It took longer than Greg expected to convince Aziza to come to Valoria with him. She kept asking question after question, all of which he promised to explain on the plane. It didn’t help either when she realized she wouldn’t be able to see her friends before they left. He had to text Lacy and Jessica in front of her just to ease Aziza’s mind long enough to get her to leave the hotel suite.
The message was short, sweet, and simple…
Greg: Hey, Aziza and I are heading to Valoria to meet my family. May be gone for several days.
Lacy: WHAT!
Jessica: Wait… what’s happening?
Lacy: Explain yourself! What do you mean you’re going to Valoria? Ain’t that a whole nother country and why’d you tell us instead of Aziza?
Greg: Aziza will explain later when we have the time to call.
Lacy: That’s not good enough!
….
Lacy: Hey… answer me!
Jessica: Hey, where’s your friend Mike?
He knew that answering wouldn’t be enough for them, and they didn’t have time for any explanations, not when time is of the essence for Aziza and him to stay ahead of the media outlets. Besides, he had to admit that he was a bit worried that Lacy would talk Aziza out of going.
“Your Highness…” Michael began, looking back at him from the front passenger’s seat.
“Shh…” he whispered, putting his finger to his lips.
Aziza had finally fallen back to sleep during the ride to the airport. She was probably exhausted from all the surprises and stress she experienced earlier. She had been quietly looking out the window the whole time during the drive, till she dozed off, her head plopping against Greg’s shoulder.
Michael glanced at Aziza and smiled for a brief second, before regaining his composure.
“Sir, we’ve arrived at the hangar,” Michael said quietly, nodding towards the window.
Greg looked out the window where the airport hangar stood open with a private jet laying in wait. Looking back at Michael, he said, “Give us a moment.”
Michael nodded, then gestured to the driver to exit as he opened his own door. Greg watched his friend leave the SUV and immediately stopped one of the other security men from opening his door for him. When Reginald walked up, obviously complaining, Michael blocked his way and made sure to keep him from interrupting Greg’s time with Aziza.
Sighing, Greg leaned his head back against the seat. He was starting to rethink everything. Was he doing the right thing? Was he really inviting Aziza to his home land or just forcing her to come with him? He wanted her to decide for herself, but he also didn’t want to leave without her if she said no. However, staying in the States was not an option for him… not anymore.
“If only I hadn’t…” he whispered to himself as he sighed heavily. “Maybe I could’ve had more freedom to do what I want.”
Aziza began to slowly stir awake. Blinking, she looked up and around seeming to attempt to focus on where she was. When she saw that she was leaning against him, she quickly sat up and looked away.
“Sorry,” she muttered quietly.
“It’s okay,” he said, smiling slightly. “I don’t mind.”
They were silent for a few moments, which was more than what he could stand.
“So,” he began, turning towards her, “now that we’re here, we really should be boarding the plane right now, but I wanted a little bit of time with you first.”
“Ok,” she said, looking at him.
He flashed her a quick smile before continuing, “Before we step out of this vehicle, I must ask… are you sure you’re okay with coming to Valoria with me?”
“You’re asking me this now,” she asked, shaking her head. She paused for a few minutes, looking down at her hands. Then she locked eyes with him as she said, “I’m not sure of anything right now, but I’m willing to go with you and figure this out. Besides, you promised to finish explaining everything on flight.”
Greg nodded, “Yeah, I will.”
Aziza was acting normal again… a little too normal. She was calmer and her speech pattern had changed again. She was speaking more properly, almost deliberate. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but one thing was for sure… she agreed to go with him.
The tightness in his chest loosened at the same time he came to the realization that he had been holding his breath. He finally smiled genuinely now, as relief washed over him like a balm.
“Ok, well, we should quickly get on the plane now, before the media finds us,” he said, looking towards the private jet again.
Aziza just nodded and reached for her door. Greg quickly grabbed her hand and said, “No, not that way.”
He knocked on the window and within seconds, the door opened from the outside. He stepped out, then turned and extended his hand toward Aziza. She hesitated for only a moment, then placed her hand in his. After helping her out, he wrapped his left arm around her waist and escorted her to the jet.
