Chapter Text
The air is hot and humid, but Henry is completely relaxed. His life has been more relaxed in the last two years. It’s not perfect, but it’s better. These trips certainly help. He opens his eyes, taking in the scene from their balcony, spotting the brilliant blue water far below them. Rio was a great choice. June had pitched it, and the other five of them had eagerly joined. They can’t always join June on her trips —nor does she invite them each time—but at least twice a year, the six of them get together for a week in some faraway destination, escaping their lives for a moment of bliss.
The door to the balcony swings open with a loud bang as it crashes into the wall inside. “Whoops,” Alex says, laughing as he delicately carries two mugs in his hand. “That’s what I get for trying to open the door with just my foot.” He hands one mug off to Henry. “Your tea, baby.”
Henry smiles, taking it from him. “Thank you, love.”
Alex settles next to him on the small loveseat, taking a sip of his coffee as he looks out at the overgrown greenery around them. “God, it’s gorgeous here.”
“It is.” Henry leans over, pressing a kiss to Alex’s head. Alex smiles at the gesture.
A comfortable silence hangs between them as they sit and enjoy their morning drinks. This has become their ritual on mornings they can afford it. If Alex has nowhere to be and Henry doesn’t have any events, then they start their morning like this. It’s perfect. They wake up slowly, together, enjoying the peace of their life before they have to do more.
Henry looks over at Alex and realizes this might be the moment he’s waited for. No moment is going to be truly perfect, but here in a secluded paradise, with hints of their peaceful rituals, Henry can’t think of any time that could be better.
He turns to Alex, taking his free hand. In the seconds since he made the decision, Henry’s heart rate has ratcheted up dramatically. “Alex?”
“Hmm?”
The second Alex turns to him, his face open and at peace, Henry knows this is right. “Will you marry me?”
Alex’s eyes go wide, his mouth dropping open. “What?”
Henry sets his tea to the side and moves off the couch, dropping to one knee in front of Alex. “Look, I don’t have a ring. It’s somewhere inside. I’ve been carrying it around for weeks. I’ve been trying to find the perfect time, but there is no perfect time and yet every time is the perfect time to tell you that I love you,” Henry says. “And I love our life together. You make me happier than I’d ever expected to be. You push me to be better. You help me be strong. Having you in my life has helped me become the best version of myself. You are incredible and everything I’ve ever hoped for. I don’t care where or how, I just want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“I do too,” Alex says, tears in his eyes. He shifts on the couch, setting his coffee aside as he sticks a hand in his pocket. “But I remembered my ring.”
Henry stares at the box in Alex’s hand as he opens it. “You—?”
“You beat me to the punch by two fucking minutes, Wales,” Alex jokes. “And you didn’t even remember your ring.”
Jumping up, Henry races into their room, tearing open the bag he’d hidden it in and rushing back to the balcony, assuming the same position. “Okay, now I’m ready. Will you marry me?” he asks, laughing this time.
“Of course I will,” Alex says. Henry slides the ring on his finger, staring at it in a quiet awe. Alex gestures with his own box. “Will you marry me?”
Henry stands up, crowding into Alex’s space as he settles himself on his lap. “I want nothing more than to be your husband.” With the same look on his face that Henry knows he had, Alex slides on the ring he picked for Henry, beaming up at him.
Their lips crash together in a messy kiss. They’re too busy smiling and laughing to kiss properly. But, christ, Henry has never felt so happy. He deepens the kiss, tasting the coffee on Alex’s tongue, tangling his fingers in Alex’s soft curls. Leaning into the embrace, Alex slides his arms around Henry’s waist, helping him properly straddle him.
“God, I can’t wait to marry you,” Alex breathes against his lips. “You’re fucking everything. You know that?” He pulls back looking at Henry. “You’re my whole entire life and my favorite part of every day. I never expected you, but god, I can’t live without you.”
Henry rests his forehead against Alex’s, smiling down at him. “Oh, love, it’s the same for me.”
They meet again in a long, slow, sumptuous kiss. Alex keeps pulling him closer and closer, like he’s trying to climb inside Henry and marry their bodies as well as their lives. His hand shoots out to the side, fumbling between the cushions to find the bottle of lube they’d left out here after a dip in the pool the night before had led to other things.
Alex, nipping at Henry’s lip, pushes at his waistband. “I need you,” he pants. “I wanna celebrate this fucking moment.”
Henry can’t exactly argue with him. Right now it’s just theirs. If they go downstairs, they’ll share the news. When they go back to England, they’ll tell more people. Eventually, so many people will know. But right now, it’s just theirs. It’s their small moment to jumpstart the rest of their lives. And Henry can’t stop himself from wanting to be one with Alex as they revel in their joy.
