself that she would never disappoint herself again. When she had told him, let's just be friends for now and go with the flow. A month or two later, that's when Kate had banned William from ever speaking to her again. That changed after they had married.. she guessed Kate had felt a bit more stable and secure. Ever since she had partied with Beatrice and Harry, naturally Rayna had found herself back in that circle. She just didn't know that those feelings would come back for her. But what was she doing right now? Ready to be dined by Will? She blinked away her thoughts with a drink of rosè.

She put some earrings on, with a pretty pearl chiffon dress. It was a V neck, and devastatingly french she thought to herself. That's one thing Harry used to say to her, that she looked more french than anything. A dirty french novel he used to joke. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she took another swig of her rosè.

With William's kiss, came a flood of memories and she could not help it.

She sighed as she chatted with her sister on the phone. She was very troubled and never understood why Rayna had never came and partied with her. It was the heroin. And she loved her dear sister, but heroin was one thing she refused to be around. Despite all that, her sister Cassandra was her confidant. Of course, she didn't think of telling her about William. All she told her was that she found herself more directly involved with the royal circle once more.

Before she knew it, it was 6:30 and it was time for her to leave. When she hung up the phone she began to realize how nervous she was.

Once in the car, the chauffeur greeted her.
"Lady Rayna, it's a dinner to introduce you to Prince Harry's new lady, Meghan,"

"Oh, that's nice. What a splendid idea," she swallowed a bit surprised. Harry had not told her a thing.

She began to think about Harry and their own time they had together. Times Harry had taken care of her when she had had a bit too much to drink. Harry never tried to swoop her off her feet. He had known how much William had adored her at that point. But they had kissed. It was a sweet kiss. Once Rayna had went off to her family in Manchester. He had told her he was going to miss her very much. Rayna had lied to herself that she hadn't felt a thing when they shared that kiss at the time. Once she had returned home, Harry had asked if she had any feelings for Will. She had said yes, and that had pretty much put the nail in their coffin for any possibility of a romance. She always sensed an underlying thing Harry had had for her though.

Arriving at Buckingham Palace's gates made Rayna even more nervous. She had hoped that this Meghan girl was nice. Most of all, made Harry a happy man.

With a quick polite wave to the cameras, Rayna was guided through the palace as she greeted the servants as always.

She didn't know what to expect, let alone what she would expect from William.

Rayna was almost immediately greeted by Beatrice, as if she was waiting for her.

"Did ya hear?" She asked without a greeting, intrigue in her eyes.

"Hi, Bee," she chuckled, "hear what?"

"She's american and divorced," Bee finished.

"Oh.." Rayna pretended to know whom she was speaking about. Until she saw the pretty tan skinned woman perking at the arrival of Rayna, Harry on her arm.

"Here they come.." Bee said with a funny tone in her ear.

Rayna politely smiled and held her hand out to,

"I'm Meghan," she beamed introducing herself, as Harry looked on beside her.

"Rayna. It's so nice to meet you, Meghan," she responded politely.

Rayna caught a glance from Harry, that with the touch of the women's hands he was nervous. Over what? Rayna couldn't figure out. She would soon though.

"Oh, I heard so much about you. I just couldn't wait to meet you. Harry speaks so highly of you," She peered at him with an eloquent stare.

Harry smiled.

"Rayna's been a friend of me and William's, that it was a no brainer," he shrugged.

"Well, I'm flattered," Rayna pushed some of her dangled curls behind her ear as Beatrice introduced herself as well.

As Meghan and Harry mingled, she felt the shift of a gaze.

Will.

Does it feel right? No. His gaze on her body. It feels like when the day breaks.

Rayna muttered to Beatrice obviously distracted.

"Gods, Rayna, you are bloody obvious," Bea made a funny face breaking Rayna out of her spell.

"Was I?" She touched the back of her neck.

"I'm gonna fuck up my life, aren't I?" She murmured in Bea's ear rather impulsively.

"Maybe, but he's breaking his neck right now," she murmured back lowly as she and Rayna greeted more guests kindly.

Rayna gazed and sure enough there was Will, now with Harry and Meghan. Rayna noticed though William's seemingly uncomfortability, she quickly looked away.

"He must remember your perfume, because he's on his way," Beatrice said, as sure enough Will was in fact headed towards them.

Whether it was the perfume or the memories of them together, she had no idea what she was in for. In the Royal family, the world, the media, and so on.