Flashbacks~~~

Catherine was greeted back to Kensington palace that evening after her meeting. "Hiya mum." Bea cheered seeing her as she walked in to the music room. "How's Henry?" She asked her and Bea shrugs.

"Still in the room. He didn't sleep yesterday." Bea replied and she could see her mum sighed as she took her gloves and hats off before passing it to one of the help. "He was in the garden the whole night." Bea added.

"I thought with all the therapist I'd paid he would have at least stop lurking into the garden." She rubbed her temple as she walked around the room. "He did, when he was with Alex." Bea knows how hard it is for Henry especially now that Alex is thousand miles away. "I'm gonna check on him." Bea waved her mum with a smile as she continued to scroll on her phone.

As Catherine walked up to the room she bumped into Holden coming down the stairs from Henry room. "Everything alright?" She asked. Holden stopped mid stairs bowing her for a greet. "Your Royal Highness, I was just about to get Prince Henry some food. He's just awaken." He said and she smiled giving way to him as she continued her steps towards Henry's room.

She pushed the door open and found Henry room was rather dark so she pressed on the switch and it brightened up the room a little. Henry's bed has separated light on the bedside but she went for the window to open the curtain instead. It gives half of the light into the room and she could see Henry soft rustles under the blanket.

"Mum." His voice croaked as she smiled and walked to his side. Henry didn't make any attempt to get out of bed but instead he raised himself up and leaned against the headrest. He looks miserable with his hair all messy and Catherine could see the shadow underneath his eyes for all the sleepless night he had. It bruised his under eye and she remembers about her time of grieving when her husband passed.

"Hiya darling, don't tell me you stayed in bed all day. Did you went for the appointment?" She sat besides Henry folding her legs on the bed and stared at his pale face as Henry raised himself from under the blanket and sat up. "I did, came back couple hours ago." He said and Catherine could hear the rough in his voice as he tried to tell her. "What did he say then? Everything okay?" She asks and Henry didn't want to bother her with all of the details cause he knew for fact, his mum will drag his ass off this bed and straight to hospital.

So instead he just smiled and nodded, "Yeah," Catherine smiled exhaling a relief breath as she cupped Henry cheek in her palm, she hummed with her eyebrow furrowed. "You're warm as a tea pot darling. Are you sure you're alright?" Henry pulled her hand away from his face and held it in his, "I'm okay, just a bit warm under these piles of blanket." He said and starts peeling the blanket away from him.

"I'll tell you what, I will have the help send you some nice cold ice cream. It helps to soothe your throat. Just like old times." Henry couldn't have the heart to tell her no so he just nodded with a smile and she beamed with happiness. She kissed Henry on his forehead stroking her finger on his cheek feeling the warmth radiates through his skin before she went out from the room and Henry went back to sleep, feeling the raging headache came knocking in his head.

His headache grew stronger when he heard buzzing and ringing by his bedside and he wanted to smash that thing to pieces. But when he grabbed it and saw Alex face on the screen, he changed his mind completely and butterflies sets in the pit of his stomach. He pressed on the green button and the sweet worried voice that he missed so much echoed in his ear, "Hen?"

He hummed feeling something stuck in his throat as he replied. Alex asked him if everything is alright since he didn't answer his phone. Truthfully, he was completely knocked out after he came back from the hospital and this feeling he had right now hits him in his stomach. But there is nothing he wanted right now more than being in Alex's arm, being hugged with his scent and his way of Alex holds Henry closed to his chest.

For all the people he lied to, Alex doesn't deserve it, so he replied honestly with a no and he could hear him actually exhaled in relieve cause for once, Henry is not denying what's happening to him. He needed Alex here more than anything in the world right now. Like a diver begging for oxygen on his last dive, a prisoner begging for mercy of the court to pardon, Henry plead for Alex to be here. His lifeline and his better half.

It didn't even take Alex that much of time to think or any argument involved. He immediately said yes to the plan cause like Henry, he also needed him, more than anything and nothing would changed his mind about it. Henry couldn't be happier knowing Alex is going to be here soon in his arm.

