One year. It would be one year ago tomorrow since they had taken their vows, and little over four and a half years since they had first met.
And here he was last minuet shopping for an anniversary present.
Un-sure on what he was to get her, he had spent the day before at work searching on line for ideas for a Paper anniversary gift. Where amongst all the photos and lists on Pinterest and goggle he found an idea. He was now cutting through the back streets of central London, to avoid the crowds of tourists to pick up the gift.
They had met in their final year of University. He had been studying English, and her Art and Art History, and the both were doing their teaching degree.
There was no funny story of how they had met. Unless you count that her friend was setting one of their friends up with one of his friends on a blind date, and her and her friend had turned up to lend some moral support in the first moments of meeting, and he was their doing the introducing. The blind date did not work out for the friend but it had for them.
He was now working as an English teacher at Westminster School. He had been extremely surprised about getting the job. he had just started working in a north London secondary school. It was not one of the best schools but he enjoyed it for what it was.
It was the fact that he never remembered applying for the position. and he was pretty certain that he had not.
Gabriel was from a relatively normal family, considering his parents where a little hippy-ish. hence the name Gabriel and his younger sister Pandora and older brother Raphael. Their father was a history teacher and their mother owned her own shop. Him, his brother and their sitter had gone to standard schools.
Where as his wife of one day off a year had who was now an art teacher at Royal Academy of Arts, as well as she would do a lot of art commissions.
Her family story was a little different and a little sad. at age seven she moved in with her aunt and uncle, who raised her. Prior to that she had been living in Italy with her mother. When she was 6 her mother died in a car crash and she had been put in to care until they had found her aunt and uncle. she had gone to all privet schools, and had had a good education, Her aunt and uncle had no children of their own as you might image they soiled her. Yet you would not think of it by her manor. She was a very down to earth. she would volunteer at soup kitchens and shelters when every should could.
It was at Oxford university where they had meet and fallen in love.
They had dated for three years before he had proposed. And that day was marked in history. As they and their friends sat in a bar on their second bottle of the Champagne. When one of the bar staff hap tuned the TV on and up. All over the news was the announcement that the King had died and he was to be succeeded by his 26 year old son.
It had changed the mood in the bar, and they had ended up cutting their celebrations short.
A year and a half later they had married.
Standing in the kitchen of their four story town house in North London. Vienna poured hot water in to the two mugs with a tea bag in each.
“So are you doing anything for your anniversary?” the voice called out form the hall.
“We’re going out to diner, buts thats all.”
She headed to the hall with tea.
“Thanks for doing that” she watched as he straighten the large print that he had just hung for her. She handed him the mug.
“Thanks” he stepped back to admire is handy work.
“Are you sure that I can’t get you anything, Tea, coffee, water?” she asked the man in a black suit and tie standing with his back to the front door.
“No thank you mama”
“Well If you change your mind let me know.”
“Thank you mama.” she smiled at the him. “shall we” heading in to the front room of the house. He kicked the door closed as he entered the room.
“This guy is doing my head in. He wont smile, make small talk, frowns at any he works with that makes a joke.”
“Then get rid of him.”
He lent back in sofa and loosened his tie. “I would but when I said about coming here to seeing you, He organised everything so I didn't have to come with whole British army.”
“Thats a very good point, I don't feel like my house is a night club crime scene. I think you should keep him”
He smiled as he lent forward to pick up his tea. “Hows Margaret and Steven?"
“Their good. They are in Scotland at the moment. Think they come back in two weeks.”
“Oh yes it was the charity event last week. It went well from what I heard.”
“It did. They made a lot of foster children happy… Next month is the Great Ormond street fundraiser. The four of us are going, I think we’re doing the whole matching outfit thing.” smiling nervously at the thought
“Cute” smiling. “Thats one thing I wanted to talk you about. I’m going to be there I hope that it wont be a problem?"
“Why would it be a problem?”
“I don’t know... I’m surprised that you have never told him.”
“Theres no reason to too, so I’m not going to.”
He took a sip of his tea.
“Whats wrong?”
“Nothing” he became on edge as though he wanted to say something yet could not find the words.
“So how’s things with you. Meet anyone yet?” changing the subject a little. He smiled as he had another sip of tea.
“You have. Tell me all about her.”
“No.”
“Is that no you haven't, or no your not going to tell me.”
“Not telling you” in a joking child like way, pulling a bit of a face.
“Not even a name. Its not like i’m going to tell any one.” They sat smiling at each other for a moment.
“Hair colour?”
“light brown”
“Eyes?”
“Blue’
“Pretty”
“He is” Quietly blushing as he had more of the tea.
Vienna smiled a little unsure on how to respond.
“So how long have the two of you been a thing?” sipping on her hot tea.
“Six months... And only you, Mr Personality out there and one other person knows”
“You’ve kept it quiet”
“Well I don’t have much of a choice.”
“There is nothing wrong with being who you are.”
“But for me it is… And maybe thats why should tell Gabriel about your parentage.”
“Now that would be a great anniversary gift. ‘hi darling I need to tell you something my aunt and uncle are not my aunt and uncle, their my cousins, and I also have a half brother who is Royalty”
It was something that she rarely said out load, in fact she had not said it out load in years, the whole idea of being connected the Royal family she had not ever really cared about. When she had been told, when she was sixteen and had met her father. he had told her how he and her mother had met.
It was after his son William was born. His wife William’s mother had died during child birth. He had met Vienna’s mother a year after and they had had a passionate affair not long after she found out that she was pregnant. but because of his status they agreed not to tell anyone and the two of them had parted. and he had made sure that the two of them were comfortable and could live well.
After her mother had died, The Italy authorities had problems tracking down her next of kin, so she was placed in care for six months until her aunt and uncle were found and she placed in her care.
Margaret and Steven were distant cousin of her father so keeping the ‘scandal’ of his romantic affair and Vienna out of the lime light was reasonable simple.
Which Vienna had came to appreciate over the last four years. As she watched the stress that William had been under.
But with the his sudden burst of news from him, her head suddenly filled with thoughts anxiety. Even though Steven was a distant cousin of their father, and weather or not she was illegitimate the fact the name on her birth certificate she was still second in line to the throne...
