#Duke: no...no....is Ed pulling out a notebook

[karajaynetoday]

forever and always | calum hood

I couldn’t find the original credit for this gif but possibly here? It’s a deactivated blog though if anyone has the proper credit please let me know!

I don’t know how or why, but I woke up this morning thinking about this concept and I had to get it written to make my peace with it, in a way. Shout out to @spicycal for reading through the draft for me, and sending love to anyone this resonates with. It’s a very emo Calum one-shot that includes pregnancy loss (if that’s not something you can read, feel free to give this one a miss), but I promise it has a happy ending. 

Word count: 2.8k

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy and pregnancy loss/stillbirth, and references to COVID-19 (the pandemic circumstances i.e. quarantine, not actually having the illness)

(This is a fem reader insert)

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Calum ducked his head down to meet your gaze, brown eyes swimming with concern.

You were sat together on the couch in Ashton’s living room, surrounded by a lighting set up, having a quiet moment while Andy and Ryan were setting up their cameras in front of you. 5SOS were preparing to release their next album, and to reflect on the past ten years’ of the band, they had decided to film a documentary alongside the album process. After much deliberation, KayKay, Sierra and Crystal had agreed to take part, because they were just as much a part of the band’s journey as the boys’ families were, and their support and influence on the music was obvious. For you, though, it was a little different. You and Calum had successfully hidden your relationship from the public eye for the last four years. It was some sort of miracle, honestly, especially given the last little while where you’d gotten careless and slipped up by holding hands and showing affection in public. If any fans or paps noticed, they never said anything, and it gave you and Calum a sense of relief that no one knew your name or true identity when you were spotted with him or the rest of the band family in public.

Relief, but you had to admit that it hurt a little too. You’d seen the hate and vitriol that the other guys’ partners had experienced, and you knew Calum was just trying to protect you from all of that, but every time someone made a joke about him being the only single one in interviews, or asked him what he looked for in a girl, or the fans ran away with relationship rumours whenever he was photographed within breathing distance of a potential love interest,  it made your chest feel tight. At the end of the day, though, Calum always came home to you, and that was what truly mattered.

To say that this was a big moment, publicly announcing your relationship with Calum, and revealing that you’d kept it hidden for years, was an understatement. But you knew it was important to both of you to finally share it with the world. Not just because you loved each other and wanted to show it, but because the events of the past year had broken and rebuilt you all over again. As individuals, as a couple, and even for the band as a whole. You knew that the hope you’d held, and the pain that tore you down, and the healing you’d been through came across in Calum’s contributions to the new album, so it felt right to sit down and use your own voice to convey your feelings about it all.

You broke out of your deep train of thought to nod in response to Calum’s question, and press a quick but reassuring kiss to his lips.

“I’m sure if you’re sure.” You whispered, as Calum threw his arm around your shoulders and squeezed to let you know he was in support of whatever you wanted to do.

“Okay guys, we’re ready if you’re all good to go?” Ryan spoke up from behind the camera, trying not to unsettle you two and the moment you were clearly having. A deep breath and a brief smile from you and Calum let Ryan know he could start recording, and Andy sat down out of frame and pulled his notebook of questions into his lap.

“So, shall we start from the beginning?”

Your heart swelled, as you began to remember.

--

Ashton had full on wingman-ed Calum when you first met them both at a bar downtown. He was dating KayKay at the time, so he’d made it his mission to find Cal a hot date, or a lover, or a lifelong companion (“Any of the above will do, as long as you’re not a shit person”, he’d told you as he tried to pitch Calum to you). The pitch had worked, and you’d joined them for a few drinks and rounds of pool, before exchanging numbers with Calum at the end of the night.

From there, it was coffee dates, and brunches, and then dinners and nights out on the town. Soon it became days or nights at each other’s houses, which became entire weekends, then it was trips away or secret visits to see Calum on tour, and before you knew it, you’d been dating for the better part of the last two years and Cal asked you to move in with him. He knew it was a sacrifice on your part, not only dating someone who was away for months at a time, let alone someone whose hand you couldn’t hold out in public for risk of being photographed, but you also knew that you and Calum loved each other more deeply than you’d ever loved before. You understood he’d be burned in the past with public or semi-public relationships, and seeing his band brothers go through them made him hesitant at best. By moving in together, you’d see each other more, and you’d also get to shower each other with the love and desire that was building more and more within your soul with every passing day.

--

“So that’s the story of how we met. Mate, honestly, I was head over heels from day one.” Calum laughed, kissing your forehead quickly.

“I’ve had the privilege of observing you two and your love for one another for a few years now, and I have to say it’s a beautiful thing. You just seem to know each other inside out, and I love that soulmate aspect of your relationship.” Andy mused, flashing you a warm smile.

“Now, in terms of influence on this upcoming album, I know the past 18 months have been a rollercoaster for us all, but you two especially have been through a lot. Do you feel comfortable talking us through that a little bit?” Andy was careful with his words, not wanting to upset you or make you uncomfortable.

You squeezed Calum’s knee, before swallowing thickly and thinking back to the time period Andy had mentioned.

--

When 2020 began, you held so much hope and excitement for the year ahead. Watching Calum and his brothers play the Firefight Australia concert was incredible, and you were so thrilled for them to be releasing their latest album that truly felt representative of the four individuals who had come together to craft it. But then the pandemic began, and you were ordered into quarantine. Each day felt heavier somehow, with more sad stories on the news, and more frustration building up amongst your loved ones. It broke your heart to see Calum and the boys not able to release the album in the way they’d originally hoped, but Cal himself was both an optimist and a realist, and constantly reiterated that it felt like the right time to release it anyway, because maybe it would bring a bit of joy and serenity to people that needed that in their lives amongst all the chaos.

You’d quickly fallen into the routine of home isolation, waking early to get your work hours done, so you could spend your afternoons with Calum and Duke by the pool, or hiking a nearby trail, or bingeing Netflix on the couch. It was strange to have so much time together, but it was also so warm and comforting that it didn’t take you long to get anxious at the idea of Calum ever leaving again for tour or promo. That was a while away, though, so you tried your best to make the most of the time you had, and take it one day at a time.

You couldn’t remember the first day you woke up feeling nauseous. Sometime in June, you supposed. A few days of vomiting and fatigue that made you feel like you’d been hit by a bus, and you had a telehealth appointment with your doctor to try and figure out what was going on. Given your symptoms, they’d asked you in for tests right away. A week or so later, you were back sitting in the doctor’s office awaiting the results, extra nervous because the COVID-19 restrictions meant that Calum couldn’t come in with you. You’d thought about FaceTiming him into the appointment, but there was something in the back of your mind telling you that you wanted to have a moment to yourself to process the news, whatever it was going to be.

When your doctor looked at you with a smile and told you that you were pregnant, all you could do was gape back at her in shock. It shouldn’t have come entirely as a surprise; you and Calum had spoken a few times about the vision you had for your future, and the uncertainty and restlessness that quarantine had given you made foregoing protection seem right, somehow (lovesick logic, or something like that). But it happening so quickly was unexpected. Your shock was soon replaced with tears of happiness, and you were already bursting at the seams to get home and tell Calum the news.

He was speechless at first, too, but then again Calum always was a man of few words. You’d kept it to yourselves for a little while, only discussing it in quiet whispers, or soft touches onto your non-existent bump, or sending links of cute baby things to one another via WhatsApp message. A few weeks later, you had your first scan, and this time Calum was allowed in the room. You could see his eyes light up when he heard the strong heartbeat on the monitor, and later he’d tell you how he immediately wanted to voicenote it on his phone to listen to while he was away on tour, or even mix it into a song.

Seeing that tiny blob on the screen and hearing the heartbeat honestly made your entire year, and from then on you couldn’t resist sharing your happiness with others. Video calls with yours and Calum’s parents, more happy tears and cheering from the soon-to-be first time grandparents.

The restrictions in California had eased a little, so you invited Ashton, Luke, Michael and their respective partners over for dinner one night. You’d prepared some cute greeting cards, one for each couple, thanking them for all of their support over the years with helping to protect your privacy with Calum, and slipped a copy of the baby scan with “see you in February” written on the back inside the card. Once everyone was settled onto the couches in the living room, waiting for dinner to be ready, you handed them out and sat down in Calum’s lap, taking a sip of your drink to try and hide the excitement on your face.

It was so amusing to observe the reactions that were representative of each couple. Michael and Crystal gasped and cheered, immediately pulling you and Calum into tight hugs. Ashton and KayKay were more reserved, but whispers of love and encouragement and happiness into your ears were so lovely and cherished. The tears in Sierra’s eyes, and the comfort of Luke’s squeeze of his arms around your waist said more than they could ever put into words.

The emotional celebrations soon turned into teasing jibes, and Ashton’s pitch for a new line of 5SOS baby merch. (“Come on guys, a baby-sized bucket hat? Tiny hoodies? Wildflower plush toys? A lullabies album? I’m telling you, there’s a whole WORLD of opportunity for us opening up right now!”), and you couldn’t help but feel both overjoyed and overwhelmed at how much this little baby was going to be surrounded with love and support for every day of their life.

The months carried on, and your once invisible baby bump grew and grew. You and Calum cleared out a spare room for the nursery, and got lost in furniture shopping and paint swatches and reading every parenting book you could get your hands on. There were doctors appointments, and birthing classes; lists of potential baby names on the fridge, and consulting your dog trainer on how best to introduce old man Duke to the idea of a new arrival.

As December approached, and you started getting into the festive spirit, Calum began returning to the studio as he and the guys toyed with some potential new directions for the next album. All of them had studios built into their homes, so they could meet and work together in relative safety, which was reassuring. You were standing over the kitchen sink one day, rinsing out the pan you’d used to make eggs for breakfast, when a searing pain in your abdomen had you groaning in discomfort and gripping onto the kitchen counter for dear life. The pain eased momentarily, and then came back stronger, and you managed to grab your phone from the counter and dial Calum’s number frantically as you gasped for breath.

The next few hours were a blur; Calum raced home to find you curled up in pain on the kitchen floor, Ashton and the paramedics were quick to follow him inside. They put you in an ambulance and took you straight to the hospital; you and Calum were gripping each other’s hand so tightly that your knuckles were white with stress.

The doctors determined you were in pre-term labour, and soon enough you were in a delivery room panting and pushing and crying out to Calum for comfort. It was all so terrifying and overwhelming but he was doing his best to ground you, brushing his fingers through your hair and holding your hand and whispering sweet nothings into your ear. When you finally delivered the baby, a hush fell over the room, and you could tell from the look on the faces of your doctor and nurses that something wasn’t right. 

The silence continued, and your heart broke when you realised that the baby hadn’t started to cry like you’d expected. The nurses had moved the infant over to another station, suctioning their airway and connecting them up to all manner of tubes and wires, but after a few moments your doctor told you the news. It was a baby girl, but her heartbeat wasn’t there. She’d come into the world and gone out again, just like that.

--

“I know a lot of people struggle to talk about stillbirths, and losing children, and it’s such a deeply personal thing so I get it. But it’s also grief, and loss, and emotions that you feel whenever you lose anyone you love. If there’s one thing I wish we could do more, as people in general, it’s discuss how we feel, and normalise having emotions, because it brings you closer and makes you feel less alone.” You spoke softly, blinking away the tears that had started to well in your eyes.

Andy nodded gently at you, before a quiet “Cal?” with an encouraging flick of his head.

Calum cleared his throat and glanced over at you before speaking. 

“I think that’s a huge part of why we wanted to be here today and talk about not only our relationship but losing Matilda in particular. It’s a sensitive topic, I know, especially for men, but holding back and bottling up your emotions isn’t good for anyone. Without her support in getting me to open up, or having the boys to listen to me cry and help me get some of my feelings out, in words and on this album, I don’t think I’d be in as good a place as I am now. It’s dark to think about, but important not to ignore, I think.”

“You’re so right, Cal. And Matilda is always going to be a part of our story, and we’re never going to forget how much we loved her and how much closer together she brought us,” You began, pausing briefly to squeeze Calum’s hand that had settled on your swollen stomach, “And when our little rainbow baby arrives in the next few weeks, I can’t wait to tell them about their sister, and how much she would’ve loved to meet them, but now she’s watching over them instead.”

