champagne problems

       “Please tell me that there is a decent place to get a drink  and good meal around here,” he groaned. “And tell me you’re free tonight because I do not want to eat dinner alone again. It’s just sad.”

“yes, it is, but you get used to it.” the words were supposed to be uttered in a playful manner but yet, there was some truth behind it. “i had a few things to do but nothing i can’t push aside for tomorrow, there’s a restaurant near by that i’ve been wanting to try. shall we?”

“The old Andrew.” He repeated with a grin. “Also known as the fun Andrew.” He motioned towards the bartender to get her a drink. “I just had an intense feeling of deja vu. I suppose the new Andrew and old Andrew have drinking in common. Glad I’m drinking with the better Swedish royal.”

“the better swedish royal?” the princess merely quirked her brows, as if surprised by the other’s statement whilst waited for her drink to be poured before she could continue. “i don’t think you have met many of us to come to your final judge just yet.”

“maybe is should send her a letter, get back into her good graces.” he teased. “i was always good with parents.” he let out a sigh. “hopefully my future children don’t have to worry about that, so long as my future wife is alright with more than one child.” monty didn’t even realize what he was saying with who but there he was… talking about children with his ex-fiancée. “different in a good way, you can get away with a lot more with cousins. plus you get space.”

it was going good until it wasn't. there wasn't one to blame, maybe it was easy to forget but the pang in the pit on her stomach within his words reminded her that wound was still fresh - either was the source of the subject or the reminder of the future she once envisioned that it nows seemed to be far. yet, alice did not want to make much over it, so her eyes diverted to the ground and she nods instead, almost as she lets it slip by. “yes, don’t send the letter. it’s all good.” she plays safe, taking a sip of her champagne. "but maybe you are right, i just don’t know what i would do with so much space.”

     - ‘ IF ONLY the newer generations realised there are consequences to their actions. because ignoring a dress code is a minor detail but if they’re willing to disrespect other royals for simple clothes i imagine just how far they could go for bigger things they might also feel trapped in. monarchies and countries all over ought to be in ruins soon enough if that’s the future that awaits them. ’

"yeah, well but it’s also the same kids who were spoiled with the finest of whichever it is and has spent life not actually facing consequence but then again, most of those that we are speaking of happens to be the ones who, luckily, like me are not exactly in line to their throne and they enjoy being like that just for the sake of being it. as for the ones who are, then we just fear for their people and hope for the best?”

“You could say the old Andrew is back.” He muttered to no one in particular. “Which means… drinks are on me, yeah?” After Catherine’s wedding, he’d taken some time to himself. He’d been a wreck, and was still a wreck to tell the truth. But here he was, determined to move on and become who he felt he was meant to be. ​

"the old Andrew?” curiosity rose on her eyebrows, as she lifted the gaze from the screen of her phone, once again caught in a similar situation like the one she has been in the previous and first time they had met. therefore, there wasn't much to compare as in old and new. “but i’ll accept, a free round scotch, neat, please.”

“It is quite remarkable, yes.” Normally it was a crown heir and some small royal. Someone whose name was nice and pretty but whose title gave them little to no power. “Now you’re just trying to scare me! That is quite devilish: to use your job title to convince me. Are you really a doctor, though?”

"even though fear can be used as good tool of manipulation upon patients sometimes i choose not to, those dramatic lines are reserved for the tv shows so forgive me if i scared you.” alice utters the worlds in silvery tone and a smile across her features, she often forgets how among here is hard to make it belief that she has that other tittle attached to her name. “yes, i'm a doctor nearly could have been called a surgeon but did not finished the training, yet i can still tell you that, please, take the coat.”

“good, that’s – only mom is allowed to cry today. she gets a free pass.” a pause to consider. “i suppose aunt adelaide gets a pass, too. she hasn’t gotten to fuss over a wedding since luca’s, and god knows wren’s not getting married any time soon.” theo figured hell would freeze over before wren actually settled down. he nodded, sniffed, reached up to fiddle absentmindedly with one of the medals on his jacket. “thank you,” he mumbled. it was kind, but he wished he could’ve heard it from his father’s mouth rather than his sister’s. “i’m just… glad we got here. and i’ll be even more glad when it’s all over. i’m tired and, um. a little overwhelmed. everybody’s been looking at me all day.”

