CARLY
“Your Royal Highness, I have an update for you?” Seth marched in.
Heera went out on a date with Zee, and I was left in the apartment in my PJs. I hadn’t combed my hair. I only washed my face to remove the smudged makeup on my face. And I brushed my teeth after I was able to put something in my stomach.
“Mr. Langston has arranged a meeting with you.”
I froze for a while. Did I hear it right? I paused the docuseries I was watching.
“Come again?” I turned to Seth.
“Mr. Langston would like to see you, ma’am. You should wear something presentable. He will be here any minute from now.”
“I’m fine. He’d seen me at my worse. What does he want?” I hid my excitement.
Maybe he wanted to kick me out of his city this time. If I knew one thing about Langston, he was true to his words. Perhaps he still cared, but I lost all my hopes of getting us back together. And I didn’t know how to escape the fate that was waiting for me back home.
“Princess-”
“I said I’m good. Let him go to hell if he doesn’t want to see me in my pajama.” Oops. I should not have said that, but I didn’t know exactly what he wanted from me.
“Princess.”
“What is it?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Mr. Langston has arrived.”
In one fluid motion, I turned to him. And yeah, Mr. Langston, I mean Rome, was standing beside him and all his effortless brooding, handsome face in a dazzling suit. And if I guess it right, he heard everything I just said.
“Thank you, Seth.”
Seth nodded and left.
“Princess,” he addressed me, and it hurt, and it got worse when I didn’t even see any zeal in his eyes.
“How much did you hear?”
“That I can go to hell.” He smiled slightly. “May I?” He gestured if he could sit.
I swallowed hard and endured the pain in my chest. “Please.” I absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Thank you.” He took a seat across mine. And I remained seated, my foot on the couch as I wrapped my arms around my knee.
“May I ask what’s this visit all about? I’m sure you did not come all the way here to waste your time and say how have I been.” It could be business, or he was about to tell me that I should go back, and there was nothing left for me here.
“I talked to your brother.”
“And about what?” I met his gaze-no enthrallment left in there.
“About your father’s ultimatum.”
“Hmm. So why are you here? Let me guess, to tell me that I won’t win?” I nodded. “I knew it. I accepted my defeat the moment you kicked me out. I haven’t left yet because I was waiting for my flight tomorrow.” I looked down. “And I guess this is the last time we should meet like this.”
“So you’re gonna marry Lord-what’s his name? Powerhorse?”
I chuckled as I looked at him. “What’s with you guys, American called the people you dislike by the wrong names, intentionally?”
“What made you say that I dislike Lord Doremon Powerhorse? I don’t even know that guy.” He was still humorless.
“His name is Lord Domeon Powellhaus. And he’s actually handsome.”
“Yeah. That’s the one. A handsome superstar with money. You two would be a perfect couple.”
“And yes. We will officially meet at the dinner with my family and his parents and get engaged. Then the palace will release the official statement of our engagement.”
“You’re not going to marry Lord Farquad,” he said firmly. If I was being honest, he might be jealous or threatened.
“He’s tall, Langston. And it’s not up to me.”
“Do you wanna marry him?”
I scowled. “It doesn’t matter. That’s what my father wants. I have no choice-”
“That’s not what I’m asking.” He looked at me intently. His jaw locked.
“Do I like him? No. Do I want to marry him? Definitely not. Will I follow the order? Yes. I want my title and my rank. I need them. I need to do my duty and support my father. I need that for myself too. I want to serve my people. Who would I be without it? I’m a nobody, and I can’t be an assistant for the rest of my life if I can do something better.”
“Why did you really come to me?”
I drew a deep breath before I started talking. “I wanted to apologize. I was hoping you’ll give us a second chance, but it has nothing to do with saving myself and my honor from not marrying the wrong man. But I was hoping-” I paused for a while when my voice began shaking. “I was devastated, okay. I just lost the man that I love. Then I’m going to marry another man with that-we don’t have anything in common. I can’t be unfair to him, marrying him while I’m still in love with another man. I also know his reputation over women. I met him once at a charity party, and he was full of himself. I wanted to punch his smug face.”
“I have a proposal for you that may help you with your situation.”