“Exactly. We’re always going to have had Matilda, and then this little one, and however many others we decide to try and bring into the world. But it’s the love that builds you and the loss that breaks you that makes us who we are. Forever and always.” Calum’s voice was emotional, but also firm and calm, as he looked down at you and kissed you intently, his hand never leaving its spot on your bump, where your little rainbow baby was kickly softly at the sound of his voice.

“Forever and always.” You agreed, inhaling deeply and feeling a sense of deep peace and content wash over you.

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[inaheartbeat-phff]

Chapter 9

Monday, January 12th, 8:00am Princess Arabella's Suite, Huis ten Bosch Palace, The Hague

Arabella sat at the head of her dining room table, nibbling on a toast, reading the morning paper while Harry sat on her left eating his pancakes. They were both ready for the Parade that is starting at ten that morning. Prince Harry and Princess Arabella will have their first public appearance since their engagement that was announced right now.

(Author’s side note: Just imagine her skirt is longer until just before her knees.)

They both were enjoying the quiet morning eating their breakfast before there were three knocks on the door. Arabella sighed before folding her paper and wiped her lips and Harry drank his tea.

"Good Morning Your Royal Highness', these came for you this morning Ma'am. Ms Jane and Mr Fox are also here ma'am, sir." Pieter bowed his head and announced their private secretaries who came in behind him and stood by the sides. Then eleven men in suits came in the room holding a tray with tiara's sat on top of them. Harry sat there jaws open as he stared at the people in surprise. Arabella just sat there drinking her tea.

"Are these the tiaras I got for my birthday?" Arabella asked Pieter. He nodded his head before adding, "As well as tiaras you got as an engagement present ma'am."

"Please proceed." Arabella said knowing that every year for her birthday she got some jewelleries and sometimes tiaras from her godparents.

"The Blue Sapphire Flower set from His Majesty King Willem-Alexander." Pieter announced and a man on the front of the line brought forward the tray with the tiara and matching earrings.

"Ruby Star jewellery set from Her Majesty Queen Maxima."

"The Bella tiara from Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."

"The Enchanted Pearl tiara from His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Luxembourg."

"The Sapphire Teardrop jewellery set from Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg."

"The Rose Tiara from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden."

"The Pearl and Crystal tiara from His Majesty King Phillipe of Belgium."

"The Golden Forrest tiara from Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark."

"The Blue Fairy tiara from His Serene Highness The Prince of Liechtenstein."

"The Golden Dragonfly Tiara from His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco."

"The Rose Bandeau Tiara from His Majesty King Herold V of Norway."

"The Elisa head piece tiara from His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain."

"And Lastly as an engagement present from Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Elizabeth II, The Blue Crystal Cluster tiara."

"Jane, will you please send the official thank you notes to the Kings and Queens for the tiaras and update the royal vault account about the history and from where the tiaras originated. Pieter please inform Sara and Anna about these tiaras and put them in the Vault thank you." With a nod, Arabella sipped her tea as Pieter proceeded to leave the room together with the jewelleries leaving Ed and Jane by the wall.

Harry couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed.  He couldn’t remember a time where he had seen that many tiaras in one place and openly. He remembered his mother had a few collection but not that much. Arabella just got eleven new tiaras just by getting engaged and turning thirty. Harry knew that Kate had inherited his mother’s tiara through Will by default and when he and Arabella marry, she will inherit some too but Harry doesn’t think that Arabella will need them as she will have her own sets clearly from just now as well as her own family jewels.

"What just happened?" Harry thought aloud, he was still in shock of what had occurred a few minutes ago.

"It is customary that Princess Arabella receive a few jewellery or tiaras for her engagement. It was a sign of respect that every monarch in Europe especially sent some form of jewellery to mark the Princess's engagement. It is also an understanding and a sign of treaty amongst the current European monarchy with a future monarch." Jane quickly stood forward and explained to Harry simply. There was more to that of course. Arabella is close to most if not all of Europe's reigning monarch therefore most of them sent her tiara's. However, other heirs during their engagement got pieces of jewelleries such as brooches, watches, jewellery sets. Not as grand as Arabella. Then again, she calls most if not all of the reigning monarchs aunts and uncles.

"Please sit down, Jane and Ed. We have much to discuss this morning before the parade." Arabella said as a request but they knew that underneath, it was more like an order.

Ed tried to shake his head, getting briefed earlier about the etiquette towards the princess, but when he looked to his left, he saw Jane shook her head lightly before sitting down one seat below the princess on her right side. The protocols were so much different than to their British ones. He was sure that he didn’t act this way towards Prince William and even calls prince Harry, Harry sometimes. He knew that when at home, he usually don’t bother Prince Charles so he doesn’t know how to act around the heir of the throne. Ed then pulled the seat next to Jane and sat down.

"The announcement were live ten minutes ago and so far the response have been positive. Many would like to see the Prince by your side in public more often." Jane started off, she had her tablet in front of her with information open and her notes easy to access.

"That's wonderful news." Arabella said before calling the footman forward. "Call Miss Sara or Anna, whichever is not occupied with the gifts and tell her to come here please and bring my notebook with her as well. Thank you."

"Prince Harry's office staff will still reside at St. James Palace and will communicate here for the time being. They will then move to Noordeinde Palace in March after your royal tour in the UK is done." Ed said next, ticking it off the list.

"Yes, in the meantime, Harry will use my staff  while he is here to work on any projects. The staff members that he doesn’t have will have to use mine from now on until further notice." Arabella added on.

"What exactly does that mean?" Harry asked, before they could move on to the next topic. Harry knew that he can always ask questions if he was confused and doesn’t understand. Arabella is trying to ease him into this life and makes sure he understands it all.

"Staff such as press secretary, lawyer, and doctor are those you share with Will and Kate. Now that you are engaged to me, you are no longer their employer and you will use mine from now on." Arabella tried to explain.

"Today's parade will start at Binnenhof, where you will meet the Prime Minister as well as the parliament, meet the crowds and will be on an open topped car that will take you to Noordeinde Palace. There will be a soldier's march and a marching band that will lead you to Noordeinde. The parade will take a few hours as half way through, the both of you will have to walk and talk to the people. King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and former Queen Beatrix will meet you at Noordeinde for Lunch. Lunch is a public affair so there will be photographers present. After lunch, you both have meetings to discuss and pick wedding planners and things related to the wedding." Jane told the pair.

"Is that all?" Arabella asked as she finished her tea.

"Yes Ma'am. Your car is waiting for you downstairs to take you to Binnenhof." Ed said as both he and Jane stood up and bowed to Arabella and Harry before leaving the room.

"Are you ready for today?" She asked her fiancé, looking at him with loving eyes.

"I think so."

"It will be much different now that everybody knows you're my fiancé."

"I know, but I'm ready." Harry kissed her knuckles before standing up and pulling Arabella up to go downstairs and into the cars.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Harry and Arabella arrived at Binnenhof to a thundering screams. There was a lot of people present and Harry could clearly tell that Arabella is loved by her people. There was an open top vehicle ready infront for the steps of Binnenhof. The car stopped a few meters away from the car and Harry went out of the car first. With a wave, he went over to Arabella’s side and helped her down the car. When she stepped out of the car, the crowds grew wild and she waved at them making them screaming even louder.

The couple held hands before moving towards the crowds by the barricades to greet them.

“Congratulations on the Engagement princess Arabella!” An elder woman said as she handed Arabella a bouquet of roses.

“Thank you so much!” Arabella smiles at the woman, shaking her hands.

Arabella and Harry went down the barricades and shook people’s hands. All of them either wishing Arabella a happy birthday or congratulating them on their engagement. They reached the point where their car is next to them so they waved to the rest of the crowds before moving to the car. Harry climbed in first before helping Arabella up and into the car.

“You okay?” Arabella asked Harry holding his hands in hers.

“Yeah. The people clearly love you.” He said smiling at her.

“I try to be as relatable as I can even though I am a royal and is privaledged. That’s why I try to have a lot of charities to help out.” She said shrugging her shoulders.

“You are amazing, you know that right?” Harry said before leaving to kiss her cheeks lightly. The crowds saw that and cheered very loudly.

Laughing they both turned to the crowds of people waiting to see them and waved.

On their way to Noordeinde Palace, the engaged couple could see signs wishing Arabella a Happy birthday as well as some UK Flags mixed with the Netherlands Flags.

“You know this will be somewhat like our wedding but instead of a car we will be in a glass carriage my father used and in Amsterdam. There will be soldiers marching and a marching band. There’s more that will happen I just can’t remember what.” Arabella told Harry.

“As long as I get to be your husband, I’m okay.” Harry said cheekily to Arabella which earned him a slap on his arm.

“Stop abusing me woman!” Harry laughed. “I’m trying to be loving but I got slapped instead. Sheesh woman.”

Shaking her head, Arabella just laughed and laid her head on his shoulders. Unknown to the couple, this private moment was captured by the press and sold to every magazine cover in the world with headlines such as: "PRINCE HARRY AND PRINCESS ARABELLA SHOWS PDA" "PRINCE HARRY CHANGING UP THE ROYAL GAME" "PRINCESS ARABELLA PREPARES PRINCE HARRY FOR PUBLIC DO'S AND DON'TS".

Arriving at the half point mark, they got out of the car with Harry helping Arabella and waved to the crowds once more. The marching band, where students from all over the country were selected to play on the parade, started up the march with the couple walking behind them.

Harry waved at the people and mouthed hellos to them, trying to get eye-contact to some of them to show that 'yes, I noticed you'. Arabella smiled at the people and made faces at the babies that were carried on their parents shoulders.

When Harry noticed a sign that said, "Prince Harry, forget Arabella, Marry me instead."  Harry laughed at that one before nudging Arabella and pointed to the sign. Arabella read it and laughed out loud, throwing her head backwards. Harry smiled at the sight before looking at the person who's holding out the sign. He then smiled before shrugging and mouth sorry before turning back to Arabella. The girls holding the signs squealed as they got noticed and awed at the love that can be seen in Harry's eyes when he looked at Arabella.

Arabella and Harry walked towards Noordeinde Palace, sometimes going to the side to say hello to the people and play with the kids. The pair would also sometimes dance while they walked and had a lot of fun on the parade.

When they arrived at Noordeinde Palace, Arabella's parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima was there accompanied by Princess Beatrix, the Prime Minister as well as Arabella's three younger sisters. Stopping in front of them, Arabella gave a deep curtsy while Harry bowed his head. When Arabella stood straight again, she went forwards to kiss her father on the cheeks before moving on to Queen Maxima. Harry then followed suit and greeted the king with a handshake and a kiss to the cheeks. This gave a public stamp of approval for the royal couple and they moved inside to the dining room after giving the crowds another wave.

"Come lets go to the dining room and have lunch. I’m sure you’re both famished.” Queen Maxima said to her daughter and future son in law ushering them into the dining room where around two photographers were waiting.

Since this is considered an official event, the press are allowed in and take photos to sell to the highest bidder. It’s a give and take scenario, the press respects the royal family and in turn the royal family gives the press something so they can do their jobs.

During lunch, they all shared a few jokes and laughed a few times. With the PM asking Arabella on her plans for the year, this time more constructed and more formal than their lunch the week before, King Willem-Alexander asked about their newly engaged title and how they felt with everything. With the press taking pictures and taking note what was happening in the room, they all knew to keep the conversations light and to not reveal anything that might endanger their safety.

At the end of lunch, the press invited were very happy as they got pictures and moments where Prince Harry was being affectionate with Princess Arabella as well as the relationship between the King and the Prince. It showed very good behaviour on Harry’s part as well as a polite and dignified young man that is capable of being a future King. This was approved by the public when they saw how he was interacting with the prime minister and Princess Beatrix. He was respectful and polite, answering all the questions they had for him yet he was also being his charming and funny self.

After lunch, the group went to the balcony to watch the flyover that the airforce have dedicated for Arabella and you can tell that Harry is amazed. During Trooping of the Colour, Harry is always either beside (when he was still single) or behind William. He was never front and center and that was where Harry was for this flyover. With King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at the center, Princess Beatrix was next to Maxima and the PM next to her while Arabella was next to King Willem-Alexander and Harry next to her. He was also not used to the minimal amount of people on the balcony looking over the crowds and the flyover. He was used to having a big family and have everyone crowded in that balcony to watch the jets.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Arabella, after the flyover, waved one final time to the crowds before going indoors and into Arabella’s offices in the East Wing of the Palace and that’s where Harry’s will be as well. Right now, they have a meeting with their team to prepare them, mostly Harry about the press conference, interview session and photo opportunity happening on Wednesday.

