A Prince's Heart

Frozen

Yesterday was nice. I stayed with Chris until about 10 and then Kristina came and picked me up from his house. Once I got home they wanted the scoop on everything, literally everything. They kept me up until 2 in the morning just talking. I could have just stayed with him.

This morning I dropped by my office to grab some papers for the meeting I have today with Mr. Dillon Hunt. I was supposed to meet with him weeks ago but we had to reschedule due to some emergency trip he had to make to Austria, so today is our lunch.

I wore a simple navy blue cocktail dress that would get his attention but wouldn't be inappropriate for this meeting. Kristina had laid it out for me this morning.

When I arrived to the small restaurant Dillon was sitting at the bar sipping a rum and coke casually with his laptop out, so I approached him.

"Hello Mr. Hunt." I said reaching for his hand to shake. "I'm-"

"You must be Miss Raven from Richie Rich Magazine. Your voice is just as pretty as you are." He said grasping my hand and shaking it whimsically.

"Thank you Mr. Hunt"

"no, please call me Dillon. Actually, you can call me Dill." He smiled and his teeth glistened. The man looked expensive and untouchable. "Would you care for a drink or a bite to eat?" he offered.

"I'll just take water with lemon please."

He got the bartenders attention and got it for me.

"So let's get down to business" I said prepared to get this over with.

He just smirked. "I know I'm fine and you want to jump my bones, but please, I wouldn't feel right unless I bought you dinner first." He said joking, but I didn't find it funny to the slightest.

"I meant the magazine."

He laughed and rested his hand on my leg. "I know, I know; I'm only kidding. Loosen up sweetheart." He took a swig of his rum and coke before adjusting his diamond cuff links. "Ok, business time"

Yay, finally.

For most of the meeting I asked him the questions Meredith approved and listened to him ramble on and on about himself. He threw in a couple of jokes and I had to pretend they were funny and "flirt' with him here and there, but I had no choice. Meredith made it clear that we needed his cooperation to become a worldwide sensation. If I fuck this up I'm most likely going to lose my job.

...CHRISTOPHER...

This morning when I woke up I had a little extra pep in my step. Julissa was better, I had Raven to myself all yesterday, and now I might be on the verge of having the best relationship I've ever had.

I woke up Julie, fed her, and clothed her before we made our way through the portal to the palace.

"Mother!" I yelled in search of a response that would direct me to her location.

"I am in the dining hall Christopher" she spoke back right as I almost walked past it.

I set Julissa free to wander and I walked in to talk to my mother. She was sitting at the head of the table where my father would normally sit.

"You need to go see your father, he has some disturbing news." She informed me expressionless. " wait, Christopher!" she said catching my attention before I left the room. "your eyes are sparkling."

"Sparkling? What do you mean, mother?" I questioned slightly confused.

"yes, have you found love?" she asked. "Your father had the same look when we began courting." She must mean something to you."

She went to a cabinet and then came back to me with a box which held a necklace that was in the shape of a sun but with a chariote gemstone in the middle.

"it's a family stone. All of the Queens of the family have worn a version of this necklace. If she is the one, when it is placed around her neck it will flow momentarily. Once it glows once, it will never glow again, so you must get this right. There is one for each prince." She closed the box and handed it to me.

No pressure right? I really cannot mess this up.

"Now, go see your father, then get to work. I am going to go find Julissa and have her practice the violin today."

"yes, mam" I kissed her on the cheek and proceeded down the corridor to my father's room. I was slightly nervous for this 'disturbing news'.

I knocked on his door. "Father, it is me." I spoke through the door."

"You may enter."

I walked in cautiously. I've only been allowed in here a handful of tines. It's been years since the last visit.

"Hello father, how are you?" I asked while standing next to his bed as he nonchalantly flipped through the kingdom newspaper.

"I am quite fine, Christopher. Fantastic actually! I have made the best decision that I've made in a while."

"What decision is that?" I asked.

He dropped his newspaper and stared intently at me. "I have decided to stop the treatments, stop taking the medications, and just enjoy my life, well, what I have left of it."

I didn't blink. I didn't speak. Did I hear him correctly? This cannot be happening.

"No father. I need some more time! Please, please..." I pleaded.

"Don't beg, Christopher; have some pride. I have given you over 3 years; do not be so selfish."

"I am so close father. I am courting someone now." I explained.

"Perfect! Four to eight months should be more than enough time to propose for marriage."

"but father—" I began only to be cut off by him raising his hand to silence me. He coughed briefly.

"Either you have the wife of your choice before my death, or you will be arranged to be married the day of my funeral. End of discussion! You are dismissed!" he lifted up his newspaper and started flipping through it again.

I bowed without saying a thing and left for the portal. So much for my good day.

I got to my office to finish off some sketches, but I was having a hard time focusing today with the new news my father just presented me, so I felt it would be appropriate to take an early lunch break.

I drove to a small restaurant across town that I thought would be nice to take Raven to for a date, but I wanted to make sure it was good enough first.

Too bad it seemed like she was already trying it out...with another man.

I was frozen at the glass door just staring at her in a daze. All of our dates flashed through my mind. I wasn't sure if I was angry or heart broken, but watching her sit at the bar flirting with this man.

I squinted to get a good look at him. Oh, it's not just any man either. No, she had to be flirting with my company's arch rival. I felt used. I bet this is whole thing was just a ploy the whole time.

I wasn't sure how to handle this, but I didn't have to think long because she spotted me at the door. All I could do was shake my head, furrow my eyebrows, and put my head down. I walked back to my car angrily. I have just been played.