4 Chapter 4

"Hiya!"

The royal stable was in a rumble as all the stable workers made sure to clear the path. The royal guards took their positions to secure the area the moment the neighing sounds of horses filled the entire field. Everything had to be perfect and safe the moment the horses were in sight and the prince's path had to be cleared too.

"Alpha B," the Prince's head of security said through his security wrist-watch, he raised his head to the rooftop where some of the guards stayed in position. "Stay in position," he reminded them. "Confirm security status, I repeat, what is the security status from up there?"

"Clear."

"Clear."

"Clear general."

It was all clear, everything was ready for the Prince to make an entrance. Elijah took his position away from the path the moment the magnificent white horse became visible and the other two black horses rode behind it. The prince was coming.

The security of the Royal family always came first in Breton. The royal guards were trained to serve the royal family with their lives on the line. Each and every one of them were ready to die for the prince or any other member of the royal family if need be and that was why the security in the palace was never underemphasized.

"Hiyah!"

The prince's voice drew closer as they all bowed their head waiting in respect as the hooting sounds of all the horses drew closer. You could hear the laughter of the prince from a distance. It was always that way when he was out horse riding with his friends.

Everyone waited patiently until the horses were within sight. You could see how the prince stood out from the rest even as the horses came to a stop at the center of the field.

Prince Aiden-Cree, the only son of the thirty-second king of Breton and the apple of his parents eye. Prince Aiden was basically the apple of everyone's eye. He had become a symbol of national treasure from the day he was born. The young prince who was exclusively and undeniably good looking, was not only tall with an amazing body build, but was extra smart and had the biggest heart in the entire kingdom. He was kind as he was merciful, brave with the purest upturned hazel eyes you could ever imagine and the tiny beauty mark beside his right eye was everything. His skin was flawless and always stood out from others and each time he smiled, it felt like his beautiful dimples could end the world.

He had really healthy brow hairs and his jawline was chiseled. For a prince, his features were beyond amazing, every curve, every inch of him, perfection. His bow-shaped lips were the fantasy of every female in the entire kingdom, he was a fantasy, like a prince from a fairy tale but he was real.

He was real and the entire ladies in the entire kingdom fancied him a great deal. It wasn't just him but the three of them, the kingdom's K3.

Everyone knew who they were. The K3 was the most powerful friendship group in the entire kingdom consisting of the prince and his best friends, Harry Fletcher, the son of the duke of Campraine and Asher Coleman, the son of the minister of Aviation. The nations power group. Just like him, the prince's friends weren't lacking in neither looks nor brains and so they also won the attention of the people.

Being a prince meant that everything he did was mapped out for him on the day he was born. Aiden had everything in his life done according to the books to uphold his title as the king in waiting, even his friends.

Yes,

It was not a chance that Harry and Asher had become friends to the throne, it took them a lot of tests to get there, to become friends of the prince and up until that moment, the Queen was sure never to let her guard down.

The palace is a battle field, no one is your friend, everyone is your enemy.

That was all she brought him up to know so Aiden never ate the same food once, he had no favorite servant or guard or food so it wouldn't be used against him. Growing attached to one thing made you weak and he knew that. The only constant things in his lives were his friends and he was glad they were.

"I think I'm going to throw up if I run on a horse one more time." Harry tried to push back the bile he could feel rising in his throat.

This was the longest they had ever gone horse riding and that was because Aiden kept insisting. Horse riding was the only thing that helped him clear his head and being able to do that with his friends was even more helpful.

Aiden let out a tiny scoff just as Asher grabbed on to Harry's shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Man up Harry," he told him. "The pretty ladies look up to you and they are watching." Aiden followed their gaze to where the court ladies were standing behind them with their heads still bowed. He returned his gaze to them.

"You could get beheaded for that if my great grandfather was king." He let his smile remain.

Asher cleared his throat and tugged his shirt.

"Well good thing he isn't king isn't it?"

Aiden scoffed.

"Can we car race next time?" Harry asked. "I don't think I'd ever be ready to climb a horse for the rest of summer break."

"It's in three days," Asher caught his attention when he spoke again. Aiden slowly turned to him. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

A frown found its way on Aiden's face. He knew exactly what Asher was asking and why they were looking at him like that but he wasn't sure he knew how to answer that.

Aiden was taught that every decision he made, every decision made for him was for the throne and for the future of Breton and so he didn't really have a choice when his parents already played match makers on his behalf. And just like that, it was hard for him to smile again.

"Dude," Harry played with the neck of his shirt. "I mean your highness, I never knew being a prince could be so difficult and selfish. I mean, we all know how you and Vurton have never seen eye to eye, I just can't believe you're going to have to get married to her someday and what's worse, your engagement is in three days."

"Harry," Asher gave him a tiny nod on his side with an elbow.

Aiden smiled

"That's another thing you could have been beheaded for if my grandfather was king."

"Your highness, are you sure there's nothing we can do to help? We could seek for an audience with the king, or the queen,"

"That's uh," Aiden scratched his brows, "That's never going to work. But it's nothing to worry about, I am the prince of Breton, my responsibility is to the throne and people of Breton, if getting married to one of the Vurtons is going to help me fulfill my responsibilities and retain balance in the kingdom, then that's just what I'd do."

Harry let out really weak exhale.

"We should visit the shooting range tomorrow."

Asher had to lighten the mood, "It's been long since I had a real competition. We could train with swords too, like the old days."

Aiden nodded. He was going to love that a lot.

The boys got their attention caught short the moment the chief guard made his way to them.

"Your highness," he bowed when Aiden turned a little bit to face him, he raised his head again. "The queen would like an audience."

"It looks like that's our cue." Asher said, turning slowly to Harry. Aiden slowly turned back to them. "It seems you have those responsibilities to get back to your highness."

