2018, December 4th
Aaron put his thumb and his index finger up to his chin and feigned concern.
His question gave her some pause. It was quite the conundrum she found herself faced with. It was only a matter of time before she was found, whether she gave herself up or not. Zoey searched her angry brain for the way out, because she had to find the way out. She was not going to be married off, used as some sort of bargaining chip. No, they would have to find another way. She would have to too. Perhaps a part-time job or selling off all her mother's bags and shoes. Yes, another way. Normal, everyday people did this stuff all the time and Zoey had never been raised in a fancy mansion so as to make her feel or think of herself as but every day.
He could see the gears moving in her head as she contemplated what to do, her hand still on the doorknob, with only his body preventing the door from swinging right open. He had done this many times, come for some girl or another in the depth of the darkest nights. But it wasn't nighttime and this girl, if she could be called a girl, wasn't waiting for him, pining after him.
Even if she was persuaded to leave with him before the maids found them, how would he get her out? He was not acquainted enough with the Arden mansion to pull off such a feat, especially since the premises was something of an army base. It housed not only Duke Arden and his family, but a respectable number of maids, valets, a butler, and The Red Guard, His Grace's personal army, who was certain to be out training at this time of day.
He could simply make her whereabouts known. This would give him leave to look at and speak to her as much as he desired, but it would also mean she would be looked upon and spoken to by others. And this was the trouble. He was never very good at sharing, and he definitely did not wish to share her.
So he did what he always did when he found himself in a pickle. The absolute wrong thing.
"Do you want to get out of here?"
This caught her attention. She gave him a questioning look, sceptically looking at him and then at the window and right back.
"Wait here," he nodded, as though in answer to her unasked question.
"What? Wait, where are you going?" she called after him, remembering a moment too late to be quiet.
It didn't matter to her anyway, she told herself as she stood there frozen. That was when it happened. It was the loudest alarm she'd ever heard. It seemed sure to fill every corner of even such an estate as this one, which might have been at least half the size of her hometown, Rosa.
Next came the panicking and the screaming as the maids rushed to get outside and soldiers poured into the vast mansion to make sure it was empty. The stranger burst back into the room. A hoodie pulled over his head, grabbed her hand and said, "Time to go," before breaking into a run with her in tow.
"What the hell is happening now?!" Zoey yelled in frustration.
"It's all perfectly alright. A mere ruse to get you out!" he yelled back over all the other screaming voices and the blaring alarm.
"What is it with you people?! Are none of you sane?!"
"Afraid not!" he laughed and as they rounded a corner, he pulled out his cell phone and yelled into it, "Jesse my man! Ready the car!"
Zoey's calves were to her the only thing louder than the screams of panic. They seemed to have been running for hours by the time they made it back to a car the stranger had waiting. That is to say Zoey assumed it was his. She honestly didn't think she could rule anything out at this point. The driver, a slim looking young man dressed in a formal black suit, got out of the car and bowed.
"Your Highness."
Zoey did a double take.
"Your Highness?"
Her mouth dropped open.
She looked between the two men in disbelief. The prince's crooked grin made him look even more mischievous as he bowed the most elegant bow Zoey had ever seen in her life.
"At your service, my princess."
The driver bowed too.
"My Lady."
"Well, we'd best be off," said the prince, taking advantage of Zoey's shock and bundling her into the backseat before jumping in right next to her. "Jesse, let's make like the wind and be gone!"
Zoey reacted a moment too late. When she tried to open the door, she found it was locked, and the car had already started moving.
"What is the meaning of all this?! When will we hear what's going on?!" King Henry demanded.
His Majesty was on edge. With his position not as secure as he might like, he was always afraid of assassination attempts.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty," said the captain of The Red Guard as he bowed.
Duke Arden stepped forward and said, "Report."
Again, the captain bowed.
"Your Grace. It has been found that the house is clear. The fire alarm was sounded, but there is no indication of a fire. We are just checking the premises now to be on the safe side."
Upon receiving this news, King Henry and Bart both seemed to come to the same conclusion at once.
"Where is my son?!"
"Where is the prince?!"
Jesse was speeding rapidly to the gates of one of the biggest estates in Caines. He was sweating profusely. There was never a dull moment working for Prince Aaron. Jesse had become accustomed to being less of an assistant and more of a getaway driver to the prince. It would take at least a good 10 minutes just to make it to the gate. Jesse wondered what kind of trouble His Highness had gotten into this time as he raced to outrun The Red Guard, who would no doubt be on their heels any moment now.
