The Royal Contract

The board game had to be discontinued some other time, leaving the two of them on a tie match. With one equal winning, no one could be declared the winner. Not until they played another set.

"I guess we have to continue the decision game at a later time." The king stated, not a bit disappointed but glad for an opportunity for another game with a worthy rival.

He could sense he had not seen her best yet. She was still holding out her best cards. Just like him, she was also assessing her situation. But in their next matchup, he expected to have a hard time beating her.

He assisted her out of the room, at the same time, touring her around the castle. He talked about the history of the portraits they came across along the hallways.

"I will be looking forward to that." She answered back, genuinely excited for their rematch.

But for now, she looked forward to dinner and a more interesting conversation with a very intriguing man. Her earlier assumption that she might not like his company had proven her wrong.

She just could not believe that this was the king that raised a man like Prince Edward. Based on what she had seen so far, he was nothing like his son.

"I hope you enjoyed our local delicacies." The king directed her attention to the assortment of dishes displayed on the long mahogany wood table.

He took pride and supported what the locals of their community produced. It was his way of giving recognition to their hard labor and efforts. 

He and the Council had made sure to support their local farmers and other food producers so that the economy would continue its growth.

"Absolutely loved it. I found some of the dishes were not so different from what I had so far, but there were definitely some that intrigued my palette." She commented, excited to taste a few more new dishes she spotted on the table.

She could see so much potential for growth and development in this country as far as she had observed. She was not an expert in the business field, but she did not need to be a genius to see that.

"Glad to hear that. Then, let us dig in, Daniella." The king mimicked a common lingo he had heard them use in their culture, trying to make her feel more comfortable around him.

He had never wished for a daughter before, not even when his wife told her that she wanted one. As a future king, he was raised to focus on having a son as heir to the throne next in line to him.

But having her around suddenly made him regret not to have one. He had never known the joy of having a daughter in his life, and if this was it, then he had seriously missed out.

"Just Dani would be fine since we are discarding with formalities, Uncle Edward." She corrected the king, feeling bolder and more relaxed in his presence.

She never thought she would like this king after all her initial assumptions. But he was, after all, the brother of the duke, who she could only see some minor faults.

Well, she guessed that Prince Edward was a bad apple that fell quickly from the tree before its time. He failed to acquire the qualities of a decent human being, much more a king.

"Ok, Dani. Tell me about what motivates you. What are you passionate about?" King Edward felt it was safe to dig a bit deeper into her life.

He wanted a more meaningful conversation as he let her sample the different food displayed on the table. It was time to get to know her more on a personal level.

"I guess it is my work. I love the law and all its trimmings." She began to tell him, but she stopped, slightly hesitating to elaborate more. "I am sure there are more interesting topics than my job." 

It did occur to her beforehand that the king might ask her about her job. But, she did not expect that kind of question, not in that context. 

"But, I did hear a but somewhere in there. Now, I am genuinely intrigued." The king raised his brows at her. Then, he stared at her as if he was trying to pry the continuation of her answer. "Would you indulge me with a bit of an explanation?" King Edward persuaded her to continue.

He enjoyed hearing her point of view. She was not just a beautiful face but an intelligent individual who knew when to use her intellect to her advantage without the intention of abusing others.

He could tell that she was an honest lawyer. Too young to be corrupted yet by the system. He could only wish that she would remain that way, strong-willed and incorruptible.

But life had a way of ruining people with lies, truths, hatred, and love. In his experience, human emotions created more chaos than peace.

"Well, if you insist, but don't tell me I did not warn you." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I love practicing my profession. But our laws are deeply flawed. I do wish I could help change how our justice system works." She elaborated, unable to deny the king some sort of explanation.

She had seen many innocent suspects denied justice simply because they could not defend themselves. While guilty criminals found themselves absolved of any crime due to their connections, power, and wealth.

"Then, what are you doing about it?" The king was more curious with her answer.

From what he heard so far, he could not see anything he would dislike about her. She had proven to him that she deserved to be married to this family.

"On my own, I doubt if I could make a dent in changing our ways. But as an individual, I can always fight for those who are not capable of defending themselves." She shared with the king her slight frustration.

For now, that was the only solution she could think of. But she had plenty of time to work on finding a solution. She would not stop until she did.

"Well, you did not fail to impress me. You are one amazing woman for your positive outlook in life and noble work." The king said to her. "I assure you, I don't give compliments that easily."

A king did not lightly give praise to anyone unless deserving. But to deserve such recognition, one must meet his high standard. 

As the dinner progressed, she felt more comfortable sharing things with the king. 

However, it had never been one-sided. The king also did relate some stories of his past. He also shared some of his unconventional experiences. He even whispered a few little secrets that had made her laugh.

"One more question, please indulge me one last time. Will you support Alex if he finally accepts to become my heir?" King Edward locked eyes with her, watching for her response.

He believed he also had finally accepted the inescapable truth.. As much as he loved his son, he was not destined for the throne.