A Prince Charming for Christmas

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Clement Archibald Felix Leonard Benjamin Constantine had no last name. He was the crown prince of Beaumont, hailing from the small country of Oswington in the middle of Europe. Oswington had a population of less than thirty million people, but it was one of the wealthiest nations in the world, thanks to its positions as number two most powerful financial center and number four on the list of best countries to invest in year after year. Oswington was a constitutional monarchy, so Clement’s father, His Royal Majesty King Archibald Felix Leonard Benjamin Constantine Maximilian, who was the head of the sovereign, didn’t make any open political decisions. All of those political decisions would be made by the government and parliament.

At the moment, Clement was seated on the bed inside the bedroom of the embassy of Oswington in New York, which was reserved specifically for the crown prince in any given year. He could have purchased properties in every friendly country in the world. After all, he had a ton of profitable investments in various businesses worldwide, and his liquid net worth at the moment was more than a hundred billion dollars. His net worth would have been much higher if it included all those long-term deposits and investments. His most precious business, and the one with the greatest sentimental value to him, was the chain of Beaumont Department Stores, which fell under the jurisdiction of the corporate headquarter in Oswington. He opened the first Beaumont Department Store in Oswington when he was merely twenty years old, which was twelve years ago now. It prospered astronomically within the first couple of years, and he soon opened up many others in various countries worldwide.

“How’s your business in New York?”

Clement beamed at Mirabella, who was grinning back at him through the screen of his tablet. “It’s busy.”

Mirabella snorted. “You’re the only crown prince in the entire world who doesn’t think he has ample projects and appointments to handle on a daily basis. It’s not as if the sovereign treasury doesn’t receive millions of tax dollars every year from the government. We have more than enough money to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.”

Clement shrugged. “I like being involved in businesses aside from my duties as the crown prince of Oswington. I manage to earn a lot of money and purchase a private jet for myself without having to account myself to the government and the citizens of Oswington. I can do whatever I like with my own money.”

“True. The members of the paparazzi miss you, though.”

Clement snorted. “I bet. I wanted to shake them off my trail. That’s the reason why I left in secret late last night.”

“They will locate you sooner or later. Your private jet is massive, and every Oswingtonian worth his or her salt will recognize it anytime, anywhere. The paparazzi can be very persistent. They will scoop you out soon enough.”

Clement scoffed. “You don’t have to remind me. I still remember the bloody s**t storm when I came out as gay eight years ago. The media had many nasty, unflattering things to say about me, and I was hounded for almost three years on a daily basis before they slowly died down to a more manageable level.”

Mirabella shot Clement a rueful smile. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I was furious at the media for treating you with such horrible manners.”

Clement shook his head. “I’m fine now. Thank you. You’re definitely my favorite sister.”

Mirabella laughed. “Better not let Sera hear that. Otherwise, she wouldn’t stop pouting and screeching for days about how miserable and pathetic her life was turning into. I love Sera to death, but honestly, she can be extremely dramatic. I’ve been telling her to go for auditions and become an actress. She’s only the second in line to the throne anyway. Besides, when you have children of your own, Sera will be pushed farther down the line.”

Clement chuckled. “I still need to find a woman to carry my children for me.”

Mirabella rolled her eyes. “Big brother, I love you, but don’t act coy. It’s not cute or charming. You know damn well there are billions of women out there who are more than willing to be impregnated by you.”

Clement snickered. “That’s not true.”

“Whatever. You know I’m right. Anyway, how’s New York?”

“Crowded. Busy. Cold.”

“Oswington isn’t any better. It has been snowing heavily for hours, and according to the weather report, it won’t be stopping anytime soon.”

“I know. I checked the weather in Oswington on the Internet before calling you. Anyway, how’s everyone back home? The time in Oswington is six hours behind New York. It’s only half past two in the afternoon there.”

Mirabella shrugged. “Sera is busy with the hospital tours, visiting with many patients and chatting with them. She will be back soon. Joseph is naturally preoccupied with his export and import business. Ralph has to check on his restaurants. Mom and Dad are with the prime minister. I have to stay behind in the palace because Sera doesn’t want Evangeline to wake up alone.”

Clement scrunched up his face in confusion. “Where are the nannies? Didn’t Sera and Joseph hire three of them so they could work in shifts of eight hours each?”

“Carol is with Evangeline, who’s currently asleep in her bedroom, but Sera told me she will feel much better leaving her baby at the palace if I’m also here.”

Clement nodded. “Okay. Is there anything I should be worried about? I’ll be in New York until the second day of the new year.”

“I know. Stop worrying so much. You deserve a break, especially after Edwin—”

“I don’t want to talk about him.”

Clement hated the look of sympathy on Mirabella’s face. He knew she cared about his well-being, but he would rather forget about Edwin altogether.

“I’m sorry.”

