5. Summoned to the Palace

With a cup of tea in his hand, Andrew headed to the lounge. His hair was wet, he showered after spending two hours in the gym. An hour longer than he regularly did because he wanted to test his body limit.

He wanted to beat those chickens with his bare hand the next time he went to the Arena. The thought of what they would do to Lila made his blood boiled. Last night, they were lucky since Max was clever, not to let him waste his energy, considering he had five stitches and just discharged from the hospital.

But as a sharpshooter, he managed to scare them. Aiming like he pointed the gun to the head of the skinny one in the third chair whom he thought was the coward one. When he fired the gun, knowing the bullet would only scratch the tip of his ear, he tried to prove that they were lying.

“Mercenary, huh?” Was what he sneered at them. A mercenary was not afraid of bullet, and the four thugs were in a shock state after the fire, solid evidence that they had no survival instinct in war.

Andrew sat on the long plush sofa, then turned the big screen on the wall on. Pondering where his protective feeling towards Lila came from, and why he had it? It had been very long time since he felt protective towards someone.

The TV was on.

A female journalist was interviewing two young girls in the beach.

‘I think he’s gorgeous. Look at his grandfather, at his age and still wow… and not to mention his handsome uncle.’ Said the first girl to the microphone.

The second girl added. ‘Agree. We believe the Crown Prince is also a kind-hearted man. He makes a lot of contribution to our beloved country. There’s no doubt of it.’

‘Yes, yes, we’re totally support the Crown Prince. Whoever he is.’ Chimed the first girl.

The microphone back to the journalist, she chuckled then responded. ‘It seems like you two have huge crush on our mysterious Crown Prince. Thank you for your time.’  She earned beaming and nodding from the two girls.

After that, the journalist smiled to the camera and then in the studio, two female anchors thanked her.

He sipped the tea, thinking perhaps this news program that his cousin talked about last night. Still sipping his tea, he watched the two women on the tv engaged in interesting talk.

‘Let’s read another mailpinion. This one’s subject is, I hope it’s my fairy tale, from Marianne Jones’ The black-haired anchorwoman paused to give her colleague a meaningful look, then she continued to read. ‘Since the Crown Prince is going under cover among us, I think it’s a huge change for every single lady in the country accidentally meet him or befriend him or working together, and also falling in love. That could be my dream though, falling in love with a man whom you thought is a commoner like you, turned out he is the country’s Crown Prince, and he asks you to marry him and live happily ever after in the palace.’

‘Wow, that would be the dream of most of the girls.’ Said the other anchorwoman.

‘Exactly. But I think she has a point. Not the live happily ever after though.’

Both women laughed, the black-haired anchorwoman’s colleague across the table added. ‘True, that he could be anybody. perhaps we cross path, shake hands –’

‘Do you think he has eight to five job like us?’

‘If he lives, like the parliament quoted, your neighbor,’ She made an air quote with her finger at the -your neighbor- part. ‘then it’s a possibility he has a job.’

‘And then falling in love too.’

Both women laughed again.

‘I don’t understand, why he cannot live openly like any other princes in the world? Take Prince William of England for example. He went to college and met his wife. We know about it and all of the world knows.’

‘Well, that’s why we have this show, in hope to find out more. Or why we still hold that tradition?’

Couldn’t take it anymore, Andrew switched the tv off then tossed the remote away.

What an absurd show, he thought in disbelieve. Why did they make that kind of show in the news program? Now he shared the same thought as his cousin. Shaking his head, he took the tea cup while stretching his long legs.

True that their country was still live up their ancient tradition where the crown prince must live among the people. To learn a deeper meaning of leadership, adopting the people’s point of view of their ruler. So that one day when he took the throne, he was able to build himself a better ruler for the people.

In Andrew’s point of view, the meaning behind the tradition was worth to support. He couldn’t understand why suddenly everybody so eager to know about the Crown Prince? Why now? After thirty-two years. He didn’t believe this was because of the modern bullshit thing. He believed, all of the citizen who was born and raised in this country must respect the tradition.

The phone on the dining table buzzed furiously, he went to grabbed the phone then back to the sofa before he took the call.

“Andreeew…” Said a man’s voice at the other end. “good morning man.”

“Not so good morning after hearing your voice.” Andrew could see the grinning from his chuckle. “What do you want, Barry?”

“I just read the morning papers, crown prince all over it. What are you guys going to do?”

“Nothing.” He replied curtly. “Cut the crap, Barry. What do you want?”

Barry laughed. “I call to remind you about your obligation.”

“My obligation? To you?”

“You’re a loser, remember?”

“Ahh… that.” He remembered. Barry won the bet when they watched horse racing last week. “It has to be today?”

“Yeah, that. And yeah, it’s today, since today is Friday. Don’t back out. And you have to come alone. Like alone, alone. No help from the outside, not even from Max.”

Instead of money, they agreed if Andrew won, Barry would be his assistant for a month and if Barry won, Andrew would be a bartender in Barry’s restaurant for a month too.

Andrew regretted that he ever took the bet and hated the fact that he lost. He sighed. “Okay…”

Barry let out a chuckle at Andrew’s defeated tone. “Friday market, tonight. You know where the bar is, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Reluctant, but he had to do it, fulfilling his part as the bet’s loser.

“Cool. Be there on time. I’ll have eyes everywhere.” Barry ended dramatically, then making sure Andrew heard his hard laugh before ended the call.

Andrew gave his phone a glare, thinking he gave the look to Barry. He put the phone to the table in front of the sofa and on the way to take the tea cup when he noticed text notification in his phone.

With one hand held the phone and the other held the tea cup, continuing to embrace the cozy morning. After taking few sips, he put the cup on to the table. He focused on his phone.

There were plenty notifications of calls and texts from his assistant, his cousin, and the head advisor of the palace. If the later troubled to reach him, that meant something serious happened.

He tapped open his cousin’s texts. Where are you? Why you’re not pick up your phone?

Are you asleep? Call me as soon as you’re awake then. Urgent. Was the second text from his cousin.

He wanted to tap on his assistant’s text when a phone call from the said man came. Without hesitation he took the call.

“Max?”

“Thank goodness you’re awake.” Said Max, not bothering to greet.

Frowning, Andrew felt a slight of irritation. Why Max and his cousin thought he was still asleep? It was nine in the morning, he got up at six, hitting the gym and now yearning for breakfast, but only manage to have tea.

“What happen?”

‘You’ve been summoned to the palace.”