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A Photographer's Dilemma (Traveler and I)

Michael went back to his room and took a shower to get ready for dinner. He put on a suit and made sure he looked nice or his mother wouldn't chew him out. He walked to the dining room and smiled at his family. Phew didn't see his in laws earlier so he walked over to them and kissed their cheeks as a greeting. He took his seat and dinner was served when their parents arrived.

They spoke of his working st the states. He seemed to like it there. His mother was naturally curious about if he met anyone and how if he did. He was still single but his friends called him the heart breaker. Most women wanted him but he was gay and didn't want them back.

Somehow the conversation turned to Adela and he said, "I think she is ready to come back home. I'm ready for her to come back home." He joked. "It's time to make amends." He glanced at Scott and looked at his mother.

"When do I take pictures with him?" He asked.

To in stepped up, "Tomorrow after your mother and father. Around two."

"Can I wait and take them with Adela? Every one else get to take a couples portrait. We might as well take ours together. Save time."

"She is taking a couples portrait. Aric is coming and I sent her an email telling her to come home. She should be on the way within the next couple days."

Michael nodded his head and glanced at Scott again. "Does she know that?"

She shook her head, "No. It's going to be a surprise. He's going to propose during the photoshoot. I want only the best pictures." She told Scott.
 
Scott found himself taking his shower and thinking of Rose, a dangerous combination for a guy who had just told himself that he was going to try to forget her and let her move forward in life the way she was supposed to. He didn't want to forget about her. He wanted to take her with him to New York and live a simple artsy fartsy life, meeting friends for coffee and having weekend bar-be-ques in the park with their children and pets. He didn't want to have to pretend not to know her, but he knew that he had to do that for her own good.

He dressed in layers; a kind of psychological armament. His dark jeans were pressed and neat over grey converse shoes. He wore a pin-checked button down shirt and tie under a brown knit vest and earth brown tweed jacket. Overall it was eclectic and very... English. Very proper in a casual, urban-village kind of way.

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Scott took his camera batteries off the charger and loaded up his equipment in time to be set up and ready before the royal family arrived. He quietly took photos, by now mastering the dance around the servants as they brought trays in and removed completed dishes. At one point a young maid has removed a small stack of cups on a tray and was stepping back when her heel caught on a ripple on the carpet. She almost fell back and dropped the tray, but Scott braced her with a free hand until she caught her balance again.

He missed a photo of the king handing his queen a glass of wine, but he managed to keep the conversation from being interrupted by a loud crash. Then Michael mentioned the name of Rose's fiancee and Scott wished he hadn't kept the disruption from happening.

He looked down at his camera and messed with the controls to to camouflage his discomfort at the way the conversation was going. He was going to propose during the photo shoot? This... this princely 'Aric' guy? He even sounded like a Disney character! The photographer could have groaned in agony.

Instead he nodded. "Only the best pictures, of course. What happens if she says 'no'?" It came out before he could think of what it was he was saying. Damn! How could he fix this? Scott swallowed. Then he gave the queen a small smiled and acted like he was checking the camera, but in reality he was trying desperately to turn back time and undo what he had said.
 
The queen looked up at Scott when he spoke than he was supposed too. Before she could say anything Michael laughed a little and shook his head, "She probably would. You all have deemed her the problem child haven't you?" His brothers laughed and he looked at his mother when she frowned at him. He shrugged his shoulders, "You never know." He looked up at Abe and looked away.

The rest of dinner went by rather smoothly. There was no mention of Adela. Just things that needed to be down with Michael's coming home.

After dinner the family left the dining area and went to their usual locations. Michael waited for Scott, "You have to take pictures of us in our natural habitat I'm assuming. Follow me." He walked Scott down the stairs to a secure room and when he got to the door he put in a PIN number and the door unlocked. He hit a button and the lights turned on. The room was weapon central. There were swords of all styles on the walls, there were shelves that held guns and other weapons from various time periods. A lot of time and money went into putting this room together and it showed.

"Welcome to my den." He smiled at it like a proud father and let Scott all the way in. "There's a gun range in the back. Everything down here is sound proofed and there's a camera outside the door. None in here though. There are cameras in the range though, that was mandatory." He explained and picked up a pistol.

"So you fell in love with my sister, huh? She's still the same girl you know? Just now she has a title." He shrugged his shoulder and picked up a magazine and ear muffs. He handed a pair to Scott and walked to the door in the far back. "Don't worry. I won't kill you. I'll leave that to the twins. When she chooses you, which she will, I hope you are ready. I hear one of them doesn't like you."
 
