"Mother?!" Arthur's voice is quiet, unnecessarily so for 11pm on a Friday night.

Before them, is the most intimidating woman Grace has ever laid eyes on. She is tall and slim, like a catwalk model. Though her body lacks curves, she pulls it off with the way her elegant black trench coat fits her. She reminds Grace of a mannequin in a storefront. On her face is an attempt at an inviting smile. Grace thinks she looks a bit like a shark... But that might just be Grace's fear piping up. This is Arthur's mother, after all.

Even without her boyfriend's outburst, Grace would have guessed who she was. She and Arthur share so many similar characteristics. They are both tall, and lithe, wearing their height with exceptional ease. Arthur inherited her nose, long and thin, ending in a cute button shape. Like her son, her skin is pale, with a sun-kissed warmth to it.

Unlike his mother though, Arthur's hair is light brown with lovely natural waves which fall in front of his face like curtains. Alexandra's hair is long and dead straight, the dark colour blending into her coat. It stays perfectly in place as she shifts her gaze between them.

"Sweetheart!" She exclaims, the silence broken as she pulls her son into a hug, "Oh, I've missed you!"

Arthur, still in a state of shock, wraps his arms around her tightly. He closes his eyes and inhales her familiar scent.

"Mum." His body sags, completely succumbing to the embrace.

After a few moments, Arthur lifts his head to look down slightly at his mother, "What are you doing here?"

She grins, "Can't I check up on my son?"

Arthur narrows his eyes, letting his gaze dart to his left, where his poor girlfriend is stood awkwardly.

"I know you better than that, Mum." He tells her, one brow raised. He takes a step back and folds his arms across his hard chest.

Grace is frozen. She isn't sure what she's doing, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she hopes that the stiller she is, the less likely she is to be noticed. At least that's how it works in the nature documentaries. She is aware, however, that she sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Duchess of Gloucester sighs and rolls her eyes defeatedly. She fixes a knowing smile on her face and glances in Grace's direction. The girl's attempt at camouflage had clearly failed.

"So, this is the famous Grace, hm?" She asks him, though her eyes are still scanning the short girl.

Grace is mortified, hyperaware of her basic jeans and nerdy t-shirt. Her hair is thrown into a lazy half ponytail, comfortable and out of her face. She hasn't got any makeup on; she doesn't wear it much anymore, at least not on a regular day. She no longer feels the need.

Today though, she curses her newfound confidence. Because if she'd put on makeup this morning, then she wouldn't be stood here feeling like an absolute troll in front of her boyfriend's stunning and equally scary mother.

"H-Hello." She squeaks out. One hand moves slightly, vaguely resembling a wave. Well... Grace hopes it does since it really looks more like an involuntary twitch, "I-I'm-"

"Grace Evelyn Roberts." Alexandra interrupts reaching a thin hand out, "I know who you are."

"Oh." Grace replies dumbly. She stares at the hand in front of her for a few seconds before snapping her own out to shake it. "And you're-"

"Alexandra, Duchess of Gloucester." The older woman interrupts again, causing Grace to frown momentarily, "Arthur's mother."

"R-right."

"Mother." Arthur warns. He grabs Grace's hand after his mother finally lets it go, and gives it a slight squeeze.

"Oh please, Arthur." Alexandra rolls her eyes, taking a seat on a bar stool near the centre of the room. There isn't really much furniture in the flat anymore, but of course she had found somewhere to perch, "I just wanted to meet the girl."

"That's fine, Mother. But you can put the shark teeth away." He grumbles, childishly.

Yes! Grace thinks happily. I knew she looked like a shark!

"I have no idea what you're talking about Arthur, I'm just introducing myself." The woman shrugs, feigning ignorance.

"Just-" He sighs, "Be nice... Please?" He says, before guiding Grace to sit beside him on a pile of boxes.

"I-it's fine, Arthur." Grace says hesitantly. She plucks up the courage to look at the intimidating woman, "Hi, um... Your Highness?"

Beside her, Arthur releases a snort followed by a quiet snicker. She elbows his side gently, reprimanding him without words. He just squeezes her shoulder in apology.

"Alexandra is fine." Arthur's mother tells her, an amused smile on her face.

They're sweet together, she thinks, finding their little exchange rather endearing. Grace, honestly, seems delightful. Shy, modest, but willing to put her foot down if needed. Her son, though he seems large and in charge, is really a big softy. His world used to revolve around her, his mother. He's a selfless man, and was the same as a boy, his happiness depending on hers. That's why he needs to be with a woman who can guide and support him the way that Alexandra does. He doesn't need a wife; he needs a partner.

Grace could be that for him... Could have been that for him.

It doesn't take a genius to see that Grace, despite her façade of strength, is sensitive. Alexandra thought about what Arthur had told her, about the girl being afraid to meet her, afraid of what she might think.

Grace was not royal material. Arthur needed to understand that.