"that’s so unfair.” she is quick to interject in a playful manner, but soon, alice falls silent with a smile and a nod in agreement falling along while she listens to him. “i honestly don’t think when any of us is getting married next so i think they all get a pass but if i have to guess, i’d say elisa.” and of course, she could have said herself, but the thought was far distant in her mind even the one that she has for a second almost agree to the idea of an arrangement like this one yet, no good could come of it now that theo has already got to the ends with his - maybe one, but that was a thought only hers to keep. “there’s no need to thank me.” she waves it off, more get off her own thoughts than his words, crossing her arms over her chest when her eyes fall to the medals in his jackets pointing to a few of them. alice has participated in the ceremonies of the soldiers receiving their medals, but never fully understood the meaning of each. “so, what are these for?” she asked, maybe trailing off the subject to help him put his mind away for a second.

“would your mother actually like to see me or…” he trailed off. “i’m not entirely sure. when you’re an only child, you don’t really know what you’re missing out on until others say you’re missing out on something. cousins aren’t exactly the same.”

"i don’t know.” and that was an honest answer. “but i say let’s not test that out tonight because she is enjoying herself like she hasn’t in a very long time.” or at least, as much as she has can tell or remember or her mother enjoy anything after the passing her father. “you are missing out on a lot, that’s true because if i did not have theo for the good and the bad parts, life would be awful. they are not, but they are just as fun it’s an extension but yeah, it’s different.”

            ❛      well   ,   the   american   already   had   the   party   spiralling   over   the   whole   tiara   situation   ,   so   anything   i   do   will   just   be   an   added   bonus   .      ❜      seriously   ,   who   loses   a   tiara      ?      fair   enough   the   cheap   kind   you   can   buy   from   a   charity   shop   ,   but   that   thing   has   more   diamonds   in   it   than   his   mother’s   engagement   ring   .      ❛      you   might   be   onto   something   .   how   good   are   you   at   distracting      ?      he’ll   need   to   be   fully   distracted   .      ❜

“ hold on — what?” alice’s lips part in disbelief at the new disclosure information because perhaps she was far emerged into another conversation or, blacked out for a second to miss that little piece of the party altogether. american’s and tiaras, it was a new combination of words to her. “anyhow, i can be very good at distracting.” or at least she believes so. “either that or i can bore him to almost a state of asleep because i can speak his ears off.”

     - ‘ I FIRMLY believe this is a choice rather than missing the most important part of an invitation so your first option might be the closest one. it’s just hard to think what exactly is the statement they want to make. is the plan getting rid of dress codes altogether ? ’

"you might be right even though i rather none of us were in this situation but in truth, every new generation have this eager to try and shake the current state in which they think they are trap on, right? isn't what some rebellions, artists movements, and revolutions are based on? yet these kids have power in hand so that is a bit concerning that this is not just a vanguard thing.”

“they’re sweet — and they behaved perfectly well during the ceremony.” if catherine could find herself to be candid, she might let slip that keeping her trust upon children was the most nerve-wracking part of her the whole ordeal! one ill-timed yell or giggle might ruin the entire moment, after all. “oh! elsa?” she couldn’t help but to grin, it was hard-pressed not to feel good about oneself when an admirer comes into the picture. “that’s awfully sweet of her. i hope we could find some time to get to know each other. we’re truly family now, after all.” although they were talking about elsa, it would no doubt be something that theodor finds important, although the same couldn’t be said about herself. 

"they are — “ but alice is biased to express any opinion on the matter especially if the children are the two lovely twins, which she holds dear to her heart just as much as catherine new fan. “it can be arranged and i’m sure she will be over the moon to hear about that, maybe we can schedule something in the near future too.”  

he was glad for the distraction, stuck as he’d been in some inane conversation with some scottish baron that he didn’t know from adam. time with his sister, which had been in short supply as of late, was much preferred. he let himself be led away, a little nervous when he caught sight of the look on her face. a what’s wrong? was perched on his lips, immediately concerned that something had happened, but then she was speaking and he was falling silent. “oh.” he said, quietly. “thank you.” at least it wasn’t another meaningless congratulations from someone he didn’t know ( or, worse, someone he didn’t like ). “um – don’t cry, it’s – it’s really okay. i just – i sort of wish dad was here, you know? but other than that it’s, um – it’s been okay.”