Scott had never thanked God as passionately and quietly as he did when Michael rescued him, so when the youngest prince waited for him after dinner was excused, he was happy to go over and thank him. "Yes, that's my understanding of what the queen wishes," he said regarding taking pictures of them in their natural habitats. He followed Michael, wondering how one went about actually thanking a prince. Finally he just did it.

"Thank you for covering for me when I spoke out of turn," he said as they got to the door to Michael's den. "I don't always think before I open my mouth."

He nearly gawked in awe when he saw the inside of Prince Michael's armory. there were so many things in there to make a young man's heart race, and since he was a bit of an aficionado as well he could appreciate the true depth of what was on display. Hie heart must have forgotten to beat as he began to take in what was all there. So much to look at! So much so that when Michael began to talk about the gun range and then picked up the pistol, Scott didn't hear all that he had said.

"Wait - what? She told you?" He whipped his head around to look at the prince in time to hear him say "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll leave that to the twins."

"No, she has to give Aric a chance. But I had the impression that they were supposed to spend time together and get to know each other before the proposition." He picked up the ear protection and followed the prince. "And it's Oliver who'd like to rip out my liver. So far I've managed to insult him and compare him to Prince Charles. I'm certain that I'd already be buried if he had his chance."

He already liked Michael much more than the twins. He was personable, like Rose was. No... Adela. Her name was Adela. Damn... he would always think of her as Rose, wouldn't he? "And I know that she's the same girl, but your family needs an heir. She's really the only hope for a grandchild that they have, and it's not like I have any credentials that mean anything to your parents. They would never allow me to be with her, and I don't want her to lie to them if we were together. But thank you for not killing me." The last was said with a smile.
 
"Of course she told me. The youngest have to stick together. Especially when one is gay and the other is off making trouble. Plus with that state you left her in she probably felt the need to tell some one." He wasn't saying to make Scott feel bad. He was just making it known that he was looking out for his sisters well being.

"And she could have fallen in love with a lot worst." His eyes scanned over Scott and he nodded his head, "A lot worst."

"They will be their heir either way. If the thing with Oliver and Stephanie goes south, then Andrew and Abetha will either face more of a push or be granted a divorce so Andrew can create an heir with another woman. If I get married to a handsome gentleman I can still have kids. The egg of the woman just needs to be someone well educated preferably with a title but not needed. And whether it's with you or Aric, Adela will have a child so there is another heir. Honestly any child Adela has, if we all have one kid, will be the fourth in line for the throne. If we have more kids then her kid would get pushed back."

He sighed and looked at the photographer, "But I think you're right. She needs to give Aric a chance. She is going to like it. She isn't going to want it to happen. She's probably going to pain one ass when she comes back but she has to give Aric a chance. You're a nice guy. You're handsome to boot but our mother is going to want more."
 
Thinking about Rose made Scott pensive. His pace slowed slightly and his eyes turned grey, as if the mood in his soul could leak out into the world. "I want Rose to be happy, to be living with someone who loves her and makes her his priority." He shook his head. "If she finds out that she can love Aric and he loves her back then she'll have that happiness."

He followed Michael into the range and started to set up, experimenting with the lights in the range area. "I'm glad she has you to talk to, Michael. She's a little bit lost I think. She's lonely." He gave a self-depreciating laugh. "That explains how a guy like me ever caught her eye."

He sighed. "I'll be here for another couple of weeks. If she decides that she and Aric aren't going to work then she can find me fairly easily." He loosened the top button on his shirt and the tie. "Heck, you're welcome to look me up if you get to New York. I think you'd enjoy it, and you're a lot like your sister." He set the ear protection over his ears and nodded, signalling that he was ready if Michael wanted to start shooting.
 
"I don't think that's true at all. I can see why she likes you. It's written all over you. Aric is a by the book type of guy. Conservative, tight laced, wound up, type A personality. You on the other hand, you like to learn, you see the world with a creative eye like she does. You're a good guy. You're a mystery to her because she's never been with a guy like you. She's been with the generic Duke or Lord. You are the normal guy that caught her eye not by title but strictly personality and charm. Don't ever sell yourself short." Michael patted his arm.

