*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much* ONE CHAPTER LEFT.
The Spanish army arrived days after King Phillip and Prince Fernando departed from England with their contracts and gold. The French army invaded England like it was promised to Alexandra. England had the strongest army on their side but France had many rebels and noblemen from England on their army as well as other armies that wanted to see Alexandra off the throne or had their eyes set on England. France was determined to have England, determined to form a permanent alliance between the two countries. France wanted the power to control the country that had been an enemy to them for years. France had never come closer to taking control of England than they were when they faced off against what was left of the English army and the Spanish army. Towns in England were destroyed, innocent lives of villagers were taken, many men defending England had lost their lives. England became a place of bloody sacrifice and bloody chaos and Alexandra felt she was losing control of her country. She had been fighting with herself on her decision. She wanted to make her father proud and rule over England but she wanted to do what was best for her family. She knew she couldn't do both. She knew taking the throne it was a possibility she would lose her family but she also knew walking away from the throne she would let down those believing in her, that had faith she could do great things for their country. The war continued to rage on not only inside of Alexandra but throughout her country.
"How are things with Alexandra?" asked Dean as he and Roman were tending to the babies. "Has she reached a decision yet?"
"She's still contemplating," he answered. "I just want her to be happy but this has been hard for her. She wants to make her parents happy but she also wants to make sure we are safe. She knows taking the throne would post a potential threat to not only her but our children and her brother. It has been proven with the invasion. There are more people against her than there are for her. I know she will make a great Queen and that she will be a strong ruler but the risk is not worth it in my eyes."
"I think Alexandra is a strong and powerful woman. She's not like past rulers of England," said Dean, "which is why I chose to work for her, to help guard the babies and be their godfather," he said as he held Arthur in his arms. "I'm not trying to belittle your past relatives or Alexandra's past relatives but until Alexandra took the throne or came close to taking the throne the crown has been nothing but arrogance and domination. It was the wealthy receiving the benefits of the crown while villagers and people like me fell and many lost their businesses. Alexandra is not like that," he said. "Alexandra cares, she has a heart of gold. She is about the people not just the aristocracy. She doesn't care what the nobles think of her and she goes beyond the limitations as Queens. She bought out an orphanage so the children could have a better life, she has many properties that she uses to help women and the peasants. She cares, Roman. That's what England needs."
"I know what England needs and Alexandra is what they need but I can't make this decision for her. Only she can make the decision whether to rule or whether to walk away from the crown."
"I hope she makes the right decision," said Dean. "England needs her. If not becoming Queen why is she having the army fight so hard for a country she will hand over to France? I believe deep down in her heart she knows the right decision."
"I just want her to be happy," he said. "Her happiness is what matters most to me."
"I know, Roman," said Dean with a smile. "But you are her happiness and her children are her happiness which may be why she feels taking the throne will jeopardize your relationship and her relationship with her children. Being the Queen is not an easy task and it involves dedication and time away from the family, from the children. That may not be something she wishes. I would love to see her as the Queen to help the people, she would be the Queen of the People. She's the one that has the voice the peasants do not but she has always spoken for them. Your wife is one of a kind and that's what we need," he said. "You should talk to her about what she wants to do."
"I have, Dean but she's undecided."
"I understand," he said as the door to the nursery opens and Roman's beautiful wife walks into the nursery with her guards by her side. "Hello, Your majesty," said Dean with a bow.
"Dean, please call me Alexandra," she said with a soft smile. "You're family."
"I'll do my best to remember," he said with a smile.
"Hello, Beautiful," said Roman before greeting his wife with a soft kiss on the cheek as he holds their 2 month old daughter in his arms. "How are you feeling?"
"Well," she answered with a smile before she took Vivian from her father. "And how are you?" she asked the tiny infant that gave her a big smile making Roman smile. Vivian was the spitting image of her mother. She had the greenest eyes he had ever seen on a baby and the most beautiful red hair growing on her head. Alexandra kissed her little girl before kissing Arthur on the cheek. The last two months had changed Alexandra. She was always a nurturer she was always a nurturer but becoming a mother made her motherly instincts come out, it made her stronger. It matured her. Alexandra was no longer the 18 year old woman that Roman had married months earlier but the 19 year old woman that was a mother and a wife. Her looks had matured along with her personality. She had once carried a childlike innocence on her face but now she had a worldly look. She had the face of a mother. Alexandra and Roman had hired nannies to take care of their children but more often than not Alexandra and Roman cared for their babies and for Emma. Alexandra wanted to be a mother not just a mother from the distance. She wanted involved with everything Vivian, Emma and Arthur were involved in.
"I'm going to excuse myself," said Dean as he handed Arthur to Roman. "I think you two need some private time and judging by Vivian's temperament I would say it is time for her to be fed."
"Thank-you," said Alexandra with a smile before Dean left the nursery. Alexandra made her way over to the rocking chair in the nursery and took a seat on the wooden made chair that Roman made from scratch. Roman unzipped her blue gown so she could remove the top of her dress. She pulled down the shoulder of her dress and undid her bodice exposing her breast. She offered her nipple to the infant in her arms and she latched right on. Roman thought there was nothing more beautiful than seeing his wife feeding their children. "She was hungry," she smiled.
"Dean knows a lot about babies it makes me wonder how many unnamed children he has out in the world."
"Stop," she said as she ran her hand over her daughter's fiery red hair. "And if he did have bastard children out there it is no one's business but his own but I believe one day he would make a wonderful father. He is wonderful with Vivi and Arthur."
