The Royal Contract

"Have you seen my dad and mom?" Dani asked Alex in her low voice as they moved around the crowd, greeting guests that attended the charity event.

The official ceremony had not yet begun since the other guests were still arriving, but she could already see that the place was starting to get crowded.

She was not surprised at all. No one would pass up the chance to be included in this occasion. It was an opportunity to be seen and mingled with the people on top of society.

"Not yet. But I gathered that your dad opted to come a bit later when the crowd is more settled." Alex explained to Dani.

In truth, he was the one who suggested it to Ethan so that he would be able to maximize his hour in the scene when everything in the plan was in motion.

Ethan would not want to miss one of the most momentous occasions in the life of his only daughter, so they had to be here at the moment of revelation of his master plan for tonight..

But Dani could not know that yet. It was a surprise that he had worked on since he conceptualized this fundraising for her. He would keep it that way until the final moment.

"I guess that is better than for him to get stress with all these people." Dani surmised as she gazed at the increasing masses.

The ballroom was enormous, but the attendees would seem like ants scattered around the room. Buzzes of everyone's conversation echoed on the massive walls that enclosed the entire space.

She only wished that nothing untoward happened tonight and for the success of Alex's plans. She had seen how he made an effort to make this perfect, and it was all because of her.

"Alex!" Someone at their back tried to call their attention.

Alex was the first to turn and checked the source of the voice among the sea of people. He found his old friends gathering in a group at the other side of the room. 

Dani followed his line of sight, trying to figure out who he was looking at, and saw several men and women waving at them. She did not recognize them, so she wondered who they were.

"Come on, let me introduce you to my college buddies." Alex ushered her to the group without waiting for her reply.

It had been a while since he had seen them. All of them had been busy with their respective lives. He was glad that some of them were able to take some time to accept his invitation.

"Oh, sure." She looked at his friends, trying to assess them before they reached the group.

She was never shy, and meeting new people was always welcome, but trusting them was a different story. She was fascinated with the various characters of the people she met.

It was a way for her to enhance her ability to read people, which was very relevant in her line of work, at the same time, to filter the real people who wanted to help from those who only wanted to use her.

"Hey, guys. I'm so glad that all of you were able to come." Alex greeted the group with handshakes and hugs. "By the way, this is my fiancé, Dani." He proudly introduced her, presenting Dani to his friends.

Everyone, of course, had heard of the heiress that would be marrying the prince. It was all over the news. But seeing them now in the flesh, they all agreed that the two would make a perfect pair. 

"Where are Marcus and David?" One of the men asked, knowing that the three of them were tight during their college days.

Marcus had always been his best buddy since they shared the same dorm, but David had been a close friend since they also had many things in common.

"They will be here," Alex assured them. They were probably in the vicinity. They just had not seen them with this crowd yet.

"I have never been jealous of you when I learned that you are a prince, but now, I think I am." Another man stepped forward and introduced himself to Dani. "Adam, at your service. If ever you decide to dump his ass, I assure you that mine is better."

"In your dreams, Adam." Another man piped in, discrediting Adam's line. "Alex's ass would always look better than yours." A girl named Dani did not catch earlier intervened, causing a raucous laugh in the group.

"I will make sure to take note of that," Dani answered with a smile, amused with Alex's college friends.

Well, she wondered before if ever she would meet some of his other friends. Now, she finally did, and she had enjoyed her interaction with them so far.

"I heard that someone was looking for me." Marcus walked into the group and started greeting their old friends.

He was alone tonight, deciding for the first time to fly solo. But he had no intention to pick up anyone in the scene. He planned to enjoy the moment of being alone for a change.

"And you were probably also looking for me." David also was not far behind, with a beautiful woman in his arms. "I also want all of you to meet Rosella Sheldon, my girlfriend."

He could see that Alex had a wide grin on his face, while Marcus was a bit stunned by his public admission. But the rest was happy for them as they welcomed Rosella to the group.

"It is good to see you again, Rosella," Alex said out loud. But since she was near his side, he whispered something else to her. "Congratulations for taming my friend's wild side."

But Alex was sure that David and Dani heard what he said, making them both smile with Rosella. The others did not need to learn of their private joke. It was just between them.

"It is nice to put a face to a name. Nice to meet you, Rosella. I am Dani." She pulled her into a slight hug and a friendly smile.

Dani was a bit surprised by David's announcement, but a realization dawned on her, remembering the boat name Lady Rose. She concluded that all along, he named the boat after her.

"I also heard so much about you. But I did not realize that the boys talked about me at all." Rosella answered her.

She knew that her past relationship with David had been on and off. He came into her life, one minute and then gone again the next. She did not expect much, but she loved him, so she took what he could offer.

So, just like David's close friends, she was astonished that he finally had the guts to admit that he also loved her. Presently, they both agreed to enjoy the night as an official couple for the first time.

"I think Alex mentioned you a couple of times. But I doubt David will talk about you since he is my boss." Dani pointed out, not that she was defending David. It was simply the truth.

Most of her conversation with David had been professional. He was her boss, so they never actually discussed much personal life. They never even talked about Alex as far as she remembered.

"So, Dani, tell us all about these pro bono projects. I am very interested in discussing some cold cases with you." Adam, the big burly man in the group, snapped her attention back to the group.

"What about it?" She asked, suddenly curious that another lawyer was interested in what she had been doing.

She just learned that he worked for a small firm that his family managed. But their resources were not enough to fund cases that had no funding.

"Well, I can use some help on them," Adam proposed, learning about the reason for the fundraising.

"Of course, set up an appointment, and I will be glad to look into it," Dani answered him.

Adam seemed willing to join her crusade, to give justice to those who needed it. Her doors are always open to those who had a wish to help. That included Alex's friends.

She was more than happy to share what she would get from this fundraising. After all, the money collected in this event was not for her but for those in desperate need of justice.