The Prince's Indentured Bride

manipulation

Manipulation: the usage of one's ability to exploit the best interests of numerous involved parties.

"When are you coming back, Your Grace." Jitesh, my personal assistant, more like a secret bearer–my unpaid locked vault–asked me through the phone screen.

The background of a wooden interior told me he was in my office at the west palace, probably delivering the pending mails. "Don't tell me you are missing me?"

"I am. The council is nagging for a meet!" Those greedy and ambition for power council again! I scoffed. "Tell them I am on a month-long meditation for the peace of our nation, no, I am even fasting! Add, not even a drop of water."

He chuckled and then the camera started shaking as his eyes turned towards the ground. "What's so important than focusing on your King?" I asked sternly.

"Sorry, Your Grace. I was out of line. Red is here, she is asking what does asshole mean?"

"Oh Jesus! Where did she even learn that?" I panicked, while Jitesh lowered the focus of the camera on Red: tiny white summer frock, sand in her hair and candy in her hand she stood, wetting the floor with her flip flops, why is a four-year-old so frigging cute.

"Tell hi, to His Grace." Jitesh told his daughter, who was trying to decorate the candy with sand, "Don't do that Red." I had another mini consternation, what if she eats that sand while sucking the candy?

"Where are you Real?" I smiled at how she innocently mispronounced my name, from Riel of Gabriel to Real, "Red! You call him, His Grace." Jitesh scolded her, in chaos.

"Jitesh, leave my princess alone. Did you have your breakfast Red?" I asked, this little creature has the power to lift up my mood at any given time, and also give a distress of her safety all the times she is out of sight.

"Sachwich!" She meant Sandwich, "My lord, there might be a possible of safety issue at the Gold sea."

"Are the Bangladesh ships advancing?" I asked, we've been living in constant turmoil on waters with Bangladesh since it became independent from India in 1947; Nicoman State has always remained their subject of interests.

"Not on the + level of threat, but they are twenty kilometres inside our waters." Jitesh explained, multitasking with cleaning Red's hair with his hand kerchief; being a father needs a lot of patience.

"Daddy, what is the meaning of kissing?" My eyes widened, where on earth is Red spending her time? "Red, look here, here. Princess." I swung the phone up and down, as if my movements could actually let me change the camera focus.

"Real, where are you? Can you come out from there?" She poked the camera with her tiniest fingers. "Oww, you hurt my eyes princess!" I fake cried and in return I heard her little laughter while Jitesh tried setting the camera; why does it feel like he is spending half of the time to set the camera only?

"Princess, when someone loves you, they press their lips on your cheek to show how much they love you. That is called kissing." I explained, now she was sitting on her father's lap and sucking her candy.

The kiss from yesterday night flashed onto my memory. And how insulting it was to the definition I just gave for kissing. It felt like my soul had turned into ashes and then returned back to be on fire again as I felt her pour in the raw emotions into the kiss. Will she remember it? She better does, because that is only the way she will also remember the offer I made.

"Oh! Then you love me a lot!" Red’s voice pulled me back into the conversation as I saw her playing swing with her dangling legs and it even hit the camera with one of her Doraemon slippers.

"What does the prime minister have to say about the situation?" I asked, "She wants an urgent meeting with you." Of course, Olivia wants it!

"Seems like you've finally found your family." I heard Kriag speak, as he sneaked at the back of me, half appearing on the camera. "Hi there, cutie!" He said bending down to show his face on the camera.

"Who is that Real?" Red asked, wow, now she was looking at the screen too, how unfair! "Good Morning Young Master." Jitesh said.

"He is my brother." I said her while Kriag waved back a reply to Jitesh, “CIAG!” That brat remembers him, how betraying!

What she did next was so intelligent for her age and made me laugh, "Why don't I have a brother then?" She pouted and turned to look at her father, those innocent haunting doe eyes of hers!

"Well, Jitesh, seems like you have family planning to do now. All the best. Good Bye!"

"Yes, My lord. Please have a quality brunch with your family. Then, I will take my leave." He said and stood up to bow down the phone; I've told him hundreds of times to not bow when in private: It's important to remain disciplined to one's position for the world to run without the food chain falling off, he had once reasoned.

I placed my phone beside the arranged plates on table as Kriag stood behind me, not moving away even a centimetre; What does he want now?