Caught Between Two Princes

2018, December 4th

"Fuck!" Aaron screamed in agony.

A brief moment. It was a tiny jab. He would be okay. Zoey justified her actions to herself as she lifted the heel of her 6-inch stiletto off of his shoe. Jesse slammed on the brakes and whipped his head back.

"Are you okay, Your Highness!" Jesse asked in a panic.

“Fine," Aaron grunted through his teeth.

Zoey darted out of the car before Aaron could recover. Aaron's grimace soon turned into a smile. He looked on as Bart took his sister's hand and tried to lead her off like she was a naughty schoolgirl. Zoey wasn't taking orders from anyone. She marched her way up to the gates. The two guards positioned on either end exchanged a look before they bowed in unison.

"Open it up," she said, hands on her hips.

The guards sheepishly looked to Bart for direction, who gave none. Zoey summoned foreign bravado, squared her shoulders and jutted out her chin.

"I, Lady Zoey Arden, demand that you open the gates right now," she insisted.

"My lady!" the guards chorused, responding to the entitlement of nobility by saluting her.

The gates opened. The guards shared another nervous look before their eyes went back to Bart. Without so much as a glance back, Zoey walked right out. Bart dropped his folded arms and stepped up to the men.

"My Lord," one stuttered.

"You're both fired. Get out."

"But Lord Bart!" one of them began.

What was Bart supposed to do with the spoiled brat in the car in front of him? Should he send a car after Zoey? Caines was a big city for a small-town bumpkin. He made his way to Aaron's car, having lost interest in the guards.

"Get out," Bart said once he reached Aaron's door.

"Quite fond of those words, aren't you?" Aaron quipped.

Bart opened the door of the car and crouched down to be at eye level with Aaron.

"If so much as a hair on her head is harmed, I will personally make it my mission in life to see you lose the crown."

Aaron laughed.

"I didn't think you wanted to be a prince, Arden."

"I have no interest in your crown, Your Highness. We both know, though, that you weren't exactly daddy's first choice."

Aaron flinched. The kid had caught him off guard.

"The word is that the House of Beaumont has a new duke."

Bart enjoyed the irritation on Aaron's face, clear evidence that he had struck a nerve. He leaned in closer.

"I'm sure you know him well, Your Highness. Duke James Beaumont," Bart said, slow and deliberate.

The two young men locked eyes. Aaron's face relaxed into a smile and he gestured towards the seat next to him.

"What is your game, Arden? You can't seriously want me for a brother-in-law."

Bart got into the car, staring straight ahead as he adjusted his suit.

"Despite not being the royal family, the House of Arden still has great political sway. Such influence means that the people trust us and because of that trust, they do business with us."

"Yes, yes. The Arden empire is one of the richest in the world and second only to that of the House of Maine in Terres Somnia. I am aware," Aaron replied with an eye roll.

Aaron didn't usually mind playing the fool for people. It put them at ease, thinking he was a troublemaking pretty boy without a clue. This time it wouldn't fly though. No one was picking his bride but him.

Bart loosened his tie and sat back, turning his head to look at Aaron.

"So there's not mere fluff between your ears. It seems you do pay attention."

"I'm not marrying her."

"Let me be clear. She is not some hostage. I will not allow any of you to force her into anything."

"My, my. Tough Bart, looking out for his big sis. Cute."

Bart grabbed the prince by the collar.

"If you go after her and treat her like a plaything, this marriage will never happen. I will consider it a declaration of war. I will take your crown from you, one way or another. I will break you."

Bart did not waver. He might not be a prince, but his blood ran as blue as Aaron's. Being turned into natural rivals at an early age by society led to animosity between the youths.

Despite the Condors being the royal family, the Ardens held a strong claim to the throne. Bart would not hesitate to make himself a nuisance. Nonetheless, Aaron wasn't about to back down from a fight with an Arden.

Aaron shoved Bart back. Their pulses were racing. The air was thick and suffocating. Neither of them blinked.

