Royal S.O.B. (A Bad Boy Romance) (26 page)

It
had been a week since Kenrick's charity had launched. The event happened in the
Royal Coronation Hall, in the midst of all the members of the royal family.

Except
Addie.

Of
course, he received an apology from her saying that she would be unable to
attend. The reason? She was indisposed. But Kenrick knew that excuse rather
well. She had used it on him once before, and he had called her bluff then.

Maybe
she was plain jealous. Now he had his own charity, and he would soon be in the
limelight for being a royal philanthropist. He would get his fair share of
media space, too. Not that he had any less now, just that the reasons were not
exactly noble. Now all of that would change.

Whatever
her reasons for not showing up, Kenrick knew that he had to woo Addie all over
again.

He
fell into thought. What a colossal blunder it was – to treat her like the rest
of them! At least he should have known that this here was an unusual girl, a
different kettle of fish; and she was a fellow royal, never mind her
antecedents. He could have given her more respect, even showed her some love.
Was he not lovelorn anyway?

Well,
now it was payback time.

*****

He
was in his study, poring over the files pertaining to his charity. It had not
even begun operations, and Kenrick was bored already.

He
had thought of the charity on a lark – more to impress Addie than anything
else. No, he was not a 'me-too', Kenrick assured himself.

He
needed to display real change to Addie, to get into her good books once again,
so he could bed her and bed her and bed her. That was his real reason; not one
of goodwill or a pure heart. That was the true vision for his charity.

"Phew!"
Kenrick let out a sigh.

The things a woman
could make a man do!

With
this woman, he only got the rough end of the stick. The stuff he had done for
her, the levels he had stooped to! And now he'd even started a charity. It was
true that the cock ruled the world, but it was always in the hands of a woman!
She held it by her slender fingers and led him to the woods.
What else would she make him do
, he
wondered.

And
his charity was not half as relevant as hers. As per the program, the charity
allowed disadvantaged common folk – 'peasants' – to spend a night in the
palace. For one night they would be treated like a royal personage, part of the
royal family, enjoying every luxury that the royals were used to. That was
about it.

His
first assistant got him a file full of names of possible candidates. One
commoner per week would be chosen among the hundreds that applied, to spend a
Saturday night in the palace, and the whole of a Sunday. The person would be
sent home that evening.

Lazily,
he flipped through the pages, each a handwritten application with a photograph
of the applicant.
Were there no women?
He flipped the pages furiously and fast – but not a single female. Perhaps his
notoriety had reached them already, he laughed out loud.

He
tossed the file back on the desk.

*****

Three
weeks had zipped by. And three men, from different walks of life, had spent a
night each in the palace.

Kenrick
had no idea about Addie's charity, but his own had kicked off. He was happy
about that – at least in this, he beat her.

Contrary
to what he had initially thought, he started liking charity work. He was not as
flippant as he had felt earlier – to have a commoner live like a royal, even
for a night, was a big deal. And it got rave reviews in the press, and some
positive footage on the BBC.

He
even met the beneficiaries – originally for a television interview – but later
on his own volition. Kenrick found it interesting.

Honestly,
having never stepped out of the palace premises except to go on his exploits,
he had no idea how ordinary people lived. So when he got a chance to interact
with them, though by design and not by default, he was fascinated. Their lives
were so different, and so interesting, far removed from the palatial living he
was used to.

*****

It
was Saturday, and his next beneficiary had arrived. He was a university kid,
and he seemed bright, so Kenrick wanted to meet him before he spent the night
there. That was away from the norm, since he usually met the beneficiaries only
after the event.

The
prince was in his chambers when the boy was brought in by one of his
assistants. The boy bowed before standing there with his head hung.

"Hey,
how do you do?" Kenrick addressed him jovially.

"Congratulations
on being this week's guest in the palace."

"Thank
you, Your Royal Highness Prince Kenrick," the boy replied softly.

It
was getting to be a mouthful now, and Kenrick kind of hated it.

"Hello,
I'm Kenrick. You can call me that."

He
extended his hand.

"Hello,
I'm William. You may call me Bill, Kenrick."

This
boy, he was quick on the uptake.

