Happy Ever After

Metawin

Do I leave the castle? Do I wait for my Prince to come back? My Prince. Is he? Did I want him to be?

I had so many questions swirling inside me. I have been trying my best to ignore them but they were like flies - incessantly buzzing, forcing me to pay attention. Usually, when the questions got too annoying, I'd snuggle my head into Bright's long, smooth neck and breathe him in. And soon, I'd be too busy drowning in his kisses to even think. But that option has been yanked away from me - from the King no less.

What were they talking about now? Did he know? Would Bright tell him? Did it mean I had no choice but to become a prince? Did men who married would-be-kings become princes? I mean surely, they weren't called queens?

Too many questions. I don't want to deal with any of these questions.

My phone rings and I double take at the name flashing on my screen. I bring the phone to my ear. "Dad?"

"Where are you?," he half barks, half slurs.

"At the palace. Why are you calling? Is something the matter?"

"Palace? You are not allowed there you dumb fairy."

Oh fantastic. Just what this day needed. "Is Carlton there?"

"Carlton? Who the fuck is Carlton? Where are you lallygagging when there's so much to be done in the manor? Why did I ever have a son like- "

Thankfully the barrage of insults are stopped by someone else grabbing the phone. I hear our butler on the other end of the line. "Lord Metawin, please forgive me. Your father has been refusing his medicine all morning and he was-"

"It's okay Carlton. Do you need me to go home? Did his nurse arrive already?"

"Yes, they're here with him now. We'll keep him away from the phone in the mean time, my Lord."

"Thank you Carlton. Call me if you need me home."

"Yes, of course. Good day, my Lord."

The line goes dead. I am eternally thankful for my staff who have stood by me all these years. Whatever would I do without Carlton and his 1800s manners and his unwavering patience?

I felt so tired. But I could not go home. I felt...alone.

I call Dara. I needed my best friend. And perhaps a beer.
And a lobotomy.

- - -

I sit in our usual cafe spot near Dara's office, cursing that I was having an americano instead of something stronger. Why is this woman always working? Did she not know she was rich?

I have turned off my phone so am not sure if Dara was on her way here or how much longer I needed to wait but I am too much of a wuss to turn it back on. Because I know Bright is trying to reach me. I know it for a fact. And I don't want to face that right now. Also, my father may be calling me again. And no thank you to that. So instead of being a sensible adult human being, I was instead using my poor phone as a fidget spinner when someone taps me on the shoulder.

Finally, my fries are here. But instead of a waitress with a plateful of salty fries, I find myself looking at Hirun.

"Can I join you?," Hirun asks.

"I am saving that chair for Dara," I tell him tersely. Handsome as he was, I didn't want to deal with anyone remotely related to royal family right now. Why are they all near me anyway? Was I some kind of bat signal for anyone with blue blood?

Of course, Hirun completely misses my hint for him to leave. He takes the chair and flashes me one of his debonair grins. "Well, she's not here yet. I can keep the seat warm. Pretend we're on a date."

I groan. "We are not doing that."

"Oh, so I take it, things are pretty serious with my cousin?"

I freeze. I hate myself for freezing. Of course things were serious? Right?

"Are you looking at me like that because he proposed to you but it's still a secret and am supposed to start practicing calling you Your Highnes? Or do you look like that because you and Bright are just having a fling and it's also supposed to be a secret? It's hard to guess."

"Fuck off." That is all I manage to say. Fucking Hirun and his timing. I take a sip of my coffee and again curse the heavens that it wasn't tequila.

"Or has he proposed to you and you don't know what to answer?"

"No one has proposed to anyone Hirun!" Dara, where on god's green Earth are you?

"Good. Royal engagements are a pain. Royal weddings are a pain. And actually becoming part of the royal family? Ugh."

"You're part of the royal family."

"I am from the part that's far away from the throne. So I get to be rich and have fun. Marrying the crown prince on the other hand? It's a lot of power sure but you know what Spiderman said."

"Responsibility."

"Responsibility. Duty. Scrutiny. All those meetings and paper work." He makes a gagging noise. "Look, I get what you see in Bright. Every person in this Kingdom has had a crush on my cousin at one point in their life. But you don't strike me as someone who'd be okay living such a rigid life just for a handsome man. I mean that's why I keep flirting with you. You seem so done with the royals and you do your own thing - it's very attractive."

"Please stop hitting on me. Your cousin is very good with his fists. I fear for your life."

"I don't need to know how good his fists are," Hirun says with a disgusted grimace.

"That's not what I meant!"

Hirun laughs, his pretty eyes crinkling. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. You're being uncharacteristically uptight."

If only he knew how often and out of nowhere my moods could dip. This wasn't uncharacteristic at all. People just didn't get this side of me often. I hid it well. But I was too tired to hide it today. "Would it be so bad if I got serious with Bright?"

"Not bad. Just not easy.  Unless I am wrong about you and how you avoid the royal circles."

"Can you blame me? They're not exactly kind to Teepakorns."

"They won't get kinder just because you're on the throne. You and I know how politics work."

"You keep saying things like we're alike. You don't really know me."

"I'd love to get to know you better," he answers quickly with that signature smarm of his.

"Hirun!"

"What? It was right there. In all seriousness though, Bright comes with the Palace. He is the Palace. You cannot be with him and escape the royal life at the same time. Unless your grand plan is to have him give up the throne?"

"Of course not!" That would be the most stupid course of action. Bright would make a great king. He was meant to lead.

"Then welcome to the circus, cuz-in-law."

"Stop that. It's been a few dates. That's all." Was that all it was? Was I lying or telling the truth?

Hirun shrugs and our conversation is interrupted by fries. Hirun gets one and pops it in his mouth.

I needed to lie down. To hell with what was happening at the house. I put money on the table. "Can you please tell Dara I went home?"

"Win, wait -"

"Hirun, please. I just need to go home."

I realize when I say home, I mean Bright's room. Or the Royal Kitchen. But those are not options right now.
So tonight, home needed to mean Teepakorn Manor.