Tippy’s note: I previewed this series on Tumblr last night. For those that did not see the preview, I mentioned in Halle’s MC Headcanon that just before Liam and Halle get married, Halle kind of freaks out. I feel like that happens because going somewhere like Cordonia is a radical change of life. Overnight she has gone from struggling as a waitress in America to going to balls and living in the upper echelons of class in Europe. That is a leap. I also think that kind of change plus the things she has done to stay there can take a toll on someone. Since in the series they don’t really address the MC feeling intense culture shock or anything like that, so I imagine all of these feelings catch up to Halle. This series explores that experience.
Disclaimer: Choices owns The Royal Romance and its characters, I do not.
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On a rare quiet evening alone, Halle and Liam were having dinner, just the two of them. Kind of a practice run for life would be like after they were married. They were having the usual. Pan-seared white fish, today was sea bass, served with a puttanesca sauce. On the side was sauteed spinach with garlic. While Liam was eating his meal normally, Halle had barely made any progress. She could acknowledge it wasn’t terrible, but it just felt so strange to her. It didn’t taste as good, or even the same. She couldn’t put her finger on why. Halle was flaking the perfectly cooked fish with her fork when she heard her name.
“Halle?”
She looked up at Liam.
“Are you alright?”
Halle replied as if she were in a daze. “What? Me? Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You have barely touched your dinner,” Liam commented, his eyes softening with concern. “Would you like the kitchen staff to cook you something else?”
“No.” Halle looked down at her full plate. “I am just not that hungry I guess.”
Later that night, Halle walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed, she passed by the mirror and caught a glimpse of someone she didn’t recognize. The sight stopped her dead in her tracks. She slowly walked back, thinking that her mind was playing tricks on her. It wasn’t. The woman staring back at Halle was supposed to be her, but it didn’t look like her.
Halle reached her hand out to touch her reflection, and the woman in the mirror touched her back. Halle squinted at her reflection. It was different than what she remembered, what she was used to seeing.
She knew that her face was rounder and fuller, her cheekbones less prominent. Her arms were more defined and toned than they should be. Her whole body was not as soft as she once knew. She felt the fabric of her silk camisole and sleep shorts. They were more luxurious than the oversized shirts she usually wore to bed.
Halle didn’t remember being this woman. How did Halle miss all of the small changes that made her into this person? This person that looks nothing that the Halle she knew. The Halle she thought she was.
Halle thought back over her time in Cordonia. Ever since she has stepped foot in the country, she had been changing. If the reflection in the mirror was any indication, she felt those changes on the cellular level. Maybe the change in looks was because of the changes in behavior. The things she had done, was still doing. The Halle she knew wouldn’t have agreed to be the other woman, but she did. The Halle she knew wouldn’t have co-signed to a gynecological exam proving that she could bear children. She paused as she remembered that day.
Justin was sitting with Halle and Liam at the breakfast table. Regina was present as well. They were discussing the upcoming schedule before the Royal Wedding. There would be many interviews and fittings and events before Liam and Halle finally wed in just over 3 weeks. Before the chaos could really kick into high gear, there was one technicality that had to be addressed.
Regina broached the topic. “Before we can start finalizing all the details, we have to get Halle tested?”
“Tested for what?” Halle asked.
“Nothing serious.” Regina offered mildly. “Just that anybody who marries into the royal family has to be tested to make sure that they are in good health.–”
Halle interrupted, “Good health? So is this just a blood test and a physical?”
“Yes,” Regina confirmed, then quickly added, “but there is a gynecological exam as well.”
Halle narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side. “For what?”
“We are not testing for anything like virginity.”
Halle’s eyes widened, and her mouth was agape.
“Everyone has a pretty good idea of the nature of your relationship with my stepson,” Regina said.
Halle balked at her suggestion. She placed her hands on her temples as she smoothed her curls away from her face.
“We need to confirm that you are able to have children.” Regina continued matter of factly. “Nothing major.”
“Nothing major?” Halle stood up from the table and turned her back on everyone. She looked up at the ceiling, once again smoothing her hair away from her face before turning to face everyone.
Regina remained calm as she placated. “I can see the idea of an exam is bothering you. It’s standard procedure. We just need to make sure that you and Liam would have no trouble producing an heir.”
“Which isn’t going to be for a while.”
“One of the first duties of a king and a queen is to produce an heir to ensure the Royal lineage.” Regina rebutted. “I thought Liam would have discussed this with you considering the practice runs.”
“Do you want to put your hands in my mouth and make sure that I have all of my teeth too?” Halle snapped, using her fingers to expose her teeth and gums.
Regina shook her head. “Halle there is no need to make a fuss about a simple exam.”
“No, Regina. No there isn’t a need to have my body put under scrutiny the way the rest of me is.”
Halle stormed out of the room into one of the hallways. Liam trailed behind her. She leaned against a pillar, the cool marble against her skin. She felt Liam’s hand on her shoulder.
“Did you know about this?”
Liam admitted, “Yes. I—”
“Why did you let them ambush me like this?”
