ENGAGEMENT

{Kenneth's pov}

"Yes.... he's fine...ma pops never grows old, still funny and jovial as usual" I said over the phone, I was on video call with one of my friends and bestie.

"So are you coming back anytime soon?" He asked as he sip the coffee he had.

"Nahhhh..... from the look of things it's gonna take like two years before I come back" I said.

" Why so long?"

"I'm waiting for Dad to recover first then he'll teach me everything I need to know about the tradition"

"Being a prince is goddamn hard man..." Before he could finish what he was saying, Mum walked in with a lady and two maids who had a rolling box each and one held a handbag.

"I'll call you back Louis" I said before I hung up.

"Mum, I could have been unclad or something" I complained.

"Sorry son, I got used to this room being empty.... anyway meet Delilah Bellos, the second daughter of King Mark Bellos of City D... Delilah dear, meet my only son and the heir apparent to the throne, Kenneth Walter" Mum introduced us

I got up shaking Delilah politely, I looked at Mum suspiciously, she would not dare to match I and Delilah together. I will never get married to a princess even if I wanted to marry from this city. From my research, princesses were the most mannerless and troublesome human beings on earth except my sisters ofcourse. Princesses were the most wicked and challenging human on earth.

"Ken, Delilah is your fiance, your Dad and I engaged her for you" Mum said snapping her fingers to the maids who started arranging her clothes in the closet.

"What....my what?" I shouted "Mum you are joking, how could you engage someone for me, why?"

" It's the tradition"

" What stupid tradition? Mum this is 21st century, parents don't choose wives or husbands for their children anymore..."

" Son this is Country H and not where you are coming from....the tradition still stands"

" Mum I am not going along with you on this, I won't marry any woman against my wish, I get married to who my heart desires, who my heart wishes for"

Delilah stared at me when I said this.

"Ken, you will not change the tradition, your uncle tried doing so, where is he now? Dead"

" Mum insecurities are the problem of our people, that is a superstitious belief" I said " please move the lady's things to another room" I ordered the maids.

" Yes my prince" they started moving the things to another room.

Delilah catwalked to me "my prince, you will eventually learn to love me" she said seductively.

" Son she's right, you'll eventually learn to love her, I never loved your father when I got married to him but I learnt to love him and now look at us.....one big happy family" Mum said.

" Mum your case is different" I said before leaving both mum and Delilah in the room.

{Evelyn's pov}

I had just returned from the market where I went to hawk the wares my aunt gave me to sell, I was not just tired, I felt like fainting, I was too weak to speak, I hadn't eaten for the past two days. When I got into the house, I met Jane standing at the doorway, she had obviously seen me coming from far. She stretched out her hands to me as soon as I stood in front of her.

I dipped my hands into my pocket to hand the money over to her as usual but... nothing, my pocket was empty. Shock, fear and every bad feeling I could think of engulfed me....the.....the....Mon....money. I stammered as I was still searching myself.

"Well, where is the money? Because you obviously sold everything" Jane asked me as she looked at me with a disgusting gaze, she was holding in her anger.

"The....the...mo...mo...money.....I.....I....I" I stammer as tears rushed down my cheeks.

"You what? What happened to the money?" She shouted at me "Evelyn where is the money?"

"I misp...I..... mispla....mis.. "I stammer still crying.

"You misplaced the money, right?" She asked feigning politely.

I nod slowly.

Jane slapped me heavily on the cheek, she kicked me, punched me, she kicked me very hard on my waist, stomach, head, everywhere.

I screamed loudly for help.

"You will go out there.... and look for the money....if you don't find it, don't come back to this house" she said as she kept on hitting me with everything she could find.

I ran out from the house, weeping, my whole body was sour, I had bruises, injuries and most part of my body were swollen, I felt pains all over my body.

I wept on my way back to the market, I used the back of my hands to wipe my tears, I used my other hand to hold my torn clothes together as I found my way back to the market.

Soon it started raining, the clouds gathered together and the atmosphere turned gloomy, I was still weeping and holding my dress together searching for the money, everyone seemed to mind their business, some were watching me, some didn't even gaze at me while some were rushing back home before the rain got worse than this.

