Chapter 2
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CHAPTER 1
"Dudley, with or without the crown?" Cortez yelled from his quarters.
Holding his silk Tom Ford electric blue suit up against the leopard print suit with beige blazer, Dudley yelled back, "No crown. The wedding is about the ones being married, not the fact that a king is performing the ceremony. We don't want to take away from the main wedding party."
Dudley looked at the two suits once more before finally saying, "Blue, it accentuates my eyes."
Dudley set it to the side, then as he went to put the other suit back in his closet he stopped,
"Although, this might come in handy for another evening." Wiggling his puckered lips as he thought, Dudley said, "Better to be safe than sorry."
The sound of his door opening had Dudley turning to see Cortez holding two suits of his own.
Before the king could ask, Dudley said, "The basil green. It will bring out your eyes." Wrinkling his nose, Dudley then said, "Besides, we are going to a wedding not a funeral, so black will not do at all."
"But I look good in the black." Cortez replied.
Dudley scoffed, "You look good in everything. Wear the green."
Cortez let out a deep sigh, "Fine."
Just as Cortez went to leave, Dudley asked, "Have you seen my cosmetic bag? I've looked everywhere."
"You didn't look in my bathroom, where it normally is." Cortez replied, sounding annoyed.
Dudley rushed passed Cortez, yelling, "Sorry, but your bathroom has better lighting and your mirror is twice the size of mine. I keep telling you I need a bigger bathroom."
"Law and his mates did not give our kingdoms all the back pay, for the years we were forgotten, to be used to better your bathroom." Cortez replied again, sounding annoyed.
Dudley came back into his room, saying, "Then don't b***h because I use your bathroom."
"What if I got you the vanity you asked for? Would that keep you out of my bathroom?" Cortez asked with a raised brow.
Dudley drew in a quick breath then asked in almost a whisper, "The one that lights the entire mirror?"
Nodding, Cortez replied, "Yep."
Dudley let out a blood curdling scream and leaped into Cortez's arms, hugging the man tightly, saying over and over, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Sax burst through the door his sword held high, preparing to defend his king. Seeing Dudley wrapped around King Cortez's body, he slowly started backing out, saying, "Sorry, I thought we were under attack."
Cortez gently removed Dudley's arms from around his neck, saying, "No, everything's okay, Dudley was just happy about a compromise we came to in order to keep him out of my
bathroom."
"If you say so." Sax replied.
Dudley dropped his feet to the floor and turned to Sax, "I know that tone, Sax. How many times do I have to say this? King Cortez and I are strictly friends. We have never, would never, have s*x with each other. Our relationship isn't like that."
Saw placed his saber back in the sheath, "If you say so, Dudley."
Pursing his lips, Dudley crossed his arms and tapped his foot, "Again with the tone, Sax. I don't lie. You know this. Why is it you find it so hard to believe that the king and I do not share a bed?"
"It isn't important, Dudley. " Cortez said turning to go back into his room.
Dudley huffed, "But it is important. Besides the fact that by not believing us, that means that the people you govern think you and I are big fat liars, it could make your true mate, wherever he or she may be──"
"He." Cortez said as he continued walking into his room.
Dudley rushed in behind Cortez, saying, "Fine, he may not approach you if he thinks you are already committed."
"Good, because I don't have time for a mate right now anyway." Cortez said, placing the green suit in a garment bag.
"Mating is not about timing, Cortez. When it happens, that's fate's way of saying, it is time."
Dudley stated firmly.
"Dudley, we are running late. We can talk about this another time." Cortez replied.
Dudley grunted and turned, seeing Sax watching him and Cortez, "Look, we are friends and that is it. I would never have s*x with Cortez. That's just──eww."
Realizing what he said, Dudley quickly corrected himself, "Not that you aren't a catch. It's just that I'm not fishing in the pond your swimming in."
Cortez laughed, shook his head, "It's all good, Dudley. Besides, you don't fish. Now, go finish getting ready, we need to leave for Haven Ranch in the next thirty minutes."
"How long will this trip take?" Dudley asked walking back into his room.