"Thank
you, Bill." He shook the boy's hand warmly.

"So
we're friends from now on, right? No more royalty."

"Okay,
Ken."

That
was quick – from Kenrick to Ken! He loved it absolutely.

"Where
did you get your quickness from, Bill?"

"Where
you got yours – from this great country."

"Wow,
I love it! Now, off you go to have fun. Will catch you later."

Strangely
enough, Kenrick felt human. Being communicative, exchanging repartees, thumping
backs, was this not fun? Was this not what being a man in society was all
about?

He
drew out Bill's application from the file and glanced at it. The boy was from
the most beaten part of town, his parents had died when he was three, and he
was living with his uncle, a daily wage earner. But he was a topper in class,
and a winner of the university's debating championship. No wonder his tongue
ran like a pair of scissors.

Kenrick
felt an inexplicable kind of affinity towards Bill. If only he had a kid brother
like him, he thought.

Suddenly
he missed life – as lived by simple, everyday folk. What life was
he
living?

He
was this automaton, a fucking machine (with all puns intended) – a piece of
flesh existing only to satiate its own craving. Was there any point to it, to
being like an animal; was there any purpose to his life at all?

Compared
to that, Bill's situation was more fulfilling. Braving heavy odds, this boy was
carving out a life for himself, excelling in everything. And each time he did,
it would give him a unique high, the kind of kick that Kenrick had never
experienced. Here he had everything in life, and how boring was that!

He
summoned his first assistant.

"Henry,"
there seemed a change in Kenrick's voice, too. Never was he so soft in
addressing his people, nor did he ever address them by their first names.

"I
want to know everything about this boy Bill. Please submit a report in two
days."

Kenrick
saying 'please' to his staff?
Unthinkable!

"Yes,
Your Royal Highness," replied Henry, confused at the courtesy coming from
the prince.

"And
Henry," continued Kenrick.

"Let
him stay on for a few days. No need to send him away tomorrow. Thanks."

Kenrick
thanking his staff?
Unbelievable!

"Yes,
Your Royal Highness." Henry bowed and took leave of the prince, inwardly
happy at his new way of addressing him.

Kenrick
was so drawn to Bill that he even contemplated adopting him. That was unheard
of, but then such change in Kenrick overnight was incredible too.

Imagine
if he were to take this boy under his wing, Kenrick thought, and let him study
all he could. Let him go explore the world, and find his feet and grow his
wings. Let him soar the skies and fly as high as he wanted. Would that not be
making a real difference to someone, and contributing to the world in the
truest sense of the word?

Fortunately,
though not by merit but by birth, he was eminently placed to do it – and a
whole lot more. And to think that all he had to do was say
yes
– and it would happen.

Kenrick
was resolute. He made a decision right then and there: He would begin with
Bill. He would put the weight of his royal powers behind this deserving kid and
see to it that he got every facility he wanted. Nay, deserved. And he would
make him an achiever and a worthy citizen of this great country.

Yes,
Kenrick would make this small beginning and see how it went.

He
could feel the winds of vicissitudes seeping through him. And it had all been
sparked off by Addie's charity. Kenrick started his own as a rebuttal to hers,
of course, but that, in turn, led to other positive changes in him. The results
were quick, and they were overdue.

And
now there was another revelation within him. He did not want to trounce Addie
anymore. In fact, he was not even thinking of her or her charity, to show her
up by showing he was good. He was so completely consumed by this thought of
backing one person, just one deserving individual, and making something out of
him, that he forgot about everything else.

Well, that is how it
should be
,
he thought. Cut out the irrelevancies from life. Stay focused, stay relevant.

Everything
was happening too fast.
Might as well
,
said he to himself. He had wasted enough time already. And suddenly, he had a
lot to do. Best to be busy this way, rather than while away his time.

Kenrick
sat back on his chair. A happy, contented smile played on his lips.

Time to surprise
everyone
,
he said inside.

Time
to surprise himself.

What
she heard did not surprise Addie. Then again, it surprised her no end.

That
Kenrick would do something to anger her was not surprising in the least. This
was to be expected of him, especially after their encounter which – instead of
bringing them closer – set him against her.