Adam, acting as both Arabella’s and Harry’s press secretary is leading the meeting with Arabella’s media relations team, now also acting as Harry’s.

“Good Afternoon Your Royal Highness’, this meeting will mainly be a refresher course of protocol and ways to act during the press conference on Wednesday. This is mainly for you sir.” Adam started off.

“Just be grateful that you’re not doing this alone and that it’s not an etiquette class. Gosh madam Sü is a pain in my backside.” Arabella mumbled to Harry’s ear.

“The conference will be conducted at Noordeinde Palace, as it is known as a working palace. It will be held in the east wing, where the Princess of Orange's offices are located. The doors open to press at nine in the morning so they will be able to set up their equipment's and get questions ready. Most questions are being sent over first so we can comb through it and take out unwanted questions, but there will still be questions that is difficult to answer on the day itself." Arabella's communications secretary, Aleta said. "Pieter will announce your entrance as 'Her Royal Highness The Princess of Orange and her fiance, His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales.' Princess Arabella will enter the room first. She will then be the first to sit down and everyone else will follow suit."

"It is important that Princess Arabella will open the panel and questions will start coming in. Avoid answering the questions in detail but avoid being too vague. We do want some substance for the interview that will be conducted right after the press conference." Her advisor, Gerrit mentioned.

Harry now realise what an important deal this is for them, for Arabella to be announced first, for her to open the conference and for her to end it as well. She is the future monarch after all and it has to be seen that she is in command of the whole thing.

"There are no rules of affections here so feel free to do so if you please. We want to make this conference as natural as possible. Unlike the British, we like to be as transparent with the press as much as we can afford to so they will be more respectful towards us. After the incident with Queen Maxima, there is an understanding between the press and the royal family." Jane piped up.

"As for the interview, it will be done by the BBC, as per your traditions, inside the drawing room at centre court. Your interviewer will be Mishal Husain from the BBC and it will air later that night at eight local time, seven in the UK. The photoshoot will be taken by Tatiana, Her Highness' official photographer and will take place all over the palace." Hans, the deputy communications secretary said.

"Three official engagement photographs will be released that night right after the interview by the Dutch royal family's official twitter account as well as Kensington Palace twitter account. They will be released simultaneously." Adam said before continuing, "As for the state dinner on Thursday night, Prince Harry is only required to bow to reigning monarchs now that he is engaged to Princess Arabella. It is crucial that you do not and I repeat do not bow to anyone other than Kings and Queens. Countries that are invited to attend are, Belgium, Denmark, Principality of Liechtenstein, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Principality of Monaco, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Brunei, Japan, Jordan, Lesotho, the United States and Canada. It is crucial that we remain an ally to these countries.”

“Guests and dignitaries will arrive at half past seven. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will arrive at quarter to eight and Princess Arabella and Prince Harry will arrive last at eight sharp. The state dinner will be at Noordeinde Palace. They will introduce the Princess of Orange first before introducing Prince Henry of Wales and will enter the room together.” Gerrit said. “The King and Queen will sit down first followed by the Princess of Orange and Prince Harry and all the other guests will follow suit.”

“Okay I think we’re done for the day.” Arabella clapped her hands standing up, making the rest of the room stand up as well. “It’s been a long day and I would like go home and spend alone time with my fiancé thank you very much.” With a wave, Arabella left the room with Harry following

“Well that wasn’t so bad.” Harry said next to her walking to the entrance so they can head back to Huis ten Bosch palace.

“Actually I think that was a meeting more than a protocol lesson.” Arabella thought out loud. “Anyways, what do you want to do tonight?”

“Should we order in and watch a movie?”

“Hm, I’ll have Jane to order Chinese and maybe we can watch Suits.” Arabella smiled up to Harry.

“Yes to the Chinese and Suits? Really? That’s not a movie.” Harry laughed.

“Yes suits. I feel like watching that tonight. Just to relax.”

“Fine. Better call Jane now for the Chinese. God knows what they need to do before the food comes to you.” Harry said pulling her to the door and into the car. “Let’s go home.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~

“Okay so the Chinese food arrived ten minutes ago and its being processed right now, did you put on the tv?” Harry asked walking into the living room where Arabella is currently at.

“Yeah, it’s ready.” Arabella stood up and went to the couch where the blankets are laid out and Harry now sat. She climbed on the sofa and cuddled into Harry before pressing play on the remote, starting the episode. Halfway through, the Chinese arrived being brought out by Pieter and when the show ended the pair was hooked.

“I think if you never met me, you would be with her.” Arabella said pointing to the screen where Rachel, played by Meghan Markle froze. “Maybe even get married and have a nice small intimate wedding at St. George Chapel.

“Hm, maybe. But I’m with you and I’m having a big televised and overly glamourous wedding with you in Amsterdam. I’ll take you over her anyday.” Harry said before kissing her.

“Maybe we should take this to the bedroom?” Arabella looked up at Hary with a small smirk.

“You little..” Harry picked her up and Arabella laughed making Harry smile.

Next Chapter 

#chapter 9 #phff #in a heartbeat phff #in a heartbeat #prince harry #prince harry fanfic #fanfic #british royal family #dutch royal family

[hrhduchessoflancaster]

Chapter Seventy-Three: Getting Real

As they returned to their normal lives at the end of the week, Harry and Elle were entrusted with attending the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall on the thirteenth. On the day before the performance, a week after they had returned, the couple had yet another appointment with Dr. Yates, who had informed them that Elle was going to begin feeling the baby’s movements within the week. Needless to say, the parents-to-be where very excited about this and longed to feel their child’s movements as soon as possible. From then on, Elle had her hand constantly on her lower stomach, trying to feel the baby. She often massaged her belly and hoped it lured him or her to move or kick in any way she could feel.

Knowing it was all getting closer and closer to the baby’s arrival, Harry and Elle decided on finally putting together the nursery. They had ordered a few furnitures online and they had finally arrived,Harry, William and Ed being the laboured hands who put them together, while Elle, Kate and Valerie put together the colour schemes for the nursery. The couple had decided on pale yellow as the main element, with savannah animals on the walls and a bit of toys and wooden furniture to finish the decor.

It took two days to get everything in place but, as the room was set, the furniture put where she wanted and the decorations hang according to her plan, Elle was left alone to properly unpack the baby clothes she had gotten from her mum and a few new ones she had bought herself. She was idly humming a little lullaby when she felt a kick in her lower stomach. It surprised her and she instantly put her hand on the place she had felt it.

“ Nugget? Was that you baby?”, she whispered. A few seconds later, another kick followed and Elle giggled with joy.

“ Harry!”, she shouted. “ Harry, come quickly!”

In a instant, her husband came rushing through the door, face red and out of breath. “ What's wrong? What’s happening? Do we need to go to the hospital?”, he asked quickly, coming to her side at once.

“ No… no… it’s nothing like that. We’re fine. We’re more than fine actually.”, she replied and Harry let out a loud sigh.

“ What is it, then?”, he asked her. Elle extended her hand to him, which he took, and placed it on her stomach, where she had felt the previous kick.

“ Come on, Nugget. Show daddy what you did.”, Elle said. It took a while, but he felt it. A powerful kick, just to the right of where his palm was. He looked up at Elle’s face in awe and extreme joy. His entire face lit up, feeling his child kicking.

“ Nugget is kicking? That was really our baby kicking?”, he asked her in bewilderment. She nodded her head and they chuckled together, feeling yet another kick.

“ I think Nugget likes it when we laugh.”, said Elle and they chuckled even harder. Dropping on his knees, Harry pulled her blouse up, caressing her skin and kissing her lower stomach, as his wife hand her hands on his hair.

“ Daddy already loves you so much, Nugget. So, so much. Your mama, too. We both love you… and I love you both.”, he said, bringing tears to Elle’s eyes.

************

That evening, Harry and Elle arrive at the Royal Albert Hall to the flash of photographers and a few shouts from the crowd. At the entrance, they were greeted by Laurie Mansfield and Giles Cooper, the president of the Royal Variety charity and a chairman respectively. After posing for the photographers, the couple made their way to the Royal Box.

Upon arriving there, they stood together, side by side, as the national anthem was played and sung. Once it was over, they took their seat, with Daniel, Lisa and Ronald being them, followed by John, Leo and Ingrid.

“ Your Royal Highnesses, lords, ladies and gentleman, please welcome your host for this evening, Mr. Jack Whitehall.”, said the presenter.

“ Ah, ladies and gentleman, good evening and welcome to the Royal Variety Show two thousand and sixteen!”, said Jack Whitehall and the people applauded. “ And and extra special welcome to the royal couple making their debut tonight at the Royal Variety, Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex!”, he continued and the people roared in applauses. Harry and Elle smiled and nodded their heads, Harry shaking his in amusement.

“ I’m so excited to be here tonight, specially because I’m standing in front of one of my heroes. Prince Harry is genuinely one of my heroes.”, said Jack and Elle chuckled beside Harry, squeezing his arm gently.

“ Do we have any Prince Harry fans here this evening?”, the host asked and was met by a resounding cheer from the audience. “ I knew it! But ladies, ladies and some gentlemen, you must contain yourselves. His Royal Highness is a married man now. And a future daddy as well.”, said Jack and the audience cheered again, louder this time.

“ Yes, yes, congratulations Your Royal Highnesses! We’re thrilled to have another royal baby to stamp our windows with more royal baby merchandise.”, he continued and the audience laughed.

“ No, but truly, we’re are indeed very, very happy for you both, and I also would like to thank you, Your Royal Highnesses… on behalf of the ginger population.”, he said and the audience laughed even more. “ Yes! Since you’re both ginger, our future prince or princess is bound to be a ginger too. And might I say, what a beautiful shade of ginger hair you have, ma’am. I hope he or she get’s it from you.”, said Jack and Elle and Harry laughed hard, along with the audience.

“ Oh good, they’re laughing. Well, I think I might just get on with the show then. Your Royal Highnesses, lords, ladies and gentleman, please put your hands together for the biggest band in the planet, One Direction!”, he exclaimed introducing the band. Harry and Elle clapped and listened to the performance. After a few performances and a break, which Elle was immensely thankful for, Jack Whitehall introduced Josh Groban to Elle’s delight.

“ Oh I adore his songs! And his voice…ahh…”, Elle said to Harry who rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then, as he sang, she felt a small kick inside her belly. A smiled sprung to her face and she put her hand on her protuberant bump.

“ I think, Nugget likes his voice too.”, said Elle to Harry in a whisper, close to his ear. Harry turned his head and looked quizzically at her then, when he noticed where her left hand stood, his eyes widened. Elle nodded and he smiled. He looked at Elle in amazement and she took his hand and placed on the lower side of her abdomen. A few seconds later, another kick was felt. Harry and Elle looked at each other and smiled. Their baby was happy and moving and they couldn’t be more overjoyed by the little miracle they had created.

The host continued throughout the night, making jokes and introducing new bands, artists, comedians and performers, occasionally messing with the young royal couple. Finally, when the performance came to and end, with all performers and the host onstage, Elle and Harry stood from their seats and clapped along with the audience the amazing performance.

“ Oh what a fantastic evening it’s been! And now ladies and gentleman, if you please, give me three cheers for Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex!”, said Jack Whitehall which was followed by loud cheers from the audience. Harry and Elle smiled and waved at them, nodding their heads in thanks.

Then, the couple makes their way the stage to meet the performers. They were introduced to One Direction, Rick Martin, Little Mix, the Corrs, comedians, cast members from two musicals, who all gave Elle and Harry congratulations for the baby. Then they were introduced to Josh Groban, giving Elle a bit of a fangirl moment.

“ It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Groban.”, said Harry shaking the man’s hand.

“ Oh it’s a honour to meet you both, Your Royal Highnesses.”, said Josh Groan shaking Elle’s hand.

