by Mia Ford
As I turned back to walk out of the room, I stared at Adriana leaning against the doorframe. She smiled and walked over to me, pulling my collar up and kissing me on the cheek. She looked tired but more relaxed than the night before. I pulled my arms around her and hugged her tightly, knowing this was all very hard for her.
“I am going to meet Reg,” I said, still holding her tightly.
“I know,” she replied, pulling back. “I heard you and Brat. Just be careful, and don’t do anything you will regret.”
“Of course,” I replied, leaning in and kissing her lips.
I walked out of the room and out into the sitting area, pulling my sunglasses on and looking back one last time as Adriana stood by the fireplace, watching me walk out. She looked worried, which made this all that more important to me. There were so many good things in our lives, and I would be damned if I let this asshole ruin that. I nodded at Adriana and mustered the biggest smile I could manage. She shook her head and smiled, giggling to herself. That was exactly what I needed to see before leaving for this meeting, a reminder of everything I was fighting for.
I took a long way around to the front to avoid walking past my mother’s wing. I didn’t want to bring her into this unless I absolutely needed to. She had enough on her plate. I jumped in the car and headed out to the capital. It had been a while since I had been here alone, in fact, the last time I was here, I was wasted, trying to forget Adriana, not realizing I was doing the exact opposite of what I should have been doing.
I had the car stop two blocks away on an empty street and let me out. I knew the car would be a dead giveaway, and I didn’t want anyone to notice me or even think that I looked out of place. As I rounded the corner, I caught sight of Reg standing in front of the bar. He nodded to me with a shit-eating grin, and immediately, I felt enraged.
I took a deep breath and clenched my fists as he opened the door for me, and I walked in ahead of him. The bar smelled like piss and beer, a perfect backdrop for this type of discussion. There were only two people in the bar, so we moved to the back of the room and grabbed a booth in the shadows. I took my glasses off and looked up at Reg sternly. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and ordered a beer. I waved the waitress off, not wanting anything at that time except the ability to knock Reg’s smug face straight out of the booth. However, knowing I couldn’t make a scene, I kept my cool, ringing my hands together under the table.
“Not drinking?” Reg asked with a smirk. “I see family life has really changed you. Maybe it’s the baby on the way.”
“Don’t talk about my family,” I said with gritted teeth. “What do you want?”
“Not into small talk? I guess that’s a good thing. I am looking to build a new establishment here in your lovely little capital. It will be a huge deal, bring lots of money in, and grow the tourism factor of your city.”
“We are just fine without dirty strip clubs and drunks,” I replied.
“Now, now, Your Highness,” he said with a grin. “Don’t forget who spent the most money last year at my ‘dirty strip club.’ But that point aside, it's not a strip club.”
“I don’t know what any of this has to do with me? Do you need money? Is that what this is about?” I was tired of his games and wanted him to just get to the point.
The waitress walked up, and I looked down at the table, not wanting to make eye contact. It was a small place, and everyone had seen my face a million times. The last thing I needed was to be photographed with the owner of a strip club at a dirty bar. That would immediately catch my mother’s attention and make me look really bad.
I was starting to regret the decision to come out here alone. It might have been less conspicuous to take him to a fine dining restaurant than a dirty, dusty bar where we were lurking in the shadows. But none of that mattered now, because we were here, and we needed to get through this so I could move on with my life.
“I don’t need your money,” Reg said angrily. “I am actually a really good businessman.”
“Because you rob your employees and treat them like shit,” I replied.
“They ain’t really the highest quality of people,” Reg scoffed. “Except your wife of course. She never really belonged there, but either way, she was there, and she was my employee.”
“So, if you don’t need money, what is it you are looking for?” I’d had enough.
“I want to open a casino of sorts,” he replied. “An upscale gambling facility, and I need you to grant me a concession.”
“Gambling is illegal in Silesia,” I scoffed. “It has been for many decades, and I fully support that decision. These people need prosperity, not some leech sucking their money right out from under them.”
“It would bring tourism and jobs to your kingdom. How could that be wrong?”
“This is a pointless conversation,” I said, putting my hands up and pushing myself to my feet.
“Hold on,” Reg said grabbing my arm. “You might want to sit the hell down, Your Majesty.”
His tone was harsh but knowing, and I grimaced at his dirty hand around my arm. From the look on his face, I could tell his nice guy routine was over, and he wasn’t there to play games anymore. I sat back down in the booth and folded my hands in front of my face.
“I am not sure why after decades of a law, you would think I would change my mind now,” I said with irritation.
“Have you forgotten where you came from Milos?” Reg asked with squinted eyes. “Have you forgotten where you met that lovely wife of yours? Ahh, the memories I have of your sweet Adriana. She was a fan favorite, especially when it came to the lap dances. She moved her hips unlike any girl I knew, and her blonde hair was a favorite of the crowd. What’s even funnier was at one point, we called her ‘The Queen.’ You know, a stage name fit for her majesty.”
