The Royal Contract

He had lost interest in joining this celebration, not after his father questioned him about an earlier incident. He had no clue about the accusation his father was throwing at him.

From the tone of his father, it was a serious matter. When his association with Nick was mentioned, he became wary. He wondered if his business partner had anything to do with it. 

"Act on your best behavior tonight. One more stunt from you, I will not hesitate to cut you off from my life." His father, or more or less King Edward, warned him. "Don't test me."

Those were his father's last words before they left the palace to show their support to the newlywed couple. Sometimes he wondered if his father would ever see him as his son, not someone who always had to compete for his attention.

He had grown up in a world where only the best was good enough. No matter how hard he had tried, he always ended up trailing behind Alex. Grew up always compared to him and ended up lacking.

"Dad, will you excuse me for a while? I just want to greet some of the guests." Prince Edward moved away from his father and started socializing with some guests.

He had been disinterested in joining this celebration, but he knew he had to show up. His father and the rest of the Council were expecting it from him.

This wedding was another slap on his face. Another addition to the long list that Alex had bested him. But he had not conceded yet. The fight was still on for the throne.

He mingled with some of his friends, allies, and associates, giving them a few minutes of his time before moving to the next. Talking to them was the last on his list, but they were a perfect alibi as he searched for someone in particular.

"Nice party." The man he had been waiting for suddenly showed up behind him with a wide smile. He was obviously enjoying himself, not a care in the world if the world was on fire.

He had arrived just a while ago. He had skipped attending the ceremony or the dinner, but he could see that no expense was spared to this wedding event.

Compared to what he planned to spend on his canceled wedding, this was far more extravagant. Then again, why would he spend so much to woo a spoiled princess during that time?

He admitted though she had changed considerably. He believed he would have loved this new version of her compared to the old one. But he was not giving up yet. He still had a few tricks up in his sleeve.

"Where have you been, Nick?" Edward was furious upon seeing his business partner arrive late to the occasion. "You had been ignoring my calls." 

If he had not been feeling desperate at the moment, he would have his guards disposed of this man, but he still needed him. He was the only remaining ally he had to achieve his goal.

Even his own father was starting to turn against him, judging from their earlier encounter. He could still feel the rage oozing from his father when he asked him about the incident.

"I had to deal with some emergency," Nick answered him as if that was not that important. But he thought it was none of his business. "Don't worry. It had nothing that should concern you."

In this case, it was information that he was not willing to share with his business partner. He did not owe him any explanation of what he did in his time. 

All the prince should care about was the money that continued to flow into his pocket. Regarding their other deal, he was still working on it.

"Were you involved in what happened earlier?" Edward confronted the man his father believed had something to do with this criminal act.

His father implied that Nick might be the mastermind behind it. His association with the man might implicate him in the case if that was the case.

He understood his father's concern because his involvement in a criminal activity might destroy all his chances of being his father's successor. 

"Do you really want to know what I have been doing?" Nick asked with a wicked smile on his lips.

That would be implicating him in his deals. But was it wise to include him in his entire operation? In his opinion, it was not such a good idea. 

After a moment of hesitation on Edward's part, Nick continued. "I don't think so." He smirked at him, guessing correctly that the prince was not up for the challenge.

He believed when pushed to a tight spot. This prince would save his hind end and feed him instead to the authorities. He just could not trust a man who had no control or power. 

He might be a prince, but he was nothing more but a name. He might have wealth, but it did not mean he had authority. He remained a spoiled prince who believed that his position should command respect.

"I ask you if you have anything to do with the ambush earlier." He tried to lower his voice since he did not want nearby folks to hear their conversation. They were still in the presence of the other guests in the middle of the ballroom.

He had suspected that Nick had been involved in many underground activities, but he was not privy to that part of his life. Nick only shared what he wanted him to know, nothing more.

The arrangement suited him just fine. He only sought his help to get his throne, but he did not want his hands dirtied by getting involved in his criminal inclinations.

"Then, let me ease your mind by saying that I had nothing to do with that." Nick tapped his partner's shoulder as he convinced him of his innocence. "Let us get some drinks and be merry. After all, this is a celebration."

Nick walked towards the bar, with the prince following behind him, not minding the stare he gained in his wake. He eyed a beautiful woman sitting by the bar, alone.

His day had not been full of roses and rainbows.. He needed something to wind him down and release his tension, and he had a perfect candidate for the job.