Present~~~

Probably after midnight when Henry suddenly woke up with a burning feeling inside of him. He could feel the twisting pain in his stomach and the firing feeling under his chest made him jolted from his sleep. He clenched his mid chest feeling the fire burns him from the inside and slowly rising up to his throat.

He literally jumped out from the bed praying he make it to the bathroom and just in time as he kneeled on the cold hard floor, he spilled nothing but sour liquid that tasted like rotten lime. He purged all the content in his stomach which is basically water and bits. He hasn't had any solid food other than few snacks he grabbed from the bedside thanks to Holden for leaving it there.

He coughed and heaved a dry heaving sound as he continued to spill everything into the white ceramic bowl hoping it would stop soon. He clenched his stomach in pain as he felt it burning holes through his whole body. His forehead glistened with all the sweats of his workup just now and he could feel it running down his body.

He flushed his content down and headed to the sink to splash some cold water on his face. He cupped a few and start gargling trying to removed the taste in his mouth. He stared at his mirror image finding his own face is a shriveled mess. His hair is all over the place, skin pale as ghost, his lips are dry and cracked with his under eye bruised into purple, with the scars over his body. This isn't an appearance of a prince, he thought, this is madness that came out of a grim book.

He took out his wet shirt leaving him in his sweatpants and dumped them in the basket underneath the sink. He grabbed a towel next to the mirror and wiped the water beads off his forehead and his neck running it down on his torso. He leaned forward as he feel another one coming and tried his best not to spill it cause it took all of his strength not to pass out in this bathroom.

He could almost see the headline of the Daily Mail, Prince Henry collapsed in the bathroom with no one by his side, a sad little loner. Henry clenched his stomach as he leaned his forehead against the cold ceramic of his sink as he tried to find his strength to go back to bed.

He took smaller steps holding on to the wall then the door frame when he felt giddy and the floor is almost like walking on a jelly surface. He didn't realized whether he is dreaming or he is awake when the door of his bedroom suddenly opened revealing a tall, dark curly hair man in his bedroom with eyes lingered for his love one. "Henry?" He called and Henry could almost smile when their eyes met but the pain in his chest making him not to.

Alex didn't look any less miserable as Henry. He could see the shadow under his eyes and the hollowed of his cheek. Alex hasn't been taking care of himself well as Henry thought he would. It was all his fault, he did this. He brought the light out of Alex life and made him this sorrow.

"Hen." He said as he went for a hug in the middle of his bedroom. Henry is fully aware he is not wearing any shirt right now when his chest collides with Alex and the coldness of his key necklace hits him in the centre. "You're here." He whispered as his arm wrapped Alex waist and inhaling his scent brought him to peace.

"I'm here babe," Alex said as he pushed Henry away and held him by his arm. "Where are your shirt? Are you okay?" He asked gripping Henry's hand in his as he stared at Henry's pale face. Henry is shivering in coldness and he keeps swallowing his throat like he had something stuck in there. His panting for breaths when Alex asked him questions. "I'm fine, I can't believe you're here." Henry said and Alex smiled not believing it either.

Alex cupped Henry's cheek before slowly pulling Henry's face towards him and let their lips collided. There is something about Henry that made him want to nestle deeper into him but he was pushed by that thought when Henry pulled him away from their kiss and held his palm over his mouth.

Henry saw the look on Alex face as it dropped in disappointment. Alex must have thought that Henry resents him and still have doubts about their relationship but he was wrong. That wasn't his intention at all. "S-Sorry, I just uh- I just throw up, I don't want you to be disgusted by that." Henry apologized as he pulled his hand away from Alex and wiped his palm over his sweatpants.

But Alex never did feel such things, he loves Henry as much as Henry loves him. There is no amount of disgust Henry could claimed that would make him stop feeling the love he had for Henry. So instead he cupped Henry's cheek and collides his lips with Henry again.

It caught Henry by surprised when he felt the warmth of Alex's lips against his dry cracked one and he positively melts in his arm when their forehead touches. "Lord I miss this." Henry whispered as he melts into their kisses. But he could feel the twist in his chest grew as he released Alex from his grip, he coughed vigorously clutching his chest in pain.

