Work Text:
August 1987
HMY Britannia
Off the western coast of Scotland near Stornoway
“Happy Birthday to You….” Members of the Royal Family belted out jubilantly in the dining hall aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia as the celebration for the recently bestowed The Princess Royal, Princess Anne was getting underway.
Anne was seated near the middle of the table with family members scattered all about as her youngest brother Edward placed an oversized birthday cake in front of her. She took a moment to glance around the room and could not help but smile. Her parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, her aunt, Princess Margaret along with her daughter, Sarah, most of her brothers and their children, her own children, Peter, and Zara were present in the room continuing to serenade her with ‘Happy Birthday’. Edward had overloaded the cake with candles that she feared it may catch the yacht on fire. While glancing around the room, her eyes landed on another figure who was leaning against the wall, the Royal Navy equerry, Lieutenant Commander Tim Laurence. She could not help but smile as even he was singing along and joining in the festivities. He merely nodded his head in recognition when their eyes locked.
He had been serving as Equerry to Her Majesty just shy of a year, and during that time, Anne had found herself doing something she so rarely did – engaging in conversation and getting to know a member of the staff in detail. Dare she call him her friend? She thought so, at least. She was impressed with his knowledge of nearly anything and had relied on his support throughout the year with various endeavors of her own – seeking his advice and opinions, which was something she rarely, if ever did. There was some sort of instantaneous bond between the two of them. It did not hurt that he was daringly handsome. She could easily get lost in his green eyes, his tall, lean yet well-built frame. He listened to every word she ever said, or so he seemed to in her mind. She could not help but think she was developing some type of feelings for him. While they had kept things merely professional initially, they did often find time to talk after hours about life and more personal topics. In Tim, she could confide anything, especially the issues with her husband. Tim knew the pain that Anne felt behind closed doors, and she felt that he valued and respected her unlike any other. They had not progressed any further than talking and such, but Anne could easily see herself being swept off her feet by this sailor.
Flashing back to reality, as her children were both calling for her attention, she finally blew out the candles before allowing the cake to be divvyed up and passed out, especially to the children who were more excited about cake than she necessarily was. Truthfully, she was not sure how she felt about birthdays. She had turned 37, and it dawned on her that she was drawing closer and closer to 40, which seemed like a daunting number for some reason. While she appreciated the family’s revelry in wanting to celebrate her, as well as countless others who had overwhelmed her office with birthday greetings, she ultimately wanted to merely enjoy being at sea. She was not entirely happy, but she did not dare let that show to anyone in the room. Something just was not sitting right with her that evening, yet she brushed it off as she chided Zara for attempting to smear cake on William’s face.
A couple hours later, Anne found herself strolling along the decks of Britannia. The festivities had finally worn down, though her mother, grandmother and aunt were likely still singing tunes. The children had all gone to bed, but she was restless. Her mind was running a mile a minute, which meant there was no way she could possibly sleep. She was still dressed in the attire she had worn for the celebration, which was a semi-formal gown that had a lower neckline than she atypically wore. She had even chosen to wear her hair down for the evening adding in faint curls here and there. She had told herself that you only turn 37 once, so she may as well enjoy it, even though part of her had just wanted to wear jeans and a jumper. Something inside her had told her to dress for the occasion, and with the way she had caught the Lt. Commander staring at her throughout the evening, she thought maybe the dress had been successful in serving its purpose.
She had eventually found a spot to stop at and lean against the rail staring out across the horizon. Thankfully, the weather was nice, and though there was a nip in the breeze, the temperature itself was not terribly chilly. She stared into the dark sky and watched as the stars twinkled high above her. Her mind a million miles away, so much so, she did not even hear someone approach.
“Good evening, Your Royal Highness,” she slightly jumped at his deep rich voice echoing along the corridor and the deck. She turned to glance at him and smiled. “Am I disturbing you?”
