The Royal Contract

When he saw Marcus came out of that room, Jacky's resolved to go out with Lance solidify. She was not going to waste her time waiting for Marcus. He was already taking his sweet time enjoying the princesses in this kingdom. Why should she not enjoy it as well?

Besides, she was not committed to him, or he was not to her. They were free to do whatever they pleased. Right now, she wanted to have fun. Luckily, a nice gentleman had taken the initiative to show her around.

"Ready to go." Lance offered his hand as he met her at the front of the palace. He guided her to his car and helped her inside, a real gentleman in her book.

"Where are we going this time?" She asked. After he showed her to the beach last night, he took her back to the palace as promised. Then, he asked her if she would go out with him again.

She was hesitant at first, so she declined the offer. "Maybe some other time then," Lance suggested, giving his number to her. "Call me if you ever change your mind." 

Then, he gave her hand a sweet, soft, short kiss before waving at her. "Goodbye. I do hope you change your mind." He said before leaving her at the foot of the palace. 

She was not about to go around this place and meet random men. She only went with him last night because she was slightly pissed at Marcus. But when she went to Marcus' room and found it empty, she knew that he was not even thinking about her. 

She quickly went back to her room and texted Lance's number. He informed him that she changed her mind. She would love to see him that morning. Now, she was sitting in his passenger seat. 

"Well, I thought it would be nice to have breakfast first. I'm starving. I hope you did not have yours yet." Lance stated as he slightly shifted his face to look at her before facing again the road ahead.

"This is our lucky day. I am starving too, so feed me." She smiled at him, genuinely enjoying their light conversation.

"So, have you any idea of where you want to go after breakfast, or do you want me to surprise you?" Lance asked her.

"Well, I would choose the latter. I love surprises." She answered with a wide grin on her face. It was as if she was about to get a gift, and it was not even her birthday.

"Then, surprise it is," Lance announced as they speed off to the empty road, going in the direction of the city.

For a few more minutes, their conversation revolved around mundane things. Then, it turned into where Jacky lived and how she found her way to the palace.

"Dani, Alex's fiancé, is my best friend and my boss. So, I am here to support and help her in any of her needs in both capacities." She explained to him. "Originally and will always be from New York."

"I'm always in New York. I also have some business dealings there. Would you mind if I visit you?" He asked as he once again looked at her, hoping to see a positive reaction to his question.

"I see no problem with that," Jacky replied with a friendly smile. "What about you? Did you ever felt like moving out of here?" She asked her date. Most men who almost have everything were never content with what they have. She knew of some who wanted more.

"If you mean leaving my birthright and starting a new life, it did occur to me once or twice in my life," Lance admitted. "But my family still needs me here, so I can't just abandon them to fulfill a fantasy."

Then, their conversation was cut-off, as they stopped in a fancy coffee diner just inside the city. "Let's go. I don't want to starve you. We still have a lot of things to explore." Lance helped her out of the car and inside the shop.

They continued their light conversation about the weather, the current events, things that would set the mood for deeper conversations as they progressed to their date later on.

"So, where to?" She asked as they rode again in his car.

"What were the most daring things, or better yet, the most dangerous thing you ever did in your life?" Lance asked her as he safely drove them in the busy street of their city, avoiding answering her question.

"Oh, wait. That is a tough one." She thought about it. She could not tell him the things she had done in her life. Could she? She was not ashamed of her past. It was just her past. The private life that she did not usually tell just anyone, especially a stranger.

"Come on. I am sure that you lived on an edge once or twice in your life." Lance taunted her to tell him a bit of her secret. "Ok. I will give you an example. I once run naked on the street because of a dare. But my excuse, I was young and dumb back then. I'll show you a picture, but they had destroyed all the evidence." Lance smiled genuinely at her, not exactly proud of what he did, but he did learn something from it.

She could sense that he was telling her the truth. The way he had narrated that story felt like it did happen. She could not help but feel comfortable around him. Then, out of nowhere, she started telling her a bit of her past.

"I had lived in constant danger when I was young. I was orphaned and lived in the foster system. So, life during those years was not quite the same as yours." She did not want to talk about her past, not even with Dani. 

But somehow, this man was able to make her open up. Or was it something else that was making her emotional? She was not quite sure. She always thought of herself as a strong individual and always in control of her emotion. 

She had taken care of herself and others without much help from anyone. She had survived the tough times without crying. She had sworn to protect the people she loved and not the other way around. Therefore, she was wondering why she was now becoming so sensitive.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I did not mean to be insensitive." Lance said as he extended his hand to give hers a slight squeeze.

Maybe she was exuding something genuine about her that had attracted him to her. He was wondering since last night why he could not keep his eyes away from her.

Now, he knew that her pureness and honesty were the things that made her different from the rest. Most of the girls he dated would never mention a past like that. But she never felt a bit ashamed of what she had gone through. Instead, she showed only courage by overcoming it. He felt proud of her for surviving such an ordeal.

"No need to be sorry. It was not your fault. You did not know that." She smiled at him. Luckily, she did not cry. "My danger was not a dare, but the truth."