Royal Prince's Fated Love

Chapter Eight

Dan decided to honour his dinner date with Suzie after storming out of the meeting with his father. He got into his car and drove off to the disappointment of his mother who had wanted to have further discussion with him.

He arrived at Suzie's at some minutes past six and found her about to start preparing her supper. She invited him to take a seat while she prepared the meal.

"Thank you, but I thought we should eat out. That is if you don't mind."

"Are you insinuating that my cooking might not suit your taste?" She asked, laughing slightly.

"Not at all. In fact, I would give anything just to sit here and enjoy watching you cooking. It is not often that I have the privilege of having someone I," he groped for the right word, ". . like cooking a meal that I like," he enthused.

She turned to look at his eyes.

"I'm flattered. But, if I may ask, why don't you ask your fiancee to cook your favourite meal if you like home-cooking?"

"Asking her to cook would be like trying to squeeze water out of granite," he chuckled. "I doubt if she even knows how to prepare a simple dish. She has been brought up on a silver platter."

"But you must love her a lot to have gotten engaged? I mean, despite everything, we all have some faults."

"It is a long story."

"I don't mind listening if you can spare the time."

"To cut the long story short, I no longer know where I stand with her in matters love. I now realize that before I accidentally bumped into you, the term love had an eerie meaning."

"If you may excuse me, I find it rather uncomfortable to find myself in the crossfire of matters I don't even understand. It is quite clear that she is jealous of me. I wonder why. I mean, isn't it strange?"

"The possible explanation for her behaviour is that her many flaws make her insecure and suspicious."

"No one is flawless. You have known her for quite some time, and to have recognized her defects now, you must have started comparing her with what you supposedly think is perfect. Frankly, I'm greatly indebted to you for your magnanimity, but why am I on the receiving end?"

"I want to assure you that you are either a victim of circumstances, or a blessing in disguise to me. Things had already gone haywire between her and me before you came in. In fact, the day I almost ran over you I was escaping from having a bitter exchange with her. It was due to the altercation that I was not concentrating on my driving. Since then, it is like I have found a shoulder to lean on in you."

"In which case she has every reason to find me an intruder in escalating the situation if you are avoiding spending time with her. With all due respect, you have already done more than enough for me. You don't need to sacrifice your time with your fiancee to be with me. Thus far, I can stand by myself."

"I can't believe that you are condemning me to a life of solitude! I don't know how to put it, but let me say that I have found the meaning of living in you. In you, there's something that is pulling and guiding, not just my heart, but my whole being towards you."

"I equally don't understand it. I mean, you barely know me. Perhaps, you could be blaming yourself for what happened to me on the road and somehow your heart feels a lot of empathy for my plight, but in the real sense I'm the one to blame. I have absolutely done nothing to earn your liking."

"You don't have to do anything for me to feel at ease with you. I have observed you from the day I picked you up on the road and your demeanour speaks volumes about who you are. I know I sound awkward, but believe you me that my eyes might lie, but my heart will never."

"What is your heart whispering to you?" She asked, giggling.

"Given the unique circumstances that we met, it is screaming to me in loud letters that you are my future! That fate put you on my way. Tell me, is it lying?" He asked, moving and standing close to her.

"It is lying, of course! You have already given your heart to Diana, unless you happen to have two."

"Would you believe me if I told you that my heart has never found abode in her? I agree that it might have been unduly influenced towards her by extraneous factors, but it has never found rest."

"That's a clear case of the grass being always greener on the other side. The mistake is that we forget that what the one on our sides need to be even greener is tending and watering."

"It is one thing to try to boost something, but it is also foolhardy to try salvaging something that is beyond salvage. There's absolutely nothing one can do to save a ship that is destined to sink."

"Have you been aware from the beginning that it could sink? You see, I don't understand how you could go all the way to the engagement if you had doubts ab initio."

"There are a lot of things I haven't explained to you, such as the factors precipitating our relationship. Forgive me, but I don't want to tire you now."

