The Last York Prince [AU]

Moder AU 2 - Alternative Ending

(I kinda want to do this after the last chapter, but I decided not to)

He opened his eyes, gasping for air. He got up and could feel the sweat covering his face.

He turned to the other side to see it empty. He got up and ran to the opposite room to see her holding their baby.

Teddy laughed when he saw his father. Freja turned and frowned.

"Another nightmare?", she asked, worriedly.

Richard shook his head. "I got this weird dream that I was the King of England".

Freja snorted. "You? King of England? Then where do you put Elizabeth II?", she giggled.

"Yeah, it's weird".

"Daddy stinky", Teddy giggled.

"Yeah, go shower, daddy", Freja pushed him back into their room while she and Teddy headed down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

After breakfast, the trio headed off to the park. It was still an early Saturday morning and only a handful of people were running about.

Freja raised her hand, spotting Sarah and Robyn not far from them. The ladies hugged and Richard and Robyn fist bumped.

"Where's Drew?", Richard asked.

"Ugh, y'know him. All nighter playing and then yelling 'I WASN'T THE FREAKING IMPOSTOR!!!'", Sarah imitated his older brother.

"Can we eat now? I'm starving", Robyn chimed in.

"Cookies!", Teddy blurted out.

"We'll have cookies later, not in the morning", Freja kissed his cheek.

As they walked, Richard spotted a family approaching. He knew the woman, who was smiling at him.

*

Richard remembered three years ago when he set his feet down to London on his own for the first time. He looked around and saw his girlfriend and his two best friends - Drew and Robyn were waiting for him, waving at him.

Richard left the boarding school the minute his 18th birthday arrived. He packed the little he had and went to London.

He had little memories of his family; no pictures or trinkets to remember them by. The only thing he knew was his mother's name, Elizabeth. He didn't know why he was sent there and he never saw them again.

He had often spent holidays with Drew's family, where later Robyn joined in when he was enrolled to the school.

Richard was angry at his family for abandoning him at first, but when he had learned the truth, he decided to let it go. He understood that his mother was doing what's best for him and it was the only thing she could do to keep him safe.

He and Freja stayed with Drew and Robyn's small flat until he gets a job and a stable income to be able to afford his own place. Drew, knowing this, offered a job at his father's work shop.

Richard used the Internet to find his family. He didn't know much of his birth father, but he found his mother via his half sister's social media.

He smiled, seeing how happy she was. Freja hugged him, telling him that she's there for him.

Richard was a fan of music. He had a great voice and Drew's father, William, suggested that he posted videos on social media.

Richard was nervous. He had been wanting to do that, but he was afraid. Of what, he didn't know. Drew, Robyn and Freja talked him into it and he decided to post his first cover.

Lizzie heard it, the familiar voice. She walked into her daughters' room and gasped.

"Mama, look! This is the singer we talked about", said Meg.

"He's so handsome", Mary commented.

She looked at the screen. Her first born son, looking so much like his father - his curls and his eyes.

Henry had heard of it. He felt guilty for talking his wife into sending her son away, to cover her shame. Their marriage was rocky at first, but they were happy after that.

Lizzie and Henry sat down with all four of their surviving children - Arthur, Meg, Harry and Mary. Lizzie explained who that famous singer from YouTube was to her.

Her children were shocked to find out. They asked why and Lizzie came clean of how Richard came to be.

Meg was the first to find Richard, by accident that is. She spotted him at Camden Market with a woman.

They were smiling and laughing; Meg assumed the woman was her half brother's girlfriend. She wanted to approach, but didn't know how to at first. She went back home to tell her family.

When Richard's channel began to monetise, he set the money aside for two things - a house and a ring. He got record label deals and he bought his first house with the first paycheque.

After two years in London, he proposed to Freja. He brought her to Hyde Park, one early morning and she was surprised when Drew, Robyn and Sarah were there with a banner that said, "WILL YOU MARRY ME", in bright and bold pink letters.

Teddy came not long after they got married. Richard never stopped loving his son with beautiful blond curls and rosy cheeks.

*

Richard stopped his tracks as he faced the woman who had abandoned him many years ago. Why now?

"Hello, Richard. Do you know who I am?".

"You're my mother", Richard wanted to cry so badly.

"I know you must be angry. There's so much I need to tell you and explain to you".

Teddy tilted his head, confused at the situation. Freja took the others away, leaving Richard to have some privacy with his mother.

Teddy squirmed his way out of his mother's grasp and ran to Richard, clutching on his father's leg. Richard picked him up and kissed his cheek.

"Perhaps we can sit down and talk somewhere", Henry suggested.

They decided on a tea house nearby. Robyn and Sarah headed off as they didn't want to interfere with Richard and his family.

Lizzie explained, from A to Z. She expressed her grief and regret on her every waking hour after she had left him at that place.

Richard didn't say a word. He understood what she had to go through and he couldn't blame her. For many years, he himself felt ashamed of his own origins, but he worked his way to forgive his parents for what they had done and he vowed to never abandon his children.

(THAT'S THE END OF IT 😂)