#chapter: 42

He showed her the Palace and told her stories about it and then led her to his office. They ordered McDonald’s and ate while he read the pre-approved questions he was going to be asked in the next days. She was listening carefully and already thinking about the answers she would advise him to give if he asked her opinion.

“I think you shouldn’t say this.” Carol was looking at him a bit unsure of how to approach the subject.

“It’s the truth...” Harry answered after a while with a shrug.

“Well… but they don’t need to know it. It’s weird if you state that no one wants the throne. Because that might lead people to think that if someone who was born in this institution doesn’t want to be part of it, what’s the point of the monarchy.” She said sitting on his desk looking at him and swinging her legs while he scribbled notes around the questions.

“Well… I haven’t thought about it.” He had brought her over to his office at St. James’s palace just to hang out with her and she was the one who was making him think better about the answers he was going to give.  She was pretty much saving his ass. Harry had one of his hands on Carol’s knee and while he wrote his answers under the questions.

“Well, Harry… you should know that Britain’s still very much supporting the monarchy. Even in difficult times around the world. The people want the sense of duty and stay and strength your grandmother have given them over the years. If you state that no one really wants the crown, they’re about to doubt everything they have believed in for the past years. You don’t want to put that thought in their heads at this point. Do you?” she said and caressed his messy hair and smiled.

“Well… I’m so lucky I fell in love with a smart and hot journalist who makes me think out of the box.” he said and smiled at her.

“Henry...” she started.

“I know, I know. Just friends. But I just wanted to let you know that I still feel the same way about you.” he said and kissed her hand.

She smiled and then shook her head. They were lost in themselves for a moment and didn’t hear the noises outside the door. Someone had arrived a few minutes ago and listened to half of their conversation. What had started as a simple visit to make an important invitation, where she fully intended to ask about the new photos leaked in the morning, ended up very interestingly.

“Let’s focus on your questions. What’s the next one?”

Harry was about to read it out loud when the door opened and he raised his eyes to the door. No one opened his door without knocking and he felt it was strange. And boy, strange it was.

His grandmother was there. The Queen was there. Inside his office. Unannounced (but she could do whatever she wanted, anyway). With his best friend (and hopefully soon to be girlfriend) sitting on his desk. The Queen that never paid visits to other people. She never left whichever house she was at just to pay visits and yet she was there. In a bright pink suit, her hat and black leather bag hanging in her arm.

He felt Carol’s body freeze when she turned her head around to see who had arrived. He heard her gasp and her loud gulp. She jumped off the table, already thinking if she could leave the room and go hide somewhere, before he got up and went to his grandmother.

He kissed her palms and cheek and bowed before saying.

“Morning, gran. What a surprise...” he said still holding her hands.

“I came back to London earlier and I decided to skip traditions a bit and go visit my family.” she said looking at him. “Nice to see that you’re working.” she stated proudly.

Carol was hyperventilating behind them. She was a few meters away from The Queen. The woman she had admired over the years, the ruler of the country she was living in, the most admired person in the world was just in front of her and she didn’t remember how she should address The Queen. Should her make her presence known? Of course not, she had seen she was sitting on the desk with her grandson’s hand on her knee, she knew Carol was there. Should she speak? Nope, no one speaks to The Queen if she doesn’t start a conversation in the first place.

“Yeah… I am. Got the questions to my next interview and was getting the answers ready.” Harry said and his grandmother took a step forward and pointed to the paper on his desk. “You want a look?” The Queen only nodded and in that moment she looked at the brunette that was standing beside the chair Harry was sitting on a few moments before. Elizabeth looked at Carol interested and studying her, she didn’t have to think much to realize this woman was the same one from the pictures she had seen in the papers this morning, she was probably also the reason why her grandson was spending a lot of time in Brazil lately, for she had heard what that young lady had said a few minutes before. But specially because her grandson’s statements about being in love with a journalist she didn’t know.