"I couldn't disagree," he said with a smile. "How long do you think this war is going to last between us and France?"
"As long as it takes for England to secure its victory."
"If you're planning to give up the throne to Elizabeth why does a victory matter so much to you?" he asked honestly. "If you're going to give the throne to Elizabeth that would secure a union between England and France why fight so hard to protect it?"
"Roman this is MY country. I am an Englishwoman. My ancestors have ruled this kingdom for years. If I gave it up without a fight what would that say about my character?"
"No matter what happens you're going to give it up without a fight. When England reigns victorious against France you're just going to give Elizabeth the throne and the country you fought so hard to protect."
"Are we going to do this again, Roman? You know this never ends well for us and I don't want to argue about this again."
"I just want to know that you know what's at stake," he said. "I want you to make the right decision, Alexandra. I told you that I would always support you no matter what you choose to do but I need to make sure you make the right decision. If you're just giving up the throne why fight so hard, why continue to use Spain's army as well as keeping the contract of marriage between Vivi and Felipe? If Vivi is no longer an heir to the throne why would Felipe want to marry her."
"Whether she is an heir to the throne or not she will always be a princess which is still eligible for a marriage to the Prince of Spain."
"I will never understand why after giving up the throne to give your children a normal life why a marriage to the Prince of Spain is still a choice let alone an option. Shouldn't Vivi be able to marry for love like you and I did?"
"Vivi is going to be a fiery spirit," said Alexandra with a smile. "She's going to do what she wishes much like I have done but with the fiery spirit will come her golden heart."
"IF she is half the woman you are, Alexandra she will be one lovely and lucky girl."
"I hope she is more than the woman I am," she said honestly. "My heart is torn, Roman. My heart is torn on what to do, what to choose," she admitted.
"I know it is, Love," he said. "Tell me your dilemma."
"I love my country and I love my people. I love everyone not just the nobles. I love the villagers, the peasants. I want to speak for them. I want to help them as much as I can but I put myself and our family at risk doing so, Roman. I often ask myself if it is worth the risk, worth possibly losing my family or you losing me. Sometimes I don't believe it is but other times I do. My grandmother ruled this country for years, Roman. I idolized her, I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be the Queen like she was someday. I wanted to be like Queen Isabelle. Then my father took the throne while I idolized my grandmother and my father," she said, "they weren't for all the people. They let people lose their homes and go hungry. I promised I wouldn't be that Queen, that I wouldn't be that ruler. I promised myself that I would be the Queen of England ALL of England not just the crown. I think the people of England deserve that."
"I believe you're correct," he said. "The nobles are upset because you didn't side with them. They don't rule England, YOU rule England ALL of England. Victoria and Carlisle claimed the lives of your mother and father. They separated you from your brother his entire life. They deserved their punishment. The nobles are trying to push you to give up the throne. Are you going to let them win?" he asked as she removed Vivi from her breast. She and Roman switched babies so she could feed their son that looked like the baby form of Roman, he had his full soft lips, his grey orbs and a head full of thick black hair. "Are you going to let the nobles get what they want? You're fighting hard for England, have men defending their country from France but whether you win or lose you're going to walk away?"
"Roman," she said, "the nobles don't want me as their queen."
"It doesn't matter what the nobles want. They bullied your grandmother, your father don't let them bully you as well. They stop giving us grain and other essentials for our country you have Spain that has delivered an abundance of all we require and all that we need. You said you didn't want to rule just for the nobles and the aristocracy. You want to rule for ALL the people of England. Walking away from the crown because the nobles disagree with you is not ruling for ALL the people. Be the Queen of the People, not the queen for the nobles. If anyone can change England for the better it is you, Alexandra. It is you. NO one else can do it. Do you think if Elizabeth takes the throne that she will rule for the people? That she will help the peasants?"
"No," she answered honestly. "She's too selfish to think of anyone but the crown and the royals."
"You want to change England don't you?" he asked. "You want to make it better, stronger?"
"Yes," she said, "I want to make England the best country in the world. I want to be the strongest ruler they have ever seen but I don't want to sacrifice my family to be the Queen."
"Alexandra," he said, "you're not sacrificing anything but your family's legacy. We're going to be right here by your side. We're going to be right here we are not leaving you. You can still be the mother you wish to be and still be the Queen you want to be. Vivi, Arthur, Emma and Henry will all have a normal life but you have to do what you want to do. Do you want to walk away from the throne, give it up to someone that has a selfish heart that will not care about the less fortunate or do you want to stay up for YOUR people, show them you're stronger than France, stronger than Elizabeth. You have Spain on your side which is a tremendous help for you. What you offer England is something that Elizabeth could never and would never offer to the people. I know you want to be happy but I think if you walk away from the throne you will never be happy. You'll always regret your choice. This is YOUR legacy, the legacy you're going to pass down to your children, grandchildren and so on. Little girls are going to admire you, wish to be you but the most important little girls and little boy are watching you and they are your legacy," he said. "Do what's best for them and give them the future they deserve. Vivi is the next heiress to the throne give her someone to admire and idolize. Take care of your people and make England a better place," he said, "Alexandra, you have the power to be the best, the strongest, most intelligent and caring ruler England has ever seen. Go make a difference." He encouraged her making her smile.
*A/N Why do you think Alexandra is fighting so hard for a country that she plans to give up? Do you think deep down she knows the decision she needs to make? What did you think of Roman's encouraging talk to her? Do you think it encouraged her to not give up the throne? Do you think she will be the Queen of the people or will she go to Italy to be with her family? Please review and thank-you for reading.