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When the doorbell rings in the middle of the night, it’s never a good thing.
The first time, it ‘s Cash telling them that his father-in-law had been in a car crash in California and was in the hospital. Oscar was fine in the end, thank goodness, but Henry will never forget the look on Cash’s face when he opened the door to the brownstone and saw Alex’s agent standing there, face tight and grim.
The second time, it’s one of Henry’s PPOs telling them that there’d been a threat made against Henry - one that was apparently credible - and they needed to pack up and leave until the suspect could be apprehended. It took two weeks of them hiding in Raf’s place in Colorado before they got the all clear.
The third time, it’s Shaan in a black suit telling them that Queen Mary is dead. Not exactly the worst news but not great either. They close up their home in Austin and go to London for six weeks.
The fourth time, it’s a police officer with their pre-teen daughter. Henry thanks every god and deity he can think of that she’s alright but grounds her for two months. She tells him she hates him and it feels like being stabbed in the chest but he doesn’t change his mind. Alex thinks it’s a little harsh but doesn’t contradict him.
The fifth time, it’s a neighbor asking if they can keep an eye on their toddler son because her husband had a massive heart attack and she has to go to the hospital. They stay up with the scared and confused little boy until he falls asleep.
Now, the doorbell is ringing incessantly and Alex is pulling his pillow over his head and snoring too loudly for it to be authentic. Rolling his eyes, Henry slips out of bed and pulls on his robe before shuffling down the stairs and to the door. They should really get one of the doorbells with a camera attached.
With a yawn he can’t suppress, Henry pulls the door open to find Shaan. Dressed in black. Eyes rimmed red in the harsh glow of the porch light.
“No,” he says quietly, his voice choked and his own tears springing to his eyes. He shakes his head quickly, vehemently, and steps backwards into the house. Shaan follows slowly. “Shaan, no. Don’t.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” he says softly. “Her Majesty is …”
Henry can’t hear the end of Shaan’s sentence because he’s already dropped to the floor with an anguished wail.
Henry feels strong arms around him and he briefly thinks it’s Alex and he wonders how his husband got to him so quickly when he was adamant about staying in bed. Then he realizes that the voice in his ear doesn’t belong to his husband, but to his long-time friend and confidant. “Shaan,” he murmurs brokenly, “please.”
Shaan simply holds him tighter and Henry is transported twenty years into the past when he was held by this man because of another loss. “I’m so sorry, Henry,” Shaan whispers. “I’m so sorry.”
Henry’s too wrapped up in his grief to hear the footsteps approaching, but he feels a presence on his other side, feels a hand between his shoulder blades, and he knows Alex is awake and here. He hears the murmur of voices, Shaan’s and Alex’s, and then he’s being lifted to his feet and moved further into the house.
He feels himself being lowered onto the couch and then there’s someone kneeling in front of him. Henry opens his eyes to see Alex, face solemn and empathetic. “Shaan went to get you some water, baby. Take a couple of deep breaths for me.”
“She’s gone,” he chokes out. “Mum.”
“I know, Hen, I know. Shh,” Alex shushes him. “Just take a couple of deep breaths for me, okay? In and out.” Henry does as he’s asked, though his breath stutters in his chest. “That’s good. Again. In and out. Great job, sweetheart.”
Shaan returns with two glasses of water and purposefully places one in his hands. “Drink, Henry,” he’s told and he does so automatically.
“When?” Henry asks after too long of a period of silence. “When did it happen?”
Shaan takes a deep breath. “About three hours ago.”
“You didn’t call,” he says and it sounds accusatory even to his own ears. As if him knowing earlier would have changed the outcome. “Why didn’t you call?”
“Because I didn’t want you to hear it over the phone,” Shaan replies calmly. “That’s not how you and I operate.”
Henry feels tears choking him again. “I didn’t even – I – what happened ?” he breathes out. “She was fine when we last spoke.”
Had it really only been two days since his mother, full of laughter and teasing, had told him he’d better pack up his husband and daughter and come visit her? Why didn’t he do it? Why didn’t he hang up the phone and call Alex and tell him to grab Violet and meet him at the airport? Why wasn’t he in London by his mother’s side when she needed him most?
“Hannah went to wake her up and she was gone,” Shaan says softly. He feels Alex grip his hand tightly. “The doctor believes she went peacefully in her sleep.”
Henry clenches his jaw to keep from lashing out like he did when Shaan said the same thing to him after his father died. There’s nothing peaceful about it, he thinks. His mother would have wanted him there. “Was she alone?”
“Hen,” Alex whispers.
“Was there someone with her when she died?” he asks again, his voice harsh. “Or did she die alone?”
“She was asleep, Henry,” Shaan reiterates patiently.
“I should have been there,” he says flatly. “She needed me.”
“Henry—” Alex tries again but he ignores his husband and stands.
“Will you please arrange for transportation to London? I’ll go wake Violet and help her get packed. Alex,” he directs to his husband, “are our suits—?”
“I’ll handle our things, sweetheart. Do you want me to come with you to tell V?”
“No,” Henry answers. “I should do this alone.”
Alex blinks and then shakes his head. “Not a fucking chance,” he decides and Henry’s briefly taken aback. “We’ve been down this road before and I’m not letting it happen again. We’re a family , H. You and me and V. So we’re going to go up there and tell her together. I loved your mother too.”
Henry clenches his jaw in an attempt to hold back his tears but it’s no use. He nods and reaches a hand out for Alex. “Alright,” he agrees in a broken whisper. “Alright.”
Before he and Alex make their way upstairs, he turns and pulls Shaan into a hug. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.
Shaan holds him tightly for a long moment. “I know. I am too.” He pulls back and nods towards the stairs. “I’ll handle the flight arrangements.”
“Thank you,” Henry whispers. “Zahra and Navya?” he asks.
“I’ll speak with His Majesty when we arrive in London,” Shaan tells him quietly and Henry feels as if he’s been punched in the stomach.
His Majesty. His . Philip.
His brother is the King of England.
Henry feels his knees grow weak and is grateful both Alex and Shaan are right there to catch him before he falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes. “Philip is King,” he whispers breathlessly. “My brother is the King.”