Maintaining his don't care demeanour, Aaron threw his hands up and pointed out, "What do you want me to do? Our dads have all but signed the marriage licence already. I can't tell the king no."

"No, I suppose that would require balls."

"You have no idea what it's like being me," Aaron snapped.

"And you have no idea how to treat a woman like she's human. She's not like one of your usual girls. She is headstrong and smart. This whole bad boy thing is not going to cut it."

Bart got out of the car as swiftly as he had gotten into it.

"Cheer up Aaron, this is the part you are good at. Find the girl, get her to like you."

Bart turned his gaze on the driver. Jesse bowed his head.

"My Lord."

"Make sure he finds my sister and brings her home. You have until sunset. I will stall until then."

"And if I don't?" Aaron asked.

Bart's face took on an eerie, ugly smirk.

"If you don't, I'm sure the king will love meeting Duke Beaumont."

Two minutes after leaving the Arden estate, Aaron spotted Zoey. Her face red from the heat did nothing to stop her from stomping along. No doubt she regretted her decision to leave but was too proud to go back.

Not that Aaron had any right to judge. The Arden brat had been right about him not having any stones. For years he had known who he wanted his wife to be. Emily Maine. Aaron thought he would convince his parents (and her) of the match by making them think it was their idea. Instead, the responsibilities of being a prince followed him around like a bad penny.

To add insult to injury, James was back. Did Emily know yet? Aaron didn't think his brother would set foot in Caines again after he and Cassie fled five years ago. Now his rival for Emily's heart had returned, right when he was about to make his move. Life was kicking Aaron's ass from all directions.

Zoey sat down on the pavement, her legs crossed and screamed, "What is this fresh hell! It's the bloody middle of winter!"

Aaron started as her screaming pulled him out of his brooding. Jesse and Aaron had been following her for a good half hour from a safe distance. Sweat dripped down the side of her face. She was right. It was warm for this time of the year. Aaron got out of the car with an amused grin. She was making a scene and she didn't care. His kind of girl.

"Your Highness," came Jesse's voice from the driver's seat.

"Wait here," Aaron ordered.

"But Prince Aaron-"

"I won't be long."

Zoey raised her head as an umbrella came into view above her. When her eyes met with the owner's, she groaned.

"Take a hint and go away. Not marrying you, not marrying anyone."

She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs.

"I haven't spent a minute alone with the person I came to see," Zoey mumbled.

"And who might that be? Should I be jealous?" Aaron returned with a smirk.

He liked looking at her. Despite being an obstacle to what he wanted, she was a good distraction.

Zoey got up and started walking again.

"I have a life you know? I'm starting my PhD soon. I have a mom. I have-"

Here she fell short.

So what if she didn't have a life outside of academia and her mom? That didn't give Duke Arden the right to decide for her. Fuck George.

Deflated and depressed, she was on her way back down when she felt something pressed into her hand. It was the handle of the umbrella. When next she knew, she was being lifted into the air.

"Hey! Put me down," she complained.

He looked into her face and smiled again as she kicked and pounded on his chest. For a moment, his resentment towards his parents gave way. Aaron always was a sucker for a pretty face. This one even came with a brain. He could do worse.

"Hold the umbrella upright. You're going to burn that beautiful skin of yours."

Aaron tightened his grip on her. Zoey felt his fingers press down on her thigh. The breath got caught in her throat.

"I'm not so bad to spend time with, am I?"

Zoey didn't answer. She stilled as she felt his lips press up against her ear. Her head tilted back cautiously as she raised her face to his to meet his eye. The smile turned into a crooked grin of triumph.

She gulped. He was holding her in his big, warm arms. Heat crawled up her neck and coloured her cheeks a furious red. Her mind cleared, only to be immediately flooded by the oceans in his eyes. She stopped struggling. No anger toward her parents or concerns about getting home plagued her. Her mind's sole focus was his handsome face being so close to hers.

