What If?

Chapter 84

It was with a heavy heart that Amelia looked out the window, seeing Madagascar disappear away from them as they left their paradise of the last two weeks.

"What are you thinking about?" Alex asked her as she gave him a small smile, before shrugging her shoulders as she pulled her leg up to her chest, whilst leaning against the backrest of her seat.

"Just thinking that we're going back to reality now, the day after tomorrow we already have to be at the garden party at BP. No more resting, back to duty and work." Amelia explained to her husband as he took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb back and forth on the back of her hand in a comforting manner.

"We'll be fine sweetheart," he whispered in her ear as she moved to lay against him and rest her head a little. "Tired?" Alex asked her as he wrapped his own arm around his wife's shoulders as she moved to lean in more, resting his cheek on top of her head as she snuggled into his side.

"A little, and I don't really want to return to London jetlagged either," she admitted to him as he nodded his head in understanding, it wasn't something that Amelia liked very much and he knew she'd try to avoid it when she could.

And he knew she'd try to take a nap, which she'd fail at, she always failed at sleeping on a plane, but she'd try for an hour or two. He thought it was pretty adorable, to see her try and get some sleep. Amelia wasn't one to need a lot of sleep for most of the time, but then there were times where she could sleep the day away as well.

So he wasn't too surprised when she got up another hour in their flight to take a book and start reading in it. But he could see by the way she was reading that she wasn't really feeling the story.

He knew that pushing her wouldn't help at all, so he let her do her thing, till she was ready to talk to him. He still felt sorry about the fight a few days ago. And he wanted to give her some space. Whatever she seemed to be working through, was giving her a lot of thought and he didn't want to interrupt her way of thinking or processing. Usually, when something really bothered her, she'd turn to read or write as she was doing now.

Looking ahead of him, she was sitting in the single space seat, her head tilted to the side as she looked out the window, the book in her lap, untouched as she stared out of the window.

***

In truth, Amelia was thinking about a lot of things, the fight with Alex, or rather the subject of it. Them getting back to London and returning to duty, her for the first time in an official royal capacity. And though she'd find a way to handle that and she quite enjoyed what she got to do now, it was still in a new way to her. She was no longer Miss Michaels, but she'd become HRH The Duchess of Clarence, Princess of the United Kingdom. And that alone was a daunting task, so far she hadn't really thought about it, they'd been in Madagascar, and there no one, except a few people had addressed her as Her Royal Highness.

It was funny cause she always turned to look behind her and expect William, Catherine or any other royal to be standing behind her. But there wasn't, she was a Duchess, Princess and official member of the British Royal family. And since one of the last additions to it had been a public nightmare, she feared people wouldn't accept her when they looked at her.

In a way, she and Meghan were alike when it came to the determination of work. Amelia had already lined up her first organisation, to be launched in a little over six months. She was going to announce already six of her charities she'd selected to be patron off by the end of the month.

It was a work ethic instilled in her by her grandparents, family and as a nursing student. You didn't go slow, you went quick and with a sense of purpose and determination. You made sure the job was done, and it was done well.