She shook her head and beamed up at him. “Not in the least, Tim,” she replied forgoing his title entirely. “I was restless and needed to walk. I finally was able to get my sugar-intoxicated children to sleep, but I was too wired to sleep. So, I elected to take a walk. It’s beautiful out here tonight,” she replied while turning her head to glance back across the horizon.
He smiled down at her and relished everything about her being. “It is beautiful, ma’am, and so are you,” he added in almost a whisper. Part of him had wondered if he had crossed a line by admitting that but based off the look in her eyes as she turned to glance up at him, he knew it had touched her inner core. “I know I said so earlier this evening in the dining room, but Happy Birthday,” he added while pulling a small box from inside his coat pocket.
“Tim!” she said in a shocked tone. “You didn’t…” and she paused as she was truly at a loss of words. In a roundabout way, he had just called her beautiful and now he had the fortitude to think about her and purchase her a birthday present. She was blown away by his compassion. “I…”
He smiled gloriously at her. “It’s not much at all, but I wanted you to have a little something.” Slowly, she unwrapped the small box and took the lid off to find a beautiful gold ink pen with a small engraving on it which elicited a slight gasp from her. “I know you are very particular about using your own ink pen for engagements and signings and such, so I thought that maybe I would get you a spare.”
She was astonished that he knew and had paid attention to that small detail about her. “Tim, it’s amazing. I love it. I shall use this all the time from now until eternity, and it will always make me think of you when I’m using it,” she added while allowing her eyes to meet his. Standing on her tiptoes, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Tim, truly. This means the world to me, as do you,” she paused and let it hang and watched his reaction.
They stood quietly for a few moments lost in each other’s thoughts, yet the sheer closeness of their bodies offered an extra warmth as the evening was getting a little chillier. Tim had noticed Anne’s demeanor earlier, and he wanted to ensure she was okay, but he was hesitant on how to ask.
“Anne?” he questioned very softly and quietly almost as if he were nervous in using her birth name, which she had granted him permission almost immediately, another rarity for her. She turned her head and glanced upward at him raising an eyebrow. “I’m not sure how to ask this…” he stopped and looked down, but when her hand brushed against his, he instantly jumped.
“You should know by now that you can ask me anything. What’s on your mind?” she implored.
“I’m not trying to pry or even read into things, but at some point, during the dinner, there seemed to be something, I don’t want to say wrong, but something just seemed off kilter…” he paused as he was rambling. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m concerned about you, and I just wanted to make sure you were, okay?”
She glanced away quickly as tears welled up quicker in her eyes than she cared. No one else could tell something was wrong, but he could. She knew they had to be connected on some sort of deep internal wavelength. She turned her body so that she was facing him directly, as they previously been standing side-by-side staring over the railing of the boat across the water.
“To be honest, you’re the only person who obviously noticed. That’s a loaded question, too. But, truthfully, no, I’m not really okay. My mind is in so many different places…” she paused and turned back sideways to stare back out at the black water glistening under the moonlight.
“Would you care to talk about it?”
She could not help but faintly smile, and she knew he had to have seen her do so. “I very much appreciate the offer, but not right now,” she stopped and noticed a slight look of disappointment cross his face. “But I will take a raincheck, if you’re willing?”
“Anytime for you, Anne,” he stated quietly while watching her grip the pen box tightly against herself. Her little lifeline directly to him, in some sort of strange way. He inched a step or two closer to her where he was almost standing halfway behind her. “Look!” he said and pointed to the sky as a shooting star dashed across the twinkling sky. “You have to make a wish,” he whispered, and she shivered as she could feel his breath against her neck and left ear. He was staring daringly close to her.
“I wish...”
“Ssh!” he interrupted her, and she arched an eyebrow in response at his boldness for interrupting her. “You don’t tell your wish aloud or it won’t come true,” he added and watched as she smirked.
“Do you really believe in stuff like that, Tim?” she questioned almost mockingly as if she herself did not believe in it.
“Of course, well, I guess. I made my own wish, so we shall see,” he replied and peered down at her trying carefully to keep his eyes off her neckline.