Enjoying her eyes on him, Aaron took Zoey off-guard once more. He walked them to a nearby oak tree, and then lowered Zoey down on a nearby bench.

"Be right back," he said with a wink as he turned away from her.

As she sat there, trying to make sense of her racing heart, she watched Aaron buy two ice-creams from a man on a bicycle. The man was all smiles and refused to take the prince's money. Aaron slipped a few notes into the man's pocket as he distracted him with light banter.

It was almost a relief to find that she wasn't the only one charmed by him, maddening as his charm was. Aaron returned, dropped next to her and handed her an ice cream.

"If this is a proposal, the answer is still no," she said, but she accepted his offering.

She pulled her legs up on the bench and crossed them as she started on her ice cream.

"Not a proposal of marriage, but I suppose a proposal of sorts."

He'd outwitted his father and Duke Arden, only to let an ice cream wrapper get the better of him. There was a joke in there somewhere he thought as he continued to struggle with unwrapping the cone.

Without a word, Zoey took his ice cream and replaced it with hers. She then set to work ripping the wrapping off of his cone. Her actions were unladylike and bold. Two of Aaron's favourite things in a woman.

"Well, what is this proposal then?" she asked, deciding to humour him.

Her tongue swept over the top of the new ice cream. It was his turn to stare. He watched her until he felt something cold drip down onto his hand. The ice cream was melting.

"Go out with me," he said, making quick work of what used to be her cone.

Zoey swallowed a big chunk of ice cream, jumped up and started hopping up and down.

"What is it? Are you okay?" he asked, laying a hand on her shoulder as came to stare into her face.

"Again with the touching," she mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

She jumped, this one higher than the previous ones.

"So cold! Brain freeze!"

"That's what you get for shuffling it all down like that," he teased, pulling her in for a hug.

As he set about rubbing her back in an attempt to warm her up, Zoey thought about the last time someone asked her out. It happened at her first frat party in college. A drunk frat boy asked her out in front of everyone. Instead of saying no like a normal person, she ran away. Zoey never went to another party after that.

"Pretty sure this is at least a third date thing," she mumbled

Aaron pulled away, letting his hands linger on her arms as he rubbed them up and down.

"Depends on who the date is with," he said, oozing confidence.

There was something so sexy about the way he spoke. How unrelenting, yet gentle he was in pursuing her. He was like something from a spicy dream. Always knew exactly what to say. This only added to her nervousness.

"No," she said flatly, walking away quickly. "But thanks for the ice cream."

Aaron had to hurry to catch up to her. He grabbed the umbrella.

"At least let me drive you back to the Arden mansion. Everyone is probably worried and you can't exactly walk back to Rosa."

With these words, the ridiculousness of her leaving the way she did hit home. Of course, she knew she couldn’t walk back to Rosa. It was a good 16-hour drive, never mind walking. But then she hadn't been thinking when she left the estate.

They had doubled back without her realising it. She blamed him. He made her too flustered to think straight. Zoey saw Aaron's car and Jesse waiting in front of it in the distance.

"Tell you what, Your Highness. If you carry me back to the estate, I will go out with you."

Aaron looked back at the car. Zoey snorted.

"Shall we take the car then, Your Highness?"

"One sec."

With a determined look on his face, Aaron jogged over to Jesse and they struck up a conversation. Jesse's face took on a sour expression that got worse the longer they spoke. On Aaron's jog back, she watched Jesse shake his head, get into the car and drive off.

Zoey's face went pale.

"Where is he going?"

"We won't be needing a car if I'm going to carry you home, now will we?"

Zoey remembered his arms around her and she became flustered all over again.

Then she saw him and couldn't help letting out a laugh. He was squatting with his knees bent and his back to her.

"You must be joking."

He got up, turned around, reached out and started twirling one of her golden locks around his finger.

"Would you prefer I carry you like before, princess?"

"Just turn around already."