27

27- Luke

Its been almost two weeks since the kiss I had with Lady Danielle and ever since then, I’ve been really busy with my schedule and the upcoming ceremony. I’m not avoiding her, nor do I make myself busy on purpose but it truly feels like destiny is trying its best to make me the busiest person of the year.

After my little date with lady Danielle, Drey informed me about the changes my mother made in one day. The inner court decided to just randomly declare they couldn’t wait for the choosing ceremony for much longer so they went ahead and pushed it earlier than planned. I was against the idea, so I talked to my mom and my dear grandmother but they both rejected my complaints and told me to just get on with it.

And that basically led me to a packed schedule and a long, painful, nauseating, two weeks of my life. I had to fit my whole month in two weeks, and that includes travelling back and forth. I had to move from one place to another, adjust some important meetings where I could meet important figures in their most convenient and earliest as possible schedule. I lack sleep and the only reason I’m even moving is because I’ve been drinking coffee like it’s my own personal water.

Just imagine the agony I had to go through this past days and the amount of pressure I’m receiving from my own father. The files in my office are already stacking up and I honestly feel like its going to keep on piling even after the choosing ceremony. I was frustrated, mad, restless, but above everything, I’m clueless. I don’t have an idea what will the choosing ceremony this time be like and how should I react on it. Some member would most likely look forward on how i’ll handle this kind of pressure and they will definitely find some ways to make me feel chaotic by pushing me to decide on projects that is yet to be discussed with the King. Its stressful and I don’t like it!

My two week long agony ends today since starting tomorrow, I’ll be meeting the people whose going to challenge the ladies during the choosing ceremony. This people are of course confidential until their specific time during the ceremony comes around, that’s the only time they are allowed to reveal their identity to everyone. This people are of course set by the Queen, meaning that excludes her from the deciding what kinds of challenges should be presented during the ceremony. But that’s doesn’t change the fact that she’ll always have a way.

The ladies chosen by the inner courts are now safe inside the walls of the second gate. They’ll be staying there for awhile and as far as I know, they are all kept secret even to the staff. Drey couldn’t find anything relating to their identity since he was as busy as I am this past few days. I eventually gave up and just decided to wait until the ceremonies to find who they are. I focused my strength on things I could control and waited for any sort of opportunity that should rise.

Todays my first and last days of relaxation, so I'm going to use it wisely. Meaning, I’ll probably be cope up in my room, doing nothing but sleep and laze around. I wouldn’t waste this opportunity of time to rest and energize myself since I will definitely have days of packed schedules and headaches and pressure and assholes and all this things that makes me a person seated on a throne. I of course didn’t wish for any of this treatment but this things come with the luxury I am also receiving. Quite a brutal way to live right? But this are just hinge’s I need to live with.

I heard a knock on my door and soon after Aaron announces a visit from someone.

“Sire, I'm sorry but your sister, the Princess, wishes to see you”

“Bring her in and tell her to wait in the living area” I told Aaron so that Adi won’t barge in here and have her way again with my things. We have the living area for situations such as this. Even if she’s my sister, I still have to draw the line.

“As you wish your majesty” I heard Aarons retreating foot step and so I went to my bathroom so I could change into something more presentable, since I was only in my gym pants and nothing else. I quickly wore a white shirt and wash my face just in case I still have remnants from the deep slumber I just came out with. I thought I look decent enough so I went out of my room and greeted my sister as she was now making herself at home lying down on my couch with her whole being sprawled and well disoriented. I shake my head but nevertheless I didn’t say anything.

“I know you’ve missed me, but you didn’t have to visit me this soon.” I went to my bar area and took out one of my precious brandy so we could both drink and relax. If theres one tiny fact about this family is that we are all addicted to drinking and its because if we want to talk comfortably and without tearing each other apart, then we need a little alcohol inside our system. “Tell me then, why are you here when you should be out doing all those things mother prepared for you”

I know for a fact that I’m not the only one whose schedules were changed. Drey informed me that while I was gone and doing other things, the Princess had to handle some of the matters I left, matters like the projects I’m runningaaa and the foundations that I support. Those things would always throw this random events so they could attract investors and volunteers and that would always require some time and the last days had been so cruel to me that I just didn’t have the time. The Crownprincess would have suffice but mom had other plans and made it a point thher only daughter uses her time wisely. So for the last two weeks that I’ve been busy with my own plans, the princess had been going around town, representing me and the royal family. If you really know my sister, she hates social gatherings for the benefit of the kingdom. She would rather go on parties with no particular involvements with the family or the monarchy.

She’s not self-centered, she just don’t likeher actions to be involved with the family because most of the time, she tends to cause trouble. Troubles that have definite and reasonable explanation.