“ My wife is a big fan of yours!”, he continued and Elle chuckled. Josh Groan turned his head to Elle with a charming smile plastered on his face.

“ It’s true. And it seems this little one is already a fan too.”, said Elle touching her belly. “ Little Nugget couldn’t stop moving while you sang.”, she continued and both men laughed.

“ Well I’m glad to have such important and wonderful fans.”, replied Josh Groban. Then, Elle and Harry finally reached Jack Whitehall.

“ Thank you for tonight, Mr. Whitehall.”, said Elle greeting him with a handshake.

“ The pleasure was all mine, Your Royal Highness. And forgive me if any of my jokes offended you.”, he said smirking.

“ Oh no… it was fine…”, Elle replied chuckling. “ They were funny. And I’m not speaking only for myself. I’m sure my husband felt very entertained as well.”

“ Well… that’s a relief!”, said Jack, sighing. Harry then came to her side and shook hands with the presenter.

“ Thank you, Jack. That was a very nice show.”, said Harry smiling. “ But, if I’m honest, I think the king of banter here it is you not I.”, joked Harry and the trio chuckled.

“ One can only hope to achieve your standards, sir.”, joked Jack and they chuckled once again. Feeling another kick, Elle smiled and put a hand on her bump.

“ Oh my… this one is a kicker!”, she said and they men turned to look at her, smiling.

“ Maybe there’s a footballer or rugby player in there, ma’am.”, said Jack smiling.

“ Oh who knows? All I know is that he or she has a very powerful pair of little legs.”, said Elle chuckling.

************

Over the next week, Elle and Harry had arranged and rearranged the baby’s room hundreds of times, always adding a little something to it. First, there were gifts from Rick and Mary; George’s and Charlotte’s rend-me-downs from William and Kate; Ed then decided to buy a super fancy, over the top stroller for the baby because, in his words, he was going to be the best uncle this child could ever had and he was determined to beat William for that title.

Then, Melissa had come for a visit with her husband and the children, and brought a notebook, full of pro-parenting tips she had compiled for her and Harry. “ Trust me, you’re gonna need those.”, she had said to them.

Finally, Elle had decided she need more books on the nursery because she was adamant Nugget would have as many age appropriate books as he or she possibly could. She stocked on the classics, which had been her own, as well as putting in the shelves a few new ones she’s gotten from Trevor, who had been such a sweetheart when he came for tea. “ If this baby is going to be half the book worm you are, he or she needs to begin well and start their reading ASAP.”, he had said to her.

All in all, the nursery had become a very good mix of her and Harry. Their likes and personalities were combined in the room, just like their child was going to be. Speaking of which, Elle had finally began with her cravings. She didn’t think she was going to have them, but boy, was she wrong. Georgiana had warned them and assured the couple it was perfectly normal and advised she’d get a nutritionist to keep her diet well balanced.

Following the doctor’s recommendations, Elle stuck with her programme but occasionally got a little off the books. From salty popcorn with chocolate syrup to watermelon juice and chewing on ice, Elle was obsessing over very different things in a matter of few days.

Harry thought it was all very amusing and, most of the time, joined her on her crazy preferences. As they neared December and the weather got colder, Elle had began craving hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows and traditional Welsh cakes. But mostly, Welsh cakes.

“ They’re just so good! The spongy texture, the raisins and sultanas… the perfect combination of spices… heaven on every bite.”, said Elle dreamingly, as she took a another bite of her Welsh cake. The Cambridges, who were currently having breakfast with them, chuckled as they watched the pregnant woman eat.

“ I’ll take your word for it, sister.”, said William grinning.

“ Oh you should try it! Here, take some!”, said Elle excitedly, pushing a Welsh cake unto his plate. He eyed the round, sightly burnt, sugar covered bun and raised his eyebrows.

“ Elle, darling, you know I can’t eat things with cloves in them, right?”, said William. Elle’s face went blank and she opened her eyes wide.

“ Oh my goodness! I had completely forgotten about your allergy! I could have killed you! I’m so so so sorry!”, said Elle, starting to panic. Seeing her stress level was raising, Harry who was sat beside her, took her hand into his and squeeze it gently.

“ Love? Look at me, please.”, he said and she turned her face towards him.

“ Deep breaths… that’s it…”, he coached her and she slowed down. “ Better?”, he asked her and Elle nodded her head.

“ Thank you, my darling. I’m sorry Will. I’m just a little over the edge. I have so much on mind, the baby’s been kicking me constantly and I haven’t been sleeping that well, so the stress level are a tad high.”, she confessed.

“ Don’t worry. I know how it gets. Kate was like that as well, right poppet?”, said William.

“ I was… Charlotte was quite the kicker. George, not as much, but I still found it bothersome at times.”, said Kate, sympathetic.

“ You know what helped calming them down whenever they went on a kicking spree?”, said Kate and Elle waited patiently for her to answer.

“ Singing to them. Or reading. Listening to the sound of your voice can really calm them down. Harry can help on that part too.”, said Kate. “ William would often read out loud to my stomach. I know it seems a little crazy but it helps.”

“ I’ll try it. Heavens now I’ve tried a lot of things this week.”, she replied.

************

That night, as they prepared to lay side by side in bed, each other’s hands placed upon her growing stomach, Harry and Elle took turns into reading to their little Nugget. They had decided on Winnie the Pooh, one of their favourites growing up. On Harry's turn, Elle rested her head on his shoulder and quietly listened as he spoke, barely louder than a whisper, to their child.

“ How do you spell love?, asked Piglet. You don’t spell it…you feel it., replied Pooh”, Harry read it. He was about to continue when he noticed his wife was passed out on his shoulder, breathing evenly and looked so peaceful, he didn’t even want to move his head. Smiling, he closed the book and put it on the nightstand, taking great care not to wake Elle up.

“ You’ve finally let your mama sleep, hun?”, whispered Harry.

“ You know, she’s been feeling very stressed lately and I know she puts on a brave face for us but she’s a little worried. Why, you ask? Because there’s a very bad group of people trying to hurt us and, although mummy says she’s confident the police will catch them, I can see in her eyes how it’s getting to her.”, he continued.

“ But I won’t let anything happen to you or her.  She’s been through so much and she’s been so brave. Your mama is an incredible woman. And you should never forget that. She’s a heroine, even when she can’t see it herself.”, Harry whispered, gently caressing Elle’s cheek.

“ So, my little Nugget, let’s give her a prove rest and let her sleep more. Try not to kick her as much, alright?”, he told his child, as he watched his wife sleep. Smiling, her pulled her to his chest and covered them both with the fluffy duvet. Turning off the lights, Harry sighed happily as he felt Elle snuggle closer to him, while his arms held her closer to him. This is precisely where he was meant to be.

***********

“ We should really start thinking about names”, said Elle one morning as they were chilling in front of the telly, Sir Lancelot snoozing on her side. The puppy had taken to lick her stomach from time to time and both Harry and Elle thought it was adorable.

“ Yeah… I was thinking the same. How about we make a list with girls, boys and neutral names and then we can discuss it?”, suggested Harry. Chuckling, Elle reached for her phone on the coffee table.

“ As always, I’m way ahead of you, darling.”, said Elle grinning. She popped open her notes and showed him the list of baby names she had compiled.

“ Alright… that works too.”, said Harry, smiling. “ Tell me the name you have there and we can decide on favourites. Sounds good?”

“ Absolutely!”, she replied excitedly. “ Are you ready? Because remember, we have to pick at least three names for the baby. You know how your father was very insistent on that.”, reminded Elle.

_______Flashback

It was a snowy afternoon when Elle and Harry arrived at Clarence House for lunch. Charles and Camilla had insisted they had not seen enough of them lately and wanted updates on their and the baby’s lives.

“ Hello you two! How’s everything? How are you and the baby?”, asked Camilla, as they stepped into the familiar hall.

“ Very well, thank you. We’re all doing very well.”, replied Elle, smiling. Her baby bump was becoming more noticeable every week and Camilla noticed that. Harry smiled and placed his hand on her waist. Just as he was about to ask about his father, Charles came strolling down the hall, a huge smile on his face.

“ Harry! Eleanor! How wonderful to see you both!”, he said, happily greeting them with hugs and kisses.

“ You look incredible, my dear. Positively glowing, doesn’t she, darling?”, said Charles, turning to Camilla, who nodded her head.

“ And you, my boy? How’s your imminent fatherhood treating you?”, he asked in a joking mood.

“ I’m good… still grasping the idea that in a few months I’ll be holding my child in my arms, but all good. I can’t wait for it, actually.”, said Harry, smiling at him.

“ Ah… children are indeed a blessing.”, said Charles. “ I remember when you were born. Quite a pack of lungs you had there…”, he joked.

“ Let’s hope Nugget isn’t as loud.”, said Elle chuckling.

“ Nugget?”, asked Camilla.

“ Oh… it’s what we’ve been calling the baby, instead of he or she. We don’t want to know the sex so we figured a nickname would be better.”, explained Elle and Camilla nodded her head, understandingly.

“ We’ll we can talk more about the baby in a minute. But first, let’s get to the dinning room, shall we?”, said Charles. “ Vanessa has prepared your favourite, Harry.”

After lunch, they gathered at the Drawing Room for some tea. Elle begrudgingly had herbal while eyeing Harry’s English Breakfast. The jam was strawberry flavoured, one of her favourites, so it helped with the temptation.

“ So, tell us, have you began thinking on names?”, asked Camilla.

“ Oh… not yet. It’s a bit early days, don’y you think?”, said Elle.

“ Nonsense, my dear! When Diana was expecting William, we had name selections pilled up from the moment we knew.”, said Charles.

“ Well… we don’t want to rush, pa. There’s no need for that. We still have plenty of time to thin about it.”, said Harry, stepping in. His hand found Elle’s and he gave her a squeeze.

“ Of course, of course. There’s no need to get defensive. But you must start soon. And there’s a tradition to be followed, you know. At least three names. And they ought to be family staples like Charles, George, Elizabeth, Alexandra and so on. It’s tradition and nor I note your grandparents will expect less than that.”, said Charles. Noticing both Elle and Harry were getting a little irritated, Camilla decided to change the subject.

“ And how are you settling in, dear? With your marriage and so soon having a baby…”, she asked kindly.

“ It’s all been very smooth, I must say. Smoother than I thought it would be. Of course I also have Harry and a wonderful support team.”, replied Elle.

“ That’s good to hear.”, said Camilla. “ And patronages? Have you started with any yet?”, she asked.

“ I visited Historic Royal Palaces. I became a patron as soon as I got married and I though it was a good place to start. I’ve known them for years and trust the people who run it.”, said Elle.

“ Fantastic choice, I must say.”, said Charles. “ I believe we should improve and preserve history and our nation’s memory as much as we can, don’t you agree, Eleanor?”, he asked her.

“ Absolutely! It’s one of my causes as a patron. I’ve stablished a few other patronages and organizations that work with history, in many different levels. For example, I’ve decided to become a patron of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Brighton Youth Choir because they both preserve our cultural history though their craft. And that’s part of what being a historian is to me.”, said Elle and the people around her smiled at her commitment and passion.

“ I believe you’ll do incredibly well with your patronages, my dear.”, said Charles, squeezing her hand.

________ End of Flashback

“ So, here’s what I’ve got. Say yes or no, alright? Boys names first.”, said Elle and Harry nodded his head.

“ Anthony.”

“ Yes.”, replied Harry.

“ Oliver”, she asked.

“ No”, he said.

“Thomas”

“ Yes.”

“James”

“ Yes.”

“Alexander”

“ No”

“ Luke”

“ No”

“ Frederick”

“Yes”

“Arthur”

“ Yes, though it’s in my brother’s name. I don’t know how I feel about that.”, said Harry.

“ It’s also in your father’s name, so chill.”, replied Elle.

“Theo.”

“ No”

“David”

“ Kinda, yeah… I have it on my name.”, said Harry

“ I know, that’s why I put it in there. Speaking of which, do you think we should consider Henry? As a middle name I mean?”, Elle asked.

“ I don’t think so… it’s too narcissistic.”, replied Harry.

“ Alright. Next one, Owen.”

“ Yes.”

“ Jasper”

“ No.”

