*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
Alexandra smiled as the guards brought Emma and Henry into the sitting room of the castle to meet Vivian and Arthur for the first time. Their meeting had been delayed due to the attack on the castle they remained in hiding until everything was clear and everything was cleaned up from the attack. "Mama!" yelled Emma as she ran to Alexandra, her light blue gown swaying at her feet and her braided hair swaying back and forth on her travels. She ran into Alexandra's arms and Alexandra wrapped her arms around her in comfort hugging her tightly grateful she was with them still. "I was scared."
"I'm sure you were, My Love," she said before kissing the top of her head. "We're safe now. I love you."
"I love you too, Mama," she said hugging her mother tightly not wanting to let go as Henry stood off in the corner taking everything in. He was often silent and hid within the shadows. He barely spoke with Roman and Alexandra but he spoke mostly to Emma and had developed a special bond with her. They were best friends. "Are the bad men gone?" she asked sitting on Alexandra's lap.
"For now," she said honestly. "If they come back which they probably will we will be ready for them. We have soldiers coming from Spain to help us."
"I hope they don't come back," she hugged tightly to Alexandra.
"I hope not either but we are prepared in case they do. You will always be safe when they arrive we will never let anyone hurt you, Henry or your baby brother and baby sister," she promised with a smile.
"I have a baby brother and a baby sister?" she asked with her blue eyes big and bright and a huge smile on her face that was full with excitement.
"Yes," answered Alexandra with a smile as she set Emma onto her feet so she could get up to get the babies from their bassinets with Roman. Alexandra picked up one of the twins while Roman picked up the other one. "Emma, I want you to meet Princess Vivian," said Alexandra with a smile as she showed her baby girl to Emma.
"Hi, Vivian," she said with a smile before she curtsied out of respect for the new Princess of England. "She is pretty, Mama," she said with a smile. "I like her hair," she smiled. "It is like yours."
"It is," she said with a smile. "You and Vivian are going to be great friends. You're going to teach her how to play tea party, how to go to a princess tea and many more things."
"I can't wait for her to be my best friend," she said with a smile as Henry moved from the corner of the room to get a closer look at the babies. Alexandra smiled at him and he gave her a shy smile in return.
"And this is Prince Arthur," Roman said proudly.
"Oh he is so cute!" cried Emma as she clasped her hands together. "I love babies!" Roman and Alexandra smiled at her excitement. "They are so tiny."
"They are just a few hours old," said Alexandra. "They'll grow soon enough."
"Can I hold Vivian?" she asked.
"Of course," said Alexandra with a smile. "Have a seat on the couch," she instructed. Emma did what she asked excitedly and plopped down onto the couch. Alexandra smiled and said, "Hold out your arms." Emma did as Alexandra asked and Alexandra carefully placed Vivian into the arms of her big sister. Emma smiled as she held her and looked down at her. For a moment Vivian looked up at Emma with her dark blue almost grey eyes. Emma leaned down and kissed her tiny forehead. "Henry, would you like to hold Arthur?" she asked him. He nodded shyly. "Okay, have a seat. You have to be very gentle and careful," she said to him. He nodded.
"Gentle," he said barely higher than a whisper. Alexandra smiled as he sat with his arms outstretched ready to hold his nephew. Roman carefully placed him into Henry's arms with a smile. The smile on Henry's face grew larger as he held the tiny baby boy in his arms. He had never held anything so precious or fragile in his arms. His grin went from ear to ear. Henry and Alexandra felt lumps in their throat at the precious moment and tears blurred their eyes before tears rolled down their cheeks. Henry was built like a man, sounded like a man but inside he had the heart of a child and a brain of a child not much older than Emma. He was looking at life from a new perspective. He spent 16 years in captivity hidden away from the world he was looking at everything for the first time, he was not much different than Vivian and Arthur as they would experience the world around them for the first time. Henry always had a childlike joy in his eyes whether it was watching the sun rise in the sky, the cool breeze hitting his face, running in the pasture, riding a horse or playing with Emma he looked at everything with a childlike joy and right now he had the same look of pure childlike joy. It was the sweetest thing Alexandra had ever seen.
"Are you okay?" Roman whispered in her ear as he stood behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I'm fine," she answered wiping the tears away.
"You're crying," he said, "talk to me," he whispered.