Alex’s shorts barely get down to his knees before he’s slicking up his fingers. It’s not much of a stretch after the night before. Henry works his hips back against Alex’s fingers. Everything between them is warm and familiar and perfect. They meet again in the middle, their lips never parted for long. Henry sinks down onto Alex’s cock, a relieved breath punching out of him at the delightful feeling of Alex filling him.
It’s everything he loves about being with Alex in a moment: the held gazes, the pleased smiles, the feeling of their bodies intertwined. Alex’s hands slide up his back, into his hair, bringing him down for another long kiss. “Husband,” Alex breathes against his lips.
Henry nods, pushing back against him with a strangled cry. “Husband,” he echoes. “You’re gonna be my husband.”
Alex smiles. His face contorts as he thrusts deeper, his hands tight on Henry’s hips as he starts to direct their movements. Henry gives himself over to Alex. He’s happy to be in this bubble with him, tangled around each other. There are laughs and moans and hands tight on each other’s bodies. And through it all, there’s one fucking thought playing through Henry’s mind on repeat: I get to spend forever with this man.
He holds Alex closer, tucking his face into Alex’s neck as he feels himself get closer and closer to his release. He leaves a mark along his shoulder. They move with a quiet desperation, Alex swallowing Henry’s moans as he comes, their lips all but fused together. Without much more urging, Alex follows him, his fingers tight on Henry’s body.
In the afterglow, in the realization of what had actually happened on a seemingly uneventful morning, Alex and Henry stay right where they are for a few moments longer, eyes locked on each other.
“I love you,” Alex whispers. His lips brush against Henry’s as he says it.
“I love you. So much.”
Their shower afterward matches much of the same pace as before. Hands and lips wandering, laughs and breaths shared. Eventually, they do clean themselves, but it’s a long, distracting process. Henry can’t keep his eyes off Alex as they towel off. There’s a thoughtful look on Alex’s face as his motions slow. He raises the towel to his head, drying his curls as he looks like he’s doing a complicated math equation.
“Love, what’s going on in here?” Henry asks, pressing a kiss to Alex’s forehead.
Slowly, dropping the towel to the ground, Alex looks up at Henry. “What if we got married?”
Henry stares back at him, confused. “Er, I thought we already agreed to. That was what I meant when I asked you to marry me. Was that somehow not what you meant?”
Alex laughs, shaking his head. “No, I mean… what if we got married here? What do you think?”
The air is thick with humidity and the question hanging between them. Henry watches Alex carefully, wondering where this is coming from. “I… what do you mean?”
Tragically, Alex steps over to their bags, pulling on a pair of pants. Maybe this isn’t a conversation to have naked. Regretfully, Henry puts on some clothes as well. “Alright, what are you thinking?”
Alex takes a deep breath, clapping his hands. “We should get married. Here. We’ve got our best friends and our family downstairs. A fucking paradise outside. Let’s get married.”
“I’m not… opposed… but, why?”
“What do you think the odds are that when we go back to London, your grandmother tells us we can’t be married?”
Henry closes his eyes, deflating a bit as he sits down on the bed. The last two years have been pretty perfect except for the fact that they’ve had to keep their entire relationship under wraps. People who know are free to know, but no one else can. At the time, Henry was glad his grandmother wasn’t forcing them apart. He’d had stress dreams for weeks before they finally admitted the truth to her. For the first six months afterward, he’d constantly woken up from dreams where Alex left him because keeping it a secret was too much. Every time he told Alex about them, Alex got a sad look on his face and promised Henry over and over that he was happy, that he wished Henry could believe him. And, really, Henry did believe him. His subconscious was just too good at playing up his worst fears.
Alex’s point is valid. There’s every chance that his grandmother will either forbid them from marrying or tell them that, yet again, they have to keep it to themselves. Henry is tired of keeping his love for Alex hidden. He wants to shout from the rooftops how happy Alex makes him. He wants to go to Christmas services with Alex’s hand in his like Philip does with Martha. He wants to go to the Opera and sit in the box with Alex beside him instead of Pez. He wants to do everything he’d normally do with Alex in public if his grandmother wasn’t a raging homophobe clinging to the last bit of power she realistically holds over him.
With a sigh, Henry finally admits, “It’s not zero. You’re right. It’s likely she’ll try to stop us. Convince us to have a long engagement and then attempt to drive a wedge. Or just keep finding reasons to push the date.” He shrugs. “I could see her doing any number of things. But I didn’t want to wait any longer. I want to marry you.”
Alex steps closer, taking Henry’s hands in his. “Then marry me. Here. She can’t tell us not to get married if we’re already married. And, god, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want some long, drawn out engagement. I want to be married to you. So, let’s just get married.”
