Excerpt #2

A Prince's Honor

“What’s up with you two?” Peter asked as he edged his way next to the prince in the line to get food. His square aluminum tray was tucked under his arm. The silverware tray was directly in front of him. He reached out and pulled free a crooked fork. He looked at it sideways and then set it aside and then grabbed another one. Feeling satisfied that it was straight enough he pulled his tray out and set the fork on the area preformed for the silverware.
 
“What are you talking about?” Prince Julius asked.

“You two have been ignoring each other for the last three days.” Peter quipped as he pointed to an unrecognizable meat-like product. An elderly woman scooped a large spoonful and placed it in the center quadrant of his tray.

“It’s none of your business.” Prince Julius snapped.

“Fine, have it your way. It’s just that I’m not the only way noticing it.” Peter winced as he motioned to their gracious hosts. There were a dozen representatives from the township seat at the main table. Nancy sat at a lone table by herself. She barely touched the plate of food in front of her. She made feeble attempts at her vegetables. Her eyes were downcast and there was a sadness present that all around her could see. Prince Julius walked up and sat next to Nancy. She didn’t look at him when he sat down. She knew he was coming before he did.

“Do you mind?” Prince Julius asked formally.

“Sure.” She responded dispassionately.

“We’re going to have to talk eventually and I figure we should talk before we roll into the gates of the Briton Empire.”

“You really don’t remember anything do you?” Nancy quipped. “I thought for sure that the other night would . . .”

“You thought what?” the prince interrupted, “You thought that the idea of having sex with you would trigger some kind of repressed memory and in return that it would unlock all of my memories? Well, I don’t think that’ll ever happen.” “Sex?” wide eyed Nancy responded tearfully. “Is that all it is to you?”

“What else could it be?” The prince began to speak, but his words were cut short by an abrupt slap to the face. He watched as tears streamed down the beautiful blond sitting next to him. He watched as she pushed her food forward, got up, and stormed out of the room. The prince looked away from Nancy and noticed that Peter had been observing the entire conversation. He threw up his hands as if to signal he had no clue what he had done wrong. Peter picked up his tray and came over to the prince’s table and sat across from him.

“You don’t get it do you?” Peter asked.

“Get what?” the prince smirked.

“It’s obvious by everyone around you . . . but she’s in love with you.”

“So.”

“You are obviously the most insensitive person I’ve ever met or quite possibly you’re the dumbest person I’ve ever had the displeasure to be in presence of.”

“What? That’s she in love with me? So, what’s unusual about that? I’ve had plenty of women who think that they’re in love with me. So what?” The prince retorted as he grabbed a spoonful of food and shoved it in his mouth.

“You might be the prince of the mightiest nation on this planet, with all of your fancy education, but you’re an idiot.” Peter glared at him sideways.

“Really?” the prince returned his glare as he chewed. Juices drizzled out of the corner of his mouth, but he refused the urge to wipe it away. “Okay Mr. Clairvoyant, tell me why I’m such an idiot.”

“She’s in love with you.” Peter announced.

“Yeah genius, I just said that.” He replied angrily as he took a swig of the orange-colored beverage. He slammed the cup down. Peter instinctively flinched. “You’re going to have to tell me something that I don’t know or you going to have to get the hell away from me.”

“You were her first.” Peter blurted. Prince Julius thought for a moment. He looked around the room at the people who were trying not to appear as if they were listening to their conversation. He looked back at Peter. He shrugged his shoulders and then replied “First what?”

“You were her first love . . . her first kiss . . . her first time.” Peter replied with a raised eyebrow and a jagged smile.

“And?”

“And you . . . you dumb ass, it was obviously your first time as well or . . .” he stammered, “. . . or she wouldn’t have been so emotional about it.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Prince Julius growled.

“My Uncle over there.” Peter replied as he motioned to his uncle who was grubbing with both hands and no silverware at huge piles of meat, much to the vile disgust of those around him, as if it were his last meal. “Well, he knows just about everything there is to know about scavenging and I mean everything about scavenging, but I know women . . . and I’m telling you that you were her first, but more importantly . . . she was your first.”

“Okay, and let’s assume for some God-awful reason that you’re right . . . so what? . . . what the hell does it all have to do with anything?”

“You some kind of military genius, aren’t you? “Peter threw his hands into the air. “Personally, I think you’re an idiot.”

“What?”

“You still can’t figure this one out, can you?”

Peter snapped at him. Prince Julius clenched his fists under the table. Fire burned in his eyes. Nobody had ever been allowed to speak to him in such a manner without lethal circumstances. General Blackheart had seen to that fact many times, yet, something in the back of his mind told him that something was wrong, but what? He couldn’t put his finger on it. He had thought about it a number of times, but he just couldn’t figure what it was about her that bothered him. He knew, in his heart, that she was a significant key to his past that he couldn’t remember, he remembered her from his dreams, but the details of his dreams were elusive. Something didn’t add up, but what?