46— Homecoming and plans

Unknown
Things weren't going as he wanted. With princess Laura gone, it was a brief break if relief but now, he was starting to think about other alternatives. What if she didn't come home with prince Nicolas? What if prince Nicolas had really absconded? Not that he blamed the boy. Princess Laura was a handful and a bitch sometimes.
But with Nicolas taking off to gods knew where, he'd soiled the plan so meticulously carved out and it was making him very angry. If Nicolas didn't return, he'd managed to destroy the plans. That was why he was desperately looking for an alternative. A back up plan to save his ass and clean up his mess. This was bad.
Pacing around, he began to think because time was no longer on his side. He wouldn't wait for Laura to come before he would do something. Who knew if the stupid girl hadn't been wandering around since in the bush, walking around in circles? Laura was, in his opinion, as clueless as a toothbrush.
As he paced round, the idea struck him so hard, his breath caught in his lungs. Why hadn't he thought if this earlier?
He would find a wolf, some random bozo that lived probably in the slums, and introduce him to the king, who would be dumb enough to accept the idea. The wolf could be groomed to become a king and then, Laura would marry him. Laura must Marry him, he grimly thought.
The problem at hand now was how to find a wolf. How would he find a bozo when he had no contacts? The king would not take the idea lightly as well due to the fact that the old man actually liked prince Nicolas in all his charmingness and manliness. It was disgusting and gross.
Since he could trust no one, he would do it himself. Locking his door and gathering what little coins he had on him, he took the small path that led to the village in search of someone, anyone. Someone that could easily be controlled, that would warm up to the idea of being in power but not want the power so much that he would be overthrown. Just a puppy to control. It brought a smile to his lips as he rushed out of his chambers towards the village. He had business to attend to.
****
Laura had heard everything that Lily had told her but it didn't was her mind that there was something that Nicolas wasn't saying. He hadn't spoken a word since she left, even as they were on the threshold of their border and they could see the skyline papalce in view, he excuded no emotions, no care in the world. She was worried.
She had found the guards and the rest of the crew and they had made their journey back to the kingdom immediately, she expected that since he had been so far from home that he would sigh or speak to her but the only time he spoke to her was the time he asked her if she came alone, after that nothing else.
"Are you excited that you're coming back to the palace?" He gave a grunt in response and it was hard to tell if he was in support of not.
She closed her eyes in frustration as to how much change he had undergone, what exactly had happened between the two of them? She had the intuition that something happened but she was almost too caught up to tell him what she was feeling.
" You seem to be distant than ever before. Is everything alright?" She asked.
How was he supposed to tell her that he was in love? In love with the wrong woman. He was never supposed to fall in love and even if he was to do so, it wasn't supposed to be with her , it was supposed to be with this spoilt brat, this very one who asked him questions to know what was on his mind. To judge him and probably go after Lily, an innocent. He wasn't going to start telling her what he was thinking, if for anything he needed to continue on his path of lies just to protect Lily and get what he wanted in the process.
"I'm overwhelmed been with you Laura, I haven't seen you in two weeks and my heart yearned so much for you that I couldn't stop talking about you and begging for my life. I'm happy that I'm coming back home, it's been what? Two weeks or more? Right? — she nodded— I'm glad that I survived and I'm here with you right now and at this moment" he lied through his teeth, because that was what he was capable of doing. He didn't mind whatever he did, so far he kept his plans and he protected the love of his life.
She squealed in happiness and he thought 'what a brat', he smiled with her as she continually squealed in happiness. He needed a shower from the repulsion that was currently eating him alive, he had no option. He hated himself even more for what he was going to do, somehow she knew that something had happened between them, she felt insecure and the only thing that came to her mind was to make sure her claim on Nicolas was secured and locked down. Nicolas was hers and hers alone and nobody was going to stop her from getting married to him. He belonged to her as she belonged to her. She caught a glance as she squealed with excitement, she didn't know what it was but it vanished as it came and she refused to be bothered by it.
****
He hadn't given the guard at the gate much information only that he had something pressing go do and an important appointment to catch up with. The guard had given him a sly look and a questioning gaze before, shrugging nonchalantly, opened the gate to let him go. It's been easy this time and for the millionth time, he wondered why it was going so easy for him. Something was really keeping an eye out for him.
