Love For Hire

Chapter 37: 37

Los Angeles, two years later…

Kinsley pulled into her driveway to find a luxury car parked at the curb. She got out of the car and watched as two men stepped out of the other vehicle. Kinsley was surprised to see Octavius and Stephen again. Octavius smiled at her warmly. “I thought I would never see you again,” she said, coming to stand in front of him.

“It has been too long.”

“How is Nicholas?” She asked, dying to know if he had survived or if his treatment had failed, and Nicholas had passed on.

“The Prince has requested you join him for dinner. If you have the time,” Octavius told her.

“How did you even find me?” She was not in the phonebook, and both she and her parents had moved some time ago. It amazed her that they had been able to track her down.

“With enough money and a good PI, you can find anyone,” she supposed that was true.

“Dinner?”

Stephen came around the car and opened the rear door for her to get in. Kinsley chuckled. They knew she would go. She did not even have to say yes. Kinsley stepped into the back of the car, and the two men climbed into the front, and they started to drive. “Is Nicholas well?” She asked. Octavius just smiled back at her, and she knew he was not going to tell her anything.

They drove to the palace outside town. The same place she had spent so much time with Nicholas. She looked at the mansion as she stepped out of the car. So many memories here. She had honestly thought she would never see this place again. Kinsley followed Octavius inside. He led her to the

parlour, where he gestured for her to take a seat while he fetched Nicholas and told him she was waiting on him.

Kinsley sat down and waited. It was not long when someone came in. Kinsley stood up and turned to see Nicholas. She was astonished. He looked remarkable. The corpse he had been the last she saw him was no more. He was strong. No longer skin and bones. He was well-fed and fit. His skin had a healthy colour and not that ashy look of death. The dark circles around his eyes had faded, and his face was no longer sunken. His hair had grown back and, more importantly. He was standing. He had walked into the room.

At his side sat Brutus and Nicholas had a firm grasp on Brutus’ harness. He still stared directly ahead, and she assumed that meant he was still blind. He smiled, even though Kinsley had yet to say a word. “I know you are in here. I can smell your perfume,” he said with a smile.

Kinsley was doing her best not to cry with joy. She rushed across the room and hugged him tightly. Nicholas laughed and letting go of the dog harness; he hugged her back. “Look at you,” she said, stepping back to look him over. “You look amazing. You look strong and healthy.”

He smiled at her, and she could see the pride on his face. “I am happy to say the treatment was a resounding success.”

“Dr. Horton cured you?”

He shook his head. “No, it is not a cure, but it is now manageable. As long as I take my daily injections, I remain well. Think about it as insulin for diabetics.”

“The change is remarkable. You have made a complete recovery.”

“Well, not a complete recovery,” he said with a hint of disappointment. “My eyesight never returned. I tried radiation therapy again to see if I could shrink the tumour. It did not work, unfortunately. The

tumour is still inoperable, but the radiation had, in a way, killed it. The tumour is benign now. Harmless. It does, however, still press on my optic nerve. They cannot cut it out, but Dr. Horton is confident that it will not get worse. So I will simply have to learn to live with being blind,” he grinned at her. “I am getting used to it. If this is the worst side effect of my near-death experience, I can live with that.”

Kinsley leaned over and petted Brutus, who seemed happy to see her. She was not sure he would remember her, but he seemed to, which surprised her. Kinsley stood up and smiled at Nicholas. “It is so good to see you. I am so happy that the treatments worked. You have reclaimed your life.”

“Yes, and I have many years of lost life to make up for,” he took Brutus by the harness once more. “Please take a seat,” Kinsley sat down on the closest Couch, and Nicholas sat down next to her, and Brutus lay down on the floor next to Nicholas’ feet. “I have been told you are doing well.”

“Yes, thanks to your kindness. The money changed my life.”

“We had a deal, and you lived up to your part, so I did as well. You earned your fee.”

Kinsley looked down at her hands. “Is that all it was? Love for hire? Did I ever mean anything to you?”

Nicholas reached out and took her hand in his. “Kinsley, you meant everything to me. I did not know if I would survive or recover if I did. I did not want to be a burden on you. I wanted you to have a life. One not filled with tears.”

“I cried for you anyway.”

He smiled at her. “You are a good woman,” she watched as the smile faded from his face. “Is there…” He trailed off like he did not want to ask what was on his mind. Like he feared her answer. “It has been a long time; there must be someone special in your life now.”

She snickered. “If you are asking, is there another man in my life… no, there is not. There has been no one after you.”

“Why not?”

“It is impossible to learn to love someone new when you are still in love with someone else.”

He smiled. “So you still love me?”

“Boy, what do you think?”

He chuckled. “With that said, I have a proposition for you.”

“Is that so?”

“I have missed you. I have come to LA to collect you,” Nicholas confessed.

“Collect me?”

“I am flying back to Kustium next week.”

She was both surprised and disappointed to learn he was leaving. “Oh, you are going home.”

“Well, now that I have a future, I have to think about the future. I will be king one day; I have to learn how to run a country. I have to go home and do my duty as Crowned Prince.”

“I wish you the best.”

“I want you to come with me.”

“To Kustium?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Well, I am going to require a wife. I can think of no one I would rather spend my life with than you. Come with me, Kinsley, and I will make you a queen.”

Kinsley watched him in silence. “I do not want to be a queen,” she told him, watching the hope and happiness fade from his face. Kinsley smiled, knowing he could not see her face. “But I would be happy to be your wife.”

His grin returned. “Was that a yes?”

Kinsley thought about her life here. She would miss her family, but she would regret it forever if she turned Nicholas down. She supposed she could gift the house to her parents and let them either live in it or sell it for profit. After all, who needs a house in LA when they could live in a palace?

“Yes. I will marry you.”

He took her hand. “I promise you will not regret it,” Nicholas rose to his feet. “I am sure dinner is ready to be served. What do you say we move to the dining room?”

Kinsley stood up and stepped into Nicholas, pressing her body against his. She brushed her lips softly over his. “I say, let dinner get cold. Let’s go upstairs and make up for lost time.”

She felt his arms snake around her waist. “Now there is an idea I can get on board with.”

***

Aclon Kustium, two months later…

Kinsley felt beautiful in the amazing yellow ballgown Nicholas had made for her. She stood next to her fiancé, who held her hand openly before the court. To their left stood Teegan in an equally lovely blue dress. Seated on a throne to the right was Naya dressed in an exquisite red gown with the crown atop her head.

Next to her, Nicholas was dressed in his finest formal clothes with the long white slacks and the royal blue double-breasted jacket with the white and golden sash draped over his shoulder, his crown worn proudly. He had never looked more like royalty than he did at that very moment. Standing front and center stood Samuel dressed very much like his son, complete with sash and crown. In his hand, he held a ceremonial sword.

Octavius stood in the middle of the court before the King dressed in a tux. He looked very dashing.

“Octavius Hudson, come forth and kneel,” Octavius walked up to Samuel, and he knelt down on one knee before him and bowed his head respectfully. Samuel placed the tip of the sword on Octavius' shoulder. “For years of faithful, diligent, and devoted service in the care of the Crowned Prince Nicholas and for acts that go above and beyond the call of duty, I Knight you. You kneel before me as a servant…” He then moved the tip of the sword over Octavius’ head and tapped his other shoulder, “you rise, Sir Hudson.”

Samuel placed the tip of the sword on the floor before him, both hands folded on the hilt. Those in court clapped, applauding Octavius’ Knighthood. Octavius rose and held his head up high. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Kinsley was happy for him; Octavius had more than earned it.