Duchess in Distress

Chapter 2

PRINCE THEO

The sky was still dark, but there was a glimpse of light on the eastern horizon. The stars still twinkled even the morning sky was already approaching. It was the view thru the glass window of the penthouse in a five-star hotel in North Valley, where Prince Theo stayed the night for his unplanned visit to the province.

He was sitting on a sofa while watching the morning sky took over the night sky. It looked like he was watching it, but he thought of what his mother-Queen Isabella of Luvia-said to him yesterday before he fled to North Valley.

The province was the safest to stay away from his parents among all provinces since it was located at the border of Luvia. It was far from the capital city, Kingsville, wherein the Central Royal Palace and the royal family's residence were located.

He put his face on his palms when he remembered what his mother told him about his future marriage plan with one of the most eligible ladies in the country.

"Her blood should be royal," Queen Isabella's all-authority but elegant voice rang in his head, "She must be a descendant of one of our leaders in the past if she was not from our family line. I won't let you marry a girl with no status, title, or having no idea about her family history."

He sighed heavily, just thinking of those ladies in the court who only wanted his title, not his love. They all want to be a queen and not his wife - that was what he always believed. But Penelope was different. She did not want the title. She only wanted to be his wife.

His first love. His first relationship. His first in everything. He could not imagine himself waiting for someone walking down the aisle beside Penelope Keith. He only wanted her. Only her. Damn all the laws stating royals should only marry royals.

He got up from his seat and went to bed, where Penelope was sound asleep. He sat beside her and brushed some strand of her black hair away from her beautiful face.

Penelope Keith was a real beauty. She was considered one of the most popular stars with all her high-rating series and blockbuster movies. However, the monarch still regarded her low-profile because her family line did not come from any of the royals in history.

Dating the Crown Prince was one of her secrets that could ruin not only her career but her life.

She suddenly held the hand of Prince Theo, who caressed her face mindlessly. She opened her eyes, and Prince Theo looked at the beautiful brown eyes. She grabbed his face and brightly smiled that clutched Prince Theo's chest.

"I want our future child to get your mesmerizing blue eyes, so he will have evidence that he is a royal," she whispered in a morning voice.

Prince Theo held her hand on his face and wrinkled his forehead in confusion and curiosity at the same time. "What do you mean? Are the eye colors the basis of being a royal now?" He questioned very softly as if a lullaby. "I have cousins or even known members of the court who have brown eyes."

Penelope also sat down on the bed and leveled her face to the Crown Prince of Luvia. She shook her head and giggled like a little girl. "No," she responded, "But, every time I met a person with blue or green eyes or even gray, they came from a family with high status and title. You know, when I was a child, me and my friends believed that royals have eyes with beautiful colors, and we citizens are just brown-colored eyes. But, don't worry, I don't believe in it anymore," she put her head on his chest, "It was just a part of children's fairy-tale."

He hugged her, "Royalty doesn't mean you should have different eye colors." Suddenly, a familiar voice played on his mind.

"I'm a direct descendant of the Duke of North Valley," the ill-mannered girl in the convenience store said that. Prince Theo could not forget the blue-green eyes and the pale skin of the girl. Her face was somewhat familiar, and he could not remember where he saw her besides last night.

Nathalie Hendlefort, that was her name, the Crown Prince said to his brain. If she was a descendant of a duke, he could use her with his plans. Otherwise, she was the best example of having a different color of the eyes without manners—a usual peasant.

Prince Theo broke his hug on his girlfriend and stood up, “You want breakfast?”

She shook her head while watching her prince, “Breakfast? You know that I’m on a constant diet to maintain this beautiful body.”

He chuckled and gave her a lustful look, "I need to talk with someone. I'll be back later." He left without waiting for Penelope to respond.

He went to the hallway, down to the fire exit stairs. No one was there since it was only around six in the morning. He got his smartphone and dialed the number of his private investigator.

Even though it was still morning, it only took two rings for the investigator to answer the phone. He sounded business as usual.

"Good morning, Your Royal Highness," the private investigator said in a firm voice.

"I want you to check the background of Nathalie Hendlefort, if she is really a direct descendant of the Duke of North Valley or just a con artist," he said in annoyance.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness," the person in the other line responded immediately.

"I want the statement within the day," he said and hung up the call.