Clement forced a smile. “It’s not your fault. Don’t apologize. Edwin is an opportunistic bastard. I was too blind to see the real person behind the mask.”

“You were in love with him.”

Clement couldn’t deny that. “I was. He and I were together for almost five years. I thought he was the one.”

“Clement, I—”

“Then I had to discover his various indiscretions through the damn tabloids last year right before Christmas, complete with all those torrid photographs. I felt even worse when multiple s*x videos of him and his partners of the week began to circulate and go viral online. I can handle being the laughing stock of everyone around the world, but I have a rough time wrapping my head around the reality that I dated someone who had been cheating on me for s**t knows how long. I was about to propose to him. Can you imagine that?”

“No, I can’t.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Clement spoke up again. “I need a break from the paparazzi. They haven’t stopped with their intrusive questions about Edwin and me for a year now, and I really need to get away from them. I can’t move on if I’m constantly reminded about Edwin. He had even written and published a book about dating me. It took a ton of sovereign clout to at least remove the parts about our s*x lives before millions of copies could be released for public consumption. That’s a horrible nightmare. I’m still feeling humiliated and betrayed. Now, he’s on a round-the-world tour to promote the damn book, appearing on talk shows and talking about it on the radio.”

Mirabella nodded. “I get it. Stay in New York. Or go somewhere else. Take as much time as you need. Sera and I will take over most of your duties for the time being. You can hide for a short while.”

Clement snorted. “I wish I could disappear forever.”

Mirabella rolled her eyes. “Then Evangeline would be sad because she wouldn’t get to see her favorite uncle ever again.”

Clement couldn’t help but grin widely. “Yeah?”

“Duh! She kept trying to run into your wing inside the palace earlier. She really misses you.”

Clement could feel his heart clenching a little. “I miss her, too.”

Mirabella smiled. “She will be here waiting for you once you’re ready to return. We will all be here.”

“Thanks, sis.”

“You’re welcome.”

Clement scooted backward on the bed and leaned against the headboard. “I think this trip will do me a world of good. I can escape the paparazzi for a few days, and I’ll also get to check up on one of the locations for Beaumont Department Store. It’s a win-win.”

“Nobody has figured out who you are yet?”

“Nope. Most people outside of Oswington won’t recognize me. We’re not as famous as the royal family in the United Kingdom. Then again, I was only in the store for less than two hours.”

“You’re not exactly inconspicuous, though. You’re quite tall to start with. Your dark blond hair may not stand out in the crowd, but your eyes are incredibly blue. I’ve lost count of all my friends who are, or were, infatuated with you.”

Clement chuckled. “Men or women?”

“Both.”

Clement raised his left eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah. I’d get nauseous every time one of them began to swoon and sigh at pictures of you. They acted worse when they caught sight of you on the television or in public. No offence, but you’re the ugliest motherfucker in the world.”

Clement smirked. “I think plenty of my adoring public will disagree with your assessment.”

“That’s because they don’t have to put up with you on a daily basis since their childhood years. You used to be really pudgy.”

Clement scowled. “I was not! I was…uh, in that awkward phase.”

“Right. People usually grow vertically. You do know that. Right?”

“Whatever. I’ve changed my mind. Sera is my most favorite sister in the whole wide world.”

Mirabella chortled. “You’re the worst liar ever.”

“It’s the truth.”

Clement frowned while Mirabella simply stared back wordlessly. The amused expression on her face said it all. Then the two of them burst out laughing almost at the same time.

“Enough about that for now. What are you going to do in New York?”

Clement felt a burst of excitement. “I’m going to take advantage of my temporary anonymity as often as possible. Earlier today, I was able to roam around the department store with only the personal shopper at my side. The guards were around, but they blended in well with the crowd of customers. I wasn’t left alone completely, but it was so much better than having the guards breathing mere inches away from me all the time.”

“That must be a huge relief.”

“You can repeat that. I’m thinking of going on another shopping trip tomorrow.”

Mirabella nodded. “That’s an excellent idea, but speaking of shopping, what do you think about the personal shopper?”

Clement was astonished by the abrupt shift in topic, but he did his best to appear nonchalant. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Mirabella smirked. “You and Sera have the same tell-tale signs when you think someone is attractive.”

“What’s that?”

Mirabella stuck her tongue out. “I’m not telling you. Otherwise, I won’t be able to catch you or Sera doing it in the future.”

Clement heaved out a defeated sigh. “Fine. The personal shopper is my type.”

“Let me guess,” Mirabella said with the glee evident in her voice. “A little bit shorter than you, an athletic build but not too bulky, and dark features.”

Clement didn’t want to seem shocked, but he really was. “How do you know all that?”

“You’re way too obvious. You always ogled the same kind of men before dating Edwin, who, by the way, is so far from the kind of men you like, I almost choked in surprise the first time you brought him back to the palace for dinner with the family.”

