a girl

a cigarette

a strong liquor

gay men who joined the navy to express their sexuality

sexy, hot

do reckless things

(Italics are for flashbacks.)

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

Many perturbing thoughts plagued Cal's mind for the remaining of the week. What was their true intention in coming to Angletonia? What was a godshard? Who's Megis? How could he understand all that pagan crap?

The Corodis turned out to be not as friendly as they seemed. Should he tell his father about it?

The way Isleen audaciously targeted Olivia's rightful place and how confident she would earn his father's support had been a burden on its own. Would his father actually stop the wedding? What if he'd go so far?

Friday was Olivia's dress fitting schedule, and he decided to show up in the boutique for a surprise. Her chauffeur was spotted in the parking lot, and he spotted a blurry form of Olivia's golden hair from the showroom's mosaic glass windows.

His fiancée stood before a full-sized mirror in a complete set of her wedding dress, veil and jewellery. His mother and his aunt Marlene sat on the couch behind her.

Since the wedding was going to be funded by the empire, it should be approved by the imperial family.

"No, this isn't it," Olivia discarded her glittery belt, loud enough to be heard from the window hole. "And I've seen all of these dresses on other brides. I need something special, with a wow factor. What do you think, Maman?"

Cal knew how his father hated that she had yet to join their family, yet she dared to address Estelle as 'Maman' instead of 'Your Majesty'.

"I think the lace bodice is beautiful," Estelle smiled. "But I think Cal would love anything that you wear."

"But I am not feeling the moment," Olivia twirled around in her dress. "I see the problem now, this design is just too dull. Can we have more beading at the front?"

"Yes, you can. But craftmanship is going to double the price of the whole skirt," the designer said. "And you still haven't chosen a veil."

That brought a frown to her beautiful face. "We're royalty, why do we have a budget? My father would've bought me anything as long as I like it."

"The taxpayers aren't going to like it, hon," the shop assistant said.

"Well, they don't get a say in this, and what's the point of it if the people can't get their Princess the most beautiful dress?"

"Sweetie, you're just going to wear it for twelve hours," Marlene sighed.

"Yes, but it's the twelve hours that I've been dreaming of my whole life!" Olivia argued.

"I am a princess of the blood. I didn't have to wear the most beautiful dress," Marlene shrugged.

"But this isn't your typical nineteenth-century dress! This is a modern, contemporary, roaring-twenties dress!" Olivia rasped, driving his aunt into silence.

"Let's try an overskirt," the designer coaxed her, trying to ease down the tension.

"This is getting out of hand," Marlene told Estelle.

"I just want to be supportive of Cal, his father is already opposed to his choice," Estelle whispered.

Marlene sneered. "I can see why."

Not wanting to prolong the conflict, Cal decided that it's time for him to step in. "Surprise!" he exclaimed as he promptly entered through the front door, barging into the showroom.

Olivia shrieked as she saw him, quickly ducking under a floral decoration. One of the consultants quickly grabbed one of the dressing robes nearby and wrapped it over Olivia, before dragging her back into the fitting room.

Convincing his mother and aunt to take care of the situation, he asked to talk to Olivia in private. Cal entered the cubicle, spotting Olivia having changed into her clothes, curling up on top of a chair.

"They're not going to get it for me," she wept. "I thought planning my wedding is going to be so wonderful, I've been dreaming about it my whole life."

Cal sat behind her, offering her his handkerchief. This was the first time in his life, even when she's still visually very beautiful at that moment, he found her unattractive. "What can I do to make it better?"

"I want to wear a crown. The peacock crown that your great-grandmother Orianne wore in her painting."

"My mother would have to—" He took a deep breath. Unless offered by his mother, she's not supposed to ask to borrow royal crowns yet. "Alright, I'm going to try and get it for you."

"I only wished to spend a bit more time together before I have to go," Her shoulders slumped, and it made him feel worse. He suddenly realized Olivia looked terribly exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes from her stress and lack of sleep.

He had once heard that people who were getting married would experience some wedding jitters; maybe that was why she was acting weird.

"I'm leaving for Palmerston tomorrow. I hoped that you could help me loosen up, show me a good time?"

Cal raised his brows. "Well, then... if that's what you really want." He sat down by her side, entwining their fingers. "We can go back to your townhouse, and I can show you how loose you could be..." he whispered under his breath, leaving kisses along her slender arm up to her shoulder.

They didn't have to go back to her place, in fact, doing it in the stall sounded much more exciting. Especially with all the mirrors, it's—

"Not that, you perv!" she roared, shoving him away. "I meant that you should take me out!"

"Ow, okay okay! Why didn't you just say that? Golly, that bloody hurt!" he winced, holding the side of his face where she'd shoved him. "Let's go out. My aunt will only become crankier if we make them wait that long."

"You should've barged in earlier, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

Cal smirked. "Oh, I don't believe in such things."