"Your Highness?!" Zoey spat the words out as though they were an insult this time, glaring at the prince.
"Please, it's Aaron to you. I should think we might be on a first name basis. We are engaged, you know, Zo."
Again, he winked at her in a way that was starting to annoy her. But then everything he did was starting to annoy her.
"I am not your fiancée. I will not be bullied into marrying... Well, you!"
"Okay," he shrugged. "Unlock the doors, Jesse."
Jesse rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Okay? Just like that?" she breathed out heavily.
Even him agreeing with her was annoying.
"Zoey, my love, I have no need to bully any woman into doing anything. They just naturally fall for my charms," the prince said calmly.
They were perhaps two minutes away from leaving the estate when Bart stepped out in front of the gates.
"Oh, boy. Well, that complicates matters," said Jesse, knowing he should stop and also knowing that if he asked Prince Aaron, he would be told not to.
"Bart," Zoey said the name under her breath, not knowing whether she would be relieved to have him intercept them or if she would rather take her chances with the daring prince.
"Your Highness, please," Jesse pleaded, so nervous that he stepped on the gas instead of slowing down.
"Is he going to pull over?!" Zoey tapped Jesse's shoulder, herself now getting nervous. "Why aren't you pulling over?!"
They were inching closer and closer to him, but Bart made no effort to move, gave no indication that he would as he stood tall with his arms folded and his eyes ever calm. Too calm.
"You are just too cute!" the prince chuckled.
"What?" Zoey said, breathless.
"Would you like Jesse to stop?" Prince Aaron asked, watching her squirm and delighting in it.
"What, what do you mean? Of course he should stop!" she said, looking at Aaron like he was a madman.
Prince Aaron inched closer, until very little separated his lips from hers and her crazed eyes became subdued, hypnotised as her heartrate climbed.
"Are you sure?" he breathed onto her lips, the words soft and velvety.
He ran a finger along her burning cheek, his eyes on her lips as he watched them part.
"If you're found like this with me, there'll be no discussion about it. You'll definitely be stuck with me then. Are you really, really sure, princess?"
2019, March 4th As Zoey digested that for the second time in her life a proposal of marriage had come to her under the most unusual of circumstances, James' phone rang. The screen lit up to reveal the name Emily. After the ringing stopped, Zoey happened to look at the screen again. He had 53 unread messages and 71 missed calls. "Shouldn't you call her back?" "She's the woman in the photo with Aaron," James answered coolly. His face morphed into a look of disgust. Emily, sweet Emily. She would never be sweet Emily again. Not to him. "I see," Zoey answered, looking down at her feet. Of course. She was hot again with anger and embarrassment. "She's your girlfriend, right?" "Fiancée." James held up a hand, made a fist, and bit into it. "Former fiancée," he said, correcting himself. He turned to her then and could practically see her neurons unravelling. They weren’t in love. This was a business agreement. Hell, for him, it was a straight up revenge ploy. But James knew better
2018, December 4th "Fuck!" Aaron screamed in agony. It was only for a brief moment. Just a little jab. He would be okay. Zoey justified her actions to herself as she lifted the heel of her 6-inch stiletto off of his shoe just as Jesse was slamming the brakes on the car. Jesse whipped his head back, panicked. "Are you okay, Your Highness?!" "Fine," Aaron grunted through his teeth. Zoey was out of the car before Aaron could recover, but his grimace soon turned into a smile as he watched Zoey's younger brother Bart take his sister's hand and try to lead her off like she was a naughty schoolgirl. Zoey, however, was done taking orders. She marched her way right up to the gates. The guards bowed. "Open it up," she demanded. The guards looked sheepishly at Bart, who was standing behind her. "I, Lady Zoey Arden, demand that you open the gates right now!" No one could have been more surprised at her words than Zoey herself, but both Bart and Aaron were watching her now, stunned. "My L
2018, December 4th Zoey opened her eyes as an umbrella suddenly came into view above her head. Then, seeing who was holding it, she groaned. "Dude, seriously, just go away," she sighed. "Not marrying you, not marrying anyone. I haven't even spent a minute alone with the person I actually came to see." Zoey was tired, and the words were coming out of her mouth more freely than usual. "And who might that be? Should I be jealous?" Aaron smirked. He liked looking at her. Despite the many concerns he had, looking at her made him feel light somehow, made him feel like the version of himself that most people thought he was. Zoey got up and started walking again. "I have a life, you know? I'm starting my PhD soon. I have a mom. I have-" Here she fell short. What else did she have? This thought had just started making her feel depressed, and she was on her way back down again when she felt something being pressed into her hand. It was the handle of the umbrella. When next she knew, she