"Whichever the case, the devil you know is better than the angel you don't know. This girl you are seeing has gone through a lot in life and has absolutely nothing other than hope of a better tomorrow. Life has taught me to be weary of many things. You wondered why I haven't been able to land any job despite my colourful credentials. The reason is that all the interviews I have attended required either cash bribes, or s****l favours. I failed because I was unable to give neither. If you may forgive my asking, all the kindness and generosity you have extended to me, were they meant to be reciprocated by s****l favours?" She posed, in despair.

He took a seat, greatly offended. He kept quiet for a long time without saying a word. He finally exhaled and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry if you felt that way. I can understand your dilemma in view of what you have experienced. You are justified to take it that way. However, I'm not that sort of man and I'm not driven by lust. It gives me insurmountable pleasure to be of help. It is simplistic to want you just for some fleeting gratification. If you may excuse my bluntness, I want you to be part of my life forever, to be one with me! But, you are at liberty to agree to it, or refuse."

She kept quiet, inhaling and exhaling rapidly as her heart pulsated in her chest. He found himself staring at her generous bosom as it heaved up and down.

"Please, accept my apologies for mistakenly taking you for granted," she finally said, feeling guilty. "However, I still don't see how you can propose to me while you are still engaged to someone else. Besides, from the way I see it, she is a lady of extensive means that comes from a royal background. I also take it that you are also from the same social class, and therefore belong together. In short, Diana and I are worlds apart in terms of social status. I further gather that your family is enthusiastic about having her as an inlaw. What will they think of a persona non grata like me? What is it that is making you to consider a nonentity like me?"

"I confess that what I feel for you is pure, unadulterated love which is capable of transcending any socio-economic, political or racial boundaries. My eyes and heart are only capable of seeing you as a part of me, no less, no more. As for my family, they can take it whichever way they want. I'm the one joining with you, not them. If I find happiness in you, nothing else will matter .

"Regarding the engagement, I can categorically state here that it is as good as dead. In fact, we just had a major squabble at home with her and my parents which preluded the same. My Dad gave me two days to be conclusive on the status of the wedding. I'm convinced without any doubt that the best course is to break the engagement. In that case, I will put to rest your doubts about where my interests are. Believe you me, I wouldn't be proposing to you if I hadn't thought about it."

"Well, it seems that you have it all planned. However, I'm sure you don't expect me to give an answer now. I will agree to ruminate over it on three conditions."

"I'm at your service, so long as none of the conditions is about not staying with you for the rest of my life!" He expectantly enthused.

"First, there's some mystery surrounding your true identity. I know very little about you and your family. I wonder whether you are expecting me to google online since you aren't forthcoming in that direction!" She laughed slightly.

"Not forgetting that you are equally guilty in that direction!" He joined in the laughter. "All in good time."

"Secondly, I feel guilty dating a man who is engaged to another woman. To me it is synonymous with committing a******y. In view of that, I request that we don't talk about ourselves untill you have settled the issue between Diana and you. Either you reconcile, or break your commitment to her. Only untill then shall we start discussing about ourselves."

"Thirdly, in as much as I have gotten used to seeing you, please try your best to keep away from seeing me. I can't afford to be seen with you frequently while there is a lady who is entitled to that privilege. Besides, I know she has a right to call me names, not to mention the capacity to cause harm. I will prefer to stay single, leading a simple life to finding myself in a mogue. Are we agreed?"

"How can I not agree when there's a lot of sense in it? You are quite intuitive on your sentiments. However, I have one exception to make."

"Go ahead, so long as it doesn't break any of the conditions stated," she chided.

"Since their effective date is not stated, I would like to see you tomorrow over some issue. I will pass by the office. Plus, today is an exception because we are going out for dinner. I will drop you back before going home. How about that?"

"Oops! Imagine all this time we have stayed I could have finished cooking!" She observed.

"But we wouldn't have had the most pleasant and promising talk!" He chirped.