He was sure that he could use the girl to delay his marriage with one of the power-greedy ladies in the court. If he wanted Penelope on his side forever, he would start doing everything just to marry her. Only her.

He was returning to the penthouse when his smartphone rang again. He heavily sighed when he saw 'Mom' on the screen. He looked at the penthouse door to make sure Penelope was not in the outside waiting for him.

He answered in a bored tone, "Yes, mom."

"Is that the way you greet me in the morning, huh?" The elegance of Queen Isabella's voice was visible even in the static of the call.

"Yeah, good morning, mom. How are you?" He said in the most sarcastic way he could.

The queen breathed in irritation, "We are already done preparing for the selection of the future queen, also known as your wife. Be here tonight for the dinner party, or else I will bring down that hotel you are staying in right now in the North Valley."

Of course, Her Majesty Queen Isabella of Luvia knew where he was staying. Prince Theo massaged the sides of his forehead and walked back and forth in the carpeted hallway.

"Mom, may we delay the dinner party to next week so I will have a chance to read the backgrounds of those ladies and be prepared who to choose," he said and wishing his mom would agree. He only needed a week to get out of this freaking arranged marriage.

"No," the stern answer of the queen would make someone deaf, "Delaying means you're scared to get married and have an heir, and this will result in public turmoil. Don't repeat the history, Theodore."

"Mom, I'm not scared. It’s just I’m not prepared yet to face those ladies," he explained, and he realized it was the same conversation they had before he fled to North Valley.

"I already gave you the papers of the ladies in the court two months ago, and we are delaying this dinner for almost a month now," she was exhausted, repeatedly saying this all over again, "Come here tonight, or I'll force you with the help of the military."

"Mom, listen," he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I have a girlfriend."

His mother emptily laughed like she heard this before, and she would just ignore it like before. "If you mean that low-profile starlet, I'll say it one last time if you don't break up with her, I'll force you to marry one of our choices."

He pulled away from his phone and murmured to himself with his palm on his face, "She's not a starlet, mom. She's a popular star." He brought his phone back on his ear again and said, "Yeah, I mean no, I mean, Penelope and I are no longer together." That lie tasted bitter, and he could not imagine it would happen.

That made Queen Isabella interested in the conversation. Her voice changed from calm to curiosity. This news was good to her ears.

"Who is she?" She asked with all her excitement radiated from the phone. He waited for another minute, thinking if doing this would change the queen's desire to marry him off to royal blood. The queen seemed impatient, so she shouted on the other line, "What now, Theodore? Are you lying?"

That snapped him back, "No, mom, I mean, I can't go to dinner tonight because I need to talk to her...er, I mean, her parents so I can bring her to the capital city. Her family is old fashion."

"I don't care if her family is conservative, or what, I need to know what family line she came from," the queen sounded upset, but worst, she had no patience anymore.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and let the lie began, "She is a direct-descendant of the Duke of North Valley. A real royal-blood. She is..."

"Okay, bring her tomorrow. I'll prepare a lunch meeting with her, and I'll cancel the dinner party tonight," her mood changed immediately, and she hung up.

That left Prince Theo wondered if he made the right decision. His mom would tell everyone about it, and what if...what if she was not a descendant of the Duke of North Valley. What should he do? Should he searched for a true descendant and let her pretend to be his girlfriend? But he had no time anymore.

As if someone heard his agony, he heard footsteps coming his way. He hid behind a post and peeked at the two ladies murmuring. He was shocked to see the ill-mannered girl in question, Nathalie Hendlefort.

She held white blankets and smiled cheekily at the girl she was talking with. Like last night, her long red curly hair was tied in a ponytail, and no makeup, even lipstick. Prince Theo thought that a lady could live without makeup. As long as he looked at her far away, she looked more and more familiar.

"Nathalie, you begin in this room," Prince Theo heard the other girl said, "then, all the rooms, except the penthouse because we have VIP there."

Nathalie looked in the direction of the penthouse, and suddenly, she caught the eyes of Prince Theo. The prince suddenly hid and hoping the ill-mannered girl did not recognize him.

He heard the other girl again, "Are you alright, Nathalie?"

"Ah yes, I thought I saw someone," she answered, "I will start now."

He peeked again behind the post and saw the back of Nathalie Hendlefort entering a room on the other side of the hallway.

Wearing that old-fashion uniform and remembering all her antics last night, he could not imagine that she was an actual descendant of a well-known Duke of North Valley.