“Go and wake Violet,” Shaan tells him, transferring his weight fully onto Alex. “And get ready. You don’t have to—”
“If word gets out, we do,” Henry cuts him off. He looks to Alex. “We need to put our suits on, and V needs to put her dress on. Just in case.”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Alex responds as he leads Henry to the stairs. “One thing at a time though, okay?”
The two of them leave Shaan to handle the arrangements for getting the family to London. Henry stops outside Violet’s bedroom door and wipes his eyes. He takes a couple of steadying breaths and meets Alex’s gaze. “I love you,” he tells his husband quietly. “And I am so thankful that I have you.”
“I know,” Alex tells him in a solemn voice before cracking a tiny smile. He leans in and presses a gentle kiss to Henry’s lips. “I’m right here with you.”
Henry nods and then cracks open Violet’s door. He can’t help the tiny puff of laughter that escapes when he sees how she’s sleeping. He hears Alex mutter “she’s so fucking weird” as they both try to figure out how she got herself laying stomach down, horizontally across the pillows, her feet dangling off one end of the bed and her head on the nightstand right by her alarm clock.
“How do we wake her without causing bodily harm to either her or one of us?” Henry asks.
“I can throw a pair of socks at her,” Alex offers.
“I could put on some Taylor Swift,” Henry suggests. “She’ll come in from the lake just to turn it off if I’m playing it on my phone in the kitchen. It’s like she can sense when I put it on even if she’s too far away to hear it.”
“I don’t really want to hear Taylor’s voice right now,” Alex says with a shrug. “So - socks?”
Henry rolls his eyes and takes a deep breath before walking over and sitting on Violet’s bed. Wincing a bit, he reaches out and gently rubs his hand up and down her back. “V?” he calls softly. “Love, wake up.”
Something that sounds vaguely like “wookie” comes out of her mouth before she inhales deeply and lifts her head from the night table. “What the fuck?” she grumbles.
“Language,” Henry chides.
“Sorry, Daddy,” she murmurs sleepily. “Timesit?”
“It’s late, mija ,” Alex says as he sits beside Henry. “Wanna rearrange yourself like a normal human or just stay there like a weird, extra lumpy pillow?”
Violet looks around and notices how she’s laying, a confused and slightly horrified look crossing her face. “This one’s new,” she says as she pushes herself up and sits with her back against the headboard. “Why am I awake if it’s late?”
Henry reaches out and takes her hand. “I’m sorry, love, but Granny’s passed away.”
Violet stares at him blankly, not even blinking. She’s silent and unmoving and Henry is seconds away from panicking that she’s having a stroke before she shakes her head fiercely and blinks several times. “Granny? In – in England?” she asks. “Queen Granny?”
Henry nods. “I’m so sorry, my darling girl. Shaan’s come by to tell us. He’s arranging for us to go to London.”
She blinks again. “But I—” She stops and looks at Alex. “I have an AP Chem exam tomorrow. Today. Whichever it is.”
“I’ll call your Principal and send e-mails to your teachers,” Alex promises. “I know you hate missing tests but this is something that can’t be helped.”
Henry blows out a breath and stands. He leans over and presses a kiss to their daughter’s head. “I’m sorry, Violet, but we have to get going. I’ll need you to put on one of your black dresses and pack another. Aunt Bea will have some others when we get to London if you need them.”
“I have to put it on now?” she asks as she climbs off of the bed.
“We don’t know how many people know,” Alex says in explanation. “And it’s a rule. We have to wear black.”
“Right,” she breathes. “Can I bring my notebook with all of the rules and stuff? I wanna make sure I don’t mess up.”
“Of course,” Alex tells her and pulls her into a hug. “I’ll bring mine too. We can study together on the plane.”
Violet hugs her Papi back and then takes a breath and turns to hug him. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“What for, darling girl?” he asks into her dark, curly hair.
“Queen Granny.”
“Yeah,” Henry breathes out, tightening his hold on her. “Me too.”
They stand there for a few minutes before she pulls back and wipes her eyes. “Okay. Dress, pack, pee, leave,” she says and smiles when he and Alex both let out a puff of laughter. “Is Freddie coming with us?” she asks.
“Yes,” Alex confirms. “Fuck, I have to fine his black bowtie.”
“It’s in the mud room,” Violet tells them. “I put it on so we could practice our homecoming poses.”
Alex points at her. “You’re very weird and I love you.” He presses a hard kiss to her forehead. “Now get ready. Dad and I will meet you downstairs, okay?”
She nods and turns back to her closet in search of the black dresses she’s been given for occasions just like this.
Henry and Alex make their way back to their bedroom and close the door behind them. Henry takes one deep breath, then another, and then falls into his husband’s waiting arms. “I can’t do this,” he whispers. “I can’t.”
“You can,” Alex tells him reassuringly. “It’s going to suck but you can. Because me and V are going to be right there with you. And so is Shaan. You’re not doing this alone, baby. We’re all right here.”
“I should call Bea,” he says quietly. “And – fuck. And Pip.”
“We can call them on the way,” Alex promises. “Right now we have to get ready and get on a plane. We’ve got to get to London.”
Henry takes a steadying breath and releases his husband. “Right. What did Vi say? Dress, pack, pee, leave?”
“Yeah, the fucking weirdo,” Alex replies affectionately. “Kinda love her.”
“She really is the best,” Henry agrees as he heads to their walk-in closet. “Even when she’s absolutely being your daughter.”
“You better not say she’s mine when she’s weird,” Alex accuses, following him in. He grabs his suit and tugs Henry’s out as well, pressing it to his chest. “Because I’m not that weird.”
“Whatever you say, love,” Henry tells him as he removes his suit from the protective bag. He takes a deep breath. “Might as well get on with it.”
. . .
Moments blur together after Henry dresses in his black suit. All he can really remember between then and when he’s buckling himself in on the airplane is that Freddie was insistent on sitting in Shaan’s lap in the car and Violet put on Long Live by Taylor Swift just for him.
By the time the plane lifts off, he’s known of his mother’s death for nearly three hours. He checks his phone and sees several texts from his sister. Without reading them, he presses the button to call her.
“H,” she breathes as soon as she picks up. “Are you okay?”
“No,” he answers truthfully, “but we’re in the air and on the way. Are you?”
