Royals (A Prince Harry Fanfiction)

Chapter 5

"Isn't this spectacular?" Carole whispered to Jacqueline, her eyes wide.

"It's so different when there're people here- I didn't know how full the church could be," Jackie commented, taking in the immense crowd that had packed into Westminster Abbey. Royals from all over the world, celebrities, and notable citizens made up the audience, only adding to the knots that refused to release in Jackie's stomach.

"Ms. Baker, station," one of the many weddings coordinators whispered, holding a hand over the mouthpiece of her headset. Jackie squeezed Carole's hand before walking carefully towards the front entrance of the Abbey. The car ride from The Goring Hotel to the Abbey with the children in a Rolls Royce had shown Jackie the immense crowds that had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the wedding procession. She could only imagine what it was like for Kate and her father as they drove through the streets in the most anticipated car.

"Ms. Jackie, can you fix my dress?" asked Eliza Lopes, Camilla's granddaughter and one of Kate's youngest bridesmaids.

"Of course, darling." Jackie practiced her discreet squat that would be required to carry Kate's train in order to straighten the three year old's dress.

"Ms. Middleton has arrived," announced a coordinator.

Jackie knew her routine by heart. She walked through the open doors of the Abbey, into the brisk air. Thousands of people were pressed against barricades, flashes were snapping and cheers were erupting as Kate's car pulled up. Jackie stepped to the curb just as the car came to a stop. Kate beamed from the backseat behind her veil. Michael was tucked in under his daughter's ten foot train.

A guard opened the door to the Rolls Royce and the crowd went wild. She held out a hand for Kate, who climbed carefully from the car. "You look stunning!" Jackie gushed, her remark hardly audible over the cheers of the crowd.

"So do you!" answered Kate with a grin. The Archbishop of Canterbury waited in the doorway as Jackie arranged Kate's train and picked it up by two satin handles on the very back. Slowly, the procession made their way inside. Jackie could hear the boys choir singing, sending a chill down her spine. Their angelic voices added to the weight of what was happening. As Kate and Michael exchanged a few hushed words with the Archbishop, Jackie straightened Kate's train to perfection. She made a few adjustments to the 1930s lace veil before joining the young bridesmaids and pages behind Kate.

"Okay," a coordinator said softly, "start the procession."

Jackie reached for the hands of the youngest bridesmaid and counted to twenty in her head. The members of the church went off first, followed by Kate and Michael, with Jackie and the bridal party last. As soon as she reached twenty, the coordinator motioned for her to walk. She smiled down at the two youngest bridesmaids, Eliza Lopes and Grace Van Custem, the daughter of Will and Kate's close friends. The little girls grinned back excitedly as they held onto either of Jackie's hands. Even the three-year-olds were thrilled to take part in the wedding.

"Off we go, ladies," Jackie whispered kindly, leading the children onto the red-carpeted aisle.

Immediately, Jackie could feel the eyes of the hundreds of guests. While she was announced as the maid of honor when the wedding date was released, Jackie hadn't been exposed at all. Before she was just an obscure friend of Kate Middleton and the Princes, and all of a sudden, some of the most important people in the world were watching her. It was absolutely nerve-wracking.

The flowers and trees that lined the aisle were spectacular. As they made the turn onto the main aisle, Jackie could see William in his red uniform, his back was turned, as tradition forbade him from watching Kate's walk down the aisle. So instead, a redhead in a black uniform adorned with ropes and medals had his neck twisted, whispering details to his brother- saying something that looked like, "Wait till you see her."