Red, White and Royally fucked

-24-

Henry

As if the Moira -the three Greek goddesses of fate itself - has listened in on my life unfolding with Alex, I am contacted by the palace's equerry with notions of returning to England – The king is ill.

My heart drops and I have to ask him to repeat it a second time, just to be sure I'm understanding it correctly. My grandfather is ill. They need all three of us – his grandkids – to come to the palace, but he isn't telling me more than that. I fear it is to say goodbye to a man I never really got to know.

I can hear Alex shuffling around in the bed as I hang up to phone.

"Babe..." the hoarse and sleepy voice calls but I'm incapable of answering. I hear some more shuffling, then he emerges in the doorway. "Babe, its only 3... why are..." he stops and instantly notices something's wrong. "Henry?" he drops the comforter, that he is holding around himself when he sees my emotionless expression and hurries to me and wraps me up in a tight and very naked hug. "What has happened?" he asks, and I still can't speak but he is patient and just holds me till I regain my voice.

"My grandfather... he is sick..."

"The king?" he asks, and I can hear him still struggling to wrap his head around the fact I'm of royal descent.

"Yes. The king... they need me to come to England..." the phone starts to ring in my hand. It's Bea. "I have to take this..." I say and Alex unwraps himself from me.

"Of course... I'll leave you some privacy." Then he goes back to the bedroom. I take a deep breath and answers the phone.

"Bea..." I can hear her sobbing and Nora speaking calmly in the background. "It's okay, Bea..." she keeps crying uncontrollably and I know I can't be this far away from her when she is sad. "I'm coming over." I say then Nora takes the phone. "Hurry." She says and I hear the desperation in her voice. "She just completely broke down. I don't know what to do."

"I'm on my way." I hang up and rushes to the door, only to find Alex already dressed and ready to go, holding my jacket out for me. "I love you so much." I blurt out and he smiles sheepishly. Then I realize that it might not be something we have actually said directly to each other before.  Even though I think we both know it.

"I love you too, baby. Let's go." He pecks a chaste kiss on my lips then opens the door.

"Thank god!" Nora rips the door open before we even knock. "Please come and help. I'm so fucking lost."

"I'll take over." I rush inside to find her sobbing on the floor. Alex is holding Nora and comforting her. It's clear she feels every ounce of agony that Bea feels. She just doesn't know why. "Is this because we might never get to know him?" I ask, slightly confused as of why she is this devastated. She has never shown any desire to be a part of the royal family as I did, therefor she has never really gotten to know him.

"No... or of course... it's very sad we might never get to know our grandfather... but Henry... there is no other successor than us... they are calling us home to get one of us to agree to take the throne...."

"No, that would be weird... wouldn't it? I mean... fuck..." the more I think about the more I feel she might be right... "you might be right."

"I do not want to be scrutinized by an entire country. I have no desire in being royal. I want to live a quiet life here. With my girlfriend exactly as mom and dad wished for us."

"I understand... and I promise, you will not have to take on that responsibility. Do you hear me, Bea? That will not be your faith."

"Royalty?" Nora bursts out and Bea instantly clasps her hand in front of her mouth.

"Oh love... I'm so sorry. I should have told you..."

I take Alex's hand and slowly leave the room so the girls can have this conversation alone. Once we are in the hallway with a closed door, Alex hugs me tight.

"I'm so happy you told me... I really am..." He says and I smile at him but only briefly. "What's wrong?"

"I fear I might be taking on the responsibility of the crown after all..."

"Oh shit..." Alex' face turn pale. "What does that mean... Are we... you know... breaking up?"

"What? God, no!" I kiss his forehead. "Never, love. Never."

"That might not be up to you..." the terror is so clear in his voice that my heart nearly breaks.

"Listen, I will not lose you. That won't happen. And if you are this worried, then come with me to England. You'll see that everything will be fine. If they want me to become king – which I'm still not sure is what's going to happen - then they will have to accept a gay king with his very hot half Mexican boyfriend. Who wishes to be a princess." I add just to lighten up the mood. Alex laughs a little, but not as much as I hoped.

"I would look pretty in a crown and a fluffy dress."

"I agree with the crown. Not a fan of the dress, though."

"Are you sure?" his big brown eyes look at me "easy access baby..." he wiggles those perfect hips and for the first time ever I might actually see the benefit of a dress.

"I'd might come to like it..." I admit and this time he laughs with his entire body.

Hi guys
I'm back from the convention and trying to keep my sanity intact (which is hard because I'm definitely going through a post con depression)
I wanted to upload this chapter even if it's short.  And I hope I get to upload the next one soon too, but I find a little pothole I need to fix first :) so please have a little patience with me 🩷

- love, Ayana