The Prince & Me

"You're a PRINCE?!"

M'gann walked along the halls, staring in awe at the photos of Padaladia.  The magnificent architecture, the beautiful flower gardens, the amazing products sold by the shops and sellers.  It was all breathtaking.  If M'gann closed her eyes, she could picture herself in the lands.  "Conner, what's Padaladia like?", she asked.

Conner smiled warmly as he looked up towards the ceilings.  "Its the most magical place on Earth.", he said.  "The people are so kind and generous and friendly, and you..."  He smiled at her.  "They'd treat you like a princess."  M'gann looked at the floors as he cheeks flushed pink from under her green skin.  All of the sudden, Conner grabbed her by the arms and pinned her to the wall before kissing her passionately.

"Conner!  People will see us!"  He looked at the portrait right next to her, the portrait of him and his siblings in uniform, surrounding their parents on the thrones, a label in the gold frame that read THE ROYAL FAMILY OF PADALADIA.  "Let them see!"  He kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her as he led her out of the hallways.  "Let's get out of here!"
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They walked along the boardwalk, sharing a bag of buttered popcorn.  "Conner, I am so happy that you're home after all these years.", she said happily.  "I've been happier this month alone than I've been since that awful day two years ago.  You put the sunshine back into my life."  Conner smiled, his mouth full of popcorn.  "Thanks, M'gann.  I've had the most wonderful time with you, too.", he said, gazing lovingly into her honey-tone eyes.  "You light up my world, and make it spin around on it's axis."

They sat on the edge, looking out at the vast ocean view, turned orange from the light from the setting sun in the horizon.  He smiled at her, the genuine smile on her face, the glimmer in her eyes, the color on her cheeks.  She looked so beautiful in the golden lighting.  It was the perfect moment.  "M'gann?"  She turned her head to look at him.  "Yes?"  His deep blue eyes sparkled as he spoke.  "M'gann, there's something I need to ask you.  But before I do, there's something that I think you should know about me..."

He caught a glimpse over her shoulder, a glimpse of two broad, muscled suited men, wearing dark glasses and devices in their ears.  He recognized them right away.  "Oh, no..."  He grabbed M'gann by the hand and pulled her to her feet.  "But I can't tell you here!  Let's go somewhere else!"  Before M'gann could ask, Conner led her away, past corners and alleyways, into a secluded area.

"Conner!  What's going on?!", M'gann cried.  Conner held her hands in his and stared into her eyes.  "M'gann, the truth is, my adoptive dad...he's not a carpenter."  M'gann blinked twice.  "He's not?"  "No, he's—"  All of the sudden, a bright light flashed on them.  A security guard shone his flashlight on them, as the other held a finger to his device.  "We found him."

The guards stared at him.  "You should've known we'd find you, Your Highness."  M'gann looked at Conner, her brow furrowed.  "Your Highness?"  Conner bit his lip.  "Yes.  That's who I am."  M'gann tilted her head.  "I-I don't understand."  Conner sighed.  "After I ran away, I was in a shipwreck and washed up on the shores of Padaladia.  The King and Queen found me and adopted me as their son."  "King and Queen?  Y-You mean—"  He nodded.  Her jaw fell open.  "You're a PRINCE?!"

"Not just a prince."  Their heads turned to see a grown man, dressed in gold and deep blue, with gorgeous blue eyes behind thick black-rimmed glasses and a grand gold crown circling his smooth brown hair, staring right at them.  "Conner is the Crown Prince and heir to the throne."  From behind him emerged a grown woman, with pale skin, striking violet eyes, and full lips the color of berries, wearing a regal gown, covered in a fine fur coat, a silver tiara nestled in her silky black-and-purple tresses.

She hurried over to Conner and held his face in her gloved hands, kissing him on the cheek.  "Oh, Conner!  We were so worried about you!"  "Mom!", he cried, pushing her off.  "Not in front of my girlfriend!"  Dexter turned his head towards M'gann.  "So, you're the girl for whom Conner is willing to defy his family."  "Dad!", Conner cried, stomping up to face him.  Dexter looked him square in the eye.  "Have you even told this girl about Princess Apple?!", he roared.

"Who's Princess Apple?"  Dexter looked back at M'gann.  "She is the woman that Conner is to marry."  She looked at said boy with wide eyes.  "You're engaged?!"  Trying to fight back tears, she ran out of the alley.  "DAD!", Conner shouted.  "How could you?!"  "She had the right to know.", Dexter said in a calm tone of voice.  "She needed to know that she had no future with you."  "No future?!"  "Oh, come now, son!", Dexter said.  "You're a prince!  She's a simple girl living in America.  No riches, no title, no social standing...she's beneath you!"

Conner took a step closer to his father, determination in his eyes.  "I don't care what you say, Father.  M'gann and I have a wonderful future ahead of us, whether its here or in Padaladia.  And I'm not going to just let her slip away because you're some old-fashioned fuddy-duddy!"  And with that, he ran out of the alley after the girl he loved.  Raven looked at her husband, concerned.  "Dexter."  She didn't need to say anything else.

Conner finally caught up with M'gann, who had stopped running after her tears started blurring her vision.  She felt his hand on her arm and pushed it away, glaring at him with reddened eyes.  "Why did you not tell me you were a prince?  Why did you lie to me?" Conner groaned, running a hand through his thick black locks. "I just wanted to be an ordinary guy again, even if it was only for a few weeks!  I never meant to hurt you!" Tears streamed down M'gann's face. "How could you not tell me you were planning on marrying someone else?"

"Because I don't want to marry her!", Conner cried. "It wasn't my idea! It was my parents'! Why do you think I came back to America in the first place?  I want to marry you.  I want to marry the girl who loves me for who I am."  He leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "I don't know who you are anymore.  La'gaan was right! I never should've trusted you!" He took her hands in his. "M'gann, please...I love you." She pulled her hands away and shoved him in the chest.  "Why should I believe you now?  For all I know, you could be pretending, just like you've been pretending you were a regular guy for a whole MONTH!"

M'gann hung her head, blinking back tears.  "I'm sorry, Conner.  I can't marry somebody that I don't trust anymore." She looked into his eyes one last time.  "Goodbye, Conner."  She ran off. "M'gann, wait!", he cried. But she was already out of range. He just stood there, fighting back tears, as thunder rumbled and rain began pouring down on him.