Chapter 3

Audrey

“Look!” Mars pointed out the horses. We were on a tour bus on our way to the palace. The streets were filled with royal guards, who were walking their horses, and it indeed seemed like a scene from a fairytale movie.

“One of the biggest sports in Penevia is sword fighting!” Tony called out through the microphone. I tried my best to listen to his words, but it was hard to do so with Mars pulling my sleeves.

“Mars, stop it!” I hissed. He followed my instructions and looked at me with his big innocent eyes. “I’m sorry, what is it?” I changed my original approach.

“Mommy, can I go sword fighting?”

“No, absolutely not.” I laughed at his crazy suggestion while Ashley laughed along. Mars had a cute and confused look on his face. “Who even does sword fighting? We have guns nowadays.” Ashley snickered just loud enough for Tony to hear.

“You’d be surprised at how much damage a sword can do, but yes—it’s the 21st century, so we also have guns, Ashley.” Tony made the crowd laugh. Ashley hid her face in her jacket while Tony continued the tour.

“Look, mommy, the palace!” Mars squealed. Everyone followed the direction of his tiny finger and looked towards the large and luxurious building. Once again, I thought these things only existed in fairytales but apparently not.

“That’s right, kid.” Tony nodded proudly. “We’re here, so if everyone can get out the bus.”

I waited until everyone had gathered their belongings, mainly their cameras, before I picked up Mars and carried him out the bus. We found ourselves in the enormous palace square, filled with many tourists.

“It seems like we’re not that special after all.” Ashley joked, locking our arms. I was speechless and followed behind the group, admiring the beautiful view of the palace. Due to the crowded space, we could not stand at the front, but that was fine.

This was already everything I could ever dream of.

“Everyone, listen up!” Tony suddenly shouted with a delighted look on his face. “I have just learned from a special source that the crown prince will come out to the balcony to greet the people!”

Tony had barely finished his sentence before several people in the group let out excited squeals. “I heard he’s very handsome.” One of the women commented. Ashley squealed along while Mars's jaw had nearly dropped to the ground.

“Are we really going to see a prince, mommy?” Mars asked. I ruffled my hand through his hair and gave him a shrug. “Apparently.”

“Don’t lie, you’re excited!” Ashley stated with a grin on her lips. Yes, it was an honor or whatever, but at the end of the day, he was a normal human being. He pooped and peed just like the rest of us, so there wasn’t really anything to be excited about.

“Ash, it’s just the crown prince—he isn’t even the king.”

“Yet!” Ashley corrected me. “This guy seems to be someone important, so I might push a few people so I can get Marsie and me to the front—“

“Ash!” I called her out in disbelief. It was typically something for my sister, and she was definitely not joking. Ashley was capable of anything and would stop at the cost of nothing to get her way.

“What? Mars, don’t you want to see the prince?”

“I do!” Mars told her. “Beat them up, beat them up!” He chanted. “Hey, you can’t say that!” I scolded him. Involving my poor Mars to her foolery was only something Ashley could do.

After a while of waiting, it almost felt like hours had passed, and I was close to passing out. I had no idea who the crown prince was, but he clearly didn’t care for the people. He knew we were out here, but he was still inside—probably sipping his tea or something. “Who knew the crown prince could be so selfish? We have been standing here for almost an hour.” I complained before placing Mars back on his two feet.

“Ah, stop whining!” Ashley rolled her eyes. “It isn’t like we get to meet him every day, and from what I’ve heard, the crown prince is actually handsome and kind.”

“The crown prince is an arrogant prick.” I let my opinion known. “He should be grateful for having this opportunity to meet us.”

Just as Ashley was about to say something,

we got interrupted by a sudden presence behind us. “It’s you who should be grateful meeting him.” The unfamiliar male voice spoke. Ashley and I flinched simultaneously and turned around to look at the male in front of us.

Judging by his uniform and badges, I could tell that he was most likely a royal guard. My eyes slowly landed on his tan skin and traveled to his caramel eyes. I had seen that look in his eyes before. That was the look of someone who thought he owned the place.

“And you are?” I frowned. The mysterious man let out a chuckle. My eyes scanned his heart-shaped lips before they traveled back to his eyes. His dark brown hair was styled into a sloppy ponytail, giving him a bold look.

“I don’t know who you are, but your hair looks good!” Ashley spoke out of nowhere. “Tell me? What kind of products do you use?” She stood on her toes to touch his hair.

The man had a startled expression on his face, and it was probably because he had yet to meet someone like Ashley. “Uh...I wash it with aloe vera and healing clay, and after that, I put in some tea tree mint conditioner and...who are you?”

“Excuse her,” I pulled Ashley behind me.

The man stared into my eyes without the tiniest bit of shame, and if he were not that handsome, I would’ve slapped him across the face. He looked cold, strong, and attractive—which seemed to be a trait amongst the Penevian men. “So, who are you again?” I asked rudely. He had some nerve to ask Ashley that question while he was the one who approached us.