“ Alright then. That were the boys names. The one we both like are: Anthony, Thomas, James, Frederick, Arthur, David and Owen.”, said Elle smiling.

“ Those are good names.”, said Harry.

“ They are, right? We just have to decided which one we’re gonna use and which is going to be a possible first name.”, said Elle.

“ Yeah… that’s gonna be hard…”, said Harry and Elle nodded her head agreeing.

“ But we can think about that later. Now, girls names.”, said Elle.

“ Hit me.”, said Harry.

“ Sophia.”, said Elle

“ Yes.”

“ Alice”

“Yes”

“Emma”

“ No”

“ Amelie”

“No”

“ Victoria”

“ Yes”

“ Mary”

“ Yeah... kinda.”

“Lucy”

“No”

“ Elizabeth”

“ Yes… but only if we give her a nickname because otherwise it’ll be confusing.”, said Harry and Elle chuckled, nodding her head.

“ Louisa”

“Yes”

“ Alexandra. That’s my middle name in case you're wondering.”, said Elle.

“ Yes, and I knew that.”, replied Harry.

“ Frances, for your mother and grandmother”

“ Yes. Absolutely yes.”

“ Margaret”

“No, too heavy for a little girl. And too emotional for granny.”, said Harry.

“ Sarah, for you godmother?”, asked Elle.

“ Maybe… but I don’t really fancy the name. Too biblical.”, said Harry.

“ Okay then. We have come up with: Sophia, Alice, Victoria, Mary, Elizabeth, Louisa, Alexandra and Frances.”, said Elle smiling.

“ Now we only have decide what to do with them.”, said Harry.

“ We’ll mix and match and see what combinations we like, then we choose, ok?”, asked Elle.

“ Perfect by me.”, replied Harry, kissing her cheek. “ And we don’t need to please my father, you know that, right?”, he said.

“ I know… my I like traditions. They are part of your family’s history. It would be nice to give at least one of Nugget’s name a historical baggage for me to brag about you know?”, said Elle and Harry chuckled.

“ Ahh thank God I married you. Who else would give me a speech on ‘historical baggage’ ?”, he joked. Punching his shoulder she smiled, and looked down at her baby bump.

“ Don’t listen to you father making fun of your mother, Nugget. You’ll be proud and happy with the name we’ll give you. Because it will be full of history and sentiment behind it.”, said Elle, caressing her lower stomach.

#fates intertwined #royalfanficcentral #royalfanficcollection #phff #prince harry fanfic #prince harry fanfiction #prince harry

[myscalesofjustice]

I really like your Helsa You're not a monster story, but are you ever gonna write the whole thing it goes with? Can you write the part where Elsa stops whatshisname from hitting Hans or sumthin?

First, I am so sorry it took me a month to answer, Anon! Second, that one-shot is one of thousands in my jigsaw puzzle of what I hope to see in Frozen 2. Trust me, the movie will be released by the time I figure out what to keep and what to toss. Third, if you really are taking about when Elsa was thinking about one of Hans’ brothers whipping him, thanks for the request!

This chapter is less Helsa and more of the Arendellers getting a look into what I think Hans’ family is like, so this might make some people sad, but please enjoy this readable storyboard! New readers, the sequel can be found here.

The next morning, Elsa first felt as if some nocturnal phantom had cut into every muscle in her body and filled them with sand. Next, a monstrous rumbling like thunder upset her brain until it was pounding against her skull, trying to charge on its assailant. Finally, sunlight from the window climbed onto her face and threatened to cook her eyeballs like campfire eggs.

Go away, she moaned inwardly.

Elsa twitched the hand not stuffed under a pillow to life, and patted the bed in search of her comforter and pillow. Her fingers found a blanket, and pulled it over her eyes. Much better. Her hand continued to wander, and this time poked something soft, but when she tugged its cloth, it wouldn’t move. Why was this pillow so heavy?

Squirming her head out of the blanket, Elsa forced her aching, heavy body up and opened her eyes. Once they adjusted to the light, she discovered the source of the thunder, or better said, snoring: Her sister’s large, blond, male friend, wearing only a green nightshirt.

“EEEEEAAAAAAHH!” the Queen shrieked, and a reflexive blast of frost forced a screaming Kristoff off the bed.

Yowls of, “OW! Augh, what? Who?” followed by a higher pitched, “AAH, cold! Why?” erupted from the floor. Elsa was in shock of finding a man next to her, but then she was reminded of the splitting headache she had woken up with when another throb of pain pulsed in every nerve from the jaw up. “Wait…” she heard Kristoff mutter. One of the ice master’s hands gripped the bed sheet and pulled him up. With his top half back in her sight, Elsa could see the other hand was holding his head.

“Elsa?!” he exclaimed, incredulous. “What’re you doing in my bed?”

“This is my bed, Kristoff!” Elsa squeaked as she covered her white nightgown with a blanket. “What are you doing here?”

Kristoff rubbed his eyes then squinted around, and realized this was indeed not his assigned suite. “Um, I was sleeping,” he said through a yawn. Apparently, he was too tired to care that he had shared a bed with his monarch and girlfriend’s sister. Suddenly, he whimpered and placed both hands on his head. “Now, ow, my head is trying to kill me.”

“Mine too,” groaned Elsa. Forgetting modesty, she lowered the blanket and massaged her eyes. The Queen heard the pounding inside her brain speeding up, prompting a fresh groan. She didn’t notice the throbbing was frantic footsteps before the doors burst open.

“Elsa, are you okay! I heard a scre-!” a beloved female voice yelled, sending a new pulse to rattle Elsa’s teeth. She turned to the doorway and saw Anna standing there, wearing a pink housecoat with strawberry vines decorating the fringe over her nightie and slippers, with Olaf in a blue nightcap at her side.

“Uh, Kristoff?” Anna said, awkward as her frozen face. “What are you doing in Elsa’s room?”

“As soon as I figure that out, you’ll be the first one I tell,” he answered, rubbing his temples.

Olaf made a dramatic gasp. “Did you guys have a sleepover without us? Are there any cookies left? Oh no! Did you already take apart the pillow fort?” The snowman started waddling around the bedroom in search of the party he had missed.

Kristoff moaned as he forced himself on his feet, and almost fell back down before grabbing the bedpost. “Seriously, what do they put in that rich people food?” he asked the room. “I haven’t woken up like this since New Year’s.” That memory gave him an idea, and he patted his stomach. “Well, I don’t feel like I’m gonna be sick this time.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Anna said, her usual cheer renewed. “I slept like a baby.”

“Me too!” Olaf chirped while closing a drawer he had thought midnight snacks might be hiding in. “I wonder what the Southern Isles stuffs their beds with. D’ya think it’s water, ‘cause mine had a wet spot when I got up this morning.”

“What about you, Elsa?” Kristoff asked. “If you don’t mind me saying, you’re not looking too good.”

“I have the worst headache in history, but just that,” said Elsa.

Anna aw-ed, and walked over to pat her sister’s head. The gentle touch soothed her aching cranium ever so slightly. Enough to let her use it again, and she remembered the night before. “No, I had a strange dream last night too.”

Kristoff chuckled in spite of his throbbing head. “Betcha it wasn’t stranger than mine,” he said. “There was creepy music, and Hans and his brothers were dressed up for the ball, but they were half asleep, so they looked like this.” To demonstrate, Kristoff lifted his arms and moved the joints in spasmodic throws like a toy marionette.

“What?” whispered Elsa, too quietly for her company to hear. She and Kristoff couldn’t have had the same dream. Yet she remembered it all exactly as he said: The music that called her from her bed, the eleven princes all dressed in silk and jewels in the middle of the night, and Hans waltzing with thin air instead of locked in his tower room.

“Hey!” exclaimed Olaf. The snowman was crawling out from under the bed. “If you two are feeling funny, maybe Hans’ brothers did too, and that’s what they’re meeting about!”

“What about a meeting?” asked Kristoff.

Anna’s eyes went wide as pinwheels with the realization that she’d forgotten something. “Oh! Right, right, right!” she declared, waving her hands. “One of the princes, the smiley one with freckles and crazy hair. What’s his nammmme? Oh yeah, Jakob! Anyway, he was lost, and came into my room looking for the King because everyone is having a meeting in the throne room.” Her excitement deflated when she added, “Something about…Hans.”

“Hans?” asked Elsa.

The picture of the former prince dancing like he was tied to puppet strings faded to the way she knew she had seen him yesterday. His thin face, paper-white skin, dark circles under his eyes, stringy hair, filthy clothes, and his dark room in the top of the palace from which there was no escape. The dark room which had children’s drawings upon the walls, and children’s toys on the floor. And now his brothers were going to talk about him first thing in the morning? Elsa didn’t know what it was, but something inside was prompted by the memory to get out of bed and step into her slippers.

“Elsa?” Anna tried to ask, but her sister was already sprinting out the door and down the corridor. “Elsa, where are you going?” called the princess, and she hurried after the Queen.

The confused ice master and snowman still in the room exchanged a glance. “I guess where ever we’re going,” Kristoff said with a shrug, and the two ran to catch up with the girls.

By the time Elsa had found the staircase, climbed down, and reached the throne room, the Westergaards were already there. Only King Klaus was immaculate as he had been yesterday; Perfectly coiffed head of raven hair on which sat his crown, perfectly trimmed beard, and perfectly clean raiment. Everyone else was exhausted and in various states of undress. Radulf, who was holding his pen and notebook, had one arm in the sleeve of a fancy coat and the other in a casual jacket’s. Noah was wearing only one boot and a waistcoat over his nightshirt. Either Teddy or Tommy (Elsa couldn’t begin to guess which) was shirtless and had a blanket draped over his shoulder, which his twin was falling asleep on. Isak had the same spiky bird’s nest of hair and dirty white coat from yesterday’s dinner. Even Philomène was standing next to Magnus in her sleepwear, and her once spectacular undo was hanging loose like a butter-yellow shower, all the way down to her knees.

Strange, the back of the Queen’s mind considered, that Duke Carl the Weasel was not lurking in the corner. Prying on this meeting must not be worth showing himself without proper apparel or business-like wig, but whatever purpose the Westergaard sons (and one daughter by marriage) had gathered for clearly could not wait for them to get dressed. It made Elsa worry all the more.

“Geez, am I the only one who got any sleep last night?” said Anna. Having caught up to Elsa, she was surveying the crowd of disheveled royals.

Kristoff, appearing beside her with Olaf behind him, bemusedly answered, “Looks that way, doesn’t it?”

“Hey,” a voice called calmly, but the bass in it caused the Arendellers to jump. Gunnar, dressed modestly in a wine red shirt that exposed his chest, brown trousers and slippers, with only half his black hair combed and a sandwich in hand, marched up to Elsa. His reddish-brown irises looked nigh demonic in eyes turned bloodshot from fatigue, and the scowl on his face made the mighty Snow Queen of Arendelle feel like a mouse staring down a tiger.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” growled the seventh prince. “We are here to discuss a matter within the family. And are you family? No.”

Anna stepped in between him and Elsa. “Hey, don’t be like that,” she retorted. “We were just curious.”

“You would do well to remember you are not the authority here,” added Vilhelm emotionlessly.

“It’s certainly no excuse for them to come barging in here, dressed like that!” declared Noah with a theatric toss of his (still probably fake) blond bangs. “Scandalous!”

“It hardly matters,” Klaus announced from his throne. Like a fine sword’s blade, his tone was even but carried a threat. “They are staying in our house, and would be made privy to our business sooner or later.” The King looked to Radulf at his side. “This stalling is a bother, Radulf,” he said. “We may as well have it over with, given the state all of you are in.”

“Respectfully, my King,” Radulf said in his nasally voice, trying to shake off his coat sleeve. “Jakob has not returned, and therefore we are not all of us.”

Olaf raised his twig arm. “Ooo! Ooo! We saw him! He was looking for the King right over there!” The snowman pointed to Klaus, proud of his deduction.

Radulf rolled his bespectacled eyes. “Well, he’ll be doing that for hours,” the third prince muttered under his breath. He scribbled something down in his book, then turned back to Klaus. “As you said, Majesty, we will begin.”

“Perfect.” The King snapped his fingers and pointed to the adjoining corridor. “Gunnar, fetch the accused.”