Cortez walked in and set his suitcase in front of Sax, "Two weeks. It will take us two days to get to Haven Ranch and then we will be there for a day, then it's three days, by yacht, to get to Sovereignty Island. Then we will visit with my family for a few days and head home from
there."
Dudley bit his bottom lip nervously, "Do we really have to sleep outside when we go to Haven Ranch? Why do we have to take a yacht to your brother’s island? If I get air sick, it only stands to reason that I'll get sea sick, too."
"Dudley, you are a dolphin and a flamingo. You could always fly to Haven Ranch and you can swim to the island." Cortez said with a scoff.
Shaking his head, Dudley said, "You know I don't fly, Cortez. I'm terrified of heights."
"Well, I plan on checking on our lands and people on the outskirts of our kingdom during this trip, so suck it up. I made sure to have Lux pack your air mattress that we ordered." Cortez replied walking back into his room.
"You live on the top of a mountain, Dudley. How the hell are you afraid of heights when your room overlooks the damn ocean?" Sax asked in amazement.
"It's only high if you look down and I never look down." Dudley said with a sharp nod.
Sax laughed, saying, "Dudley, you are crazy, you know that, right?"
"We have money now, so that makes me eccentric, not crazy." Dudley said turning back to zip up his suitcase.
The damn zipper stuck and he realized that he had put just about everything he owned in the bag.
"Dang it, the stupid thing won't close."
Dudley sat on his suitcase and pushed down with his butt. It didn't help at all. The damn thing still wouldn't close. "Sax, come here and sit on my bag so I can close it. You are a lot heavier than I am."
Sax raised a brow, "I’ll have you know, I am in perfect proportion to my height."
Rolling his eyes, Dudley said, "I didn't mean you were fat. I'm only one forty five and you are like three hundred fifty."
"Three hundred, and do you really need all this s**t? You are going for two weeks, not two months." Sax muttered walking to the bed and sitting on the suitcase.
Dudley quickly zipped it shut and smiled, "See, perfect, and yes, I need it. I've not left the Highlands since we got here. I have no idea what I may need and I don't want to take any chances."
"Just load up the ATV so we can head out." Cortez ordered as he walked back in the room dressed in jeans and a T-shirt reading; This is what the world's best king looks like, with large thumbs pointing back at him.
"Seriously, Cortez?" Dudley said as he wrinkled his nose.
Cortez looked at Dudley in confusion, "What?"
Dudley sighed, "You would think, that being a king, you might actually dress like one."
Cortez let out a deep breath, saying, "Dudley, you and I have known each other for centuries.
You know as well as I do that I never wanted to be a king. I only did it because some of our people didn't want to be on an island and Edmond and I were constantly fighting and were about to kill each other. He asked me to build a safe kingdom and help our people."
"Cortez, you are a fantastic king, whether you wanted to be one or not. Everyone here loves and respects you. You made Highlands a home. " Darby replied softly.
"I'm glad our kingdom is happy, Dudley, but I really feel like something is missing." Cortez said with a sigh.
Dudley snorted and started walking towards the door, "It's called love, Cortez. You have a beautiful kingdom, and no one to share it with. When the time comes and fate brings him to you, you are going to see everything differently."
"I had no idea you felt so strongly about mates, Dudley. Are you searching for yours?" Cortez asked curiously.
Dudley started down the stairwell, saying, "Cortez, I know everyone in this kingdom by first name. My mate isn't here and since I don't ever get out of the Highland territory, I doubt I will ever meet him. Well, unless he's a lost shifter from around Haven Ranch or something, and stumbles onto our lands."
"Dudley, you do know that we are going outside of our kingdom now? You could meet your mate sooner than you think." Cortez said with a smile.
Dudley laughed, "Cortez, we both know fate wouldn't be so cruel as to bind someone to me. I'm very high maintenance and I don't have a filter from my brain to my mouth."
Cortez grasped Dudley by his shoulder and turned him around. Cortez looked at him with
concern, "Dudley, you are a wonderful man and anyone fate chose to gift you with would be lucky beyond belief. You're smart, caring, and you always put your kingdom before yourself. Do not ever think that you are not worthy of a man that you can share your dreams with and be happy to have. You, out of everyone here, are the worthiest of us all."
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