Duchess in Distress

Chapter 21

PRINCE THEO

"I'll tell you, but first, buy me hotdogs," as soon as those words slip from Nathalie's mouth, the red-haired girl ran toward the nearest hotdog stand.

Prince Theo froze on the ground, processing the embarrassment Nathalie, who ran like a child and first time to see hotdogs in the park. Why did she keep on insisting on eating that manufactured meat?

But what stunned him most was not the way Nathalie acted too childishly, the way he smiled because of what she did. He tried to hide his teeth, but he was too amused to stop himself.

He reached her in just a few strides and heard her order seven pieces.

"Why seven?" he asked.

"One for you, six for me," she excitedly answered. Little did she know, the Crown Prince was not eating anything, which was not food-tested by anyone outside the palace.

When he was on a date, especially with his present girlfriend Penelope, to hide the fact that this protocol was not just a myth but a real one planted on him since he was a kid, he let Penelope or any of his dates before, to eat first. It was an embarrassment for him, and he did not want to admit it to anyone, but he could not remove this protocol for his safety personally and the crown.

In the palace, they have a series of food testers. It was an ancient protocol from the previous kingdom before Luvia. It was taught to every royal that is directly inheriting the throne. Even though sometimes he wanted to be normal, just like other people who dig in with their food without any worries, he could not remove from his mind that someone tried to poison him. That was how the teaching of this protocol gave them.

The mid-thirties man, who operated the stand, prepared the seven pieces of hotdogs.

Impatient, the prince eyed Nathalie for her idea about what the couple should do to look natural, "What now?"

She glanced at the vendor and also at the reporters and photographers behind them.

Her face lit when she looked up at the prince, "I went to the amusement park in North Valley twice and captured some moments of couples dating there. They all look happy without having physical contact like holding hands."

"So, you're saying?" the prince scowled.

"Ma'am, here's your order," the vendor interrupted them and held out a brown paper bag with sticks holding out.

Nathalie reached for it, "Thank you," and waited for the prince, "I thought you would pay."

"Huh?" the prince wondered what she was saying until he realized the six hotdogs promised. He signaled Luke to come near them, and the private secretary took care of the payment.

The two continued their walk tour in the newly opened amusement park.

"Will you answer now?" he snatched the paper bag from her hand, and before she could complain, he gave her a childish threat, "If you don't answer, I won't give any of this to you."

"What the," she stopped walking, and he also did the same. "Okay, then," she nodded when she realized the prince was not joking about his threat. She explained, "The happy couples in the amusement do not need to do PDA. I mean, you're doing all the kissing and embracing in your home. Why would you need to do that in public places like this, right?"

He knew that she had no experience in a relationship, but she got the point. He agreed with her.

They continued to walk as he intently listened to what she was going to say next, "Anyway, in amusement park, the couples go here not just to walk and walk. And do cringe lovey acts. The couple goes here and pays for tickets, although we didn't pay for tickets, to experience the excitement in each ride. To laugh endlessly and lost the tonsils in shouting while fighting the fear of heights they did not discover until they get into those rides."