The Prince Kidnap Bride

Exclusive Dinner with the Park Family

Time was advancing, Queen Victoria, in all her diligence, along with everyone in the Palace preparing for a new family member. The thought of babies filling the palace thrilled everyone when the queen spoke of it so joyously.

"Vance, there you are. I've been looking diligently for the perfect girl, I promise. But in the meantime, don’t you think you should start working, my darling. Your father wants you to work on international diplomacy. It’ll be a good position for you once you get the hang of it and perfect marriage." 

"What? I don't want to be stuck with no job."

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Even mommy works. How do you think I run this whole palace by myself? It’s not so bad. You get to supervise and tell others what to do. You’ll love it once you get the hang of it. And besides, I’ve trained you myself to be the perfect social butterfly. You're perfect and being social, and really that’s all that fancy title requires. The Palace is famous for its hospitality. You’ll be great at it!" The Queen says, smiling gleefully. 

"But that means I will have to hold meetings and business functions and dinners."  He made quotation marks- "functions." In addition, I have to wear medals and sashes."  Vance says, frowning at the formality of it all.  "What man willingly wears a sash?" 

"One that will be the ruler of all of Crisco. You will be King, my dear, one day."  His mother firmly reminds him. 

"One day, but no time soon, mother. I need to talk to you about something far more pressing than sashes!" He says, taking her by the arm to sit down with him.

"If I have to get married. I already know who I want as my wife." Vance says, smiling. The queen smiles too. 

"Who is it? Have you met a nice virgin girl of proper status already? She asked. 

"Yes,  Aria!" He said elatedly. 

"Who is that, my love?" The queen asks. 

"Aria, the girl I've dated off and on since high school." 

The queen's face immediately frowned. "No! It could never be her. Did you forget the promise you made?" 

"That was when I was a boy. Sure, I said, I would never marry her, so you could let me date her back then." 

"She doesn't qualify! Never! I'll find you someone suitable." The queen stood, walking away. Vance stood up, going after his mother. "Wait! I want Aria, mother." 

"You don't get to choose the future queen. I do. Now don't worry, I will find someone suitable for you." 

"Why can't it be Aria?" Vance asked strongly.

"Because she's.... an out-liner. 

The princess has to be 100% Crisco. So, now you know, it could never be her, ever!"

Vance's father, the king, insists that he gets married, and it's in the queen's hands. The queen has to guarantee the purity of the line. Vance hung his head, he knew the history and the bad blood that existed with Crisco and out-liners, but he never thought it would matter until now. 

“Son, it could never be her." 

He winced. "But I love Aria."  Vance rubbed his temples in agony. 

“Do you understand son, she was just a plaything. It's time for you to get rid of your toy. Please do it for mommy so we can make the king happy. Do you want me to be happy?”

“Yes, mother, I want you to be happy.” 

“That’s my perfect son. You’ll see I’ll find you a girl that will make you happy forever.” 

Vance nodded his head feeling downhearted, not sure what he was going to do. He didn’t want to let Aria go.  Whenever he felt bad, he took it to the streets to have fun.

 “I’ll make my decision tomorrow.” 

He hopped in his sports car and drove away from the palace as fast as the turbo engine would take him. Tomorrow came and went and the princess party every day that week. Meanwhile, Prince Vance is getting in his last few days of freedom.

He had better things to do. He was rich and powerful in his own right. He has a strong will and has an even stronger appetite. He was going out and taking advantage of his freedom and singleness.

Prince Vance leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed behind his head, looking at the beauty, named Tina who had honey blonde hair with a smooth golden complexion and exotically slanted eyes that were heavy-lidded with passion. Her breasts were sitting pretty in the fitted little blouse perfectly. They bounced with her movements as her smooth, sleek body was covered in a sheen of perspiration as Vance held her close on the dance floor. 

Vance wooed her with soft kisses and plenty of wine so that she was more than willing to leave the club and come home with him by the time the soiree had ended. 

"I forgot to ask you earlier, are you an out-liner by any chance?" 

"No and yes. You see, my dad is a politician who divorced my mom, who is now an out-liner. After the divorce, she was forced to walk away from the marriage empty-handed, and she and the kids got kicked out of Crisco. So no and yes.”

"Why me?!  Why am I so attracted to beautiful exotic out-liner girls? It is ridiculous!"

Vance left the club and left Tina standing there on the dance floor. He enjoyed dancing with her skill set on the dance floor. But Aria seemed to be everywhere he turned that night. Vance was almost certain that's why he was attracted to the girl Tina subconsciously.