“Enough,” I growled, drawing the attention of the people sitting at the bar. I looked across the table at Reg, waiting for him to say it.
“No, it will not be enough, until I get what I want,” Reg replied with an angry tone. “I wonder how your subjects will think of their precious Queen when they know she used to bump and grind against every dick that came through the door? You do this Milos, or I will make sure everyone knows of Adriana’s past.”
Reg stood from the table and downed his beer, tossing a few bills on the table and straightening his pants. He reached down and took the hat from the chair next to it and slapped it on his shiny, bald head. He turned back to me with a happy smile and nodded at me.
“I’ll give you until Monday night to make your decision,” he said. “Until then, remember my finger is on the speed dial to the press. Don’t do anything stupid, my friend.”
He turned and walked from the bar, nodding at the bartender as he left. I sat there for a moment, gathering my self-control. All I wanted to do was rush across the bar and throw him through the front window. There was no way I could get away with a concession like that, nor could I even imagine doing it. This Kingdom’s history was rich, and there was no place for a dirty casino and unruly tourists. That’s why there were so many outgoing flights to Prague. Do your business there, but leave our city clean and historical. I would not allow this to happen. I was the King of Silesia. No one was going to blackmail me, or my family, for that matter.
I dropped some extra money on the table for the waitress and threw my sunglasses back on before heading back out to the car. Livid did not even start to describe the way I was feeling. My poor wife was probably beside herself at the castle, and all I wanted to do was handle this in the most discreet manner possible. The last thing I needed, though, was another scandal on my hands. I stared out the window of the car as we made our way back to the castle. Reg Evers was going to get what was coming to him, and hopefully, it would be everything he deserved and more.
27
Adriana
By the end of my time in this castle, there was going to be a line worn into the carpet from where I have paced the floor over and over ag
ain. I stood in the living area of our quarters, biting my nails and walking back and forth between the fireplace and the window. I knew Reg was going to put something really heavy on Milos’s shoulders, but I was more scared of what his reaction would be.
What if he lost control of his anger? What if he gave in and gave Reg whatever he wanted, even though Reg would never stop coming around? I knew Milos wanted this to go away as much as I did, but I also knew we couldn’t hide from our past forever. Eventually, somewhere down the line, someone was going to say something, and then poof, the scandal would explode all over again.
I stopped and sat down at the table, feeling dizzy from not eating. I had gotten myself so worked up over all of this, I hadn’t even touched the lunch that the service staff had brought up for me. I pulled my chair up to the table and spread some cheese on a cracker, shoving it in my mouth and staring out the window as I chewed. It was raining like crazy outside, and my thoughts went back to the island and how just a few days ago, we were carefree, making love on the sand, and dreaming of our future family.
Now, I was sitting nervously at this table, wondering what kind of future I could bring my child if my newly found royal following didn’t trust me or respect me at all. To make matters worse, when the news got out, all of my family and friends would learn the truth of what I had to do when I set out on my journey to backpack across Europe. Instead of taking in the sights, I had ended up in a dirty apartment with nine other girls, flashing my tits for a few Euros, and taking shots every night just to get through. It was hardly the kind of life that made a Queen.
I sat there nervously for nearly an hour, eating cheeses and fruits and staring out at the road beyond the castle. I would be able to see Milos driving back from there, and I wanted to be prepared and supportive when he returned. I took a swig of my water and paused as the royal town car moved over the hill and through the gates. I dusted the crumbs off my belly and had the service staff take my lunch away, making sure that they knew not to disturb us after Milos returned. My hands were ringing with anxiety as I stood waiting for him to walk through the doors and reveal what he found out at the meeting.
Slowly, the door opened, and Milos marched through it, tearing off his jacket and throwing it down on the couch. He walked over to the fireplace and leaned against the carved stone, looking down into the flames. The look on his face when he came through was more than livid, and I assumed that things did not go well at all. I gave him a minute to gather himself before I asked any questions. The last thing we needed was to start fighting amongst ourselves. When he seemed to have calmed a bit and his shoulders had relaxed, I walked over and sat down on the sofa.
“What happened?” I asked calmly.
“He wants me to sign a concession so he can build a casino,” Milos scoffed. “And if I don’t, he will reveal your past and everything that happened while you worked at the strip club.”
“I knew it would be something like that,” I said to myself before looking back at Milos. “What do you plan to do? You can’t sign a concession for that. It’s illegal.”
“I am aware,” he said sharply. I took a deep breath and let his anger roll over my shoulders. “I don’t want you to worry about it. I will take care of this problem so that it is finished and done with.”
The tone of his voice sounded almost maniacal, and I didn’t like the uneasy feeling it pushed into my stomach. What did he mean he would take care of it? The last thing he needed was to get himself into another predicament, another scandal. This one, however, would just be another mark on him, another mark on our marriage, on our child, and the future of this Kingdom.
