Dominant Prince’s Foreign Bride

Forget-me-not

That evening, Ziva watched the video of the prince playing the Leap national anthem on his guitar with Nick,the boy on a wheelchair she saw that morning. She was getting irritated with herself for liking the video so much but she could not help it. The joy reflected on the boy’s face while playing with his beloved prince was priceless. The sound was also perfectly tuned, it was hard to believe that the two only met that morning. That, to Ziva and many others was evidence that the two were actually very good guitarists.

What was a kind gesture on the prince’s side turned into a career with a lot of opportunities for Nick who was now inundated with calls from different music industries who wanted to produce his music. To Nick, his twelfth birthday was the best day of his life. He adored Prince Richard, even playing the guitar was inspired by him. He read a lot about how kids around the world struggled when paralysed because of lack of resources and programmes tailored for their needs in their countries but he never experienced any of that. He, instead found himself more advantaged than his fully abled peers when it came to accessing anything and that’s because of the procedures the prince put in place to level the field for the disabled. This is why to Nick, Prince Richard was a hero and he finally got to meet him.

Ziva eventually forced herself to stop watching the touching video and decided to call her best friend. She set her signal to bounce around Asherway towers incase Jason was tracing Dilan’s phone.

“Ziva! I was starting to think that you forgot all about me!” Dilan exclaimed dramatically.

Ziva rolled her eyes at her dramatic friend.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me!” Dilan rebuked her. He did not have to see her, he knew Ziva too well.

“I didn’t!” Ziva said, laughing.

“You did too!” Dilan insisted, her laughter confirming his statement.

“Fine, I did,”Ziva confessed, amused. “Dilan, we spoke two days ago,”she added. Dilan was always complaining that she was not calling often enough but she called him every alternative day.

“That’s too long, thats 48 whole hours! Do you know how much could happen in that time?” Dilan asked, ready to list a thousand things that could happen in two days.

“How are you, Dilan? How are things at work?” Ziva asked, changing the subject. Being his best friend thought her how to do that with ease.

“I am fabulous, work is running smoothly but I can’t say the same for your psychotic ex. He is going cuckoo, firing his company CEO’s left, right and center and before I forget, he put a bounty on you,” Dilan said, each word pronounced dramatically and accentuated in a way only he could execute.

“I am not a fugitive, he can’t put a bounty on me,” Ziva said but knowing Jason, he mostly likely did.

“Well, he did. Five thousand dollars for anyone who spots you,”he responded. “You are someone’s ticket to riches, Darling ,” he added.

“That’s insane!” Ziva exclaimed. Jason could be really extreme when not getting his way but this was too much.

“I told you he is a psycho,” Dilan said. “Enough about him, how’s the scrumptious Prince Richie?” he asked with a melodic voice.

“How would I know?” Ziva asked sternly, knowing exactly what will follow.

“Still mad at him, huh?” he asked.

“He apologised,” Ziva responded.

“Where? How? I want all the details,” Dila asked excitedly.

Ziva sighed and related the interaction she had with the prince.

“And he went on his knees?” Dilan asked, processing what Ziva told him.

“That was…,”Ziva still could not find the word to explain how she felt. “It was just wrong,” she added.

“What exactly do you want, Ziva? The man gave up his power and let you be on top,” Dilan snapped at her.

“It was not like that!” Ziva exclaimed, Dilan could be too explicit sometimes.

“If you say so.”

“I am saying so!” Ziva insisted.

“Anyway, did you see how hot he is playing that guitar? Sizzling! Tell me you didn’t wish he was holding you like that,” Dilan asked. He had become Prince Richard’s online follower and saw the video of him playing the Leap national anthem with Nick.

“He’s okay, I was focused on Nick,” Ziva lied.

“Liar! The kid is good, there’s no doubt about it. He is definitely going places but you can’t pretend that you did not notice the sensual prince. That man is the definition of s*x appeal,” he said.

“That man is straight, you are gay with a partner you should be committed to,” Ziva reminded him. She would rather die than confess to finding the prince charming and sexy to anyone, especially her overzealous best friend.

“You are jealous, Jared doesn’t mind that the prince is my eye candy but somehow you do. You are in denial, Darling,” Dilan accused.

“In denial about what? Actually I don’t want to talk about the prince anymore. I really miss you Dilan,” Ziva said, changing the subject again.

“Miss you too Sweetie, you better not let that Laura girl take my place,” he warned.

“No one will ever take your place, D. Laura actually loves you, which is very strange because she hasn’t even met you,” Ziva said, reassuring him but soon regretted it.

“Off course she does, I’m the best friend ever. If there was a best friend award, I would win it every time,” he said confidently.

Ziva rolled her eyes, Dilan was truly the most confident person she ever met.

Two days later, Ziva and Laura were thrilled by the turnout of donors throughout the country. The Leap people really loved and cherished their prince. They had turned up in numbers to heed his call and that continued for the rest of the week. It took only three days for the blood bank stores to be adequate again. With the new approved staff in different blood bank branches throughout the country, Laura and Ziva only had to delegate the work and train new staff. By the end of the week they found themselves with too much free time on their hands. Now sitting at the blood bank head office, it was only 10 in the morning but the two were already done for the day.

“Aren’t you suppose to go touring Leap with Prince Richie now that the blood bank is stable?” Laura asked curious. Ziva had not spoken about the prince since the last day the two met.

“Don’t you dare tell Oscar that,” Ziva warned. Oscar would definitely tell the prince and she would have to keep her end of the bargain.

Laura laughed at her predictable friend. “He already knows, whom do you think ensured we have adequate staff in all our branches?”she asked and very grateful for the turn of events.

