Princess in Training (Prince Harry #3)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Going farther north, it was an almost three hour drive. Well, it began an over three hour drive with how much Meredith stopped the car to get out and adventure. With her permit in driving in the United Kingdom, it was the perfect time to learn, yet it gave her the chance to be in control and any time she saw something cool, she had to get out and take a picture of it. At least they had no proposed time to be at Balmoral.

When they finally rolled up, the sun started to set. Harry cast a look over to Meredith, and she just shrugged and got out of the car. With only the Duke of Edinburgh's death a couple weeks back, Balmoral was filled up. Usually royal family members jetted off to somewhere warmer or to other sides of the family, everyone crowded inside the old castle. The Queen wasn't too impressed with the crowding of the family, even though she loved all.

In truthfulness, Harry and Meredith were the only few that had decided to come before Philip's death. The servants came out for their bags, and Meredith still didn't like letting her things go. She kept a hold of her purse yet.

When the Queen had come up to Balmoral, like every year, there was a massive celebration through the military. Here and now, no one even noticed besides a few servants that Harry and Meredith showed up. Meredith was thankful for the lack of attention. The easier she could go through this life, the better.

Settling into their room at the castle, Meredith did have a tinge of pain of missing the Duke of Edinburgh, who loved it here. She spent most of her time here with him. Now with other royals, Meredith changed into her royal outfit. It was still comfortable, but she had to still look a bit more formal.

"Zip me up," she said.

Harry came over and zipped up her skirt. He was used to his family, but it was a constant battle for Meredith to feel like she belonged here. If she could blend in with a skirt, she did that. Tomorrow when they were out with a small walk-- never hike-- then she would be back to jeans.

"Do you plan on seeing someone important tonight?" Harry joked.

"I never know who I'm going to run into here." She turned around and put on a sweater.

Harry smirked.

"What?"

"You can relax here, Mere."

"Someday, when I get used to it all." With all the royals camped in one area, it was hard to relax. She was yet the outsider. "Let's go get dinner." Meredith took his hand and led him toward the dinning room. Having been here enough times, she knew where dinner was.

However, upon entering the dinning room, Meredith halted. She hadn't expected people to be eating this late, just some food left out, but there was over half the family inside. A squeal almost escaped her lips. Harry chuckled behind her. 

"Harry! Meredith!" Beatrice welcomed them in. Everyone else beamed.

Harry whispered, "They're not going to hurt you." He pushed her gently, and Meredith slowly walked in, a careful smile hesitating on her lips. "How are you?" Harry clapped William on the back and sat down. "Where are Cath and the kids?"

"She put them to bed and retired early," William responded. "We plan on going hiking tomorrow. Are you coming, Meredith?"

She glanced over to Harry's older brother after taking a seat. "Hiking isn't my thing."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "Is it a hike or a walk?"

"What's the difference?" William asked.

Looking over, Harry waited for Meredith to explain. "Will there be camping?"

"No."

"Will there be lots of hills or mountains to go up and down?"

"Yes."

"Hiking to me is both of those things. I prefer to call them walks," Meredith explained. "I prefer walks, where the ground is flat or at least not dangerously hilly."

"What would you be your ideal walk?" William asked.

She thought. "Probably in a city, when it's not too busy, window shopping and not having cameras in my face."

"Sounds like my kind of walk," Eugenie responded. "Beatrice likes them too. We should go sometime."

"Absolutely." Meredith said it genuinely because it was genuine. She didn't spend much time with the female royals of the family, mostly because they had their own lives too. "Will your hike be all day, Wills?"

"Just in the afternoon. The kids get tired quickly."

"We're thinking about going fishing in the morning," Harry stated. "Do you want come too?"

William nodded. "Down at the usual spot?"

Harry agreed. "Meredith isn't taken out there much, so it would be nice to have her go there." He turned to her. "We usually go other places when it's just us, Mere, but this place is where my family has always gone."

"Is that usually where the photos are taken?" Meredith didn't want to be back in the public eye just yet.

"Yes, but only when we invite them for a photo op. They can't come on the land."

Meredith arched an eyebrow. "Scotland has Freedom to Roam. They can come on your land, like they very much go on any land unless they're a fence to keep them out."

Harry paused. "Well, Freedom to Roam is basically not in law when we're up here. There are designated paths all year around, but especially when royals are in residence. But you're right about the Freedom to Roam."

Having used the Freedom to Roam act much in her original time in Scotland, Meredith knew the law enough. Freedom to Roam in Scotland, along with other countries in the world, put areas as "everyman's right" or, in this case, woman. When hiking through the Highlands, it was necessary because most likely you stepped onto someone's land. It was rare to have fences. The Freedom to Roam allows people to move freely and see freely all the glory of nature. As well as experience nature.

"Fishing tomorrow?" Harry asked his cousins, and they both nodded.

"We'll bring snacks."

"You don't fish?" Meredith asked.

"When we were younger, yes, but it has lost its touch on us. We must prefer swimming with the fish instead of pulling them out of the water." She cast a glance over to Harry and William, who only shrugged nonchalantly.