HIS Queen, HER Billionaire

PROLOGUE

THEIR FIRST ENCOUNTER

Six years ago, on a remote island in Asia...

A set of crystal clear blue eyes followed the tall, handsome, and well-built man the entire evening wherever he went. He was Alikhan “Alik” Weston, a 22-year-old businessman and heir to an almost Trillion-dollar empire. 

And the owner of the blue eyes was Elisha Stanley, an 18-year-old lady in exile --an uncrowned Queen. Her father, the KING Arthur, and all his successors were brutally murdered  --a case unresolved and a mystery until the current time. Elisha and her sickly brother Emanuel survived death since they were not in the Kingdom when the incident happened. They were temporarily dwelling on an island and pretending to be island dwellers to escape the people from her kingdom. 

On that same island, the wedding of Alik's twin sister Khalie Weston and Luke Maxwell, also a businessman, was held. Alik was the best man, and Elisha was a server hired by the wedding coordinator to assist the guests during the event.

Elisha couldn’t take her eyes off of Alik; she was captivated by the distinct aura of the man. On the other hand, Alik was intrigued by the beauty whose adorable eyes made his heart uneasy for the first time.

An instant attraction that ended into a playful and memorable kiss that both of them did not forget for the rest of their lives.

THEIR FIRST KISS

After all the guests retired, Elisha and Alik unexpectedly met in the garden...

Drawn by an invisible force pulling them together, Alik walked towards the mesmerized Elisha. As Alik stepped forward Elisha stepped backward until her back bumped into the wall.

Alik wickedly placed his hands against the wall on each side of Elisha, and he watched her pearly face turn crimson. She looked like a lady who just had a whole bottle of wine, and it made her more dazzling in his eyes. In contrast, there was a mix of confusion and excitement in Elisha's crystal blue eyes. 

Initially, Alik intended to tease the lady as he caught her staring at him the whole evening. He admitted to himself the lady’s beauty was extraordinary. She was slim and tall, her face could qualify for a cover of an expensive magazine, and she was simple yet alluring. No one had yet to intrigued him to the point of playing a teasing game except the lady in front of him with eyes clear as crystal, lips as luscious a freshly picked cherries, and scent as fragrant as lavender.

Although Alik by nature wasn't playful, he avoided flattering women as much as possible. His aura was strong, cold, and astute clearly denoting the powerful and clever businessman that he was. But, not that moment, he was intimidating yet very irresistible, he was like a big mesmerizing wolf eyeing its prey. 

Alik couldn't fathom what pushed him to play a teasing game on a simple island girl. Later on, he reasoned that it was due to the wine he took and the lady was too gorgeous for him to let pass. Whatever the reason may be, he did tease her, and he liked it. He liked the feeling of invoking fear and confusion in the lady in front of him.

“Are you not afraid of me, Miss?” He asked in a seductive tone. His orb-like brown eyes intently fixed at her.

She gasped and said coyly, “No, sir! I’m sure you won’t punish a mere servant for a simple mistake,” For an unknown reason, she was not bothered nor afraid of him. She was just a little disconcerted by his closeness. She felt the warmth of Alik's body despite the coldness of the night.

He smiled wickedly and said, “I won’t punish you, lady. But I will taste those cherry lips of yours,” His minty breath was gently blowing on Elisha's gorgeous face.

Elisha was speechless and breathless.

Alik expected the lady to run away from him as fast as she could, but she didn't.

Elisha remained rooted to the ground. She opened her crystal-like eyes widely—their distance was just a breath away as Alik inched closer to her.

Her shocked but excited reaction urged Alik to go further on his teasing game. He titled his face and slowly let his lips touch hers. He liked the texture of her lips next to his. It was soft and luscious, and the taste of her reminded him of fresh sweet cherries. Her lips were not the first he kissed, but hers excited him the most.

He never took advantage of a lady in his lifetime --he never needed to. No lady was able to catch his attention...until he met the lady in front of him. He wanted to devour her at that time, like a wolf who had found its mate.

When she did not struggle, his arms encircled her waist, and an arm went up to the back of her head, running his hand in her nice curly hair, and he deepened the kiss. Heat crawled in his veins.

However, when Elisha started to respond to him, Alik pulled away from her. He tried to catch his breath and control the manly urge that was rapidly building up inside of him, and he said breathlessly...