Henry stares at Alex. It’s impossible for him to stifle the wide smile on his face. He didn’t think he was capable of loving someone this much. Slowly, he starts to nod. “Okay. Yeah. Let’s just fucking get married.” Alex surges closer, about to kiss him again when another idea strikes Henry. “Wait, what if —”
“Oh, babe.”
“Shh. Just, hear me out. I need to know your answer on this.” Henry bites his lip. Alex nods, urging him on. “What if we tell her we’re married and we have to keep it a secret again?”
“We’ve been living that way for the past two years, baby. It’ll be fine.”
Henry groans. “Alex, I don’t want you to have to hide in my life. I hate it. And it’s not fair to you.”
“It’s not fair to you either, baby.”
“I know, but I expected it.” Henry sighs, feeling guilty again. “We’d be signing ourselves up for another who knows how many years in the shadows. Are you sure you want that?”
Alex crawls into Henry’s lap. “Henry, I knew it was a chance and I still proposed to you. Okay? I know you’re worried that it’s too much to ask, but I want you. And even if it feels like forever, I know this isn’t actually forever. Okay?” Henry nods, leaning his head against Alex’s shoulder. “If she tells us we have to keep hiding, I’ll just wait until the day she dies and then show up at your mother’s coronation on your arm and the world will stop in its tracks.”
Henry laughs, despite himself. “Wouldn’t that be a story?”
“Baby, I love you. And I want to marry you. No matter what.”
“Me too,” Henry promises. “No matter what. So, let’s do it. Let’s get married here. Today, even.”
“God, you’re hot when you’re enabling me,” Alex says, laughing. He presses a smacking kiss to Henry’s lips. “Let’s go tell everyone else.”
To say that everyone else is surprised is, well, a bit of an understatement. No one seems particularly surprised that they’re engaged. Nora apparently knew Alex had a ring. Pez definitely knew that Henry had a ring. But each and every one of them is completely shocked by the news that they’re getting married before leaving Rio.
“I’m sorry, what?” June asks, agape.
“You heard us,” Alex retorts.
“That’s, like, a little insane,” Nora says. “I mean, I love it. Don’t get me wrong. You know I love chaos, but…”
“But why rush it?” Bea finishes.
Alex squeezes Henry’s hand and pulls him into his side. “Because we love each other and we don’t want to wait. We don’t want anyone to tell us that we shouldn’t get married or that we shouldn’t be together.”
“And we’re decently sure there’s a chance that happens when we go back,” Henry adds.
Understanding finally dawns on the other four of them, though clearly, they don’t quite know what to say.
“We figure this way, if she tells us that we can’t get married, then we’re already married. They’re not stopping us from doing anything,” Alex says, watching Henry. “And if somehow—probably through Catherine’s help—she does let us get married, then we’ll get an extra day to celebrate us. And we’re good with that too.”
Henry nods. “So, we’re getting married today.”
There’s a long pause where everyone stared at them. And then June stalks forward and wraps them both in a hug. She smiles happily and says, “Then dammit, let’s get you married.” She turns back to the rest of the group and adds, “You see? This is why I told you to always bring a dressy option. Something always comes up.”
As Henry and Alex predicted, their sisters and best friends throw themselves into having as perfect a wedding as they can with a few hours’ notice. Pez proudly proclaims that he officiated a friend’s wedding a year ago and his certification is still valid.
Bea and Nora scour the courtyard and gardens of the house they’re staying in to find appropriate flowers for the occasion.
June tests out different lighting with her camera to help find the perfect site on the property for the wedding. She’s also volunteered to take their pictures.
If it’s their only wedding, all four of them want to make sure it’s perfect.
Personally, Henry just wants to end the day married to Alex. It may not have been how he expected the day to end when he woke up, but now, it’s all that matters.
Henry carefully styles his hair. It’s an impromptu wedding, but he still wants to look good. June stole Alex away to get ready with her and Nora. Pez and Bea flutter around in Henry’s assigned suite as they make sure both of them and Henry are wedding appropriate.
As Henry does the buttons on his crisp, white shirt, he watches Pez don one of the brightest shirts he’s ever seen. It’s absolutely perfect. Bea walks back in wearing a long, slim, mauve silk dress. She holds out Henry’s suit jacket for him. It’s just black. He’s probably going to be the most boring out of all of them, but he doesn’t mind. It’s what he’s used to.
Pez pats Henry’s cheek affectionately, saying, “I’m proud of you, dear.”
“For getting married?”
“Yes. And no. For going after what you wanted and refusing to back down.” Pez smiles, nodding approvingly. “It’s inspiring. I mean, not to me because I always go for what I want, but to some people.”
Henry rolls his eyes before pulling Pez into a hug. “You’re the worst.”