"i won’t, i already did a bit back in the ceremony so we are good.” alice is quick to assure him, a smile of her own forming against her features. the first part was let out, but of course it was a moment in which the presence (or the lack of it) was felt by both of them but she figured mostly by him. “he’d be proud of you, just like me and mom because well, all of this is — catherine, he would have liked her and she is a good choice to stand with you.” 

❝ Oh please ! Crying at your sibling’s wedding is totally normal. ❞ Most people would not judge Alice for doing it. Certainly not Louise. ❝ I understand. ❞ It was a bittersweet feeling. She experienced the same with Beau and her own father. It was both beautiful and tragic at the same time. ❝ I expected nothing less from her. ❞ Catherine Stuart always carried herself with grace and seemed perfect on all fronts. ❝ She is really a catch and a great match for your brother. ❞ He had been lucky to marry the Scottish princess. 

"i know.” the words did not most came out, if the were not close enough maybe not even louise would hear them. honestly, alice cried a lot less than expected but more than she thought that she would, again for different reasons. but maybe one that louise understood. “i bet you are going to cry at beau’s wedding too, i will be around to see that.” she tries to light up the mood a bit. “oh that is something no one in here can deny, she is a catch and sweden is luck to have her. we are all very happy to have her and so is he.”

“hey! i got a few pity laughs,” luca defends himself, “and wren says people on instagram thought i was funny. i’m not sure if that’s true, though, he might’ve just been trying to cheer me up.” it wouldn’t have been the first time that wren lied to him for the sake of his own feelings, but that’s how it always goes. “listen, i have to make sure to make a fool of myself as often, or the girls will decide i’m cooler than you, and we can’t have that,” he shakes his head a few times, watching the girls dig in, “liza - watch it. you don’t want to get cake on your dress. it’d make catherine sad.” 

"oh luca - ” there was a playful kind of sigh attached to his lips when it left her lips and alice laid one hand on her cousin’s shoulder, giving is a little pat as if he was one the toddlers she dealt tonight. “don’t worry, i will still let you speak at my wedding too.” in truth, she enjoyed it too but perhaps she would not risk to look up on instagram to check if the definition of funny was due some meme of some kind. “never, having them thinking i’m the cooler adult is the only good thing i have going for me so far and we cannot change that.” she looks over, helping liza with remains of the cake before the predictions of her father comes true.

denying that she was avoiding speak to theo would be a lie because she was and she would be the first to admit it — but she had a good reason for it. one, she was not the biggest support of the wedding when he first told her, even if her mind was changing with the course of the months, even when she understood his duty overcomes the view of finding love, happiness, in its most true and pure form because there is no one in the world that deserves it more than her brother. at the end of the day, was just what she wanted, for theo to be happy, truly, unconditionally, happy. but, perhaps, being a good kind to his country, to his people will do that. and two, looking at him up there, in his uniform, she did not once could keep her mind away from her father. it was an indescribable tingling feeling underneath her skin that made her chest light and suffocating, all the same time. she knew he was there, but then again, he wasn’t. he could not hold his son, not even on his wedding day. 

when she finally took the courage to excuse herself and call for his attention and pull him away for a second, she taps on his shoulders and smiling at whoever was in there too before getting the chance for them to be left alone. "i want tell you something” she trails off. “but i don’t know how to start without feeling like i’m going to cry so, how about just... congratulations? i’m proud of you? because i really am.” and even the last words have her eyes watering a bit.

alice was having a marvelous time occupying herself to have the company of the two little girls she took to be on her watch for the day. it was burst to her ego to have them liking her company and thinking her was the coolest thing to have around even when she was supposed to be the responsible adult, like right now when she needed to sit them down for at least a few bites into something. “i was meaning to tell you that i loved your speech and i wanted to laugh at the jokes but, you know... i did want to be the only one.” she jokes, taking the seat next to her cousin before place the two plates in front of the girls.