It was for her own good. Alexandra has seen what royalty did to normal people. She had experienced it, marrying into the royal family. It was difficult, even marrying someone far down the line like she had, she was subjected to intense scrutiny.

Her son would one day be king, and for a sensitive soul like Grace, Alexandra fears that the scrutiny she'd face would be unbearable.

"Tell me, Grace, do you think you'd make a good queen?" She says suddenly, turning to the girl before her. Both her son and his girlfriend wore matching expressions of shock. Grace, however, also looked utterly petrified.

"U-um, uh..." She starts, lost for words, "I-I haven't thought that far."

It's a lie. This allGrace can think about. But the idea of it is so frightening that she stores itaway in locked box at the back of her mind.

"Why not?" The Duchess quizzes, unimpressed.

"Bec-"

"Are you not serious about my son?"

"I-I am!"

"Because he's going to be the king, Grace." Alexandra persists forcefully, "He cannot afford to have his time wasted."

"Do you think I'm a waste of time?" Grace responds, slowly, heartbroken.

"I think..." The Duchess starts, tilting her chin up and peering down at the girl before her, as if she's a bug inneed of squashing, "That if you are not cut out for this, if you don't belong with my son.... Then yes... You are a waste of time."

Grace is silent. Stewing in the embarrassment that Arthur's mother has made her feel.

Arthur. He's there, right beside her, just watching as his own mother tears his girlfriend down. She doesn't know what she expects him to do, this is her battle to fight. But it makes her feel kind of sick with shame, knowing he's witnessing her confidence slowly crumble. She doesn't even want to look at him, even though she can feel his eyes boring into the side of her head.

It's not Arthur's job to protect her. The logical part of Grace knows that. But it still feels like she's been thrown in the deep-end without a paddle, and Arthur and his mother are on a lifeboat, watching her drown. She feels kind of abandoned, and just a little bit betrayed.

"So...Miss Roberts," Alexandra scoots forward in her chair so that she can lean closer to the couple before her. Her hazel eyes seem to peer into Grace's soul. The older woman pauses, just sitting there watching Grace, catching her in a game of emotional 'chicken', waiting for her to crack. To Grace's credit, she manages to hold it together.

"Grace." The Duchess starts again, "Do you belong with my son?"

~~~~

Arthur is, quite frankly, shitting himself.

He doesn't think he has ever been this afraid in his life, apart from the time he broke a precious ornament belonging to his parents.

This is different though, mostly because the look on Grace's face is not anger... it's disappointment, it's pain.

Arthur had watched his mother squash his girlfriend's confidence like a fly on a windscreen. His girlfriend who, honestly, didn't have much confidence to begin with. He had promised her, moments before, that he'd stand up to anyone who doubted them, anyone. And instead he sat in silence, because his mother is the one person he can't defy.

"Grace-"

"Why didn't you support me?" She says. Her voice is quiet, and it would be scary if it weren't for the anguish clearly tainting her words, "You promised me you would."

"What-"

"Please... Arthur... Don't play dumb." Grace finally, finally looks at him and it's heartbreaking.

"I..." He sighs, looking down on at the floor, "I'm sorry."

"I'm so embarrassed, Arthur." She speaks quickly, breathless, "I can't believe crumbled like that. I can't believe I couldn't-"

"I'm sorry." He pleads, interrupting her. Grace can see how regretful he is, it's clear in his eyes. But it does little to ease Grace's internal embarrassment.

"I know." She says, her voice sounding tired, and emotional, "I know you are, Arthur."

"But you're still upset."

"Yes. I'm still upset." Grace frowns, standing from where she's been sitting for the past hour. "I can accept your apology while still feeling hurt. Arthur, you promised that we could handle things like this. But I couldn't even handle your mother on my own."

"Sunshine..."

There's that nickname again. Grace still hadn't gotten around to finding one for Arthur. She isn't even sure if it's worth trying to anymore.

"I should have stood up to her." Arthur continues eyes still trained on the ground, "I don't know why I didn't."

"Because it was your mother, and you love her, and you didn't want to upset her." Grace tells him sympathetically, "I get it, Arthur, I really do. Besides, I should've been strong enough to handle it on my own."

"But I should have defended you, stopped her from being so harsh." He admits, grabbing one of her hands in both of his, "You told me point blank that you weren't strong enough for something like that, so I promised you that I'd choose you, that I'd always make you feel loved, protected."

"And normally you do." Grace stresses, reassurance tinting the tiredness in her eyes.

"But I didn't today."

"No... you didn't."

Grace tilts her head to one side, her expression tired, mournful.

Mourning what? Arthur thinks pitifully.

"So, uh..." He starts with a gulp, "Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know, Arthur." She looks so defeated. Arthur realises that she's mourning them. And her anger, her disappointment, is not wholly directed at him. She's upset with herself, perhaps for not being able to stand up to his mother.

"I love you. You know that right, Sunshine?" Arthur tells her, moving her hand to press it against his lips and holding it there.

"I love you too, Arthur."