They walk down the stairs, ready to get the ceremony started. Alex turns around in the foyer, beaming up at Henry as he approaches. He looks as carefully put together as Henry attempted. It’s not surprising that Alex is gorgeous—Henry’s thought so since the second he laid eyes on him. But there’s something about seeing Alex like this, ready to join their lives together forever that has a special glow about him. Or maybe it’s just the sun dipping lower in the sky. Still, it’s hard to ignore how staggeringly good Alex looks right now. Henry’s used to him in the black or navy suits he used to wear as a PPO. But today, Alex is standing at the bottom of the steps in a brilliant blue suit, and as Henry gets closer, he can see delicate white flowers embroidered into the jacket. It’s gorgeous.
Running a hand along the sleeve, Henry shakes his head at Alex in awe. “When did you get this? How have I never seen it before?”
Alex shrugs, smirking. “I bought it for a special occasion. Thought it might happen here, so I brought it along.”
“You’re incredible,” Henry says, unable to take his eyes off Alex. “Shall we do this?”
Clasping Henry’s hand in his, Alex nods. “Let’s do this.”
In the lush gardens with exotic flowers and plants blooming all around them, the sun setting in the background, Alex and Henry join hands in front of Pez, both of them unable to wipe smiles from their faces. Neither of them are surprised when Pez is able to throw together a beautifully touching ceremony with barely any notice. He talks about their past, their futures, their hardships, and their successes as a couple.
“But, no one can speak to the love you two share better than you,” Pez says, smiling at both of them. He gestures to Henry. “Why don’t you start with your vows?”
Henry nods to Pez before squeezing Alex’s hand. This was the one downside of arranging a wedding so quickly; he hasn’t had time to prepare his vows. He’d have wanted them to be perfect and speak to everything Alex means to him, but he worries he’s going to forget something important.
Clearing his throat, Henry starts, “Alex, you are, quite simply, the love of my life. You sailed into my life like a whirlwind and turned every inch of it upside down in the best way. From the moment I met you, I felt safe and I felt understood. And from the moment you were mine, I’ve only watched my life improve just by having you in it. You are my friend, my confidant, my protector, and my love.”
Alex laces their fingers together, pulling their joined hands up to press kisses to Henry’s. When Pez gives him the go ahead, Alex shakes his head, chuckling to himself. There are tears brimming in his eyes as he takes a deep breath. “Henry, it’s hard to put into words what you mean to me. I love you with all that I am. There aren’t many people I would upend my world for. But you are my whole world. You make me better and you support me through everything. I can’t tell you how excited I am to become your husband. Loving you is the easiest and the best thing I’ve ever done.”
It’s Henry’s turn to fight back the tears as he beams back at Alex. They professed their love only hours ago as they both proposed, but there’s something about solidifying it that feels like Henry’s floating.
Pez takes them through the rest of the ceremony—adding in his own touches—before he makes it to the end. “I now pronounce you husbands,” he says, cheers from the girls immediately following. “You may now—”
He hasn’t even finished saying it when Alex pulls Henry close and kisses him firmly, deeply. Henry laughs against his lips before surrendering to it. He could spend the rest of the night kissing his husband and it would still feel like a night well spent.
When Alex finally pulls back—both of them a bit dazed—he stares up at Henry with a pleased expression on his face. “You’re my husband,” he whispers.
Henry leans his forehead against Alex’s. “You’re my husband,” he echoes. “And christ, I feel so lucky for it.”
Alex kisses him again, softly and slowly, their bodies swaying to the sound of the wind around them.
Someone —Nora, most likely—starts playing music. Lights above them turn on as the sunlight fades. Food they bought upon arrival to their villa is laid out on a large table while June pours drinks for those who want them. It becomes an intimate, happy party, celebrating love and family and being together. After they eat, Pez pulls June to her feet and twirls her to the beat of some song Henry recognizes but can’t name. Alex sits on Henry’s lap, waving around his caipirinha as he yells whatever point he’s making at Nora. Bea laughs, looking over at Henry with a bright, relaxed smile on her face. It’s one of the most delightful evenings Henry can ever remember having, only made better once Alex decides later to pull Henry with him out onto the makeshift dance floor.
It almost feels like no one else is paying them any attention, just enjoying their night and dancing to their own beats. But Alex and Henry are holding each other, letting their lips meet lazily as they sway to the slow music pouring from Pez’s speaker. Their love is traded back and forth in whispers and kisses and arms holding the other close. Henry leans down, tucking his face into his husband’s neck, the two of them locked in a tight embrace.
If he never had to move from that spot, Henry would be good. Satisfied, even. He keeps his mind focused only on Alex, on the luxurious feeling of being openly in love.