“Please, I’m already tired and my body aches from all the smiling and tight clothes I’ve been wearing. So don’t tease me or I’ll put you down” She warns as soon as she rises up to sit straight and fix herself. She’s still dressed so I’m guessing that she just came back and went straight to my place. I thought she just look tired from how she looks like but it appears like she’s annoyed again with something. You can pretty much see it in her eyes.

“So who crossed the line?” I gave her the glass of brandy, even though I already know that she wouldn’t like it since she’s more of a wine person than this but with her distracted with whoever annoyed her, I don’t think she’ll even notice what she’s drinking.

“Just some wives of the palace officials. They were also present during the event and all they did was stare and watch how I acted the whole time. I’m pretty sure their reporting my actions by now to their perfect husbands and I wouldn’t be surprise if dad comes at my place and rant to me the importance of how we present ourselves in front of so many people” Adi grabs one of the pillows and covers her face with it as she screams her frustrations away. I slumped my whole body on the opposite side of where she sat and waited for her to finish up while I enjoy the drink I made.

She screamed some entertaining words, she even had the courage to involve our parents name in her series of curses and really weird but colorful trash names. I wonder where she gets it from. I chuckled at her being annoyed and it took her a lot of time to calm down and finally talk again. Though she was already talking awhile ago but I just didn’t understand anything since every word she said were either muffled or just completely not from any normal dictionary.

“I stained the sheets of your pillow sorry. I’ll ask my maids to give you clean ones tomorrow” she pouted and true enough, she left some make up stains on the pillowcase. Well I don’t really care about the stain, as long as its not blood or her snot then we’re both good. Otherwise, i’ll definitely charge her for ruining one of mine.

I waited for her to calm down since I already learned from the past that if I pester her with question in her moment of melt down, she’ll just stay here longer and I just don’t have that kind of time in my hand so I would really appreciate for all of this end sooner so I could get back to my resting and have the energy that I need for tomorrow.

“I think i’m fine now. How was your trip? Did you get any support for your project?” Adi wipes her face with the tissues , erasing any remnants of her melt down awhile ago and facing me like nothing happened. I smirked at her fast change of emotion. In fact every lady I have in my life are exactly like Adi, they are too quick to change their emotions, one minute their mad and the next thing you know they are already laughing about something you have no idea about. I guess it’s a talent that’s only developed for the ladies.

“My trip was tiring but productive. There were some who were doubtful but I eventually persuade them, so I’ve come back with a lot of good news to our dear parents, so that should cover your little problem. Just make sure you behave tomorrow and i’ll cover for you” she looks at me with curiosity written all over her face so she leans forward to know more of what I’ve gained from my trip but I wasn’t in the mood to say anything about it so she could just wait for tomorrow when I report everything to my parents.

They wanted us to come during breakfast anyways so that should be the perfect time to tell them everything. However, I have a feeling that they already know everything since they always find ways to know before hand about my actions and my transactions. I know its crossing thousands of laws about privacy but for them its just a way for them to find out if they have to prepare some damage control for my benefit. Trust me, they hire a lot of people just to make sure that the family name is always protected and secured. Whatever mistakes we made in the past are now buried like they never happened.

Truth is, what the kingdom knows about us, are just half of the truth of what we really are. We made a lot of mistakes in the past, but the kingdom only knows a few of it. Well, I guess we just really get what we paid for. That’s just how the PR people works.

“Well that’s good to hear.” My sister sighs for relief then she looks at me with this eyes that holds a lot of meaning. She knows something and she’s thinking whether to tell me or not.

“You look like you have something else to tell me. Come on now, what is it?” I was calm but my head was everywhere. There could be a chance that my sister knows something about the ladies who joined the palace. She’s been here all this time and she is part of the inner court. I just didn’t go ask her because she’s often out and not in a million years would my mother trust my sister with something so important. She just tends to blabber about important things when she’s angry or drunk so that’s not really good for the whole kingdom and the royal family. If she does know something it could be coincidental or that she heard something and didn’t realize how important it is up until now.

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you but I already owe you a lot of things so might as well pay up with some juicy information” She walks to my side so she could talk to me closer and also to avoid anyone from hearing our conversation. Our wall are very thin and anyone with good hearing could hear whatever it is that’s happening inside the palace. This is why signal blockers are one of the essential things installed in the kingdom. Renovations are too much of a hard work that its much easier to just build signal blocker and distribute it in every area of the palace.

I moved closer to my sister so that she wouldn’t need to lean so much to reach my ear. She scoots closer and whispers to my ears.

“Two days ago, your little friend was extracted from her place. I don’t know where they took her but all I know is that she was extracted by one of Lord Sybulus people.” Adi uses this if-you-know-what-I-mean voice “Plus, your ex hasn’t been showing up lately. Which is surprising since she;s been begging for an audience with our father the moment she heard her fathers situation” She continues but then she changes her stature and made this quick cough to change her tone “Don’t judge but i’ve been keeping my eye on her, she’s been bothering our sister and I can’t just let her actions passed. Amber’s benevolent, so she won’t do anything that’s against her nature so I’ll do the worst things instead” She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arm to show how much she dislikes Isabelle’s antics.