In
fact, Kenrick had been giving out mixed signals for some time now. And Addie
had no clear image of him anymore. First he tried to woo her, then he bedded
her in triumph and arrogance, then he dumped her. And now he was going back to
step one again – what gave?

It
was to run away from it all, to drown out her trauma, to make a new beginning,
that she'd started her charity. It was true that she always wanted to do
something in that direction, and this incident acted as a catalyst, hastening
its birth.

Then
Kenrick came up with his own charity. Coming from him, it was astonishing;
Kenrick would be the last person to venture into something like that, knowing
his nature and propensities. But it had happened.

And
now, this news coming from Bill.

She
was sitting with Addie in the café at the university; they were meeting there
after a long time at that place. They had come visiting partly for nostalgia,
and partly for catching up with Bill.

Bill
was two years her junior, highly talented and supremely intelligent. He was
from perhaps the lowest rung in society, but when it came to merit, he was up
there. Both Addie and Cate would help him out often, with his studies as well
as financially. Now that she had a structured, registered charity, Addie was
planning to formalize a grant for Bill.

That
was when he revealed the big news.

"Prince
Kenrick," said Bill, his voice low.

"Is
going to adopt me."

This
statement was greeted with silence from his two listeners.

"Adopt?"

It
was Cate who spoke, after what seemed to be a full minute.

"What
does the prince mean by 'adopt' – do you become a royal, too?"

"What
he means, I think," Addie answered for Bill.

"Is
that Prince Kenrick would sponsor him. Fund all his activities."

"Yeah,
I guess so," came Bill's rejoinder.

"He's
trying to beat you at your own game, Addie," Cate said.

Addie
was thoughtful for a moment.

"Well,
we've nothing to do with him or his programs," Addie replied.

"The
good news is, we'll not have to worry about Bill anymore."

Addie's
matter-of-factness startled Cate. But her friend was not bitter in the least.
Just that she stated the fact unemotionally.

"I
think it's a great opportunity for you, Bill," continued Addie.

"You've
got to shine, and make the best of it."

"Yes,
I know. I will," said Bill.

*****

"Do
you think he's for real?" Cate asked Addie.

They
were back at the palace, in her chambers. The shock of Kenrick offering to
'adopt' someone was still on their minds, more so for Cate than Addie.

"I
think so," said Addie.

"Even
I was suspicious of his motives earlier. But now, I've started thinking
otherwise."

"What
do you mean? Can anyone change so much overnight?"

Addie was quiet.

"Well,"
she said at last.

"It
wasn't all that sudden, if you think about it. Certainly not overnight."

"How
can you say that, Addie?" Cate asked, suspicious.

"Unless
you're falling for him hook, line and sinker."

Addie
waved her hand.

"Far
from it, Catie," answered Addie.

"I'd
questioned his motives earlier, like you. But since then, over the last two
months, it seems like he's turned over a new leaf."

Cate,
who knew that Addie would never say anything unless she was sure about it,
wanted to know more. She waited for her friend to continue.

"Mrs.
Bradford was telling me the other day," said Addie.

"Apparently,
Kenrick is now very courteous with his staff. Can you imagine that?"

"You
mean," gushed Cate.

"Our
prince has gone from four-letter words to saying 'please' and 'thank
you'?"

"Precisely.
Not only that, but I'm told he now addresses them by their first names as well.
And actually gives them enough time to get things done."

"Are
you serious?" Cate found it difficult to believe.

"And
what on Earth is the reason behind this incredible change?"

Again,
Addie was silent.

"I
can't put my finger on that," she replied.

"But
for all we know, it could be a genuine change, from deep inside his
heart."

"Do
you even think that's possible, Addie? You know him better than anyone
else."

"Yes,"
affirmed Addie slowly.

"Which
is why I'm now saying that perhaps, just perhaps, he's being true. For once in
his life."

*****

"Is
such a huge change possible, Mrs. Bradford?"

Adelaide
was having breakfast, with her governess attending to her. This was the time
she would ask the old lady about things that did not make sense to her.

"It's
possible, my child," answered the good woman.

"That's
the magic of life. You never know which way it will turn, or what it will
teach."

"In
this case," Addie wanted to pursue the point.