Prince Vance spent that weekend in an unprecedented descent into debauchery. He had tried everything to rid himself of feelings for Aria and the thought of a lifetime of marital agony. He hoped gossip of his licentious activities had reached his father’s ears, with hopes he would be so upset that he would call everything off! No such news when he got home. “Where are the paparazzi when you need them?” Vance asked in despair.

None of it made sense. His father was perfectly healthy, and he was sure his father would be king until he was old and gray. So why did he have to rush and get married? But no matter how much he went over this in his mind all alone, nothing was going to change. So Vance decided to solicit the help of his two partners in crime. He needed suggestions.

Vance decided to take a short trip, hoping that his parents would slow their role with this arranged marriage if he were not around. Also, he needed time to hang out with just his two male best friends. Zain, who the ladies adored for his curly hair and charming smile, not to mention he was six feet and fit and came from wealth. 

Leonard had dark features similar to Vance but a much buffer and muscular version, standing six-five. Also, from a conglomerate family in Crisco. They were only sons, also bound by responsibility, and so they had formed a friendship, encouraging one another in a sense to rebel, until now.

But Vance called Zain over anyway and asked him to bring Leonard to the palace with him. The guys arrived about thirty minutes later, sitting outside the east wing garden, away from everyone's ears.  

“What’s up?” Zain inquired.

“Yeah, what’s on your mind?” Leonard asked.

“Help me find someone else,” he pleaded over their laughter.

“Some pretty girl. Who is not a halfway out-liner or a complete out-liner? I keep running into Aria-type girls. Do all the sexy beauties live outside of Crisco?” 

“Nonsense, their beautiful girls in Crisco. Their parents just don’t let them hang out with you so that you could ruin them.” Zain states, chuckling.

“I need to get away and think about my life choices.” 

“You don’t have many choices, now do you? So why waste time taking a trip? Not that I’m against vacations. It’s time to grow up.  But I see that crazy look in your eyes.” Zain remarked.

“See, I may party hard, but I’m a thinking man, Zain. So are you guys interested in going up the coast of Crisco with me? No women, just us three.”

“Wait, wait! No women?!” Leonard replied. “Are you feeling ill?” He said, touching Vance's forehead.

“I’ve had my fill of women. I’m not interested in visiting a place that is crawling with girls. They are the reason I’m in this situation right now! And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to escape a life with God knows who my parents might pick!”

Zain gave him a suspicious look. “What’s your real reason for taking this trip? Is there something I should know about?” 

“It’s nothing really. I’m trying to wrap my mind around how I'm going to survive being married first and second in a refined world of royals.” 

“You talk as if you're not a royal,” Leonard states, laughing. “You’re amazing, Vance.”

“Only by blood, I’m royal. Other than that, I’m just like you guys. But different, I'm a Maverick!  I need some suggestions to get out of this situation. What would you do in a situation like this if it was you?”

The guys all looked at one another. 

“No responses! I thought we all were Mavericks! Look!  I feel restless. All I’ve been doing is being indoors. I need to get out on the beach to breathe a little.” 

“Are you hiding?” Leonard asked as Zain just looked at him curiously.

“Look, if I'm not here, then they can have me meet some girl and go through the process of meeting her parents and the whole shebang. You know my father is stubborn, traditional, and stuck in his ways. But my mother, my mother, she's different. She is young at heart and understanding. But for some reason, she’s all excited about this wedding thing. So maybe if I can buy some time and come up with a good way to convince her that I’m willing to get married, but not to the girl she chooses but to whom I choose, it might work. I’m sure she hasn’t selected anyone already.

Vance had intentions of stalling this for as long as he could, even hoping they would give up on the idea. He didn't want to be stuck with a woman not of his choosing if he had to be stuck at all. Zain glanced over at his friend Vance and shook his head. 

“You do know this will not be avoided?” Zain stated.

“Are you a prophet?” Vance asked sarcastically. “Look, I think better when I’m away from this place, and as long as I’m near the ocean, that’s all. 

Zain couldn’t prevent sharp laughter from bursting out. He couldn’t help it. Zain knew Vance was up to something, but he couldn’t put his finger on it, but he knew it was going to be something ridiculous and more than likely would backfire!

“Okay, when do you want to leave?” Leonard asks.

“This Friday, coming. I’ll make the arrangements.” Vance replied happily.