“If she’s part of the ceremony, I suggest that you stop whatever it is you’re planning. The people might pity her and that could change the whole outcome of the ceremony. We must be careful with our actions to those who’ll be joining. We can’t let anyone assume that we’re giving favors. We must be fair, balance, equal.” I explained to my sister. We don’t want to give any misconception during the ceremonies. The public will be our witness and if they see something that’s not supposed to be that could stir a whole lot of issues and make a huge difference during the ceremony. After all, the whole royal family is all about pleasing the public.

If the public decided that someone else is better for me that the one who wins the ceremony, she’ll be crowned as the peoples choice. Its unfair but its been done through generations. As long as the royal family satisfies its subjects, power will always be retained.

“I know the rules. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything that could potentially put her in the throne. As much as her qualities could help the family, her reputation is just the worst. I don’t want her near the inner palace, and I would never bow down to someone who uses her ass to think” I couldn’t help but laugh at her words.

Since she found out how I used to date Isabelle and that she just happens to be the prime ministers daughter, she just harbored this hate towards Isabelle. Adi strongly believes that Isabelle is up to something, in fact she thinks that Isabelle’s going to be reason for my downfall. That is why as long as she gets an opportunity, she’ll do something that could made Isabelle lose its advantages inside the palace. Advantages such as having a little history with me.

“Don’t you even dare go for her again, even when you don’t have any other choice. Anyone but her. I don’t want any Orlins joining our family. Our own family is crazy as it is, another crazy family adding to ours will only make the whole kingdom an actual asylum. So you better choose wisely during the ceremony and stay away from that obsessed lady” Adi points her finger at me warning me of my next actions.

I already know that whoever I choose after the ceremony could greatly affect how things work inside the kingdom. She’ll become one of the pillars that would make the kingdom stand so she has to be someone whose heart is as soft as wool and at the same time as strong as a tigress. There will be days where she has to stand on her own and days where she has to make tough decisions for the welfare of the whole kingdom and its constituents. Though Isabelle possess some leadership skills and would be the best choice, but she is hard as steel and she doesn’t care if she steps on anyones foot as long as she gets what she wants.

If I could easily avoid her, I really would do so but the thing is, she has the councils support and even before all this ceremony talk, she’s been in training to becoming one of the lady courts. I’m pretty sure that would give here a lot of advantage during the challenges. I just hope that someone would be able to put Isabelle in her place, otherwise, my hands are tied.

Adi soon after decided its finally time for her to go and leave, she claims that she needs time for her beauty rest because tomorrow will be a stressful one for every royal family member.

I think about the things that Adi told me and its not unlikely for Danielle to join and so does Isabelle. Both of them came from a completely different family background but during the ceremonies, they’ll all be known as equals. I just hope that aside from the two of them, the other girls would be different and that someone could have a potential of becoming the next Crownprincess.

The next day, like a systematic machinery, every personnel that works for me moved around my place like an army is about to invade my place and kidnap me. They cleaned my whole place and prepared my breakfast before arranging my things and bath. They even made me fit tons of suit so they could send it to the designers and they could decide which are the ones i’ll be wearing during the ceremonies. Yes even what I wear during this events are planned. After all we are one of the trend setters of this generation and we would never disappoint the public with this matter.

“My prince, I see that you’re ready, so shall we leave all this mess now and join your parents at the main hall?” Drey came in and informs me. He’s already wearing his formal attire and though this only happened when theres a special occasion, he had himself trimmed down. I guess the warning he received from my mom got to him. Mom simply told him before that if he ever shows up in his shabby hair again, that she’ll order the royal guards to tie him down so she could trim his hair not just in his head but every part of him that has one. There are days that mom would mean what she says and there are days that she’s just bluffing so you can’t really play safe around her. You can’t really ask a Queen if she’s serious or not, or that just might cause another trouble on someones end. So the only way for one to be sure is to just believe whatever the Queen is saying and just follow whatever it is that shes warning to you about.

Which is why, Drey is all cleaned up and presentable because pissing the Queen is just not an option.

“Tell the driver to just pick me up up front. Wait for me there. I just need to do something” I told Drey as I went back to my room to get my phone and my files. I was reviewing some updates about the investigation between Lord Brucillos and Minister Orlins. I might need to report some of it later during my audience with the King.

The car was already waiting outside my place as soon as I came out. Aaron was also waiting for me and as soon as he saw me he opens my side of the door and waited for me to get inside before closing the door. Drey was already in front and scrolling through his tab. We left my place and proceeded to the main hall where both of my parents are waiting.