"I just I don't know. I wish that my mother and father could see Henry now. All these years my father thought Henry was dead and my mother died shortly after he had been taken, that had to have devastated her they wanted so much for him even despite his abnormality. He is a great kid and to know that Victoria and Carlisle kept us from forming this bond that he has with Emma it hurts. I wish I had known my brother when I was younger so I could mentor him and play with him, cause trouble with him like all brothers and sisters do. Instead I was robbed of that. My father was robbed of having a son and my mother was robbed of her life. I wish my mother and father could be here to see Vivian and Arthur. My mother would have loved them to pieces. My father would have been so proud of his grandchildren, the new heirs to the throne. Sometimes I wonder is the throne worth ALL of this? Was being King so important to him that he lost his wife and lost his life? Was the throne worth Victoria committing murder? I don't understand the treacherous behavior. Jealousy is all that it was and because of that jealousy for something that was rightfully hers because she was the first born caused all of this chaos," she said shaking her head. "I look at Henry and our children and I'm frightened Roman. What if we can't protect them from the next invasion, what if something happens to them because Elizabeth wants what is rightfully hers? France is a strong country and my own people have turned against me. They're stronger than we are and I can't let anything happened to our children. I can't let anything happen to you. You're already hurt from one attack, what if that man had killed you. None of THIS would be worth losing the love of my life."
"What are you saying, Alexandra?"
"I'm saying that maybe the threat of Elizabeth and Charles is not worth the chance of losing the people I love," she said pointing their children and Henry. "I always said my family was more important than my rule and if we are in danger Roman it isn't worth it."
"Alexandra," he said.
"I was raped Roman," she said turning to face him, "in OUR bed in front of our children. In OUR home, you were stabbed. Was any of this worth it?"
"I think that right now your emotions are all over the place. You're sensitive right now you've had a long couple days. I think you need to think about what you're saying."
"I think or I'm sure I am going to give Elizabeth the throne and run away to Italy with you, Henry and the children."
"Alexandra, what are you saying?" he asked confused. "I thought you wanted to be the Queen of England."
"I do, I want that but I want my family and my husband more, Roman. I want my pride and dignity back. I can't risk my family for the throne, I can't do it," she said. "I think giving the throne to Elizabeth is the best thing I can do."
"Alexandra, what about Spain? They can help us save England."
"For a large amount of gold and for our daughter's hand in marriage," she said letting out a deep breath. "Forcing our daughter to marry the Prince of Spain is like me being forced to marry Charles and to marry Barrett. It's forcing her to love someone we choose for her not who she chooses. I don't want Vivian to be unhappy when she's older, yes being married to the Prince of Spain and forming that alliance would be worth it but is our daughter's happiness worth sacrificing. I told you I want our children to have a normal and SAFE childhood. We can't do that living in the castle, we can't do that if they are the heirs to the throne, we can't do that at all," she said. "I want them to go to a normal school, make normal friends and enjoy their childhood. I don't want them going to balls, masquerades. I want them to enjoy their life as normal children."
"Alexandra, I'm confused on where all this is coming from. Yesterday you were ready to be coronated and crown the official Queen of England now you're ready to move out of the castle, run away to Italy and live there?"
"With you," she said, "with our children away from all of this. We can have a normal life, Roman."
"I think you need to think about this, make your decision and decide what you truly want to do. I promised you I would support you in everything that you choose to do. If you choose to be the official Queen of England I will stand by your side and rule with you but if you choose not to become the official Queen of England and you give up the throne I will stand by your side. NO matter what you choose, Alexandra," he said taking her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. "No matter what you choose I am going to be here by your side. I just want you to make sure you're making the right choice, that you're making the right decision. You need to really think about this and think about what you want to do."
"What I want to do is enjoy my life with my husband, my brother and my children. I want to help people. I have property that I can still maintain, I can do anything. I don't have to be a Queen. I want to be happy, Roman, with you and our children," she said. "I want to be happy."
"Do you think that you wouldn't be happy as Queen, Alexandra?"
"No," she said honestly. "I don't think I would. There's been too much happening. I'm not being a coward I am doing the right thing not only for England but for our family. Elizabeth wants the throne," she said. "It is rightfully hers."
"No, Alexandra the throne is rightfully yours. Your father was the King which makes you the heir to the throne. Are you sure you want to walk away from all of this? What would your father say? What would your father do?" he asked.
"My father would tell me to do what would make me happy. Being Queen doesn't make me happy, Roman. Being a wife and a mother makes me happy, helping people makes me happy. I want to be happy and my father would tell me to follow my heart."
"And where is your heart leading you?" he asked.
"To Italy," she said honestly, "to Italy."
*A/N: What did you think of Emma and Henry meeting with the babies? Was it a precious moment for the family? What do you think of Alexandra deciding she wants to give up the throne? Why do you think she made that decision so quickly? Was it becoming a mother, the invasion or did she always have these feelings and they are just heightened now? What do you think about her wanting to give Elizabeth the throne? Will she go through with her decision? Does she make a good point, can she be happy living in Italy? Do you agree with her new decision? One thing that wasn't touched on would giving up the throne, moving to Italy and living a semi-normal life (Her life would never be normal she will always be a princess) be best for Henry? Please review and thank you for reading.