The Royal Contract

Tyra stared at the piece of cardboard resting in the palm of her hand. It looked so regal that only royalties were allowed to receive. It was so elegant that she almost wanted it framed.

After reading the content, she let her fingers run into the letters embossed on the paper. She read again the words written on it in bold, scripted letters.

If things turned out differently, it would have been her name written right next to him. But she had already accepted her fate. The two of them were just not meant to be.

She still felt a slight pang of hurt from losing the man she loved more than she had realized before. The guilt also ate at her heart after hurting him with her betrayal.

"Do you think we should attend the wedding?" She asked the man at his side, who also had an invitation from Dani.

Since she married him and continued with their charade, she made sure not to keep secrets from him. Not something as big as this.

She was still in Paris, buried in her work, avoiding staying with him at his house for too long. She felt that it would be better to keep their relationship the way it was, just a business arrangement. 

"Only if you think you are up for it, Tyra." He said, not wanting to force her if she was not ready.

He already realized that what she had with Alex had been extraordinary. She had paid dearly for losing him because he had seen that he was a good man.

He was not forcing her to face something as painful as seeing the man she once loved marry another woman. He could still hear in her voice that she was affected by this.

It did not help that the woman he replaced with her was one remarkable woman too. He would know because he almost fell for her too. The only thing that saved him was discovering he did not have a chance.

"Troy, my father would be expecting us to be there. Now, that he had learned of our marriage." She related to him the call she received from her father a few days ago.

She still remembered the angry voice of his father when he called her and confronted her about her unexpected marriage. He commanded that she visit him with her husband as soon as possible.

She tried to buy them some more time before introducing her husband to her family. She was not ready for such chaos, not when she was still getting used to the idea herself.

She thought that she had already gotten away with it when he agreed to wait until she had finished with her contract. She still had more or less a month before that.

"I have no problem in attending the said event." He said definitively, wondering what was going on with the woman on the other end of the line. "It is you that I worry about all this. Are you ready to face the music?"

"The real question should be, will I ever be ready for this?" She admitted to him. 

She felt anxious about the entire situation. Her emotions were all over the place, but the reason remained a mystery. She was conflicted about whether watching Alex waiting for his bride or seeing Troy again was the reason for her turmoil.

"You are the only one who can answer that." He concluded for her, not wanting to influence her decision.

He was leaving the choice to her, although he also received an invitation coming from Dani. She wanted him to attend because she considered him a friend.

But he already decided not to attend unless Tyra was also coming with him as his wife. That was the only time that he would make a public appearance again.

"Give me a couple of days to decide." She could not tell yet if which one of her options would best serve her interest at the moment. 

She was still confused with the way things were moving in her life. The only thing working for her was the career that she worked hard to build. It was the only constant in her life at the moment.

She ended the call with him, reminding her to take care of herself and keep safe. She was back on the set, staring at the mirror in front of her. She waited for the crew to get ready for the shoot.

"Can I do this?" She questioned in her reflection but found no answer behind her stare. 

Without realizing it, she was back in the past, recalling a time when he was still a part of her life. It was a time when Alex still wanted to marry her.

"You keep telling me that you intend to marry me, but..." She hesitated to continue what she had to say. She was not sure if she could demand his attention or his ring.

"You know how important my career is right now. I will never have this kind of opportunity again if I let it go." Alex knew that letting this job slip through his finger was not an option.

He could not commit to her yet. It would be unfair for her to be tied to him when he could not give her what she wanted, his commitment and time.

"I know what you are saying. I am also working on my career, but I am willing to give it up for you." She knew her job was nothing compared to what he was trying to establish. But it was as important to her as his work was to him.

She believed if she could do it, he should also do the same thing. But his work always took precedence over every decision he made.

"You know there is no comparison. But I love you. Just give me more time." He insisted, feeling desperate.

He loved Tyra very much, but he was still not ready to let go of his dream. He knew if he married her, he would not have any other option. 

He would have to return to the kingdom and settle down with his fate.. His father would force him to take his place and lord the land his ancestors left him.