“Your Highness, might I have a moment of your time,” Michael asked, as he bowed his head.
Greg glared at him, sighing heavily. He hated when Michael spoke that way, even if it was the proper way to speak to royalty. Looking over at Aziza, he said, “Why don’t you go ahead and find your seat. I'll be there shortly.”
She glanced at Michael before looking at him again and nodding.
“Please tend to her needs and help her settle in,” Greg ordered, looking at one of the female attendants.
“Yes, Your Highness,” the petite girl said. “This way Miss.”
He watched the girl escort Aziza on to the jet as though she were a regular guest. Did the rest of the Royal staff not know what happened and who they were attending?
“Reginald,” Greg said, as he looked at him. “I see that you not only failed to inform everyone about my situation with Aziza, but you seem to have a lot of travel companions here. It was to my understanding that I would be allowed to stay here with only one guard.”
Reginald stood beside him for a moment as he said, “Well… I assume that the King and Queen wanted to ensure your safety, Sir. Hence, the need for extra security in case you needed it.”
“You mean, in case of the off chance that I created another scandal, it would make the process of sending me home that much easier,” he said dryly, as he glared at the man. “It makes sense now why you were able to find me so quickly. Though there really was no guarantee that all this would be necessary.”
“And yet, here we are.” Reginald cleared his throat loudly, then said, “I see it’s about time we leave, Your Highness. Everything has been cleared with the airport officials and the Governor for our unconventional departure due to your safety.” He quickly bowed his head, then turned and clapped his hands, ordering the security teams and aids around in a hurried frenzy.
Greg watched him scurry off without another glance his way. “Michael, is it just me, or am I wrong to think that I’m being handled right now?”
“No, Sir, it’s not just you,” Michael agreed. “Though, for him to be so bold to do that, it can only mean that he’s following the orders of…”
“My parents,” Greg finished the statement, breathing out heavily.
Michael didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. They both knew the truth of the matter.
“Your Highness,” he finally said, turning to face him. “About what I want to discuss with you.”
“Yes, yes, but first… stop with the formalities. I liked it better when you spoke to me casually.”
Greg wanted to laugh as he watched Michael squirm at the thought of speaking informally to him. Although they had been friends since grade school, Michael had always struggled to let go of formal etiquette even when they were not in public. A testament to his friend’s superb upbringing. Since being in the States, it almost seemed that Michael was starting to relax, until now.
“Are you sure about this,” Michael asked, finally forcing himself to speak freely. “Bringing Aziza with us? Is she okay with this?”
“Well,” Greg began, looking at his friend. “I did ask her again in the car and she agreed to come.”
“That’s good, but what do you plan to do now,” Michael asked.
“Do you have to ask? I’m staying married to her.”
“Does she even know about this plan?”
“No, but I plan to tell her soon.”
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“It’s just… she doesn’t know about my… past,” Greg said, combing his hand through his hair.
“So, when are you going to tell her?”
Greg froze. How was he going to tell Aziza about his past? About the scandals… the other women… the reason for why he made a deal with his parents… and the reason for why he had to rush home now? Would it matter to her? All he knew was that he didn’t want to scare her off.
“That can wait till later,” he finally said, waving the idea off.
“Just don’t take too long to tell her. It will be worse for both of you if she hears about it from someone else instead of you,” Michael advised, crossing his arms.
“You’re awfully casual with certain members of the Royal Family,” he said, with a smirk.
“May I remind you, Sir,” Michael said, grinning. “You are the one who told me to stop talking to you so formally.”
Chuckling, he said, “Right you are. Well, let’s get going before Reginald has a heart attack."
They boarded the plane just in time for the pilot to begin take off procedures.
Greg sat down next to Aziza, who was looking out the window in her own world. The plane left the hangar and positioned itself to go down the runway. Greg watched Aziza’s reaction as the plane sped up down the runway till it took off. The look of wonder, excitement, and fear all seemed to show in her face, causing him to wonder what she was really thinking. Once the plane leveled off at a high altitude, he leaned his head back against the head rest and closed his eyes.
“So, what’s the plan from here?” Aziza asked, turning towards him in her seat.