I just wanted to give a different perspective on Robert- as well as on what the other royals of Europe and the rest of the world were thinking with all the craziness that they must have known- or at least sensed- coming from the Henstridge family.
Aglaia is my OC. But a different one from the one I use in my other stories (or is she? Can't give spoilers!)
Please, I welcome constructive criticism, but flames are unwelcome, unnecessary and pointless. I wouldn't do that to you, so don't do that to me.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals.
Returned from the Dead
The News crews from all over the world went crazy.
In Athens, a girl stood staring, glued like all the rest of the world, to the TV screen. Her Royal Highness Princess Aglaia of Greece and Denmark to be exact.
Aglaia's wide emerald eyes were fixed right at the figure of His Royal Highness, previously presumed dead, Robert Henstridge Prince of Wales. At the head of the table, His Majesty King Konstantinos of Greece stared at the damned thing with a frozen expression on his face. His face looked like a fruit that had its juices and sucrose squeezed and sucked out of its flesh leaving only sour stuff behind. Her Majesty looked like a cat that got thrown off a cliff only to realise it had just realised it landed on a boat in the middle of the Aegean.
The Crown Prince/Duke of Sparta didn't look much better. His nose kept twitching like he was dying to sniff out a kind of trick- an impostor maybe. A bad joke, a dream. But alas, fate has an incredible sense of humour. It was a bitch.
Meantime, the Prince of Thebes sat munching a cake, eyes big and glued to the TV. He didn't think that any Henstridge news was anything to lose his appetite about. Life sucked with them as it is. Why make things worse? He dug in another bite.
"So Robert's back from the dead." He said after swallowing his mouthful of cake. "OPA! Or Hip-hip Hooray! Like that's a bad thing."
"Keep your voice down." The queen hissed. She didn't want anybody thinking there was a 'family feud'. There wasn't. Not unless they started one.
He shrugged and swallowed another mouthful. "Mama- who CARES? Seriously, Robert was the best egg in a rotten nest. A nest made with one good bird and one-" he made a face. Nobody could say a single thing about Queen Helena Henstridge without their face curling up. No good thing apart from her looks- incredible for a forty or fifty-something woman- though botox was suspected- and her fashion sense. Her brother-in-law, King Cyrus and her twin spawns were the same- though possibly, worse. Only Simon, the late king, and their son Robert could be safely complimented without a lie or a part-truth. Even Liam- the presumed heir to the throne after Robert's 'death'- when he won the hearts of his people, in other European royal circles and countries, his sincerity was severely doubted. They didn't think him or his twin could change. The queen only laid one good egg and two rotten ones as far as many of them were concerned. That wasn't going to change. Was it?
"He's back from the dead." The king said finally. "I pray and wish the people of Britain well- they certainly didn't have it with the uncle."
"The uncle who lost a testicle." The Prince of Thebes- the second son- snickered.
The Duke of Sparta/Crown Prince snorted. The family wasn't popular in general outside of their country. Even with their counterparts worldwide. Only Simon and Robert.
"Please." The queen snapped. "This conversation is not for the table." She glared at her two boys. "We are NOT causing an International Diplomatic Crisis with Britain! Especially in regards to anyone mouthing off about any of them- regardless of our personal feelings." She glared harder.
Crown Prince Alexios raised his hands. "Don't worry, Mitéra, we won't say anything. Not even about the queen's reported lingerie shopping sprees or her plastic surgeons." Aglaia winced.
This was awful. She feared what would happen if Robert ever heard of this. She couldn't imagine the hurt on his beloved face if he ever found out that most of Europe's royals were insulting his family behind his back.
Because despite anything, despite their flaws, she knew he still loved them. He would die for them.
"So our bet is off." Prince Dimitri stirred his morning coffee. He was referring to the bet the siblings made on how on how long before the British monarchy collapsed and how hard. Aglaia had bet that it wouldn't collapse- for Robert. "Now that Robert's back, I'm sure he would put things right."