"I might have to take you up on that offer. Find somewhere to party and have fun." She winked at Michael and put his ear protection on. He turned off the safety and started to shoot at a zombie target down field. When his clip was out he moved the target closer. They weren't all bullseyes but they were all pretty damn close. He took the zombie down and put another target up.

"You want to try something out? Once in a lifetime chance to shoot any gun you would like, within reason of course."
 
"You do well." Scott eyed the target, impressed that at his speed of fire he hit the target within a hand's breadth of the bulls eye. Michael's offer nearly stopped his heart, though.

"I... I don't want to fire it, but you have a British Army Long Land Pattern Brown Bess Flintlock Musket," he drew in a breath, "that I'd love to just... hold." His eyes sparkled. "The version you have is post-1742 because it has the double bridle to the lock, and... I'd just love to touch it." He turned his eyes to Michael and realized that an explanation might be in order.

"One of the guys I grew up with in the Home is really into US history, notably the wars. He's a Civil War Reenactor and can tell you if a coat button was from the French-American war or the Spanish war." He chuckled. "Anyway, he shares a flat with me and another guy, and he has this replica of the 1st Model that he won't let anyone touch. I'd love to hold an original, even if I have to wear cotton gloves to do so."
 
"I try my best." Michael said to Scott's compliment.

Michael filled his cheeks with air when Scott chose his gun. "The one behind the ballet proof glass case?" He asked. "I don't know man. That was a hard gun to find. All original. Never polished. Just cleaned with expert precision so the wood didn't rot and the metal didn't stain. That's my baby." He walked out into the main room and walked over to the gun. "This one?" He asked pointing to the wrong, yet equally old, gun.

"I'm kidding." He joked and walked to the other side of the room. "No gloves needed." He pulled out his keys and unlocked the case. He picked up the gun and handed it to Scott. "Enjoy." He watched Scott with the gun for a little bit and when he saw that the gun was in good hands he backed away and went to get his pistol. Scott got the pictures he needed so he could i armor the gun and put it away.

"I promised Adela I'd take her some dessert so I'll see you tomorrow. Lock up when you're done. That gun goes back in the case. The second you close the door it will lock. Same goes for this door. Make sure it's closed all the way. It sends a message to my phone if the door is open to long. And don't forget anything. There is no getting back in without me."
 
When Prince Michael pointed to the wrong rifle Scott gave him a flat look, as in 'are you serious?'. He blinked a few times when he joked and let him hold the rifle. The ancient weapon was pristine, almost as if it had been issued just the past week. He let his breath out slowly, admiring the item. "Do you know the individual history of this rifle?" He asked, but Michael had already gone over to the other side of the room to put away his pistol.

He inhaled and could swear that he could still smell gunpowder, but Scott knew it was just his imagination. He wished his room mate were there to appreciate the piece of history that he was holding. Reverently he set it back on it's stand and wiped it off with a lens cloth.

"Wait - you're leaving me alone?" He took one last look at the rifle and then closed the glass door with the cloth. "I'm done here; I'm here to photograph you, not to drool over your things." He grinned as he gathered his things. "Thank you for letting me hold that rifle, and... have a good visit with your sister." His eyes traveled over Michael's face with almost a little bit of envy. He missed Rose. Even though they had just parted ways that morning Scott felt like a piece of his heart was missing.

He gave the armory a final look and then followed the prince out of the room, shouldering his camera bag and deciding that he would spend some time going through the photos from today and putting together plans for tomorrow's photo shoot.
 
Michael sighed and walked back into the armory. He opened a drawer under the rifle and pulled out a stack of papers. "If you truly wish to know about the rifle read this. I even have the certificate of authenticity. I got it from a man who had it in his family since it's creation. It has how much I paid for it but be careful looking at that. My parents nearly had a heart attack." He winked at Michael and left only to be followed out.

"I was going to leave you alone. There isn't much you can do. If you stole anything I would know who to route it too. Not to mention everything in here has a gps on it." He smirked as they walked out.

"If you ever want to come back let me know. I am in here most nights and will let you in." He put his hand on Scott's shoulder. "You could always come with me." He shrugged his shoulder. "Whatever you need to do, you do it."

He started to walk away and then he turned to tell Scott one last thing, "Do you get jealous easily?" He asked and rubbed his lips together. "It won't matter. She will use Aric against you to get you back. I don't want her to end up like my brother and sister. You make her happy, I haven't seen you two together but just by judging how she feels right now I know she actually loves you. It's not an infatuation. If Aric doesn't make her happy, I'm sending her on a plane to New York straight to your arms."
 