My brows furrowed, and I was suddenly intrigued. “What kind of proposal?”
“I will marry you, but I have conditions.”
It was supposed to make me happy, and I could finally be with him, but it all crashed down when he said he had conditions, and I felt in my gut that I was not going to like it.
“No.”
“No?”
“Yeah. I have ideas about your conditions. And I am not gonna play with marriage. It’s sacred.”
“So as marrying a wrong guy while you’re heart is with somebody else. Even if you’re not going to cheat on him physically, it’s still cheating.”
“I won’t agree to that.”
“Fine. Have it your way.” He rose from his seat and buttoned his suit. “Good luck with your marriage. And congratulations are in order. Your Royal Highness.” Just like that. He started walking toward the door.
“Wait.”
He paused.
“I want to hear your conditions first.”
He turned around. “Before we get married, we will sign a contract.”
I was guessing not a marriage contract. “Another contract? For what?”
“An agreement. We only get married for two years, or if you want, we can negotiate for three. After that, we will file a divorce as irreconcilable differences.”
“What else?”
“We won’t be sleeping in the same bed together.”
My heart just sank in my stomach as I swallowed hard. “What else?”
“I am going to buy a house in Winterbourn. We will live there together. I will play as your loving husband by your side and support all your causes.”
“Then what is it for you?”
“The Langston Realty Group will secure a contract for the new project. SH Global will have an HQ there and will invest in startup companies.”
“So this is a business deal?”
“Yes,” he answered as a matter of factly.
“What if my father wants a grandchild?”
“I can’t give you that.”
I looked at my hand before I nodded. “I’ll have my decision before my flight tomorrow.”
“Think about it, Princess.”
“Okay.”
When his back was gone, I ran to my room and dragged myself to the floor as I cried behind the door.
I couldn’t believe what he did. I was just his pawn. He wanted to use me, and I felt like I was going to let him. It all came as crystal clear. He never loved me anymore. And I was just going to be a business deal.
I went to bed and curled into a ball as I cried and cried until I couldn’t take it anymore, and I felt like my head would explode.
I woke up when someone nudged me.
“You’ve been crying again?”
“Hey. You’re back.” I smiled. Even if my life was a mess, Heera was in a good place, and Zee loved her.
“Yes.” She jumped, and she showed me her finger.
“Oh, my God. You’re engaged?” I got up from bed and hugged her. “Congratulations! Oh, my God. I’m so happy for you.”
“You know, I owe you a lot.”
“No, darling. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I do. If not because of you, I won’t meet Zee.”
“For once in my life, I did one thing right, and you two are perfect. I’ll be at your wedding. That’s a promise.”
“You should be, or I will not talk to you forever.”
I smiled. It was good to smile. “You are my best friend, Heera. And I will move mountains to be there.”
“Thank you.” We hugged each other.
Then we settled in bed.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” I felt like I knew what she was about to ask.
“Of course. Anything.”
“Are you really gonna fly back tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” I looked at our hands. “I have work and can’t stay here long. We’ll keep in touch.”
“You and Rome. Maybe I can help.”
“He came by earlier-”
“Really?” It was good to see her excitement, but I wished I had seen that from Rome, too.
“Yeah, and he had a proposal.”
“What proposal?”
I told her everything, and she just stared at me with confusion. “Can you give me a little bit of advice, Heera? I’m confused and torn between accepting it or setting him free.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
“Lately, I hate my gut.”
“And your heart?”
“I love him.”
“Here’s what I can say based on what you just said to me. I think Rome is selfish. For someone like him who said he loved you not less than a month ago, I think his proposal is for you not to marry someone else.”
“You think so?” It did not cross my mind.
She nodded. “And for once, Princess. Think about your own happiness. You might have accomplished something in your life as Princess Royal, but how about your personal fulfillment? Will that man satisfy your need? Can he make you truly happy? I think not. Your heart will always belong to Rome.”
“What should I do, Heera?”
“Accept his proposal. Then by that time, do everything in your power to win his heart back. Prove that you have changed and you can be a good wife. Two years is long enough. Months, you can make him fall in love with you again, considering you have shared something in the past.”
“So. It’s a yes, then?”
“Yes. Get your man. After all, you’re here for that reason.”