The king scoffed. "Somehow I don't think one man- no matter how great and uncorrupted- can undo the colossal amount of damage done to the family's reputation among other things. But the twins have been proven Simon's?" He enquired.
"Yet the queen did not deny an affair." Queen Anastasia said finally. "Scandal that touches a royal house always rocks the very throne- and the kingdom." The king responded. "I don't think they can undo any damage. Especially since Cyrus was already made king on the assumption that his nephew and niece were illegitimate."
"The only way to save their monarchy is if Robert publicly steps away from all his family's doings." Alexios stated. "Cyrus won't abdicate, will he?"
"The British monarchs take a constitutional oath upon coronation," Aglaia finally found her voice. "To continue serving until death. Same as us. Few monarchies have that. Cyrus will continue reigning until death. Though afterwards..." She trailed off, stirring her tea, trying to appear calm to her family.
"Let's hope Robert rather than those half-wit daughters of Cyrus." Dimitri snorted. "You know one of them tried to hook up with me? Before she had plastic surgery?"
"What?!" They all turned and stared at him. "Marie- no, Maribel. That was her name." Dimtri snapped his fingers. "Total dimwit. Same as her sister. Crazy hats." He sniggered. "Not as bad as their twin cousins but-"
"I think," Aglaia stood up. "I would like to be excused. Mama, Babas- if you don't mind?" They nodded and she all but ran from the breakfast table. She didn't want to hear it. Especially now that Robert was alive.
Alive. He was alive. How could they have possibly thought he was dead in the first place? Especially as they had never found a body? But he was alive.
Aglaia stopped dead and clenched her fist, pressing it against her mouth to prevent from crying out. She would not cry. She was not supposed to cry.
A princess was not supposed to cry.
Her phone rang. She froze.
The caller: Unknown. She ignored it. With shaking hands she saw a series of text messages
'I would die for you.' He'd whispered to her. 'There is nothing I wouldn't do or give up for you.'
The caller: Unknown. She ignored it. With shaking hands she saw a series of text messages.
Please contact me. I need to see you.
I just want to hear your voice. FOR REAL. I'd kill to hear it again.
Remember what the last thing I said to you? I'd die for you... I'll never stop loving you. That will never change. NOT EVER.
Taking a deep breath, Aglaia accepted the call.
"Hello?" That was Robert's desperate voice. "Aglaia? Is that really you?" He sounded so damned desperate.
"I could say the same thing about you." She stated in perfect English. Her voice sounded shaky for once.
On the other side, Robert breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God." He whispered.
Aglaia felt the rush of tears streaming from her eyes. "I know." She whispered, one hand touching the pillar in front.
"What happened? I tried to call you last night." Robert's voice sounded choked-up and husky.
"Last night?" Aglaia asked hollowly.
"Before the press conference. Your phone was switched off."
Aglaia shook her head. "I was in church." Her throat felt dry.
Robert breathed out a sigh. "How long? When can I see you?"
Her voice choked up in longing. "Robbie... We live miles apart, remember? You could have waited before going all public."
"Mum already had a press conference scheduled- to announce the twins' paternity." She could hear him shaking his head on the other end of the line. "I still can't believe it. I've been gone for nearly a year. And..." He shook his head again. He wasn't going to sully this moment with scandals now.
"I heard." She said softly. "Robbie... I thought you were dead." She whispered, tears pouring down her cheeks. "All this time..."
"I was thinking about you." He said hoarsely. "All I could think about. I didn't want to go back to the palace. I didn't want the press. The attention. All I wanted... Was to see you again. You were all I could think about."
Aglaia heaved out a sigh. "My parents..."
"Still don't like my family?" She could hear a dry note in his voice.
"To say the least." She sighed. "With everything that's happened since you've disappeared... They seem even more determined to have us stay as far away as possible."
"But... Can't you convince them? Surely it's not protocol to spurn an invitation from another royal family- publicly." She could hear the desperation in his voice.
"I know." She sighed. "But they're likely to go themselves or to send my intimidating brother in their stead."
