The Royal Contract

She was not exactly expecting the sudden turn of events that occurred earlier. She had not envisioned meeting her brother under that circumstance.

She was not exactly alone, remembering the faces of their entire family when her father revealed his most hidden secret. That moment was priceless. She did not even have an idea that her father had found him.

Suddenly, she remembered the incident back at the office where her father had visited her. Now, she knew she was not his purpose for coming to her office. It all suddenly made sense.

“Are you ok?” Alex asked with concern as he maneuvered the car in the moderate traffic. She could tell that her husband was worried about her condition after that big revelation.

She quickly turned to him, smiling, wanting to reassure him that she was ok. A little confused, hurt, scared, but slightly relieved as well. Who could blame her for feeling so confused at the moment?

He glanced at her quickly, taking her hand and giving it a quick peck of his lips before letting her go as his eyes concentrated back on the road.

.....

“I am.” She assured him, placing her hands on top of his before turning her face again on the road outside.

As much as she wanted to shut her eyes and forget the things swirling in her mind, even for a minute, she could not. She knew she had to process it first before she could finally let it simmer on the side and deal with it later.

But as her eyes scanned the landmarks outside, she noticed that their route had changed. Alex seemed to be driving the wrong way.

She quickly shifted her eyes to her husband, who still had his eyes steadily fixed on the road. “Where are we going?” She finally asked when she had confirmed that they were not on their way home.

Far from that, they seemed to be going in the opposite direction.

She shifted in her seat. At least to the point, her seatbelt would allow her and face her husband, who only grinned in her direction.

“We are going to dinner, then have some fun.” Alex finally answered her, putting the car in gear as they slowed down and turned into a curve.

She wondered where they were going, but she could not help the excitement that coursed through her veins at the thought of going on a date with her husband. It had been a while since they had done something like this.

Not because he did not want to or have time for her. It was more for security reasons. But now, the threat seemed to be down to the minimum. She could not agree that it was a good idea to be out with him again, having some fun.

She could see from the rearview mirror that their security was following closely behind. So, she had nothing to worry about, seeing their trusted people around.

“I am a little hungry,” Dani admitted, not being able to eat much the entire day, holding on to her queasy stomach. “I hope you are not thinking of driving far.”

She had no idea where her husband was taking her, but she expected it would be full of fun and excitement. He had a way of making a boring date into something enjoyable.

“We are almost there. Just wait a few more minutes.” Alex assured her, stepping on the gas to speed up the car, just a little bit faster but not enough for them to break any street law.

“Do you think Gerald will cease his attack on our family now that he is part of it?” She finally asked the thought that was bothering her the most.

She gazed at her husband as his eyes slightly squinted as if he was thinking deeply before his facial expression normalized again. She could only assume that the thought of Gerald also affected him just as much as her.

“I hope so.” His tone had a slight undercurrent of anger, but he tried hard to hide it.

She could not blame her husband for feeling that way. She was also having some issues regarding her older brother. She could only wonder how she would react when she finally saw him at the office. Well, she was still working under him.

Although his father announced her brother’s existence among their family members, it did not mean it was already out to the masses. She still had no idea if her father or Gerald had any plan of going public about this new development in their family.

“Anyway, we are here.” Alex broke her thoughts, smiling at her, probably wishing that the talk about Gerald would cease in the meantime.

She was surprised to see them in front of a fine restaurant, just across from a cinema. Should she dare assume after dinner, they will be watching a movie? She hoped so.

It had been a long time since she was inside that dark room, holding hands with her date as they stared at the big screen. She also remembered the soda and the popcorn that went with that.

“What are we waiting for?” She questioned, hearing her stomach growl, more excited about the prospect of food.

Alex immediately exited the car and assisted her inside the beautiful restaurant. It was not a first-class restaurant that sported a Michelin star, but it looked very cozy.

“What do you think of some steak or a sea bass?” Alex asked her as they perused the menu on the table.

“I like the grilled fish.” Tapping her fingers on her chin as she thought of the food she would like to eat. At this point, she was not too picky since she was starving. She believed she could eat anything.

Alex ordered for them and started pouring the wine into their glass. She let her eyes roam around while waiting for their simple dinner.

“What should we be toasting for?” She asked since she needed something to be happy about as she raised her glass to him. She could not think of anything worth celebrating.

It took him a few seconds before he answered her, but it was not something that she was expecting. But she guessed this day was just full of revelation.

“What about me, accepting the crown?” Alex looked into her eyes as if he was reading her reaction to his announcement.

She could tell that it was not a joke from the seriousness on his face, but should she be rejoicing in such news. However, she did promise that she would be open to whatever he decided.

Now, it would seem that her husband had finally made his decision. She could understand why he would choose that route. It was his family’s legacy.

“Then, let us raise to that. To my future king.” She clinked her glass with his, ready to support him in whatever he did.

However, it would also mean that she had to rethink her plans for the future. At this point, from everything that was going on around her. She believed she was about to go on another roller coaster ride.