“You know how I feel about fairy tales…”
“What about a shooting star equivocates to a fairy tale?” he questioned and started chuckling, which only made her laugh too. He knew she needed to laugh and was grateful that his laughter could bring her to the brink and allow that darkness for the briefest moment to eradicate from her being. He just hoped and prayed that his wish would come true, but it was a long shot.
“Do you like it out here?” he inquired hesitantly.
“Out here as in at sea?”
“Well, I know we both love sailing, we’ve both discussed that on numerous occasions, but I meant in Scotland? Here off the western coast? It’s so isolating at times…”
She turned and smiled faintly at him, relishing the closeness of their bodies. “I quite like the solitude, Tim. I always said whenever or if I retire, I could envision retiring to Scotland. Possibly having a small cottage with a dock over some Loch…” she stopped.
“That we could moor our boat at?”
“We and our?” she asked astonishingly before breaking out into a wicked smirk. “I like how you think, Tim, and yes, I’d like that very much. Sailing with you anywhere would be heaven and anything but isolating.”
He peeped around to ensure they were the only two in sight before he wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head against his chest.
“Scotland sounds lovely for sailing and retirement, but for now, Happy Birthday,” he stated and tightened his embrace, which she gladly reciprocated by locking her arms around his waist and relishing in the best birthday gift she had received in many years.
August 2023
Ballochbuie
Moored in Loch Maaruig somewhere between Kenmore and Maaruig
Sitting on the deck on the crisp evening, Tim was waiting for Anne to come up and join him as he stared out across the Loch in the eerie darkness and quietness of the night. Today was her 73rd birthday, and the two of them had spent the better part of two days moored in Loch Maaruig in the same vicinity. They were enjoying growing old together and relishing in the isolated Scotland countryside. They had spent a good portion of the day in bed, celebrating her birthday in a variety of ways before taking to the deck to read books and enjoy the surrounding nature and scenic beauty. Tim had cooked her a birthday dinner and said they would enjoy her birthday cake and dessert on the upper deck later that evening. While he was preparing up top, she had elected to stay below and freshen up herself, especially changing into a dress that she knew he loved so much – one she wore 36 years ago on her 37th birthday while on board Britannia.
Ballochbuie was a much smaller boat in comparison to Britannia, but as Anne was getting dressed, she could not help but be hit with the flashbacks of that evening on her 37th birthday and the discussion about their having their own boat. “Well, that worked out, didn’t it, Annie?” she questioned herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror while pulling the clips out of her hair and letting it cascade down her shoulders. She was older and had many more grey hairs and more wrinkles than when she was 37, but inside, she was still the same woman that she was back then – the same woman who had gotten swept off her feet by a sailor that she still loved more than life itself.
Slowly, she made her way upstairs and slightly gasped at the sight before her. Tim had taken the time to place little lights here and there on the deck, as candles would not have survived the soft breeze. He had placed a small birthday cake and some flowers, where the hell did he get flowers? she thought to herself, on a small table, soft music was playing in the background, and he was seated alongside of the deck staring out into the distance. The evening was very similar to that evening 36 years ago, and she could not help but smile. She made her way over to him whereupon sensing her presence, he turned and immediately stood from his position to greet her.
“My darling,” he whispered while extending his hand to her. “You still take my breath away,” he stated and paused while glancing her up and down soaking in every ounce of her body. “Is this the dress you were wearing on Britannia that night?”
She smiled gloriously in response and merely nodded her head. “You remembered?”
“That is one night I will never forget,” he said while pulling her closer to him. “I don’t think you’ve ever worn this dress since?”
“Never!” she replied and stopped as she noticed the expression on his face slightly change. “I knew that I would never be viewed again in the same way as I felt that night by wearing this dress again. So, I elected to hide it in the back of my closet and only wear again when I wanted to be viewed by you, and only you, again in that manner,” she paused and studied the hungry look of passion in his eyes before turning to glance around the deck of the boat. “You did all of this for me?”