“No,” she agrees. “Tavish and I are driving in from Stirling. Caelan wasn’t very cooperative when we tried to wake him. We’ll be there before you but not by much, I don’t think. We’re near Carlisle” She pauses. “How are Alex and Violet?”
“Holding up,” he says. “Shaan too.” He lowers his voice. “We have to get Pip to allow Zahra and Navya to come to the—” Henry cuts himself off. “Have you talked to him?”
“Not yet. I talked to Martha. She’s … she’s hurting.”
“Of course she is,” Henry replies quietly. “She and Mum got so close after the mess with me and Alex.”
“Don’t call me messy!” Alex shouts from his seat.
Henry smiles and rolls his eyes. “He and Vi are studying their rule books.”
“You two really are a case for nurture versus nature,” she tells him. “How you adopted a child and she turned out to be your husband’s mini me is simply astounding.”
“It’s because I was traveling so much in the early days,” he laments teasingly. “Alex got her when her brain was still moldable and I was in bloody Bavaria.”
“You can thank Mum for that one,” Bea chuckles. “She hated the German Chancellor.”
“With good reason.” Henry lets out a long breath. “I’ll call Martha and let her know we’re in the air,” he says. “See if there’s anything she needs us to do or bring before we get to—” He cuts himself off. “We should be going to Buckingham, shouldn’t we?”
“Martha said they went over as soon as they were told,” Bea confirms. “Said Pip has been locked up with Mum’s courtiers since it happened.”
“Is she still there?” he asks. “Or have they—?”
Henry hears his sister’s exhalation. “Martha said we’re going to be given an opportunity to see her and then they’ll move her. They’re waiting until we get there to make an announcement.”
“When they cotton on to me, Alex and Vi landing in London the middle of the week, they’re going to know something’s up,” he says quietly. “They’ll start speculating.”
“They’re already speculating, Haz. Pip canceled his schedule for the day without any reason. You haven’t gotten alerts on your mobile?” she asks.
“I turned them off before we left the house,” Henry admits. “I didn’t want to see if people were talking about it.” He clears his throat. “I’m going to tell Alex it’s okay to tell June, Ellen and Oscar,” he says. “They should hear it from us and not CNN.”
“Alright,” she agrees. Henry hears the noises of a very grumpy toddler waking up and smiles. “My nephew isn’t keen on the long drive, huh?”
“He’s four, Hen, he’s not bloody keen on anything .”
Henry chuckles. “I’ll let you handle that,” he says, “and I’ll see you in a few hours.” He pauses. “I love you, Beatrice.”
“Love you too, Henry,” she answers before disconnecting.
Henry makes his way over and sits beside Alex. His husband immediately reaches for his hand and brings it to his lips for a kiss. Alex is usually so full of energy, bursting at the seams if he’s unable to talk things through. Now, however, he seems content to sit in silence and read his protocol binder and let Henry take the lead. He’s grateful, for sure, but he also misses his husband’s voice.
Henry takes a moment to just look at his husband. He’s got laugh lines beside his eyes and his hair is a very sexy blend of black and gray. Alex hates it, complains every time Henry points out that there’s “a little more salt than pepper now, love”, and threatens to dye it at least once every few weeks. Henry makes sure to show Alex exactly what he thinks of the way he’s aging. It usually buys him another few weeks until the cycle repeats. He’s pretty sure Alex brings it up on occasion just to get Henry to worship his body very slowly, but he’d never admit it.
“Bea, Tavish and Caelan are on their way in,” he tells Alex. “Martha and Pip are at Buckingham. I didn’t ask about the kids but I’m sure they’re on their way or already there as well.”
Alex hums and closes his binder. “How’s she doing?”
“Same as me, I think. Shocked, sad, confused. Struggling,” Henry adds. “She said she talked to Martha. And Pip’s been holed up with Mum’s courtiers since they got to Buckingham. I don’t want to bother her but I also want to check in.”
“I’ll reach out,” Alex says softly. “I’ll send her a text and let her know I’m here if she wants to talk.”
Henry nods. “That’s a good idea. We also need to reach out to Vi’s school. You’ll need to let your staff know and I need to call Pez.”
“One thing at a time, baby,” Alex suggests. “What do we need to do first?”
Henry considers the question for a moment before nodding to himself. “You need to tell your parents and June. Bea and I will talk to Pip about arrangements and we’ll see who should be invited to the funeral. We have to see if Mum had any particular wishes. I wasn’t part of the planning for that,” he adds. “Pip will know everything.”
Alex nods. “Okay. We’ll start with telling our family,” he agrees. “Should I wait until sun up?”
“No,” Henry rejects quietly. “We’ll be there by sun up and an announcement will go out. I don’t want them to find out online or by the telly. They’re family and we should tell them.”
“Alright, sweetheart. Want to tag team? I’ll call Mom and Dad and you call June?”
“Sure,” Henry agrees.
The two of them stay side by side, Henry’s right hand clasped in Alex’s left, and make the calls to Alex’s parents and sister. Henry struggles to keep the tears from his voice but he manages, and he promises June either he or Alex will update her once they get more details. She promises that she’ll be on the first plane to London if they need her, deadlines be damned. He thanks her and hangs up, blowing out a breath and turning his head to see Alex with a tear sliding down his cheek.
“I know, Pa,” he whispers. “I’ll call you after we know more, okay? We have Vi and Freddie with us.” He pauses while Oscar says something. “Yeah, I love you too, okay? Alright. Love you too. Bye.”
“Everything okay?” he asks as Alex puts down his phone and closes his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah it’s okay,” he says. “It’s just a lot. I can’t even imagine—”
“She was your mum too,” Henry cuts him off. “Your sadness is no less valid than mine. Or Vi’s or Martha’s or Pip’s or Bea’s. You don’t have to be the strong one right now, my love. We can all hurt together.”
Alex takes a deep breath in through his nose and lets it out slowly, his shoulders slumping with the exhalation. “I just want to be there when you need me,” he says. Alex opens his eyes and looks up at him. “I can’t hold you together if I’m falling apart too.”
Henry shakes his head and leans in to brush a gentle kiss against Alex’s lips. “We’ll hold each other together.”
Alex offers him a tentative and sad smile but nods nonetheless. Henry decides it’s enough for now. Freddie, their 3 year old black lab, wanders over and lays on Henry’s feet, peering up at him with big, soulful brown eyes. “I know, lad,” he says quietly. “Lots of emotions on this plane.” Freddie huffs, his jowls flapping, and then rests his head on Alex’s shoes. It doesn’t take long before he’s snoring.
