Aidan: Prince of Sorenia (Dirty Princes)

by Imani King

  Finally, I came up with a compromise that seemed to make her happy. “What if I decided to go back to school?” I asked her. I smiled. "If Kian can do it, so can I. I'm twice as smart as he is. At least."

  She looked surprised at the suggestion. “What are you talking about?”

  “You think you’re the only one here that wants to further their education? You want to go back to school at some point, and there is still plenty that could be helpful for me to know and learn. I can go back to school too. I’ll tell my parents that we need time to think about who is going to take the throne in the meantime. And we can get married and start raising our twins the way that we want without any extra pressure,” I said.

  She looked at me suspiciously. “It seems like that’s nothing more than a short-term stopgap,” she said.

  I shrugged. “Does it matter? Right now, you and I just need some breathing room. We need to figure out what we want to do, where we want to live, and how we want to raise our kids. That’s all that matters right now. Sorenia will be fine without me. I’ll tell my parents that they’ll have to nominate someone else to take the throne, and that idea doesn’t upset me. I don’t expect anyone to wait around for me to be ready to take the throne years down the road.”

  “You’re hoping that I’m going to change my mind,” Eva said.

  “I know that you have a lot on your mind right now,” I said. I took her by the shoulders. “Even if I don’t take the throne, though, I’m still part of the royal family, and marrying me means that you will be part of the royal family too. I’m related by blood, and that’s not something I can get away from. So I need to you to be able to accept that. All I ask is that you are willing to take the time to think that through, and hopefully, you’ll find that is something you can live with. That’s all I’m asking from you right now. I don’t need to be king, Eva. What I want is to be the husband that you deserve and a good father to our children.”

  Eva thought about this, and eventually, she nodded. “Okay. That makes sense. I wasn’t thinking about it that way, but I understand. Let me think about it some more.”

  I gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “Why don’t you go take a shower? Maybe that will help you feel better.” Ever since we had arrived back in Scotland, Eva was sicker than ever. It made more sense to me now, though. After all, she was carrying twins. I couldn’t imagine the different hormones that were running through her body making her ill.

  She went to do as I suggested, and I sat down on her couch and pulled out my laptop. The idea of going back to school was something I have pondered many times, but I had always thought that by the time I was thirty, there was a good chance I was going to be assuming the throne. So I had put that thought away and reconciled myself with the idea that continuing my education wasn’t in the cards for me. Now it seemed like more doors were open than I had expected. It was terrifying but not in a bad way. It was just new, and new could be good.

  I heard a knock at the door, and I looked around in confusion. As far as I knew, neither one of us were expecting any company that afternoon. In fact, Eva had almost gone into hiding ever since we returned. We hadn’t even had a chance to go out and explore her old haunts in Glasgow. I walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. I felt my stomach drop. I opened the door, and there were three people standing there, none of whom I had been expecting to see anytime soon. My parents stood there stiff and ill at ease, and I could only assume the blonde standing between them was Imogen Sutherland based on the pictures I had been shown of her.

  “Well, aren’t you going to invite us in?” my mother asked. “It’s the polite thing to do considering we’ve come all this way.”

  I swept my hand to the side to offer them entrance to the flat. I was shell-shocked and couldn’t believe what was happening. Right behind them were three security guards who came to stand on either side of the doorway after I closed the door. I had no way to predict what was going to happen next. The only thing that seemed sure was that this confrontation would be epic in its fallout.

  “We’ve come to take you back to Sorenia,” my father said in a slightly aggravated tone looking at his watch. It was obvious that it had been my mother’s doing to drag him there. She probably thought that having my father’s presence strengthened her influence over me. She was about to be proven wrong. The game had changed entirely.

  I stiffened and stood as tall as I could, feeling as if I was being dressed down like I was twelve years old again. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said.

  “Come now, Aidan. This isn’t how we wanted to introduce you to your future fiancé, but it seems as if you left us little choice,” my mother said nodding to Imogen standing next to her, who looked equally uncomfortable with the whole affair. Kian had always said there were rumors about her being icy cold, about her boring nature. All I could see was a sad, helpless person who had been dragged into this just like I had. I had hoped that we would have an opportunity for the two of us to speak one-on-one so that I could apologize to her for having to make such a sudden change. It seemed as if my mother wasn’t going to allow for all of this to happen in any graceful manner either.

  “I’m sorry, but I think that you continue to misunderstand my intentions,” I said slowly.

  “Intentions?” my mother responded cutting me off. “The only intention that matters is that you will be taking the Sorenian throne when your father passes away, be that no or in fifty years, and Imogen will be standing at your side as queen. This had been decided eons ago, before you decided to run off with the American.”

  She must’ve caught the look of outrage that I sent in her direction at her continued reference to Eva like she wasn’t worthy of even a name. She waved her hand and rolled her eyes. “Eva then. We know all about this, and Imogen is willing to overlook this dalliance as long as you return with us now. Today.” She paused. "One American daughter-in-law is far more than enough."

