CHAPTER 10
Cort
“Hi, you’ve reached Teagan…”
I threw my phone down on my desk and leaned back in my chair. I tried to calm myself down, but I was getting so pissed. It had been three days since the night with Teagan. I had already left another voicemail, and figured that three voicemails was a bit overkill. She was probably trying to give me a hint, by not answering my calls, but I still held out some hope. No matter how futile it might seem.
I hated feeling helplessness. I was going stark raving mad over this woman, and I felt powerless to do anything but wait by the phone like some lovesick teenager. It was humiliating. If any of my friends knew I was doing this, they would never let me forget it. Hell, if the public found out that I was being snubbed by a random tourist I hooked up with in a dark alley, I would have been the joke of the nation. Not to mention the potential scandal.
I took a deep breath and poured myself a glass of scotch. It was barely lunch time, but I didn’t really care. I needed something to take the edge off, and some sweet scotch would usually do the trick.
Still, I hated feeling so damn worthless. I sat back down at my desk and let my thoughts wander. My eyes caught my computer. I wonder if I could find out anything there. I fired up the computer and began to do some searching for Teagan Norton. I opened up my internet browser and started to type her name into the search bar. As I finished typing her name, I realized that I had no idea what part of the States she was even from. There had to be thousands of girls named Teagan Norton out there. I was never going to find her. I didn’t even have a picture of her.
I glanced quickly at my phone. I did have her phone number. I tried to do a reverse search, but nothing came up. I bit back a curse as I remembered her saying that it was an international phone. So it was probably pay as you go with no account attached to it.
I poured another drink and then laughed as I finished it up. To think this sweet, beautiful girl was doing this to the prince of Rovenia. That was a huge laugh. But it was also unfortunate. My heart felt like someone had just pierced it with a dagger. It was painful. I just wanted to find this girl, talk to her, hold her in my arms… was that too much to ask?
Apparently, it was.
How had I fallen for this woman I barely knew? Had I really fallen for her? Did I want to find her because she was so unattainable? I was used to women fawning over me. Everywhere I went, hundreds of women would try everything to spend just a minute with the prince. Was it the fact that she was the first one that didn’t care, the reason why I was so infatuated?
“This is ridiculous. I’m going out of my mind,” I laughed.
A knock on the door startled me from my thoughts.
“What?” I answered hastily.
“Your highness, I’m sorry to interrupt,” one of the palace assistants said as he walked into the room.
“It’s fine, Frederick,” I said.
“The council has reached a decision and the council requests a word with you.”
I took a deep breath and followed Frederick out of my study. A few days ago, I had sent a long proposal to the council detailing why the ruling should be changed. I showcased my maturity and how there was no need for a marriage to prove to parliament, and to the country that I was ready to follow in my father’s footsteps.
We walked into the council chambers, where all of them were waiting for me. They each stared me down as I entered the room. Fuck, I hated these assholes. I sat down at the head of the table and waited for someone to speak. Marcel cleared his throat and stood up.
“We’ve evaluated the matter that you have presented to us,” Marcel began.
“I’m pleased to hear that,” I said. I tried to keep the positive attitude flowing. I really needed to hear some good news right about now.
“After careful consideration, the council has reached the decision that the law will be upheld. You are to find a bride by your thirty first birthday if you expect to assume the throne.”
Anger bubbled up inside my chest. Why is the council so stuck in the past? “What? I thought I made my points very clear on this!” I said through gritted teeth.
“You will conduct yourself properly in this court. Do I make myself clear Prince?” Marcel asked.
“Yes,” I said calmly, correcting himself. I pushed my anger down the best the I could.
“This decision is final. We will not change the ruling. If you do not secure a bride by the appropriate time, then your uncle Charles will assume the throne.”
I knew it was futile to argue. The decision had been made, and there was not a damn thing I was going to be able to do about it. He shuddered at the thought of his dimwit uncle, my father’s younger brother, barely older than himself, assuming the crown. The country would fall apart if this happened. My uncle had been married for some years, but he hardly even spoke to his wife and routinely had women sent to his room. He spent at least half of every day in bed with food, wine, and women. It was appalling and unbefitting of someone who was about to assume the title of king. He was like a cliché of ancient Roman monarch. Didn’t the council see that?
No. They wanted to uphold the laws that had been in place for so long, no matter what the better alternative would be.
“Do you have anything else to say?” Marcel asked.
I knew Marcel was trying to bait me. He was trying to get me to lose my temper and fly off the handle, further proving to the council that I was unfit to be king. Marcel had always hated me for some reason. I almost believed that the Marcel was enjoying this.
He probably was.
“No. I have nothing further.”
“Very well then. Meeting adjourned,” Marcel said.
I started to walk away.
I was not going to play their game. The people of Ronovia deserved better than this.