. . .
The wheels are barely on the ground when Shaan stands and tells them that the BBC is reporting that Queen Catherine has died, but they don’t have any confirmation. Alex swears under his breath and Henry nods. “That means there will be reporters,” he says.
“We have your car on the tarmac,” Shaan relays, “but yes, there will likely be some outlets who’ve gotten the flight information.”
“Can we just let Freddie bite them?” Violet asks as she yawns and stretches.
“That’s not his job and you know it, love,” Henry says. “Vi, love, you need to fix your hair. Alex, your tie,” he adds. Henry makes his way to the bathroom and pats some water onto his face. He takes a deep breath and fixes his own hair and tie before stepping out just as the hatch is opened.
“Prince Henry first,” Shaan reminds them. “Then the Duke may follow with Lady Violet.”
Vi wrinkles her nose. “Are they gonna call me that the whole time we’re here?” she asks.
“Probably,” Alex confirms. “You can always ask Uncle Pip to take away the title Queen Granny gave you.”
“Am I allowed to still talk to him?” she asks curiously. “Since he’s King and everything now?”
“Yes,” Henry tells her as he pulls at his jacket to remove any wrinkles. He straightens his shoulders and takes a deep breath. “We’ll discuss the protocol in the car,” he adds before ducking his head and stepping out of the plane.
He waits at the bottom of the stairs for Alex and Violet, taking his husband’s hand in a massive breach of protocol, and walking to the car with his head held as high as he can manage. He feels his chest constricting and a lump forming in his throat as he hears the condolences of the men and women assembled - some press, some staff. None of them say a word and Henry feels terrible for it but he’s certain the second he opens his mouth, he’s going to start sobbing and he’s not sure he has the strength to stop at the moment.
Once the three of them and Freddie are in the back of the car and Shaan is in the front, Henry bends forward and presses the heels of his hands against his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I just need a moment and then we can go.”
“Take your time, Your Highness,” Shaan says from the front seat. The car is running but not moving and he’s grateful for it. “You can let us know when you’re ready.”
Violet, sitting next to him, wraps her arms around him and presses her nose against his upper arm. “I love you, Daddy,” she says quietly and Henry can’t stop the sob from breaking free from his throat.
“I love you too,” he whispers. “My darling girl,” he adds.
“And I love you, Freddie,” Alex says in what Henry can only assume is an attempt to break the tension. He then affects a comically deep voice. “I love you too, Papi Alex .”
Vi snorts and Henry can’t stop the laughter that rises in him. His body shakes with silent giggles, mirroring the louder ones of their daughter. He is so desperately in love with his husband that he wants to let that feeling overwhelm him and block everything else out.
“And we all love Shaan,” Alex adds, much to the chagrin of the man in the passenger seat. “And he loves us back even if he won’t admit it out loud for fear of making Zahra jealous.”
“I’ll be telling her you said that,” Shaan tells him primly.
“And I’ll be staying in London so she can’t get me,” Alex retorts.
Henry smiles and sits up, wiping his eyes and wrapping his right arm around Violet. “Alright,” he tells them. “Let’s get going. Aunt Bea texted about forty minutes ago that she’s there.”
The driver nods and puts the car in gear, taking them closer and closer to the place Henry least wants to be.
. . .
Beatrice is waiting outside for them when their car pulls up. Henry is the first out and he runs to his sister, pulling her into a tight hug. She holds him back with equal strength and murmurs soft reassurances in his ear.
He squeezes her once and backs up, just looking in her eyes for a moment before he smiles sadly. “Seen Pip yet?”
“Not yet,” she tells him, “but Tavish and Caelan are with Martha and Charlie. Andrew and Penny aren’t in yet.”
“They’re not?” he asks curiously as he steps aside to let Bea hug Alex and then Violet.
“Andrew’s on his way back but he was sailing. And Penny …” she exhales and takes Violet’s hand as they head into the palace. “She’s just …”
“Yeah,” Henry agrees.
They walk as a unit towards the sitting room where Martha, Prince Charles and Bea’s family are camped out.
Henry expects Martha to be the first in his arms but her son beats her there. He closes his eyes as Charles barrels into him, holding him in a tight hug. “Hey, Chuck,” he whispers. “I’m here.”
“It took forever.”
“I live in Texas. It’s not exactly down the road.”
“Move back,” Charles says and Henry’s heart breaks. “ Please .”
Henry knows his nephew is hurt and scared and confused – he’s next in line for the throne now – and he wishes he could comfort him more, but his life is in Texas with Alex and Violet and he loves being there. It’s his home. “We’re here for a while,” Henry promises.
Charlie pulls back and shakes his head before moving on to hug Alex and Violet. Henry’s arms aren’t vacant for long, however, because his sister-in-law slots herself into place. She rests her head against his chest and holds onto him tightly. Henry can feel Martha’s silent sobs and he just holds on as tight as he can.
Henry is struck again by just how hard it is to be so far from his family. Charlie’s angry, Martha’s broken, his mother is gone. He needs to see Pip as soon as possible just so he can make sure he’s alright. Or as alright as he can be considering the circumstances.
He pulls back and looks down at Martha’s red rimmed eyes and presses a kiss to her forehead. “Are we to wait here for him?”
Martha shakes her head. “You and Bea can go see him,” she says, her voice raspy and thick with tears. “They’ll clear out for you.”
He nods and takes a deep breath. “If you want to be amused, feel free to quiz my American family on the protocols. They’ve been studying.” He gives her hands a squeeze and then reaches out for his sister. “Ready?”
“No,” she answers but takes his hand and lets him lead her out of the sitting room and down the corridor.
Philip, for reasons Henry can’t parse, has always been a fan of one particular conference room. He thinks it may be because Philip was in that room when he led his first meeting, or something equally important to his brother. Anytime Pip wanted to meet about something without their grandmother, he had them congregate in that room.
Today, it seems, is no different.
Henry nods to the page and the young man opens the door. “Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrice and His Royal Highness, Prince Henry, Your Majesty.”