"What
do you think triggered it all?"

Mrs.
Bradford was quiet for a long time.

"Yes,
Mrs. Bradford?" Addie persisted.

"My
child," she seemed to hesitate.

"May
I be frank with you?"

"Of
course," Addie took a moment to reassure the old lady.

"You
know I regard you almost like my mother."

That
was true. On several occasions, the old governess felt her maternal instincts
come alive and henceforth showering all her love on the princess. There was no
reason to believe that Addie would be upset with what she wanted to say.

"Well,
my child," the old woman began.

"I
feel Prince Kenrick is in love… with you."

"What?"
Addie was genuinely surprised.

She
took care not to react too loudly, or the old lady might hold back her
opinions.

"Yes,
my dear. And love can make you do some really wonderful things."

"Okay,
even if I accept your theory, you must tell me why you feel so."

Again,
Mrs. Bradford was silent.

"Well,
my child," she began.

"Trust
this old bird's instincts. I've seen enough of life to know these things a mile
away. In fact, I suspected it the first time he ever came here."

"When
he was rude to me?"

"Yes.
That was only a façade, you see. And, in your subsequent meetings, it pretty
much turned out the way I had expected it to go."

God.
Did this mean Mrs. Bradford knew everything… even
that
incident?

"The
way he's been following you and your actions, his charity, his changed
demeanor… all this points to true change. To my mind, he did it all for
you."

*****

Addie
was unsure.

Though
the signs were all there, and the positive vibes were unmistakable, she could
not digest the change – especially the rapidness of it.

And
there could be another reason behind it. Their encounter in the Royal Gallery
was fresh in Addie's mind – still, after two months of it happening – and the
quick volte-face by Kenrick. It was unbelievable then, the way he'd went from
goody-goody to rank baddy; it was unbelievable now, when he was reversing the
process and going from villain to do-gooder. Both were extremes, and Addie
hated extremes.

Earlier,
she had been too gullible, probably a tad too eager and available. And now she
wanted to make up for that lapse by being extra careful. She was experienced
now, and experience was the enemy of innocence.

Now you can't fool me,
Mr. Kenrick, for I need to know if your change is genuine.

*****

That
afternoon, Mrs. Bradford came with further news.

"My
child," she said, once she'd settled down.

"I
heard that Prince Kenrick is constructing a home on the outskirts of the
city."

"A
home?" Addie asked.

"Yes,
for the underprivileged," replied the old woman.

"Apparently,
his recent experience with a young lad opened his eyes… kind of."

Addie
smiled.

"This
lad," Mrs. Bradford continued.

"Was
down in the dumps in terms of where he lived and what he did. So the prince
offered to sponsor him and his studies – I'm told he's a brilliant kid."

"Okay."
Addie was aware of that part.

"Prince
Kenrick made his staff unearth data about such deserving people. And since he
can't accommodate them all in the palace, he thought of this home where they
could be housed."

Was he overdoing it
, wondered Addie.

But
it was no skin off her back. Let the prince do what he wanted with what was in
the Royal Treasury. Not to mention the millions and billions of his personal
wealth.
 

"Prince
Kenrick has already identified the spot and given orders to begin
construction," Mrs. Bradford continued.

"The
structure will be ready in two months, and then inmates will start coming
in."

"That's
excellent, isn't that, Mrs. Bradford," Addie replied, genuine pleasure in
her voice.

"Yes
my child, it's what the royalty should be doing at all times, really. It may
have been late, Prince Kenrick I mean, but better late than never, as they
say."

"Thank
God, his mind went to these things… It's God's grace, truly," noted Addie.

"Yes,
my child." Mrs. Bradford's eyes were shining.

She
paused, looking at Addie, some thought swirling inside her head. Then:

"You,
my child, started it all."

She
kept looking at Addie.

"Oh
no, Miss," Addie said with conviction.

"I'm
just a new entrant here. And I'm sure Prince Kenrick must have many such
initiatives we don't know of."

"I
doubt that very much," replied the governess.

"The
royal family, yes, through The Royal Family Foundation. It's centuries old. But
Prince Kenrick… this is his first such endeavor, bless him."