"Your royal Highness, how do you feel about the game?" a reporter asks.
"So nervous. But also very excited, like many people in the country and around the world."
"Do you think they are bringing it home?" another one asks.
"I think they can do it, yes."
"Ma'am, can you give us a result? How do you think the game will end?"
"Oh, that's tough. But I'll say... 2-0."
"Scorers?"
"Mason and..."
"Rice?" the reporter says, making the others laugh.
"Saka" I reply, giving them my best smile. "Mount and Saka."
"Your Royal Highness, how are the players feeling? What's the mood inside the hotel?" one asks.
"They all are ready and very focused. They know how important this game is for everyone."
"Did you speak with Rice, ma'am?"
"I did. He's the captain, isn't he?" I chuckle, trying to sound as unbothered as I can.
"How is he feeling? Did you wish him luck?"
"I wished everyone luck."
"Are the rumours about you and him getting back together true?"
"We are done here" David says.
"Everyone is expecting you to make your relationship public again after the game, ma'am."
"Thank you, everyone" I smile as David pushes me inside the car, slamming the door shut behind me.
"You shouldn't have stopped to talk with them" he says after joining me.
"It's ok, David."
"I disagree. But have you thought about it?"
"Thought about what?" I ask as the car starts moving.
"About what are you going to do if they win. I'm sure you'll want to join Roberta on the pitch and celebrate with them. But will you be able to contain yourself? Will Declan be able to?"
"I don't know" I sigh. "But honestly? I don't care."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that if I end up making out with him on the pitch, I won't give a fuck about what anyone says."
"Eleanor, you are the future Queen of England. And by the looks of it, he will be the future king. You can't make your relationship public like that" David says.
"It can't be worse than what some of my predecessors have done" I shrug.
"Eleanor..."
"If that's how it happens, then so be it, David. My boyfriend would have won the World Cup, and that would be the only thing that would matter, not what the history books or Wikipedia will say."
"All right, then... The princess and the football player it is" he teases me while trying not to smile.
"And we are very proud of that title" I reply, sticking out my tongue and making him laugh.
They've been using it against us and to make fun of us since they found out about our relationship, but we don't care anymore. That's who we are, after all. A princess and a football player who have fallen in love, and we are not ashamed of it.
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"Eleanor..."
"Roberta, I'm gonna be needing my arm in three minutes, but if you keep squeezing it like that..."
"I know, I'm sorry" she says, letting go of it. "But they are gonna win!"
"Shh, don't jinx it!"
"Sorry, sorry. I hoped that after dating Mason for six years I would be used to this, but..."
"You will never get used to this. Especially when they are playing the World Cup final and winning."
Because they are doing it. In less than two minutes, we'll hear the referee's whistle and England will have won their second World Cup. And who will be the one lifting the trophy? Declan. Just thinking about it makes me feel goosebumps everywhere.
"These are the longest two minutes of my life!" Sophie says next to me, everyone around us screaming after one of our players is tackled.
"Why isn't he ending this already?" Roberta asks, covering her face with her hands.
"Thirty seconds..." I say, grabbing Sophie's hand.
"Fucking end this!" someone shouts behind us.
And then... The whistle.
"Eleanor!" Roberta screams, jumping to hug me. "Oh my God, they did it!"
"They did it!" I scream back, hugging her and starting to cry.
"They fucking did it!" Sophie says, joining our hug.
I'm pretty sure we have a camera recording us, that someone has been keeping an eye on us the whole game and now they are seeing us cry and laugh all at the same time, definitely looking a bit crazy. But neither of us care. England just won the World Cup, and in my case and Roberta's, the men we love are World Cup champions.
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"Eleanor!"
"Hi! Congratulations!" I say, hugging Bukayo.
"Thank you!" he smiles. "And thank you for saying I would score today. I think you manifested it."
"You are very welcome" I laugh.
"B, congratulations!" Roberta says, also hugging him.
"Thank you, thank you."
"Have you seen Mason and Declan? We can't find them anywhere."
"They actually were looking for you on the stands, but then saw some friends and stopped to chat with them" he says, pointing behind him.
"Would you mind going to tell them that we are waiting for them here?"
"Of course not. Wait a minute" he smiles.
"Thank you, B. You are an angel" I say.
"Mase!" Roberta screams when they finally show up, throwing herself at him and almost making him fall.
"David..." I say when I see Declan.
"Ok, fine. Go" he sighs.
"Thank you!" I say, kissing his cheek and walking towards Declan. He is looking at Mason and Roberta kissing, he and Bukayo making fun of them. "Hey, captain Rice" I call.
"Your Royal Highness" he says while doing a big bow, a playful smile on his lips.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you very much, ma'am."
While we smile at each other like idiots, a buch of photographers have gathered around us, ready to get the photo.
"Should we give them what they are waiting for?" I ask.
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure."
"Then come here" Declan says, putting one hand behind my neck and the other on my back, moving me until we are kissing like in that famous photo of the sailor and the girl on Times Square, people cheering all around us.
"That's gonna be on so many covers tomorrow" I chuckle when I'm standing up again, my arms around Declan's neck. "A bunch of history books too."
"I know. That's why I did it" he says, brushing his lips against mine before kissing me again, more cameras flashing around us.
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"Wait, we are missing something."
"Are we?"
"Yes, wait here."
"Declan, where are you going?" I complain.
"You'll like it, you'll see" he smiles.
"I was already liking what you were doing."
"This will make it even better" he says, showing me his medal.
"What... What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing weird, don't worry" he chuckles. "I just want to fuck my girlfriend while she wears my world champion medal."
"Oh, ok."
"Come here" he says, stopping at the end of the bed and asking me to join him.
"Now what?"
"Now this" he says, putting the medal around my neck. "How does it feel?"
"Cold."
"But it fits so nicely between your boobs."
"It does, doesn't it?" I say with a mischievous smile.
"Wish I had the Polaroid camera here with me. This deserves to be remembered."
"We can repeat it back home. It won't be the same, but..."
"Yeah..." he says, his eyes fixed on my chest.
"So, Declan Rice, England's captain and World Cup winner. Are you gonna fuck me or not?"
"Oh, I am, your Royal Highness. I definitely am" he says with that smile of his that is able to set my body on fire, making me giggle like an idiot while he pushes me down on the bed.
"I love you, Declan" I whisper.
"I love you too, Eleanor" he whispers back before kissing me.