The second they’re back on the plane to head home, Henry starts to worry. It’s not exactly surprising. Alex watches him as they board, both their rings firmly on their fingers. He rubs his hand along Henry’s arm as the four of them that live in England take off for home. Neither of them know what awaits them once they’re back. The only certainty is that it will be a struggle and it will be frustrating. It’s not exactly the emotions Henry wants to have to contemplate after the last few days of being helplessly happy.
“We’ve got this,” Alex whispers to Henry, lacing their fingers together.
It’s a long flight back to London, but Henry calms down with Alex beside him. He reminds himself that they’ve successfully lived together for two years without his grandmother stopping them. After Alex had expressed his concerns about her response, Henry wondered if they got engaged too soon, if they should have waited longer. But he’s tired of putting his life on hold, waiting for his grandmother to die or step down —the latter of which will never happen—in order to live his life the way he wants. Alex makes him brave. He’ll simply have to tap into that as they get back to London.
“Your Highnesses, welcome back,” Shaan says, greeting Henry and Bea. He glances at Alex, grinning as he adds, “You too, Alex.”
“Welcoming as always, Shaan.”
Just inside the door, Shaan turns in front of Henry, stopping him from going further. “Sir, would you like me to prepare a car for your return to the country?”
Henry glances at Alex. It’s an out, an option to let this inevitable confrontation wait another day. But Henry shakes his head. “No, Shaan, that won’t be necessary. We’ll be staying here tonight. Please, arrange a meeting with my mother. And the Queen if she’s amenable to it.”
Alex sucks in a breath as he walks after Henry. “So, you’re getting it out of the way quickly then?”
“Of course. I’d rather just know instead of waiting and guessing.”
“Smart.” The second the door is closed behind them, Alex adds, “You know I’m right there with you.”
Henry pulls Alex into his arms. “Always, right?” he asks, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Isn’t that what you promised?”
The next morning, Alex jumps in the shower with Henry, using his mouth to help calm him down. It actually works. Before they walk into the meeting with his mother, Henry takes a deep breath.
“You and me,” Alex reminds him.
“Always.”
They’re both a bit shocked when they walk in and Mary is actually in Catherine’s sitting room.
“Ah, Gran, you’re here,” Henry says, frozen in his steps. He reaches out and grabs Alex’s hand, noting the second his grandmother’s eyes zero in.
Catherine smiles as if nothing could possibly be odd. “You asked for your grandmother to join you for tea,” she says. “Why on earth wouldn’t she?”
There’s a steely glare from Mary that Catherine is steadfastly ignoring. Gesturing to the empty seats around the table, Catherine urges them to sit. With the caution of someone approaching a snake poised to attack, Alex and Henry take their seats. Immediately, like they’re any other family, Catherine pours them tea and offers them sandwiches.
“Thank you, Mum.”
“Thank you, Catherine.”
Sitting up straighter —which Henry didn’t realize was actually possible—Mary turns her glare on Alex. “You should address her as Your Royal Highness. She is a princess. You are a commoner.”
Alex opens his mouth to bend to whatever Mary wants, but Catherine shakes her head. “Nonsense,” she says, that same smile still plastered on her face somehow. “I encouraged my son’s partner to address me by name. He’s family. I wouldn’t want my family to refer to me by a title.” It’s a veiled comment, one that Mary clearly doesn’t miss, but she doesn’t press the point.
“Now,” Catherine says, her voice almost aggressively cheerful, “Henry, my love, I believe you had something you wanted to discuss with me?”
Henry glances over at Alex, taking a deep breath as he nods. “I do.” He takes a fortifying sip of tea and makes himself talk. “On our trip this past week, Alex and I became engaged. To be married, that is.”
Catherine beams at the both of them, tears springing to her eyes. “Oh, my loves, I am so incredibly happy for you two. What absolutely wonderful news.”
When she jumps to her feet, dragging both of them into a hug, it’s easy for Henry to pretend this is how he’d expected it to go. With his mother, this was certainly what he’d expected. From the second she knew about his relationship with Alex, Catherine was supportive. She’d championed most changes they’d wanted to make and stood by them completely. Henry knew his mother would be happy to celebrate with them. He also knows that if she knew the full truth, she’d still be just as happy for them, if not happier.
“I can’t wait to hear the full story of how this happened,” she says, wiping away a tear from her cheek. “But, first, we should make plans on how we’ll announce this.” Both Alex and Henry falter, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or, rather, waiting for the other shoe to drop kick them down the stairs. “I believe with Pip, we had arranged the photo call and sit down interview for the next day. It’s never fun to sit on news like this. And, goodness, you two have been sitting on your entire relationship for so long. We won’t want to keep you waiting even longer.”
