Chapter 4

“How are you feeling?”

“I'm fine. And you?”

Marcus was standing there. When I had woken up he wasn't there so I went to freshen up and get ready for the day in the hallway bathroom. When I came back he was there. For some reason he had on a sweater. He normally didn't dress like that. Usually he wore something a lot more sexy but for some reason he was covered up completely today. I wondered if it had anything to do with what happened last night.

“I'm well,” he told me, avoiding eye contact, “Should I run you a bath or find you something to eat, your majesty?”

I shook my head, “I just took a shower and maybe I'll eat later...”

Marcus wasn't looking at me. He was so handsome. His dark chocolate complexion highlighted his face. It was easy to understand how he was voted the sexiest man in my country several times over. He deserved every bit of it.

“Would you like me to check your wounds?”

“No.”

“Would you like me to fix you some tea?”

“Marcus. I'm fine,” I told him, “I don't need anything right now.”

I was still in a little bit of pain from getting jumped but I guess I wasn't serious. It was more of an emotional stress than anything.

“I'm attempting to contact your uncle,” Marcus stated, “I think it's best we get some money sent to us from him so that we can find a safer place to stay. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you said you didn't want to stay in this situation.”

I walked up to him. I pressed up against him. I didn't know what I was doing really. A part of me just wanted to be close to him like I always did. Marcus was everything. He had always been everything to me.

“I don't blame you,” I said.

My hands were pressed up against his chest. He looked down at me. For a moment I thought the intimacy between us would lead to him holding me for a minute but he didn't. He took a few steps back at that moment as if I had some sort of contagious disease.

“I'll let you know once I get in contact with him,” Marcus replied.

Marcus was trying to keep his distance from me. It was clear he was trying to stay away. I recognized the signs.

As I walked downstairs I realized that Marcus was trying to stay away from me but he was trying to stay by my side as well. It was clear he wanted to do his job but not cross that line with me. I was so confused by him. I didn't know what I was to him. Was I just a job? Did he care about me at all besides that? I didn't know and a part of me felt that Marcus was too scared to ever really even show that side of him.

When I walked downstairs I saw Jalen, Jalen's mother and Brolic. They were all sitting around at the breakfast table. It seemed like they had been eating cereal or something like that. Brolic didn't give me eye contact. I had wondered how I would react when I saw him. I wondered if I was going to be angry or something, but I wasn't.

I was more disappointed in him.

Jalen actually got up at that moment when I walked to the table. He attempted to pull out my chair for me but Marcus beat him to it.

“I got this,” Marcus stated.

“Of course,” Jalen stated sitting back down but his eyes were on me, “How are you feeling Prince Djimon?”

“Better?”

“What happened to him?” Jalen's mother asked.

I looked over at Brolic. Brolic was still looking away. Brolic knew exactly what happened to me. A part of me wondered if I should tell everyone else. He had seen me getting beat up and he walked away. I didn't mean a damn thing to him.

“He was jumped and robbed,” Jalen stated, “I'm not sure by who. Do you think we should call the police? Maybe we should get them involved?”

“Snitch?” Brolic asked.

“Yeah, snitch,” Jalen replied quickly without even thinking, “Djimon is a crown prince. He got jumped. Do you think that's OK?””

Brolic didn't reply. He looked over at me. Our eyes made contact. Brolic looked away again. It was clear that he felt awkward around me and he had a good reason to. He had played me. He had completely fucked me over.

“No police,” Marcus replied, “The prince is in hiding right now until his throne is secured by his uncle's army forces. No one can know he's alive.”

Jalen shook his head, “I blame myself. I'm sorry.”

I shook my head, “It wasn't your fault. You weren't there.”

I was staring at Brolic at that moment. Jalen wasn't there but Brolic was. Brolic had walked away. He had turned the other cheek. Brolic dropped his spoon at that moment and got up off the table. No he didn't just drop his spoon. He sort of slammed his spoon on the table. I wondered if what I had said had gotten underneath his skin. He started to walk away.

“What's your problem? Where are you going?” Jalen asked him.

“Out. Lost my appetite. Is that a problem?”

With that Brolic had left the room. He hadn't waited for Jalen to say something else to him. I wondered what he did all day. I wondered if he hung with those thugs that beat me up and robbed me everyday. A part of me thought he did.