A hideous grin like a reopening wound formed on Gunnar’s face. Elsa half expected to see fangs dripping with blood. “I’d be happy to,” he hissed. He shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, and sprinted to the direction of Klaus’s finger.

With only dawn lighting the room, it was too dark to see what was happing in the corridor. A cold clinking Elsa wasn’t prepared for came from the shadows, and Gunnar’s voice echoing, “Go on! Move it!” The seventh prince stepped back into room with a fistful of chains dragging behind him. At the end of the iron links was Hans, worse than before. He had shackles on his ankles, his wrists, and one around his neck barely loose enough to let him breathe. Chains from all these shackles interwove into the line Gunnar was holding, like a depraved dog leash. Elsa stared in horror as Hans was dragged before Klaus. The youngest brother looked upon his monarch with a flickering flame behind his eyes, but the eldest’s cloudy right eye staring back held the risk of deep mists which could smother that tiny spark. Now everyone would see whose force was greater.

“Present the record, Radulf,” ordered the King.

With one last vigorous shake, the coat fell off Radulf’s arm. He flipped to a page in his notebook and cleared his throat.

“Let the record show,” he proclaimed to the room. “That we all retired last night within the hour of ten, the Princess of Arendelle and her valet the latest at quarter to eleven.” (Elsa, Anna and Kristoff’s jaws all dropped at this.) “Followed by myself seven minutes later once I had gathered my reconnaissance on our whereabouts for that night. At approximately half past five this morning, yours truly Prince Radulf, Prince Magnus, Prince Vilhelm, Prince Bernhard, Prince Gunnar, Prince Isak, Prince Theodor, Prince Thomas, the absent Prince Jakob, and Prince Noah awoke on the floor of the palace ballroom, wearing attire other than nightclothes and with no recollection of how we got there. Amongst us was the accused, Hans Westergaard, likewise sleeping in the ballroom and not in the garret of the north tower he has been committed to following last month’s fire…”

Radulf’s voice faded to a distant echo in Elsa’s ears while inside she was screaming, It wasn’t a dream! She truly had woken up at midnight to find Hans and the Princes flushing downstairs to dance in their sleep! They must have eventually collapsed before they still had the strength to return to their beds. Admittedly, it still sounded absurd. Sleepwalking was one thing, but sleep…dancing? With twelve people at once? Yet here was Hans, on trial for it. But if the midnight ball was real, the haunting music coming from nowhere which had accompanied the scene must be real too. Elsa couldn’t help but think this strange song is what bid her and Kristoff to wake and the Westergaards to dance.

“Ce salaud a empoisonné mon mari!” interrupted Philomène, before bursting into wet sobs. Magnus pulled his wife into his arms and let her bury her head into his neck, but the look on his face implied he would rather be doing anything else.

Bernhard, whose crimson hair was oddly in perfect curls, held up a dancing shoe for all to see. “Look at this!” the sixth prince yelled. He put a finger into the shoe and poked through a hole in the sole. “My favourite Italian shoes, trash!”

Not prepared to be upstaged, Noah cut in with, “Well, do you any of you know what broken sleep does to the faculties of an artist? I couldn’t possibly tell a D sharp from a B flat right now!”

“Silence!” commanded Klaus. The word was hard and cold as stone, just like every other sound that came out of his mouth, but the echoing order stole the voices of his audience. It also startled Teddy/Tommy awake, who almost lost his balance when Tommy/Teddy caught him by the shoulders.

Klaus interlocked his fingers, and rested his chin on them. “Now, Hans,” he said, vaguely attempting at gentleness. “It is in your best interest to not be difficult. All we want to know is how you conducted this little practical joke.”

Hans’ eye and lips were twitching. It was plain to see that rage was bubbling inside him, ready to explode like a volcano. Nevertheless, he took a deep inhale and exhale. Then he said, “For the tenth time, and I have been counting, I! Do not! Know!”

A swift knee in the side from Gunnar forced Hans on his knees. He bit his lip before a cry of pain could escape just in time for his seventh-eldest brother to grab him by the iron collar and crouch to his level.

“That’s your King you’re talking to,” Gunnar hissed in Hans’ ear before he released him.

An unpredicted smirk appeared on Hans’ face. “Isn’t this just typical, Klaus?” he asked brazenly. “I finally have your attention, and it’s for something I didn’t do.”

The grip on his patience coming loose, Klaus’ hands moved from his chin to his throne’s armrests. “What is typical, Hans,” he said through gritted teeth. “Is you making a cockroach of yourself and being found where you are not suppose to. Your escape is not the mystery. It is the question of how you transported ten bodies without leaving signs of strain or resistance.”

Hans shook his head and made a noise that was half a sigh and half a groan. “Look, I fell asleep in my bed upstairs, and when I woke up, I was in the ballroom and Isak was chewing on my hair. That’s all I know, and all you’re going to get from asking me.”

Klaus glared and straightened his posture. Suddenly, Gunnar broke the silence. “Living up to your name even now, aren’t ya, Handful?” he snorted.

Faster than Gunnar could laugh at his own quip, Hans leapt to his feet and faced his brother until they were practically touching noses.

“Quit calling me that!” he snarled, earning Gunnar seizing his hair and shoving him back on his knees.

“Without willing compliance,” said Klaus. “And your inability to present an alibi or any proof to your innocence, I hereby pronounce you guilty, and invoke… Sticks and Stones.”

In a millisecond, Hans’ eyes became wide with terror. The flame behind them went out like a candle in a hurricane. Elsa heard snickering, and saw Teddy and Tommy, smiling maliciously and repeating “Sticks and Stones,” to themselves with joy.

Gunnar’s mouth again made the savage, teeth-baring grin. “Sticks and Stones, Handful,” he practically sang in triumph. The seventh prince stood and ran to the corridor. Hans did not seem to notice his keeper’s leave of his side, much less care enough to try to move away.

“Stiiiiiiicks aaaaaand Stooooonesss…” Isak’s haunting voice drawled.

Those three words spread to every tongue in the room like an airborne disease. Whispers of surprise, of satisfaction, steadily rising in volume and giving Elsa gooseflesh. She caught a glance at Kristoff as he swallowed hard, sharing her sentiment.

“What’s Sticks and Stones?” asked Anna, oblivious to the sinister haze making the air heavy. Elsa and Kristoff turned to look at the girl between them in confusion. With more excitement, she answered herself. “Oh, do you think the’ll put him in the stocks?”

Elsa felt a tiny crack in her heart. Oh, Anna. Sweet Anna, so full of light that she could not see the shadows. Whatever heinous finale of this trial Elsa knew was coming would be, Anna could not be allowed to see it. The Queen took hold of her sister’s arm and tried to pull her outside.

“Anna, we should go,” she said, halfway to panic and her hands growing cold as proof.

“What? Why?” asked Anna. Elsa desperately wanted to simply to pick up the Princess and run far away from this room, but Anna pulled away from her sister’s chilly hold.

“Because I…” How could she say this? “Because I think Sticks and Stones is a very bad thing, and Hans isn’t going to get off so easily.”

Much to Elsa’s shock, Anna made a little giggle. “Of course he will,” she said reassuringly. “This is his family, Elsa. You heard them: He set a fire and they just put him in a room with a nice bed and everything.”

While Elsa was trying to decide between telling Anna that being locked inside was a very real torment or that nothing she had seen inside the tower could be called nice, and think of a way to explain either one gently, Kristoff also laid his hand on Anna’s wrist and tugged. “Anna, maybe we’d better listen to her.”

Piercing through the chanting, the rattling of chains called the Arendellers’ attention back to Hans. He was no longer facing Klaus, but being forced by Teddy and Tommy to crouch in the centre of the room. The twins together pulled on their little brother’s shirt until it ripped right down the middle. When they saw what was underneath, Kristoff’s jaw and arms dropped limp, Anna gasped with horror, and Elsa followed her sister’s example before clamping her palm over her mouth. Scars shaped like winding rivers, at least four still healing, crisscrossed on Hans’ back, sharing territory with bruises, ranging in sizes bigger than a boot’s sole to small as fingerprints, and the patch of red waiting to turn black and blue where Gunnar had gotten him.

Speaking of Gunnar, he had returned, walking in a self-satisfied swagger. Under his arm was a rectangular wooden box, about a foot in length, and behind him were two muscle-bound men wearing uniforms and deadpan faces. The men walked to Hans, and took the place of the twins as they held him down. Gunnar strutted up to Radulf and thrust the box into the bespectacled prince’s chest. Finding the carved wood somehow offensive, Radulf grimaced, tucked his notebook under his arm, and took the box, but kept it as far as his arms could stretch.

Gunnar lifted the box’s lid, and the sight of its contents widened his smile. He pulled out a black rod, and the leather tail attached to it slunk to the ground like a viper.

Please no, thought Elsa. Her eyes darted back and forth from Gunnar, shivering with pleasure from the whip in his hand, to Hans, already so broken that one lick would shatter him into a million pieces. For something she knew he had nothing to do with. Gunnar flourished the whip and cracked it deafeningly against the floor twice, making his audience, except Klaus, jump.

Elsa couldn’t stand it any longer. She charged past Bernhard and Vilhelm, and as Gunnar prepared a lash for Hans’ back, the Queen screamed, “Stop!” and willed an icy rush from her hand. The wintery magic struck the edge of the handle, and the wicked length of leather turned bluish-white, hard and ten times colder than death. Gunnar howled in pain like a wounded animal. The weapon dropped to the ground and splintered into frozen blocks as he similarly fell, grasping his frostbitten hand. Elsa sprinted behind Hans, and spread her arms and legs wide as his shield.

The crowd gasped loudly, then held its breath while Gunnar continued to writhe and make beastly roars. Only Klaus had the mind to stand up from his throne, and approach the woman who had put the penalty he passed to a halt.

“What is the meaning of this, Queen Elsa?” demanded the King.

Her heart and mind still rushing, Elsa didn’t know what the answer was. What was the meaning of this? How had running back to her suite with Anna turned into running to rescue the man who had tried to decapitate her and steal her family’s crown just a little over a year ago. Then she heard a strangled noise behind her, and turned her head to Hans. “Go away!” he had whispered.

If Elsa had been listening, she would have elected to ignore the man’s order on principle. But Elsa was not listening because she was distracted by the vile pattern of Hans’ scars, scratches, bumps and bruises, and she understood why she had saved him. This could not happen again. Never, ever again.

“You said Hans has no proof of his innocence, but he does!” the Queen declared. “I am a witness to the events of last night. I saw…”  Perhaps the truth was a bit too outlandish for a jury such as this. “I saw that Hans is the victim of another of another’s crime, just like the rest of his brothers.”

The eyebrow above Klaus’ clear brown eye raised above the other. “Would you care to elaborate?” he asked.

“With your, um, consent,” said Elsa, trying to sound more regal and less shaken than she felt. “I would prefer to do so in private, your Majesty. Until then, as you initially imprisoned Hans for crimes against me, I request that he will not subjected to harm.”

The King inched closer Elsa’s face, studying her. Then his eyes ever so slightly widened. “You care about what happens to him,” he said, bemused.

Elsa tried to keep her expression firm, but the curiosity in his voice caused a terrible feeling to appear in the pit of her stomach. As if she had just given up her one loaded pistol to this King who wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

Klaus regained his regal posture, and glanced at Gunnar, who was still curled up on the floor, though his cries had lowered to whimpers.

“Gunnar, go to the sickroom and get medical attention for that hand,” he ordered.

“Wha? But sh-!” he sputtered, but a warning look from the corner of his King’s eye silenced him. The seventh prince picked himself up, and once on his feet, he pointed to Elsa. A silent promise that the Queen would pay dearly for challenging him. He walked out of the room, mumbling angry nothings to himself.

Without paying mind to Gunnar’s exit, Klaus nodded to the men still holding Hans. “And you two,” Klaus continued. “Pick him up, for Heaven sakes.”

In perfect sync, the men lifted Hans by his biceps and planted him on his feet. He turned to Elsa slowly with apprehension, and shared a gaze with his saviour. Elsa felt overwhelmed, and she imagined her face made it apparent. However, Hans’ face was an unreadable muddle. His head was shaking in disbelief, his mouth was twitching as if to form words but without any sound, and his eyes, squinting in focus, were seemingly examining her every feature. Why, he was looking for the catch! Waiting for her to make a deal or tell him, “You owe me.” Did he really believe she was heartless enough to let a human being, even him, be tortured?