Henry tries not to wince at his brother’s new title but he’s not sure he succeeds. Bea squeezes his hand anyway. The room empties of everyone but Philip before Henry and Bea enter. She drops into a deferential curtsey and he bows deeply. “Your Majesty,” they both murmur before straightening up.
Philip stares at them both for a long moment before striding across the room and pulling first Bea and then Henry into tight hugs. “This is a massive breach of protocol,” Bea tells him when her face is pressed against his chest.
“Sod off,” he replies when he’s holding onto Henry.
“Alright, Pip?” Henry asks once his brother pulls back.
“You have to call him King Pip now, Haz. It’s the rule, remember?” Bea teases.
“I was ten when I made that rule,” Philip interjects. “I don’t think it counts nearly forty years later.”
“But you said it was forever,” Henry reminds him, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a smile. “Even told us if we called you anything else that you would lock us in the Tower. Now, I do have legal counsel present but I’m not entirely sure you want to get him all riled up at the moment.”
“Your husband isn’t licensed to practice law in the UK,” Pip says smartly, grinning at his victory. “I’ll throw him in the Tower for the unlawful practice of … law,” he finishes lamely. “Though he’ll probably annoy or charm his way out. How is the dear Duke of Lancaster?”
“Much more approving of his title than Lady Violet,” Henry replies with a grin. “Don’t be shocked if she asks you to revoke it. She’s …” He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “She’s something else. And very anti-establishment of any kind right now. You should have seen her have at Oscar the last time he was in town.”
“She really is a little carbon copy of Alex, isn’t she?”
“It’s really uncanny. Be happy you don’t live with them when something happens in the political realm that sets Alex off. It’s as if they’re connected by a brain stem. If she looked anything like him it would make me think we used a surrogate instead of adoption.” Henry smiles. “She was worried about a chemistry test tomorrow.”
“How long will you be staying?” Philip asks as he nods for the three of them to take a seat.
“Not sure,” Henry answers truthfully. “Alex has his practice and Vi has school. My directors can handle the shelters and I can stay as long as you need me here.” He looks to his sister. “What about you three?”
“Tav put Ewan in charge of the pub but I know he won’t want to stay away for too long. I can stay with Caelan though. Like Haz said, as long as you need me,” she answers.
Philip lets out a long breath and nods. Henry thinks it’s mostly to himself. “Do you know if Andrew and Penny have arrived yet?”
“Not before we came to find you,” Bea tells him. “We saw Charlie and Martha though.”
Henry clears his throat. “We brought Freddie with us. I thought he would be helpful. And obviously he’s well trained so there won’t be an issue about making a mess or—”
“Thank you,” Philip cuts him off. “I know he’s your dog and all but I think the kids especially will find him soothing.”
“He goes where he’s needed. He sat on Shaan’s lap in the car on the way to the airport,” Henry says with a light chuckle. “And speaking of Shaan, Zahra and Navya—”
“Did they come with you?” Philip asks, cutting Henry off.
“Shaan wasn’t sure what your plans are for attendance at the funeral, so no,” Henry answers. “But I think they should be here.”
“Without a doubt,” Philip replies. “Shall I send a plane for them?”
Henry feels like he’s getting choked up all over again. The man in front of him is so different from the person Henry remembers growing up with. He knows a lot of his memories of Philip are clouded by his relationship with Queen Mary and his actions around the early part of Henry’s relationship with Alex, but this man, his King , is so bloody opposite that Henry wants to wrap him in a hug and never let go.
Even if it’s a massive breach of protocol.
“I’ll ask Shaan what he thinks is best. They may want to wait a few days,” Henry says and Philip nods in agreement.
The three of them are silent for a few moments before his brother clears his throat. “Would you like to see her?”
Henry is torn, both desperately wanting to see his mother again and feeling sick to his stomach at the thought of it. He nods, though, and stands when Philip does. Bea takes a little longer to decide, but eventually nods and stands as well. She takes Pip’s hand this time and Henry wishes he had the contact but doesn’t mention it.
He reminds himself that he’s the one who left while the other two stayed.
. . .
Andrew arrives later that afternoon, windswept and frantic. He wraps his mother in a tight hug and then does the same with his father. He and Charlie stare at each other and nod once but don’t embrace, and Henry’s taken back to what his relationship with Pip was like at their ages.
“Where’s Penny?” he asks as he rakes a hand through his too-long, fair hair. “She should be here by now, shouldn’t she?”
“She hasn’t left school yet,” Martha answers softly.
“She should be here,” Andrew retorts strongly. “Granny—”
“She’ll come when she’s ready,” Philip tells him. “Your sister just needs some time.”
Andrew rolls his eyes and practically throws himself into a chair, arms crossed. Henry wonders if that’s what he looked like when he was eighteen and in mourning.
“No, no,” Alex pipes up from across the room. “No need to greet your favorite American uncle or anything. Please, just let your teenage angst waft across the room and encircle me in its warm, Axe-scented embrace.”
Andrew rolls his eyes and makes a big production out of pushing himself out of his chair and going over to hug Alex. Violet blinks up at him and he watches her for a second before looking back to Alex. “Where’s your daughter?”
“Don’t be an ass,” Violet says.
“Language!” Henry corrects.
“I thought Alex was Captain America, not you, H,” Charlie teases from his seat.
“I understood that reference,” Philip mumbles and the entire room goes quiet before bursting into laughter.
It feels good , Henry realizes. Everything is sad and somber but being together as a family and being able to laugh feels good. It feels like something his mother would have wanted them to do.
Martha wipes the tears from her eyes and stands. “I’m going to go find someone to make tea.”
“I’ll take care of that, Your Majesty,” Shaan says as he gets to his feet. “I should check in with my wife anyway.”
“Tell Zee to get her ass on a plane!” Alex shouts from his seat.
“I’m going to have you deported,” Shaan threatens before leaving the room.
Henry chuckles and turns to chide Alex but his eyes catch on Martha, frozen in place. “Maz?” he calls, which draws the attention of the others. “Alright?”