He kept the papers to read, confident that his friend would want to know every tidbit of detail. Michael was giving him a unique perspective into his collection, and in many ways, into his life. When the prince asked him about jealousy and mentioned sending his sister to New York he had to laugh.

"Yeah, you do that. In the meantime I'll do my best to not let on that I know her around the rest of the family." He sighed. "I don't want her to play Aric, Michael. He deserves an honest chance to see if they're meant for each other."

As they walked he thought of Rose and their little picnic lunches. He missed her. He missed her terribly. "I... I'll see you later." He said to the prince. "Have a good evening Sir."
 
"Good night Scott." He bowed his head slightly as a good bye and left for the cottage.

Michael would spend his nights at the cottage and his days at the palace. The next day he took his formal photos with Scott and then he went for a hike with his sister. The next two days were neither exciting nor eventful.

On the third day Adela was scheduled to appear and Aric a few hours after him. Just like the arrival of Primce Michael the palace was a flutter of activity. Every staff member was doing something with their time. Michael offered to pick Adela up from the airport but in reality he borrowed a car and they drove around the island before coming back to the palace.

She was dressed to the nines in a fancy dress and heels. Her face was made up and she looked like she had just returned from vacation. She had a glow to her body and fresh face. Her mother and father stood at the top of the stairs as she walked up. She smiled at them and kissed her father hello. Her mother settled for a simple hug. She didn't look at Scott because she wanted to keep her happy face.

After says hello to her siblings she was taken away to tell all about her trip.
 
It hurt to know that she was there, waiting in the little cottage, but that he shouldn't even think about going to see her. He wouldn't let himself look at the path to her home or to think about her, though all that was for naught because every thought seemed to work its way back to Rose. To Adela. He longed to sleep in her arms and to smell the soft scent of her hair. He missed the way her eyes looked when she laughed, and the way she made every little detail of the island come alive for him. He thought about the priest and the queen too many times and wondered if their legacy was going to be akin to his and Rose's.

To occupy himself he wrote to his room mate about the rifle and it's history, then made sure to get the documents back to Prince Michael. He visited the staff in their homes and took pictures of their families and their lives apart from the castle. He listened to their stories of how generations of their families worked for the royal family, or how they had lost patriarchs to the sea. Several invited him to dine with their families and to meet their children, and a few showed him their prized gardens or ribbon-winning chickens, and so he got to know more of Rose's world as he tried to salve the wound that was his heart.

Three days finally passed and it was time for Princess Adela's 'flight' to come to the island. Everyone was ecstatic; it was obvious that she was loved. Scott felt light-headed. It would be the first time that he had seen her in four days. It felt like a lifetime had passed since they has spoken. He found himself staring at his closet, trying to figure out what to wear. Scott shook his head at himself. This was horrible; he wanted to deliberately dress down to draw less attention to himself, but he knew that any odd behavior on his part would be noticed by Tobin, so he dressed in his usual layered style. A striped collared shirt with tie, vest, casual sweater, and understated colored jeans and casual brown leather shoes. Typical Scott style.

When the car with the princess finally pulled up he had to resist the urge to go open the door for her. Instead he took pictures, capturing her reunion with her parents and their smiles at having their daughter back. She seemed so regal in her formal clothing; so untouchable. It was hard not to stare at how lovely she looked. Luckily for Scott he was authorized to star as long as it was through his camera lens, so he took pictures and yearned for her until the royal family disappeared into the palace.

A moment later, once he had caught his breath, Scott followed them inside. There would be few formal shots but then he would leave the family to their privacy as they discussed family matters. He wondered if there was any strong Scotch or whiskey in the house; tonight he might need a shot or two to get to sleep.
 
Adela tried her best not to look at Scott. She answered all of her family's questions. Most of it was true. She was gone for two months and she spent one month in the states before she came back home. All of her answers were from the one month she spent in the states. She had a lot of money at her disposal and barely spent more than three days in a city. As she spoke staff was busy bringing in bags upon bags of clothing that she bought. It was a little petty but she was sent away for a stupid reason so she got her parents back by spending their money.

Her eyes met Scott's and she saw a sadness that mirrored her own. She wanted to be with him even more now that he knew the truth. She didn't want to be with Aric. She didn't think her heart would feel the way she did with Scott with another man. He was right though, she had to give Aric a chance before she told her parents she was in love with another man. Maybe if they saw that she tried to like Aric she would have a better chance of being with Scott.