“I thought you already had it.”
Halle turned around to look at Liam. Her eyes went wide.
“What?”
“I thought you had already had one when you started the social season like all of the other suitors.” He explained.
Once again, Maxwell left out a key detail, Halle thought to herself.
“All of the other suitors had exams by a gynecologist from the Crown.”
Halle turned away from Liam as she took everything in. Liam placed himself in front of her.
“I had an exam too. I had my sperm tested before Leo could officially abdicate from the throne.”
Halle looked up at her fiance with disbelief on her face. She couldn’t believe that everyone was talking about this like it wasn’t invasive or weird.
“Well, I assume you are fine then,” Halle flatly quipped.
“More than.” Liam started to smile but stopped when he saw that Halle was not amused or relieved about his test results. He held Halle by the shoulders. She looked away from him. Halle did not want to hear him normalize this.
“Look, I know that this weird. Not everyone goes to the doctor before they get married. I can understand that.”
Halle looked at him as he continued.
“We are not like everyone else. We do have a duty, and this is just to make sure that we can do that. You would need to have a physical anyway to maintain your health.”
Halle sighed and weakly shrugged her shoulders.
“This is just one last minor obstacle between us. We have dealt with much worse than this. Just do this one thing for me?”
Liam looked at Halle, his eyes bright and hopeful. “Please?”
Halle agreed, and that morning she had a thorough blood panel drawn, offered saliva for DNA analysis to test for sickle-cell, a full physical, a gynecological exam that included a pelvic exam, pap smear, external and transvaginal ultrasounds of her reproductive organs. While the Crown waited for her bloodwork and her DNA analysis to come back, her preliminary exam showed no reason why Halle could not carry a child to term.
That afternoon she and Hana and Olivia went to the official Crown Baker for a cake tasting like she didn’t spend the morning being poked and prodded by people looking for a reason to disqualify her as Liam’s bride to be.
Halle looked up at the mirror, questioning the woman staring back at her. Is this what happens when you actually do the things you said you would never do, she thought to herself. She didn’t know that woman in the mirror, but Halle was sure that it wasn’t the woman she knew.
Halle swiftly marched to her closet and pulled out a duffel bag. She pulled some clothes from the closet and packed them. She tried looking for her old suitcase and her old clothes, but most of those were gone. They were most likely thrown out when the Crown thought it was time for her to “upgrade” to fit into Liam’s life.
Liam walked in to see the duffel bag on his bed. He didn’t remember leaving it there. Halle stomped into the room to fill the bag with more clothes.
“Halle? What are you doing?”
Halle ignored him and went back into the closet again. Liam followed her. She was pulling out clothes at random. Most of the more refined clothing she threw on the floor, while she draped the modest items on her arm.
“What is going on Halle?” Liam asked. Halle brushed past him and headed towards the duffel bag.
“Stop and talk to me.” When Halle refused to stop, Liam got in front of her.
“Don’t do this Liam.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“What’s going on?” She shouted. “Liam, I just looked at myself in the mirror tonight, and I didn’t recognize who I was. I looked in the mirror, and a stranger looked back at me. I’m not the same girl you met in New York.”
“Halle it’s understandable that you don’t feel quite the same.” He tried to reassure as his heart started to race. “I’m a different man than the one who met you in New York.”
“But do you feel that you have compromised yourself to your core?” Halle said pointing to her chest. “Do you feel like you don’t know who you are on a fundamental level?”
Liam blinked in response.
“That’s what I feel like.” Halle continued rapidly. “I don’t eat the way I used to eat. I don’t look the way I used to look. I don’t talk the way I used to talk. It has been months since I have said nigga aloud. I want to say nigga when I fucking want to say nigga!”
She stopped to catch her breath before continuing. “I feel stifled. I need to get out.”
“Are — Are you leaving me?” Liam stuttered.
“Yes. No.” Halle shrugged. “I just need some space for a few days.”
Halle took the duffle bag and left the room with Liam on her tail.
“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to leave.” Liam pleaded as his pitch went up. “We can have the chefs learn the food that you used to eat in America. We can incorporate more America into the palace.”
He grabbed Halle by the arm. She turned back to look at him. His eyes were wide and glossy with unreleased tears.
“Halle, I would do anything to make you happy. I love you. Don’t leave.”
Halle dropped her bag and hugged Liam. She squeezed him with all of her might as tears came to her eyes. Liam returned her embrace. They stayed like that for what felt like hours. When they separated, Liam kissed her. He felt Halle return his kiss but fresh tears wet his cheeks. Halle ended the kiss and picked up the duffle bag.
“I’m sorry Liam,” She croaked. “I have to do this.”
Halle left the palace grounds and into a taxi. On her way to the airport, she dialed a number on her phone. It rang 3 times before there was an answer. An irate, gruff voice bellowed on the other line.
“Who is playing on my phone at this hour?!?”
“Dad?” Halle squeaked into the phone.
“Halle?”
“Yes. Dad. It’s me. I’m coming home.”