The Royal Contract

Her fingers touched everything it came into contact with. She always loved how the flowers bloom in the morning and how their scent cascades gently in the air, floating with the wind.

The flowers were like a dance troupe as they swayed in sync with the sound of the breeze. It was beautiful and magical. And the entire scenery was breathtaking.

"Have you had enough of fresh air?" A man behind her suddenly wrapped his arms around her.

She believed she had reached heaven if there was one on earth. Nothing could beat this feeling and experience. She wished it could last forever.

"Not even close enough." She answered him with a gentle smile that displayed not just mere satisfaction but more. She could not even describe it.

If she had been unlucky in her younger years, fate suddenly made up for it. For her, this was already perfect.

She could already safely say she could die tomorrow. She was one heck of a lucky woman. She believed not many would experience something like this.

"Well, we can always come back here." Her husband whispered near her ears, feeling his arms tighten around her waist.

She knew her husband did not love her. Not the kind of love that was earth-shattering or something that transcends through time. She knew that someone else had already held that title.

When she entered this marriage, she did not expect much from it. But she was fortunate to feel a love built from trust, loyalty, and respect.

"Yeah, we can." She answered with a tinge of disappointment. But unfortunately, her husband was also heir to the Kingdom.

Like it or not, he had other responsibilities besides her. They might be newlywed, but it did not mean they could continue to bask under the sun and enjoy the whole morning in each other's arms.

Reality called, and they had to answer.

She turned around to look at her husband, realizing that as much as she promised not to fall for this guy. She doubted she would make good on that promise.

It was hard because he was perfect. The woman in his heart was a lucky girl. But why did this girl leave him? She could not see a rational explanation for it.

"We better get going before they send the entire battalion of Royal guards to look for you." She teasingly said, shoving the idea of love into the deep recesses of her mind.

She tilted on her toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips before she moved away and rode her horse in some quick movement.

She always loved to ride. It was one of her passion. She used to compete in horse shows but had to stop when she had a critical accident.

Although she recovered from the trauma and her injuries, her father disallowed her to join any competition. Now, she could only ride for pleasure.

"I don't mind. I love spending mornings like this with you." He said as he also rode his horse with not much effort.

"Thanks for indulging some of my whims." She was not even aware he knew how much she loved horses. She was surprised when he showed her a barn full of horses and asked her to pick one.

Then, she found the Count walking toward her. She had no idea what to feel about her father-in-law. He seemed nice, but still, she would like to keep her distance.

"Count Thomas." She greeted the older gentleman as he approached her. She had to stop so he could catch up with her. "You should have joined us for a ride. The countryside is simply beautiful." She excitedly told him.

Despite her misgivings about her father-in-law, she still wanted to have a good relationship with him. After all, they were family now.

"I would love to, but my hips prevented me from taking long rides." He excused himself from such activity. "But why don't you call me Dad? After all, you are now married to my son."

She knew that, but she kept forgetting. "Yeah. I am sorry. I will try to remember that, Dad." She repeated, hoping that she would get used to it.

"If you have time, maybe we can discuss something in my study." The Count invited her to his private parlor.

She did not see any problem with that, so she complied, following the older man into the other side of the palace, walking the long hallways until they reached the double doors to his private room.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." The Count offered her a seat on a luxurious couch in his spacious room. "Would you like something to drink?" He asked as he moved to the bar.

"No, I don't drink." She did drink a glass of wine on occasion but only when necessary. She was not much of a drinker at all. She did not acquire a taste for it.

She sat on the soft and comfortable couch, waiting for whatever the Count wanted from her. She could not tell whether this was a social call or business. But she was not much of a negotiator.

"That is a good habit. I wish I am more like you. Then, I might not be suffering from all these ailments." The Count informed her with a friendly smile.

Somehow, that line had slightly calmed her down. Maybe the Count was not that bad after all. She just needed to get to know him more.

Count Thomas pointed at his ailing heart, his weakening knees and joints. She believed it was part of old age, too, besides the bad habits.

"You can always start now." She recommended it, but as they said, old habits were hard to break.

She doubted changing his lifestyle now would significantly improve his health. But still, it could help lessen the pain a bit.

"I used to hear that from my wife. Now, I regret not listening to her." The older man chastised himself as he looked at a frame in the middle of the room.

"Is that her?" She asked. She had not seen a picture of her mother-in-law.

Lance had not talked much about his family. And she never bothered to pry unless he initiated it. And he never once discussed his mother.

She stared at the woman painted inside the frame. She was beautiful, no doubt about it. However, she heard that she died a long time ago.

Pity.

To die so young.