The Royal Contract

Marcus opted to go home earlier than the rest of them after his encounter with Jacky. He believed that it would not be wise to see more of Jacky under their circumstances.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay until tomorrow?" Alex asked when Marcus called him. They were bound to fly home the next day, so he wondered what the rush was. 

"I'm sure," Marcus answered over the line. He was still contemplating if he should tell his friend the reason why he had to leave. For now, he only wanted to be alone.

"Is something wrong with the business?" He did not receive any calls that there was a problem that he had to handle personally back home, so he was still figuring out why his decision.

"No. It had nothing to do with work." Marcus knew that once he said that, Alex would figure out what he could not say.

"Is this about Jacky?" He could only assume that it had everything to do with Dani's friend. 

Finally, someone had penetrated his friend's heart, but he worried that he had no idea how his friend would handle his situation.

"I think me and Jacky should have some space. I believe I already did some major damage in our relationship." He finally admitted. He even wondered if they could even become friends after this.

"Are you sure I can't do anything to help?" He had to ask, hoping that he could do something to support his friend from what he was going through. Although he knew that Marcus did wrong, he still wanted to be there for him as his bestfriend.

"No, man. I am going to be fine." Marcus did not want to burden Alex with his problems, knowing that he also had his own.

"Well, if you are sure. Then, have a safe trip. I'll see you when I get back." He told his friend, still wondering how his friend was handling it.

He believed that Marcus was more affected by Jacky's refusal to forgive him. But he warned him about what he was doing. Right now, there was no more room for blame, but he hoped that his friend had learned from his mistake.

"What about you? I have not seen much of you." Marcus questioned his friend. He was not sure that him spending so much time with Dani still had to do with their pretending to be a couple or if it had become something more.

"I'm ok, man. If that is what you are asking, but will talk more about this when we get back home." He assured his friend. 

They ended the call, knowing that his friend was going through an unfamiliar situation. But he would check on him when he got back tomorrow. He decided that he would also call Evan and David to look after their friend. But he doubted if they would be much help since they were just the same.

"What was that all about?" Dani asked, overhearing a portion of their conversation. 

She was sitting right next to him as they traveled to their next destination. But this time, they were at least secured in a vehicle with four wheels and a roof over their heads.

"Marcus just told me that he was going ahead. I think he is heartbroken because Jacky still would not talk to him." Alex relayed their conversation to Dani.

He decided if they were going to be a real couple, they should start acting like one. That would include sharing things as most successful couples did.

"Well, you can't blame my friend. He was indeed a scumbag, and he hurt my friend with what he did." Dani believed that if Alex did that same stunt to her, what Marcus did, she would also do the same thing as Jacky did.

"I also agree with you. I don't believe in using women for personal gains." He grabbed her hand, letting go of the shift gear for a few seconds to give her a slight kiss. "I believe in treating you like a queen that only deserves to be loved and respected."

It might appear to be a line, but that was what he truly believed.

"I hope you can walk the talk." She spoke with conviction because she did not want empty promises. 

He smiled at her knowing what she exactly meant. He did remember the report he read about her last relationship, how Nick had hurt her with his lies.

"I swear that I don't promise anything that I can't keep." He valued himself with his ability to honor his deals and his commitment to something that he had entered. That was why he was very adamant at first not to commit to any relationship because once he did, he could never back out.

He was glad that despite her past, she overcame her not-so-good experience with Nick and gave him a chance to prove that their relationship could end up differently.

"What is this place?" She asked as they finally stopped at a building just inside the city.

"This is the capital where everything happens," Alex answered her.

He assisted her out of the car and into the street. Instead of entering the building, he pulled her to the busy street and made her walked along the pedestrian. 

"Where are we going?" She asked, wondering what his plans were. She was pretty sure that they were about to enter that beautiful structure, so she was surprised to find that it was not their destination.

"Trust me. You will like what I am about to show you." He told her as they continued to walk on the sidewalk.

She did find a few differences from back home with this place. There were lesser vehicle and people on the street. She observed that it would seem their city was able to catch up with modernization.

"Here." He guided her to another alley. A smaller one from the main street but crowded with stalls and people on the alleyway. "I used to come here when I was young." He started explaining why he brought her there.

"What is so special about this place?" She asked, noticing the beautiful things that the people were selling in their booths.

"Many of these people sell their handmade products here. The food is also great." He pointed to the many street foods that aligned the other street.

It was like something that she had only seen on occasions on some of her travels but did not have the chance to explore.

"You want to try some." He pulled her to one stall, selling some sweet delicacy that she was unsure how to describe. But when she tasted it, she knew she wanted more.

He bought several more different delicacies that she had not tried before, then pulled her to another open area at the end of the alley. It was a large park where many performers were doing their acts. The spectators walked along the grounds as they gazed at their surroundings. Some did sit to watch on the side.

She found the place quite magnificent as they had a place for people who wanted to showcase their talents.

"My Nanna would usually escape the palace and come here when she felt too overwhelmed with all her responsibility. She sometimes brought me along, and we would disguise ourselves as normal citizens so that no one would recognize us back then."

"I would probably do the same as your Nanna if I found myself confined with such obligation. I would also try to escape." She admitted to him as they sat and watched an artist performed.