"You'd be there for my coronation anniversary wouldn't you?"

"Like we would ever miss it for the world." Harry smirked. Aiden let out an exhale when he watched his friends bow slightly to him in sync.

"Your highness?" That was his guard's way of reminding him that he had somewhere to be. Aiden understood perfectly.

"Let's see as planned tomorrow." Aiden told them.

"Yes your majesty."

Aiden nodded. He turned slowly as the rest of the guards and servants took their positions behind him.  He walked away.

*************************************************

"Your majesty, the prince has arrived."

Aiden waited for his arrival to be announced followed by the creaking sound of the door as it opened, giving him free access into the queen's chambers. His guards took their positions right outside as the door closed after him.

Aiden kept his head high and his shoulders broadened as he made his way into the magnificent bedroom just as he was taught how to make an entrance the day he learnt to walk. Aiden could see her, his mother, so majestic in her royal robe and mantle. He noticed how pretty she was, just like every other day, her long fingers were wrapped around her coffee mug with two female servants waiting patiently at her service, with their heads bowed.

The smell of jasmines, which was also her favorite flower filling the air. She maintained a majestic posture and still managed to look so young and beautiful even for her age. Not that no one had seen it coming, it was a tradition in Breton for the queens to produce a royal heir as soon as possible and queen Vanessa, just like the queens before her, had become a queen at such a young age. At nineteen, she had already birthed Aiden that was why it was easy to mistake her for his older sister if you ever saw her without her royal robes on.

"Mother." Aiden made sure to keep a straight face. Composure in the presence of the queen or king was also one of the things he learnt how to do from a really young age. "You called for me?"

Vanessa slowly dropped her coffee mug back on the tray, taking her time. Aiden waited. He had all the patience in the world. She raised her head to him and let herself smile effortlessly.

"How was horse riding today?" She asked him.

"Forgive me." He lowered his gaze to her. Vanessa looked around to make sure he was talking to her, right before she narrowed her gaze to him again.

"And what would the prince be needing my forgiveness for?"

"It's because I'm about to do something below my etiquettes as a prince, again."

Vanessa pouted. She had so many ideas, she wasn't sure which to choose from. She returned her gaze to him.

"Which one?"

Aiden let out a really loud exhale and slouched his shoulders. He started to find his way hurriedly to his mother's side and when he got close enough, he threw himself on her bed and sought her embrace immediately. The servants looked away so they could hide the excitement in their faces. As the personal servants of the queen, the ladies loved seeing the Prince warm up to his mother like that.

"I'm super exhausted." He held on tightly to her. "I never thought horse hiding would exhaust me so much."

Vanessa scoffed. Was there ever any time he wasn't such a baby like that?

"I don't think you have the luxury to be exhausted right now." She told him. "You still have your etiquette classes in an hour, and then you have that community service with the children at the orphanage, you're also going to give that speech at the graduation ceremony of the elementary class of Breton's school for the gifted by five and then you'd be joining your father and I for dinner with the prime minister and his family by seven."

"Mnnn." Aiden was barely even listening. He was too exhausted to. He didn't even bother to let go of her. He just wanted to be right there, holding her like that.

Everyone admired the relationship between the queen and the prince.

"Aren't you excited to know what Paris is going to give you for your anniversary this year?"

"Mnn." His answer was still the same. "It's probably going to be something I don't need again. I've got an entire room filled with them."

Vanessa exhaled.

She knew what was coming next. She held on to his arm and slowly pulled him away from her. Aiden lowered his body to hold her again. He wasn't ready to let her go yet but Vanessa didn't let him.

"You know Aiden, one day you're going to have to learn to accept her not just as your queen but as the mother and future of this country. A country that would become yours soon."

Aiden exhaled. If there was one conversation he wasn't trying to have, it was this one.

"Mum, can we not talk about this right now?"

"Your father and I believe that Paris is good for you. She's from a respectable family too, she's smart and really pretty, think about the beautiful babies you'd both have together."

"Mum, come on-"

Vanessa chuckled.

"Stop trying to embarrass me please."

"All I'm saying is that the faster you start learning to accept her and be good to her, the better for all of us. Paris and her family have been loyal to the throne for years. If there's anyone that's fit to help you rule this country one day, it's her. Girls like her are really hard to come by and let's not forget the prophesy about the Luna eclipse."

Aiden rolled his eyes. He was about to hear that story again for the hundredth time. It was his mother's favorite fairytale that somehow happened to be written in the history books.

"It is said that the female child which was born on the night of the Luna eclipse seventeen years ago would be the one to bring the reformation and restoration of Breton. There has only been one record of one female child being born on that day in the entire country, it's Paris. You know how powerful and significant the Luna eclipse was to our country, it was a magical night. The only eclipse that happens in this part of the world and comes once in five hundred years, we were blessed to witness it. It can't be a coincidence, this is fate somehow playing itself out and making things so easy for the royal family."

Aiden clicked his tongue and let out a shaky breath. He wasn't even sure of anything anymore. All Aiden had ever wanted his whole life was the privilege to choose who he was going to spend the rest of it with. It looked like that was just another thing that his position as prince gave him on a platter. There was nothing about his life that wasn't dictated by everyone else and thinking about it always found a way to make him so upset.

He had gotten so used to hearing people make decisions and choices for him that he stopped caring to listen anymore. Nothing ever surprised him.

"Summer break would be over in a few weeks and the royal academy is going to be open again. Being in school again, with Paris is going to give you the whole time in the world to get to know her. You both could start over especially after your engagement is announced. I'm sure the entire nation is rooting for you two."

"Yeah, sure."

Vanessa's smile widened.

"Have tea with me."

What do you think about the character Aiden?🤔 I really want to know. Dream prince or Nah?