The Royal Contract

But his wedding was fast coming. Soon, his coronation would follow next. He had no time to waste. Unlike Edward and Alex, his training was less comprehensive when he was growing up since it had never been his birthright to rule. So now, he had to catch up.

“I’m sorry, but I am busy. Besides, I don’t need a bachelor’s party.” He spoke on the phone when Alex called earlier and informed him they were visiting to celebrate his upcoming marriage.

He would prefer to work than be reminded of something he would rather forget. Busying himself with work distracted him from thinking about his impending wedding. It was something he preferred not to dwell on unless he had to deal with it.

Not only that, it stopped him from reminiscing about his past. He knew he should forget about the woman that broke his heart. But how when all his mind could think about was her face every time he closed his eyes?

He heard a knock on his door, expecting that it was his secretary needing something. “Come in.”

He did not bother to look up at her as he continued to peruse the papers before him. He was used to her coming and going to his office when she needed to get or drop off some documents.

.....

But his secretary would never interrupt him unless it was urgent. Otherwise, she would do her task in silence, avoiding disrupting him from his work and leaving.

“Do you need anything...” He said, noticing someone approaching him closer. But he did not finish his words as a cloth bag covered his face while another grabbed his hands. “Alex?” He quickly questioned when he saw a glimpse of the other man’s face before the black material completely covered his head.

“I know this is a dumb idea.” A familiar voice said as a man stood beside him. Then, a bright light temporarily blinded him as someone lifted off the cover around his face.

“What are you guys doing?” His vision immediately cleared when he blinked a couple of times, showing him the culprits behind this failed plan to abduct him. “Have you gone mad?”

Then, the man behind him let go of his wrist, freeing him from his bound. “Sorry, this is David’s idea.” Alex was the first to speak.

“Wait! Don’t blame this on me. You both agreed that this was a good idea.” David complained, not liking that the other two were pinning the rap on him.

“What is the meaning of this?” Lance was still dumbfounded by the whole thing, having no clue what stupidity filled his friend’s head by doing this.

“It is just a joke. Alex could not convince you to come with us, so we plan to force you.” David said as they all settled on the seat, feeling slightly foolish.

“Where are Evan and Marcus?” Lance asked, seeing that the two were missing.

“Evan already went ahead to the location of the party. However, Marcus would not be able to make it.” Alex informed their friend.

“Yeah, I heard what happened to them.” Lance could not even imagine the pain of losing a child. He could not blame Marcus if he could not come to commemorate his farse marriage.

In truth, he could not even imagine having a child in a loveless marriage. However, it was part of his obligation to produce an heir. He shook his head to dispel his unwanted thoughts. It was not the time to think about it.

“Anyway, we need you to come with us. We did not fly here to come empty-handed. I do not want to leave Dani, but she insisted that I support you in your time of need.” Alex looked at his cousin pleadingly. “I need to tell her I have given you a good time.”

He knew he was using his wife to convince his cousin to go with them and have fun as he was about to tie the knot soon. But he did not know if this should be a celebration or a memorial for his upcoming union, judging from his face.

It was precisely why he never liked to take on the crown. He never believed in their tradition. But he never thought he would be unburdening himself at the expense of his cousin.

“I appreciate that you came all this way, but I think you wasted your time.” Lance still did not feel like being with their company, even if they were his closest friends.

“You know you can still back out of this.” Alex felt obligated to try to talk his cousin out of committing to a lifetime of misery.

He almost did that when they offered the crown to him. Luckily, he met Dani. He still believed that Lance could still find the right person for him if he would only open his heart again.

He also lost Tyra then, but it was not the end for him after meeting Dani. Maybe there was another person for Lance. He wanted to believe that his cousin could still end up happy even after Eida broke his heart.

“Don’t worry. I already decided that the Kingdom needs me.” It was a sacrifice that Lance had accepted. He would not back out of this, even if his friends thought he was making a mistake.

“Then, come with us. Let us have some fun like the old times.” David encouraged his friend. It had been a while since they were together like this. Even if Marcus was missing, the group could still enjoy a good time together.

“Ok. As if I even had a choice.” Lance finally gave up, knowing his friends would not stop harassing him if he declined their request. “Where are we going?” He asked, vaguely guessing what Evan might have prepared for him.

“Just come with us,” David said as he pulled him out of his chair and dragged him out of his office. Soon, they were traveling to the city business district and entering a posh establishment.

It was not as loud and crowded as he had made his way inside the brightly lit room. Honestly, it was not the place he was expecting. It was too tamed for this occasion, at least if Evan set it up.

“Should we congratulate you or send you a crown of thorns?” David asked as they all sat in the club that Evan had arranged for their private event.

The music gently blared in the distance as they ordered drinks and sat comfortably in the VIP lounge. He wondered which one he would prefer in his situation, but the latter seemed more appropriate.

“That is hilarious,” Lance answered as he sat in the center of the table, facing his friends. “But honestly, I expected more from you guys. Is this the best that you can do?”

He thought his friends would take him to a livelier club where there would be girls in their skimpy dresses serving them drinks, and then some sexy girl would entertain him on the stage.

Funnily, there were no such girls around. The place had a few patrons who seemed to be happily drinking silently or with a few friends. It was far from a bar, where wild parties transpired.

“I am unsure if celebrating was your thing,” Evan admitted to his friend. Until now, he still felt guilty for hiding the truth from Lance. But could he break his promise with Eida?

However, he still wondered if he could save these two from eternal misery if he meddled in their affairs. Would things get better if he told Lance about Eida and their child? Or would he create more problems for them in the end?

He still felt conflicted about his situation, being in the middle of his friend’s condition. He knew he had the power to divulge all their secrets but was that the best thing for everybody?

“Yeah! I think this is better.” Lance looked at the depressing mood of the club. It was one of those places where he could think while he drank.

“Maybe we can talk later,” Evan suggested, whispering it to his friend’s ears. “Just the two of us.”

He felt he needed to see whether there was a way he could convince Eida to change her mind. But first, he had to talk to Lance and know what he was thinking.

“Sure.” He wondered what Evan wanted to say in private. But he heard that he also recently just got engaged. Maybe it had something to do with that. “Thanks, guys, for coming all this way.” He addressed it to everyone.

He knew he could not ask for better friends than these men surrounding him. He raised his glass to his friends and made a toast. “This is for the Kingdom.” Well, he was getting married because of the people who needed him.

That was the only thing he could be merry about, nothing else, but he was glad that his friends raised their glasses as support. In his moment of doubt, he felt his friends were the only thing he could depend on because family and love had failed him.

One would think that drinking would make him forget, but it only placed him in a worse situation. In his inebriated state, he fantasized about her. He completely lost control of his mind as it conjured images of her.

He would be again under her mercy, dreaming that she would come back to him. But the next day would be one big disappointment, learning that it was all an illusion.