I hear the phone ring loudly beside the bed- Henry's cell phone. The screen lights up the room. The mattress moves beside me.
"Richard?" I ask in curiousity, hoping it it's anyone but him. He's not expected back for another two weeks, since he extended the trip an extra month so he could take a retreat.
"Yes... hello?" Henry utters hoarsely.
I hear a long, loud frantic sentences from here. I turn as Henry starts to sit up.
"Hold- Richard, hold on. Slow down. What is going on?"
When Henry nearly jumps out of the bed, rushing to the door, I push aside the covers, climbing out as well. After putting on my robe, I walk into the hallway, making my way down the steps carefully.
"How could you do this?" Henry shouts. I hear the TV on in the background. "How could you be so fucking idiotic, Richard?!"
I press a hand to the wall at the edge of the hall. Henry has his hand flat against his forehead, he looks like he's barely breathing. He didn't even dress, he's in only briefs. I'm in shock, having never heard him speak to his brother that way.
My eyes flicker to the TV where the screen reads:
QUEEN NICOLE: NEWS OF SCANDALOUS AFFAIR SHOCKS WORLD
I press my hand to my lips, eyes wide. Oh fuck.
"There is no excuse! YOU KNEW! That child is not yours!" Henry shouts, his tone blistering. "You just tried to put a illegitamite child onto the throne!"
Henry drops down onto the couch, growling. "Don't ask me to be behind you on this! Don't! I'm not! ... Oh, so now we're brothers? Now? When it matters to you?"
"You need to get back, as soon as possible and put these goddamn reports to rest. Pay off who you have to. Do whatever you have to!"
He's silent for a while, listening.
"There is no coming back from this, Richard...You've tarnished our family name and your throne is going to be in jeopardy."
"I will only help you because I don't want to take your fucking place!" Henry bellows, hanging up. I don't even know what to do. I don't think I can move from my spot. It's dead silent. Suddenly, he throws the phone at the wall. It sounds like the crack of a whip before it falls to the ground.
He runs his hands through his hair slowly, pressing both of them to the back of his skull as if he's suddenly just gotten a ridiculous throbbing there. I walk out, moving around the couch. His eyes are closed when I bend down in front of him, cautiously.
"Henry..." He doesn't answer me. I touch his thigh, breathing in deeply. "Baby."
"He's given them grounds for abdication, Mia," he says, quietly.
I nod, slowly. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he says, opening his eyes, "that if Richard can't fix this, if I can't fix this, then he will be stripped of the title king and it will be immediately given to me."
Oh my god. I stare at him as my eyes grow wider. "I-Is this really that extreme? I mean, it could be his? Do they have proof?"
"Yes. They have pictures of her and the man in a vacation home. They took the pictures from a boat on a lake or something."
"But they can't prove the baby isn't Richard's without a test."
"Richard paid for her to have the test done. He knew. The test states that he isn't the father... so therefore, the public will know that he pronounced the child his own after he had already learned otherwise. Everyone will know that he manipulated his wife for his own personal gain."
"Henry, you can't get anywhere near this," I whisper as he stands up abruptly. I stand as well. "Henry... this could destroy you. Backing him could destroy you."
"I have to, Mia! Otherwise, our entire life gets screwed and we get trapped in that palace again- this time indefinitely! I would have to rule! Our son, god, our son would go through this, Mia!"
I'm close to hyperventilating. "Henry, no. We can figure out another way. You don't have to defend him! If you do, you risk them turning against you too! Turning against all of us!"
"I'm not discussing this, Mia! I will say whatever I fucking have to to clear his name!" He storms away, back towards the stairs. I let out the breath I had been holding, bracing myself with a hand on the couch. I grit my teeth.
No. I run up the stairs, shaking my head. No, there's no way he can defend him on this. Richard may want to tarnish his name but not Henry. He doesn't deserve that kind of life. They'd want him off the throne too.
Henry is lighting a cigarette on the balcony when I open the door, stilling.
"Henry, don't," I whisper, knowing he's going to regret smoking later. He's finally just stopped.
"Mia, just leave me be so I can think!" he growls, without looking back. I purse my lips, disapprovingly. He stares out into the dark forest, but doesn't bring the cigarette to his lips. I know he doesn't want to.
"Take all the time you need," I mutter, shaking my head.
I turn, walking back into the room.
"M-Mia," I hear him utter as I shut the door. It opens within moments. "Mia, stop."
I do, turning reluctantly. He's standing in the doorway, his hands empty. "I'm- I'm sorry, baby. I can't take this out on you."
I'm not even angry. I walk to him, wrapping my arms immediately around his waist. I feel his lips on top of my head.
"I understand your fears, Mia," he says, after a moment. "They are warrented but as horrible as he can be, he is still my brother."
"I know he is... and I know you love him. But Henry, if you publicly try to defend him, you risk him still being abdicated and you going onto the throne to a hostile country. People aren't going to be forgiving for this. He lied to them. Nicole lied to them."
Henry pulls back, grabbing my hands instead. "If someone asked you to turn your back on Ida, if you knew she needed it... would you? Would you walk away and let her take the punishment of her actions alone?"
I don't really know what to say to that. I look away, realizing I can't answer.