"Hen? What is it?" Alex asked and Henry couldn't catch his breath as he coughs. He could feel his body slowly slipped to the ground as Alex caught him in his embrace. "Henry, Henry!" He called as he screamed for help. Henry's mouth gaped apart trying to find an air to breathe. He could feel his throat is blocking the entrance and his chest is being stabbed multiple time with small needle.

"Henry slowly, slowly, follow my breathing." Alex advised and he could feel the people start coming in the room and gasped when he saw Alex holding Henry in his arm. Henry is pale and sickly, sweats drenched his whole skin, his mouth gaped apart like fish out of water and they could see Alex trying to comfort him.

Catherine and Bea joined the room seconds later surprised to see Alex here with Henry in his arm. "Alex? How? What is happening?" Bea asked and Catherine is already by Henry's head cupping his forehead in her palm, "There's no time for questions Beatrice, your brother is ill, he need the hospital right now!" Catherine instructs the men to call for the ambulance but Alex denied them.

"NO! Just get the car ready, I'll drive him. It will take long time for them to be here with all the security pass." He suggested and didn't waste anymore time, he carried Henry in his arm as he ran out of the room.

Catherine and Bea followed behind in another car as Alex let the Secret Service took Henry into the first car and he went with him. He could feel the burning skin underneath his palm when he cradled Henry on his lap. The hospital was supposed to be almost twenty minutes away but thank god for the escorts, they made it within ten minutes.

"Hang on baby." He said to Henry but he is already unconscious on his lap as they carried him into the emergency department.

It took them two hours to come out and tell Catherine and Alex on Henry's condition. Alex is restless waiting in the hospital waiting lounge that they had provided for the Royal family and this particular event brought memories on that horrid night. He fiddled and starts pacing around witnessed by Catherine and Bea. "Alex, he is going to be alright." Catherine spoke and it triggered something in Alex.

"He has to be! What were you guys doing? I told you to take care of him! Why no one knows that he had fever and he has been vomiting inside the room for god knows how long!" Alex screamed as he let his finger gripped on his dark curls. "We didn't know!" Bea snapped and Alex shot her a look, "Well you should."

He was fiddling with the rings on his finger when he saw the doctors came towards them. "How is he?" He asked frantic hoping Henry is okay.

"Pneumonia, with sepsis. Really bad but apparently he denied treatment earlier today. He was seen at his check up and they advised him to stay for the treatment but he refused." The doctor said and Catherine mouth gaped apart in disbelief, Henry lied to her.

"But he told me everything was alright. That the doctor said everything is okay." Catherine told the doctor what Henry told him and Alex is fuming by now. "What do you mean Henry told you?! Aren't you supposed to be there with him? Where the hell were you?" Alex raised his voice. The Secret Service already have him in a grip for yelling at her. After all she is the princess and the second in line for the throne.

"It's alright boys, let him go." Bea said but they won't budge, the orders came only from Catherine, which she nods and later they let Alex go. "Can I see my fiancé now?" He asked with tears in his eyes, the doctor nodded and offered for Catherine to come along with Bea by her side.

They could only see Henry through the glass window as they administered the medication by his bed side. There's oxygen mask over his face as he laid there in his weak state and Alex wanted to go in but they refused any visitors for Henry. He could see them wearing protective gear when they handled Henry. As much as he hates that he has no authority over their place, he knew they are doing everything by protocol for Henry's sake.

"We don't want His Royal Highness falls more ill so we suggested strict visitor for the next 48 hours. Until then, this is how you see him, through the glass." The doctor said and left.

Alex palmed the glass feeling Henry growing further and further away from him. Even though Henry is beyond reach but Alex felt he is miles apart. He could see Henry is just like that night, with all of the monitors and the fluid bottles hanging above his head connected to both of his arm. Henry hated that, he hated being poke and prod again. He hated how he can't be there to hold Henry's hand and provide comfort.

It took him all of his strength not to punch the glass window and broke it when he saw Henry inside the room and he can't hold him. He didn't travel this far and arrived late just so he could see Henry only through the glass.

