Love For Hire

Kinsley stood at the table with Nicholas and his siblings as his parents entered the dining room. Once the King and Queen were seated, everyone else took their seats. Kinsley thanked the maid that placed her meal on the table before her. Everyone began to eat, but as usual, Nicholas sat at the table calm and relaxed, not touching his meal but drinking his wine and refilling his glass.

“Are you not eating?” Naya asked when she noticed her son had not so much as picked up his fork.

“I am not hungry,” he said. Kinsley had been at the palace with Nichols for nearly two weeks, and she had only seen him pick at his food, only eating a few mouthfuls occasionally. In all honesty, she had no idea how he managed to get through every day without fainting or experiencing weakness.

“You must eat to keep up your strength,” Naya lectured. Kinsley had to agree with his mother to a point. She would feel better if he ate more.

“I am strong enough,” he muttered, lifting his wine to his lips.

“I insist you eat,” Naya ordered.

“I must regretfully defy your insistence, Mother.”

“Nicholas…” She snarled his name.

“Nauseous Mother,” he snapped back, harshly, instantly silencing her. “Nauseous… I am always nauseated. The medications you insist on have Octavius force on me turns my stomach, and the only reason I am not on my knees bent over the toilet violently vomiting all day every day is I do not eat. So, do me the courtesy of getting off my back,” he hissed.

The whole room went quiet, and Kinsley felt awkward being witness to the royal family’s discontent. “So, Kinsley,” Teegan piped up, ending the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air, “how long have you and Nickolas been seeing each other?”

“Long enough,” Nicholas answered for her.

“Well, how did you two meet?” Teegan asked, addressing Kinsley once more.

Nicholas answered again. He then reached out and took her hand then smiled. “I thought she was utterly enchanting and knew I had to have her. Besides,

nation and the blood of royalty in your veins. After all, it is not like women seduce men with wealth and power just to get

was painfully obvious to everyone at the table. The worse part was neither Nicholas nor she could refute his accusation that Kinsley was only with him for the

corrected him, the King placed his glass down on the table. “That is what I thought. Well then, let us put all the cards out on the table,” he said, turning his gaze to Kinsley. “You are a pauper, a common unimpressive peasant, who is below my son’s station

enough to be King. If you think he will leave you anything in his will

while it lasts and knows this; the only reason I am willing to so much as even tolerate your existence is that I love my son, and you make

realized she had lost her appetite. “Excuse me,”

was clear on his face. “I would like to point out, Father, that everyone at the table is a guest in what is my home. And until I am cold in the ground, it is MY home, and out of everyone at this table, Kinsley was invited… you were not. So, do me the courtesy that the next time you have an opinion, keep it to yourself,” he snarled, and then he left the room, dragging Kinsley behind him. He whistled, and Brutus jumped up and rushed over to him. Nicholas grabbed his harness in the hall, and they made their way up the stairs, headed for the room they

Nicholas let go of Brutus and sent him to his doggy bed. “Nicholas, I am sorry about leaving dinner. I just could not…” He turned and took her

lifted from her. “You did nothing wrong. My family means well, but they are arrogant. The downside to wealth and privilege. Many would say I have the same

“Nicholas…”

circumstances not many women would,” his hand caressed her face affectionately. “He was right about one thing. You do make me happy. When my world has been nothing but black and dark for so long, you have been a ray of light. While my

not to let fall. His words were touching. She was happy to hear he was happy with her because she was happy with him. In a short

them to ever make him question those feelings. She reached up and placed her hand over his

drew together questioningly. “What?”

money,” she said. “The rent, the debt, the million dollars; I do not

the look on his face confirmed he could not fathom why she would not take the money. His hands fell away, and he took a step back, looking worried and

be your employee. I want to be your girlfriend, for real, not just in front of

“If not for the money, what do you

“You.”