The Royal Contract

"Ahhh! Dani, wake up. You have a lot of work to do." She screamed internally at herself. "Focus." She continued to mumble to herself.

It was her fault. Instead of sleeping, her mind kept on replaying her conversation with her father last night. 

"How much do you know about Alex?" Her father asked her. "Did you know that he is about to ask you to marry him this weekend?" He continued with his inquisition when they were finally alone in his private room.

"How did you know about that?" She was not surprised. No secret remained a secret once her father started digging into it. He had a way of getting the information he needed. Aside from he could read people and figure out what they were planning. 

She began to wonder how long they could keep their charade from being discovered when her father was around. A weekend in their company seemed to be an impossible task.

"His parents told us that there is a huge possibility that he was about to present you as his fiance on his birthday this coming weekend." Her father kept his focus on her face, trying to read her expression.

"I guess the secret is out." She figured that there was no more reason for her to deny it. "He already asked me to marry him, and I already accepted." 

She initially did not plan to inform her parents about it. She thought that they could get away with their plan without her father learning about it. But she should have known better. It would not pass by her father without noticing since he was watching her like a hawk.

She suddenly felt guilty about her lies, but she could not do anything about it anymore but push through. She just hoped that what she was getting from this would be worth all her sacrifice. She was about to lose her integrity, the trust of her parents, and many more if anyone discovered them.

"Are you sure that he is the right man for you?" Ethan asked her, hoping to make sense of his daughter's decision.

He could not figure why Daniella decided to take such a big jump into marriage, not after what happened with Nick. He had to make sure that his daughter was not making another mistake.

"I know what I am getting into, Dad. You don't have to worry about me." That was not a lie. She knew what she agreed to.

"What about your life here and your career? What if he decides that he have to return home and take his father's place?" Her father continued to question her. "Are you ready to stand by his side and leave everything behind?"

"I am sure that we can make a compromise if that time ever comes." She was not sure what her father was saying. It all sounded foreign in her brain, but she tried to respond as if she had an idea about it.

"If this is your decision, I won't stop you. Just remember that your mother and I will always be here for you." Her father looked at her as if he was waiting for her to change her mind. "Well, if that is the case, then my princess will truly become a princess after you get married." 

She was a bit shocked by her father's last statement. She was unsure what he meant when he said that, but she had to pretend that she knew what she was doing. "Well, isn't that what you wanted all this time, for me to become a princess?" 

She tried to fish for more information without letting her father know that she had no idea of what was happening.

"As the future duchess, I hope that you are ready for the responsibility." His father continued to give her warning as if this was not what he wanted for her. 

But in her mind, the word duchess was what got stuck. Why did her father say that? Did that mean that Alex was going to be a duke someday? It was new information that her mind could not fully fathom. 

She still could not believe what her father was implying in their conversation. She was only able to confirm it when she had her conversation with Alex, where he finally revealed that he was indeed a certified real prince.

"Hey, Dani. Marcus just called and confirmed the flight for tonight." Jacky interrupted her musing as she brought her back to the present. She walked into her office, disrupting her trance.

She turned to her friend as she tried to refocus her attention on what she was saying. "Oh, ok." Acknowledging the arrangement before Jacky left her to get back to her work.

They were leaving tonight, and it was almost noon. Dani realized that she had barely finished any of her files. Evan informed her earlier that another associate would take over her immediate pending files under his supervision while she was away. Still, she wanted to make sure that everything was in order before she left.

"Eeeehhhh." Jacky just strode to her office, screaming as if the building was on fire. "Look what just came in." 

She did not bother to see what her friend brought with her. Whatever it was, it could wait. She did not want to lose her track of thought on the document she was perusing. 

"Seriously, you're just going to ignore me." Jacky stood her ground and waited for her to acknowledge her presence.

"What?" She finally asked, looking up to her friend, who was seemingly excited about something. She figured Jacky would not pester her like this if it were not significant, either to Jacky or her.

"I wanted to show you this." She placed her phone in front of her to show her what the fuss was all about. 

On the screen was a picture of a very handsome teenage boy who had a big smile on his face. He was carrying a medal in his hand with a message just under the photo. "This is for you, Dani and Jacky." 

"Wow, Andy won that." She let out a whistle upon seeing the accomplishment of the young man. 

She could not help but be proud of what their young brother achieved at a very young age. Andy finally lived the life that he deserved. It renewed her reason why she had agreed to this arrangement. He reminded her why she was doing this in the first place. It was not for her ambition but a great cause.