Those people were criminals.

They were dangerous.

I had to make sure that I had protection with me at all times. A part of me knew I would have to start watching Brolic as well. I was worth entirely too much to be involved with criminals. If the goons jumped me for shoes that were worth just a few thousand, I could only imagine what they would do if they knew how much I was really worth.

Jalen turned his attention back to me when Brolic left the room, “Look, Djimon, I want to make this up to you. I know you say it isn't my fault. But it is. The argument that me and you had really got to me after you left. I shouldn't have ended it like that. Maybe the two of us can get to know each other better. Maybe we can hang out.”

“That won't be possible,” Marcus replied.

“Excuse me?”

“Djimon won't be spending anytime around you any longer. He may not think you are the reason that all this happened but I do---”

I stopped Marcus, “Wait. No. I want to spend some time with Jalen.”

“You do?” Marcus and Jalen asked at the same time.

I wasn't sure why. For some reason I knew Jalen was a good person. I'm sure there were a lot of good people out there. To be honest I put myself above people but what Jalen had said to me when I was upset stuck with me.

He said that I would never have friends.

And I didn't want that to be the truth.

“I'd...like to hang out with you,” I told Jalen.

He smiled. He had a handsome smile. Jalen was a hard looking dude, but it didn't take away from how handsome he was. He had a little bit of scruff on his face today. I liked it. It was kind of...I don't know. Sexy. I guess I didn't mind hanging around Jalen.

Jalen seemed excited, “Good. Let's do something just you and me. Anything you like today. I'm off work...”

“Anything?” I asked.

“Anything.”

“I'm coming as well,” Marcus stated.

“No,” I replied.

“Djimon. I am not leaving you alone again.”

“Really because for some reason you've been acting like you don't want to be around me...”

Shit got awkward. I didn't mean to call Marcus out like that in front of Jalen and Jalen's mom, but he had been acting really shady. He was always taking steps back away from me and just acting like he didn't want to be around me. He was scared or something that maybe he'd get too close. His job couldn't allow him to get too close to me.

God forbid we did something inappropriate again...

Marcus surveyed the awkward looks he got from Jalen and his mother.

“Djimon, you know that is not true.”

“It's not? Because after last night...”

“Can we speak in private?” he asked.

It was just like Marcus. It was just like him to want to speak in private and not want to address this in front of other people. I knew what he was going to say though. He was going to give me this long speech about how I couldn't take him wanting not to get close to me personal. It was hard not to want to get close to Marcus though. I was ATTRACTED!

I always had been.

I thought about it.

“No. Don't come.”

“Your majesty...”

“That's an order.”

He nodded, “Yes. Your majesty.”

Jalen looked away. I knew it was embarrassing for Marcus. I hadn't meant to put him on blast like that. I didn't want to seem bitter but I was. I was extremely bitter. Last night I had gone out on a limb to show him that I was attracted to him. Marcus had wanted me to touch him. I knew he did. But instead of just giving in to how he felt, he was distant.

Jalen and I were at the mall before I knew it. I didn't have much money but I needed to go clothes shopping for more things than what Marcus had went out to shop with me. I could tell this wasn't Jalen's thing. He looked really awkward when we walked into Saks.

“I feel like people are looking at me like I'm about to steal something,” he stated.

We had arrived in Saks and I had to admit that he was right. He walked besides me. I don't think it was a race thing. I think people just looked at me and felt like I could afford this stuff but they looked at him and just seemed to wonder. We were a very odd pair really.

“Maybe because you dress like a hoodlum,” I replied.

Jalen sagged his pants. He had on a foodie. He had on boots. I had to admit there was a part of me that did find it sexy when he dressed like that but everything had a time and place. You don't really go upscale shopping dressed like that.

“You don't like the way I dress?” I asked.

“I do. You look like you are about to rob a liquor store, but in a sexy way...”

Jalen laughed.

“Sexy?”

I hadn't even noticed that I had said that.

I found myself looking at him back though. Jalen was sexy. He was all hood and laid back. He had a fucking cute ass face but his swag was definitely one from the streets. He had to be the complete opposite of Marcus.

Marcus was always perfectly trimmed and very metro-sexual.

Jalen on the other hand seemed very laid back, scruffy and very masculine.

For some reason they were so DIFFERENT but they were both very similar.

