Here is the deal
"Welcome Miss Vanderberg, the Crown Prince is already waiting for you."
She was greeted by a maid.
"Please follow me!"
Through the ornate corridors, she led the lawyer and the girl to a parlor, where the Crown Prince was already waiting for them with tea and cakes.
"Ariana!"
He stood up smiling.
"Your Majesty."
Ariana tried to force at least a faint smile on her face, but it didn't work. So she bowed in front of the man with an unshakable face.
"Mr. Lawyer, would you wait a few minutes in the hallway, please?"
"Of course, Miss."
"Thank you."
The man in his 50's left the room.
"Lawyer? "
"Yes. Then let us turn to the subject, Your Majesty. "
"Just call me Jerome… since we've known each other for so long."
"Oh, true. Please forgive my ignorance, Your Majesty, if I had known that I was facing you, I would never have allowed myself to use such a tone. "
She bowed once more.
"Just… take a seat please."
By this time, Jerome had also realized the fact, that this wasn't going to be a smiling ' good to see you again' conversation.
Ariana planned to conduct this conversation like a trial, but she couldn't stifle her emotions. As soon as they took a seat, she fell out of it.
"How could you?"
"What?"
"I saved your life – you did know exactly that this was hell for me - how could you force me into this situation?"
The prince's eyes widened at the accusation, he could not swallow… after a few seconds of silence.
"I'm sorry, but your place is right next to me."
"You can't be serious?!"
"Believe me…"
He wanted to say something, but she cut into his word.
"You only need a queen anyway until she gives birth to an heir, wouldn't anyone else have been good? Why me?!"
"What do you mean?"
"Just because I'm not going anywhere I'm not deaf yet… the whole country knows you're meeting some blonde beauty…If you have already someone in your heart, don't hold back… just break up our engagement, because by taking my existence as nothing, by showing off with a low-ranking lover in disregard, there aren't many more humiliating things in the world. "
"Ah .."
Jerome swallowed and gasped for air. He picked up the cup of tea and took a big sip, avoiding the pierced Ariana's gaze. After a minute of listening, he changed his former friendly tone to a more brittle one.
"So you also heard that he is a man."
'He finally stopped acting.'
"Yes. That's why I brought this. "
Then Ariana threw the envelope in front of Jerome, with the contract in it.
Jerome read the contents with a big blink.
"Because Your Majesty definitely needs a successor, and you will definitely cling to me to make it happen, so I decided it was a winning deal for everyone. "
"Will you only stay with me, as my wife until you have a child?"
"That way I won't stand in the way of you and the love of your life. "
"Would you give up on the child too?"
"My life is worth more… I don't risk getting in the way of a jealous lover. The child will have a good life in the palace. I'm sure."
"Hahaha!"
The prince laughed.
"And yet why would I sign this?"
"Because you owe me that much."
"What kind of debt?"
"I saved your life! I didn't ask for anything back then… well now I'm asking for my reward! A signature at the bottom of the page! "
The smile froze on the prince's face.
Finally, he put down the paper and leaned back.
"After all, you see things well… it's really going to be a winning situation for all of us. After all, the "blonde beauty" is very well suited to perform the duties of a queen … And you get the life, which will only be cloudless gardening, horseback riding, reading and consuming more delicious food… just like you always wanted. Behind the scenes, in a secluded little castle… where only I will visit you, for the purpose of childbearing… until you have a child. Yes, it is truly an idyllic idea. "
'Yes… sign already!'
"I'd like to add one more thing."
"What?"
The prince reached for the pen.
"As of today, you can't show up at any social event - I don't want anyone to spoil the princess, even before the wedding night - I don't want anyone to question my child's bloodline."
"Yet what do you think of me? Yes, I am innocent! I haven't been anywhere in months anyway! "
The girl stood up angrily.
"Great. The wedding will be held on your 18th birthday. "
He signed, stood up, and headed for the door.
"How? So soon?"
"I want to end this relationship as soon as possible - maybe a problem?"
"No, not at all."
The prince opened the door.
"It's okay then. Lawyer, I leave the rest to you. "
With that, he left the girl there too.
'I hopethe fact, that the wedding will be a year sooner, won't affect negatively my already not rosy outlook…'