Page 15 of Jon’s Desert Prince Dream

The bay was busy with ships coming in and out. Carts passed us filled with goods, and vendors called out as they hawked their wares. It made for a lively atmosphere.

Right up until we reached our destination, that is.

It didn’t take an observant man to realize where the problem was or even who had started it. Well, the last one was probably more obvious to me. A young couple faced off with an older man just outside a bright white café, emotions high enough to spark a combustion. The two men hailed from Orleansa, the scared young woman holding an adorable baby in her arms was Tennoan. Two cops stood nearby waiting, and a few bystanders looked on, because drama.

“I am Prince Donovan of Havili”—Prince Donovan stood right in the center of the group, looking them over—“Minister of Internal Security. Who are you?”

The old man of the group eyed Prince Donovan like he wasn’t at all welcome. His lines flared with upset, prejudices, hatred, and…oh, interesting, a growing fear. Fear of Prince Donovan?

Yes, but also fear of losing his son?

Naughty, naughty. What had this bastard been doing to his son? I knew it was something, his lines were very oppressed, almost grey.

“I’m Oswald,” the man answered, torn between glaring at his son and trying to make nice with Prince Donovan until he went away. “This is a family matter—”

“The fuck it is,” his son snarled at him. “You’re trying to break my anchor bond and force me home! You’re trying to take me from my wife and child. That is very much against the laws of Tennoa!”

Oh, was it?

Prince Donovan’s expression, darkening steadily, indicated that it was. Wow, this country’s laws protected families from being split up? I knew I liked it for a reason.

I didn’t know any names, so I asked, “Who are you, sir?”

The young man said, “William. My name is William. This is my wife, Alladora—”

Oswald almost combusted on the spot hearing those words. He really, truly hated this girl. The prejudice against psychics was so ingrained he probably didn’t even realize it was the root cause. He was truly awful. Could someone accidentally drop him in the bay?

“Stop calling her that,” Oswald hissed at his son in warning. “I haven’t acknowledged her as your wife!”

“I don’t need your fucking acknowledgment,” William snapped back. His own temper had climbed into the unsteady zone. I thought he was about to punch his own father. “I left home, remember? I escaped you and came here, and I never want to return to you. Remember? That was the agreement we set—that if I left, I stayed gone. So why are you chasing after me?!”

Now, I could answer. Wasn’t sure if anyone would ask me, though. Was it even wise to butt in at this point?

Oswald threw another glare at his son before pulling a smile onto his face for Prince Donovan. “It’s just a domestic argument. I have this handled.”

Shaking my head, I looked at William, at his lines. Time to open my mouth. “The reason your father’s here is because he can’t leave without you. Your mother has thrown him out of the house, and unless he comes back with you, he won’t be able to return to her good graces. You weren’t supposed to actually leave and stay gone, see. It was a scare tactic that backfired on him.”

William stared at me for a long moment, then his eyes flew wide with awareness. “Oh! You’re a psychic. You can read all of that?”

“It’s crystal clear. Along with your own feelings on the matter. You love it here, you love your wife and child, you have no intention of ever returning to your parents. Would rather chew off your own foot, in fact.”

William abruptly beamed at me. “Yes! Yes, thank you. Thank you for saying that.”

True fear snaked through Oswald, and it might mean I was a bad person, but the petty part of me enjoyed that.

Prince Donovan watched them for a moment, contemplative. “Oswald. What were you threatening to do?”

“I wouldn’t say threat—”

Alladora piped up with a hard glare at her father-in-law. “He threatened to run a smear campaign against us unless William signed a divorce agreement and left us both behind. Said he’d start by burning the house!”

I wasn’t catching the full implications here because I didn’t know the players involved. I got that this was important—I mean, it had to be for Prince Donovan to be pulled into this—but I wasn’t sure why. I did see the anger that swept through Prince Donovan and Borrowman, as well as some kind of…unease? No, that wasn’t the word, it was like they were somehow connected to this young couple. There was a sense of almost hero worship there?

Eh, why?

Oswald almost snapped at her to shut up, then visibly caught himself before the words could fly out of his mouth. Which was wise, because Prince Donovan really, really wanted to punch him.

“Of course you’re only here because Mother made you.” William gave this bone-deep, weary sigh, and it was filled with resignation. “I won’t help you get out of trouble with her anymore. You’re on your own from now on. Frankly, I hope she finally throws you out of the house.”