Wow. It's been a while. I finally figured out how I want this story to end, after coming up with multiple different endings. Another four chapters coming up. I'll try my hardest to finish them before the end of July. No uni, no work, vacay is finally here, so I think this is a realistic goal. Short chapter, by the way, but I needed something to kickstart Robert. Next chap, up soon. All of you who stuck around: I love you guys 3

ACT III.

Philosopher

Part II.

Disgrace.

'King dines thrice with Amelia of Kent in just as many days', Eleanor read irritated. 'Have you seen this?' Mounts of magazines were spread out around her, covering almost the entirety of her and Jasper's bed. She chucked one of them – Vogue: the Royal Editon – at him. He had been banished from their bed a while ago and had taken a seat, unwillingly, on the sheepskin rug in front of the fireplace. He caught it with a look of disinterest, managing to not spill the whiskey he had been nursing in his right hand, with the intention of returning to solemnly gazing out of the window and sipping the thirty-year-old blend, but started reading when Eleanor glared at him. The sight staring up at him from the pages of the Vogue was a familiar one: Robert and Kent, together at one of England's finer establishments, enjoying what seemed to be a romantic late-night dinner. The tabloids, magazines and almost every other news outlet in the kingdom had been going nuts the past couple of days. Robert had been catering to their needs very kindly, by appearing in public more often than not with Kent on his arm. The media were busy speculating about these recent events, the presses were running overtime printing up fairytales of royal weddings and whatnot and the British people were practically in a riot about the possibility of a new Queen, all much to the chagrin of Eleanor and consequently Jasper, who had to bear the grunt of her annoyance.

'Can you believe this?' she complained as she threw yet another paper – the Daily Mail, obviously known for their objective and factual news coverage – in Jasper's general direction. Their cover showed a smiling Robert with Kent and the words 'King and Queen'.

'It's a disgrace!' she exclaimed. Rolled over and shouted into her pillow. Frustrated by her brother and by her boyfriend's lack of response. Rolled back and promptly threw the same pillow at Jasper's head.

'Say something!'

But what exactly did she want to hear? Jasper opted it was better to stay quiet and school his features in a look of understanding.

'I just don't get it,' Eleanor continued. 'He claims he loves Poppy. Your best friend. And then he does this. How can you be so calm about it?'

Look of understanding.

Eleanor huffed.

'It's like I don't even recognize him anymore. First that business at the Ascott. Then the whole Liam-thing. And now this. This is not my brother. The Robert I know used to fight for what he wanted. Mother never cowed him and she could certainly never make him do something he did not want to. He used to be brass and arrogant and a complete stubborn pain in the ass, not this insecure piece of shit who acts like he has no balls. What is he playing at? What is his endgame? Has he lost his mind?'

She looked at Jasper expectantly, who calmly looked back. Understanding.

'You have nothing to say?'

For a second he contemplated staying silent, but then decided against it. She was clearly expecting something from him, though he wasn't certain what. There wasn't much he could do about the situation. It had taken a lot to stop Eleanor from physically attacking the king after he had finished relating his and Poppy's love affair to them and both Eleanor and Robert had not been impressed by his conduct at that time, so he'd rather stay out of it. Of course he'd spoken to Poppy, but where Eleanor was in no uncertain terms making her displeasure public, Poppy had been demure, quiet, accepting of whatever it was that was going on.

'I don't know,' he said slowly. 'I think this is between the two of them.'

'Between the two of them?' Eleanor exploded and he sighed.

Wrong thing to say, Frost.

'He's my brother and she's your friend. He's behaving like a fucking idiot, parading Kent around like he's seriously considering marrying her. He should be courting Poppy, should be sneaking around with her, have dates in secret and get to know her better instead of this so-called duchess's daughter who is entirely wrong for him. And he knows it, that's why he told us about Poppy. He could have kept his mouth shut, but he didn't. Because he needs help. We need to get him out of this shithole he has gotten himself into. How can you say it's between the two of them when clearly we are involved?'

Her logic was deluding him, as it so often did.

'I remember you telling me you liked Kent,' he told her. She scoffed in response. 'That was before I knew of all that had transpired between him and Pops.'

'Had transpired, yes,' he said. 'It should've never happened and now it's done. Your brother made his choice and I think Poppy is fine with it.'

'I'm not,' Eleanor said stubbornly. 'I'm not fine with it. Poppy doesn't deserve this.'

She turned on her belly and rested her head on her arms. Looked at him. Her eyes sad.

'She deserves better than this. Better than a guy who tells her he loves her and then continues to woo and marry someone else. Because I know it, Jasper. I know all about keeping your feelings on lock, pretending like your heart doesn't beat faster when you see him or her. I know all about being miserable because you think, you wrongfully believe, you cannot be with the one you love. And so do you, Jasper. We both know Robbie's making a mistake. He's going to marry Kent because of birdbrained reasons which only make sense in his moronic brain and they're both going to regret it for the rest of their lives.'

Jasper sighed. He set his glass down on the floor as he pushed himself up. Groaned and gave up all pretense.

'Len,' he started. 'Listen to yourself. It's done. They had their run and they always knew it wasn't going to work out. Your brother is King and she will never be a Queen. It's –'

'I'm a princess,' Eleanor interrupted him. 'And we all know you will never be a knight in shining armor. Yet here we are.'

He had come to stand before her and she looked up at him defiantly.

'A princess is not a king,' he said. 'Besides,' he continued before she could interrupt him again, 'what else do you want for her? Do you want her to be the best kept secret at court? Do you want her to be by his side, but never beside him? Do you want her to lie whenever someone asks her what she is to him, what he is to her? Do you want her to stand by and watch him live his life out there, while their life is behind closed doors and in the shadows? Because I've been there, Len. I've done that and even though it was worth it in the end, I would wish it upon no one. Certainly not my best friend.'

He sat down next to her, ran a hand soothingly over her back, past her shoulders until he brushed her jaw and softly made her turn her head, made her look at him again. She rested her cheek against his palm and he smiled. A look of understanding.

True understanding.

'He's not you and he's not like Liam,' he said. 'Poppy's not me nor Willow. And no matter how much you want something; some things just aren't meant to be.'

'I still think it's a disgrace,' she muttered stubbornly, but he laughed and kissed her softly on the nose.

'I know you do,' he said. 'But you also know I'm right. This is between the two of them. And he made his choice. Whether he comes to regret it or not, only time can tell.'

Her nod was almost imperceptible, but the way she relaxed against him betrayed her agreement.

Neither of them noticed Robert listening at the door.