“I am giving you the chance to leave me now and save yourself. Otherwise, don’t blame me for the consequences.” His brown eyes reflected the desire that had been awakened by the kiss they shared. 

Stunned by what she heard, Elisha ran away from him as if she was splashed with cold water as soon as Alik loosened his grip on her body. 

Alik was left in the garden chuckling at his cockiness, while Elisha was thrilled at what happened between them.

"Will Alik be my first mistake?" she thought while she caught her breath.

That was their first encounter --playful and memorable. 

For Alik, it was an encounter that seeped into the deepest part of his heart.

For Elisha, the memory of that encounter pushed her to look for him three years thereafter. Boldly and fearlessly, she applied as his secretary. She was granted 60 days of freedom away from her kingdom, and she used the opportunity to see Alik again. 

And they met and fell in love and were hurt deeply by parting again.

The rest were bitter-sweet encounters that they treasured until they finally were together.

(The above was a teaser of the mischievous character of the couple and how playful and sensual their previous encounters had been.)

The new episode in the couple's life would start six years after their first encounter...contentedly married and with a handsome three-year-old son named ELIK, the combination of their names.

The Queen Beatrice Elishabeth Marionette Stanley Edwards Weston was positioned to rule her kingdom Gioginia and make it progressive through the help of her wealthy consort -the Grand Duke - Alikhan Weston.

What struggles would they undergo as a married couple? Will their love survive the challenges brought by PRIDE, POWER, and COMMITMENT?

What about the tragic past of the Kingdom? Would they be able to solve it as well?

Find out their story...His Queen, Her Billionaire.

Note: This is a stand-alone story. However, for those who would like to know the colorful past of Alik and Elisha, kindly read “Her Possessive Billionaire” Part 3, Blank Space. Chapter 111-171" the beginning love and passion of the two was outlined beautifully on those chapters.

Also, this is not my usual "kilig" love story. It tackles the lives, challenges, protocols, and obligations of people in a monarchial environment. It is part of the ROYAL ROMANCE WRITING CONTEST. Just the same, the life of my Royal couple ALIK and ELISHA will have the touch of excitement and mystery associated with love, thus the ticklish, captivating, and amusing factors were still there. Definitely worth your read.

Here goes...

 THEIR KINGDOM

The Kingdom of Giorginia was located in the western tip of Europe. It's a 600 square mile monarchy-ruled kingdom. It was home to about three million residents of combined nobles and commoners. 60% of the property was owned by the Kingdom Estates, while the nobles owned 40%.

As a symbol of the kingdom's sovereignty, the palace was constructed 10 years after gaining freedom from another country's colony 200 years ago. Since then, the rulership was passed on from generation to generation under one lineage, one bloodline --Elisha's bloodline.

The palace itself was situated in vast cultivated and uncultivated greens (plants and trees). 

At the very center stands the proud structure that has been the residence of monarchs for centuries, and it also served as the place of rulership of the reigning or crowned monarch.

The impressive exterior of the Victorian-style PALACE was designed in conformity with ancient architecture. The outside appeal was breathtaking. The air of antiquity gave it a sense of serene elegance and grandness. Despite its existence for over two centuries, the structure remained solidly built and would survive for many more years to come.

Although the palace exterior was breathtaking, the interior was more exquisite.  Highly notable was the lavishness of prized artifacts traced back to the Victorian era that survived vandalism and savagery. Those remaining pieces of art were restored and displayed elegantly throughout the palace. Function halls, rooms, and walls, together with pieces of furniture that survived the attack, had been restored. The entire interior retained its awesome magnificence with no trace of its tragic past.

The Kingdom has abundant natural resources. They mined gold, silver, emeralds, diamonds, and other precious metals. The richness of the Kingdom was not only enjoyed by the monarchy and the nobles --they also shared it even with the commoners.

The living condition of the people was very traditional and highly laid-back. It lacks the convenience and advancements present in competitive countries. 

Despite its abundant resources, the kingdom lacks the necessary funds to support infrastructure and development. It needed support from investors to make it competitive and progressive.

It was highly prone to abuse if and when the invited investors had no concern for cultural preservation. Luckily, Alik's financial company agreed to support all the developments needed by the Kingdom and help it cope with the highly competitive world. 

This would be the environment Alik and Elisha had agreed to support and protect throughout their lives.

All challenges present and future they wished to overcome together as the ruling monarchs.