Cort threw his phone down on his desk and leaned back trying to calm himself down, but he was getting so pissed. It had been three days since the night with Teegan. He’d just left another voicemail against his better judgment asking her to give him a call. It was starting to look very bleak and he felt that these phone games were a bit futile.

He hated this feeling of helplessness. He was going stark raving mad over this woman and he felt powerless to do anything but wait by the phone like some lovelorn teenager. It was humiliating. If any of his friends knew he was doing this they would give him a ribbing that he would never live down. Hell, if the public found out that he was being snubbed by a random girl he’d hooked up with in a dark alley he would have been the joke of the nation.

He took a deep breath and poured himself a shot of whiskey. It was barely lunch time but he didn’t really care. He needed something to take the edge off and some sweet scotch would usually do the trick.

Still he hated feeling so damn worthless. So he decided to go old school on the matter. Cort fired up the internet and began to do some searching for Teegan Norton. He had no sooner started the search then he realized he had no idea what part of the States she was even from, not really. It might have all been a lie. There had to be thousands of girls named Teegan Norton out there. He was never going to find her. He didn’t even have a picture of her.

But he did have her phone number. Cort tried to do a reverse search on the number. But it came up nothing. After all it was a pay as you go disposable phone. It was probably not even really registered in her name. Ugh what was a man to do?

He poured another drink and then laughed as he 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 very sad. His heart felt like someone had just pierced it with a dagger. It was painful. He just wanted to find this girl, talk to her, hold her in his arms—was that too much to ask? Apparently it was.

How had he become so in love with this woman he barely knew? Was that what he was feeling? Was it love? Infatuation? What was really the difference? Oh, he’d heard a million songs, seen loads of movies, read tons of books all about this very thing and he realized right now that he had not learned a damn thing from any of that about how to handle this type of situation.

“This is ridiculous. I’m going out of my mind,” he laughed.

A knock came on his door just then.

“What?” He answered hastily.

It was one of his couriers telling him that the Parliament had reached a decision and he was summoned to their chambers at once.

Cort took a deep breath and followed the courier.

“We’ve evaluated the matter that you have presented to us,” Maricle began when Cort arrived. He made sure to enter the room with the type of strong bravado expected of a soon to be king, but inside he was shaking like a leaf.

“I’m pleased to hear that,” Cort said. He tried to keep the positive attitude flowing. He 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 thirtieth birthday if you expect to assume the throne.”

“What? I thought I made my points very clear on this!” Cort yelled.

“You will conduct yourself properly in this court. Do I make myself clear Prince?” Maricle asked.

“Yes,” Cort said calmly.

“This decision is final. You will not change the ruling. If you do not secure a bride by said time then your uncle Charles will assume the throne.”

Cort knew it was futile to argue. The decision had been made and there was not a damn thing he was going to be able to do about it. He shuddered at the thought of his dimwit uncle, his father’s younger brother, assuming the crown. The country would fall apart if this happened. His 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. 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?” Maricle asked.

To Cort it seemed almost like a bait or a dare of some sort. He almost believed that the Maricle was enjoying this.

He probably was.

“No. I have nothing farther.”

“Very well then. Meeting adjourned,” Maricle said.

Cort started to walk away but stopped himself.

“Actually,” he began.

Maricle looked annoyed. “Yes?”

“If I were to get married before my thirtieth birthday then I will assume the throne.”

“Of course.”

“Ok,” Cort said.

He was not going to play their game. It was quite possible that these old fogies had just played themselves right into his hands.

Cort left the chambers, and headed for the gym. He needed to do some boxing and blow off some steam while he calculated his next move.

“Wow, I think you knocked him out,” Brody said.

Markus was lying on the canvas after taking a vicious roundhouse punch from Cort. It was a clean knockout punch and it had decked him hard to the mat. It was a good thing that he was wearing head gear.

After a few moments he got to his feet. “Oh, that sucked in so many ways…” Markus said.

“You’ll live,” Cort replied. It had been a while since he and the boys had done some kickboxing. It was always a fun way to relieve stress, and right now Cort wanted to do just that.

“So, want to go grab a few beers?” Brody asked.

“Nah,” Cort said. “I need to meet with the team.”

The team was his own team of personal advisors. He met with them to discuss personal life choices and they advised him on legalities relating to the job of being Prince.

“Do you think there is anything they can do?” Brody asked.

“I’m not sure, but it’s the only play I have right now. If there is a way to find a loophole around this, then they are the guys to do it.”

Cort said goodbye to his boys and headed off to meet with the team.

He just prayed there was something that could be done.