Caught Between Two Princes

2019, March 4th

Twice now, proposals of marriage had come to Zoey under unusual circumstances.

James' phone rang and the screen lit up to reveal Emily's name.. Zoey stared at it, propped up against the windshield. When the ringing stopped, she found he had 53 unread messages and 71 missed calls.

"Shouldn't you call her back?" Zoey asked.

"She's the woman in the photo with Aaron," James answered, his agitated voice in stark contrast to her timid one.

His face morphed into a look of disgust. Emily would never be sweet Emily to him again.

"I see," Zoey answered, looking down to her feet. "She's your girlfriend, right?"

"Fiancee." James held up a hand, made a fist and bit into it. "Former fiancee."

James watched as Zoey's neurons unravelled. They barely knew each other. That didn't matter though. This was a business agreement and in business, it was good to have your partner be at ease.

"I have no expectations of this marriage. It would be just for show. Much the same thing as what was going to happen between you and Aaron."

Just for show.

Is that what people thought about her marriage to Aaron? Regardless of what the truth of her situation was, James had failed to soothe her. His proposal forced her mind into thoughts of a future without Aaron. Not a single precious moment with him had been just for show to her.

"This is as much for me as it is for you, of course."

"For me?"

Zoey had been so silent that her response took James by surprise. Taking a moment to clear his throat, he went on to clarify.

"A marriage to me will protect you from becoming a pawn in this political war between King Henry and Duke Arden."

James' eyes had glazed over again, his body stiffened and his face hardened. Zoey could feel the chill coming off of his body.

George Arden. More questions popped into her head at the mention of her father.

How had she ended up here? How naive was she to let things spiral out of control the way they had? To give in to George's request of marriage to Aaron?

That was it though. She hadn't meant to. James, George, none of them understood the allure of Aaron Condor.

Zoey looked at the man next to her. James would form no warm attachment to her, nor try to please her or make her laugh and feel alive. Could she live that way when she'd been promised the moon and the stars and been foolish enough to believe it?

Her car door opened. James was leaning over her, his hand on the car door handle. Their eyes met. It was that same look he gave her when he saw her a few minutes ago. He felt so eerily familiar. A moment later it was over and Bart was knocking on the door.

"Come on Zoey. The place is ready," said Bart, looking between Zoey and James with inquiring eyes.

"Yeah, sure," she said, stepping out of the car.

James tugged on her hand. A persistent warmth spread through her as his hand held hers.

"In two hours I will come back to this spot. If you wish to accept my offer, be here."

Zoey nodded.

James closed the door and sped off. The rage was coming in hot and heavy and he didn't want to scare her any more than he already had. Besides, he had to prepare. It was by no means certain that Zoey would accept his proposal, but if she did things would progress quickly.

He would have to put everything away. This was business now, nothing less, nothing more. James felt his pounding heart slow at this thought as he called Emily.

"Hello? James?"

Emily clung to her phone like it was life or death.

"Meet in ten at the place," was all James said before tossing the phone onto the passenger seat.

He sped up again, his face hardening into rock.

Emily's hands shook so hard that she dropped her phone. She picked it up and called back. The phone rang endlessly like it had been doing for the past few hours. Now and then it would say the line was busy.

"What did he say?" Aaron asked, seated on the bench behind her with folded arms.

"He's coming here," she replied, pushing the phone to her chest, in an attempt to stop her hands from trembling.

"And you're sure this is what you want to do?" Aaron got up and stepped up behind her. "You know he won't forgive this."

Aaron rested his hands on her shoulders. Resisting the urge to lean back, Emily pulled away.

"You should go now," she said, looking down at the ring on her finger.

"Emmy..."

"This is between me and him. We owe him this much at least. Let him come to you when he's ready."

The look on Emily's face pained Aaron. This was a new low, even for him. He'd fucked them both over. The woman just out of his reach and the one who gave him her heart. Zoey. Would she understand if he told her his truth? And James, how would he face him again?

"Okay. Call if you need anything."

Aaron's hesitance to leave Emily faded when he spotted James by the fountain in the centre of the garden. Emily drew in a sharp breath and her knees turned to jelly. Aaron stepped back, hiding in the shadows and nodded to her to go.

