The Royal Contract

They were on their way to dinner. It had been a long afternoon, and yet they were barely done with their commitments. Luckily, Antonette called it a day. 

Soon, the couple would have time again for themselves to do as they pleased. But for now, Alex and Dani would have dinner at the palace with the duke and duchess.

They did not mind since both would love to have their company. Besides, after the ceremonies, it would be a while before they would see them again. 

"By the way, have you heard from Mom and Dad?" She asked Alex, noticing their absence in the palace. She thought that he might have heard from them. 

She was hoping there was as she looked at Alex expectantly as they continued to walk towards the massive dining hall. She did not want to worry, unnecessarily, if there was a valid explanation for it.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you. But, Ethan called and informed me of a slight delay on their flight," Alex stated but immediately added when he saw her worried face. "They are fine. Don't worry. They will be here in the morning."

He did not supply any further explanation as to why her parents' flight was delayed. He was glad that he did not need to as they entered the room, diverting Dani's attention from him to his parents.

He did not want Dani to worry more about the case. She already had plenty of things to think about the wedding to include that on her plate.

He and Ethan had decided to keep the investigation between the two of them. Dani knew that the police were examining the matter, but not the extent of the entire situation.

"I hope that everything is to your satisfaction, Daniella," Ethan stated as they sat on the long dining table as the servers offered them some wine.

He could already foresee that this would be the grandest celebration in the palace since his own wedding with his lovely wife. 

Although they hosted many parties for different occasions, nothing would compare to a union of two people in love with the full support of their influential families. 

"Oh, it is more than what I expected. I am grateful for all you did to make it perfect, Katherine." Putting an appreciative smile on her face as she looked at Alex's mother before directing her gaze to the duke. "And thank you for all your support." 

Despite her earlier reservations about the extravagant preparations, she still could not help but feel lucky to have a family who loved her enough to go through all this trouble.

Well, she had already considered the duke and duchess as her family since Alex proposed to her. Their fates were already sealed the day she accepted his ring.

"Well, you have to thank your mother too. Laura was amazing." Katherine could not take all the credit. Her friend had also contributed a lot to the preparation of this event.

She could not wait to see her again and show her what they had both accomplished. However, she heard that her flight would be delayed, so she had no choice but to defer her excitement for later.

"I guess I am just in time to congratulate the lucky couple. I meant the happy couple." A smug voice resonated in the room, making the occupants turn their heads to the source of the sound.

Unfortunately, the voice matched the arrogant man standing by the entrance. An unexpected guest had arrived, but an unwanted one.

"Prince Edward, it is nice to see you." As host, Duke Fred was the first to stand up and greet the prince. 

He was not informed that the prince would be joining them. It was supposed to be a family affair. But if he analyzed the situation, he would conclude that the prince invited himself to the occasion.

"Will you care to join us for dinner?" The duchess offered, knowing that was the gracious thing to do.

She could not simply ignore his presence and be rude. Edward was still part of the family, even if the prince did not act as if he treated them as one.

"I love to." Edward smiled at Katherine, accepting her invitation. Obviously, he did not care if he intruded on a private event.

He walked further into the room, approaching the people who were already seated, ready to have their meal.

"Edward, when did you get back?" Alex asked, not expecting to see him this soon. He could not help but look at him suspiciously.

Yesterday, when he checked on his whereabouts, his cousin was still back in New York. He was too busy all day that he had not checked on his men yet. He bet that the prince's return would be the first thing they would report to him.

Edward was one of their suspect in their ongoing investigation. He was being tailed by his men, checking his activities and associations. After his alliance with Nick, he could not discount him from the people who wanted to hurt him and Dani.

"Just an hour ago." He stated before shifting his eyes to the bride-to-be. "It is nice to see such a lovely bride." He walked closer to her seat and held his hand to her.

Out of courtesy, Dani would have no choice but to accept his hand, letting the prince plant a kiss on her knuckles. But instead of moving away, he decided to pull out the chair and sit beside her.

"Thanks," Dani answered through her teeth, not liking the way he was staring at her.

She never trusted Edward after she learned of all his dirty antics. He might become the king in the future, but she believed he did not deserve the trust and loyalty of his people. 

After Alex gave him a chance to change his ways, he threw his help outside the window. Then, he conspired with one of the most despicable men she ever knew against Alex. 

He was simply a detestable human being who did not deserve such an honor. She could understand the plight of the Council when they chose Alex over him.

Edward was simply not King material.