She blinks and turns to look at him. “I – no one’s ever called me that before,” she says as if in a daze. “They’ve – all morning they’ve called me Your Highness. I didn’t think—”
Philip stands and pulls his wife into a hug. “It’s alright, my love,” he murmurs. “We’re all figuring it out as we go.” He presses a kiss to her hair and leads her back to the couch. “So the, erm, the earl marshal was in Tuscany and can’t get home until late tonight, so I’ve set the meeting for early tomorrow to run through the, erm, plans ,” Philip hedges. “I was hoping that you’d join us, Henry, Bea. Charles and I will be there, of course, but, erm—”
“Of course we will, Pip,” Bea tells him. “Like we said before: whatever you need.”
Henry nods his head in agreement. He wasn’t part of the planning for his grandmother’s funeral so he’s not sure what to expect. He knows that he, Pip, Bea and Charlie will all stand guard at some point. Andrew might, Penny probably won’t. Alex and Tavish also won’t but he knows they’ll likely be close by.
“Her Royal Highness Princess Penelope.”
All heads turn towards the door as the page announces that Penny’s finally home. She stops just inside the door and lets her gaze survey the room before her eyes land on who she’s looking for. She drops her bag on the floor and dashes towards the window and into Beatrice’s arms. His sister catches the girl and immediately sinks to the floor as Penny’s sobs reach the others.
Henry’s heart is breaking for the girl who loved her grandmother more than anyone in the world. Pip told him that she’s at an age where she wants nothing to do with her parents or brothers and spent every waking moment she wasn’t at Benenden with her grandmother or aunt. And now that his mother is gone …
While Bea tries to sooth Penny, Henry goes and sits beside Alex. He rests his head on his husband’s shoulder and lets his eyes slip closed. Henry feels Alex’s hand start running slowly through his hair, his blunt nails scraping gently over his scalp. Henry knows it’s going to put him to sleep but he doesn’t care. He needs this little bit of comfort right now.
He’s startled awake by a loud bark from Freddie. It’s unusual for him to bark but he doesn’t have his therapy dog vest on so he’s free to do as he pleases. Henry’s eyes crack open to see the sun setting and his dog rolling around on the floor with Caelan. They’re both on their backs, wiggling their butts, Caelan giggling and Freddie barking every so often. He chuckles softly and sees Andrew eyeing the two with something like jealousy. “Go on then,” he calls to his nephew. “Get on the floor and join them.”
“How undignified,” Andrew replies and Henry rolls his eyes.
“You know,” he says as he moves his attention from Andrew to his brother, “you were a berk like that when you were his age too. Must be genetics.”
“I was not!” Philip replies, affronted. “I was—”
“A complete arsehole,” Bea finishes. “Sadly, it’s true. You started getting better once Mazzie came into the picture.”
“Nearly took me too long to fix him,” Martha confides. “So buttoned up I thought he had a metal rod for a spine.”
“Hen once told me that you were wound tighter than an atomic clock,” Alex adds gleefully. “He wouldn’t let me try to explode you but I think the Mail did a pretty good job of that when they leaked our emails.”
“We had to study those, you know,” Charlie adds. “At Eton.”
“No way,” Henry responds in disbelief. “They actually put those in the bloody history curriculum?”
“And some in the English Literature section,” Andrew confirms. “When studying the romantics.”
“I tried to get the sex ed teacher to go through them too but he wasn’t having it,” Charlie grins. “You two were really something.”
“Back in the day,” Alex laments. “Now we’re just two old queers who—”
“I know quite enough about your bedroom activities, thank you,” Pip interjects and everyone else laughs.
“All that sex and you didn’t even perpetuate the family bloodline ,” Bea says in her best Queen Mary voice. “Though you would have been rich for very different reasons if one of you had managed to get pregnant.”
“This conversation is really weird,” Violet groans, “and I don’t like talking about those emails.”
“Violet’s AP USH teacher wouldn’t let her get out of writing an analysis of The Waterloo letters in the beginning of the school year,” Alex grouses. “Neither me or Henry – do not correct my grammar, H – could get him to let her do a paper on something else.”
“It’s probably because you went to school with him and were a complete jock bro dick to him for four years,” Henry replies with an exaggerated eye roll.
“At least I didn’t try to flirt with him to change his mind!” Alex accuses, pointing a finger at him.
“I didn’t try to flirt with him ,” Henry replies hotly. “I simply told him that I knew he was a fantastic educator who could understand the complexities of the situation and should not want to put our daughter through it.”
“And what did he say?” Alex asks flatly.
Henry sniffs. “Nothing remotely helpful.”
“He said ‘I would teach you about the American Revolution if you were in my class even though your family lost’. Didn’t he?”
“Something like that,” Henry replies loftily. “And I said something unflattering and now I’m not allowed back in his classroom.”
Martha barks out a laugh. “You got banned from Vi’s teacher’s classroom?”
“The joke’s on him because I would have made a spectacular guest lecturer.”
Alex snorts and shakes his head. “Henry’s a total tiger mom.”
“I’m divorcing you,” he replies easily.
“Then you won’t get good Mexican food anymore,” Violet cuts in. “And you’re finally learning to tolerate spice.”
Alex bursts out laughing and offers their daughter his hand for a high five, which she quickly slaps and then grins. “Sorry, Daddy. It was too easy.”
“Yes, well, you’re in England now and we’ve got no spices here. Who’s more likely to survive without starving now ?” Henry teases.
“Your comeback game has gotten weak in your old age, Haz,” Bea tells him.
He wants to deny it but it’s bloody true.
. . .
The next several days pass in a blur of meetings, obligations and family. Henry feels more settled in London than he has since his father died and it almost worries him how easily he falls back into the rhythm of being a working royal. He’d done favors for his mother, mostly in Canada or in the same country as one of his shelters, but otherwise had been mostly divorced from his position in the royal family.
Now, with his brother as King, he and Bea had taken to handling some of his appearances that were scheduled when he was Prince of Wales. Charlie always goes with them on those visits because the title is his now, but their nephew is always deferential to the two of them when the meeting is with unfamiliar people or on matters he’s never been involved in before.
The official plans are to have Queen Catherine lay in State at Westminster for five days. Pip is the only member of the immediate family with military experience, so he’s the only one of them in proper dress. Henry, Charlie and Bea all dress in the official attire of non-military royals when they stand guard for one day at the coffin.
Andrew elects not to stand guard at all. Henry tries not to be angry about it.