I searched for few hours before I decided to rest by a closed shop when the rain got heavier, I was still shivering and weeping..... what did I do to deserve this kind of suffer?

{Kenneth's pov}

After the argument with Mom, I decided to take a tour around the City, I used a less expensive car to avoid attention from pediatricians, I was still driving around the City when the rain started. The rain got heavier and I decided to head home when I caught sight of a lady under the rain, she looked sorrowful, she was crying and all her clothes were torn, I packed the car and kept looking at her. I felt sad for her, she was weeping seriously and I wondered why she wasn't rushing home like every other person.

Something in me told me to alight and help her....but I was new in this city, it may be fraudsters or bad gangs looking for who to rob. I was still watching her from the car when I finally decided to risk it. I got down from the car and rushed under the rain to where she sat.

"Hey" I said as I stretched my hands to her.

{Evelyn's pov}

"Hey" I heard someone say to me, I looked up still crying. I couldn't see the person's face "this area is too queit and lonely for a young girl like you, please follow me" he added.

I shook my head slowly still crying "no please leave....I don't want any more trouble from my aunt" I said

"Please trust me, it's not safe for you here" he said and squat to my level, he stared into my eyes " trust me" he added as he stretched his hands out to me.

I took it and followed him to where he parked his car, we got into the vehicle and he turned on the heater for me.

"You must be cold" he said and I shivered as I nod my head.

He took out a jacket from the backseat of the car and covered me with it.

"Can I take you to somewhere you could heat up?" He asked and I shook my head still crying.

He looked sadly at me as I wept, I was glad he didn't ask me what happened yet while I wept.

{Kenneth's pov}

I watched her crying next to me, I thought of asking her what happened but decided against it, I waited for her to finally put her emotions together. When I noticed she wasn't crying again just sniffing, I thought of starting a discussion to distract her from what ever was making her cry but..... what would I say???

"Are you okay now?" I asked but 'stupid' I shouted at myself.

"Yes ..... thanks" she sniffed and I gave her my handkerchief to clean up her face after she did, she thanked me again.

"It's really nothing" I told her "so can I take you to where you can heat up now?" I asked.

"No... I'll just continue searching" she said.

"Searching? What are you searching for? You need to dry up or you'll catch a cold" I told her.

"....." She sighed "I misplaced my aunt's money, she'll kill me if I don't return with the money" she added.

"Did she do this to you? Because you misplaced money?" I asked shocked that her aunt will do this to her and here, I was thinking she was beaten by all these street boys or raped.

She nodded.

"How much is it? I'll give you so that you return back home" I asked.

"No ...no... please I don't want to stress you, you have done enough for me, collecting money from you will be ungrateful of me" she said crying.

I wiped the tears flowing down her cheeks " please don't cry again, you are too beautiful to be shedding innocent tears. No one has the right to make you sad..... tell me the amount of money you misplaced, I'll give you back... it's out of my own goodwill" I said feeling her pain and yes, she's too beautiful to shed tears.

"Thank you.... thank you.... thank you..." She kept on saying as she wept more and I was forced to hug her although I didn't want to hug her because I didn't want to scare her but I couldn't help it seeing her sad, I wanted to do something to distract her a bit and when I hugged her, it worked.

{Evelyn's pov}

I was surprised when he hugged me, that's when the imagination of 'he can rape me' found it's way into my head, I quickly disconnected myself from the hug and I felt embarrassed, he chuckled at my reaction.

"I finally distract you" he chuckled softly with his innocent and charming voice. I noticed how enticing and cute he looked, he was damn handsome. His voice was worth listening to.

"Here" he said handing me some money "this should be enough to settle your aunt and you can keep the rest for yourself" he added stocking the cash into my hand

"Oh my gosh, this is too much, more than enough..... thank you very much" I thanked him with tears in my eyes, I was grateful.

"Welcome. Now let's take you home" he said as he ignited the engine.

"No wait... you can't...." I panicked.

"Why?"

"My aunt will kill me if she sees me with you"

"I won't stop you directly at your house maybe a few metres away from your house but I need to be sure you are safe.....let me do you the honours of taking you home.... please" he pleaded and I nodded my head innocently.