“Harry… how rude of you. Why don’t you introduce me to this young lady?” she looked at him.

“I’m sorry, gran.” Harry went to Carol and gently guided her (he did use a bit of pushing her to walk because Carol was completely frozen when he reached her) to where his grandmother was standing. “This is Carolina Nogueira. She’s my friend. Carol, this is my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Nogueira.” The Queen said and stretched her gloved hand to Carol.

“Your Majesty.” Carol did a sloppy curtsy to The Queen making sure to bow her head and to keep her back straight. For the first time, it was well enough to pass but nowhere near perfection. The Queen noticed nervousness in the young lady and smiled to help her feel a little bit better. She noticed how she looked at Harry for comfort and how their hands were barely touching while he was trying to calm her down. “The honor is entirely my own.”

The Queen studied Carol for a few seconds. She was trying to read the younger woman and was trying to connect what she had heard with what she was seeing at the moment. Carol was trying to keep up a nice posture, with both her hands in front of her body and with a genuine and polite smile on her face. She was nervous but she was surely trying to hide it. But The Queen noticed the her hands shaking slightly.

“Miss Nogueira...” The Queen started looking at her. “How long have you been friends with my grandson?”

Carol looked at Harry for reassurance, for she never imagined she’d be asked this question, and he only nodded before she carefully answered what she was asked.

“We’ve met about 18 months ago, ma’am.”

“You’re not from England, I presume?” The Queen said looking at her grandson that was starting to get nervous. This wasn’t how he had pictured to introduce Carol to his grandmother.

“No, I’m afraid I’m not, ma’am. I’m from São Paulo, Brazil.”

“Oh, Brazil’s such a lovely country. Have been there. So has my grandson a couple of times lately.” The Queen said and sat on one of the chairs in front of Harry’s desk. Both of them blushed at The Queen’s comment. Elizabeth gave them a knowingly smile that made Carol felt like she knew for sure what was happening between her and Harry. “Are you suiting to our weather?”

“Thank you, ma’am. It is lovely indeed.” Carol smiled proudly at the compliment and trying to not enter in the subject. “And I’m getting accustomed to the weather, yes.”

“It’s quite different from Brazil, I presume.” Carol only nodded. “Sometimes the rain is dreadful. But we’re used to it.”

“I just have to adapt. It’s a new country and a new life for me.” Carol smiled and the Queen turned her head to see Harry and study him.

“I love Brazil. Carol and I met when I traveled to promote the Invictus. She was one of the masterminds of the tour’s success together with Edward. And we became friends ever since.” Harry jumped in and discreetly rubbed circles on Carol’s back to calm her down.

“Now, now dear. No need to be so nervous.” The Queen smiled and took her time to check Harry’s answers on his notes that was on his desk. “I must say that I couldn’t help but overhear you two talking and your point of view are quite right and to the point, Miss Nogueira. Surprisingly certain for someone who wasn’t born in a country where there is a monarchy. It shows that you have a good knowledge of the system and the values and duties that we have around here. Your input is way better than of a certain someone who was born in the system and into the family.” she looked at Harry and he knew that if he had stated that no one in his family really wanted the crown, it’d be one of the stupidest things he’d do and say.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Carol blushed and looked at her hands.

“You saved Harry from making a fool of himself and giving problems to our household. And that’s greatly appreciated.” The Queen smiled and for a second Carol had a glimpse of a loving grandmother.

Carol and Harry exchanged looks and she smirked at him.

“She’s one of the smartest woman in the world, gran.” Harry said.

“Is she now?” Elizabeth seemed interested.

“She is. Although if you asked her, she’d deny it fiercily.”

“Well… that shows she’s intelligent enough to do that, then.” The Queen got up and looked at Carolina one more time.

“Miss Nogueira, although we’re having a nice conversation, I need a word with my grandson.’

“Yes. Excuse me, your Majesty.” Carol only bowed this time and left the room. She searched for an open area to be able to breathe, stop shaking and not think about what was happening. Whatever she had to say to Harry was quick, because she heard their footsteps on the floor, leading to the parking lot.

