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“I was just wondering if Princess’s put out on second dates?” Erin smirked.
“Oh this one will. All night long.”
They both laughed and held hands across the table.
“I’m so in love with you Erin. I’m not sure how easy coming out will be, but it will be a whole lot easier with you by my side and your strong arms to always come home to. I can only thank you for setting me free from the cage I had put myself in.”
“You are doing the right thing Alex. Coming out might be hard, but you will never look back. I’ve got you, through it all, I promise.”
And Alexandra knew that she did. She knew that Erin would be her rock throughout this and her future challenges.
“The only thing is, if you are officially my girlfriend, I’m going to need a new bodyguard!” she laughed.
Erin laughed with her. She was ready to follow Alexandra in her new capacity as girlfriend. Ready to love her through it all.
Epilogue
Two months later
Princess Alexandra stood in front of a packed outdoor press conference in the sun in the gardens of the castle and spoke to the press and to the world. Her coming out played live on television throughout the world. Every news station in the world wanted a piece of her.
“People of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth Realms and the world. I know you have all eagerly awaited news of my engagement and that this might come as a shock to a lot of you. I have chosen to speak today myself. The royal advisors wanted our press secretary to speak for me, but the least I can give you is my honesty in person.”
Her eyes were intent as they looked into the cameras, her face serious and her hair lifted slightly in the breeze. The rich blue dress they had put her in was the colour she always suited best, befitting of Alexandra the Princess and Alexandra the person.
“I want you to see me today, not just as your Princess and future Queen, but as Alexandra. Alexandra the person. Behind everything I do to serve, there is a person and her name is Alexandra. For so long, I felt such a weight of
expectation to marry and bear children, not out of love, but out of duty, and late at night, I used to cry alone in my bed.
I have hidden a huge part of myself and that is not the way I choose to live. That has gone against everything I believe in and everything that I am.
I need you all to know that, whilst I respect him greatly and have become great friends with him, I will NOT be announcing my engagement to Prince Nicolas. I will not now, or ever be announcing my engagement to any man. I love women, and only women, I always have.”
There were gasps through the crowd of journalists. It clearly wasn’t what they were expecting, but they gave her the respect and remained transfixed on her as she continued.
“I wish that I lived in a world where I hadn’t carried this burden of my sexuality in secrecy and silence for thirty five years. I wish I had been braver, years ago, braver and more honest with myself and with the world. But, I cannot change the past. I want to change things for the better. I want this to be the start of a brighter future. I want no young girl or boy to feel trapped like I did, for so long. I want to change things in countries where it is illegal to be gay and campaign for a better world for all of us.”
Alexandra fixed her ocean eyes into the cameras.
“Mostly, I want to continue to do good. To help people. To serve. If my coming out helps one person who is struggling with their sexuality, then it was worth it.”
She took a deep breath.
“I was born into this role, and it is a role I have taken and will continue to take very seriously. I want to thank you all for your continued support of myself and the Royal family throughout my life. I want to thank my parents for their support in this decision I have made to come out. I know it has been difficult for them to amend the expectations they had for their only daughter, and indeed the expectations that for centuries have been put upon royalty. I will continue to support all the causes and charities that believe in so greatly. I will continue to fight for a better world for all of us. I will continue to do good.”
There was a moment of silence while everyone took in her words before she spoke again.
“I will take a couple of questions now, if you have any.”
The journalists went immediately mad, shouting, waving their hands.
“Princess!”
“Ma’am!”
“Alexandra!”
Alexandra pointed confidently at a young woman who introduced herself.
