The Princess & the Football Player

Chapter 37

A few years later...

"Good morning, your Royal Highness."

"Good morning, Declan Rice" I say while stretching.

"After today you'll have to stop calling me that."

"Why? It is your name, isn't it?"

"It is. But today is my last game as a professional football player. I won't be Declan Rice anymore. Just Declan" he shrugs.

"You will forever be Declan Rice, West Ham player, England's captain, and World Cup winner" I say while hugging him.

"Yeah" he smiles. "I can't believe I managed to do all that. To follow my dream, fight for it, and actually achieve it."

"Your dreams. In plural."

"Uh?"

"You said you always dreamt about marrying Princess Eleanor, and look where she is. Half naked in your bed" I smirk.

"That's actually true" he says, kissing my cheek. "Though I still haven't married her."

"But now you will be able to. If you want to, of course."

"Eleanor, are you asking me to marry you?" Declan chuckles.

"What? No, no. I'm just saying that maybe you don't want to marry me and have to deal with everything that will come with it."

"Like being king consort one day?"

"For example" I say, playing with a loose thread on the duvet.

"Eleanor... Eleanor, look at me" Declan says, lifting my chin. "I love you. All of you. Titles and everything. If I didn't... If I wasn't sure of what I felt for you and that you are the one, I wouldn't be here, right now, with you. I would have run away a long time ago."

"You actually ran away once. You can do it again."

"Eleanor..." he sighs.

"I'm sorry. But now that you won't be a professional footballer anymore there won't be anything stopping us from taking the next step. And it is a huge one."

"I know."

"People will constantly talk about it, ask us when we are going to do it, ask us to do it."

"And if we cared about what others say, we wouldn't be together" he chuckles.

"I guess. But..."

"I'm ready, Eleanor" Declan says while caressing my cheek. "I'm ready for our future together and what it entails. You supported me and my dream all these years, and now it is my turn to support you."

"Are you sure?"

"100%."

"I love you, Declan Rice."

"And I love you, your Royal Highness."

"Can you show me how much, tho?" I say, stopping him when he is about to kiss me.

"What?"

"I mean, I know you have a game later today and all that, but it is your last and you probably won't be playing the whole thing, you won't be needing the same amount of energy as before. And if you play badly, you'll have an excuse."

"Oh... I see" he smirks.

"What do you say, then? Can you show me how much you love me or since you are retiring you are too old for these things?" I ask with a mischievous smile.

"Old? Old?" he says while moving to be on top of me, making me giggle. "You'll see what this old man can do."

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Mason, please be careful! He's your son!" Roberta says.

"I know what I'm doing! " he replies.

"Nine months after the last time you said that Romeo was born."

"Burn!" Declan laughs.

"Meh meh meh" Mason replies, rolling his eyes.

We are the only ones left on the pitch of the London Stadium, Declan and Mason playing football with Romeo, his and Roberta's son.

"Every time they play football he does those tackles and I fear he's gonna hit him. He's just a kid, not one of his rivals! And... Eleanor, are you listening to me?"

"Yeah, yeah" I say.

"Oh my God, Eleanor. Why are you crying again?" Roberta laughs.

"I'm sorry" I chuckle, wiping away a tear. "I thought that after the game and all the tributes I had no tears left behind, but seeing him play with Romeo is so cute... He's gonna be an amazing dad."

"Wait, are you...?"

"What? No, no. I'm just thinking about the future. Now that he has retired we can finally think about marrying, starting a family and all that."

"Are you sure you aren't?"

"I'm sure, Roberta. I always take precautions."

"They sometimes fail. That's how Mason's sister got pregnant with her second."

"I'm not pregnant" I say, whispering that last word. We are alone, but you never know who may show up out of nowhere.

"But you've been feeling so... Emotional lately. Anything and everything makes you cry, and you've never been that sensitive."

"My boyfriend just retired from football and we are about to start a new chapter in our lives. Of course I am more sensitive than usual."

"I know, but... When should you be getting your period?"

"I got it last week, so I definitely am not pregnant."

"Oh, shame... I liked the idea of us being pregnant at the same time" Roberta shrugs.

"Wait what?" I say, raising my voice.

"Everything ok over there?" Mason asks.

"Peachy, love" Roberta smiles.

"What did you mean by being pregnant at the same time?" I ask while walking away from the boys.

"I'm feeling the same I felt when I got pregnant with Romeo, and we stopped taking precautions a couple of months ago."

"Oh... My God! Have you taken a test?"

"No, not yet. Will you take it with me? I am so nervous... I shouldn't because I already went through all this, but..."

"Of course I will. I was there for you the first time, and I will be there for you now."

"Thank you, Ellie. You are the best friend ever" Roberta says while hugging me.

"So are you" I reply. "But now you've made me cry again!"

"I am crying too!"

"Friends that cry together stay together" I chuckle.