The Royal Contract

"If you don't mind, I would need Prince Alexander in the other room." Antonette interrupted the conversation between the reporter and the couple.

The official interview was over, and the media crew had turned off and started to pack up the cameras, lights, microphones, and the rest of their equipment. 

The couple slightly wiped out the tiny beads of sweat that formed on their foreheads from the heat of the lights, mildly relaxing on their seat, knowing that the spotlight was gone from their faces.

Ms. Harlowe was only conducting a few more follow-up questions and small talks to tidy up the interview before ending the session altogether.

"Excuse me, but I am sure Dani can answer all your remaining questions." Alexander gave Dani a small peck on the lips before leaving the two to go with Antonette.

He trusted that Dani could more than handle herself without him. He could not see the purpose for him to stay at her side every minute of the day, although he would prefer it. 

"It was my pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hamilton. Thanks for taking my offer to do your exclusive interview before the wedding." Ms. Harlowe said, almost satisfied with the outcome. 

After almost an hour of question and answer exchange in front of the cameras, she was in no doubt that the couple was tired of hearing her voice.

But she was not yet through. There were still a few questions she had to ask before concluding her session, off the record, of course.

"We are delighted that you took an interest in our relationship. But we are just like the rest of the people in the world. We simply fell in love." Dani stated, not wanting their relationship to be branded as anything extraordinary.

In her opinion, they were no different from the ordinary folks who found the right person to share their life with. They were not blessed by some external power to make their love affair exceptional compared to the rest of the world.

"Still, no matter how you downplay your situation. You could not escape the fact that you are not ordinary people, Ms. Hamilton," Harlowe stated, knowing she was right.

Based on her research, her interviewee never liked the limelight. Despite being an heiress to a throne and a fortune, she had stayed away from her birthright. A rare story she only encountered a few times.

Well, there was the prince who also did the same. It was some of the things that the couple had in common. She realized that she might have uncovered a gem of a story.

"Unfortunately, you might be right." She guessed she could not keep on running away from her destiny.

Tried as she might, she kept going back to the things she worked so hard to leave behind. She never wanted it, but she still landed in a situation she had been avoiding all her life.

She was now in front of the press, dressed like a princess. Dolled up to play the role of the bride in the royal wedding of the century. 

"I guess every dream has a price," Harlowe concluded for her, having some form of understanding of what she might be going through.

It took her numerous sacrifices to get to where she was today. The plaque of recognition did not just land on her lap one day. She had to fight tooth and nail to get the best story and find the truth behind it.

But for this princess, it was the other way around. She was handed everything, but all she wanted was the freedom to prove to herself that she was not just a pretty face with a dollar sign on her forehead.

"I could not agree more," Dani replied, finding the young, successful reporter interesting. 

Dani did like how Harlowe processed the information she gathered for her story. She had seen some of her news and was impressed by her work. She wondered why she had not ventured yet on the global scale. 

Harlowe always followed the lead and never made accusations without enough evidence to support her claim. She would definitely do good in the media circus, in her opinion.

"Anyway, there are a few more questions that I am meaning to ask you. It is off the record, and you don't have to answer if you are not comfortable." Harlowe began, hoping that she would indulge her request.

Her following questions were not directly related to the article she would be writing about them. But she was very interested to know the answers to them.

It was more of a personal question for her next story that she planned to do, rather than a follow-up question in their love affair.

"Sure. I will try to answer as truthfully as I can." She raised her hand at her, a girl scout honor, assuming it would be a light conversation, just like earlier.

So far, she never felt anxious or threatened in the way she delivered her questions, so she had no reason to think that would change.

"That is more like it," Harlowe answered her with a friendly smile, genuinely liking the woman in front of her.

She could not see any pretensions in how she moved or interacted with her. More than she could say about the other interviews she had done in the past with celebrities, politicians, and even royalties.

"So, what is your question again?" She would like to get it over with, hoping to get ready for dinner. 

She only wished that Alex would also be over with whatever he was doing in time for their dinner date. For tonight, it would be her last night as Ms. Hamilton.

"Again, this is off the records. For confidentiality, I hope that you will keep this between the two of us for now." Harlowe grabbed the glass of water on the side table, trying to lessen the dryness she felt in her throat from all the talking.

Harlowe looked at her for confirmation that she understood her request before proceeding with her next question. She could not end up ruining her plans because she read the situation wrong.

"You were once engaged to a man named Nickolas Travis. Is that correct?" When she nodded, she continued with her line of questioning.

She breathed a sigh of relief, learning that she was willing to cooperate with her. It was more than she had expected from this interview. A chance for a one on one with her.

"Why did you call off the engagement? Is it because he is a scumbag?" She could not help herself when she added the last part.

She planned to carefully thread with her inquiries until she could convince her to answer all her questions, but she slipped up. She could not take it back.

"You said that this is off the record." She was suddenly on alert, but she was not nervous, just curious about the manner of her inquiry. "Is this personal? Because if it is, I am more than happy to answer all your questions."

She was done protecting her past and her relationship with Nick. She was about to get married tomorrow. She had nothing more to hide anymore.

"I guess you trust me with your story. I should be able to trust you with mine. Who else is best to stick together but us." Harlowe confided, hoping garnered her trust to make this work.

"I want to do an expose about him for the scum that he is. I am sure you had fallen victim just like I was by his scheming ways. I just wish to prevent more women from falling into his charms." In her book, no one deserved to become prey to a predator like Nick.

"Count me in. I am sure that there will be several more who would wish to join your crusade." Dani could not help but smile, finding a friend in the woman before her. 

Some friendships did start with a common interest, goal, or objective. In this case, Nick had become their focal point. Something that would connect them together till they established a stronger bond.

On the other hand, if she could help this lady put Nick in his place. Then she would be more than happy to supply her with the details. Nick did deserve to be knocked down from his pedestal.

Judging from how she had read the situation, Ms. Harlowe was not a mere victim.. She was a fighter, out for blood.