Chapter 16 #2
I let him lead me into a ridiculous twirl, and then we're both laughing, dancing terribly to a song I don't know.
Daniel's movements are fluid and uninhibited, while I'm stiff and awkward, but it doesn't matter.
The freedom of it—the sheer joy of being able to make a fool of myself in public without it becoming a national headline—is intoxicating.
As the afternoon stretches on, we walk along the weathered wooden planks of the boardwalk, our fingers intertwined. Seagulls swoop overhead, and the rhythmic crash of waves against the shore provides a constant backdrop to our adventure.
"Ice cream?" Daniel suggests as the sun begins its descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in dramatic pinks and oranges.
We queue at a small stand advertising "Brooklyn's Best Ice Cream" and order a large cone with two scoops—chocolate for Daniel, vanilla for me.
"Here," Daniel says, handing me the cone first. "You start."
I lick the vanilla side, savoring the rich, creamy sweetness. This isn't the carefully presented desserts of royal banquets or the delicate confections of palace kitchens. It's simple and perfect.
Daniel takes the cone next, his tongue darting out to taste his chocolate scoop. A small bit dabs onto his nose, and I reach up to wipe it away with my thumb.
"Messy," I tease.
"Part of the experience," he replies with a grin.
We find a bench facing the ocean and sit close together, passing the ice cream cone back and forth as the sun sinks lower, casting long shadows across the beach. The day crowds are thinning, leaving just scattered couples and families enjoying the evening.
"This has been the best day," I say softly, watching the golden light play across Daniel's features. "Just... normal. Perfect."
I hold the ice cream cone back out to Daniel, watching the sunset catch in his dark eyes as he takes another small bite.
"I know exactly what you mean," Daniel agrees, leaning into my shoulder. "I haven't felt this relaxed and safe in a long time." His voice trails off for a moment before recovering. "Being with you feels easy. Natural."
This hits me right in the chest—how something so simple for others is extraordinary for me. A day without protocol, without crown or country weighing on my shoulders. Just ice cream and laughter and Daniel.
"Look, they're starting to turn off the lights on some rides," I note, gesturing toward the darkening carnival. "I think the park must be closing soon."
Daniel nods, finishing the last bite of our cone. "Yeah, they close earlier on weekdays." He stands and extends his hand to me. "Shall we?"
I take his hand, our fingers interlacing naturally now. We stroll toward the exit, my thumb absently brushing over his knuckles. The crowds have thinned considerably, leaving the boardwalk peaceful as the first stars appear overhead.
"Next time we should—" Daniel begins, but his words cut off abruptly.
I follow his gaze to see a tall man with blond hair and a smirk heading directly toward us. Daniel's hand tightens in mine, his entire body tensing.
"Well, well," the man calls out, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "If it isn't Daniel. Already found someone new to trick?"
Daniel's face drains of colour. "Alex," he says, barely above a whisper.
So this is Alex. The man who broke Daniel so thoroughly he ended up in hospital. I straighten my posture instinctively, royal training kicking in as I assess this unexpected threat.
"Thought I recognized that laugh," Alex continues, looking me up and down with obvious disdain. "Well would you look at that Danny, how'd you manage to trick this guy who is totally out of your league into a date?"
Alex's smirk widens as he steps closer, his eyes darting between Daniel and me.
"I'm surprised you're even out and about," Alex says, his voice dripping with venom. "Last I heard you were in the loony bin after your little... episode." He makes a slashing motion across his wrist. "How's that working out for you? Still collecting scars?"
Daniel flinches beside me, his hand trembling in mine. I feel a surge of protective rage rise in my chest. This man knows exactly where to strike to cause maximum pain.
"Let's go," Daniel mutters, trying to pull me away.
Alex steps directly into our path. "Oh no, don't leave on my account. I'm just catching up with my ex." He turns to me with mock concern. "Has he told you everything? About how he completely lost it when he found me with someone else? Drama queen couldn't handle that I needed more than just him."
The casual cruelty in his tone makes my blood boil. I've faced down hostile dignitaries and aggressive press, but never have I felt such immediate, visceral disgust for another human being.
"You know, Danny," Alex continues, "that guy I was with when you walked in?
He wasn't even the first. Or the tenth." He laughs, a hollow sound.
"I was hooking up with guys from Grindr our entire relationship.
Even that weekend we went to the Hamptons—remember when I said I was going for a run? Yeah, I was actually—"
Something snaps inside me. Before I fully realize what I'm doing, my fist connects with Alex's jaw with a sickening crack. Boxing lessons paying off in a way my instructors never intended.
Alex crumples to the boardwalk, a look of shocked disbelief on his face as he clutches his jaw and spits blood.
"You had no right," I hiss, standing over him, my voice low and controlled despite the fury coursing through me.
"No right to hurt him then, and certainly no right to hurt him now.
" White-hot rage fractures my self-control.
My knuckles smash into Alex's cheekbone again with a wet crunch before my mind catches up—those princely sparring sessions honing reflexes meant for defence, not this.
He collapses onto weathered planks, hands scrambling to cradle his face. The whites of his eyes gleam with animal panic beneath smeared glasses.
I'm vaguely aware that I've just committed assault in public—something that would cause an international incident if anyone knew who I was—but in this moment, I couldn't care less.
It doesn't matter that there are people watching us and laughing at Alex on the ground, or that there are camera flashes as people record us and our fight. All that matters is Daniel.
I stand over Alex, my chest heaving, a strange calm settling over me despite the chaos of the moment. This isn't the measured diplomacy I've been trained in since birth—this is something rawer, more primal. The protection of someone I care about.
"Listen carefully," I say, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as I lean closer to where Alex sprawls on the boardwalk. "Daniel deserves better than the air you pollute by breathing it."
Alex's eyes widen. There's something in my tone—perhaps the absolute certainty that comes from generations of royal command—that makes him shrink back.
"If you ever so much as look in his direction again," I continue, each word precise and measured, "I will personally ensure you regret it for the rest of your miserable existence. "
I straighten up, smoothing my sweater with the practiced motion of someone accustomed to maintaining appearances.
"I have resources you can't begin to imagine, connections that could make your life very difficult with a single phone call.
Your job, your apartment, your future prospects—all of it could just.. .disappear overnight."
The threat rolls off my tongue with terrifying ease, as if the prince in me knows exactly how to wield power, even when the man in me is shaking with rage.
"Is that perfectly clear?" I ask, my voice eerily calm.
Alex nods rapidly, scrambling backward before staggering to his feet. He opens his mouth as if to say something, then thinks better of it and hurries away, casting one last fearful glance over his shoulder.
Only when he's gone do I turn to Daniel, suddenly uncertain. I've just revealed a side of myself I didn't know existed—the ruthlessness that perhaps comes with royal blood after all.
Daniel stands frozen, his lips slightly parted, eyes wide. There's shock there, certainly, but something else too—a heat, an intensity that makes my heart race faster. He stares at me as if seeing me for the first time, his breath coming quick and shallow.
"Are you okay?" I ask softly, reaching for his hand.
I step toward Daniel, my heart hammering. The adrenaline from confronting Alex still courses through my veins, but now it's mingled with dread. What have I done?