@palomaroggeri8680

8 months ago

Hey so to clarify the argument, the movie simplified the book A LOT and took out a lot of parts that made Alex and henry’s relationship more complex and interesting, mainly how deep the control of the crown goes into Henry’s life. After his father died when he was young his mother went completely catatonic and hasn’t been seen by the world ever since, Bea his sister fell into drug addiction and Philip his older brother even as the stuck up he is is going to carry the throne and its responsibilities. Henry is in the middle of all of this dealing with the fact that he will never live the life that he wanted, an anonymous ordinary life with a man he loves. When he sees Alex at their first meeting in the Brazil olympics (not a climate conference, Im brazilian so Im salty about that change) he instantly falls for him, and is terrified of it because he can’t let him self fall because he will never be able to have that future. So he tells Shaan to “get me out of here.” Henry has been carrying this crush for a long time so when he kisses Alex for the first time he feels like he failed, he did the one thing he wasn’t suppose to do, fall in love. After that as they begin their friends with benefits thing Henry hopes that it will be just that, he can have a part of Alex live that joy but not burden Alex with the fact that they will never be able to be together. He NEVER expected Alex to fall in love with him, that’s the breaking point, Alex is presenting him with everything he ever wanted but he can’t have it. So he runs away. Alex loves politics, he isin’t as affected by the public eye because he wasn’t born into it, he didn’t have to spend his entire childhood and teens surrounded by cameras watching his every move. Henry sees it two ways, either he lives a miserable life with the crown where he is scrutinized till he dies, or he goes with Alex and is still scrutinized for a life in politics, he sees both as prisons. He’s not saying that it is a prison to Alex because Alex likes that life, but Henry doesn’t. Here’s a small part of the argument in the book: “Oh my God,” Alex groans. “So, what, was this all never going to be anything real to you?” And Henry snaps. “You really are a complete idiot if you believe that,” Henry hisses, the note balled in his fist. “When have I ever, since the first instant I touched you, pretended to be anything less than in love with you? Are you so fucking self-absorbed as to think this is about you and whether or not I love you, rather than the fact I’m an heir to the fucking throne? You at least have the option to not choose a public life eventually, but I will live and die in these palaces and in this family, so don’t you dare come to me and question if I love you when it’s the thing that could bloody well ruin everything.” Alex doesn’t speak, doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe, his feet rooted to the spot. Henry isn’t looking at him, but staring at a point on the mantel somewhere, tugging at his own hair in exasperation. “It was never supposed to be an issue,” he goes on, his voice hoarse. “I thought I could have some part of you, and just never say it, and you’d never have to know, and one day you’d get tired of me and leave, because I’m—” He stops short, and one shaking hand moves through the air in front of him in a helpless sort of gesture at everything about himself. “I never thought I’d be stood here faced with a choice I can’t make, because I never … I never imagined you would love me back.”

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