Just when Henry is starting to believe that everything she says could be true, could really happen, there’s an aggressive throat clearing sound from the table. “Catherine, I’m not sure why you’re encouraging this behavior.”
Three sets of frustrated expressions flash the Queen’s way. “Encourage what, Mother? My son being happy? Celebrating the marriage of two wonderful people? Welcoming in a new member of our family?” She sits down, picking up her teacup with a look on her face that spells out disgust. “I realize these are probably foreign concepts to you, but I plan to help my children be happy.”
Mary shakes her head vehemently. Alex and Henry sit back down as well. The tea sandwiches sit like a rock in Henry’s stomach. But this is why they did it the way they did, this is why they got married before they’d even left Brazil. It just hurts to be right.
“We cannot allow them to announce this marriage.”
“Why?” Catherine asks, either playing dumb or genuinely asking for once. “Philip had a large wedding in front of the entire nation. He got to stand in front of everyone and profess his love. Why should Henry not receive the same treatment? Surely it’s not because Alex is a man. I can’t imagine the reigning monarch in the 21st century would hold such backward beliefs.”
Alex and Henry act like they would at a tennis match, their heads turning back and forth with every argument the two women make.
“The people of this country would not support them. They do not agree.”
“Respectfully, Mother, you wouldn’t know what the people of this country want if it bit you on the arse.” Henry bites his tongue to stop himself from making a noise. Alex does his best to disguise a laugh as a cough. “When I wanted to marry Arthur, you tried to forbid me. Need I remind you how that worked? I married him and I was the happiest I’d ever been. I had three wonderful children and no one cared that an actor who was a commoner married into the Royal Family.” As Mary opens her mouth to retort, Catherine carries on over her. “Agnes married an approved royal suitor and they were divorced in three years. Anne followed my path and married whoever the hell she wanted and they are still married.”
Once again, Mary shakes her head. “I cannot allow it.”
Standing up, pulling herself to use every inch of her height, Catherine says, “Then I’m not sure I can allow you to remain as Queen.”
The silence in the room is tense. For a second, Henry wonders if he should fight his own battles instead of letting his mother do it for him. But why on earth would he ever do that when she is so effective at helping him? All he’s ever been able to do is piss off his grandmother and guilt her just enough about the assassination attempt to not banish Alex from the country after they revealed they were in a relationship. Henry will fight for Alex, but he’s never been good at fighting for himself.
Alex has a death grip on his hand, both of them nervous at the outcome of this debate. It’s the rest of their lives essentially on the line here. If anything, that is what makes Henry finally speak.
“Here are the options I think could happen,” he says, his hand only tightening around Alex. “One, you refuse to let us announce our betrothal and Mum uses whatever power or knowledge she has to usurp your throne. Given her popularity with the people, it might be easier than you think.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “Number two, you refuse to let us announce our betrothal and we get married in secret, and after your death, we come forward and announce that we have been married for years and that you were in full support of our union. Since you’ll be dead, you won’t be able to assure your loyal, backward followers that it’s a lie. And then, there’s option three. I give up my place in the Royal Family so that I do not have to subject my fiancé to the horror of joining a family that wishes him to remain silent and a secret, and Alex and I leave the country. Of course, once we’re in the U.S. with Alex’s family where we’ll feel supported and celebrated, there’s every chance that our tongues get a bit too loose about the treatment we received here, simply for being two men in love. Alex, correct me if I’m wrong, but your sister is a journalist, isn’t she?”
Alex watches Henry with a look that is a beautiful mixture of awe, amusement, and admiration. “Yes, dear, she is.” The corner of his mouth quirks in a poorly concealed grin.
Catherine points in Henry’s direction, nodding in approval. “I think those sound like valid options to present, Henry. Of course, I would absolutely hate it if my own mother drove my son from this family over who he loved. Something he can’t even control.” She turns her gaze back to Mary. “You wouldn’t do that, now would you, Mother?” Catherine picks up her teacup and watches her mother over the rim of it. “I know you think all these options are abhorrent. So which option is the least abhorrent? Which option keeps you right where you want to be with only minor discomfort?”
Henry sits in the music room, playing a song he’s known for most of his life. It allows his mind to wander without the keys going sour. And with times like these, his mind is bound to wander more than he’d like it to. He’s lucky if he got half of what Shaan said in their meeting this morning.
The meeting with his grandmother had been exactly what he’d expected. It shouldn’t have surprised him. When they’d revealed their relationship to her and admitted that they were living together in a now royally owned residence, Henry’d half expected her to have a stroke. She’d gone red in the face as she geared up to explain to Henry all the reasons they were wrong and all the ways he’d betrayed her. And with one remarkably thin file that proved that Her Majesty the Queen once was friends with the parents of Agent Riker, which implied that she could have aided in his hiring, which would then make her partially responsible for the attempted hit against her own grandson, Catherine had bought Mary’s silence for the past two years.
