Royal Duchess | BRF Story

Unresolved Problems

"Do you have everything you need, sweetheart?" The Duke asks, putting his wife's bag inside the trunk of her car.

"I do, Georgie, everything that I need is inside this bag. You don't have to worry about me, and I will be back in a few days."

One last kiss and a goodbye through the window to her children and the Duchess was off to Kingsclere, her home village and the place her brother and parents never left.

- - -

"If you could stay here, ma'am, Taylor and I will secure the premises."

"There is no need, Brookes, this is my parent's home." The Duchess says, taking her handbag with her, getting out of the car.

"I am sorry, ma'am, but this comes from above." Before Amelia could say something the two security guards were off, walking in between the perfectly maintained front garden and knocking at her parent's house.

"But be quick!"

"All clear, ma'am."

"Thank you, Brookes."

The house was smaller than Amelia remembered, but maybe she had grown accustomed to big houses and castles. But the feeling of being back on the house where she grew up and spent all her holidays from university was stronger than the fear she was trying to hide, the fear from what her brother would do.

"Mum! Dad!"

"Millie, dear!" The first person to appear from the Saunders kitchen was Dorothy, wearing her 'stay at home and bake' apron, with her dad right behind.

"Mum, Dad. How do you do?"

"We are just fine, dear, and how are the children?"

"They are wonderful, but I do need to say, I need to be back in London tomorrow afternoon."

"But we agreed on two days, Amelia." Mrs. Saunders was disappointed and sad she would only be able to spend a day and a half with both her children at the same time.

"I have duties, mum, ones that I can not cancel or reschedule."

"You are right. Paul, can you take our daughter's bags to her bedroom? Amelia and I will be in the kitchen."

The kitchen was the biggest room in the house, also serving as the dining room after the Saunders decided to transform the old one into an office. On the table, a homemade bread awaited for the guests.

"Are you hungry?"

"No, I had lunch with the children before leaving."

"Dominik will be arriving any time now, he said he needed to finish something for his newspapers."

"I don't want to be rude, mum, but I need to ask, have you told him anything about my life or my children?"

"No, of course not, Amelia. Your father and I understand the requirements your duty has, and we want to protect our grandchildren. He only knows what the media knows, I can promise you that."

"Thank you."

"Look who is here?" The tall ginger figure on the kitchen door was not happy when his sister's slim figure appeared on the kitchen table seating next to his mum.

"Dominik, dear, how are you?" Kisses were exchanged between the parents and their eldest child, but the Duchess didn't even flinch when it was her time to say hello.

"Mum, Dad, Your Royal Highness." There was clear tension in the room, and it didn't matter how much Mr. and Mrs. Sounders tried if he didn't want to give in neither did she. "How are the children? Oh, and your husband, The Duke of Clarence, isn't it?"

"How do you do, Dominik?"

"Oh, I am just fine, you know, trying to pay rent and all of that, things you never actually cared about."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, now you are going to pretend you actually have a 'normal' life? Because living in a Palace with thousands of servants is something everyone knows what it feels like."

"Dominik you do not know what you are talking about." The Duchess says, quietly, trying to keep calm.

"I suppose you don't even take care of your children, you and your husband must have ten nannies to keep those brats away from you."

"That is enough, Dominik! You do not know me or my children, doesn't matter how much you think you do, running that second class newspaper of yours. You keep my children away from this, your problem is with me and me alone!"

They were both going to explode with anger. Years and years of unresolved problems, now exploding in each other's faces due to a family wedding.

"Why? Because your grandmother-in-law can come and get my head? Grow up, Amelia, this is the 21st century, not the 15th, you don't have any power. I, on the other hand, do, with my second-hand newspaper."

"At least I am trying to change the world for the better, Dominik, while you and your attitude and views of the world are only taking it down."

"Right, attending 'engagements'? Shaking hands and accepting flowers from children who have nothing compared to you and your grandiosity?"

"I am only here because in a few months Annabel is getting married, and I do not want for us to bicker like two small children on her special day. But apparently you do. I am excusing myself."

"Amelia..." Everyone fell silent as the Duchess left for her childhood bedroom, where she could finally be alone for some time.

- - -

"Mummy, look, I drew a flower and a heart for you!" The princess screamed excited, showing her drawing through the video call.

"Oh thank you, sweet. Did you finish your homework for tomorrow?"

"Yes, daddy helped."

"I am very glad to hear, sweet. Now can you call daddy back? Mummy needs to talk to him."

"Yes, mummy, good night. Love you."

"Good night, sweet, mummy loves you too."

The screen was empty for the next few seconds before her husband appeared once again, and Amelia could breathe relieved to see her husband again.

"How are you doing there?"

"We had dinner, in silence. Mum wanted to talk and for everyone to have a normal conversation over dinner, but I guess she forgot we are not children anymore. But how are the children? Has Mary eaten?"

"She has, Harriet is with her right now, giving her another bath. Vicky and Jamie will be going to bed as soon as we end this call. But how was it? Seeing your brother after all these years?"

"Not fine, he really does not like me or our duties. But the worst part is what he is saying about our children. He doesn't even know them!"

"I know it hurts, Bee, but as you said, he doesn't even know us, so most of the things he is saying are not and will never be true."

"Am I a bad mother, George? Am I a bad mother because I am not there for our children every second of the day? I am not even there right now. Oh my God, I am a horrible mother."

"No, you are not, Bee. Bee, listen to me, you are a wonderful mother, and our children love you more than anything else. Just because you are not here all the time does not mean you are a bad mother."

The Duke's heart was aching, he wanted to hold his wife tight, close to him, and tell her it was going to be okay. And at the same time, he wanted to punch Dominik Saunders as hard as he possibly could for saying things that were hurting his wife.

"Everything is going to be okay, sweetheart, take a deep breath and try to take those things out of your head. You are going to be okay."

"I love you, George."

"I love you too, Amelia."