(Prologue)

‘He's not coming home for Christmas is he?'. Gerard sighed deeply as his wife stroked his balding white hair.

‘At least he sent a card??', Queen Evalene of Wales said, ‘He didn't even call last year Gerard. I think it's time we finally accept the fact that the prince doesn't want anything to do with us'.

King Gerard shook his head stubbornly as it was too painful to think that his son, the heir to the throne, wasn't returning back to the country any time soon. They had a huge argument that only ended up in creating a tear in their already shaky father and son relationship, now it's been two years since he last saw him.

‘We aren't getting any younger Evalene. He needs to get married if he's going to ascend the throne as the ruler of this country', Gerard sighed again, even more dejectedly than the last as he closed the little velvet box he was going to give to his son as a Christmas gift. It was his great grand mother's ring, an heirloom passed down from generation to generation, an engagement ring worn by every queen of Wales until a new one was born—now he feared there wasn't going to be a new queen.

‘We should've tried for another child'. He murmured before ordering his steward to take the ring away.

††††††

Meanwhile at the Brynn Mansion....

Marcus hung up on the phone with disappointment written all over his face, he just got off the phone with his daughter who had just told him that she wouldn't be coming home to spend Christmas with the family, saying the weather in Fiji was terrible and all flights were cancelled. Excuses, excuses, excuses....she was always making one excuse or the other not to come back home and he was tired of it.

It was all his fault, he was the one who let her run wild to follow her dreams and now the little bird didn't want to come back to her nest, ‘This is all no sense'. He grunted as he slammed his phone on the table, just as his wife walked into the room.

‘She's an adult Marcus, she can do whatever she wants'. Megan placed a supportive hand on her shoulder and his brows creased into a tight frown.

‘She should be with her family and not in some stupid cave, doing stupid things and uncovering some dumb artefacts—she isn't Indiana Jones for heaven's sake, she's a Brynn!!'.

‘If you keep up with that attitude then don't expect our daughter to visit'. Megan frowned also and he nodded, raking his hands through his hair as an act of frustration. 

‘If only she could—', he was interrupted by his phone ringing.

Megan true to look over to the phone to see who it was but he was quick to push the phone out of her gaze, ‘Who is that?'.

‘It's a friend....a very good friend'. Marcus smiled as he left the room to answer the call from his very good friend—the King of Wales.