The Royal Scandal | Prince William |

Down to the Wire

November 26, 2000

Penelope Diaanti had to be the most beautiful woman alive. Jaclyn was sure she could gaze at her all day and never get bored. Her lines seemed to never end, and if dance had an actual personification it would be her.

Jaclyn could almost envision herself in the woman's pointe shoes. In her last rehearsal before opening night a different young girl sitting on the ground oggling her.

Even after they stopped dancing and Monsieur started to give them their corrections, Jaclyn stared only stopping when Thomas elbowed her ribs and told her to start writing. Everything they took notice of had to make it onto the paper before they forgot, but Jaclyn highly doubted she would ever forget the dance that unfolded in front of her.

"Jaclyn, Thomas, we were watching you guys in the studio the other day. What's the piece you're working on?" Robert, the male principal as the Cavalier, asked sitting down opposite the young dancers as they were given a break. Penelope nodded encouragingly joining the trio on the ground. "Yes, it looked really interesting, I enjoyed it."

Awestruck as Jaclyn zoned out feeling unworthy of being in their presence, Thomas tried to slew a sentence together. "It's not really a dance yet... Just... Just a concept?" The two older dancers stared across at the younger ones almost seeing mirror images of themselves at that age.

Of course Jaclyn and Thomas had no clue that's what they were thinking.

"There's still something missing," Jaclyn mumbled nervously. The last thing she wanted was for them to think that was the final project. Their rehearsal yesterday hadn't even gone that good if that was the one the principal dancers watched.

Penelope smiled fondly, and Jaclyn caught it and held on to it dearly like she did as a child when her grandmother threw her kisses. "You'll come to learn dear that something always is. If you think you're satisfied with a dance then you need to go back and find something wrong with it."

It was almost adorably amusing how the blonde nodded in quick agreement, Penelope of course understood she wanted to please her, but there was also something within the girl saying this was just how she was. How could the press tear her to pieces daily? She exuded such a joyful cheer and care that despite her age Penelope would work with her professionally before many dancers in the actual company she resided in.

"Jaclyn, I just want to applaud you. I mean, you wake up everyday to deal with that constant slander from people, but you still hold your head high, you don't complain, and you don't act like you're better than everyone else." The blonde could only smile bashfully. William had been gone almost a month as November drew to a close which meant the press had less to publicize on the two of them, and just like last time they tried focusing on her individually. She wore black two days in a row, so she was depressed, or she was caught looking at her phone which had to mean she was waiting for him.

The distance was good she needed to come up for air after holding her breath for so long underwater, but now the press were splashing that very same water in her face.

She didn't need to think of that though she had her first show tonight.

-----

December 23, 2000

Lights from the stage burned her exposed shoulders as she ran off the stage, but it was in the best way. The audience could be heard clapping excitedly off in the distance like they were in a different world than the one she was in.

Jaclyn could survive merely on the adrenaline, the show rush, that was pulsing through her. It was a mix of nerves and excitement bubbling together into a nice concoction that made her able to perform. How could this already be their last performance? It felt like the show only opened yesterday, but this would be her last Nutcracker as a student, possibly her last one with the Royal Ballet if she didn't get accepted into the company.

She stood backstage watching Charlotte basically flurry like the Snow Queen she was. Jaclyn was just a mere snowflake, and didn't shine nearly as much as the soloist, but she didn't care.

Natania was behind her brushing off some of the stray snow stuck in her hair, and Jaclyn turned to do the same. "Can you see anyone?" Jaclyn asked trying to sound casual. Bea, Eugenie, and Zara were of course watching; but Jackie had caught sight of a lanky red head and could only guess who brought him. Thank God she was balancing when she saw him, or she would have froze.

"If you mean the Prince of Wales, his son, and Camilla then yes I saw them." Natania was always so nonchalant, Jaclyn really thought nothing could bother her. "How am I supposed to go back on stage?" Hearing herself out loud she heard how ridiculous she sounded considering no one could tell who she was from the house. The first week of shows someone had tried sharing photos online of her, but had snapped pictures of one of the first years in the back.

The music changed they had eight counts to run back on stage, "like this," and Natania pushed her on stage.

-----

After the show the energy stuck in the air everyone going giddy. Natania and Jaclyn jumped playing with the layers of ruffles that adorned their sweeping tutus. They had started to pull the fake flowers from their hair bringing up bumps in their hairsprayed hair and leaving dangling pins and flowers over their eyes.

"Jaclyn Webber?" a stage hand called down the hall and she turned to the girl running after her. Her hand was cupped over her microphone, and there was an unease in her eyes like she didn't know what to do. "Umm... Someone wants to see you, and I'm supposed to take you to him." Yeah, she really didn't know what to do.

Her hand ran through her short hair as she pulled Jaclyn down the hall, but then released the dancer like she was reprimanding herself for touching the girl.

Jaclyn was chewing her lip anxiously regretting not wiping the ridiculous blue eye shadow from her eyes. Who knew who she was going to see, and she currently looked like a show girl that did her make up in the dark.

They reached a random door, and the small stage hand threw it open, and entering Jaclyn tried to cover up the limp in her step as her shoes rubbed against an exposed blister, however the person on the inside was someone she could relax around.

"Oh, Harry, it's only you." Jaclyn exhaled collapsing against the wall as a good majority of her pent up anxiety fled, but then seeing as the short girl was still standing, Jaclyn dipped into a sloppy curtsy as her pointe shoe box scraped against her bruises.

Laughing Harry handed her a bouquet squeezing her shoulder, and despite the throbbing in her toes she went on pointe so she was easily taller than him. He had no right to be so tall at only sixteen. "You were brilliant Jac," he rolled his eyes pressing her down.

Then he shifted his gaze bashfully. "Could you also tell Nati that I think she was gorgeous." Jaclyn only smirked resisting the urge to tease him about his schoolboy crush.

"Thank you, I will, and now what can I do for you?" She asked. He was smiling way too much, so he was up to something, and she had to keep reminding herself that it was too much to wish that William would jump out next.

Instead Harry handed her an envelope, and as she opened it she realized it was the next best thing. "William got it for you," Harry explained trying to remember how she reacted so he could report back to his brother.

It was a plane ticket leaving tomorrow so she could get back home just in time for Christmas with her family.

Seeing as she was shocked into silence Harry pulled out his phone dialing the exact number William told him to, and then placed it in her hand only making her more confused.

"Hello?" The voice coming through the tiny phone was staticy, but the depth of the voice was unmistakable.

Suddenly she was blurting, "William it's too much."

Then he only chuckled everything that had faded about her over the past month coming back just hearing her voice.

"It's not nearly as much as you've given me."