She cringed at the thought of Alexios giving an icy stare-down with any of the Henstridges. He could respect Robert though, that at least. Anyone who was happy to give up his life for his country the Duke of Sparta could damned well respect and like.
Though if he found out that Robert had been seeing his younger sister that would change in a heartbeat.
"Your family doesn't know any more than mine." It wasn't a question.
"No." Robert admitted. "I couldn't tell my family." She confessed.
"Nobody out there likes us." Robert sighed, as if trying to joke. "Please." His voice grew serious. "I would have gone to Athens but that would cause a lot of questions to start popping up."
Aglaia nearly snorted. The presumed dead heir to the British throne appearing out of nowhere in Athens, Greece, to see the princess? My, that would cause headlines.
"I'll... Persuade them." She promised. "Use diplomacy." She could sense his smile. "I love you." He whispered. "More than the world."
"I love you." She whispered back. "More than life itself."
"I'd die for you." She winced. "Don't say that."
"I'm sorry." He sounded apologetic. "But there's nothing I wouldn't do to be with you. Remember our promise."
Aglaia swallowed. "I'm pretty sure it's illegal for all our countries to make such promises."
"Only for marriage. They said nothing about an engagement. Do you still have the ring?"
Aglaia nodded tersely, before remembering that he could see her. "Yes," she said hastily. "They haven't found it. I never got rid of it."
Robert breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, my love."
"Are they serious?" Dimitri stared at the invitation, written in Latin Script, in fancy cursive, with the royal crest of the Henstridge monarchy.
"Apparently," their eldest brother snorted. He adjusted his tux. He very much preferred his military uniform, formal or informal.
"They're nuts." Dimitri chucked the invitation to the floor in disgust. "Why would they think we would accept?"
"Because it's Prince Robert." Their mother reminded them. "He's always been different from the rest of his family, except for his father."
Their father picked up the invitation. "I can't disagree with you, Mitéra ." Dimitri said desperately. "But the rest of the Henstridges will be there, minus the late King Simon."
"We'll have to double the security." Alexios grunted. "Especially in regards to you, Μικρή αδερφή." He looked fondly at Aglaia.
Mikrí aderfí. Little Sister. Aglaia rolled her eyes at her eldest brother. "Why do you think that?"
"Because as much as I don't like that family in general, the Henstridges, you can't deny, are a handsome crowd. And Prince Liam is going to be slavering all over the girls again." He said in disgust.
The last time they were in Britain- and Aglaia had snuck off to see Robert while her elder brothers were distracted. The next morning, the queen had a pitch of hysteria when she discovered Prince Liam in bed with three girls: one blonde, one brunette and one redhead- looking as if they were recovering from a night of excess while they were supposed to be entertaining the Greek royals.
"And you, baby sister, are the most beautiful girl in the world." Alexios went over to her and kissed her on the head. "So I don't want you anywhere near them. Especially not Liam. Though even Robert I wouldn't approve. You don't want that family as in-laws, Aglaia."
You don't want that family as in-laws, Aglaia. Aglaia cringed inwardly at that statement. If he ever knew...
"They're a dangerous crowd." Her father stated firmly. "It's best if we keep our distance, make it seem business."
"Yes, but the risk of doing business itself with them," Alexios said, turning to their father. "Is great itself. Our family was nearly decimated to extinction during the civil wars. It's a miracle we ever managed to get our country back into working order. What if the Henstridges' enemies- of which we know they have many- would risk an alliance with any of the remaining military junta? And try to harm any of us- to harm Greece?" His voice grew hot. "There's a reason why no other royal house wants to associate with them, and not just because of scandal. It's too dangerous!"
"What happened to your Spartan valour?" Dimitri challenged. "I thought you wanted ένα όμορφο θάνατο?" He taunted.
Ena ómorfo thánato. A beautiful death. The Spartans- Ancient and modern- talked about embracing death like a lover. Alexios was the same.
Alexios scowled. "Not for my sister." He said finally. "Not for my country or my family." He said firmly. "Not with the Henstridges. Never them." He said in disgust. "There is no honour in dying by their hand."