The Crown Prince's Love
Chapter 57

Randy gasped, falling to the ground, and then he let out a loud cry, hitting the ground repeatedly.

I wanted to go to him, but this time, it was my father who stopped me from moving closer to him.

"Come with me. The king has already found a solution to it, and we have to let them do their thing," My father said, grabbing my hand.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked as he continued to drag me away, even when I struggled to break free from his tight grip on my wrist. "Father!" I shouted.

He stopped walking and turned to face me, then he flipped me over his shoulders and pinned my hands behind my back. "Stop fighting this, son. This decision is already made, and the crown prince will do it to protect you both." "What is that?"

"Announcing that you both were never a couple."

"No!" I shouted, grunting as I struggled against my father's grip on me, but it was futile.

He was much stronger than I was, and no matter how I struggled, I was never going to be freed from his hold on me. "Randy would never do that to me. He loves me, and he will do everything to protect our relationship, and he will..."

"You will see whether the crown prince will choose you or his kingdom."

I sighed and wondered what his decision would be, me or his position.

Randy

"I won't read this!" I exclaimed angrily at the piece of paper my father handed me for the press conference he had arranged.

I couldn't bring myself to say the words written on it. It was just too much.

"You will do it!" my father insisted, thrusting the paper into my hand. "This is your duty as the crown prince of Bourne, and you will do exactly as I've told you."

I shook my head firmly. "I can't deny that I wasn't the one in the audio, letting Desmond take the fall for it. I can't do it," I refused, tossing the paper to the ground. "I'm going to come clean to everyone and, if possible, leave the realm. I could go to Uncle Marcus and live there."

My father scoffed and angrily grabbed my shoulder. "Are you even listening to yourself?" he yelled. "Do you know what the world would write about you? Have you checked the news to see what everyone is saying about you and Desmond? I'm trying everything to ensure that both of you won't have to suffer from the aftermath of all that is happening! I'm trying to protect you!"

I slapped his hands away. "Or are you trying to protect yourself and the reputation of the royal family?"

"Yes, I'm trying to protect the family too, but you are the first, and I'm doing all I can to make sure you don't regret any of this!"

"The only thing I'll regret is going out there and saying the rubbish you've written in this paper."

"Why the hell do you care about a boy who's going to die in two months?" My father blurted out, and I fell onto my knees, realizing that he was right. "I didn't mean it that way, Randy. I just want you to be..." "No!" I screamed, hitting the ground in anger until my hand started bleeding.

My mother rushed to my side, grabbing my hand and pulling me into her arms. "Mum, I don't want to do this. I love Desmond, and I can't do without him. How can I lie in front of all those people and..." I groaned in pain as another round of tears burst forth.

I couldn't go through with it, no matter how I thought about it.

We had made promises to be each other's sun and moon, and now I was about to choose my duty over him.

"Newman, we didn't agree to make our son remember that his boyfriend was going to die," my mother said to my father as she rubbed my hair.

"I know. I am deeply sorry about that, Randy," my father said, kneeling beside me.

"Son, you know that I really love you, and as much as you want to be with Desmond, we have to do this. I have already informed Desmond's parents about what to say, and they have agreed to inform him. It is just a way to protect both of you."

"Don't say that," I argued and sniffled. "You never wanted us to be together and were looking for a way to separate us. That's what you wish for!"

My father groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Randy, please, don't make this harder than we had planned. Just take this out to the press and tell them what is written on that paper."

I chuckled, wiped the tears off my face, and pulled away from my mother's embrace. "If you were in my shoes, would you do something like this? Would you forget ever loving Mother just to protect yourself?"

My father paused, exchanged looks with my mother, and finally nodded. "If it means that your mother is going to be protected, then I am ready to do everything to ensure that we both don't suffer from the aftermath of our mistakes." "Desmond and I are not a mistake. The Universe planned all of this, and even if I agree to do this, I am still going to be with Desmond, no matter what you say," I told them, standing up from the ground.

I walked to where I had placed the paper and picked it up. "I want to be alone as I memorize this. Please leave, Mum, Dad."

"Don't tell me you are planning on locking yourself in this room, Randy. Like I said, we are just trying to..."

"Protect me?" I finished his words with a question. "I know, Father," I faced him with a forceful smile on my face. "You have said that countless times, and I am tired of hearing it over and over again. Can I call Desmond one last time?" I requested.

"You..." my father tried to say something but was cut off by my mother, who walked to the desk in my father's study and picked up the phone.

"This will be the last time you two will ever have a conversation like this, so make it worth it," my mother told me and dialed a number on her phone.

"Yes, Gerald, this is the Queen. My son wants to speak with Desmond one last time," she said to Desmond's father and then nodded as she handed over the phone to me. "You have ten minutes to decide your destiny. Just know that we don't hate you, son. We just want you to be happy and not face criticism from the realm."

I took the phone from her hand.