"Don't stare at the camera, Darling. Act like he doesn't exist." Her mother told her and pushed at her back to make sure her back was impeccably straight.

"Of course. I am guessing I will have my photoshoot soon."

"Very soon. Sunset actually. I have already picked a dress. Your hairdresser and make up artists are here. All they needed was you. Oh, and Aric is on his way now. He will be joining you." The Queen smiled and patted her knee.

Adela smiled a little and looked at Scott again. "Of course. Whatever you say." She was stuck. She had to be good and act like she was a changed person. She had to be the perfect princess that she was expected to be.

Michael reached over and held her hand, "Let's go for a walk?" Adela nodded and they both stood up.

Tobin came into the study, stopping them in their tracks, "Aric, Duke of Winsworth is here." He rushed out and the library so he could the rest of the palace ready for his arrival.
 
Act like he doesn't exist.

Scott swallowed. The lump was hard and dry in his throat, threatening to cut off his air as the though that he might one day truly not exist in Rose's world sank in. He didn't want to disappear from her world but he loved her enough to put her future before his own. The knowledge that he would be photographing her this evening made his breath hitch and he lowered his camera, catching her looking back at him.

"Of course. Whatever you say." Her voice sounded small in the huge entryway.

Prince Michael seemed to be about to rescue her from the uncomfortable situation when Tobin announced that her fiancee was there. The announcement sounded like a death kneel, like nails into wood, sealing the doors of escape. A small bead of sweat threatened to trickle down Scott's temple as the realization that the man who might be the center of Rose's world was about to walk into the palace.

The castle was aflutter with excitement. Footsteps hurried across recently polished floors, not having expected the Duke to arrive for another hour or two, but he was here now and there was no turning back time.

Limos pulled into the circular drive, their tires sliding across swept paving stones like graceful dancers. Violet and gold banners fluttered in the breeze, the flag of Winsworth flying proudly on the front corners of the sleek black vehicles. The door was opened and Aric stepped out. He was resplendent in a sophisticated, classic suit that had been tailored in Greece. He looked like a modern day Prince Charming as he walked up to the doorway, his dark eyes sharp and intelligent under masculine brows.

He paused at the door and put a hand on the jam, looking in as the royal family regally made their way to the entry with measured, calm steps. His eyes, though, were only for Adela. When he caught the first glimpse of her he smiled demurely and it was as if the rest of the world ceased to exist for him.
 
The Carington family stood in the entry way of their home with Adela in the middle and her parents flanking her. The twins were on her father's side and Michael was on her mother's side. Her heart pounded with each step Aric took. She did her best to not bite her bottom lip and look as calm as she could. She smiled at him when he stepped to the door.

Her mother pushed her forward slightly and Adela continued to walk to her fiancée. She swallowed hard and looked back at her brother, Michael. He nodded slightly and she looked back at Aric. "Hi again." She said softly and her lips curved up into a smile.

She took his hand and then moved it to his elbow. She lead him to her parents, "My mother and father," she introduced letting him make his greetings. She went through her brothers and their wives, as was customary. "We welcome you to our home."

Adela looked at Aric and then looked past him at Scott. Her eyes peered into his and wondered if he felt as bad as she did. No, she couldn't feel this way. He wanted her to fall for Aric. He wanted her to be happy with Aric. She had to let him go. If she didn't let him go then she would be doomed in a loveless relationship with Aric. She blinked and looked at Aric. She smiled at him, "I'm glad you're here. I was thinking we could go for a walk. Let the paparazzi snag a few pictures before our formal photoshoot."
 
Duke Aric smiled, taking her hand. "Princess Adela Rose. My Rose." He greeted the family formally, taking care to remember ever title and enunciation of their names. His velvety, educated accent gave each word he spoke a sheen of class that indicated that no cost was spared giving him the best of education.

In the alcove Scott hesitated only a moment before capturing the engaged couple together. The moment just before their hands touched, the first time they looked at each other, the smile, the shyness, the emotional turmoil in Adela and the simple pleasantry of Aric. Aric and Adela - it even sounded 'right'. Concentrating on his craft kept him from internalizing what he was feeling as he looked at the two of them together. The duke was a man of money and propriety; his upbringing and his pedigree was apparent even to Scott's untrained eye.

There was no way in a thousand years that a guy like Scott would every out-compete with someone like Aric. The duke was a pedigreed stallion bred to perfection; Scott was a mustang scratching for survival in the plains of the great West.