Even with those memories, Henry hates that Alex had to witness it all twice now.
The bitch, she’d taken option two.
There was a brief moment —emphasis on brief— when Henry watched his mother fight for him and actually believed she’d win. After Mary left, Henry quietly confessed to his mother that they’d already secretly gotten married, knowing this would happen. She’d expressed how sad she was to miss their wedding, but she supported them. It’s that easy.
Still, Henry doesn’t totally know where it leaves them. Apparently in the same place they started: keeping their marriage a secret for an unknowable amount of time. An extended trip to the United States to be around Alex’s family sounds really bloody good.
“Henry!” Alex calls before bursting in the door to the music room. “Oh my god, Henry!”
“What, love? What’s the matter?”
Alex props his phone up against the music stand on the piano, holding one finger over his lips.
On the screen, two female morning show anchors return from commercials. “Good morning. We are back with some shocking news out of Kensington Palace. Early this morning, before people were even heading to work, there was an announcement that Prince Henry was engaged. Now, I don’t know about any of you, but I had no idea that Prince Henry was even involved with anyone.”
Another woman chimes in, shaking her head. “No idea, Mel, absolutely none.”
“It’s baffling, innit? Anyway, to explain quite how shocking all of this is, we have to take you back a couple of years. I’m sure we all remember when we saw the news that there’d been an attack against Prince Henry while he was visiting a theatre.”
“Alex…” Henry says, turning to look at him. Hearing the news about his engagement hadn’t led to an excitement that somehow the news had leaked. Instead, he worries it’s a play by his grandmother to trap him. Mentioning the attack, though, is only relevant if it involves Alex.
“Keep watching,” Alex urges. He grabs onto Henry’s hand where it rests on the keys, his fingers like a vice.
“Nothing too harmful actually happened to Prince Henry at that time due to the heroic efforts of his bodyguard who got him away in time,” the first anchor continues, “and actually took the attack himself. And I’m sure we all remember that since that day, Prince Henry has gone on significantly less visits.”
“It’s also worth noting,” the other anchor adds, “that the same bodyguard from before was never around at these visits. But, sources at the time assured us that this bodyguard was still, in fact, alive.”
“We have confirmation of that now,” the first anchor says. She smiles, shaking her head. “Because the announcement from Kensington Palace reads that Prince Henry George Edward James, son of the Princess of Wales, grandson to Her Majesty the Queen, is engaged to be married to Mr. Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz of the United States.”
Henry whips his head over to look at Alex, bewildered. Alex just nods. He beams back at Henry, unable to control the smile on his face. “What?” Henry whispers.
“Alex Claremont-Diaz is that same bodyguard who saved Prince Henry’s life,” the second anchor confirms. “And now they’re getting married. It’s like something out of that movie The Bodyguard.”
“But with a happier ending,” the first anchor says at the same time Alex does. Henry chuckles, leaning into his side. “Plus,” she continues, “this essentially confirms to the public that our country has a gay prince. And personally, I find that to be quite exciting. I’m proud of how far our country has come that we can embrace and celebrate this couple.”
“I can’t wait for the wedding. Hopefully they’ll give us a big royal gay wedding.”
Henry presses pause on the video, giving himself a moment to process it all. “How is this out? Who released it?”
“I have no idea,” Alex says, shaking his head. “Surely not your grandma. Unless she got haunted by three ghosts last night, urging her to change her ways, there’s no way it’s her.”
With a laugh, Henry lays his head on Alex’s shoulder. “I love you. Do you know that?”
“You better,” Alex teases. “You did marry me.”
“And if the people have their way, apparently I will again in a large, public ceremony.”
It’s not something he’s really ever considered. He never thought he’d have the option for it. Even now, he still doesn’t understand who put out the announcement from the Palace. Half of him wonders if Bea did it or convinced Shaan to do it for her. Either way, the news is out. They are out. The most important relationship in Henry’s life is no longer a secret. It makes no sense.
Bea bursts into the room in the same way Alex did minutes ago. “Have you heard?” Her shock at the situation narrowly rules her out. “What on earth is happening? Did Gran have a stroke and it somehow wiped out her homophobia?”
Henry laughs, his head thrown back. “That would be some powerful stroke.”
“I don’t think they work like that,” Alex says, frowning. “But either way, I’m not mad.”
Bea sits down on the couch next to the piano, scrolling and scrolling on her phone. “You should see the articles that are popping up. Hell, you should see the tweets that are popping up.”
Alex’s phone starts vibrating on the music stand: a call from Nora. It’s the middle of the night for her, but somehow the news must have reached her as well.