Harry followed his grandmother in silence to the parking lot in front of the palace. She was silent, thoughtful and reprocessing the words she had heard minutes earlier. He helped her into the car and said goodbye to her affectionately.

"Harry..." The Queen said.

"Yes, gran?" the prince looked at her curiously.

"I heard your chat with Miss Nogueira." She paused and looked at him. He knew it, she even commented on it a few minutes earlier. Her grandson was undeniably in love. "She's lovely and intelligent and fierce. She's a keeper. Make sure you remember it and treat her accordingly."

Harry was shocked by how direct to the point she had been. His grandmother generally did not make those kinds of comments. But no one really introduced their friends soon to be something else to her. Every girlfriend or boyfriend he and his cousins and brother introduced to her where after a couple of months (maybe even years) of a solid relationship with wedding bells in the future. But he and Carol were (still) just friends. He hadn’t tried anything with her ever since she arrived in London. He wasn’t pushing his luck. He simply was there by her side showing her how great it could be if she simply let go of her fears and gave him a chance. He didn’t know why she said that (and probably never would) but she did and he smiled. Carol probably had just gotten The Queen’s approval without knowing it. And faster than anyone else. With just a graceful wave of hands, the car door was closed and the engine was on taking The Queen back to Buckingham Palace, she had discovered way more than she intended to by this simple visit.

As soon as the car disappeared, Harry hurried back to his office and found Carol shaking and sitting on one of the couches. Somehow she had made it back to the office. He knelt down in front of her and held her hands tenderly and called her a few times until she answered.

"Please promise me that you didn’t set it up." she whispered some time later.

He was shocked and upset at her accusation. He would never do that to her, or to anyone else. No one introduces people to The Queen like that. And above all, no one introduces unimportant people to her. He had been caught off guard just as much as she had and was equally nervous during it all. His grandmother wasn’t nosy or anything like that. But she had heard part of their conversation and something about her showed that she had gotten what she needed even though he didn’t know exactly what it was.

“I couldn’t have done this to you. I didn’t know she was in London. She’s usually at Sandringham at this time of the year.” he answered staring at her in the eyes and making it clear that he was hurt by her comment.

“I’m sorry. It’s just so… unreal. How did I get here? Where I shifted from being the girl next door living at a humble neighborhood in São Paulo to meeting The Queen of the United Kingdom inside one of the Crown’s Palaces?” she asked visibly shaken and with tears in her eyes.

“I don’t understand why you always try to find a way to reduce yourself. Why wouldn’t a girl with humble heritage meet The Queen? You’re smart and fierce and you got yourself a promotion at one of the best communications company in the world.” he said looking at her.

“We live in different worlds, Harry.” she stated and looked at him. “We don’t run in the same circles, we don’t have the same influence, we don’t have the same friends. You were born to rule the world. I was born to fight for a place for myself.”

“And you fought. You fucking fought and here you are. Living your dream, meeting princes and princesses and The Queen. You should be proud of it.” he said looking at her.

“I don’t see how this can work between us. I got even more confused than what I already was. I was dictating to a prince what he should say in an interview. It's not my place to say, I can’t tell you what to do when it comes to official business. You were born and raised in this environment and you know it better than I do. And I’m just this simple girl next door with big dreams and a big ego.” she felt the tears stream down her face and he dried and sat beside her. He side hugged her and let her cry.

“Well… The Queen just said that you understood what is the right thing to say and how to act better than me. And I have done this my whole life.”

He didn’t see where she was coming from, but at the moment it didn’t really matter. He had to find a way to not let her close herself down to him. He knew that people wouldn’t like, or better, approve their relationship. But he didn’t care. As his grandmother had said, she was a keeper. And he knew that. He had to fight for her as much as she had fought for her dreams.

And it was so fucking hard.

A/N: Guess who’s back?

Carol’s outfit