Page 9 of The Forever Match

Ahead of them, the Long Walk stretched out in a perfect ribbon of gravel, lined with horse chestnuts and limes nearly three centuries old. Off through the trees, a cluster of red deer lifted their heads to watch them pass, then went back to grazing. There was something in the quiet here, in the ancient oaks and the soft thud of hooves on damp earth, that made the noise of the world feel very far away.

“Your mother tells me it’s all going well. Apart from those foaming at the mouth about the so-called ‘woke’ royals.” Gran frowned. “Tell me, does ‘woke’ mean that you’re not a raving fascist? I may not be up on all the lingo, but that seems to be the gist from what I can gather.”

Victoria smiled. “Something like that. If you’re not woke, I suppose it means you’ve run out of empathy and have no desire to see the world from anyone else’s viewpoint than your own.”

Gran shook her head. “I’ve met plenty of people like that throughout my lifetime. It’s not a new phenomenon, just new language. Why can’t people just be happy for you?”

The backlash had been savage in some quarters, but she’d also been amazed at the outpouring of love from the public. All ages, genders, races and sexualities had come out and wished them well. She and Ash had been bowled over by kindness far more than hate, and that was where they kept their focus.

“How’s Ash holding up?”

The response to their sexuality had been particularly hard on Ash, who was used to operating in a diverse and inclusive world. But she was made of strong stuff, which was one of the many reasons Victoria loved her.

When Victoria had wobbled and wondered if she could go through with the scrutiny, it was Ash who’d held her, reminding her they were doing this together. The first step on their life journey, side by side. Victoria had gone glassy-eyed when Ash had said that.

“She’s nervous, just like me, but excited, too. It’s our wedding day, and we’d rather not have religious zealots protesting with banners, but we both keep saying things could be a lot worse. We have to use our privilege to affect change if we can.”

Gran shook her head. “You don’t have to. You could have had a smaller wedding, married without the glare of publicity. The fact that you’ve chosen to go the whole hog says a lot about both of your characters.”

Victoria glowed from the inside out hearing that.

“Are you okay with what we’re doing? Honestly, your opinion matters so much to me.”

“Getting married? Of course.”

“I mean, not getting married in a traditional venue.”

Venus trotted on as Gran patted her neck. “I’ve told you before: I want you to have the wedding you want. If the church won’t let you marry in their house, what choice do you have?” She glanced sideways. “I agree with your mother that you have to do certain things. But marrying in the place that’s ultimately going to be your home? That makes sense. You’re breaking with tradition, yes, but you’re also laying a stronger foundation for the future. It’s a clever move.” She tapped the side of her riding helmet with one gloved finger. “I always did say you were the one with the brains, thank goodness.”

They trotted on for a few seconds, both lost in their thoughts.

“Has Mother said anything to you?”

Her Gran shook her head. “Nothing bad. At heart, she wants what’s best for you, and she knows that’s Ash. Your future wife’s got a good head on her shoulders, and that’s all you can ask. She’s not going to go off the rails and sell her story to the press.”

Victoria snorted. “She’s more likely to deck the press. Especially because she’s having a very hard time picking up the moves for our first dance, and seemingly needs to lash out at someone.”

“Really? I thought athletes would be tremendous at dancing.”

“Not this athlete. Off the pitch, she’s got two left feet. If we get through even half the first dance, it’ll be a miracle.”

“She’s willing, though. Which means she loves you. Not that I needed a dance to see that.” Gran shook her head. “I always worried you’d be forced into a sham marriage, like so many in our family’s past. Thankfully, your parents came to their senses and decided to support this way of doing things.” She reached across and patted Victoria’s gloved hand. “I don’t say it often enough, perhaps, but well done, Cassandra.”

“I’m sure she’d appreciate you saying that to her. Out loud.”

“Hmmm.” Gran gathered her reins. “One miracle at a time, my dear.”

Chapter 5

Days Until The Royal Wedding: 4.

When Ash had imagined herself getting married, she’d thought it might take place in St Albans’ registry office with a clutch of friends and family. Something small, intimate. She wasn’t someone who’d dreamed about her perfect day since she was four. Far from it. However, not in her wildest dreams had she pictured her big day being held at Buckingham Palace.

Something else she hadn’t imagined was the Queen turning up to the rehearsal with Honey and Truffle. However, here she was, walking in with Desmond, wheeling the two corgis in a buggy behind.

“For fuck’s sake,” Victoria muttered beside her. Then she addressed her mother directly.

“The dogs, Mother? Really? I thought we were taking this rehearsal seriously.”