***

By evening, Cal decided that Olivia wasn't the only one feeling stressed out. With everything going on in his life with his father, Olivia and Isleen; he could use a break as well, so he was beyond excited to have Adejola visiting him tonight. Usually, Callisto wouldn't allow him to make a mess in the palace, but as Adejola was invited to stay to witness Cal and Olivia's wedding.

Cal would've asked Olivia to join them as she was also a friend of Adejola's, even before he knew her, but since she would be on the train first thing in the morning it would be better for her to be well-rested for the journey rather than wasting her time with them.

"I never thought that between the two of us, you'd be the one getting married first," jested the dark-skinned prince as he poured them two glasses of liquor at a table near the fireplace. They had decided to spend the night smoking and getting wasted, because if Adejola dared to bring women in, Callisto would execute the entire palace if he found out.

"Am I not husband material?" Cal frowned, throwing himself on a large couch, raising his glass high. "Anyways, thanks for coming mate."

"But of course," he sat down opposite him. "I'd be your best man."

Cal snickered. "You and Philippe."

"Can't compete with Blondie. How's he doing these days?"

"Still in sailing school. Probably drifting in some ship right now..." Cal chugged his glass empty, lips twitching into a wide grin while repressing his laughter. "With the sea queens."

Adejola burst into laughter as well. "Cheeky bastard, he must be having one hell of a time!"

"At least it's not all three of us going through abstinence," he noted bitterly. He just realized he hadn't had sex in almost a year, so that might be part of the reason why he got so cranky.

"You mean— you?" Adejola shot him a look that was a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "But, you have a fiancée!"

"Apparently, she's decided that I'm not getting any till we walk down the aisle," he downed his liquor. "I don't know, mate... I just— lately I've been having second thoughts. Am I really ready to get married? Am I making the right choices?"

"Well if you don't feel like getting married then you shouldn't. No one's pressuring you, is there?"

"I just wish to have my own family, a big one." Cal grinned, projecting an image in his mind of a future, of his beautiful wife and kids. A perfect family. He's going to be a better father than Callisto, allowing his children become whomever they desired to be, without the narrow confines of tradition and protocol. "My father said that I couldn't be a responsible or loyal man, I'd prove him wrong."

Adejola grinned. "A pretty tame dream for a future ruler of the world."

"But, between Olivia and the girl that my father's trying to set me up with, I'd choose Olivia. Not going to give my father that satisfaction." Grabbing the whiskey bottle, Cal poured more into his glass. "I need some more."

"Whoa, take it easy, man! That's a jorum of skee you got over there. How bad exactly is this Southern doll, that you can't even stand the thought of her?"

Cal looked at his friend straight in the eyes and gave him the look of someone who'd just come out of a horror film. "A nightmare."

"But is she a dish?" he teased. Cal let out a tired groan. "Can't be bad if she's a hotsy-totsy."

Looking at him grimly, Cal pursed his lips. "You don't know her, mate, you haven't seen her! She has this weird eerie feeling that I cannot explain. Give me some fags."

Throwing a pack of cigars Cal's way, Adejola leaned forward in his chair, the corner of his lips curling up into a smirk. "...Better than Olivia?" he whispered.

Holding the cigarette between his lips, Cal paused to glower at him. "Seriously? You know what mate, I think you could be of help. Take her out of my hair—" Turning to the glass windows, he frowned as he saw a flash of long platinum blonde hair. Unable to believe his eyes, he rubbed them with his fists, wondering if it was just a figment of his imagination.

No, it wasn't, since he was still sober.

Adejola tilted his head, turning to check on the direction that Cal was looking. "What's the matter? Something's wrong?"

"I think I just saw..." Putting the glass and cigars down, he stood and headed toward the figure that had caught his attention. "Be right back."

"Don't take any wooden nickels, man, this ain't your bachelor party yet!" Adejola roared with laughter as Cal slipped out of the door.

He caught a glimpse of the shiny golden hair once more; this time from behind a pillar. As he attempted to reach out, the person quickly disappeared and dashed down the corridor.

"Wait!" he yelled, following her down the stairs. "Olivia?"

The shadowy figure with the blonde hair continued to hurry down the hallway, the clacking of heeled shoes against the alabaster floor echoing after them, too fast for him to keep up with her.

Until he cornered her inside an unused bedroom, where she finally stopped.

"Olivia?" he called out once more, cocking his head.

The shadowy figure turned to face him, her golden hair and skin clearly exposed as they were illuminated by the moonlight. Raising her head to look at him, his heart picked up its pace as she gave him the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen from her to date.

It made her ten times more alluringly beautiful.

"Olivia? I thought you were supposed to be in bed, you've got a train to catch tomorrow?" he questioned in concern, stepping closer. "Let's just go back to my drawing room. We can join Adejola—"

Her lips were suddenly upon his, sucking out his breath and rubbing her tongue over all the right places. Fiery, heated with passion; just like the one they shared when they first fell in love.

"Darling...?"

'Olivia' simpered, taking Cal to descend into bed with her.

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

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