  I couldn’t believe that my mother was forcing this issue so overtly. I knew that she was going to have a hard time accepting the fact that Eva and I were together, but this was completely out of line. “I have tried to be as tactful in this situation as possible, but you are leaving me little choice,” I said. “I don’t want to marry Imogen, and I won’t. Period.”

  I heard the gasp from the younger woman, and I immediately felt bad, but it needed to be said. My mother needed to understand that she had to back off.

  “It was one thing to allow your brother to marry a commoner, but I refuse to accept this from the future king,” my mother said. “Plus, it is against the law, Aidan. I don’t know what has gotten into you this summer, but it is time to put away foolish things. You are a grown man, and you have responsibilities to your family and your country.”

  “You’re right mother. I do have responsibilities to my family,” I said. I wasn’t ready to let on about the fact that I was starting my family quite yet, but in principle, I agreed with her on the point. “And it’s because of that I cannot go through with this plan. I was planning to come back to Sorenia and talk to you both about a different course of action. Something that would serve both sides as a compromise.”

  “The only option is that you return with us today. You will announce your engagement to Imogen, and you will drop the matter of this girl and what happened this summer forever. We won’t speak of it again.”

  As if my mother had conjured up her into the flesh, Eva stepped into the room. It was clear that she hadn’t been expecting anyone in the common area, because she was still dressed in a robe, and her hair was wet from the shower. I heard my mother’s gasp and knew what she saw. Eva had the tie for the thin robe around her torso just under her breasts, and it accentuated the small rounding of her stomach. Even though she was only twelve weeks along, there were two Ilves babies in there. And it was very clear that she was pregnant.

  I had to do something quickly. I walked over to Eva and put my arm around her. I felt her stiffen next to me. “I t
old you that I agreed with you about taking responsibility for your family, and that had to come first. That is why I will be with Eva, no matter what. And if that means abdicating the throne, so be it.”

  I looked at Imogen with the expression of sympathy. I could tell that she was shaken by this turn of events, and I wanted to strangle my mother for including her in this little adventure that had gone so wrong. “Imogen, I’m sorry that you had to find out about everything like this. I had hoped to be able to tell you myself in private what had happened. I’m sure you are a very lovely young woman, but I am in love with someone else.”

  Imogen’s face flushed, and I could tell that she was angry. She looked at my mother and then at me and then back at my mother. “I think that I will be taking my leave now,” she said. “I will tell my parents what has happened here, and that the engagement is off. Lose their phone number and mine.” Then she left the room as abruptly as she had entered it.

  “I’m not quite sure what to say at this moment. You have greatly disappointed your father and me,” my mother said. I could feel Eva stiffening against me again, and I tightened my grip around her shoulders.

  “If that is all you have to say to me right now, then I think that you should go. Whatever you have to say is clearly not going to be anything that either Eva or I want to hear. And I have a feeling it’s also something you will regret down the road. I think it’s best if you leave.”

  My father nodded to me. “I think that is probably a good idea.” He strode out of the room clearly with other things on his mind. I walked to the door and held it open for my mother. As she swept by me, she stopped for just a moment. She looked me in the eye with a squinting gaze that told me she was still wasn’t ready to back down on what she thought was best. “I expect that you will return to Sorenia momentarily. I understand now that you’ve gotten yourself into a situation. You need to figure out how to handle this so that it doesn’t affect the rest of your future. I will do my best to do damage control with Imogen and her parents.”

  Before I could say anything else in protest, she left the flat, my shocked, silent father following behind her.

  I turned just in time to see Eva begin to crumble into tears. I went to her and helped her over to the couch.

  “They’re never going to accept this. You are never going to be able to be free of your duty,” she sobbed.

  I said nothing even as I wiped away her tears. I needed time to think, and this wasn’t doing any of us any good. I needed to find a way to handle the situation. My mother had been correct on that point. But it wasn’t going to be in any way that my mother had planned.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  I sat in the waiting room of my doctor’s office, alone this time. Aidan was at home packing for a visit to Sorenia. After his parents' ill-advised visit to my flat, it seemed that he and I were arguing more than ever. I’d finally put my foot down and said he needed to fix this once and for all. I didn’t say one way or another what I wanted from him because I needed him to make the decision for himself. All I did know was that the unrest and tension between him and his parents needed to stop. Every time he argued with them over the phone--every time he even talked with them-- we ended up in a fight.

  And I wouldn't have it.

  In the meantime, my morning sickness had taken on epic proportions. It was difficult for me to get out of bed, and I was barely keeping anything down at all. Aidan grew more concerned about my condition by the day, and I had to admit that I was concerned too. Something felt terribly off, and I was worried that all of the stress was affecting the babies. Aidan had wanted to come with me to the doctor’s office, but I told him it was better for him to stay at home. I felt like we had gotten lucky the first time without anybody recognizing him. What I didn’t say was that it just made me feel better to have a couple of minutes to myself.

