The Royal Contract

Chapter 701

Chapter 701: Be the King of two Kingdoms

“Mom,” Alex was surprised to see his mother walk into their new house, followed by his father. “Dad, you did not tell me that you are coming to visit.”

He quickly walked towards them, dropping the knife he was using as he was busy preparing dinner for two. Dani was due to be home soon, and he planned to surprise her.

Not even his security informed him they were here, but he could not blame them. They were his parents, after all. They were not threats that they would stop from visiting him.

“We missed Dani’s birthday celebration and thought we should drop by and visit you now that we had some free time,” Katherine explained with a smile that could light up the place. She immediately hugged him, showing him how much she had missed him.

He hugged her back, kissing the top of her head, then turned to his father and gave him a manly hug. He also missed his parents since it had been a while since they had last seen them.

“You should have told me so I could have arranged something,” Alex informed them, still surprised to see them without any prior knowledge that they were coming. Usually, his father’s assistant would notify him about any travel plans. But his father could have forbidden his assistant from saying anything.

He guided them to the kitchen counter and offered them a seat, returning behind the other side while he squeezed some fresh oranges into two glasses.

.....

“It was a last-minute decision. There was no time for formalities to inform you. Besides, we would like to surprise the two of you.” Katherine told him, taking a sip of the juice he offered.

He doubted that, but he just shrugged his shoulders. He could tell that they intentionally did not inform him of their arrival. Still, he wished they could have given him a heads-up.

“Where is Dani anyway?” Fred asked as his eyes searched the room before landing back on him. His hands entwined before him, ignoring the cold juice he had served.

He smiled at his father, knowing that he preferred a glass of scotch compared to the juice he gave him. But he continued to cut on the veggies, adding a few more to include his parents in the meal.

“She would be here soon. I assume that you will join us for dinner.” He asked but more of implied, checking on the water he was boiling. Soon, he placed the vegetables inside the pot, blanching it for a few minutes.

He turned to the watch, checking his time. Then he also counted the minutes that his wife would arrive home. She informed him that she was not doing any overtime tonight.

“Of course, we will not miss your delicious cooking.” His mom sniffed the aroma of the beef he had roasting in the oven. “Do you need some help?” Her mom offered, but he quickly declined.

Turning around to face his parents, he smiled at his mom, who had taught him most of what he knew in the kitchen. He started cutting again for his salad.

“Whatever your reason for suddenly coming here, I am still glad to see you, guys,” Alex said. Knowing his father, he did not do things on a whim.

He probably had a solid explanation for suddenly taking this long trip to see him. Part of it might be missing him and his wife, but there was something else. He could see it in his eyes.

“Hey, what is going on here?” Her wife’s lovely voice finally echoed in the room, interrupting them all.

She walked into the room, striding towards his mom first and hugging her tightly. He could see how much they had already bonded as if they were blood-related and not just in-laws.

She then turned to his father, giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheeks, which made his father smile. He sometimes felt like she might be their child and not him. He loved seeing them interact with each other.

“We thought that we might surprise the two of you with our sudden visit.” Katherine again explained. “By the way, Happy Birthday, dear. We are sorry for missing such a wonderful celebration.”

His mother tapped Dani’s hand as his wife stood before his parents. He watched their interaction in his peripheral vision as he continued to finish the dinner he would soon serve to his family.

“It would have been perfect if you were present that day. But you coming here to be with us today is more than enough present,” Dani responded with a genuinely happy smile.

He moved towards them to join them for a while. He was still waiting for the rest of his food to cook before he could start serving.

“Why don’t you show them, Dani, around the house?” He suggested so he could set up the table for their dinner, ushering Dani and his parents to the next room.

His wife would know what he meant by that. He needed time to prepare and some time away from his parents to figure out what they wanted.

He feared that this might have something to do with the Kingdom and the wish of the Council for him to take the throne. Until now, he still felt conflicted about the issue.

“Yes, you need to see the garden, but we could not stay there for too long since the chilly wind is getting nastier lately,” Dani told their parents as she walked them towards the living room, showing off what Haley had done to make this place according to their liking.

While he returned to the kitchen, speeding up the preparation of the other dishes. Then, he started putting the plates and silverware on the table, setting up the dinner for four.

But he could not help but think of why his father would fly miles away from home to see him. He believed it might be crucial and urgent, and he did not trust technology to convey his message.

“Dinner is ready,” Alex finally shouted when he had set up the table, putting four plate arrangements on the table.

He wished that his parents’ reason would be something else, but he doubted it. He finally opened a bottle of red wine that would match perfectly with his roasted beef, filling the four glasses already set on the table.

“This looks great.” His father said. He was a man who had no idea what to do with a pan. He was never good at the kitchen, so he had stayed away.

Finally, they gathered around the dinner table, enjoying the delicious meal he had prepared. His mother kept asking about the birthday celebration and the ceremony, laughing about the stories Dani kept telling her.

Overall, the dinner was a success, and all seemed to have fun until finally, his father placed down his fork and seriously looked at him.

“It is time for you to decide if you want to be King.” His father’s voice held no options but to demand an answer.

He looked at his father, seeing that his time was up. It would seem that he had to decide sooner than he thought.

Was he ready to take on another responsibility aside from this Empire he already ruled? Was it possible to be the King of two Kingdoms?