❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

❝The holidays linger
like bad perfume, you can

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For most families, the holidays were one of the most joyous times of the year. Spending time with family, relaxing and having time off work. But the Windsor's were not like most families. Most of them dreaded the three-week period in Balmoral where you seemed to step into a time machine to the 1800s. The days were filled with hunts and polo for the men. For the women, it was mostly sitting around and gossiping. At night, dinner lasted many hours and then you would go to the parlor to listen to Margrets piano playing, until sometimes 2 am. The castle was always cold because it was deemed too expensive to turn on the heat. Even for the Royal Family. So many blankets had to be pilled on the beds, but it was still sometimes not enough to keep out the cold Scottish winters.

It was two days before Christmas and the children were jumping with excitement. On this particular evening after dinner, they were not subjected to Margos piano playing so the children had gone off to the nursery to play. While the adults sat in the parlor, sipping on brandy. Fergie sat on Andrew's lap, both clearly tipsy. Elizabeth, Philip and Charles sat on a couch across from them while Margo and the Queen Mother sat in chairs. Mark had gone to bed a few minutes ago, claiming he had a headache. Anne and Edward had slipped away right after dinner and hadn't been seen for almost an hour, same went for Diana.

Fergie and Andrew had no problem showing PDA, even in front of the Queen and the Queen Mother. Charles was sick of them and sick of everyone comparing him and Diana to them. It was always, "Andrew and Fergie are so happy together, why can't you and Diana be like that?" or "Andrew and Fergie have a good marriage, why can't you and Diana?". But Charles ignored them, he and Diana certainly had their problems, but things were getting better. He hoped this baby would be a fresh start.

"Charles?"

"Yes Pa?" He quickly snapped out of his thoughts.

"Where did Diana, Edward and Anne slip off to?"

Charles shrugged, "I can go and find them if you would like." Philip nodded and Charles stood up, glad to leave this boring group, even if it was only a few minutes.

Charles figured Diana was probably in their room. After walking up the main staircase, he turned down a long hallway lined with big oak doors and Rennaissance paintings. It was easy to get lost, each hall looking the same. It was almost enough to drive a person mad. But he knew it like he knew the back of his hand. After taking another right turn, he arrived at a large set of oak doors. He knocked quietly, not wanting to wake her if she was sleeping.

But faintly he heard, "Come in." He opened the door to find Diana laying on the bed with her back to the door. The room was quite spacious with a large king bed to the left, to the right there was a large fireplace with seating and a small desk. Also on the left wall were the doors to the bathroom and closet. Two large windows were in the wall in front of Charles that looked out onto a large lawn, but huge drapes covered them.

"You should come downstairs; they are starting to wonder where you are." He motioned behind him with his hand.

"Oh, are they? I'm surprised." She replied, still not facing him.

"What do you say that for?" he asked, slightly offended.

"Well last time I checked, your family hated me and labeled me and 'officially crazy'." She replied, rather monotone.

"Why are you so upset? That's just not true." Although he knew deep down there was some truth to her statement.

She turned around to face him, her face was red and puffy, she had clearly been crying. "Why am I upset? Are you serious?" She looked taken aback and offended.

"I'm serious, I want to know." He spoke sincerely, walking over and sitting on the bed across from her.

"It-it's this place!" She exclaimed, "This time of year! How this family won't listen to me. How everyone talks about me and gaslights me! They all say I'm crazy and I'm starting to feel crazy!" She let out a sob.

Charles couldn't bear seeing her this upset. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. To his surprise she didn't struggle against his touch, she in fact welcomed it. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder while she quietly cried. He said nothing and just stroked her hair.

Suddenly the door opened and in walked Philip. He looked quite taken aback by what he saw, and he looked flustered. "I- uh..." He stuttered, "We were wondering where you were."

Diana quickly separated from him, and she hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"Yes well... we will be down in a minute." He hurriedly said and stood up from the bed. Philip quickly closed the door and left.

"Oh my God..." Diana muttered and rubbed her face with her hand, "that was so awkward." To Charles' surprise, she gave out a little giggle and her lips formed into a grin. And for a second, she resembled the bubbly schoolgirl he had fallen for, not the cynical husk of her former self. He felt and stab a guilt as he realized that he was the reason she was this miserable.