The duke pressed his lips together as he considered her suggestion. "Walks and paparazzi are beneath our status, Adela. It's a waste of time. Let us instead invest these minutes in having our attorneys look over the contracts and then we can synchronize our calendars for the next twelve to eighteen months. Time is precious and shouldn't be wasted idling away on meaningless 'walks'." He gave her a smile like one might give to a child they were humoring. It was as if he was amused that she'd consider such frivolities worthy of their time.
 
Adela smiled the smile she usually gave to her mother when she just wanted to please her. "Of course. Whatever you want." Schedule a calendar? Was the this her future with Aric. Scheduling every simple meeting they have. She hadn't touched a calendar unless it was to see what day and specific fell on. Now she was marrying a man who lived by a calendar. At least he would never be late for anything. She laughed to herself only to get a weird look from her mother so she stopped.

She took Aric to her office while Tobin handed the lawyers the engagement contracts. Her office wasn't like her mother or fathers. It was more colorful and less serious. Of course there was a desk but it was pushed as far back to make the room seem more open. She had a wall of windows, so she used this space as her yoga studio when she couldn't go outside. There were professionally done picture of her in various expert yoga poses on the lavender painted walls. The desk was a crisp white color as was the chair in the corner. At her desk was a silver yoga ball.

She let Aric in and took her ball seat. She turned on her computer and bounced while she waited for it to load up. She smiled at Aric, "I have to admit I don't really go by the calendar but you can tell me what you're doing in the mornings and then we can see what happens through out the day. I mean who actually has their days planned out for the next 18 months. With in the next 18 months we will be married and my mother will probably be pestering for a grandchild. That's not a very fun way to live, now is it?" She laughed a little and shook her head.

The computer finished turning on and she turned the monitor towards Aric. She clicked the calendar and it showed nothing but the days in the months. No little tabs telling her of where she was expected to be or anything. "You see." She told him and shrugged her shoulders. "We could talk instead. What do you like to do for fun?" She asked starting a conversation.
 
The back of Scott's neck tingled, as if he had accidentally turned a corner and caught someone in an embarrassing situation. He felt like he was intruding now that they were talking of calendars and not taking walks, and so he quietly slipped out of the room and began to walk aimlessly through the corridors. He looked at older family portraits and also at paintings by famous artists that never reached the museums. Vases worth more than he'd ever earn in a lifetime cradled exotic flowers, and deeply embroidered tapestries warmed walls that would otherwise seem stark and cold. He could use a tapestry like those to cover his aching heart; Scott wondered how long it would take Rose to warm the duke's own heart and change him from the prim man he seemed to be into a warm, loving companion for the princess.

Back at the entryway Duke Aric smiled tightly and followed Adela to her office. His eyes took in every detail of her space, and as he began to inventory the clutter and disarray of her desk his eyes narrowed and his lips turned down slightly. When she sat down on the ball he tilted his head to the left, slightly, as if examining a strange insect. She reached out and turned on the computer, and as she waited she began to speak.

"I have to admit I don't really go by the calendar but you can tell me what you're doing in the mornings and then we can see what happens through out the day. I mean who actually has their days planned out for the next 18 months. With in the next 18 months we will be married and my mother will probably be pestering for a grandchild. That's not a very fun way to live, now is it?" She laughed a little and shook her head.

The computer finished turning on and she turned the monitor towards Aric. She clicked the calendar and it showed nothing but the days in the months. No little tabs telling her of where she was expected to be or anything. "You see." She told him and shrugged her shoulders. "We could talk instead. What do you like to do for fun?"

"If you fail to plan, Adela, then you plan to fail. Time is too precious to be left to chance." His frown turned from slight to stern as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tablet. The screen flicked to life with a swipe of his finger, and he coded in a security access to open the files inside. "You cannot run a country simply by letting thing happen and bouncing on a ball like some child." His eyes flicked upwards to her blank calendar and he gave a little grumble in the base of his throat as he opened his calendar and set the tablet down. His days were broken down into fifteen minute increments. Much of it was scheduled and color coded, but there were blank spaces too.

"I have everything planned out. The next month is concrete, baring any emergencies. The next eighteen months is fairly firmly planned. There is also a five year scheduling plan, ten years, and so on." He straightened and then looked at her, his expression patiently irritated as if he was explaining the basics of life to a child. "For recreation I occupy my time with either expanding my knowledge base or exercising; most other past times are a waste of time and far beneath the economy of our lives. We're meant to be leaders; we cannot lead if we do not know where we are going, can we?"
 