"Alex." Bea called him and he didn't want to talk to anyone in this family right now. He is too angry and afraid he might say something he might regret. "Not now Bea." He whispered as he set his eyes fixed on Henry. "Walk with me." She pulled him away from the glass and pushed him along the hallway of the hospital. Whenever Alex wanted to turn his body around, she grabbed him by his elbow and forced him to follow her anyway.

He caved in eventually and they stepped out from the ward followed by the Secret Service behind but managed to dodge them when she pulled Alex by the corner and headed to the staircase to the roof.

They climbed the stairs and headed straight to the entrance of the roof when it caught Alex, "You've done this before?" He asked and Bea nods, "How many times I spent here when dad was sick, me and Henry used to sneak in here for a smoke." Alex had to smile on the image of Henry smoking weed with Bea on the hospital roof being the rebellion they both are.

Cold wind hits his face when Bea pushed the door open and Alex went after her. The roof is filled with multiple air vents for the hospital and in the middle of it was a helipad for dropping off patient. They took a seat by the helipad and Bea blow warm breaths over her palm and fingers. They both stayed silent for a while before Alex asked her purpose of bringing him here. 

"What do you want Bea?" He asked and Bea watched as his darks curls moves by the wind. She crossed her arm around her waist feeling the cold hits her body. "Don't blame mum in this." She starts and Alex scoffed. "She's the one promised my mother to look after Henry. If I knew this is going to happened I won't let him come back here with his condition."

"Why did you then?" Bea asked him and he turned his gaze away from her, "Why did you let him go then?" Alex could feel the heat coming in from her questioned as she darted her sharp look towards Alex.

"Why did you let Henry go? YOU let him go and you let him break off the engagement. Does Henry mean that much to you or you just happened to get bored of taking care my brother now?" She knows that idea angers Alex that much cause he could see him clenched his jaw tight and his knuckles already white.

"Don't blame us when you know for fact, all of these won't happened if you'd stopped Henry from leaving." Alex shot up from his seat and kept his fist tight in a ball.

"I am in no position to hold Henry from his decision! Whatever he choose, I will respect it either way. If he chose not to be with me, what the hell I'm supposed to do?! Tied him up in the bedroom and hope for something different?" He screamed and Bea sighed rubbing her forehead.

Bea could see how Alex is devastated by Henry's decision and his condition and that made her stop questioning everything and went to hug him instead. Alex was caught by surprised but eventually he gave in, he wrapped his arm around Bea's petite body as he rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm sorry for what my brother did to you." She whispered and Alex nodded.

They both sat by the vents and Alex told her about what happened the day Henry left him. She couldn't believe him but she knows Henry well enough to pull this act. He might have done it one or twice before, shutting people out and locked his heart in an indestructible armor. Alex also told him that after a week of being away from Henry, he had made his mind clear as glacier water in beginning of spring. He wanted to marry Henry more than anything in this world and nothing will stop him.

Bea smiled seeing Alex face lit up when he talks about Henry. The smile that made him who he is. "There's something you need to know about mum." She began and Alex shot her a look. She explained to him how Henry didn't get this behavior of shutting people out from his trauma but rather their mother. She remembers well when her mum did exactly what Henry did to Alex after her dad passed.

"When Henry got shot, she didn't running to the airport like we all wanted to. But instead she went to dad's grave." She remembered following her mother middle of the night out from the palace when all of them are making plans on contacting the RAF pilot to ready a plane for them to New York. She saw her getting into the chapel and stood before his dad's portrait and kneeled. She lighted a candle to pray for him before she prayed for Henry.

"She told him to make sure Henry is alright, that he can't have him just yet. That if she took that flight to New York, Henry better be alive when she arrived. Because if he took Henry, she will kill herself and then find his ass to kill him - again." Alex chuckled but he could see Bea smiled with tears in her eyes.

"She talks to dad like he's still around. Grandma hates it, the therapist hates it. But Henry. Henry loves it when she talks about dad. He would sit there hours when she starts. I always envy what Henry has with dad, so does Phillip but he probably jealous of Henry's getting dad's height, his looks and his sandy blonde hair."

