Just then, Aaron burst through the doors. “What are you doing about your missing fiancee?!” he boomed. CC withdrew her hand quietly. Aaron looked between the two of them. “Well isn’t this cozy? Your fiance just bolted with his and the two of you are in here doing what exactly?” To say that he was frustrated was an understatement. How could she be this stupid? This careless? Did she forget that she was a fucking queen?! That people were just waiting for her to show her face in public, where she was vulnerable and unprotected, where they could end her life with just one little bullet?“Making plans to retrieve them,” CC answered. “Prince Troy has just agreed to loan us his manpower.” “Oh he has, has he? How gracious of him to want to protect his bloody fiancee!” Aaron couldn’t stay still. He remembered hearing the gunshot when James got shot. The five years of not knowing whether he was dead or alive. He was right back there, living that nightmare again and she was probably just f
Meanwhile, back at the palace, CC and Aaron, with the aid of Troy’s men, tore Aria’s room apart, searching her desk, her devices, everything. Anything to find some sort of clue as to where they were, what she had planned. CC’s own concerns and insecurities took a backseat to her concern for Aaron. He had crazy, tortured eyes. How had she missed it? How had she not seen what this woman had come to mean to her brother? He swore up and down that he was going to kill Bart, but as much as she knew he loved her, this wasn’t about Bart and CC. This was about the engaged woman he probably couldn’t have. Aaron’s excessive rummaging and throwing stopped abruptly as his hand closed on something. His face paled. He’d been so focused, so worried about her getting shot that he wasn’t thinking about all the stuff Aria had planned for her little outing with Bart. As he looked down into his hand, his eyes grew red with rage. Not wanting to alarm CC any more than she already was, he took a deep breath
"Aria, stop the car!" Bart screamed. He had been trying to get her attention since the moment she started driving, but she wasn't hearing him. Now she wasn't just charging into traffic like a crazy person though, she was driving straight towards an SUV, one that meant to cut her off. Aria slammed on the breaks, stopping inches from the black SUV. The doors opened and there she was, his girl. Bart looked visibly relieved. CC didn't look hurt or sad, she was pissed. He laughed at himself and how eager he was to find out just how mad she was. "Guess you were right after all," Aria choked out. "She came for you.""Looks like someone came for you too," said Bart, seeing Aaron waiting behind them in the distance. "Be careful Aria. Aaron Condor is a dick."Aria laughed. "Tell me something I don't know."Her eyes softened. "Thank you Barry, for today. For having known Ethan.""I'll always be here for you, Ria. You and I, we're family," he said, kissing her forehead before getting out of t
2017, September 6thPrince Troy arrived the next evening with a man in tow, but she was not at his side. Aria had been anxiously awaiting their arrival, not knowing how she would face her rival. The wound was fresh. She meant to avoid this woman, to not go down for dinner tonight, but now it seems her anxiety had been for nothing. The prince’s anxiety, however, persisted as he was welcomed into the castle walls. “Forgive me everyone, I am afraid I cannot stay for dinner after all. I only came to offer a greeting, apologize in person and beg that you allow me to reschedule,” said Prince Troy.Diane went to her brother and hugged him. “What’s wrong?” she asked.Prince’s Troy’s face softened and he smiled at his sister, kissing her cheek.“You look well Di. I am very glad to see it. It’s nothing to concern yourself with. My fiancee’s… a bit of a loose cannon. It seems she and her brother gave Duke Dormer over here the slip.” Diane gave the duke a look and then returned her eyes to her
Aria, Prince Troy and Ethan went alone, not wanting to draw attention and risk being recognized before they’d found the duo. Her parents were super cool. She had had a more liberal upbringing than most princesses, but Aria was not often outside the castle’s walls. So when Prince Troy took them to a nightclub, Ethan practically attached himself to her. “Let go. How are we going to find them if your eyes and arms are glued to me? You’re freaking me out.”“Sorry. Just stay close okay? I don’t want to have to come looking for you too.” Her eyes wandered around the place like she was a child at an amusement park for the first time. Aaron grinned. She was like a little lost lamb. A foxy goddess with red hair flowing down her back like flames, but a lost lamb just the same. The first timers were his favorite, the ones he could corrupt. He wanted to run his fingers through those flames, touch her everywhere as he moved his body with hers, make her beg him to do it more. It had been a while s
Aaron was feeling generous and so he was going to let it go, he really was, but she was looking at him now, calling him with her eyes. He flashed her his pearly whites and she turned away. He laughed. Now she was just being a tease. He jumped down, took a pen out of his pocket and scribbled something down on the bar. Then he walked right up to her, pulling her back against his front. She gasped and tried to turn around, but he held her in place. “Relax,” he whispered seductively, his lips pressed up against her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair, dragged them down her arms, his hips moving with hers. “Just go with it.” Aria’s eyes found his as she looked back when he wrapped his arms around her. They were moving as one now, his hands gently manipulating her movements. He spun her out and when he pulled her back she surprised him. She jumped onto him and wrapped her legs around his waist. This woman was not at all what he thought she was. She might be new to nightclubs, but ca