Adela looked Aric over and sighed. Her mother did this on purpose. She it knew it. Her mother always spoke about having to find a husband that would 'tame' her free spirit and she found exactly the guy to do it. "I'm not bouncing on a ball." She grumbled and stopped the light bouncing she was doing. "It's keeps your back straight. It's for posture." She looked down at his calendar and picked it up so she could go through the rest of day. "Do you have bathroom breaks planned in as well?" She laughed and set it down.

The pre he spoke about schedules the more irritated she got. "You aren't actually living if you're living through a calendar. This is ridiculous and I'm not doing it. You are a robot. You do what's in the schedule and nothing more. It's good to have plans but this is excessive. You've already won my mother over. We are getting married. Now for the love of God please stop with the schedule." She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Everything is a waste of time to you as well. I need air and you have a busy day. I'll see you when your schedule allows." She stood up and left her office. She walked out the door and went to the out door garden. She took a deep breath and sat on one of the benches. Sex with him would be as mechanical as possible. She couldn't even imagine him holding a baby. Those would be a waste of time too, no doubt. He'd be off doing his duke duties while she was in the hospital.
 
Adin's eyebrows knitted at her bathroom inquiry. He found her attitude and her demeanor lacking; she spoke to him disrespectfully and like a child, claiming that a structured life was no life at all. "What are you talking about? Schedules are the only way to ensure - "

"Everything is a waste of time to you as well. I need air and you have a busy day. I'll see you when your schedule allows." She stood up and left her office.

He stared after her for a moment, dark eyes stormy as he tried to comprehend where her resistance was coming from. Was she that much of a child that she would stomp her feet and protest every time they wanted to plan time together? He growled and picked up his tablet, shoving it into his pocket as he followed her out to the the garden. He saw her in the garden, sitting on a bench and looking for all the world like a woman who had just learned that her life was over.

Quick strides soon took him to her side. "You will not walk away from me like that again. That is dismissive and disrespectful, and I will not have it from my future wife." He stood there, his arms crossed and his feet slightly parted as he considered her. "You claim that one isn't actually living if it's through a calendar. I disagree."

Adin uncrossed his arms and sat next to her as he released a long breath. "I am a very busy man, Adela. If I do not schedule time to be with you then I won't have the time to be with you, and that's not what I want. I have to make sure that I fit all the important things in my life that I need to have, like you. Like school plays when we have children, and making sure that I'm home for important things like baseball games for our son or our daughter's ballet recital or for our anniversary..."

He looked at her, his eyes softening as he tried to make her understand. "If we want to do something frivolous then, I suppose, we can schedule that in as well. But nothing spontaneous." He shook his head. "Spontaneity is not something I can afford. I only have a certain number of hours to do things, and right now I'm supposed to be ensuring that you and I make time to get to know each other these next few months so that we're not marrying strangers."

"And yes, I do hope to have a child in the next eighteen or twenty-four months. I want children. I want a wife who is also my friend and my lover; someone I eagerly set aside huge chunks of my schedule for because I've grown to love her." He reached over with his far hand and touched her cheek, directing her gaze to him. "I'm hoping that you will be that woman."

Up above, unseen in a small window, Scott snapped the picture of Duke Adin and Princess Adela on the bench. He saw her nearly run out and he knew that they had had a disagreement. Then he watched as the duke followed her. At first his body language had been stern and cold, but then it softened and he seemed to grow tender towards her. The photographer felt mixed emotions; pain for himself, hope for Rose, and sympathy for the duke. He couldn't blame the other man for pursuing her out to the garden. She was a treasure, a joy, and anyone who got to spend their life with her would be doubly blessed.
 
Adela sighed when she heard him storming towards her. She uncrossed her arms and looked at him as he lectured her, yet again. This whole being treated like a child thing was getting old very fast. She was preparing herself for the rant he was about to give her. She was already on edge about having to break it off with Scott and seeing that this was what she was being stuck with for the rest of her life made it worst.

But he was different this time around. He didn't lecture her. His voice was a little bit softer now. "I just don't understand what you are doing that would make you need to schedule out every fifteen minutes of the rest of your life." It was her turn to sigh now. She knew she had to give him a chance.