"Whenever she looks at Henry, she always thought she saw dad. Sometimes she called him Arthur by mistake and Henry didn't even corrected her. He let her cause he knew how much she loves my dad and how much she misses him." Bea held Alex hand in her before she continued. Alex remember seeing Henry for the first time thinking how dare he look like James Bond offspring as he is. He was so mad cause Henry looks so handsome but it turns out, Henry was also in to him.

"Henry told me once that no matter what, you will always be the love of his life. No matter if he is no longer living and breathing, he would love you on the next life and the life after. He is sure, thousand percent." Alex can't help letting his tears fall on his cheek as he wiped them away and smiled at Bea, "That's my line." He said and Bea returned the smile.

"But seeing Henry sick is not an easy thing for mother." Alex eyebrow crooked, "Why?" Bea took a sharp breath before she continued. "Because she was there since father got sick until he breathe his last breath. I could still hear her cry that night with Henry next to her."

Alex could see Bea teared up when she remembers the night her dad left her whole family. "Losing someone is never easy, but losing the love of your life, that would kill you." Alex remember Henry told him about how Bea lost her battle in life and thought about ending her  life after her dad passed due to her addiction and their absentee mother. Henry warned her that she wasn't allowed to kill herself because their dad died and Henry told him how he is gay.

"I'm sorry, for snapping at your mum, I'll apologized to her later." He nudged her shoulder and she smile. "Thanks." She replied the nudge and felt the weight of the guilt on her shoulder lifted. Alex is part of the family now, he deserves to know all the good and the bad.

They walked back towards the lounge room and saw Catherine still by the chair staring into spaces. The guards stood by the corner and saw Bea with Alex walked in when he signal his colleague to stop looking for them. Bea told him to give them privacy which he did and left the lounge area to guard outside.

Alex walked towards her and Bea let them alone and decides to get some coffee, they are going to be here for the rest of the night, might as well get some coffee. Catherine saw Alex stood in front of her when she wiped her tears away and fix here posture in her seat. Her legs crossed as her hand rested on the lap, a true princess.

Alex kneeled in front of her, taking her hand in his and stroked her frail fingers with his calloused one, feeling the motherly touched under that strong exterior of being a Princess finally melts.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and she could only stared into his brown eyes, silent but too stunned to react.

"I shouldn't blame you for what happened to Henry. I should blame myself for letting him leave. I was so upset when he left. I wish I had done more to stop him and I was not ready to lose him." Alex said and Catherine sighed as she nods.

"I'm sorry too." She replied and Alex took a seat next to her. Their hand still intertwined feeling the warmth radiates towards each other. "Henry is my son, I should have put more effort in taking care of him. But duty and responsibilities got in my way and I neglected Henry, you were right, I should be there." She acknowledge him but Alex feels there is more coming.

"The truth is, I can't be here. This is the only place that I have of Arthur. His last memories of him is here. My heart broke when he died, it was beyond repair. Henry picked up the pieces and put it back together by going here every couple of months to entertain the kids and continued my stories." Alex remembered well, the first appearance he had to make with Henry was attending this hospital oncology ward.

Arthur and Catherine loves stories were heard among the walls. Their stories are like Shakespeare, both tragic and heartbreaking. The princess who was saved from climbing the highest tower fighting off the dragon of monarchy, Henry's dad is the knight in shining armor that saved her from falling. But he did fall when he caught her, supposedly she fell and died with him, but instead he gave his armor to the princess to protect her.

Alex couldn't think of anything more beautiful than the way Henry told that story. How his voice changes in each character, his beautiful hands fiddling along with the stories and how he smiled dropped when the knight died in his lover's arm.

Alex couldn't help but feel sorry for her, she has all her lives planned but everything had to go through her mother. The only thing he made right was marrying Arthur and she never regrets it to this day. That's what Alex love about Henry, never be afraid to jump, only hope you're not standing on the cliff. His father words echoed in his mind. But for Henry, he didn't just jumped, he fucking fly when he did.

The best decision he ever made was Henry and for once, he wishes Henry could see it. That these people are willing to die for him and he need to start making the right choices instead or running away from it.