The Parliament was happy for now, but it wouldn’t take much to push them over the edge. Milos’s life had been shrouded in enough controversy, and I did not want to continue our marriage under that same cover. I also didn’t want to raise a child, always wondering in the back of my mind if he or she would one day find out about our secret. That was it. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to make sure that Milos did this the right way.
I stood from the couch, walked back over to the window, and stared out at the rain. There had to be a better answer to this. I needed to get control of this entire thing. The last thing we needed was Milos going crazy over this without control of himself or his actions. I understood his anger, and I felt it too, but at the same time, these were the facts. I was a stripper. He had picked me up at a strip club. I did not have the regal past that everyone thought I did. No matter how angry or bitter we got, those were the facts, and they were never going to just disappear. I stopped for a moment, realizing that if I didn’t do something about this myself, it would forever haunt me. I turned toward Milos and sighed.
“I don’t care anymore,” I said loudly. “I can’t hide from this any longer.”
“What are you talking about?” Milos asked as he stepped forward cautiously.
“We cannot change the past, Milos, it is what it is. Everything I experienced, every choice I made, created the woman that is standing here in front of you today. What you may see as shameful actions are the ones that brought me to this Kingdom. I am tired, damn tired, of having to hide this.”
“What about you?” Milos asked. “What about the Kingdom? The people aren’t just going to applaud this.”
“Maybe they will accept me, and maybe they won’t. But either way, I won’t have to live the rest of my life always looking over my shoulder, always wondering if someone is going to expose me. Just wait, when the baby is born. The news will spread like wildfire. Then we have to not only worry about shielding ourselves, but our child as well. It will always lurk over my shoulder, Milos. If I can handle this on my own terms, I can be in control of how it is presented to the people.”
I put my hands down and looked down at the floor. I hated that I wasn’t the one who got to make the decision on this. It was my life, my past, and my future, but everyone was trying to protect me, like I was a porcelain doll. I understood that Milos’s guilty conscience was driving this force, but this wasn’t about him anymore. He had made his bed long ago, and we had come to a point where that was all behind us. He didn’t need to prove his love by doing something stupid and taking another hit on his reputation.
I knew that if this wasn’t handled properly and intelligently, then it could blow up worse than before. If we wanted to teach our children about honesty, integrity, and pride, then we needed to live by those standards, and not hide behind our riches and our titles. Sometimes, that may mean doing things that make us uncomfortable or even scared, but in the end, it was the right thing to do, for everyone.
I slowly walked over to Milos, who was standing there silently, watching me as I moved. I could feel our child inside of me, kicking and moving as we spoke. I know Milos couldn’t feel it, but I knew he felt the love and protection in his heart. I just needed him to see that it was about the future, not covering up the past. We were done with cover ups, and we should move forward with full transparency. The people, our family, and our child will appreciate that in the future. I grabbed Milos’s hand and set it on my belly, gazing up at him with loving eyes.
“Let me do this my way,” I said gently. “For me, for you, for our child, and for the future of this Kingdom. Let me control my past.”
Milos looked down at me and down at his hand, resting on my belly. I could see his heart breaking. He took in a deep breath and kissed me on the forehead, pulling his hand from my belly. I watched as his eyes shifted from mine and then back to the fire. He shook his head feverishly as the thought ran through his mind.
“No,” he said sternly. “I will take care of this in my way. I have put you through hell and back, ever since we met, and there is no way I am going to allow you to face the embarrassment and ridicule that could come from this. You don’t deserve any of it, and I won’t allow it to happen.”
“Milos,” I said as he turned toward the door.
“That is the end of it,” he replied sternly. “I am going to go meet with
Brat so we can plan our strategy. Please try to rest and know that this whole situation is in good hands. I love you very much, Adriana, and I promise to make all of this go away.”
I stood angrily with my arms crossed as he left the room. I walked back over to the chair and plopped down, not knowing how to feel. I wanted to be furious, to lash out, and to tell Milos “no.” But I also knew that everything he was doing was because he loved me, he loved this child, and he loved his Kingdom. Just a few months ago, he wouldn’t have given a damn about my reputation, but now, he would jump through hoops to make this right.
The problem was, he was using his guilt of the past to drive his choices in the present. He was completely ignoring the repercussions that could come from that. While his words were not meant to hurt me, there was part of me that couldn’t help but be saddened by his demeanor and wish that he could see that we were supposed to work as a team, not be split apart by all of this. When that happens, Reg is getting exactly what he wants, control over the entire situation.
I rubbed my belly as the baby continued to kick and move, sensing my uneasiness. The rain poured hard outside, washing the petals from the flowers in the garden. I couldn’t just sit here and let him destroy himself. What kind of wife and Queen would I show myself to be if I didn’t step in when Milos needed me the most? He may not know it, and he may not see it, but this was one of those times that would test our strength as a couple. This was no longer his decision to make, and like it or not, I was about to take control.