“What the hell is happening? Please tell me y’all went rogue,” she exclaims. “Do I need to set up some sort of shelter for you here in Boston? It feels poetic in a way. Sheltering in Boston from a cruel British monarch.”
With a laugh, Alex tells Nora how they have no idea what’s going on. Pez starts texting Henry relentlessly, sending questions and articles and tweets as well. Nora must wake June up because she joins in on the chaos as well. As fun as it is to have these six brains put together to find every acceptable reaction to the surprising news, it still gets them nowhere closer to finding out the answer.
After hanging up with all their people, Henry drags Alex from the music room, heading down to Shaan’s office. “What is this?” he immediately asks.
“It’s an official announcement,” Shaan says. “I’d have assumed it’s what you’d want.”
“So, you did this?” Alex asks.
“No, I didn’t. But I would have if you’d asked.”
Once again, they’re nowhere closer to an answer. Out in the hallway, their hands still clasped, Henry and Alex run into Catherine. Suddenly, a bit more makes sense. Hopefully. If it’s not her, then nothing makes sense.
“Mum, we didn’t do this, but—”
Catherine smiles, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. “I know you didn’t release the announcement. I did.”
“Why?” Alex asks. “Not to say we’re not grateful to not have to live in secret anymore, but just… why?”
“One person shouldn’t have the ability to control you. Her backwards views shouldn’t keep you two watching your backs and coming up with lies every time you want to go somewhere together,” she insists. “For two years, if you’ve ever wanted to go out in public together, Alex has acted like your security. That’s wrong. There is nothing to be ashamed of with you two. You deserve more. I don’t care what she thinks, I don’t care what she believes. You deserve happiness and openness. So, I submitted one small press release and gave it to you. She won’t be Queen forever, but why on earth should the two of you have to wait for that to happen to live your lives authentically?”
Henry, without another word, wraps his mother in a tight hug. “Thank you,” he breathes. His voice can’t manage much more. “I was prepared to go along with whatever she chose even though I hated it. But… christ. Mum, thank you.”
Catherine hugs him back just as fiercely. She steps back, cupping a hand to both their cheeks. “I want you both to be happy. Your father and I defied her wishes and our lives were so wonderful. That’s all I want for you.”
This time, it’s Alex who pulls her into a hug, Henry right alongside him. In the most impossible way, it feels like they won.
Less than twenty-four hours later, Henry sits at the piano once more. His hair is professionally styled, his suit and tie respectably boring. Once more, he plunks at the keys, trying to pass the time before they have to be ready.
Alex walks in much more calmly this time. He looks as done up as Henry. At their wedding, Henry had stuck with his predictable but traditional black suit while Alex had shown more vibrance. This time, Alex is just as plainly dressed as Henry. The only stipulation Henry’d had when they picked out outfits was that Alex couldn’t wear a black suit. For a year, Alex had donned the plain black suit and tie to act as Henry’s guard. And while Alex would always protect him, he’s no longer Henry’s official protector; he’s his husband.
So, instead, Alex is wearing a charcoal suit, a deep blue tie fastened pristinely. Henry wants to mess it up.
“Are you ready?” Alex asks, sitting down on the piano bench with him.
“Am I ready to stand up in front of the whole world and show off that I locked down the most handsome man I’ve ever seen?” Henry asks, smirking. “Oh, love, you know it.”
Alex laughs, leaning in to kiss Henry softly. “I think that should be my line.” He sits back, admiring Henry for a second longer. “Should we go?”
“Probably.”
They stand up, their hands immediately finding each other once more. In the last few days, they’ve spent very little time not holding each other in some way or another. Right before they walk out into the Orangery, an official photo call waiting for them, Henry pulls Alex back into the shadows. Just once more. He cups his hand gently around Alex’s face. He’s more than familiar with each curve and freckle and scar. He’s more than familiar with the way Alex’s eyes crinkle when he really laughs. He’s more than familiar with the beautiful smile Alex reserves just for him.
It’s been three years of knowing him, two and a half years of keeping him all to himself, but Henry is finally sharing Alex with the rest of the world. He can’t wait for everyone to love him as much as he deserves. Leaning in, Henry kisses Alex once more, just for them.
“I love you so much,” Henry whispers.
Alex nods in agreement, a smile splitting his cheeks. “I love you, too, baby.”
In the days when Alex was Henry’s bodyguard, he was always off to the side or in the background of pictures. In the days when Alex was Henry’s secret boyfriend, he was somewhere in the room, but never in pictures and never near Henry.
This time, finally, Henry reaches down and takes Alex’s hand in his, bracing for a barrage of camera flashes. As they step out into the light, Alex is right by Henry’s side.