“Maybe,” I admitted.

Was I flirting with him?

“Oh maybe now? Huh? Well how about this? You dress like you have a stick up your ass,” he replied.

“Wow! A stick up my ass. Thank you---you made my day.”

I was shocked. I looked at my outfit today. Marcus had went out and picked it for me the day before. Marcus knew my style well though. I had on a white Tom Ford Blazer, some slacks and some Louboutin sneakers with red soles. It was light work really.

He elbowed me a little after he said that, “Don't worry. It's a very well polished, well dressed, attractive stick.”

“Attractive?” I asked.

Why was I blushing? Well I wasn't sure if I was. I was probably too dark to blush. It wasn't like I was a red-bone like Jalen. Still. I felt like I was blushing. I had a smile from ear to ear. For some reason I was really enjoying being around Jalen and I didn't expect it especially after the argument we had the day before.

“Maybe,” he replied.

Oh. He wanted to play games. I couldn't help but to smile.

“Well how about you put a stick up your ass?”

“Excuse me?”

“Relax. I just meant how about you get something from here. Switch up your style a little bit...”

“I can't afford this shit. I am just window shopping to get to know you a little bit more.”

“I'll buy it. Marcus gave me some more money to spend.”

He sighed.

“Look I don't want you to spend your money on me. I know you are having financial complications with your sister usurping the throne.”

“Financial complications?” I asked.

It felt like a slap to the face when he said that. He was right. I was on a budget for the first time in my life in the longest time. For the first time I had to check price tags and make sure that I didn't go over a certain limit because we only had a certain amount of money until we got in touch with my uncle for the rest of it. Still the idea of being broke wasn't the worst thing in the world. It was the embarrassment that came with it that was bad.

Jalen immediately apologized, “Damn, look. I didn't mean to cross any lines.”

“No. I like that about you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. You say it how you mean it. You don't care that I'm royalty,” I explained, “It's a nice difference from talking to Marcus or other people from my country. They usually just tell me whatever I want to hear. It's nice that you say what you mean.”

“OK. Well if that's the case. I think you are a spoiled ass brat,” Jalen told me, “BUT, I also think you can be really cool if you want to be.”

I didn't know if I should have taken that as a compliment or not. For some reason I did take it as one though. I was smiling. Maybe it was because Jalen was just so fucking attractive.

I found myself just staring at him.

“Well this spoiled brat is going to buy you something nice and make you look like a spoiled brat for the day,” I told him, “How about...these...”

I picked up a pair of jeans. They were slim fit jeans.

Jalen looked at them and basically laughed at that moment.

“Man, I can't fit these.”

“Yes you can.”

“My dick is too big to fit in these.”

I sighed and laughed, “I saw your dick. You're exaggerating...”

Jalen laughed at that moment, “Oh word? So what you trying to say my dick is small or something like that.”

He crossed his arms waiting to see if I lied to him. He was a cocky motherfucker wasn't he? I laughed. His dick was fucking big. I had to admit it. He knew it and I knew it. I could see the cockiness drawn out on his face and I couldn't help but to my roll my eyes.

“You can fit the jeans.”

“Exactly. Change the subject,” Jalen replied and laughed. I found myself laughing too. Since when did Jalen and I laugh with one another while getting to know one another.

“You going to try those on or no?” I asked.

He sighed, “God. OK. Just for you.”

Jalen went to the dressing room at that moment. I waited outside the dressing room for him. For some reason retail therapy did it for me. For the first time in such a long time I wasn't thinking about my throne. I wasn't thinking about living in the ghetto. I wasn't thinking about anything stressful. For the first time I seemed to be having fun.

It was such a strange and exciting feeling waiting to see how Jalen was going to look when he came out with his pants.

“It's not going all the way up. My thighs are too big,” Jalen replied.

“It's your waist size, right? Open up. Let me see.”

“No. It's embarrassing.”

“Stop being a little girl,” I told him.

He opened up the dressing room. My mouth almost dropped a little bit. His pants weren't all the way pulled up. He didn't have any underwear on. I could see a low patch of pubic hair and the top of his dick on the top of his pants. His ass was round and fat. His thighs were muscular.

My heart was skipping beats.

Fuck this dude was sexy!

“You going to help me or...”