Elsa snorted and whipped her head away from Hans’ insulting look. His chains jangled, and between the clinking, Elsa could swear she heard Hans sigh, “Thank you.” She turned back around to be sure, but he was already being led away. Hans’ gratitude was a strange comfort, mostly because of who it was coming from, but Elsa felt a warmth glowing inside her and she smiled without intending to.

“Do you have any more conditions regarding Hans?” asked Klaus, bringing Elsa back to the present where there was no mysterious warm feeling.

“Treat his wounds, and get him some real food to eat, please,” she answered before considering that Klaus might have been sarcastic.

“It shall be done,” he said, fortunately. He looked to Radulf, who was still trying to understand what had happened to the trial. “Radulf, make a note of Queen Elsa’s requests, find someone to clean up this mess.” The King motioned to the remains of Gunnar’s whip. “Get dressed, then check on preparations for breakfast.” 

“Certainly, my King!” said the third prince. In trying to take his notebook out of his side, he dropped the whip case with an Ulp! and tried to pick it up without losing his precious book or glasses, resulting in a humorous squatting dance. “T-today, the menu calls for pancakes prepared in the Arendellian style in honour of our guests and-”

“Radulf, don’t talk about it, just do it,” Klaus commanded.

With a bow and forced smile, Radulf scooped up the box and his fancy coat, and sprinted out the door.

“The rest of you,” the King addressed the crowd. “Go to your rooms and make yourselves presentable, now.”

The Westergaards did as they were told, and poured into the hall at the speed of molasses. The four Arendellers had yet to move, for Elsa had been staring at the frozen fragments of leather laying in a light dusting of snow since Klaus had called attention to it. Now she was dismayed at the idea of looking up, for the Queen felt weary eyes on her that she couldn’t tell were real or only her imagination.

No, she told herself as she began taking deep breaths. I’m not the Snow Queen here. I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. No one has reason to fear me, so I have no reason to be afraid.

She was grateful to feel her flesh return to temperatures associated with warmblooded creatures, but when she was prepared to leave, she saw the state of her sister. From her feet to bulging eyes, Anna was shaking like a leaf. Her breathing was shallow, and she was frantically running her fingers through her hair. Elsa ran to her side.

“He was…but they…he could’ve…” Anna gasped. Her voice cracked from the tears she was going to shed.

Elsa wanted to hold her little sister. To steal what she had just witness from her mind and make the world look the way it should be again. What she did instead was cross her arms to hide her hands, and start making strides for the stairs. Thankfully, Kristoff’s arms enveloped Anna and rubbed her shoulders gently in Elsa’s place.

“Anna, breathe. Let’s just go,” the ice master said as her tears began to fall.

“No!” the Princess sobbed. She broke out of his embrace and took hold of his nightshirt. “No, no, no, no, no. They are the big brothers. They’re supposed to take care of him, an-and-and protect him. Not…this.”

“I get the feeling they do a lot of things they’re not supposed to around here, Anna,” Kristoff said as he took Anna’s hand and led her into the hall.

When Elsa took her first step on the staircase, Olaf called her name. She looked down at the snowman climbing next to her with surprise, as she had almost forgotten his presence. It was truly amazing how his coal eyes managed to look so much like a flesh and blood child and twice as innocent. But now, those eyes were wide with worry in a very un-Olaf-like manner that broke Elsa’s heart.

“Is Hans gonna be okay?” he asked.

“I…I don’t know, Olaf,” the Queen said. She wanted to tell him something more hopeful, but was too drained to be any less than honest. “But I’m going to try and make sure he is.” That seemed to be enough for Olaf, and he smiled as he held Elsa’s hand. The wooden touch made Elsa return the smile.

Back in the throne room, Klaus was about to leave for his study, when Jakob, out of breath and with cobwebs from parts unknown in his titian-coloured hair, burst through the corridor.

“Hey, I found him!” the eleventh prince exclaimed with joy. He skipped over to the King, and to his wrist to wave it up in the air. “I found him! Here’s Klaus!”

Klaus snatched his arm back and glared at his younger brother. Jakob, confused as always, looked around to see they were the only ones left in the room.

“Did I miss something?”

#Frozen 2 #Helsa #Hans #Elsa #Elsa the Snow Queen #Prince Hans #Frozen sequel #Kristanna #Princess Anna #Kristoff #Kristoff Bjorgman #Hans' brothers #Frozen #Disney

[blackkudos]

Ernie Barnes

Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr. (July 15, 1938 – April 27, 2009) was an American artist, well known for his unique style of elongation and movement. He was also a professional football player, actor and author.

Early life

Childhood

Ernest Barnes Jr. was born during the Jim Crow in "the bottom" community of Durham, North Carolina, near the Hayti District of the city. He had a younger brother, James (b. 1942), as well as a half-brother, Benjamin B. Rogers Jr. (1920–1970). Ernest Jr. was nicknamed "June". His father, Ernest E. Barnes Sr. (–1966), worked as a shipping clerk for Liggett Myers Tobacco Company. His mother, Fannie Mae Geer (1905–2004), oversaw the household staff for a prominent Durham attorney and local Board of Education member, Frank L. Fuller Jr.

On days when Fannie allowed "June" (Barnes' nickname to family and childhood friends) to accompany her to work, Mr. Fuller encouraged him to peruse the art books and listen to classical music. The young Ernest was intrigued and captivated by the works of master artists. By the time Barnes entered the first grade, he was familiar with the works of such masters as Toulouse-Lautrec, Delacroix, Rubens and Michelangelo. When he entered junior high school, he could appreciate, as well as decode, many of the cherished masterpieces within the walls of mainstream museums – although it would be many more years before he was allowed entrance because of segregation.

A self-described chubby and unathletic child, Barnes was taunted and bullied by classmates. He continually sought refuge in his sketchbooks, finding the less-traveled parts of campus away from other students. One day Ernest was drawing in his notebook in a quiet area of the school. He was discovered hiding there by the masonry teacher, Tommy Tucker, who was also the weightlifting coach and a former athlete. He was intrigued with Barnes' drawings, so he asked the aspiring artist about his grades and goals. Tucker shared his own experience of how bodybuilding improved his strength and outlook on life. That one encounter would begin Barnes' discipline and dedication that would permeate his life. In his senior year at Hillside High School, Barnes became the captain of the football team and state champion in the shot put.

College education

Barnes attended racially segregated schools. In 1956 he graduated from Hillside High School with 26 athletic scholarship offers. Segregation prevented him from attending nearby Duke University or the University of North Carolina. His mother promised him a car if he lived at home so he attended the all-Black North Carolina College at Durham (formerly North Carolina College for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University). At North Carolina College he majored in art on a full athletic scholarship. His track coach was Dr. Leroy T. Walker. Barnes played the football positions of tackle and center at NCC.

At age 18, on a college art class field trip to the newly desegregated North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, Barnes inquired where he could find "paintings by Negro artists". The docent responded, "Your people don't express themselves that way". 23 years later, in 1979, when Barnes returned to the museum for a solo exhibition, North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt attended.

In 1990 Barnes was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by North Carolina Central University.

In 1999 Barnes was bestowed "The University Award", the highest honor by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

Professional football

Baltimore Colts (1959–60)

In December 1959 Barnes was drafted in the 10th round by the then-World Champion Baltimore Colts. He was originally selected in the 8th-round by the Washington Redskins, who renounced the pick minutes after discovering he was a Negro.

Shortly after his 22nd birthday, while at the Colts training camp, Barnes was interviewed by N.P. Clark, sportswriter for the Baltimore News-Post newspaper. Until then Barnes was always known by his birth name, Ernest Barnes. But when Clark's article appeared on July 20, 1960, it referred to him as "Ernie Barnes," which changed his name and life forever.

Titans of New York (1960)

Barnes was the last cut of the Colts' training camp. After Baltimore released Barnes, the newly formed Titans of New York immediately signed him because the team had first option on any player released within the league.

Barnes loathed being on the Titans. He said, "(New York team organization) was a circus of ineptitude. The equipment was poor, the coaches not as knowledgeable as the ones in Baltimore. We were like a group of guys in the neighborhood who said let's pretend we're pros."

After their seventh game on October 9, 1960 at Jeppesen Stadium, his teammate Howard Glenn died. Barnes asked for his release two days later. The cause of Glenn's death was reported as a broken neck. However, Barnes and other teammates have long attributed it to heatstroke. In a later interview, Barnes said, "They never really said what he died of. (Coach) Sammy Baugh said he'd broken his neck in a game the Sunday before. But how could that be? How could he have hit in practice all week with a broken neck? What he died of, I think, was more like heat exhaustion. I told them I didn't want to play on a team like this."

San Diego Chargers (1960–62)

Barnes decided to accept a previous offer from Coach Al Davis at the Los Angeles Chargers. Barnes joined their team at mid-season as a member of their taxi squad. The following season in 1961 the team moved to San Diego. It was there Barnes met teammate Jack Kemp, and the two men would share a very close lifelong friendship.

During the off-seasons with the Chargers, Barnes was program director at San Diego's Southeast YMCA working with parolees from the California Youth Authority. He also worked as the Sports Editor for The Voice, a local San Diego newspaper, writing a weekly column called "A Matter of Sports."

Barnes also illustrated several articles for San Diego Magazine during the off-seasons in 1962 and 1963.

Barnes' first television interview as a professional football player and artist was in 1962 on The Regis Philbin Show on KGTV in San Diego. It was Philbin's first talk show. They would see each other again 45 years later when Philbin attended the tribute to Barnes in New York City.

Denver Broncos (1963–64)

Midway through Barnes' second season with the Chargers, he was cut after a series of injuries. He was then signed to the Denver Broncos.

Barnes was often fined by Denver Coach Jack Faulkner when caught sketching during team meetings. One of the sketches that he was fined $100 for sold years later for $1000.

Many times during breaks, Barnes would run off the field onto the sideline to give his offensive line coach Red Miller the scraps of paper of his sketches and notes.

"During a timeout you've got nothing to do – you're not talking – you're just trying to breathe, mostly. Nothing to take out that little pencil and write down what you saw. The shape of the linemen. The body language a defensive lineman would occupy... his posture... What I see when you pull. The reaction of the defense to your movement. The awareness of the lines within the movement, the pattern within the lines, the rhythm of movement. A couple of notes to me would denote an action... an image that I could instantly recreate in my mind. Some of those notes have been made into paintings. Quite a few, really."

On Barnes' 1964 Denver Broncos Topps football card he is shown wearing jersey #55 although he never played in that number. His jersey was #62.

Barnes was called "Big Rembrandt" by his Denver teammates. Coincidentally, Barnes and Rembrandt share the same birthday.

Canadian Football League

In 1965, after his second season with the Broncos, Barnes signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Canada. In the final quarter of their last exhibition game, Barnes fractured his right foot, effectively ending his professional football career.

Retirement

Shortly after his final football game, Barnes went to the 1965 NFL owners meeting in Houston in hopes of becoming the league's official artist. There he was introduced to New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin, who was intrigued by Barnes and his art. He paid for Barnes to bring his paintings to New York City. Later they met at a gallery and unbeknownst to Barnes, three art critics were there to evaluate his paintings. They told Werblin that Barnes was "the most expressive painter of sports since George Bellows."

In what was one of the most unusual posts in the history of the NFL, Werblin retained Barnes as a salaried player, but positioned him in front of the canvas, rather than on the football field. Werblin told Barnes, "You have more value to the country as an artist than as a football player."

Barnes' November 1966 debut solo exhibition, hosted by Werblin at the Grand Central Art Galleries in New York City was critically acclaimed and all the paintings sold.

In 1971 Barnes wrote a series of essays (illustrated with his own drawings) in the Gridiron newspaper titled "I Hate the Game I Love" (with Neil Amdur). These articles became the beginning manuscript of his autobiography, later-published in 1995 titled From Pads to Palette which chronicles his transition from professional football to his art career.

In 1993 Barnes was selected to the "Black College Football 100th Year All-Time Team" by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network.