Charles smiled and helped her up from the bed, "Come let's go downstairs."

"Give me a minute, I need to wash my face, so I don't look like I've just been crying."

Charles nodded, "I have to go and find Anne and Edward."

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Anne and Edward had slipped away at the end of dinner and were currently hiding away in one of the many spare guest rooms. This one in particular had a large king bed with a huge comforter, underneath a canopy of gold cloth. It had a giant marble fireplace that they had lit (although it took a while, lighting a fire was not a skill either of them where very adept at). One wall was completely lined with floor to ceiling bookcases, filled with dusty old leather back volumes. A desk sat in the corner with a variety of pens and notepaper. Two large windows were on the wall to the right of the bed, their heavy gold curtains had been closed but Anne had decided to open them. Not that they let any light in, but she liked to watch the snow fall outside.

The two of them were laying on the bed, Edward was propped up against the headboard while Anne lay on her stomach, her head at the end of the bed. Anne lazily flipped through one of the large books from the case, it was a copy of Romeo and Juliet. But she wasn't really reading it, her mind was wandering. Edward was sketching something on a piece of notepaper he had found on the desk. Not that he was a particularly skilled artist, but for a lack of options of entertainment, he had resorted to it.

"Whatcha reading?" Edward leaned over Anne's shoulder.

"Hmm..." She looked up, brought out of deep thought, "What did you say?" She glanced up at him.

"I said..." He snatched the book from her to read the cover, "What are you reading?"

"Hey..." She tried to grab it back but soon gave up, realizing she did not care. It wasn't like she was reading it anyways.

"Shakespear, I see. Seems fitting." He smirked.

"And why do you say that?"

"Well, it's about a doomed romance, we got one of those going on here." She gave him a baffled look.
He groaned, annoyed that she wasn't following, "Diana and Charles."

"Oh them." She looked at her nails and picked at them, "But the only problem with your little analogy is that Romeo and Juliet where actually in love." She looked up at him rather smugly.

"Who's to say they aren't?" He questioned her.

She laughed, "Have you seen them? He's off with another women while she makes herself sick all the time. I would hardly say they are in love." She continued picking at her nails.

"They seem to have changed since she got pregnant. He seems more caring, and she seems happier."

"Will see how long that lasts..." She readjusted herself, "Andrew and Fergie on the other hand can't get enough of each other. It's sickening." She rolled her eyes.

Edward laughed, "What's wrong, there just in love."

Anne gave him an annoyed look, "Yes but they don't have to snog in front of mummy and granny."

He sighed and laid back down, "that's true I suppose." He glanced at his watch, "How long where you planning on staying in here?" He questioned, yawning.

"Well what time is it?"

"Half past ten."

"Let's stay till eleven. I don't want to be dragged into another bloody family row. Or God forbid... a parlor game."

Edward was about to reply when the door opened and in walked Charles.

"Oh great..." Anne muttered.

"There you two are." He walked over to them, "I've been looking for at least ten minutes."

"Castles can be like that." Anne spoke with contempt.

"Like what?" Charles asked, the joke was rather lost on him.

"Large." She rolled her eyes, finishing the joke.
Charles sighed, "How did I manage to start a row just by walking into the room?"

"She finds your mere presence irkersome." Edward teased his brother.

"Well, she's not the only one around here. But Pa wants you two downstairs."

"Wonderful." Anne replied drearily and reluctantly stood up. Edward did the same and together they returned to the parlor.

They spent the rest of the evening drinking and making small talk with one another until Elizabeth announced she would retire for the night, and everyone followed suit.

Diana and Charles lay in bed together. His arms were wrapped around her toros while her head rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "If the baby is a girl darling," Diana spoke, "What if we named her Eliza? It's a small nod to your mother but more modern."

"I like it dear. We must have one of the middle names be Anne though." Diana nodded, happy that they could finally agree on something for once. And so, they fell asleep like this, wrapped in each other's embrace.

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AN:

This chapter was actually originally going to be published around Christmas. But obviously that didn't happen. But here it is now. I'm very sorry I didn't update Sunday, I was very busy but I will do my best to keep up this schedule!