"You played dirty. I thought you didn’t lie. I thought it was against the rules,” she said, hurt flashing in her eyes. He knew she was mad at him, but it hadn’t been his fault. She might not want to marry him, but there was a certain understanding, respect, trust even between them and she now felt he had betrayed that. “I can’t help it if your almost boyfriend bolted the second he heard you were coming,” said Troy. That stung. She didn’t like the way he belittled her relationship with Bart, mostly because everything he said was true. Nevertheless, she couldn’t afford to be the one acting on emotion right now. He was angry. Chivalrous Troy wouldn’t be showing up tonight, not for her. “Tomorrow morning I am taking you to see my sister and the royal family of Sartis Est. You will act like the princess that you are, not some commoner who dances on bar countertops. You will be agreeable, make polite conversation and smile. Do I make myself clear?” She didn’t say anything. Her mind was
2019, December 6thThe ride back to the palace was completely quiet. She didn’t fight him, kissed him as eagerly as he did her, needed it as much as he did, held on just as hard. But when it was over, it was well and truly over. Aria sat as far as possible from him in the SUV, practically hugging the door. Whatever was wrong between them was still very much wrong. The walls were all the way back up. She was safe now though and once they got back to the palace, he would have time to figure it out, whatever it was, and find a way to fix it. Aaron took Aria back to his room when they got back to the palace. He wanted to stay with her a little longer, talk to her, just be with her. “So now what, Your Highness? Are we going to pick up where we left off in the middle of the road?” she asked, popping one of the buttons of his shirt. Of course. This is why she didn’t argue, didn’t protest, came with him so readily. She didn’t want to let him in, at least not into her head, certainly not in
2017, October 10th Returning home a disappointed man that morning after Adele was a no show, Aaron Condor was about to be a shocked man too. Henry and King Edward, the king of Warlanda, were in a video conference call with Troy and CC. “I’m afraid that with the appearance of Prince Dean in Sartis Est, a union between our countries at this time will not be feasible. I fear for Caroline’s safety,” said Troy. CC gave Troy a confused look. “What are you doing?” “Unfortunately, your fears may be justified,” said King Edward. “Your brother’s amassed quite the following. There are talks of a rogue army. I’m afraid of what he’ll do if he can’t bring Diane home.” “If it pleases Your Majesties, I would like to send Caroline back to Caines, at least until the matter has been resolved,” said Troy, refusing to look at CC. “Absolutely not!” CC exclaimed. “What she means is put us on a plane,” said Aaron, throwing CC a stern look as he entered the room. “I’m not going! Not while-”
Aria and Troy showed up arm in arm an hour later. Emily had breakfast served outside, watching them closely. This was not the man she had dinner with only three nights ago. Say what you will about him, he was absolutely taken with her. Either that or he was faking it really well and she’d underestimated him yet again. If the former, her cousin really must be something in the sack. Hell if they weren’t family, Emily would be considering doing her at this point. “Aren’t you two getting on well?” Emily observed. Perhaps it was less apparent because of the stupid smile on his face and the doting way that Troy was looking at Aria, but he was watching the other Maine too. She seemed agitated, frustrated. Emily kept raising a cup to her lips, only to set it back down again without drinking from it. Had she already found something? And if she did, why wasn’t she sharing with the rest of the class? That was after all why she’d brought them out here, wasn’t it? Not that he
Back at the Maine residence the following morning, Emily had just opened her gates to her uninvited guest. "Where are they? Where is she?" Aaron asked. “Hello to you too,” said Emily, closing the door. “And I have no idea where they are. I was stood up.” Aaron sat down and threw his head into his hands, then got back up and started for the door. He must really be drunk. He was listening to Henry and doing stupid shit. What was he going to do even if he did find her? His mind was a mess. He’d probably just push her further into Troy’s arms, not that he imagined she needed help with that at this point. They’d spent the night together, heaven knows where. Troy didn’t strike Aaron as the kind of guy to drag his feet on this kind of thing. “Hey come on, you look like you’re drunk out of your mind. Sit down. Have some water or something.” He walked back into the house, went straight for the kitchen and started opening cabinets until he found the vodka, opened the bottle and started
