The Royal Contract

Her eyes squinted when she attempted to open her eyes. A bright light seemed to prevent her from seeing clearly. Quickly, she scratched her eyes to clear the fog that seemed to block her eyes.

"Hey!" She heard her husband's voice even before her vision had cleared.

She stretched her hands above her body as she tried to unwind the cramps on her neck, shoulders, and back. Then, she focused on her husband, who seemed busy moving around the room.

"What time is it?" She asked, seeing that it might be late, judging from the rays of sun coming through the windows.

However, she could not help but enjoy the relaxing feeling of getting more than enough sleep. She could not remember the last time she felt this way since she gave birth to their son.

"Time to wake up, my Queen." He moved closer to the bed. Then, he sat on the edge, extending his hand to touch her face, removing the few strands covering her face.

"Oh my! I think I overslept." She suddenly realized she had not seen her son since she went to bed last night. "Where is Ares?"

She quickly moved to a sitting position, ready to bolt out of bed to check on her child.

"Ares is already playing outside," Alex assured her, stopping her from rushing to her son's side. "While you still have to get ready." He said.

"Ready for what?" Dani asked as her eyes opened wide, confused, as she tried to understand what her husband was saying.

"For a day out." Alex casually said as if that should be obvious as he pointed to her clothes on the bed. "Or more like a weekend away."

Eventually, her eyes landed on the pack bags on the other side of the room, near the door. Somehow, her husband's words and clues were finally making sense.

Still, she had no idea that they had plans. She tried to recall their conversation last night before succumbing to her exhaustion, but she doubted they had talked about leaving for a trip.

She should remember something as big as that. Right?

"What are you talking about?" She could not just get up and leave. "What trip?"

First, they had a son. Then, they had companies to run. And, of course, they also had other things going on in their lives, that included her brother.

"I thought about this trip this early morning. And we need this to unwind." Alex conclusively informed her as if the decision was final.

"What about Ares?" She asked, knowing she could not leave him behind while she enjoyed and relaxed away from him.

Her son still needed her. And she guessed she needed to be sure that he was always safe. But admittedly, she also needed him.

"Don't worry about him? He had the best nanny in town." Alex mischievously smiled at her while dragging her out of the bed and carrying her into the bathroom.

"You would not dare," Dani threateningly warned her husband when she realized his intention. Temporarily forgetting the thought of her son as she fought to get out of his grip.

"Too late." He naughtily said as he dumped her in the cold shower, and sprinkles of water dripped on the top of her head.

"Oh! That is cold." She gasped for air as the shock of the cold water touched her skin, soaking her hair and nightgown until the cloth clung to her skin.

But that was an effective way of waking up every nerve endings of her body. But, of course, she would not let him get away with it.

"Not so fast." She grabbed her husband by the neck and pulled him closer, letting the water sprinkle over his chest and the rest of his body.

But as if he did not even put up a fight, he moved closer, letting the water drench the shirt he wore. And what was supposed to be a quick shower turned into something more.

But anyway, more than an hour later, she found herself sitting beside the window side of her husband's private plane, gliding across the vast ocean.

"Where are we going again?" She asked him, wondering about their destination.

Yes, her husband had convinced her to go along with his plans. What about their son, Ares? Well, Alex was right. Her son had the best nanny to care for him. He was in good hands.

How her husband arranged all of this in just a few hours was still a mystery to her. But that was one of his skills. He could create magic.

"Somewhere you can recharge and think about nothing else but yourself." Her husband muttered as they both stared at the view outside the window.

She knew she also deserved a break. But sometimes, thinking about her son, the company, and all the people who depended on her made her feel guilty of abandoning them.

Then, Gerald added to the picture, asking for her help. Of course, she could not ignore him despite their differences.

Her father made her swear that she would be there for him when the time came that he would want to change.

She just hoped that she was helping her brother for the right reason. And this was not just another ploy to con her into helping him.

"And me..." He added with a playful smile. But his eyes seemed to tell her something else. They seemed like he was begging and seeking her attention.

That suddenly made her think.

Had she been ignoring him and his needs since she had Ares? She would admit that between returning to work and caring about her son's needs. She had already had her hands full.

Then, her brother appeared in the picture, occupying most of her remaining spare time. Suddenly, she realized she had been negligent in her responsibility to her husband.

"Oh my!" She gasped as she touched his face, feeling guilty for putting her husband on the last of her priorities. "I am sorry."

Luckily, she had married the best husband in the world. He always tried to understand her situation, standing by her side throughout all her ordeals.

"No need to be sorry. I know that being a mother is not easy. On top of that, you have a heavy weight of responsibilities on your shoulders." He said as he gently tapped the tip of her nose while staring into her eyes.

"I am just happy I can be there for you, just like when you were there for me when I needed you."  Alex let his fingers glided down her cheeks and stopped just underneath her chin.

"And how many husbands could say to the world that they had the best wife, beautiful and loving mother to their child? I am still the luckiest man alive because I have you."

She guessed, with words like that, she had no reason to doubt their growing strong relationship. But still, she better reexamine her priorities.

She knew she could not keep putting him aside because he did not deserve that. Alex might not be her top priority most of the time, but he could not be at the back, waiting for scraps from her.

"I just feel like Ares needs me more." She tried to explain, but she guessed her husband also needed her. "Anyway, thanks for calling Mom."

She still did not expect to see her mother that morning playing with Ares. She thought she was still away on vacation. Chapter Find:

Since her father died, they had convinced her mother to go out more. She knew that staying alone in their big, empty house without her father would only make her mother depressed.

So, she was glad when she traveled with her friends and even visited Alex's parents a few times. That at least had given her something to do with her time.

"And don't worry because Dad and Mom are also on their way to help Laura with our lively son." Alex also knew that Ares could be a handful.

But, of course, Ares had his regular experienced nanny who knew how to handle him. But it did help to make her relax that her mother and Alex's parents would be there to care for him while Alex whisked her away.

In a few more hours, they stood in front of a cottage, which would be their home for a few days or more, depending on how the days would go.

Honestly, there were moments she wanted to rush back home and be with her son. But she knew she had to trust that he was in good hands.

Besides, they needed this.

"This is beautiful." She could not help but admire the majestic view surrounding her. It was a perfect hideaway from the buzz of her life in the city.

It was quiet, with only the sound of the breeze ruffling the leaves and the chirping noises of the birds, probably on the trees, filling the air.

She guessed it was a big contrast to the wailing of her child in the middle of the night or the bustling traffic of the morning when she drove to her office.

"But not as beautiful as you." He whispered behind her before opening the door of the cabin.

She guessed she could manage a few days away from her life and relax in this place. But she knew she would miss her son and his adorable smile most terribly.

But for now, she was here for one thing. She would put her husband first in her priorities.

"So, what is the first thing on our agenda?"