"I don't want this," She waved her finger between them, "to be a business deal. I want this to work because it works not because we are forcing it to work." She held his hand and squeezed it gently. "I want this to work. I do, and I'm willing to try and make it work. I don't want to marry a stranger either."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I just thought I'd have a fairytale romance that lead to a wedding. I hoped that since I am the farthest away from the throne that I would be the lucky one and I would get to pick who I married. And then--" She paused and put her emotion back under control. She smiled at Aric and shook her head, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be saying this to you."

She looked away from him and wiped her eyes quickly. "If you have time tonight will you join for me dinner? Not the big family formal dinner. I think we owe it to each other to spend sometime together first. I'm sure my parents will understand."
 
He listened intently to her, glad that she was saying that she was willing to make their relationship work. He thought that her idea of a fairytale romance was silly and juvenile, but the did not say that to her. She was living in a pretend world, a child's world, and he was an adult. When she apologized and said that she shouldn't have been saying that to him he smiled in patient agreement.

He brought out his small tablet and looked over his schedule for that evening, pressing his lips into a thin line. Dinner was where he had intended to propose to her; it was supposed to be a grand gesture in front of the king and queen. He glanced up at her and caught the hopefulness in her eyes. Could the proposal be successfully negotiated in a private dinner? He supposed it could, though it wasn't what he had planned and he hated having his plans changed.

"Very well," he conceded. "We can have dinner together, but it must remain within the time constraints previously arranged for the family dinner." He frowned slightly, knowing that she could not possibly understand why he needed it to start and end when it did. "I have a conference call at eight-thirty that I must attend for negotiations. I deal with people all over the world; their work day is not the same as ours, as you must know." He softened his expression and smiled at her. "Now... you and I are scheduled to go take our first official pictures together with this American photographer your family has hired."

The tone of his voice made it evident that there was either something about the 'American' or something about being photographed that he had disdain for. "Certainly you don't want to be immortalized with puffy, tear-stained eyes?"
 
Adela released and annoyed breath, but smiled an nodded her head. The more she thought about it the more she realized they would just be rushing to eat. She wanted to take him to a little diner that served traditional Sevonian food. She meant to originally take Scott there but that didn't work out as planned. She figured Aric would see that as beneath him and walk out the second he saw the place. They could go to the golf course but if she took him out there they would be rushing through dinner. She could take him somewhere fancy and expensive but if she wanted to dine on overly priced small meals she would just eat at home.

"You know what, let's just reschedule dinner for another day. I don't want you to deviate from your schedule too much." She wondered how often she would be saying that if they got married. Too much, she already knew that. Her life would revolve around his schedule. She wouldn't be her own person any more. She would be his wife. The woman who gave him children and made sure he was happy. It would be different with Scott. They'd travel so he could take pictures of the world. She'd show him things he never imagined he'd see.

She shook her head and stood. "I can walk to your room so you can change and then I will take care of myself." She told him and did exactly what she said. She didn't say anything because she was lost in thought. When she walked into her room her 'team' was waiting for her. They scooped her up and immediately went to work. Her hair was tugged and pulled from every angle. She was told to look up, close her eyes, rubbed her lips together, and suck her cheeks in for the make up people.

The stylists came with the dresses her mother chose for her. They were all conservative and made her look older. Maybe Aric wouldn't treat like such a child once she was really dolled up. She didn't get this fancy unless it was for an event or photos. She imagined he would be taking her to business parties and would expect her to dress like this though. She hated the dresses her mother picked. They all seemed matronly and boring. She walked into her closet and looked for something a bit more, young and fresh looking. That showed a little bit more skin as well.

She put on the perfect little black dress and found some black designer heels to go along with it. She looked at the full effect and frowned. The lip color didn't go. She dug through her make up bag and found a red lipstick. She wiped what she had on off and she slid the red across her lips. She looked at herself again and was happier with the outcome.

She walked out of her room as Michael was coming out of his room. He whistled at her and she did a little turn for him, "Mother is going to kill you."

"I might just kill her first after who she arranged for me to marry but we can talk about that later. I am sure he will be very upset if I am any later." She kissed Michael's cheek and walked down the stairs to where the photos would be taken. She walked into the room and saw Scott behind his camera. She didn't realize until now that she was going to be in the same room as the person she loved and the person she was going to marry, alone.

She started to walk towards Scott but hesitated. They had to keep this professional. She didn't want too. She missed his kisses but it was something that they had to do.

"How was your day?" She asked him, figuring a small conversation wouldn't hurt anyone.
 
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