“The person who called you out for disrespecting the crown prince.” The guy smiled, sticking out his hand. “Welcome to Penevia.”

It took me a second, but I eventually accepted his hand. “You don’t look like a person who likes shaking hands,” I commented.

The man shot me a suspicious look, probably because I had figured him out. “I don’t, but it’s Penevian policy.” He sighed. “Be welcoming to tourists and all.”

“Sir, are you a knight?” Mars suddenly looked up. He was still a kid, and this place looked like a fairytale palace, so his comment was not too far stretched.

The man winked at Mars. “I’m not.” He chuckled. Any other idiot would’ve known to play along, but not this man. “I’m the crown prince’s personal guard.”

“Wow!” Mars spoke in amusement while Ashley gasped in surprise. The only one able to keep a poker face was me. “And does the prince’s personal guard have a name?”

“Dalton.”

“Well, Dalton.” I folded my arms. “If you’re the crown prince’s guard, shouldn’t you be up there with him instead of telling me what to do?”

Ashley gasped, while Dalton seemed shocked by my unexpected remark. He slightly rolled his eyes and shot me an unimpressed look. “Have a nice vacation, miss.” He scoffed before disappearing.

“You’re so stupid,” Ashley spoke the second he was out of sight. “He’s the crown prince’s guard, which means he must be loaded. He was clearly interested in you—and you just send him away like it’s nothing!”

“I send him away to return to his duties.”

“Yes, sure—whatever suits you.”

I was just about to continue my argument but got interrupted by the sound of a loud instrument. Everyone whispered and looked up at the man on the balcony who was playing the trumpet. “I think he’s coming,” Ashley whispered.

People were starting to push us to get to the front, and my hands immediately reached for Mars’ tiny body. “Mars, don’t let go of me,” I told him, picking him up.

“I announce, your royal highness, crown prince Romanus Edward Maximus of Penevia!”

The crowd went wild while Mars desperately raised his head in the hopes of seeing the crown prince. “I can’t see, mommy—I can’t see!” Mars repeated.

I was extremely claustrophobic, and I could not handle crowded spaces, but for Ashley, it was different. “The crown prince is not meant for grown people. It’s for the children—Marsie, come on!” Ashley decided as she stuck out her hands and aggressively pushed everyone aside to create a path for us.

It was one funny statement, considering she had been excited about seeing the crown prince this entire day. “Audrey, come on!”

I apologized to the people who were loudly swearing at us and held on to Mars as we made our way to the barricade through the path which Ashley had created for us. “I can see him, I can see him!” Mars shouted while my eyes were still glued to my shoes. I was embarrassed.

Pushing others aside to get her way was not something new for my sister.

Although I had to admit, I expected a bigger reaction from her, but she didn’t make a single sound.

“I assume he’s not as handsome as you expected.” I joked with my eyes still stuck to the ground. “Ash, I’m talking to you—“

“R-raise your head.”

I raised my head to look at Ashley as I was not used to the fear in her voice. Her eyes were big, and her skin turned pale, but it was understandable—because it was overwhelming. “Do you want to step out?” I asked, but Ashley slowly shook her head.

“Audrey, look at the crown prince and tell me it isn’t him,” Audrey spoke through breaths. I followed her instructions with a confused frown on my face, but that frown had quickly changed into a gasp as I stared at the two men on the balcony.

There was no way...

It couldn’t be...

“I-it’s them,” I confirmed with trembling legs. What was the meaning of this? Was I dreaming?

All I wished was for someone to explain to me what my ex-husband, aka Mars’ dad, and his cousin, were doing on the balcony and why everyone was calling Roman the crown prince.

Romanus Edward Maximus from Penevia...it couldn’t be.

I froze up, as did Ashley as we stared at the surprise in front of us. Even though I could not see him from up close, it was undeniably him, and he hadn’t changed a thing.

He still carried the same bright smile which completed his overwhelming emerald eyes, and he still had the same athletic build.

I let out a quiet yelp as my past memories had slowly returned. ‘Do you work out? Because it looks like you do—so perhaps we can work out together.’

That was the stupid pickup line I used when I met him at the casino.

The only noticeable difference was Roman’s golden-brown hair, which had brightened since I last saw him. His cousin, Brandon, looked the same.

Brandon’s biggest charm was his shiny brown hair and the over-confident look in his dark eyes. He hadn’t changed a bit. Brandon waved at the people with a big smile and stared into the crowd until his eyes met mine.

Would he recognize me?

I did not move an inch while Brandon’s eyes widened in surprise. He did recognize me. He tapped Roman’s shoulder, making him turn around, and whispered something into his ear.

Roman turned his head within a split second and looked straight into my eyes, shocked. There was no doubt about it. He had recognized me as well.

I watched as he squinted his eyes and moved his gaze from me to the five-year-old in my arms. Would he recognize himself in Mars?

“It’s him, Ashley.” I gasped. “...it’s him.”