The Royal Contract

"Lastly, I don't care about the politics, tradition, culture, money, power, and all the things that you might think I wanted from this marriage. All I care about is how we both feel for each other." She finished her statement just in time for them to stop in front of one of the largest castles she had ever seen in her entire life. She had been to some in her trips, but this one was spectacular in its grandeur.

Most of what she had seen before had been renovated to adapt to modern times. But this one, although she could see some adjustment in some places, still maintained its past structure and architectural elegance.

The door to the car was immediately opened. She was ushered inside the palace that was well guarded at every corner. The older woman accompanying her had kept her mouth shut after that. Only speaking if necessary.

"We have to wait here until the king is ready to see you." Her chaperone stopped her in one of the rooms, a waiting area for the guests.

But they had barely sat down when a man dressed elegantly in a black coat and bowtie came to see them. They were not given a chance to finish their conversation.

"King Edward is ready to see you now." The well-uniformed man announced as he stood by the doorway.

Dani walked with him, leaving her chaperone behind towards another big room at the end of the hallway. She waited until the big double doors opened and revealed the inside.

All she knew was that she was about to have an audience with the king. She had no idea what the protocol was, but she had hoped that Alex would be here to accompany her.

Unfortunately, he had his own appointment he had to attend to, which did not include her. If her assumption was correct, it would be his bachelor's party organized by Marcus.

"Please, Miss, you may proceed inside." The man called her attention as she was busy thinking of what to expect from this meeting and where her future husband would be at the moment.

"I am sorry." She quickly replied, slightly embarrassed for her absentmindedness. 

She realized it was not the time to be sailing off to la-la land. She needed her full wits in facing the king. She had no idea what the gathering was for, and she should be prepared for any eventuality.

She suddenly remembered the incident with her chaperone and how she saw her presence in the kingdom. She wondered if the king also had his own thoughts on the matter.

"Oh, there you are. You look lovelier than the first time I saw you. It is probably the wedding bliss that is making you glow." King Edward stood from his seat and moved towards her to welcome her.

He did think that Alex could not have chosen a better wife in her. He could only hope that his son would also find the right one. He knew he should stop comparing the two. 

But he could not help himself. He could not stop seeing how Alex was excelling in everything he did. He always thought that Alex was the son he never had.

"I guess I should say thank you for the compliment." She was used to it, but she still felt embarrassed from time to time by it. She had no idea if she should bow or kiss his hand, but when he extended his hand for a shake, she took it.

She could feel her cheeks heating up, but other than that, she was still able to smile at the host of the event, which would appear to be a party for two, noticing it was just the two of them in the room.

She was expecting to enter the king's room with huge columns and a massive stage at the other end of the room. Then, the king would be sitting on his throne, wearing his crown and carrying a scepter.

Well, at least not this king, who was wearing a black coat and tie and sporting one big friendly smile on his lips. But she would prefer to deal with this one than a pompous king who put himself on a pedestal. She did remember his son, Edward.

"Come on, shall we sit down. Dinner would be served in a short while." King Edward gestured for her to take the vacant chair on his right. 

She took a seat and waited for what would happen next. She did not want to second guess the king's plans for the night. She would rather wait till he revealed his purpose for this meeting.

"Would you like some wine? Our people made this in our vineyard." He offered, not failing to include her in the sentence. He already accepted that she would be a part of this family soon.

He moved to the table carrying the wine and a couple of glasses. "I was advised by my doctor not to drink too much alcohol, but what do they know." The king jokingly said as he poured himself one before turning to her for confirmation.

"Sure, Your Highness, I would like to taste your wine," Dani answered, remembering the proper way to address the king in his presence. But the pronoun used was not lost in her. 

It might be his way of welcoming her to the family or a sort of intimidation tactic. Whatever it was, she was not about to make an abrupt conclusion until she had gotten to the bottom of this meeting.

"When we are alone like this, you can forego with the formalities. Just call me Uncle Edward. That is how you say it in your country, right?" King Edward told her as he walked back to their seats and handed her the wine.

He gestured for her to taste it, proud to promote their local product to his guest. There were several justifications for why he wanted to see her. One of them was to get to know her for obvious reasons.

"This is absolutely delicious." She tasted the wine after swirling and sniffing its aroma. It was simply divine.

If this small country could produce such incredible products, why did Alex want to leave this place? He could make millions by exploring what this country had to offer.

She fell in love with this country at first sight. It was different from where she had grown up.. But different did not mean not good.