HIS FUTURE QUEEN

THEIR THOUGHTS

CHAPTER 3

Early morning the next day.

KLAUD

“Bye, Mom,” I kissed her. “Bye, Dad,” I also kissed him.

“Klaud, don’t forget to call as soon as you get there.”

“Yeah! Mom, I will do that…and mom, that’s the 8th time–,” I reminded her, not that I was annoyed or anything, but-- she was overdoing it. However, I couldn’t fault her; it was the first time I would be away from home for a long time.

“Oh, my baby,” she hugged me, and her tear was about to fall for the nth time since she knew I passed the pre-qualification.

“Oh–would you like me to stay instead?” Even though her concern touched me, I couldn’t help to tease her.

She released me from the hug at looked me in the eye, “You treat everything so lightly. Someday you’ll be a mother and realize how I feel.”

“Oh–my goodness, mother. That idea was too far-fetched, and I have yet to be the best doctor in town,” I giggled.

Her well-meaning words went straight into my heart but hello–being a mother was a long way to go. I have yet to find my prince charming, not that I believe they exist.

“Now, if you won’t enter that door soon, I guess it will take more time before you become the best doctor in town.” Dad reminded us that time was ticking.

I needed to check in as soon as possible. I kissed my mom and dad for the last time and took the freshly baked rolls bag mom prepared to share with my friends later. It was going to be a seven-hour flight, non-stop, from NYC to Giorginia, going to a place so many miles away from home.

“Bye–” I ran the distance from where we stood to the airport entrance without turning back.

Seeing my parents so sad, I couldn’t stand it. I love them, but–my future awaits me. Studying in Giorgina for free once I get this scholarship would guarantee the fulfillment of my dreams. I needed to endure being away from home for a long time, but it would be worth it.

“The hell. What took you so long?” Peter barked with evident anxiety in his eyes and tone. He was such a worrier.

“I’m here, okay–” I gave my passport to the ground attendant to have my passport and ticket validated and stamped.

“Klaud–” Mia called from across the room.

I waved to acknowledge her and mouthed for her to wait in that corner where she stood.

“Here it is, ma’am. Enjoy your flight. Boarding will be in 15 minutes,” passing on me my validated passport and pressing the cart where my luggage was, attaching a strip where my name and destination were affixed. KG- Kingdom of Giorginia.

“Come–”

Peter guided Mia and me to the waiting area near the gate, bypassing the lounge. Anyway, we wouldn't wait long, only a few minutes left before boarding, and then we heard the call. We lined up with the rest of the students and the other passengers. Not much for this flight, I figured. I saw people not more than 40 line up comprising of the students and some more.

I then noticed a queue of people with cameras and phones aiming at a tall figure wearing a blue suit which seemed to be protected by men in black suits. I didn’t see the face of the man, only his side and his back, as he immediately passed through the gate. Yet, I have an odd feeling I saw that built somewhere.

The man might be a celebrity or a dignitary. I mulled over; otherwise, he wouldn’t be followed by reporters until his very form disappeared from their sight.

“What are you looking at?” Mia asked, confused, as I failed to move from my place, creating a gap between the person in front of me.

“Oops, sorry.” I stepped forward, “I think I saw a celebrity or a dignitary,” I explained why I was distracted.

“Maybe, that’s the Prince. I heard– we will fly to Giorginia using the private plane of the royal family,” Peter interjected.

“Cool–. So this is not a commercial flight?” I asked excitedly. It might be a luxurious plane since the royal family owned it.

“Yes! We are flying first class!!!”

We all boarded the plane, and the interiors did not disappoint us. The other passengers also sing their praises, although what we could see was just half of the plane. The Prince and his entourage occupied the other half. I was sure the Prince’s compartment was more luxurious and comfortable than this one.

“Look at the seats. It's fully reclinable,” Mia exclaimed.

We were like three greenhorns that had never flown a plane before. The curved on our lips, and the sparkle in our eyes, were as clear as daylight.

Going to Giorginia promised an experience of a lifetime; aside from being accepted as a student there for two years would guarantee completion of a medical degree that would change my future for the better. Living there for two years would be awesome. I must do my best to be accepted, I promised myself.