Artwork

Barnes credits his college art instructor Ed Wilson for laying the foundation for his development as an artist. Wilson was a sculptor who instructed Barnes to paint from his own life experiences. "He made me conscious of the fact that the artist who is useful to America is one who studies his own life and records it through the medium of art, manners and customs of his own experiences."

All his life, Barnes was ambivalent about his football experience. In interviews and in personal appearances, Barnes said he hated the violence and the physical torment of the sport. However, his years as an athlete gave him unique, in-depth observations. "(Wilson) told me to pay attention to what my body felt like in movement. Within that elongation, there's a feeling. And attitude and expression. I hate to think had I not played sports what my work would look like."

Barnes sold his first painting "Slow Dance" at age 21 in 1959 for $90 to Boston Celtic Sam Jones. It was subsequently lost in a fire at Jones' home.

Numerous artists have been influenced by Barnes' art and unique style. Accordingly, several copyright infringement lawsuits have been settled and are currently pending.

Framing

Ernie Barnes framed his paintings with distressed wood in homage to his father. In his 1995 autobiography, Barnes wrote of his father: “... with so little education, he had worked so hard for us. His legacy to me was his effort, and that was plenty. He knew absolutely nothing about art.”

Weeks before Ernie Barnes’ first solo art exhibition in 1966, he was at the family home in Durham as his father lay in the hospital after suffering a stroke. He noticed the usually well-maintained white picketed fence had gone untended since his father’s illness. Days later, Ernest E. Barnes Sr. died. “I placed a painting against the fence and stood away and had a look. I was startled at the marriage between the old wood fence and the painting. It was perfect. In tribute, Daddy’s fence would hug all my paintings in a prestigious New York gallery. That would have made him smile.”

Eyes closed

A consistent and distinct feature in Barnes' work is the closed eyes of his subjects. "It was in 1971 when I conceived the idea of The Beauty of the Ghetto as an exhibition. And I showed it to some people who were Black to get a reaction. And from one (person) it was very negative. And when I began to express my points of view (to this) professional man, he resisted the notion. And as a result of his comments and his attitude I began to see, observe, how blind we are to one another's humanity. Blinded by a lot of things that have, perhaps, initiated feelings in that light. We don't see into the depths of our interconnection. The gifts, the strength and potential within other human beings. We stop at color quite often. So one of the things we have to be aware of is who we are in order to have the capacity to like others. But when you cannot visualize the offerings of another human being you're obviously not looking at the human being with open eyes." "We look upon each other and decide immediately: This person is black, so he must be... This person lives in poverty, so he must be..."

Jewish community influence

Moving to an all-Jewish neighborhood in Los Angeles known as the Fairfax District in 1971 was a major turning point in Barnes' life and art.

"Fairfax enlivened me to everyday life themes," he said, "and forced me to look at my life – the way I had grown up, the customs within my community versus the customs in the Jewish community. Their customs were documented, ours were not. Because we were so clueless that our own culture had value and because of the phrase 'Black is Beautiful' had just come into fashion, Black people were just starting to appreciate themselves as a people. But when it was said, 'I'm Black and I'm Proud,' I said, 'proud of what?' And that question of 'proud of what' led to a series of paintings that became “The Beauty of the Ghetto.'"

"The Beauty of the Ghetto" exhibition

In response to the 1960s "Black is beautiful" cultural movement and James Brown's 1968 "Say it Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud" song, Barnes created The Beauty of the Ghetto exhibition of 35 paintings that toured major American cities from 1972 to 1979 hosted by dignitaries, professional athletes and celebrities.

Of this exhibition, Barnes said, "I am providing a pictorial background for an understanding into the aesthetics of black America. It is not a plea to people to continue to live there (in the ghetto) but for those who feel trapped, it is...a challenge of how beautiful life can be."

When the exhibition was on view in 1974 at the Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, Rep. John Conyers stressed the important positive message of the exhibit in the Congressional Record.

Sports art

The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee named Barnes "Sports Artist of the 1984 Olympic Games". LAOOC President Peter V. Ueberroth said Barnes and his art "captured the essence of the Olympics" and "portray the city's ethnic diversity, the power and emotion of sports competition, the singleness of purpose and hopes that go into the making of athletes the world over." Barnes was commissioned to create five Olympic-themed paintings and serve as an official Olympic spokesman to encourage inner city youth.

1985: Barnes was named the first "Sports Artist of the Year" by the United States Sports Academy.

1987: Barnes created Fastbreak, a commissioned painting of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers basketball team that included Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis and Michael Cooper.

1996: Carolina Panthers football team owners Rosalind and Jerry Richardson (Barnes' former Colts teammate) commissioned Barnes to create the large painting Victory in Overtime (approximately 7 ft. x 14 ft.). It was unveiled before the team's 1996 inaugural season and hangs permanently in the owner's suite at the stadium. Richardson and Barnes were Baltimore Colts teammates briefly in 1960.

1996: To commemorate their 50th anniversary in 1996, the National Basketball Association commissioned Barnes to create a painting with the theme, "Where we were, where we are, and where we are going." The painting, The Dream Unfolds hangs in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. A limited edition of lithographs were made, with the first 50 prints going to each of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

2004: Barnes was named "America's Best Painter of Sports" by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives.

Other notable sports commissions include paintings for the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Boston Patriots football team owners.

"The Bench" painting

Shortly after Barnes was drafted by the Baltimore Colts, Barnes was invited to see their Colts' NFL Championship Game vs. the New York Giants at Memorial Stadium in Maryland on December 27, 1959. The Colts won 31–16 and Barnes was filled with layers of emotion after watching the game from the Colts' bench. At age 21, he had just signed his football contract and met his new teammates Johnny Unitas, Jim Parker, Lenny Moore, Art Donovan, Gino Marchetti, Alan Ameche and "Big Daddy" Lipscomb.

After he returned home, without making any preliminary sketches, he went directly to a blank canvas to record his point of view. Using a palette knife, "painting in quick, direct movements hoping to capture the vision...before it evaporated," Barnes said, he created "The Bench" in less than an hour. Throughout his life, The Bench remained in Barnes' possession, even taking it with him to all his football training camps and hiding it under his bed. It would be the only painting Barnes would never sell, despite many substantial offers, including a $25,000 bid at his first show in 1966.

In 2014, Barnes' wife Bernie presented The Bench painting to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for their permanent collection in Canton, Ohio.

"The Sugar Shack" painting

Barnes created the painting The Sugar Shack in 1971. It gained international exposure when it was used on the Good Times television series and on the 1976 Marvin Gaye album I Want You.

According to Barnes, he created the original version of The Sugar Shack after reflecting upon his childhood, during which he was not "able to go to a dance." In a 2008 interview, Barnes said, "The Sugar Shack is a recall of a childhood experience. It was the first time my innocence met with the sins of dance. The painting transmits rhythm so the experience is re-created in the person viewing it. To show that African-Americans utilize rhythm as a way of resolving physical tension."

The Sugar Shack has been known to art critics for embodying the style of art composition known as "Black Romantic," which, according to Natalie Hopkinson of The Washington Post, is the "visual-art equivalent of the Chitlin' circuit."

When Barnes first created The Sugar Shack, he included his hometown radio station WSRC on a banner. (He incorrectly listed the frequency as 620, though it was actually 1410. Barnes confused what he used to hear WSRC's on-air personality Norfley Whitted saying "620 on your dial" when Whitted was at his former station WDNC in the early 1950s.)

After Marvin Gaye asked him for permission to use the painting as an album cover, Barnes then augmented the painting by adding references that allude to Gaye's album, including banners hanging from the ceiling to promote the album's singles.

During the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever anniversary television special on March 25, 1983, tribute was paid to The Sugar Shack with a dance interpretation of the painting. It was also during this telecast that Michael Jackson introduced his famous "moonwalk" dance.

The original piece is currently owned by Jim and Jeannine Epstein, and is on display at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. A duplicate created by Barnes was created in 1976 on display at the California African American Museum (CAAM).

Music album covers

Barnes' work appears on the following album covers:

The Sugar Shack painting on Marvin Gaye's 1976 I Want You

The Disco painting on self-titled 1978 Faith, Hope & Charity

Donald Byrd and 125th Street, NYC painting on self-titled 1979 album

Late Night DJ painting on Curtis Mayfield's 1980 Something to Believe In

The Maestro painting on The Crusaders' 1984 Ghetto Blaster

Head Over Heels painting on The Crusaders' 1986 The Good and Bad Times

In Rapture painting on B.B. King's 2000 Making Love is Good For You

Other notable art and exhibitions

1992: In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Mayor Tom Bradley used Barnes' painting Growth Through Limits as an inspirational billboard in the inner-city. Barnes contributed $1,000 to the winner of a slogan contest among the city's junior high school students that best represented the painting.

1995: Barnes' work was included in the traveling group exhibition 20th Century Masterworks of African-American Artists II.

1998: Barnes' painting The Advocate was donated to the North Carolina Central University School of Law by a private collector. Barnes felt compelled to create the painting from his "concern with the just application of the law... the integrity of the legal process for all people, but especially those without resource or influence."

2001: While watching the tragic events of 9/11, Barnes created the painting In Remembrance. It was formally unveiled at the Seattle Art Museum. It was later acquired on behalf of the City of Philadelphia and donated to its African American Museum. A limited number of giclée prints were sold with 100% of the proceeds going to the Hero Scholarship Fund, which provides college tuition and expenses to children of Pennsylvania police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty.

2005: Three of Barnes' original paintings were exhibited at London's Whitechapel Gallery in the 2005 Back to Black: Art, Cinema & Racial Imaginary art exhibition.

2005: Kanye West commissioned Barnes to create a painting to depict his life-changing experience following his near-fatal car crash. A Life Restored measures 9 ft. x 10 ft. In the center of the painting is a large angel reaching out to a much smaller figure of West.

October 2007: Barnes' final public exhibition. The National Football League and Time Warner sponsored A Tribute to Artist and NFL Alumni Ernie Barnes in New York City.

At the time of his passing, Barnes had been working on an exhibition Liberating Humanity From Within which featured a majority of paintings he created in the last few years of his life. Plans are under way for the exhibition to travel throughout the country and abroad.

Television and movies

Barnes appeared on a 1967 episode of the game show To Tell the Truth. The panelists correctly guessed Barnes was the professional football player-turned-artist.

Barnes played Deke Coleman in the 1969 motion picture Number One, which stars Charlton Heston and Jessica Walter. Barnes played Dr. Penfield in the 1971 movie Doctors' Wives, which starred Dyan Cannon, Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor.

In 1971 Barnes, along with Mike Henry, created the Super Comedy Bowl, a variety show CBS television special which showcased pro athletes with celebrities such as John Wayne, Frank Gifford, Alex Karras, Joe Namath, Jack Lemmon, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Tony Curtis. A second special aired in 1972.

Throughout the Good Times television series (1974–79) most of the paintings by the character J.J. are works by Ernie Barnes. However a few images, including "Black Jesus" in the first season (1974), were not painted by Barnes. The Sugar Shack made its debut on the show's fourth season (1976–77) during the opening and closing credits. In the fifth season (1977–78) The Sugar Shack was only used in the closing credits for five early episodes during that season. In the sixth season (1978–79), The Sugar Shack was only used in opening credits for the first eight episodes and in the closing credits for five early episodes during that season. In the fifth and sixth seasons (1977–79), The Sugar Shack appears in the background of the Evans family apartment. Barnes had a bit part on two episodes of Good Times: The Houseguest (February 18, 1975) and Sweet Daddy Williams (January 20, 1976).

Barnes' artwork was also used on many television series, including Columbo, The White Shadow, Dream On, The Hughleys, The Wayans Bros., Wife Swap, and Soul Food, and in the movies Drumline and Boyz n the Hood.

In 1981 Barnes played baseball catcher Josh Gibson of the Negro League in the television movie Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy ‘Satchel' Paige with Lou Gossett Jr. playing Paige.

The 2016 film Southside with You (about Barack and Michelle Obama's first date) prominently features Barnes' work in an early scene where the two characters visit an art exhibition.

Death

Barnes passed away on Monday evening, April 27, 2009 at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California from myeloid leukemia. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in two places: at his hometown Durham, North Carolina, near the site of where his family home once stood, and at the beach in Carmel, California, one of his favorite cities.

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