On the day of his mother’s funeral, he wakes from a fitful sleep wrapped up in Alex’s arms. Philip has everyone in the family staying at Buckingham, keeping them all close, and Henry thinks he’s becoming too familiar with this room. It’s starting to feel too natural to be here, in this city, in a palace. Maybe it’s just because he’s surrounded by his family, but he has a sinking feeling that’s not it.
He’s absolutely not prepared to explore what he thinks it is , however. They’re putting their mother to rest today and that needs to be his only focus.
“Awake, baby?” Alex murmurs into the skin at the base of his neck.
Henry hums. “Did I wake you?”
“Mmm mmm,” his husband denies sleepily. “Mom texted when her plane got in about half an hour ago.”
“Are they coming here?” he asks, rolling over and nuzzling his chilly nose into the crook of Alex’s neck.
“Clarence House,” Alex clarifies. “Philip is giving them all run of the place for the next couple of days while they’re in town. Mom and Leo are waiting for Dad at the airport and they’ll all go over together. We’ll meet them at the service.”
They agree that Alex should shower first while Henry searches out tea and coffee and then, once they’re both ready for the day, they’ll get Violet up. Martha had requested a family breakfast around eight and since it’s barely six, they have time to gradually greet the day.
A day Henry had never once let himself consider before.
He thinks about it while he putters around the kitchen. Not once in his life, not since losing his father at least, has Henry thought about losing his mother. He knows on a base level that it was ridiculous to think it wouldn’t happen, but his mind wouldn’t let him imagine the day. Now that it’s here, he finds himself as unprepared as he was at his father’s funeral.
The kitchen staff stare at him and he feels awkward and out of place but he doesn’t have a staff at home and he’s perfectly capable of making coffee and tea on his own. He still thanks them all anyway when he leaves.
Alex is wearing his boxer briefs and a fluffy robe when Henry gets back to their room, his hair curly and dripping. He smiles and kisses his husband and then climbs back on the bed to stretch out his legs. “The staff thinks I’m insane because I made the coffee and tea myself,” he says, turning to look at Alex. “Sometimes I forget that we’re definitely an exception to the royal rule.”
“Didn’t want Vi to get used to someone doing her shit for her,” Alex answers with a shrug, sipping from his coffee. “There’s no cinnamon in this.”
“It’s England, darling, we don’t have spices here.”
Alex grumbles and walks over to his suitcase, rifling through it. “I know it’s in here somewhere.”
“Please do not tell me you smuggled cinnamon into the country,” Henry says flatly, though he chuckles at Alex’s triumphant whoop as he holds a small jar of cinnamon aloft.
“They’ve been putting cinnamon in my coffee every morning. You just don’t know where they keep it and you’re too nervous to ask for help because you don’t want to get used to it,” Alex says, his voice taking on the tone of a kooky psychiatrist.
“Thanks for the evaluation, doctor,” Henry snorts before sipping his tea. “Are June and Michael going to make it?”
Alex shakes his head. “If they’re not here for the service itself, they’ll be here tonight. She’s furious that they couldn’t get an earlier flight. She name dropped Mom, you, everyone short of Philip but as soon as word got out, all of the flights from your commonwealth countries were booked. That’ll teach her husband to surprise her with a second honeymoon.”
. . .
The ceremony and burial are all a lot for Henry to take in. He assumes his brother and sister feel the same, but he can’t bring himself to ask them. It’s hard enough just being there, let alone talking about everything that’s running through his mind.
His mother is buried at Windsor because she loved being there. Henry’s not sure when he’ll be able to bring himself to feel the same again, knowing his mother will be on the grounds outside instead of curled up on a high wingback in the library.
They all, including Alex’s family, Tavish’s family and Shaan and Zahra head back to Buckingham. Pip had decided on a private reception instead of a public one and Henry couldn’t be more grateful than he is.
It’s a difficult day and Henry’s not sure how he makes it through. Everything hurts and he stops himself from crying on more than one occasion. When he can’t, he excuses himself.
It’s on one such occasion in the early evening that his brother finds him sitting outside. The tears are flowing steadily but he’s not sobbing or whimpering or anything that would give him away or cause alarm. Henry’s just letting himself feel everything that he’s been trying to hold back since he let Alex and Shaan put him back together the morning he found out his mother was gone.
“World’s gone mad, hasn’t it?” Pip asks as he lowers himself onto the stone steps beside Henry. “I can’t believe this is our new reality.”
“Doesn’t really feel real yet,” Henry admits. “Two weeks on and I still expect to walk into her – your – office and find her curled up on a chair with a book in her hands.”
“So do I,” Pip whispers.
They’re both silent for a long while, long enough for the sun to finally sink below the tree line.
“It’s been good, having you here,” Pip says eventually. “Having you back.”
Henry nods in agreement. “It’s been good to be here. With family,” he adds. “All of us together.”
They lapse into quiet again, but it doesn’t last as long this time. “You could make it more permanent,” Pip offers quietly.
Henry shakes his head, his heart rate speeding up. “I can’t. My life is in America,” he answers, though he doesn’t even sound convicted to himself. “The shelters and Alex’s law practice and Violet’s high school. All of that is based in Texas.”
“I know,” Pip concedes. “And I know it’s a lot to think about. But I would really appreciate it if you would consider coming back.”
Henry’s spine stiffens as he asks, “Are you saying that as my brother or my King?”
Pip clasps his hands together and lets his head bow. Henry watches as his brother’s lips move in a soundless speech and he wonders if Pip’s praying or talking to their parents or rehearsing what he wants to say. Henry stays silent, doesn’t ask, and waits for his brother to answer his question.
“Your brother,” he finally says. “I can’t do this without you, Haz.”
Henry scoffs even though he doesn’t mean to. “Yes you can.”
Pip looks up at him now, eyes bright and serious. Henry’s struck by how old his brother looks. “No, Henry, I can’t. And what’s more, I don’t think – it’s not something I want to do alone. Yes, I’ll have Bea but … I need you too.”
Henry licks his lips and shakes his head. “You’ve never needed me before.”
“I’ve always needed you, Haz. Always . I just didn’t know how to go about asking you for help, so I didn’t. Now I am.”
Henry swallows and looks away. He can’t deny that being here feels right, just as selling the brownstone and moving to Texas had at the time. He and Alex have been mostly out of the public eye for nearly two decades. They’d both thought they’d be back in it before now, either with Alex running for office or Henry starting another foundation or non-profit, but those things never came to fruition.
Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if they came back for this .
“I’d have to talk to Alex about it,” Henry finally concedes. “But not while we’re here. When we go home, I’ll talk to him. Maybe there’s something we can work out. I don’t – I don’t really fancy pulling Vi out of the school she’s in while she’s in the middle of term. And Alex has his law firm and he can’t practice in England and—” He cuts himself off and takes a deep, calming breath. “I’ll talk to him once we’re home.”
Philip nods and puts a hand on his shoulder. “That’s all I can ask,” he says. “I won’t push.”
“Thank you,” Henry whispers. “And I promise I’ll truly consider it.”
. . .
They go home three days later and, true to his word, Philip doesn’t bring up his request in the interim. All three of them fall back into their usual routines and Henry feels safe and happy and at home. However, he also feels like he left a chunk of himself in London and he knows he won’t be able to get it back unless he fulfills his promise to his brother and talks to Alex.
He waits until it’s Friday night to bring it up while Violet is having a sleepover at her friend’s house. He and Alex are cuddled up on the couch, Freddie on his bed in front of the not-lit fireplace, some asinine show on the Food Network running in the background.
“Pip asked me to move back to London,” he says as his fingers slide gently through Alex’s salt and pepper curls. “To be an advisor, I think, and a surrogate.”
Alex tilts his head up to look at him, his eyes curious. “What did you say?”
Henry worries his bottom lip for a long minute while he tries to put his words together. “I told him I would talk to you about it. I brought up the shelters and your practice and Vi being in school. I told him my life is here, in Texas.”
Alex nods slightly, his eyes scanning Henry’s face. “But?” he asks leadingly.
“I don’t know,” Henry admits. “It kind of felt right to be there. And maybe it’s just because it made me feel closer to Mum but—”
“But it’s something you want to actually consider?”
“Yeah,” Henry breathes. “And I don’t know how it would work. Our lives really are here and—”
“Our lives were in New York too,” Alex interrupts gently. “And then they weren’t because we decided that Austin was where we wanted to live and raise a family.”
“Exactly,” he replies. “Austin is home.”
“No, baby. Austin’s where we live. You’re home. Vi’s home. Our family is home, no matter where we lock the doors at night,” Alex tells him as he sits up. “I don’t know what it would take for me to get a law license in England,” he continues.
“Alex—”
“And we’d probably have to find a really good non-boarding school for Vi to finish out her education,” Alex adds.
“Love—”
“And there would be a lot more public appearances, but it could work.” Henry’s jaw snaps shut and Alex grins at him. “You expected me to push back?”
“I – yeah, I did. We didn’t – when we were moving here, London wasn’t even part of the discussion. It was Austin or Los Angeles,” Henry reminds him. “Your whole life—”
“Is you and Violet,” Alex finishes for him before he can get anything else out. “Henry, baby,” he adds, moving to his knees and placing his hands on Henry’s shoulders, holding eye contact. “If this is what you need, we will make it work .”
Henry can’t recall the last time he was truly speechless, but that’s how he feels right now. He had, at best, expected Alex to ask for some time to consider everything that would go into moving to another country. At worst, he imagined Alex thinking it was a joke and laughing him off.
Alex immediately working through logistics wasn’t something Henry had considered.
“We’ll have to talk to Vi about it,” Alex adds thoughtfully. “And I kind of don’t want to move her in the middle of the school year, especially since we haven’t scouted places over there and we don’t know how the curriculum compares.”
“We could wait until summer,” Henry croaks out. “Or until she’s graduated.”
Alex watches him for a moment, the barest of smiles tugging on the corner of his lips. “You want this, don’t you?” he asks quietly. “You want to go back to London.”
Henry feels the lump forming in his throat as he nods. “Yes. I do.”
“Then we’ll all go.” He pauses. “Do we get to pick our residence? Because I think Kensington—”
Henry swats him with a pillow and chuckles as a tear falls from his eye. “We can talk to Pip about it if we decide to make the move,” he says. “But I don’t think Kensington will be right for our family.”
“I don’t want to live in Pip’s old house,” Alex tells him seriously. “Your brother got naked there.”
Henry barks out a laugh and shakes his head. “He got naked in Kensington as well.”
“Ugh,” Alex groans, flopping back dramatically against the couch cushions. “ Ruined . Where hasn’t your brother been naked?”
Henry grins. “I think I might know just the right place.”
. . .
Henry, Alex and Violet move into Frogmore Cottage in early June of the following year. After much discussion, Violet decides she wants to take her A-Levels at David Game College in London. It will mean longer days for her since she doesn’t want to board, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice in order to complete her education on time. They’d talked extensively about her going up to Oxford to take them but in the end, it’s London for the year and then they’ll choose a university.
Alex decides to let himself fall into the job of a working royal instead of immediately taking the SQE to be admitted into the UK Bar. Henry’s a little surprised but Alex is adamant about his choice. He also says it’ll allow him to spend more time with Martha, which is something he’s wanted to do for ages.
Henry eases back into the life of being a working royal. At first, all he does is act as a counselor to Philip as he navigates the last few weeks before he and Martha are crowned. He takes double-booked meetings and spends time discussing the direction Pip wants to take the monarchy in, feeling for the first time that his brother truly needs and wants him there.
He feels like a valued and integral part of the royal family.
He mentions that to Alex one night while they’re lounging in the garden. Henry’s head is pillowed on Alex’s thigh, Violet’s in London with Penny for a “Girls Only Weekend” and Freddie’s napping in the flowerbed on the other side of the yard.
“You’ve always been that,” Alex tells him as he smooths his fingers through Henry’s hair. “Now you’re just actually letting yourself be it.”
Henry hums. “You’re taking to your royal duties as if you were born for it.”
“Maybe I was,” Alex answers thoughtfully after a moment. “Maybe all of the political stuff and being in the public eye wasn’t so I could run for office one day, but for this. I get to work with causes I care about, I get to talk to tons of people …” He lifts a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Maybe this was always where we were supposed to end up.”
Henry sits up and then straddles his husband's lap, chuckling at the interest that crosses his face. He leans in and kisses Alex slowly, deeply, with purpose. “You know, Your Grace,” Henry whispers against his lips, “I think you may be right.”