The Sword (Prince Harry fanfic #3)

Chapter Twenty

After two hours of Lucy driving, Lucy stopped at a house that was only thirty minutes north of her own house. Her desperation to not lead paparazzi to her cousin's house had paid off and they were nowhere in sight, somehow lost along the way. Many cars already waited outside the house. Harry grew nervous once again.

"Breathe, Harry."

"What?" He swallowed and looked over to her.

"You look like you're going to vomit."

"Thank you?"

Lucy smirked and got out of the car. Harry got out too. The chill in the air somehow took Harry by surprise. The coldness wasn't a rarity to him but it was the constant wind today that chilled him to the bone. He felt the cold wind creep up his sleeves, and he shivered. Lucy looked more relaxed than ever.

"Luce?" Harry called back, and she turned to him to find out what the hesitation was now. "Uh... I didn't get to tell you today."

"Tell me what?" she asked, stepping forward.

"You're beautiful."

Lucy blushed and almost hated herself for it. "You told me this morning."

"I don't think I did."

"You did."

"I don't recall this."

"You tell me this every day."

"What do I tell you every day?"

"That you think I'm beautiful."

"You are beautiful," Harry repeated.

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I will tell you until the end of our days," Harry promised. "You are beautiful."

She scoffed. "Okay there, buddy." Lucy dusted off his jacket with snow falling around them. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she looked away.

"You are beautiful."

Lucy sighed, "You said that already."

"Did I? I can't recall."

"Get inside the house," she said with a smirk.

Lucy reached into the car and grabbed out two pies, which it was her job to bring with Harry carrying a vegetable tray. The car was locked and they walked carefully on the icy concrete to the house. Once within thirty feet of the house, the door popped open and three girls' faces looked out. After a moment, smiles crossed the small faces and it was a mad sprint toward the young couple. Lucy glanced sideways at Harry, who looked ready to take a blow from a few little girls. She laughed at him.

The three girls stopped in front of the couple, wearing shoes but no jackets. The girls were going to get yelled at by their parents. Lucy set down the covered pies on the concrete along with her purse and opened her arms wide. Three little girls crashed forward, holding onto their older cousin very tightly. Lucy dug her face into the shoulders of the bodies, as if to make them all warm. After a minute, Lucy was the first to let go.

"Inside the house," she said. "We don't want you getting a cold."

The girls raced back inside.

Lucy picked up the pies and purse off the ground. "I see I'm not going to the favorite today," Harry said. Lucy winked and walked.

The house was warm from the numerous bodies inside, at least thirty-five by the original count of Harry when he first entered. They were spread across the kitchen, dining room and living room. The girls were in the front hallway, still waiting for their second cousin. The girls waited for shoes to be taken off and coats to be hung up. Lucy gave the pies and vegetable tray to the girls, and they ran to the kitchen.

"Lucy!" called a woman, and Lucy's face immediately brightened up.

Harry only watched as a pregnant woman waddled forward, another name for Harry to remember. The woman, which he assume was one of Lucy's older cousins, took Lucy into her arms and Lucy hugged back. From what Harry could already see, there were tall people but Lucy was one of the tallest. The cousin held Lucy a little bit longer before she made a face and pulled back.

"And you must be Prince Harry," the female cousin said.

"Harry," Lucy corrected. "Just call him Harry."

The woman nodded. "Hello, Harry. Welcome to Thanksgiving."

"It smells great," he complimented.

"It tastes great too," she said. "Come on. Food isn't going to eat itself."

Lucy glanced at Harry to see if he was okay. He breathed in and nodded. Taking his hand, she led him more into the house. He was greeted with smiles and laughs. There were a few hugs given, especially by Lucy's aunts, all to Harry. The children ran in and out of the kitchen, all snatching food quickly before disappearing again. Lucy managed to stay close to him long, not wanting him to drown in the waves of people. After the first commotion, all started to settle. Harry seemed like everyone else.

Harry was nervous half of the time and Lucy knew why. He waited for the other shoe to drop. He waited for paparazzi to show up. He waited for the whole day to screwed up because of said paparazzi. They never came.

Food was served, so much of it and Harry wanted to try all of it. Harry sat between Lucy and her cousin. From across the table, a small girl who liked to make eyes at him. Lucy laughed at him. More food was passed around, and Harry found many foods he enjoyed. His stomach couldn't handle it in full. There was laughter all around the room. Stories were told about Lucy, and it made her blush. Eventually, she got the stories off of her and onto someone else.

Like Lucy had promised, her little cousins did end up liking Harry, maybe a little too much with how much time they spent around him. Their eyes stayed on him constantly and they laughed at everything he said. It was all because he was Prince Charming.

"Way to make them blush," Lucy said, brushing against him. "See you're not too old yet."

He laughed. "All those girls want to be princesses."

Lucy disagreed, "Not all girls."

Breaking deeply, he asked, "Not you?" Harry knew better, with little chance that Lucy would ever want to be a princess. "The girls think princesses are everything," Harry said, "and that they get to wear pretty dresses and pretty crowns. They get to go to parties and..." he laughed, "they never have to work. Forever, they get to be princesses."

"You know better, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes." His voice cracked.

Lucy took her hand in his, holding it tightly, like she would never let go, as if they would take on the whole world together. Her fingers were stronger than expected. Her skin was smooth. Her thumb ran over the top of his hand.

"I love you, Luce."

"I love you, Harry."