AIDEN
(Imperium, Stormhold)
The moment her lips touched mine, the applause and demanding questions from the crowd and press hit my ears. I finally remembered the reason I wasn't supposed to do this. Elena Moore. I smoothly pulled back from her the moment her lips landed on mine, but it was too late. Our forbidden kiss lingered in my mind, making my dick twitch. I really needed to get laid. Six months without pussy was a long time. I just couldn't bring myself to bed a stranger after Keira… especially with Elena making a play for me.
Fuck! Shit! Asshole! Turned out I could be one to Keira after all, to her and Elena.
I moved away, took my place next to her and smiled for the cameras. No matter what was happening, Prince Aiden Condron could always be relied on to smile. The other big reason not to do this very dumb thing on live television, AKA me being royalty, flooded my head.
I took Keira in. The mask was back. I hated the ice queen vibe. It didn't suit my Keira. This wasn't her fault. This stupidity was all me. The least I could do was play the part to the end.
"Seven days. Not a second more," I agreed to her request, the guilt eating at me.
"Thank you, Aiden. I just need to focus this week. Knowing you're safe will go a long way," she said, her hand slipping into mine.
I looked at her while our joined hands went up into the air together. We showed the crowd the ring.
If I just made a mistake, why did I feel like I deserved this moment with her?
(Capital City, Caspira)
NATHAN
"What just happened?" Elena exploded in disbelief.
"I have no idea," I confessed under my breath.
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't witnessed it with my own two eyes. Evidently, Elena felt the same way as her eyes bugged out of her skull in shock.
They weren't actually a thing again, were they? Keira said they weren't, but if they were acting, I sure as shit couldn't tell. Oh well. Either way, it didn't change the role I had to play.
"Super cute, right? His name is John, your name is John. I loved that! Didn't you?" I asked, throwing my arm around John.
John pulled himself out from under my arm and went to Cassandra.
"What deal ma?" John asked. "What is going on? Is Aid in trouble?"
"Yes, just the usual kind from the looks of it though," Cassandra answered.
Then she refocused her attention on me.
"You said this little thing between them was over six months ago," said Cassandra, clearly in no mood for my antics.
Hell, I couldn't say for sure that I was putting on a show anymore. How would I take it if Aiden suddenly made a comeback after ditching Keira when Madz died?
"Young love. What are you going to do, right?" I held up my hands and shrugged.
"What thing? And how do you know about it and the rest of us don't?" John asked his mother.
"Ever heard of a phone?" I chimed in.
"I'm shutting this down. He's not marrying into The House of Assassins five seconds after your number two just tried to kill him," said Cassandra, going all protective mama bear on my ass.
"You know I adore you Cass, but I can't let you do that. Let me break it down for you, Jo. You still look confused. Can I call you Jo? I feel like we are in an abbreviate each other's names place now. I like Nate. Your brother and my sister are doing the nasty, like a lot. A gross amount. What people call dating these days," I said, upping the ante.
"You may have to do whatever she says, but I'm a queen and a seat holder. I've been playing this game a lot longer than you, Nathan," Cassandra warned, folding her arms in a defensive stance.
"Anybody ever tell you it's super hot when you make threats? You do what you need to do, Your Majesty. Don't expect me to play nice though."
As the royal family looked on while Queen Cassandra and I said words that went over everyone else's heads, Elena stepped out of the room to answer her phone.
(Imperium, Stormhold)
AIDEN
"I know how it looks, but—" I began.
"But what Ron? You have an evil twin that just took a knee on international television and proposed to your ex?" Elena exploded.
"Well no, that was my bad, but—" I tried again, but she shut me down a second time.
"Oh I must be losing my fucking mind, because I thought you just said you proposing to the Archduchess of Imperium was your bad!" Elena thundered in a whisper yell.
Did that mean she received the news with my family? Waking up alone in the castle must have been super awkward for me. I cringed at my fuck up.
"Look, I can't really explain properly right now, but it's not real. I woke up on a plane this morning and first I thought it was Kate kidnapping me again, but actually it was just Keira."
"Just? The queen of assassins just kidnapped you? Oh well then, dandy!"
I was in full on panic mode. I was trying to get the explanation out so fast, I wasn't making a lick of sense.
"Then I saw these flowers and, aah hell, I don't really know. Just know that you and me, we're still totally a thing or at least I hope we are. I'm really sorry, El. El?"
"No signal here. The House of Assassins doesn't really do technology," Keira reminded me from her place next to me in the limo.
"Of course," I said with a sigh. "About the proposal—" I gave her a guilty look while scratching the back of my head.
"You gave me what I asked for. No chickening out now. You're stuck with me this week," she said with a small, reassuring smile, her gaze dropping.
I followed her gaze down to our still clasped hands and the ring on her finger. The ring I was never going to propose with again. Why were we still holding hands? I withdrew mine from hers gently. Letting go felt uncomfortable. Unnatural. But necessary.
"Well at least we can both be sure we are never getting married now, what with the cursed thing being on your finger," I joked, offering her a cautious, apologetic smile.
Keira held her hand out for both of us to see the ruby sparkle on her finger.
"The ring isn't the problem and you were never the wrong guy, Denny. They were just the wrong women," she said, naturally making my stupid heart wonder if she was implying she was the right one.
Obviously the words didn't pass between us. Too many already had. I kept my mouth shut while she knocked on her window and I did the same. Our doors opened and I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was coming.
***Disclaimer: Now switching back to timeline 1