“You are the Princess,” he said and pulled back slightly as she playfully swatted at him. “Ow! I know, I know…You are my Annie, my darling…none of that Princess nonsense. But you deserve the best, which is what I wanted to give you. That night 36 years ago was a rough birthday for you, and I feared this one may be somewhat remorseful, all things considered, so I wanted to do something to distract your mind and make you feel special and loved.”
She wrapped herself in his arms and lay her head against his chest as she had done all those years ago. She stayed safely tucked inside his warm and loving embrace for a few moments before slightly pulling her upper body back, yet keeping her arms locked around his waist.
“You are too good to me,” she said and smiled. “I’m still trying to figure where you were able to get fresh flowers from?” she questioned slightly.
“There are some things that even I have to keep a secret,” he stated and arched an eyebrow in response before they both started laughing.
For the next little bit, they indulged in her cake, with Tim singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her before they decided to dance to a couple of soft selections that were playing in the quietness of the night.
“Do you still think of retiring to Scotland?” he questioned softly.
“It does still cross my mind.”
“Well, WE do have our boat now,” he added and smirked at her, challenging her spongelike memory.
She smiled beautifully up at him. “That we do, Admiral, and I would never trade that for one moment. Do we need to go cottage shopping now?”
“Only if you want,” he stated and turned her so that her back faced him. He pulled her flat against him and wrapped his arms around her securing her safely in his arms.
“You know I still think of you every single time I use that golden pen,” she said while glancing skyward at the twinkling stars.
“I’m surprised it’s held out this long.”
“I take extra special care of it, as I see it as an extension of you, so I want it to last forever.”
He kissed the top of her head before placing a kiss on her left temple.
“Look!” she excitedly exclaimed while pointing skyward. Tim quickly glanced up to see a star shooting across the sky. “Quick! Make a wish, but don’t say it aloud,” she added.
“I thought you were the one who questioned whether I believed in such hoo-hah way back when?”
“Well, my wish came true,” she replied and craned her neck slightly backward to look up at him, which was a clue for him to spin her back to face him.
“Mine did, too,” he replied and glanced down at her.
Simultaneously, they both asked, “What did you wish for?” before they started laughing and a slight disagreement as to who would go first ensued before Anne finally convinced him to go first, against his protests.
His face blushed and Anne instantly beamed as he still had that boyish look on his face periodically. She reached up and touched his face. “What did you wish for, Tim?”
“You,” he replied and looked down into her ocean blue eyes. “I selfishly wished that you would be my wife. I wanted you so bad, and I would have done anything to have you all as mine. So, I wished that somehow you would be my wife.”
She kept her hand on his face. “There’s nothing selfish about that, darling.”
“Well?” he questioned her a few moments later as they had both been lost in each other’s eyes. “What about you?”
She chuckled. “I wished for you,” she stated and watched a somewhat look of surprise ran across his face. “You had swept me off my feet. You knew me in ways that no one else in my family knew or understood me. You had accepted me for who I was – faults and all. Not to mention, you called me beautiful that night, so when I made my wish, I wished that somehow the stars would align and that I’d be able to spend the rest of my life as Mrs. Timothy Laurence,” she paused and wiped away a stray tear that ran down his cheek. “And, well, here we are…”
“Thank God above that the stars aligned or whatever else happened. These have been the happiest years of my life being by your side. I would never trade it for anything.”
“Me either, my love. I love you more than anything. You have been my rock this past year helping me through something that we all knew one day we would have to face, but truthfully, there were times when I wasn’t sure I would make it. Similarly, to 36 years ago, when I was going through a very dark time, you were my lighthouse, my beacon. You were that strong pillar of strength that guided me and led me back into the lightness, just as you have done this past year. I love you Timothy James Hamilton Laurence,” she added and stood on her tiptoes to capture his lips in her own.
“And my darling, Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, Mrs. Timothy Laurence, I love you always and forever,” he added in between breaths of kisses before the two danced to a few softer melodies winding down another year of birthday festivities. “Happy Birthday, my darling, my love, my Princess, my Annie, but importantly, my wife.”