Phone call

Kensington Palace gardens, London.

In a huge manor at Kensington gardens there is a couple meeting in a chamber with large bookshelves filled to brim with the books.

"Honey, what do you think is going on with our child?" asked the man who looks handsome, sipping tea from an exquisite cup.

"What do you mean by that?" the woman countered with a rigid tone.

This couple is Robert Pendragon and Caroline Pendragon.

Robert Pendragon is the genius businessman and entrepreneur with a net worth of over 80 billion dollars. He is the chairperson of Pendragon conglomerate which comprises eighty-seven subsidiaries in the fields of Information Technology, Automobiles, Engineering, Infrastructure, Electronics, Cosmetics and the list goes on and on.

His wife Lady Caroline Pendragon is a Noble prize winner in the field of Economics and daughter of the Duke of Norfolk.

When Robert is studying in the Oxford University, he met Caroline. They both fell in love. Though there are a lot of politics took place behind the scenes. They still got married.

After five years of their marriage they gave birth to their son, Arthur Paul Pendragon. But while giving birth to Paul, there has been an accident which led Caroline not bearing any more children again.

So as their sole child, Paul got doted upon by his parents. He got everything he required and also the things which he did not want. Because of his pampered childhood Paul grownup into a timid and an introvert.

Five years back, Paul met with Robert and Caroline and told them he wants to move out of the house. So he can experience the life.

Even though it is abrupt and shook them. They backed him with his choice.

But after one year, Paul told them he wants to travel around the world and "experience " the culture of other countries so it can help him further understand the responsibilities.

This made the couple dumbfounded but looking at their child being mature. They accepted his decision.

It's being four years since then. Other than calling them once a year, they never saw him. Every time they got a call from Paul, they ask him when he'll come back, but always the reply they got was "Soon".

"I mean, we didn't see him for four years. If there are no calls from him time and time, I would have thought he is dead." said Robert.

"Shut up Robert, how can you talk like that" what Robert said angered Caroline. Which mother would not get angry their husband is talking like this about their son.

"You know that we can't trace his location. This is like he is not even on this planet" said Robert, frustrated. He tried to trace the number they are getting calls from Paul, but there are no results. He sent his family's informants to track the location, but they got no clue or information.

"I want to mobilize all the intelligence personnel of N.A.T.O. What do you think about it?" this time Robert wants to get the answers.

"No Robert. You don't have to do it. I'm his mother and I'm much more worried than you, but if Paul wants to keep his location a secret, let him be. Also, we can't show our trump cards to our enemies yet," said Caroline with a sad look on her face with tears slowly falling onto the carpet.

Looking at the anguished Caroline, Robert wants to rip Paul apart when he comes back for making his women cry. Before he hugs Caroline to console her, he can hear a sound of a phone ringing coming from the corner of the couple's study room.

Immediately the crying face of Caroline turned into joy at hearing the phone ringing.

This is the personal phone of their family where no one knows its number apart from their family, and the only one who can call to this phone right now is obviously their son.

She hurried to the phone and picked it up

"Paul is that you?"

In-Salah, Algeria.

With the help of tourists, Paul found the only hotel in this town. So Paul and Leo reached the location where the hotel is. But looking at what lies in front of him shocked Paul.

Because there is a massive castle before them with the letters written on it in English "Hotel Merḥba", which means Welcome in Algerian.

He entered the hotel, followed by Leo. It is actually a luxury resort, so the interior looked very rich. He went to reception.

"Hello Sir, Welcome to our hotel. How may I help you" said the beautiful receptionist with a smile. Looking at her made Leo mesmerized. "So this is how beauties look on Earth", he thought.

Paul didn't mind about lecherous Leo and talked with the beautiful receptionist.

"Hi, we would like to stay at your hotel for two days. Are there any rooms available?" said Paul with his British accent.

"Have you made the reservation ?"

"No, we did not make prior reservation"

Looking top to bottom, "Sorry sir, all our rooms are booked. I can't help you" said the receptionist again with a smile, but Paul can see a hint of mockery in her eyes. "You can't even afford proper clothes but you want to stay at this hotel", thought lady but didn't say it out.

"Can you please check with your manager again? Money is not a problem. We just need a room," said Paul .

"Sir, There is only Presidential Suite available and it can only be booked by V.I.P'S," This time the receptionist didn't hide her emotions and said coldly.

Paul got irked with this and said "Call your manager, I want to speak with him"

Even though it looks like they spoke slowly, it is so loud that the people staying at the hotel heard them. This dazed the receptionist but before she recovered and call the security, the manager of the hotel came out and asked the receptionist what happened. After knowing the issue, he said to Paul politely.

"Sir, we are sorry for the inconvenience but there are no rooms available. Please leave here otherwise we have to use force"

Paul got annoyed with this manager. He kept his hands in his pant pocket, took out a card from his storage ring. He lifted his left hand and slapped the manager directly.

This shocked everyone present except Leo. He knows Paul's temperament. He actually felt glad that Paul didn't kill this poor guy.

"How dare you hit me? Security beat these idiots and throw them out" said the manager angrily, but before the security even tried to move, they already got restrained by Leonard.

Paul slowly took out a black card from his pocket and showed it to the manager

"Is this enough to get me your hotel's Presidential Suite?"