2019, March 4th Zoey was tossing and turning in her bed. Bart had finally retired to his own room for the night, leaving Zoey alone to watch the clock count down. In 20 minutes, James' deadline would be up. She went through her phone, which Bart had returned to her after much debate and warning, and groaned. The missed calls from Aaron were racking up. Her inbox was full. Zoey's mom had called and left a few messages, too. How would she tell her mom what had happened? But that was a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, she had bigger fish to fry. She texted her mom to let her know that she was okay and that she would call in the morning. 15 minutes left. It would take at least 10 to get to the place where she had met the duke, the prince, earlier that night. It was bizarre. Less so that Duke Beaumont turned out to be a prince. More so that Zoey would have married Aaron at the end of the month without even knowing he had a brother. Did she even know him at all? What else would fall throug
2019, March 4th "Sorry I'm such a mess. I didn't really think it through when I left," she said, biting her lip. He wanted to laugh at her, at the very different thoughts they had about her appearance, but swallowed a chuckle. "You look lovely, Lady Zoey," he flattered boldly. She frowned in disbelief, then quickly corrected herself and pasted a smile on her face. This time, he did laugh. It was a short one, but he couldn't stop it slipping out. Her eyes warmed to the sound of his laughing and she smiled, for real this time. Oh his heart, oh that smile. Something had changed. The feeling of familiarity was now more than just a feeling. He dared not hope, but he could swear that she had lowered her guard and he his own. They had, in a moment, become comfortable. "Good evening, Your Grace. Would the lady like something to drink?" the waiter interrupted. "A glass of red wine, please," she smiled pleasantly. "No," he said instantly. "Weren't you the one that wanted to have a drink?
2018, December 4th (5 minutes to sunset) As Aaron set Zoey down in front of the gates of the Arden residence, he knew his opinion of Zoey had changed. She was still exactly what he had pictured: innocent to a fault, lacking in experience and sure to have a difficult time as a royal. But there were other things too, like the way she crossed her legs when she ate ice-cream on that bench like she was at home. Or the way she claimed her name as an Arden and demanded to have the gates opened. Zoey had her own way of doing things and was skilled in getting what she wanted. "One future princess home on time," he smiled, pulling some leaves out of her hair. He locked his hands behind his back, afraid that old habits would betray him to her even more before asking, "So, lunch tomorrow?" Zoey thought for a moment. She knew what she had done today wasn't a feasible plan. She had no money and all her belongings were still in a room behind those gates. So maybe she was going to be stuck here
2018, December 4th "Why so tense, Bart?" a voice asked, seeming to come from nowhere. Bart was immediately alert. No guests had been announced. Who was this intruder? "Calm down, I come in peace," she said, appearing before him. Bart took her in. She was dressed in an over the top, probably highly fashionable, baby blue wrap dress. His eyes lingered on the sash a moment too long before his eyes finally met with hers. "CC," he sighed, relieved. "In the flesh," she giggled. "So, what do we got? What's the 4-1-1?" "Did Aaron send you?" "No one sends CC anywhere. I was merely made aware that you might need a little help dealing with the old people." She slipped past him like it was nothing. Bart sighed and re-entered the house after her. "So, he sent the master manipulator, huh? What are you playing at, Aaron? Where the hell are you?" "Daddy! Mama!" CC yelled, throwing her arms out. "My dear, sweet girl!" Queen Mary returned. "Is that Caroline Condor?!" Duke Arden asked in del
2019, March 5th Aaron went to James' newly acquired mansion. He searched the Arden mansion; he had gone to a million different places that wouldn't or couldn't tell him if his brother was currently staying there. King Henry had men out looking for his sons too, making it even more difficult to try and find James or Zoey. What was the point of being a crown prince if you couldn't at least find out this much? Dawn was creeping up on him slowly, as though mocking his tired efforts. Aaron was growing desperate. He was just about to call his father and tell him about James and Zoey when Jesse received a call. "We have a live one, Your Highness," said an equally tired Jesse, though he seemed to be carrying his hours better. After the first two hours had passed without result, Aaron had called in his assistant, Jesse. Jesse's eyes went wide, shock registering on his face. "Are you sure about this?" "What?! What is it?!" "Okay, thanks for the info." Jesse hung up. "Have you found the