"You and I both know what it's like to lose parents, Mia. When my mother's affair came out nearly fifteen years ago, I watched as the world tore apart our family. My father turned cold and divorced her publicly, stripping all of her titles and kept us from her. He died just a year after that and Richard and I were stuck in Kensington on our own, watched by Sarah. Our mother got sick years later and we didn't even know about it. She had been dead an entire week before we even got the news." He shakes his head. "I loved my father... and I loved her too. She may have made a mistake but she didn't deserve that abandonment."
I shake my head as well, piecing together slowly why Henry has never truly told me about her.
"Richard and I were unseperable then. He took care of me. He wasn't what you see now, this man so consumed in his own vanity and fear. He could put others before himself. I always believed he would have been the best king. I thought he was ready... but he's not. In fact, I think he hates it. I think he feels just as trapped in that palace as we did."
His thumb runs slowly along my knuckles. "I can't turn my back on him now, as much as I may want to because I still remember my brother that took care of me."
I breathe in, knowing I can't change his mind. I walk into him, wrapping my arms around his waist. My eyes close, tightly.
God help us all then.
...
Henry and I stand beside Nicole as the Royal plane's airlocked door is opened. It's a dreary day, the skys are consumed with rain clouds. The reporters and paparazzi are roped off over twenty feet away, but that doesn't stop their cameras from flashing.
I hate this. I hate that Henry feels obligated to do this. I hate that I can't blame him for it. He loves his family, he's proven that so many times, I'd be ridiculous to believe he'd turn against Richard in his time of need.
If I know anything about Henry, it's that he's loyal to those he loves.
I reach down, grasping onto his hand gently. His fingers entwine with mine after a moment. I look at him and he looks at me.
And then we begin to hear the shouting.
"King Richard! You have lied to your country! Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"Are you going to finally stand down and abdicate?"
"Sir, will you release a statement?"
"The Queen's affair is worldwide news, sir! You cannot hide from this!"
I glance at Nicole, horrified underneath the mask I've perfected since I've known Henry. She's staring at her feet as Richard walks towards us, surrounded by men in suits.
"Sir!"
"Will there be a press conferenece?"
The press are nearly falling over each other, snapping pictures. It's a scary sight. Henry squeezes my hand. I press my hand to my chest, rubbing the spot above my heart. My heart rate is wild, making my chest feel as if it's being weighed down by something.
"Are you hurting?" Henry asks, quietly. I shake my head.
"I can manage it. It's not bad... I'm just nervous."
Richard stops in front of Nicole, looking down at her. By the amount of rage in his eyes, I don't have to ask to know that she cheated on him without him knowing. I begin to wonder whether or not a part of Richard also announced the child as his so that Nicole wouldn't go through what his mother did.
He moves right past her, stopping in front of Henry, who doesn't move to bow.
"Thank you, Henry," he says, after a moment. Henry doesn't answer, just nods. When Richard looks at me, I flicker my eyes to the ground, unable to offer words of encouragement. Henry may be behind him, but this man could ruin my husband.
"Come, Nicole," I hear Richard say. "Take my hand."
She looks surprised but does take his outstretched hand, which causes reporters to howl louder. I want to shake my head. They are so past this façade of a happy marriage.
They walk first, then we walk behind them with Ivan and Billie trailing us, attentive as ever. Henry raises my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently as we get near the doors.
"Do we need to leave? You're looking pale."
I shake my head. "I know you need to strategize with Richard."
"I can do that, you don't have to. You go home, alright? I'll be home as soon as I can. I don't want you to overexert yourself."
I want to stay with him but I nod, knowing the smart thing would be going home. My heart has had enough for one day. "Okay."
Henry turns to Ivan. "Please take Mia home, Ivan and send a car back for Billie and myself."
"Yes, sir."
We get inside the doors, out of sight for the photographers. He bends down, kissing me quickly. I clasp his neck.
"You're stronger than either of them, remember that," I whisper intensely, hoping he listens to me. Henry holds the cards. Henry is the only person here who can still come out on top.
"I love you," he replies, kissing me again before he turns, going the same way Richard and Nicole did.
"Shall we head off to Stoneham?" Ivan asks as we begin to walk to the car. I nod.
"Yes, but we're making a stop first."
...
I walk from Royce and Angie's entranceway, towards the car. Ivan opens the door as I shrug. "They're not home."
"If I may be so bold, why the rush to see them?"
I smirk, resting my arm on the door. "You know why I'm here, Ivan. Henry needs to give up this fight. He's going to lose if he openly supports Richard."
"I agree with you," Ivan says, nodding. "But Henry would be cross if he knew you were trying to implore people to speak with him to change his mind."
"Which is why I trust you're not going to tell on me," I hum, smiling. I get into the car as Ivan closes the door, walking to the front.
As he climbs in, he says, "Henry is a smart man. Smarter than either of them. He will see that they are using him."
"I hope so... before it's too late."
We drive down the pathway, towards the main road. "Miss Mia?"
"Yeah?"
"You do realize that Henry publicly announcing to the world that he doesn't agree with Richard's choices would mean that abdication is inevitable. Henry will take the throne. If Richard loses Henry's support, he loses everything. Henry is his only chance."
I look out the window. "Henry loves this country, despite all it's done. This is his home... and it's mine too. Richard and Nicole are... destroying it."
"You've fought for your freedom for so long now."
I look out the window, breathing in. I actually can't see a clear way out of this disaster. "At some point, you have to stop running."