He walked aimlessly for sometime, smiling his plastic fake smile at the villagers who returned his smiles with greetings and blessings of their own. The market place had sucked in some air and was now booming and overfilled with food and people. He thought if how the arrival of the vampires had not been a bad thing.
The vampires had more than enough to spare and so, had brought a lot of things for the palace and the villagers, this breathing life into the kingdom once more. He thought of how when he was king, he would still keep a close alliance with the vampires because they were trusty to some extent. He didn't mind though because everyone had a backstabbing bone in their body whether they liked it or not.
He'd been brooding and stuck in his thoughts that he wasn't even looking at where he was going until he crashed into a young man, holding a leash that at the end was a loudly tottering goat. He didn't know what to think again.
"I'm sorry, sir," the man apologized, scowling at the goat who was tugging at the leash stubbornly, trying to escape.
"My goat is quite a handful," the man explained and he thought of how similar the goat and Laura were. Metaphorically of course.
Tell me about it, he thought, assessing the man who's dressing spoke of decent living and an ok life.
"It's alright." He waved the apology away, still looking at the young man who was quite young, well built with muscles and had a pleasant face to look at. He wasn't all that bad. Maybe he was the key to his plan B. Who knew that luck worked this efficiently? He'd never heard of a string of luck but here it was, happening to him. It was baffling and he was suddenly feeling the need to just laugh with mirth.
"You rear goats?" He asked, already knowing the answer. The man was obviously into goat rearing due to the way he spoke if the animal as if it was a person.
The young man looked delighted that someone had picked up on this fact.
"I do. I was just trying to sell this last one but unfortunately, got no buyer," the man sadly said. He shook his head but didn't even give a rat's ass about the stupid goat. He'd found his plan B and he hadn't even needed to search that long for him. This was amazing.
"Are you interested in buying it?" The man hopefully asked but he shook his head.
"Come with me, lad. I'm going go make you a rich man, just come with me. Today's your lucky day," he said, leading the way while the man,who he had long since realized was a pliant and malleable fool, followed.
****
Laura was becoming very uncertain during the journey home. Nicolas had barely spoken to her and even when he did, it was because she forced the answers out if him. She'd asked about his trip and he'd barely given a straight answer that didn't include the word 'fine'. Laura was starting to feel helpless about the situation.
Through out the journey back home, she'd seen no signs of the man who'd taken a walk with her, there was no sign of the man who's constructed that wonderful but sad letter, she didn't recognize the Nicolas that had been returned to her by that girl with striking features. She was hoping that what she was suspecting wasn't the truth.
They were now at the palace gates, the guards signalling themselves, welcoming and ushering her inside while the palace did a small jubilation at the return if the prince and the princess. It was a relief for them but a grave burden for Laura.
Requesting that they wanted to be alone to wash and freshen up, the maids left them to their doings and softly closed the door after them. Laura went to her chambers to freshen up, leaving Nicolas who silently departed to his own quarters. The silence in the two joined but separate chambers could've been cut with a scissors, given how thick and tense it was.
Laura hurriedly bathed with the warm water orividedy, finally feeling a little more like a person when she slid into her white gown and came out of her chambers. She met Nicolas already out, his hair damp and his eyes downcast. His normally dead eyes were holding an emotion that Laura could not decipher.
He raised his eyes to meet hers and when Laura opened her mouth to speak, the door rudely opened, revealing banks in the doorway.
She'd almost forgotten about this slimy man who's reign under this roof was as annoying as it was disturbing.
"Laura, your father wants to see you," Banks stated, eyeing her with obvious distaste. She returned the look with a stink eye as well before exiting the chabers to see her father. She'd missed the man and even though he was blind, she still loves him dearly.
On opening the door, the first thing her father said was:
"Laura, is that you?" Instaed of her answering, banks did it for her with a :" yes, my Lord."
"Good, I have some news to break to you," he said and Laura who'd began to run to embrace her father stopped. What was the news?
"You're getting married to someone else. I've arranged the marriage so, no refusals," her father stated and she saw banks nod approvingly. That slimy son of a—
"Married? Why am I to marry someone else when prince Nicolas has returned home?"she asked in a horrified voice and watched the blood slowly drain from Banks face. This was gold.