King Henry

"Henry?" Victoria pokes her head in the room. "Can we talk for a minute?" She asks.

"Of course. Come on in." I wave her inside. "Are you ready for the wedding tomorrow?"

"That's actually what I came here to talk to you about." She greets me with a kiss to the cheek. "I mean, think about it, Henry. Unless one of us dies, we are going to be stuck in this loveless marriage." She sits on the couch. "And what kind of life is that?"

"Who says it will be loveless?" I ask her.

"Both of us agree on that, Henry. I have eyes for another and he- well he practically raised me. He raised both of us. Don't you think it is dumb?" She asks.

"I don't care about dumb anymore, Victoria. I need you to be taken care of." I dismiss her worries. She does not know the bigger agenda here.

"I am taken care of, Henry. I take care of myself just fine. I have never needed anyone other than you!" She argues.

"Yeah and what if you don't have me?" I raise my eyebrows. "What then, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" She shakes her head.

"You are in danger, Victoria." I blurt out before I am able to think.

"Danger?" She laughs. "I am constantly in danger, Henry. I have been since the moment I was born. Every corner I turn, every time I turn the lights off, I worry."

"Every minute you spend unwed, you are at risk. I can't have you at risk anymore, Victoria." I say.

"Risk for what, Henry?" She laughs again. I can't believe she finds any of this funny.

"At risk to be forced to do something you never wanted to do, just like mom when Phillip came into her life." I try to reason with her.

"You are missing the whole point here, Henry. I already have been forced to do something I never wanted. Marrying Luke? The man I see as a father-figure? You are the person who did this to me. You, the person I most trusted." She shrugs. "I never saw you as someone who would betray me someday."

I sigh and sit down beside her on the couch. "I am sick, Victoria."

"What?"

"I am dying." I say simply, as if there is no more information needed.

"Henry?" Tears form in her eyes.

I stand. "The physician says it is kidney disease." I play with a ring in my finger as I stand and pace the room. "He tells me it often happens slowly and goes undetected until it is too late. And in my case, that's exactly how it is. I need a transplant but it could already be too late."

"Well, I'll do it." She is quick to try to find a solution for me. She has always been quick on her toes.

"Do what?" I ask. What could she do for me?

"I'll give you the transplant." She replies.

I laugh. "I appreciate it but it doesn't work like that. You need your kidney to live."

She shakes her head. "You only need one. I can give you my spare!"

"Victoria." I sigh. This is a big thing for her to promise to me. I am not sure I can accept it.

"Please Henry. Please." She begs.

"I'll think about it, Victoria. I really couldn't ask that of you."

"Henry!" She smacks my arm. "It's not a choice. Just like I don't have a choice in who I marry." She pokes at me.

"I might have overreacted." I laugh even though I know it really is not funny for Victoria.

"Does this mean you aren't going to make me marry Luke?"

"Not if you don't want to." I smile.

"Oh thank god. Henry, when I tell you I was going to run away and never look back depending on his this conversation went!"

"Vic," I shake my head, laughing, imagining her running away in her gown, mounting her horse and riding off into the distance, never to be seen again.

"Henry?" She grabs my hand. "Why didn't you tell me?" She begins to cry.

"I didn't want to worry you."

"Worry me?" She scoffs. "You force me to marry a family friend, you start acting crazy, and now I find out you're dying? Henry all I have been doing is worrying about you."

"I underestimate you, little Victory."

"Of course you do, big Ham."

"Alright. That's enough of that. Go tell Luke the wedding is off. He is probably freaking out right now, planning his own escape."

Victoria jumps to her feet. "Thank you thank you." She walks to the door. "I mean it about the kidney. I'll talk to the physician and get it all set up." She smiles. "You are mistaken, by the way."

"About?"

"I am not in danger, Henry. I am the danger. They should fear me. Not the other way around."

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