As the prince marched through the corridor of the hotel, his assistant was hurriedly walking behind him while taking notes of the Prince's orders.
Once inside the suite, the second assistant had already arranged a video conference with the Queen of Othon.
Without a word, Christopher Sebastian Lucille Spark stared at his grandmother's face. When the Queen merely stared back, he knew it was useless trying to intimidate her. She was the one who had taught him all this.
Exhaling loudly in frustration, he sighed, "Grandmother! May I ask what you plan to do by first making me sell myself and then gifting me to a strange woman?"
"Don't take that tone with me boy! I have not gifted you! I have merely arranged a date for you. Tell me, if I had arranged a blind date, would you have agreed? No! So, my little prince, you left me no choice!"
"Grandmother! I am already thirty years old and do not need you to arrange my dates for me!"
"It is because you are thirty years old that I have to arrange this! If you were younger and had years to burn, then I would not do this! But Othon needs an heir! And it is your responsibility to provide that before something happens to you! "
"Othon has an heir, if something happens to me, grandmother!"
"A responsible heir! Not someone who only knows how to party like your brother!"
"I don't mean him.."
"I don't want to hear anything. Christopher Sebastian. If you want your charity and tourism development projects to be able to move onto the next level, then you will listen to what I say!"
This threat made Christopher growl. "Those projects are what will help Othon step into the new worlds, grandmother! Without those causes and foreign influx of funds, Othon will soon be left behind by other countries! How can you even threaten me with this? I have worked for this cause for the last ten years!"
"Well, you are the one who has left me with no option, Christopher Sebastian! If you don't date and marry that woman, then I will have no choice but to order everything to be closed. But if you do and you are able to get an heir within a year then I will hand over the crown to you! And then you can run Othon as you see fit!"
Christopher stilled at this offer. His grandmother would never leave the throne willfully again. She had let his father become the successor but he had already demolished the whole of Othon over his greed. His grandmother had then had him assassinated for treason!
Of course, he had no love for his father and never held it against his grandmother. The man had been as lousy a father as a son and Ruler. But because of him, Christopher had to spend the last twelve years of his life, proving his worth to his grandmother. And yet, the woman had only created trouble for him at every path.
Calming his thoughts, he asked," Why Jeannie Boon, grandmother? Doesn't Othon have a rule that Royalty can only marry Royalty? That is the excuse you gave me last time when I.."
He was cut off when the woman said," Oh! I have decided to move into the modern world with the circumstances."
"And forcing me in a marriage with a stranger is the way the modern world works?"
"That is different!" The old hypocrite growled back and finally threatened," She will make you happy! I have already made my wishes clear. Consider it a test if you will! I want you married to Jeannie Boon by the end of next week. If not, then you can say goodbye to everything you have worked for and provide an explanation for the people that why you are letting them down."
With that, the conference call was disconnected.
"FIND OUT EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT THAT WOMAN! AND I MEAN EVERYTHING! I WANT A REPORT WITHIN AN HOUR!" Christopher barked at his assistant, his blue eyes glittering with menace.
He did not take kindly to being threatened. Even if the person threatening was his own grandmother! He had poured his blood and sweat and making Othon what it was today. It was only now that the people in Othon were getting the opportunities that they deserved! If his grandmother thought that she could control him by dangling the crown, then she was mistaken!
More than the crown, he wanted the welfare of his people. He already had amassed enough wealth when he had invested in the recent crypto currency boom, that he could live without the riches! But Othon was his home!
Taking a spare phone from his desk, he dialed a number and announced as soon as the phone was answered," The old woman has turned senile!"
"And hello to you too." A soft voice drawled.
"Hello Hello! Have you heard what she has done?"
"Of course I have. And I believed you want to know the reason, I presume?"
"Yes! I don't believe the reason she has given me!"
"Well, I did tell her you won't. So, here goes, what is most essential at this point for your tourism project to develop?"
Furrowing his brows, Christopher answered cautiously," A treaty with our neighboring island of Isle Of Argent?"
"Very Good.." The pleased voice answered. "And have you heard of the lost princess of the Isle of Argent?"
Like a penny dropping loudly, everything fell into place.
He knew the old woman would not do anything out of the goodness of her heart. She had no heart for that.
"How sure are you that Jeannie Boon is the lost princess of Isle of Argent?"
"A hundred percent. The emissary from there have been trying to get her to come back to her island. You know that Isle Of Argent is in as much need of young blood as Othon was twelve years ago.. But she hates the Royal family.. "
"And grandmother wants to use this to force their hand. This way she would have the upper hand in the treaty.."