I snapped out of it. I walked over to him. Jalen didn't even help me help him. He just watched as I struggled to pull the pants up for him.

“I didn't know you didn't have on underwear.”

“Am I making you nervous?” he asked.

I laughed.

“It takes a lot more to than that. I am descended from kings, sweetie.”

He smiled. His eyes were watching me intently as I pulled the pants up from his side. I grabbed the waist bands and pulled them up. My fingers touched the sides of his ass. He faced me looking directly at me. Jalen's breath hit my face. I made my way to the front now. My fingers were in his pubic hair. He was turning me on just by standing there.

He wasn't helping me get these pants on him at all.

“You're doing a good job. You got this down to an art,” he replied.

I laughed, “You're enjoying this aren't you?”

He nodded a little bit, “I am. I'll admit it. The spoiled prince is serving me. How many people helped you get dressed in your country?”

“I had several stylists.”

He smiled, “And now look. You are serving me. I could get used to it...”

Things had gotten awkward. I didn't know when it started. All I knew was that Jalen and I were staring at each other. We were so close in that dressing room. He was looking down at me. A part of me wanted to just kiss him. I wondered how he would react to it. I wasn't sure but he wasn't budging and neither was I.

Shit was intense!

Shit was literally STEAMING in that dressing room as we stared each other down.

I was the first to break the silence and speak, “They are on.”

“I hadn't even noticed.”

I was finally able to step away. I didn't know how I did it. Stepping away was literally one of the hardest things I'd done. I noticed when I had stepped out of the dressing room his eyes were staring at me. They were following me.

“They look good on you.”

He hadn't replied. I looked back at that moment. That was when I CAUGHT Jalen. He was staring at my ass!

He quickly turned away! Probably hoping I hadn't caught him.

“They'd look better on you,” he stated, “They'd fit your um...figure. Um. But. Yeah. I guess they look OK.”

“We will get them.”

“We came shopping for you.”

“I insist.”

“OK. But only if you do one thing for me.”

“What is that?”

He laughed, “You'll see. Deal or no deal.”

“Deal.”

After buying the pants, Jalen took me to another store. The entire time we were laughing and joking around. I was honestly enjoying my time with him and it wasn't forced. I didn't know how that was possible. We were opposites by nature really but some small stupid things we had in common.

We both hated seafood.

We both had a cornball fetish for romantic comedies.

Japan was the place he wanted to visit the most and it just so happened to be the placed that I loved visiting the most.

I would have never spoken to him in my life if it weren't for the assassination attempt but somehow we had and I was happy. I wondered if I was actually truly making a friend. Not a friend like Marcus either. Not a friend that my family had bought somewhere. Was I making a true, honest friend?

“OK now you have to try these on?” Jalen stated.

“Jalen---you got to be joking.”

We were in an 'urban' store. I guess that's what they called it. This was my first time ever in life coming into a mall and going to an urban store. A lot of the malls that I usually went to didn't even have these urban stores. If they did I always walked past them and went straight to the high end section. I didn't even know anyone who shopped at Urban stores. My fucking servants dressed in labels. Jalen handed me a bomber jacket, a snap-back hat and some Timberlands. I looked at them like he was crazy. What the hell was this?

“I tried your swag; now you try mine,” Jalen replied.

I put the stuff on. I felt like a clown every moment of it. It was hilarious. Jalen seemed to find it hilarious too. When I walked back out from the dressing room dressed up like I was some dope fresh rapper Jalen was laughing his ass off. He didn't stop laughing actually.

I raised my hands in up and started mocking Jalen, “Yo, yo, yo. My name is Jalen. I'm repping for that 212. I rep the Stuy. What's good with you?”

Jalen was laughing. I had to admit I was pushing it. I was acting more like Brolic then Jalen. Jalen was definitely still hood but in a way more sexy and subtle. I enjoyed making him laugh though and continued throwing up gang signs.

“Eh...I don't talk like that. Nice try though.”

“Yeah whatever son. You can't fuck wit' me. Ya dig? I'm Jalen. I'll fuck you up,” I continued mocking him.

“You acting tough is funny. Don't make me step to you,” he said.

He was joking. He was smiling but even as he joked he stepped closer to me. He was in my personal space a second time today. This time I wasn't going to move. We were in the back of the store and it was like everyone else in the store seemed to disappear.

