Blue Blood and Belgium Chocolate

|06| Of Marriage

PRINCE ADALIZ

Age: 34 years old

I BEGAN TO lose track of time, as days slipped by. Daegan was forgiven but I could tell it look a lot for father to push his ego aside. Daegan also had to undergo more intensive physical therapy because while the kick hadn't pushed the rod out of place, it had bruised his leg enough to affect his limp. Besides working with the physiotherapist, he's not supposed to walk till the end of the week.

I've received the financial status from the library and without Daegan to pounder with, I'm left alone in my study trying to figure out what to do to get the library in its prime. The precious books we managed to collect, like first editions of the french Harry Potter Books had been burned away leaving very little for me to work with. 

I'd sat in meetings with the library council members, on top of my regular meetings with the Belgium Parliament. I needed to figure out what I was going to do or where I would start off because looking at it from this perspective was overwhelming. I pushed the auburn hair that had fallen into my face away. I decide to talk it through with Daegan. 

I'm leaving my study when I see my mother. I bow, and greet, "Your Majesty."

"Prince Adaliz," she returns my greeting. When I look up she's smiling. "How have you been?" She asks. "I was just coming to check in on you."

"I'm fine," I tell her, "thank you for checking in on me."

"Will you take a walk with me?" She asks. 

She knows I can't refuse her, so I nod, and walk in step with her. She leads the way, gracefully. We're going to the gardens, it's her favourite place in the whole palace. "Have I told you the story about your father and I?" She asks.

I nod. I've heard the story since I was 28. "You have, many times." I laugh, "You were 29, your father arranged the marriage with my father and it worked."

When I turn to glance at her, she's smiling. Her eyes in a time before mine, "Your father was 26. I actually didn't think he wanted to settle. You remember how you were at 26." She reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze.

I remember, I was more interested in my Masters in Political Science, a little like how Jasper was. I'd taken a few years off only to complete my masters at 26. I didn't have time to date, when I wasn't studying, I'd been sitting in on all of fathers meetings. 

"Your father wasn't like that, he was already ready to rule at 26, he was looking for a bride too and didn't mind that I was older than him. In fact, he liked it. He didn't have time to look for a potential partner and trusted his parents that I was a suitable match."

"How did you feel about the arrangement?" I ask her. We've reached the doors to the palace. The guards opens it for us. The sun is gentle, not harsh in the morning. It's been a while since I've been out in the sun. 

My mother smiles as the sunlight hits her skin. "I wasn't sure at first, I wasn't in a hurry to get married. I enjoyed being young and available. I had more partners before your father."

"You did?" I frown, my mother has been nothing if not elegant and classy. The idea of having more partners than my father was strange.

"Of course I did. I wasn't the Crown Princess, I had time." She laughs, "If anyone looks at you, you'd believe all your siblings haven't dated at least once."

"Daegan hasn't," I'm quick to say.

My mother looks at me, in a look that says otherwise. It bothers me. Daegan had a partner? and he never told me? So did my sister Fabianne? And my kid siblings, Jasper and Laurie have dated before me? How did I not know any of this? Maybe I wouldn't know if Laurie has dated. But Jasper? Fabianne? and Daegan whom I knew as my own brother, as my best friend?