The Prince Kidnap Bride

He'll Never Forget -Twenty One

Sure enough, a few days later, on Vance's twenty-first birthday, as soon as Vance woke up at around 1 in the afternoon. He went to the dining room to have brunch with his mother.  The King came into the dining hall where the Queen and Vance were having brunch. He slammed the newspaper down on the table. 

"What is it, my King?" Queen Victoria inquired, shocked at the King's attitude so early in the afternoon.

"Who's leading who here?" The King asked as he scanned the two of them sitting at the table.

"Sweetheart, I don't know what you're talking about." The queen replies as she and Vance chuckles.

"This newspaper is about him! Once again!"  The King pointed at his son.

"Why me? What did I do?" Vance asked absent-mindedly as he continued to stuff his face. He was giving no thought to his rouge reputation. 

The King motioned at the Queen with the jerk of his finger. "He needs to get married! Now!"

"Who? My baby!" The queen asked, looking shocked at her husband.  Also, Vance's eyes expanded into large circles as he chewed his food, looking at both of his parents. 

The King asked. "Baby?! What babyVictoria!  Do babies throw wild parties and be half-dressed at them with a liquor bottle in his hand? Do you two even read the paper? The King takes and reads an excerpt from the news article he had his staff print for him.

I quote, "The prince lures a Pretty girl out the back door and around to the palace gardens. Then, he works a little of his dark, seductive magic, tying the young lady to a tree! Then, stripping her naked, as he proceeds to have his way with the young lady, unquote!" 

The King is livid and fed up with Vance's antics. He was pacing back and forth. "This is so frustrating! I've worked so hard, giving you the best life ever!"  The king shouts. 

The Queen looks shocked at Prince Vance. Then, the queen goes over and stands by the king.

"He was having fun. My dear, you know how boys are my King. Marriage isn't necessary. Perhaps it's not his fault at all. He can't  help it, that he's so handsome and tall, that all the fragile flowers fall at his feet, girls are silly for boys like him."

"Yeah, father, besides, none of it is true. It's gossip! Those reporters are painting me as having licentious activities. It's not true! Father, don't let this kind of talk reach your ears and eyes." Vance says, continuing. “Because I don’t, especially when it's…

"First of all, don’t try it..." Before Vance could finish his sentence, the King's eyes cut over at Vance, his brows roughened with annoyance. Vance looks at his mother for help at this moment. The Queen could tell she was totally backed into a corner, like a rat with her baby mouse. Finally, the queen utters to the king.

"It's...it's going to be a while before I can find a suitable bride. There are requirements that a young lady is required to have to marry a Prince. Do you know how hard it is to find a proper girl?  If I find a girl, she has to be trained to behave like a princess with the potential to become Queen one day?" 

The King rolled his eyes. "Ha! Right! Make sure she is nothing like you, my dear Queen. You have one month! If you don’t find a respectable and decent girl, I will!" The King ordered the Queen. 

Vance shouts, standing. "I'll marry when I can't hold off any longer! That won't happen for a while!" 

The King raised one eyebrow at him. "Boy, I'm not your mama. I'm the King of this castle! And you will do as I say when I say it! Do you understand me?!"

The King said in a tone that Vance hadn’t heard before. He knew it strictly meant business. Vance backed down, plopping in his chair, looking at his mother pouting. Vance couldn't mask his displeasure over the idea of him having to get married. The King looked at the queen just as fierce. She nodded, letting the King know she would comply with his orders and take care of it as he left the room.

"My precious baby boy,  this is not as bad as it sounds." The Queen takes hold of her son's hand. Vance's jaw dropped. He gave a glance at this mother whose expression offered no comfort to him whatsoever. 

"I'm screwed!" He said, storming away from the table and out of the dining hall.

~~~~~~

Later that evening, at his other favorite hangout place, he and his famous entertainment friends hang out at Lee’s nightclub. Vance goes over to the VIP section of the club and orders a stiff drink and tells the scantily clad waitress to summon Zain. Zain excuses himself from the young ladies' company walking over to the co booth where Vance was sitting.  He could clearly see Vance was in a complete funk. 

"What happened? Did the cat catch the mouse?" He said, chuckling as he took a seat across from him. Vance rolled his eyes. 

"What is it? Is the Castle busy with their new pet project of planning your wedding?" Zain asks. He couldn't prevent sharp laughter from bursting out.  

Vance looked, unlike a Prince of pleasure at this moment. He wouldn't crack a smile. 

"The idea is ridiculous."

"So I'm actually right?" Zain asked, slightly surprised. "You're kidding, right, Vance?" 

"I wish I were," Vance replies, slumped down in the booth, already resting the back of his head on the seat.

"Can you see me in a white tux and tails?"

Zain shook his head. "Umm...actually, no." 

"Can I pull it off?" Vance asked, looking at Zain's face that offered no confidence. "I'm screwed?"

"Yep, you're screwed," Zain replied matter of factly.  "All you need is a few lessons on how to be a gentleman and a respectable man," Zain said, laughing.

He wanted to be encouraging, but Vance was raw and restless with the thought of it. He would not survive in the refined world of operas and fancy dinners with diplomats. 

Vance sat there sulking for a few minutes. Then he sat up suddenly. "If I have to do this, I want to marry Aria."

"You know, as well as I know, that the royal parent decides to whom you marry." Zain reminds him. 

"I don't want to marry some stiff-neck virgin. Aria is already broken into my liking.  My mother will listen to me and give me what I want. She'll let me pick my own shackle. " Vance says confidently. "I'll survive this if it's Aria." 

"Sure you will, you've cheated on that poor girl so much, she won't trust you in any marriage, then again, she’s crazy about you, and I don’t know why," Zain says, shaking his head at his friend.

"She will. Aria loves me, no matter what I do," Vance says, grinning.

Zain gave him a suspicious look. "You can try if you want, but I don't think it's going to work with Aria, and it's definitely not going to work with your momma. One thing I know about Crisco mommas is whether they are the queen or not. They have the last word when it comes to picking a mate for their sons." 

"My momma and I have an understanding. We always have, since the day I was born, we are thick as thieves."  Vance confidently says. 

"Does that make you happy? You momma’s boy." Zain says, looking at him weirdly. 

"Yes, the lovely Victoria has always given me what I want, and that makes me very happy. But, right now, I want Aria as my princess," Vance says, staring off into the distance. Zain could see him calculating and plotting something ridiculous once more.

"What are you plotting now?" Zain inquired of his friend.

"I refuse to go along with this, Zain. I refuse to." 

"Why? What's the point? You know this is how it goes for royals." 

"Not this royal. I'm a maverick! And I will have it my way." Vance says confidently. Zain shook his head, thinking what insane thing is he planning to do now?