Page 17 of The English Queen

“We have. And the assumption is yes.”

“We are open to children,” Beth used a phrase Veronique suggested. “As in, we’re in no rush but we’re open to them.”

“That is all very good and the way it should be. The couple should be open to children. May you be blessed.”

“Thanks,” Louis said. He knew internally Beth cringed at this conversation.

“So, regarding living arrangements. I will not delve too much. However, it is clear you have a household together. I would expect this for a royal couple. You are running offices together and such.”

“The Princess has a suite of rooms, yes,” Louis said, pointedly. “And will continue to have this even after we marry because, quite frankly, her wardrobe alone would take over my life. We will move into new quarters as soon as the other wing is renovated. But, for now, we both have offices and places on this side.”

This satisfied the cardinal. He said only, “You both are aware of the Church’s teachings on this matter?”

“Correct,” Louis agreed.

“Well, for this, then, I will leave off the Learning to Cohabitate part of our counselling as you two have already established a situation which functions for your needs.”

Beth was relieved the meeting ended. She worried she would have her virginity certified before a room of men or it would not go forward. Wouldn’t that be a joke? Beth lost her virginity late but had wasted no time afterward. She loved sex. Why should she not enjoy it? And the idea anyone would police her sexuality was ridiculous. She had many opinions. These weren’t solely directed at the Catholic Church but religious organisations in general.

“We can discuss family values and priorities next time,” the cardinal said.

Beth nodded.

“Thank you, Cardinal,” Louis said. “Always good to speak.”

“It is lovely to speak with you, Princess Bethany. You are welcome here in Belgium. It will be good for the King to have someone to lean on–a supporter. And to have someone so dedicated to preserving sacred works is doubly special.”

Beth nodded. “Thank you. Glad to be of service, as ever.”

The Cardinal saw his way out. Beth and Louis let out relieved sighs. Beth wrapped her arms around Louis and looked up at him.

“Thank God we survived,” she rested her chin on his chest.

“You were beautiful. That is the nicest I have ever seen him be to a woman. I didn’t want to scare you but… he can be a real misogynist. He must really like organ music or otherwise found you charming.”

Beth giggled. “He found me charming. No one feels that strongly about organ music apart from the people who play it.”

?????

Louis only received one text from Beth the day she returned to London. He saw more about her return to her home country via social media than from Beth. The world was wondering why the future Queen of the Belgians returned to London unexpectedly. The confusion only continued when sources confirmed her siblings had assembled at Windsor together for some news. The press described her “sombre” upon landing, but Louis saw a royal trying not to interact with the press.

Beth had once come and gone with relative privacy. Now, she was hounded by the press and her motorcade was chased by paparazzi. She had detail in Britain from her mother and protection officers from Belgium, too. The whole entourage was a massive moving herd. It was a far cry from her casual arrival on British soil for her brother’s wedding months before. Back then, she walked about without PPOs. Somewhere in this melange of about four hours on the ground, Beth managed to text Louis one thing.

I will explain soon. Please be home for dinner.

The message was it. On one hand, Beth had not been fussed enough to call. On the other, her text may have been because of a concern about privacy. She would have had to use a secure line on a car or plane if this was particularly juicy gossip. They had been especially careful of late not to send anything too privileged or salacious on their mobile phones. Gone were the days of glorious sexts. It was risky with a target on their backs. Still, he didn’t have to sext to see her and explain how he felt. The notes had gotten easier as he didn’t ferry them too far.

So, totally unsure of what he would find when he got home, Louis found Beth sitting in his sitting room still wearing the work dress she’d been in when she left. She was never dressed up if not working. It raised eyebrows to see her parading around a royal residence in a pair of leggings and sweatshirt but that was Beth for you. She was adorable either way. And she wasn’t old guard.

“How was it?” Louis asked.

Beth stammered. “I… well, things aren’t good. I had a seizure on the plane. It wasn’t a bad one but… I still had it and… it scared our PPOs but—”

“Oh, Beth, I’m sorry. Holy shit. Are you alright?”

“I’m exhausted. I’m… I’m in a state of shock.”

“I’m sorry, Beth. You’d done so well since March—”

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