Crowns & Chaos

nineteen

I blinked groggily as the sun filtered through my window. The time on my clock read 9 am, and I sat up, the events of the night before flooding back through my mind. 

My phone was thankfully plugged in, however, I saw that the call with Peter had been ended an hour ago, meaning he was probably already awake. 

Remembering that he had said he was coming to get me, I stood up and went to the closet. My eyes flicked over to the corner where my grandma had stood last night, but it was a lot harder to believe my own memories in the light of day. 

I picked out a cute floral dress and some heeled sandals, as the weather had been getting noticeably warmer. I grabbed a cardigan just in case, then went downstairs and had some breakfast. After brushing my teeth, I was halfway through doing my hair and makeup when I got a text. 

P: Coming to get you in 10. Is that okay?

E: Yep! See you soon:)

I finished my hair and walked towards the front door. Ron was waiting outside, as per usual. 

"Morning Ron. Peter's coming in a few minutes."

"Frank informed me. They didn't say where we were going, though."

I shrugged, just as Peter's car pulled up. 

Ron sat in the passenger seat next to Frank, while I slid in next to Peter. 

"Hey," he smiled at me. 

"Hey. Listen, about yesterday-"

He waved away my concern. 

"Don't worry about it, honestly. I'm just glad I was able to help."

I blushed, still embarrassed by the memory. 

"Okay. Well, thank you anyway."

"You're welcome."

"Am I allowed to ask where we're going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Ah yes, because you know how much I love surprises."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. 

"Oh relax, you're going to like it."

We pulled through the gate at Buckingham Palace, which never ceased to amaze me, despite having been here a few times now. 

"I thought we'd see the gardens today. Also, I have some people I want you to meet."

He led me down one of the pathways, lined with beautifully manicured flowers and hedges. 

"It's gorgeous," I remarked, awestruck.

He chuckled a little at my shock. 

"I'm glad you like it."

Ever so casually, he laced our fingers together. I looked at him in askance. 

"The part we're going to isn't open to the public, but we're meeting some friends of mine today and it wouldn't surprise me if some photos get taken."

"Gotcha," I said, trying to ignore the natural way our hands fit together and the tiny sparks that raced along my skin.

We turned a corner to find a beautiful white gazebo surrounded by some small trees and an eye-catching array of flowers.  Inside, I could see two people, a girl and a boy probably about my age. 

They both stood up when they saw us coming. To my surprise, the boy reached over and pulled Peter into a hug when we stepped inside the gazebo. The other girl stood to the side, eyeing me carefully.