Ziva looked at her, dumbfounded, she assumed that the staff was approved way before she came to Leap.

“You, My Dear are going on a date with the Prince Richie,” Laura said, amused.

“It’s not a date!” Ziva objected. “He offered to show me around, that all,” she added, sounding more defensive than she intended.

“If you say so. Why are you so terrified of being with him?” Laura asked. She had gotten to know Ziva better now, the confident, calm, levelheaded and kind woman she looked up to became a completely different person when the prince was concerned.

“I’m not,”Ziva said with a straight face, shaking her head.

Laura smiled, the realisation hitting her. “You like him,” she said. That would explain everything about Ziva’s interactions with the prince. While other women would blush and be thrilled for the opportunity to be alone with the prince, Ziva was different and she understood why. In her entire life, Ziva had only been in a relationship with Jason who was her childhood sweetheart and from the conversations with her, it sounded like she really loved him. Laura believed that after the heartbreak and betrayal, Ziva probably did not trust her own heart and was terrified of being hurt again. It did not help that the prince was as and even more popular with women than Ziva’s ex.

“He’s a man wh*re,”Ziva said, more to convince herself than Laura.

“That’s what you tell yourself to cover up your feelings.I bet you dream about him at night but I don’t blame you, he’s a catch,” Laura said mischievously.

“I am not having this conversation,” Ziva said decisively. Laura was starting to sound like Dilan.

Laura was still laughing at her friend when Prince Richard walked in.

“Talk of the devil,” Laura said softly winking at Ziva.

“Good morning, My Ladies,” he greeted charmingly.

“Morning, Your Majesty,” Laura and Ziva responded respectfully, bowing slightly.

“Lady Ziva, May I please have word,” Prince Richard asked.

“I will be across the hall,” Laura said, leaving the room and closing it behind her.

Ziva watched the door close, wishing she could run out with her friend. She knew what he wanted and had hoped this day would not come.

“Do I make you uncomfortable, My Lady?” Prince Richard asked, watching her every move.

“Not at all, how can I help you, Your Majesty?” Ziva responded with a straight face.

“The blood bank is stable, I am told we have reached 80% capacity. I think our tour is overdue, My Lady,” he said charmingly flashing her his breathtaking smile.

Ziva cursed inside, the prince was obviously very informed about the blood bank process, she had no excuses anymore.

“So, shall we?” he asked, ready to leave.

“You mean right now?” Ziva asked with widened eyes.

“There’s no time like present,”he said charmingly. “Leap falls?” he suggested.

“I am not dressed for touring around,” she objected. The knee length, v neck floral chiffon dress and low heel pumps she had on felt a bit too formal for visiting the falls.

“You are perfect,” he said charmingly, looking at her from head to toe, his remarks making her more uncomfortable.

Ziva sighed, she hated being unreliable. She had agreed to this arrangement even though he tricked her into it. “Leap falls sound great,” she said, gaining her courage. “Let me speak to Laura then we can go,” she added, heading towards the door.

Prince Richard smiled, watching her leave. He expected a lot of resistance from her and had prepared a counter argument for every excuse she could come up with but did not need any of it in the end.

Ten minutes later, Ziva sat on the passenger seat of Prince Richard’s sports car. She cursed inside when she noticed that sitting down had caused her dress to come up above her knees, exposing the lower third of her thighs. Pulling it down did not help and making eye contact with him now and then was really awkward. She eventually turned her head away to focus outside the window to avoid meeting his eyes but soon found that impossible because he started pointing out different attraction sites and giving her background information and interesting facts to each. Ziva could not help appreciating how much detail and pride he had of his country. She was listening attentively to the rich history of Leap and origins of different city names when he suddenly stopped at the planes leading to Leap falls. Ziva watched him walk to the colourful planes and returned carrying sky blue flowers with a yellow centres.

“Beautiful,” she said, the sweet smell filling her nostrils.

Her heart raced when the prince leaned towards her, plugging the flower on her hair. She swallowed her saliva, this was starting to feel more like the date Laura was talking about. Prince Richard turned his head sideways to appreciate the flowers on her. “Perfect!” he exclaimed, causing Ziva to not know how to react. She preferred the mean, assumptive, judgmental man she fought with the other day to this kind, caring and charming one.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at the Leap falls. Ziva was walking around waiting for Prince Richard to get back with the entrance tickets when an old woman approached her.

“He is a keeper, treasure that man,” she said softly.

“Excuse me?” Ziva asked, looking around to check if the lady was talking to her but there was no one else nearby besides the two of them.

“Myosotis,”the old woman said with a smile but Ziva looked back at her confused. “Forget-me-not,”the Lady explained but Ziva was really clueless. “You are not from here, are you?” she asked, her smile widening. The Leap women knew exactly what it meant when a men gave them those flowers. They were used in most weddings because of their significance.

Ziva shook her head suddenly feeling self conscious.

“The flowers on your head, they represent everlasting true love, trust, hope and faithfulness,” the old woman explained.

“Thats fiction,” Ziva responded, quickly removing the flowers from her head.

“What’s fiction?” the old woman asked, amused.

“Love like that, it does not exist,” Ziva said sternly.

The old woman smiled “May you live long, not only to realise how wrong you are but to experience that love,”she said before walking away to join her family.

“You should have told me what the flowers meant, I don’t believe in mythology,” Ziva told Prince Richard when he came back.

“Why did you remove them then, My Lady?” he asked, amused. He knew someone would comment on the flowers but was disappointed that he was not there to see her reaction when it happened.

“Let’s just go,” Ziva said, not willing to engage him on that.

Prince Richard chuckled, leading the way. Ziva was really predictable and just too cute, he thought to himself.