“I’ve read that Giorginia is a wealthy kingdom. I am so thrilled about meeting the royal family. Although when I googled them, nothing came out. It was all about the Queen and the Duke. Do you think we will have a chance to meet their children, the prince, and the princesses?” a soft voice asked, breaking my thoughts.

I shrugged my shoulders in response. I’ve heard the rest of the family kept their identity hidden, low-key profiles when they were out of the kingdom, and most of their pictures were immediately deleted whenever someone posted them online.

“I guess there’s a courtesy meet and greet, " I replied to Mia, not knowing how the meeting could be called.

We were furnished with rules on how to behave in front of the royals, so there was a chance that we could meet them. Maybe not all of them--it might be the just the Queen or the Duke or one of their children.

When we were all settled in our seats, the plane started to move in preparation for take-off.

I smiled even if my heart was beating fast, ‘Klaud, here’s your chance–do not blow it!’ I thought to myself.

When I closed my eyes, the nerdy geek's face flashed in my mind. In a heartbeat, I opened my eyes, ‘the heck! Why did that almighty man appear in my thoughts?’. Goosebumps crept all over my body.

I disliked him immensely, even if for a time I thought I liked him. But after he stood there and watched without doing anything to help me yesterday? I no longer wanted him. I might have kicked him in his groin yesterday if I was just an impolite person.

Why did his face with that magnetic smile on his lips appear in my thoughts?

Strange. I was just a weird person.

Meanwhile—

*

*

ELIK

“There were pretty medical students out there,” Saul whispered. His face beaming with delight.

I looked at him with a displeased expression, “Stay out of trouble.”

This scoundrel set a bad example when it comes to women. Saul window-shopped for ladies a lot, so he ended up in triples with his fiancee.

“But–”

“Enough!” I uttered with finality.

‘Okay, okay, okay!”

We were always in compromising positions with our Advisory Board because of his arranged dates with ladies without my consent.

The Advisory Board constantly referred to protocols and damnnn. Who said by being a prince, I could do anything I wanted? And that included the people directly under my command. They needed to follow protocols whether they liked it or not. Otherwise, it would bounce to me, implying I couldn’t keep my yard in check.

“This medical program, will you assign it to someone else?”

The supervision of the medical program was way out of my line. I had very little knowledge of the medical field. It should have been tasked to a medical professional, but I couldn't let down my grandma.

“No–it's grandma Aliyah’s medical foundation. I wanted it to succeed till the end,” I remarked.

“Why are you accepting only 12? Why send the other ten back home?”

Saul was referring to the 22 medical students on board. We needed to choose only 12 from them.

“That depends on the evaluation, the number can vary per year, and we wanted the best. And also wanted to be assured that the students wanted it so much; hence the challenge to find the best among the best was up."

I wouldn’t want the medical students to devalue the opportunity. If the screening were too lax, we couldn't find the right candidate we were looking for. They needed to show us that this was what they wanted and would do anything to get the coveted medical scholarship.

It was not an easy way to get the completion certificate and skip a five-year course, reducing it to only two years.

“By the way, dude, will you finally choose from the list they sent you?”

I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t know why I had to choose a noble for a wife, “There’s no rush.”

The LIST–a piece of paper containing the names of single women with noble lineage, presented to me this year to choose from. I couldn't believe it until they presented it to me three months ago.

I didn’t fancy choosing my supposed wife like a winner of the lottery lotto, and it was not how my parents taught us about love and marriage. My parent's love for each other was a real deal. Oh well--everyone in our family had great love stories to tell.

My dad was fuming mad when he learned about the LIST given to me by the elders. He was the first victim of that procedure, but my dad, Alikhan Weston, was no ordinary man. He was worth so much more than a noble title made a pre-requisite for marrying into the royal family. I admired my dad, an excellent husband, a great father, a kind friend, and so much more.

The burly grey-haired men in our kingdom were still so backward thinking regarding bloodlines and lineage, despite the apparent progress the Queen and the Duke had made over the years. The elder's minds were still closed when it came to the bloodline.

And I, being the next in line for the throne, the future king–they had been more strict in guarding my behavior. They were demanding that I follow the rules and procedures to detail. The kingdom's future would rest in my hands, so they were more careful; I was told more than a hundred times that my future partner in life should be at par with me in every aspect; thus, the future INTENDED should belong to a noble lineage.

Crap–

No one could make me marry anyone against my will.