Hearing Edwin’s name had dampened some of the cheerful inside him, but Clement was curious now. “I have a type?”

“Oh, yeah. Sera noticed them, too. So, what’s his name?”

“Kyle Ross Lee.”

“Of Asian descent, I assume?”

“Yeah, but nothing can come of this.”

Mirabella seemed confused for a second or two. “Why not? Oh, he has a boyfriend?”

“No!” Clement exclaimed immediately, ignoring the pang of weird jealousy burning deep in his guts. “I mean, I don’t know, but he works at Beaumont Department Store.”

“I didn’t realize you’re such a snob.”

Clement huffed. “That’s not…I mean…damn it. First of all, I don’t even know if Kyle likes men that way. Next, the guy may already have a boyfriend. Gorgeous men like Kyle can’t possibly be single. He must have many men chasing after him. Last, but definitely not the least important point, he works for me. Sort of. Indirectly, I mean. If he ended up dating me, and that’s a huge if, I would hate for him to do that out of obligation or fear of losing his job.”

Mirabella rolled her eyes. “Are all men as stupid and emotionally stunted as you? Listen to me, big brother. Let me impart to you some words of wisdom.”

“Oh, pray tell,” Clement muttered loudly without bothering to conceal the sarcasm in his voice. “Enlighten me.”

Mirabella narrowed her eyes. “Do you want me to teach you how to get your man or not?”

“Kyle is not my—” Clement protested, but he didn’t get to finish his statement.

Mirabella’s glare was terrifying, so Clement zipped up his lips and gestured for her to continue. He and Seraphina might be the older siblings, but Mirabella could be frightening when she put her mind to it.

“Anyway, as I was about to tell you before you so rudely doubted my expertise, I think you should ask Kyle out on a date as an ordinary man.”

Clement was totally bewildered now. “But I am a man.”

Mirabella rolled her eyes. “I mean, you should invite him out for a nice dinner and a movie without revealing your true identity.”

“That will be lying by omission.”

“Not exactly. You’ll just be putting things off until you think Kyle is ready to know who you are. Besides, you may come to discover several of Kyle’s annoying, irritating habits during the first date, and all of those feelings inside you will fizzle into nothing. Then you won’t have to concern yourself with a follow-up date. Easy. Right?”

Clement had his doubts, but he could see the beauty of his sister’s brilliant plan. “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course, I am. I’m smarter than you and Sera combined.”

Clement snorted. “Wow! Modest much?”

“When it’s the truth, there’s no point in pretending otherwise. Don’t you agree?”

Clement shook his head over and over again in exasperation. “Have you no shame?”

“Nope. I’m simply being honest about who I am.”

“Narcissistic and arrogant?” Clement shot back immediately. “How does your huge ego manage to fit inside that petite body of yours?”

“When you have it, flaunt it. You’re just jealous of me.”

Clement scoffed. “Oh, right. That must be it.”

“Glad we can agree on how awesome and perfect I truly am.”

“Inside your imagination maybe,” Clement mumbled under his breath in amusement.

“I can hear you.”

“You’re supposed to. Damn it, Mira. You really should tone down some of that ego.”

“I can’t help it if I’m way too fabulously fantastic to be true.”

“More like a psychopath with a bloated sense of self-worth, if you ask me.”

“Lucky for you, no one does.”

Clement shuddered. “Thank heaven for the small blessing. Anyway, I’ll think about your suggestion overnight.”

Mirabella nodded. “Don’t forget to let me know how it goes.”

“Don’t you have anything better to do with your time?”

“I’m a busybody. Sue me.”

Clement refrained from rolling his eyes because he was starting to get a headache from this conversation. “I’ll tell you if there’s any progress on that front. Happy?”

“Very much so. I think I’ll let you rest up now. I’ll inform Mom, Dad, and Sera about our video call, but you can call them yourself at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon in New York time. That will be seven in the morning in Oswington.”

“I know. I can count just fine.”

“All right then. Have a good rest.”

“Thanks. Talk to you soon.”

After the call ended, Clement placed the tablet on the bedside table before lying down on the bed with his palms underneath his head on top of the fluffy pillow. He had so many things to consider. He was worried about Mirabella’s plan, but it seemed to be the best idea so far. He really wanted to get to know Kyle a little bit better. Besides, he could always use another friend.

Kyle had a laid-back, easy-going attitude. Clement wouldn’t mind hanging out more often with someone like Kyle. There was no telling what the future might turn out to be. The two of them might hit it off as friends and then lovers. He wouldn’t be deceiving Kyle if he didn’t reveal everything about himself. It wasn’t as if he planned to hide his true identity forever. He would come clean as soon as he felt it was the proper time to do so. It shouldn’t be difficult at all. The risk would be worth it. Kyle would understand why he couldn’t be one hundred percent truthful, right? Then they would have their happy ending. Easy enough.