  Aidan and I both needed space. Being cooped up in my small flat was driving me crazy, but there was nothing else I could do. I wasn’t in any shape to be able to go out, but I sensed that he was getting restless. Although he was talking to his friend Rylan almost daily, he had been avoiding speaking to the rest of his family back in Sorenia, including Kian. I had gotten several anxious texts from Abby, and I have been noncommittal in my responses back to her. It was causing a strain on our friendship, but I didn’t know what else to do. Abby was part of the royal family now, and all of that was what was driving me crazy in the first place. I needed time and space away from all of it.

  I was finally called back to the examination room, and I found myself sitting across from my doctor again. The nurse took all of my vitals, and the doctor listened carefully as I explained how sick I had been.

  “If I did not know better, I would say you are under a great deal of stress,” the doctor said.

  Tell me about it. But I didn’t want to say that out loud. I couldn’t go into any real details of what was happening in my life, so it seemed better to be as general as possible. “There have been some things going on in my life that have been challenging,” I said in a cautious tone.

  The doctor looked at my chart. “I’ll be able to give you a prescription for some medicine that should help you with the nausea. I’m more concerned about you staying hydrated and making sure you get something in your stomach on a regular basis. It seems that the not sleeping well is also having an adverse effect. It’s going to be important that you relax.”

  I chuckled, but it was ugly sound. There wasn’t any humor in it at all. “Relaxing is not a high on the agenda for me in the near future. In fact, I’m packing right now to go on a trip out of the country. It’s not what I want to do right now, but I feel like I don’t have any other choice. Hopefully, it can help the circumstances that are causing the stress. A prescription for the nausea would be fantastic. At least that should help me manage to get there in some relative comfort.”

  The doctor frowned and shook his head. “Normally, travel at this stage is fine, but given your current condition, I don’t think that a trip, particularly one out of the country, is a good idea.”

  I felt anxiety and relief at the same time. Anxiety because I didn’t like the idea of being separated from Aidan, but at the same time, I didn’t want to go back to Sorenia and have to face his parents again. Of course, my hope was the next time I did see them, at least I’d be properly clothed.

  The fact that they had shown up in my flat and found out that I was pregnant. The way that they had been so awkward and humiliating. That wasn’t the way that I wanted my potential future in-laws to get to know me at all. But of course, they would have to show some interest in me besides the fact that they thought I was either a floozy or a gold-digger who was trying to take their son away from them. I wasn’t used to all of these kinds of wild family dynamics.

  My dad had accepted the news of my pregnancy with a slight sigh of disappointment, but I knew that at the end of the day he was happy for me if it was what I wanted. That was the way our relationship was. I was used to telling him everything, but I had held back the fact that it was Aidan who was the father. I wasn’t ready to deal with that bombshell with my dad quite yet. He had grumbled when I refused to tell him anything else about my babies’ father. It seemed that none of our parents were in any mood to accept that this is what had happened between their children.

  “Are you sure about this? This trip is pretty important.” I pressed only because I knew that Aidan would press me.

  “What’s more important is your health and the health of your babies. Right now, your body is under a great deal of stress, and it’s simply not a good idea to add any more of it during a critical time of babies’ development. It is better for you to stay home. Perhaps you have a friend who can stay with you in the meantime and help you until you feel better?”

  “It’s fine. I’ll figure it out,” I said. I took the prescription the doctor offered me and left the office as quickly as I could. I went to the pharmacy and stood in line waiting for it to be filled. I was hopeful that
the medication would offer me some modicum of relief.

  I was stalling a bit, but I had no idea what I was going to say to Aidan to make him understand that I wasn’t going to be going with him. Of course, he would understand that it was for the best, but that wouldn’t make it any easier for him to accept. He’d been so insistent that I come with him, and so far my track record in being able to say no even when it was against my better judgment wasn’t great.

  I arrived home with my medicine in a small bag. Aidan met me at the door with a look of anxiousness on his face. He gave me a quick kiss and touched my stomach. “How is everything? How are the babies?”

  “We should sit down and talk,” I said. I led him to the couch, and I could tell that he was anxious to hear what I was about to tell him. We sat down. “So far, the babies are fine. The doctor was able to hear the heartbeats of both of them. They seem to be okay,” I started.

  The look of relief on Aidan’s face made me feel even worse about what was coming next. Despite everything that was going on around us and the tension between us, he had been over-the-top in trying to make sure that everything was okay with the babies, and I was as comfortable as possible. He’d already taken to when we went to sleep at night putting his hand over my small bump and singing to them. He said he wanted them to know that no matter what, despite the circumstances of how they had gotten there, that their daddy loved them. It tore at my heart a little bit when he had said that.

  “So what about mom? Did they say what was wrong with you?”