Emily walked up to James on unsteady feet. She wanted to be moving faster, but slower at the same time. Would begging for forgiveness only end things faster?

In the minute it took her to reach him, she saw the last seven years flash before her eyes. All the time she'd waited to touch him and claim him as hers. Her mind went back to the moment James had asked her to marry him. Lowering her guard led to her thoughts diverting to another memory.

Aaron's lustful lips moulded to hers. His hands up her dress. Her fingers drawing up his back.

With every step she took toward James, she replayed more of herself kissing another man. With effort, Emily shut her eyes and pushed Aaron out of her mind.

She was now close enough to James to see his face. It was tight and devoid of emotion. His hooded eyes opened and looked into her sad, stormy ones. The warm, forest-green eyes she knew so well were empty blackness.

"James, I'm so sorry. Father found out about you and-" she started rambling.

James stuck his hands into his pockets. Emily knew what that meant. His power move. The final nail in the coffin of their relationship.

"The House of Beaumont hereby withdraws its proposal of matrimony to the House of Maine."

His voice was robotic, like a walking telegram. She didn't know if it would ever sound like anything but again when he spoke to her.

"James please," she pleaded, a single tear running down her cheek.

"Under the circumstances, I have decided that it is in my best interest if I marry someone else."

He looked her straight in the eyes as he said this, watching the woman he loved come apart.

His fingers itched to reach out and touch her. The words were on the tip of his tongue. It doesn't matter. I understand. James learned about Duke Maine's outburst and pieced together what must have happened.

If only she had come to him. If only he was staring this betrayal down for the first time. But he had already looked the other way once before. Played the fool for her.

"What?" her voice fell in disbelief.

"The marriage will become public knowledge within the next 12 hours."

"You can't be serious."

"Lady Zoey Arden must marry a prince of Terres Somnia. This will display a lack of lingering animosity between the houses of Condor and Arden."

Emily felt like the blood in her veins had turned to ice.

"What are you saying? Whom do you intend to marry?"

She screamed questions she knew the answers to over the sound of loud rain as it soaked them both through. James looked right past her.

"Come morning, I will claim the title of the crown prince of Terres Somnia. I will also announce my marriage to the new crown princess of Terres Somnia, Princess Zoey Condor."

Emily was choking back sobs.

"Jimmy, don't do this. What will become of you if your claim is disputed? Don't you remember what happened five years ago?"

He remembered alright. That day might haunt him forever. James turned his back on Emily and started walking away.

Then he stopped, looked over his shoulder and said, "Let them dispute it if they dare."

Not staying for the rest, Aaron started running. He dialled and redialed, even though he did not expect Zoey to pick up.

"Damn it, Zoey!" he screamed, pushing his burning calves to run faster. After a string of failed attempts, someone picked up.

"What?"

"Don't do it, Zoey. Don't marry him," Aaron yelled into the phone as he slammed the door shut and fumbled with his car keys.

Bart ended the call and turned to look at his sister. Zoey was staring out the window, lost in thought.

He came to stand next to her. She spared him a glance, then returned her eyes to the gentle rain that had started up again.

"Zoey, what did James want?"

"From the look on your face, it seems you already know the answer," she replied calmly.

Bart grabbed Zoey's shoulders and turned her towards him.

"Did he ask you to marry him?"

Her silence was confirmation enough.

"And? You said no, right? What is he thinking? I know he's upset, but he can't be this stupid."

Zoey's silence continued.

"You aren't actually considering this, are you?" Bart asked, sticking his face into hers.

She allowed her eyes to find his.

"A handsome, rich man asked me to marry him. Tonight. Why shouldn't I?"

"Tonight?" Bart could not contain his incredulity. "Zo, you listen to me. Do you want to get crazy drunk? Marry someone else? I don't care. Marry some random dude off the street. Dye your hair purple. Get a crazy, embarrassing tattoo for all I care. But you cannot marry this man."

"Why not?" she asked, feeling completely detached from the situation.

A vein on the side of Bart's face was now engorged. He inhaled sharply before answering. "Because Zo, James Beaumont is Prince Aaron Condor's half-brother. James Beaumont was born Prince James Condor."