“I guess you're right, that's not you,” I stated.

I wasn't moving.

I was staying right there. Jalen was so close to me that we were touching. Our bodies were warm against one another. Jalen was licking his bottom lip. When his tongue stopped brushing up against them they sparkled from his wet saliva. They were soft. Wet. Kissable.

“You look...cute...”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah...”

Silence. I was wondering who would make the first move at this point. Jalen hand wasn't at his sides anymore. They were touching me. His hands had moved inside of the bomber jacket at that moment.

All of a sudden he pulled away. I didn't know what it was but I guess he must have saw something that made him pull away quickly.

He took a step back.

“What?” I asked.

“Um. Don't look now. But I'm pretty sure your bodyguard is spying on us,” Jalen replied.

I turned at that moment.

Jalen was right. Marcus was just outside the store. I had my back turned towards the front of the store so I hadn't seen him. What the fuck was he doing here?

“You've got to be fucking kidding me,” I stated.

“He was giving me like the death stare,” Jalen replied.

“Give me a second.”

Jalen had walked me to the front of the store but he didn't walk outside of the store. I noticed how Marcus and Jalen were staring at each other. It was honestly nothing nice at that moment. As I walked outside of the store and into the mall area Marcus was just standing there. He wasn't even trying to be secretive or sneaky at this point.

I mean honestly he stood out like a sore thumb especially around all the basic people in the mall. Marcus was FAR from basic.

“I gave you an order,” I told Marcus.

Marcus shook his head, “I didn't listen.”

“Clearly you didn't. Marcus. Your job is to listen to me.”

“My job is also to protect you,” Marcus replied very bluntly, “You just got attacked yesterday when you went out with this guy. I don't want you around him.”

“I wasn't around him when I got jumped.”

“I don't trust his intentions...”

“Intentions.”

“Yes. His intentions. The way he touched you was highly inappropriate just now. He grabbed you up...”

“The way I grabbed you...last night?”

Marcus stopped talking.

His chest was expanding heavy. Fast.

“I won't have him violate my prince,” Marcus stated.

He was changing the subject.

I shook my head, “He didn't violate me. He...he...oh my god.”

“What?”

“It's them. It's the boy. It's the boy who took my shoes!”

Marcus had turned just in time to see him. It was one of the boys who took my shoes the day before. He was actually wearing them. Marcus and I looked at the shoes on the boys feet. It was definitely my shoes.

“Are you sure?” Marcus asked.

“Yes! That's him!”

I was pointing. The boy noticed me pointing. It was one of the same guys who had jumped me. It was DEFINITELY him.

“Wait here...”

“Marcus. Wait. MARCUS!”

It was too late. Marcus had walked over to the boy. The boy looked like he was ready to turn the other way and run but Marcus grabbed him. Then Marcus started hitting him. Marcus was hitting him on his face. Marcus was punching him in his stomach. He was punching him in his chest! The boy tried to defend himself but it was useless. Marcus just kept going. Marcus was just beating the FUCK out of this guy and I was shocked.

At first I felt good about it. I felt protected.

I felt as though this boy was getting what he deserved.

“Oh my god, what's happening?” Jalen said.

“He's the boy that took my shoes,” I told Jalen, “I told Marcus.”

“That is Brolic's homeboy Shaun.”

“Yeah.”

“Brolic is going to be pissed.”

I shook my head, “Brolic was there. He knew I got jumped.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

Shaun was getting his head smashed in by Marcus. A huge crowd was forming. People started gathering around and looked on in shock. It wasn't even a close fight. It wasn't even a fight. Marcus was just destroying this guy. If they knew what the fight was about they would have looked a little less shocked. Shaun had it coming.

Marcus was beating this boy so bad that you would think the boy had spit on Marcus's mother. Marcus was beating the snot out of him.

That was when I heard cops.

Fuck.

“Marcus! Marcus stop!”

I tried to pull Marcus off of the boy but then I realized Marcus was going too far. He was in a rage.

He was screaming at the boy.

“Don't you ever in your fucking life touch my prince.”

Marcus kept pummeling the guy. It took both me and Jalen to finally pull Marcus off of him but by the time we were able to get Marcus off of him we noticed the cops tackling Marcus to the floor.

No...no...

The cops were putting Marcus in handcuffs at that moment.

“You're under arrest...”

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