The Royal Contract

Traffic was still moderate, with vehicles going in different directions.

Her eyes stared at the lamp post that lighted the streets. She did not see anything fascinating or extraordinary with them, but it seemed to help her relax a bit.

“Are you sure that the Count would have left by now?” Eida asked as she sat restlessly on their way to the hospital.

She was not afraid of the Count. She would have faced him if she had to under normal circumstances. However, the situation was different now. She could not solely think about what she wanted but also had to consider Lance and the baby.

“I could not be hundred percent certain, but based on the nurses, Uncle Thomas usually left early after visiting Lance,” Amelia responded, giving her a little assurance. Still, she could not help but wonder what she would do if she had to face the grandfather of her baby.

She could not promise that she would be able to stop her mind from saying what she thought of the Count and his manipulative ways.

.....

But one thing she knew for sure, she could not allow dictating what she should do and her child’s future. Only Lance had that right, and she would wait for him to get better so she could tell him about their baby.

Then, it would be up to him to decide whether he wanted a life with them or only be a part of their child’s life. Either way, she would not force him to love or stay with her.

“Don’t worry. We will be here for you.” Evan glanced at her through the rearview mirror, showing his support.

Then, silence covered the rest of the car ride as her thoughts brought her back to her dilemma while the others seemed lost in their world.

She momentarily stared at the two, who seemed to be acting weird since this morning. But as she had decided earlier, she would not meddle in their affairs unless they asked her to or if necessary.

Until then, she would deal with her problems and silently watch the two for any development. But she did see the appeal of the two of them ending up together.

What was she doing, acting matchmaker?

“We are here?” Ethan finally jarred her thoughts back to reality as her eyes saw the imposing hospital from her view.

Quickly, Evan circled the entrance and proceeded to the back door, where security was already waiting for them to escort them inside.

She believed they had given them special treatment because Evan had provided extra pay to these people, but if they were ordinary people, she doubted this would be possible.

Exactly why money was valuable to the world, she thought. It could easily purchase convenience and security, but she still believed not everything. The Count could still not buy her love.

“Are you ready to see him?” Amelia asked as they stopped in a waiting room. “I want you to prepare yourself because what you might see would not be pretty.”

“The accident banged him badly, but the good news, he would recover from this,” Evan added, warning her what to anticipate. At the same time, he assured her that he would be alright.

She stared at her best friend and then at the man she barely knew but began to like anyway. She felt lucky that she had friends willing to stand by her side in a time like this.

“I am aware of what to expect in his situation.” She assured them, having reported more than her fair share of vehicle accidents during her younger times in the news industry.

But she was not saying it would be easy to see the man she loved in such condition. Her hands still shook as her heart drummed across her chest. She could not deny the fear that coursed through her spine.

“If you are ready.” Evan finally acknowledged it was time. “But remember, doctors had to sedate him earlier. So, he might still be sleeping and would not know that you have been in his room. Let alone hear your voice.”

She suddenly felt like a child, giving final instructions before going to her first day at school, but it was alright. She knew Amelia and Evan were only looking after her.

“Ok.” It was the only word she could utter as she prepared herself for whatever she would find in that room.

She would settle to see his face if she could not glance at his eyes. She would be happy to feel his hands even if she could not sense his touch.

All she wanted was to tell him what he needed to hear. She could wait for as long as it took for him to respond to her. As long as he lived, that was more than enough. It was all that mattered.

Soon, they walked towards the hallway leading to his private room. It was not on the regular floors where the other patients were recovering. It was a specialized section of the hospital for VIP patients.

“Let me handle them,” Amelia whispered behind her ears as they neared his room.

As expected, royal guards secured the area. No one could enter and leave the premises without them knowing. She was already aware of this. It was the only thing that had stopped her from running to his room that morning.

The guards smiled and nodded to Amelia and Evan, recognizing them and allowing them access to the area without questioning who she was.

Luckily, those men trusted them enough not to see her as a threat. Maybe the Count did not tell his security about her. It was possible since the Count would not want her relationship with the Prince to become an issue.

“Thanks.” She heard Amelia speak to the guard standing by the door. Then, she was ushered inside by Evan, who quickly closed the door behind her when they were all inside.

Her eyes landed on him, lying motionlessly on the bed. The only visible movement she could see from her view was the machines on the sides that were helping him through his injuries.

“Go on. Lance had been waiting for you.” Amelia slightly nudged her by the shoulder. ” We will sit here and wait. She pulled Evan to the side by the waiting area at the corner of the room.

She gradually moved, stepping closer to his bed. She could finally witness with her eyes what her friends were talking about regarding his condition. Lance did look pretty bad. But she was glad that despite that, he would recover.

Finally, she stood beside him. If she stretched her hands, she could touch him. But why was she hesitating? Was she afraid that she would hurt him? Well, she doubted he would feel any pain at the moment.

Still, she just stared at him, checking every inch of his body for his injuries. His head had bandages covering half of his face. Those exposed to her had cuts and bruises on them.

“I am here.” She finally whispered, but she doubted he heard it. She stared again into his face, still handsome despite his condition.

It must be the reason they said that love was blind.