Forbidden Love - Lestappen AU Charles Leclerc x Max Verstappen

Chapter 5 - Prince Charles of Monaco

"My name is Prince Charles of Monaco. I ran away from my home around 11 months ago and ended up here."

"Wait, sorry to interrupt. Why did you run away, Charles?" Max questions making eye contact with the younger boy.

"I was getting to that part, Max." Charles replies.

"Wait sorry, how do you two know each other's names?" Max's mother raises, to which her daughter, seated next to her, quietly whispers the short history of Max and Charles.

"Can I continue?" The Monégasque asks to which he receives a nod from each of the people in front of him, including Christian in the far corner. "So, I ran away because things were getting too difficult. Before you say anything, I don't run away from my problems, alright? My parents weren't helping by taking the things I still live for, away from me. I was getting so sick of everyone treating me differently because I'm a Prince. And then, when I met Max. He was the one person who treated me like I was normal." Charles then gave the family some to time to let that sink in, before Jos spoke up.

"So you ran away from Monaco almost a year ago and somehow ended up blowing up our country. How does one do that exactly?" He asks.

"Well I'm not sure really, I don't actually know who has bombed you so." Charles replied hesitantly.

"Anyway I've sent a message to your family and we shall all have dinner tomorrow with them. To discuss what we do about this monstrosity of a situation you caused through your teenage hormones. You better be there, Leclerc." Max's father speaks loud and clear.

"I wouldn't miss it," Charles concludes and with that the Dutch royal family leave the Princes alone in the large, luxurious dining room.

After a few long minutes of deathly silence Max speaks up. "Why didn't you tell me? Any of it Charles. I thought you trusted me." Max speaks the last part barely audible. Charles waits a moment before looking up from the table, directly into his lover's eyes.

"I thought it would complicate everything and I didn't want to remember that this," He reasons gesturing his hands between them, "would never work out. Because we're two Princes, our families having been feuding for hundreds of years. It just wouldn't work, Max." Charles pauses lightly to recollect his thoughts. "And believe me, Max, I would do anything for this, for us to work. But it just can't." He finishes tears dwelling in his eyes. Max can bare to look at Charles in this state so he slowly pulls him closer to himself. Their bodies pressed against each other as they embrace.

"Listen, Charles, we have to do something. We can't just stay here and act as if we're going to see each other again. Alright?" Max softly says after some time, before continuing. "maybe you should mention it to your family when they get here tomorrow?" He questions the younger boy.

"Well that would just make me more of a disappointment to them. They already hate me especially for running away. I wouldn't help us." Charles replies almost immediately, completely shutting down Max's earlier statement. "We could try get your parents on board though, that would probably be easier." He then suggested after some thinking, to which Max nodded his head pulling Charles impossibly closer.

"Yeah maybe," He then whispers to Charles as if he was trying not to let others hear them. They stay there for a little while longer just enjoying each others presence.

"I should probably go now," Charles says after some time.

"Where will you go? The city is rubble, there's nowhere to go anyway. Just stay here my parents already know." Max voices not loosening his grip on the younger Monégasque in his embrace.

"That's the problem, your parents probably don't want me here after I indirectly destroyed their country. I'll find somewhere though. Trust me." He replies encouragement lacing his tone. And with that (the 2023 season comes to an end, goodnight) Charles steps out of his boyfriend's embrace hesitation overcomes his body as he makes eye contact with the Dutchman watching his every move, with a light frown upon his face. "I'll see you tomorrow anyway," He finalises. Whispering a quiet 'I love you' in Max's direction causing the blonde to smile and reciprocate his feelings aloud.

The Monégasque steps out of the palace courtyard and out onto the dark streets of Amsterdam. His emotions weighing down on him as he makes his way through the shadowed walkways. Why does he have to disappoint everyone? When he finally finds someone who doesn't treat him like royalty but like a normal human being does everything then have to go to shit. His family probably don't want to see him anyway. But oh how he misses them especially his brothers Lorenzo and Arthur. His friends Pierre and Esteban probably so worried of his whereabouts.

His spouse, but he doesn't care for her as if he's her fiancé . He cares for her more as a best friend would. Alexandra is lovely but he just doesn't feel that way for her or any girls in particular. He knows she feels the same as he does about all of this. She has her own Prince Charming in Italy which her parents don't approve of, as he is a baker's son. They thought the best way to go about this if they can't avoid it, is to become friends. So that's what they did. He probably missed her the most if anything though. All he left her was a letter, explaining he would come back, not indicated when but he didn't know that either.

All he wanted was a break from his family, his royal duties and everything really. It was all becoming too much with all the responsibility falling onto his young shoulders. The weight of being homosexual in such a pressure environment with the position of Crown Prince looming over him. Having been trained his entire life to be King, to then think that he won't be good enough for such a high role in society.

King of Monaco. Having to speak with all other world leaders. Declare war on other countries. Fight with and for his people. Carry the responsibly of their lives on his shoulders. If he makes one wrong move, trusts the one wrong person they could all be dead in minutes.

Monaco:
Princes Charles, Lorenzo (17 acting as King for Charles) and Arthur (13)
Jules was Charles' godfather and leader of the Monégasque army (Briefly mentioned)
(Rest of family remain the same)

So sorry this took so long had some writers block but I'm back now I think.