For that reason, the timing of the photos' release could not have been worse.
In the days leading up to the speech, all anyone wanted to talk about was not the subject matter of the speech, but the pictures. The palace press corps did their royal best to try to quash the uproar caused by the photos, and they were helped by Anastasia's staunch refusal to release her bachelorette party guest list to the queen. "Her Majesty doesn't have to know who's at my parties! Unbelievable!" was her sharply worded denial of Queen Catarina's request.
However, no one had a bigger stake in the photos than Patrick, Alexandra's best friend of forever and current companion. And he had been conspicuously silent on the pictures -- until now.
"Who's that?" asked Patrick after the first wedding rehearsals.
"Who's what?"
"The woman in the pictures."
"I told you, that was Ana's friend, Valana. We shared a dance. I don't know why people are losing their heads over this."
"Because you're a princess and you're dancing with a woman. That's why."
"Well, they need to get a grip," Alexandra summed. "We only shared one slow dance, off of one song. We were making rounds, you remember that. They act like we're dating or something."
"You do like girls, don't you, Alex?"
"I thought I told you that, Patrick. I like guys and I like girls. I'm bisexual. I'm starting to feel comfortable with that now. There was a time not very long ago when that wasn't the case."
"Yeah, when you turned me into a boy." Patrick took a deep breath. "Alex, you're more romantically attracted to women than you are to men. Admit it. Those pictures confirm it. Those pictures don't lie."
As he spoke, he seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Alex, the way you looked into that woman's eyes as you danced, I've never seen you look like that before. At anyone. Not even me. Tell me, Alex, honestly. How do you feel about me? Do you love me?"
"Come on, Patrick, that's ridiculous, of course I love you."
"Like a brother, like a friend, or like someone you'd want to marry and spend the rest of your life with?"
"Oh, please, not this question again."
"It needs to be asked."
"Why? Patrick, we've been through the battles together. All the stuff with my mother, the kids at school, I mean, how could I have survived without you? We ran away on all those trips to the woods when you were still a stuffed doll..." Her voice trailed off. "When my father died, you were the only person I had to lean on."
"Alex, think about it. Ana and Lucian's wedding is just days from now. They're about to get married and move on with their lives."
"And I'm thrilled for them. Really, I am. But their situation is not ours. Ours is more complicated."
"Really? How so? They were only reunited fairly recently. And yet they're headed to the altar before we are. Tell me, what makes our situation so much different from theirs? Is it that you're having cold feet?"
"No, it's not that, it's just -- I'm just not ready. Marriage is a major step, a big commitment."
"Not that much different than what we are now, Alex, if you ask me. You committed yourself to basic training and flight school. You committed yourself to grueling college courses. So why, why can't you commit yourself to me? Come on, change me back to a girl if that's what you want and let's do this."
No comments:
Post a Comment