2019, December 8th & 9th Things didn’t go well for Aria after she and Troy started their little poker tournament. He was absolutely merciless. His teaching style was more throwing you in the deep end than letting you have floaties. He didn’t stop her from taking her clothes off either. Never one to back down from a fight, she could hardly say no. She had been the one to start it after all. It didn’t take very long before she didn’t have a stitch on. As he watched her underwear drop, Troy felt that he had definitely better leave now. He had to give it to her, she had guts. Too much for his liking just then. He walked over to her, taking her in, appreciating the toned body he wasn't going to let himself have just yet. Troy was a gentleman in the truest sense or at least he wanted to be, was trying to be. No matter how sure he was he was walking into a trap, he couldn't make himself stop going to her. Her tricks weren't wrapped up in deceit. She'd let him know exactly what was going t
“You can have as many dates as you want,” he said, pulling the straps of her dress down and kissing her shoulders, fondling her breasts through the dress. “As long as I can keep touching you, keep seeing you.”Adele sat up. She’d been lost to his touch a moment ago, but now she was looking at him with fear in her eyes. Once she’d been prepared for, once she was okay with. Maybe that made her a cliche, but he was the hottest, most alluring man she’d ever laid eyes on and she wanted him. But now he was saying things like as many dates as you want and it was going straight to her heart.“Shit!” she said, jumping to her feet. “Date is over.”“Wait, what?”“Remember that ball I told you about? I have to go.”She pulled her straps back in place and started running through the castle and back down the hill. Aria hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. A second absence from an official royal engagement would be noticed, especially this time. Etha
“Not sure if that’s going to do you any good, but hey, chivalry and all that,” he said, taking the place in. “You don’t happen to have dry clothes in your mystery bag, do you?” But she had already opened the bag and it was lying on the floor empty. Aaron picked it up and threw it over his shoulder. He’d lost track of her while taking in the castle, wondering what it looked like when it was first built. “This is really what you wanted to see today?” he asked, as he wandered around looking for her. “Yes,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to come here and see this place. I think it’s absolutely breathtaking.” A melody filled the castle’s empty walls, heartbreakingly loving and soothing. As he seeked it out, the melody turned passionate, fierce, unforgiving like a dance between a man and a woman desperately in love, drowning in it. Aaron picked up the pace, really looking for her now. “I’m sure it was something in its day, but now it’s-” He stopped short, finally laying eyes on h
2017, October 9th Aaron was lying in the middle of a field of flowers on a hill that offered a view of ruins of a castle. They had been headed that way, were still he thought, only he didn't want to ruin the moment. He liked having her so close, liked watching his fingers go up and down her body without her protesting. She'd even let him drag his fingers through her silky, long flames like he'd always wanted to. This was not what he should be doing, not at all, but when Adele showed up this morning declaring that there was peace at the castle after all and asked him out on a date, he was so flabbergasted that he ended up just watching her, letting her drag him along wherever she wanted. "It turns out Duke Dormer was meeting with Diane to relay messages from her brother Dean to her. The royal palace is hosting a ball to welcome the so called Prince of Wars, Prince Dean, tonight. Also, now that that's settled, want to go out with me?" she'd said all in one breath. Aaron grinned, ze
2017, October 9th Aaron was lying in the middle of a field of flowers on a hill that offered a view of ruins of a castle. They had been headed that way, were still he thought, only he didn't want to ruin the moment. He liked having her so close, liked watching his fingers go up and down her body without her protesting. She'd even let him drag his fingers through her silky, long flames like he'd always wanted to. This was not what he should be doing, not at all, but when Adele showed up this morning declaring that there was peace at the castle after all and asked him out on a date, he was so flabbergasted that he ended up just watching her, letting her drag him along wherever she wanted. "It turns out Duke Dormer was meeting with Diane to relay messages from her brother Dean to her. The royal palace is hosting a ball to welcome the so called Prince of Wars, Prince Dean, tonight. Also, now that that's settled, want to go out with me?" she'd said all in one breath. Aaron grinned, ze
This little speech gave Troy pause. He didn’t know if Dean would tell him, but he had to ask. Maybe something would slip out, maybe he could make his older brother show his hand a little. Troy went up to Dean, watching him closely as he stuck his nose in Dean’s face. “Isn’t it about time we inspired something else? What would you rather we do Dean? Who would you like to hand Diane’s crown to?” “Diane is lovely, truly the apex of my heart, but she’s as naive as her fiance. Monarchs need to be made of a certain something. Like you, like me.” Troy grabbed his brother by the throat, squeezing mercilessly. “Let me be clear Dean. If Diane or Ethan or anyone from this household come to any harm because of you, if you reach for the crown, if you even think about it, I will make you my enemy for life. I won’t stop until you’re dead.” The brothers were staring each other down. Their eyes were the mirror of each other’s, dark death in them, as Dean ripped his brother’s hand from his throa