ROLE CHANGE CHAPTER EIGHT
A/N: Warning: Mentions of implied rape.
Ben asked David whether or not there would be a honeymoon for himself and Sara. David explained that this could not happen because of the chance that a country with more advanced media than Corvaine would take photographs or ask for interviews, which could sabotage the work Karl and David had done to keep Stefan's illness, and Ben's deception, a secret.
"And how does the Princess feel about not having a honeymoon?" Ben asked.
David smiled sadly.
"The Princess does as she's told."
On a happier note, Sara was a joy to be with now her fears were over. She did him a huge favour later that day; a servant brought a telephone over to him and said:
"Highness, your father."
"Thank you" Ben replied coldly, "You may go."
Sara caught Ben's look of surprise and saw that he was about to blurt out "Dad?" when he saw Sara discreetly mouthing "The King" to him.
Stefan's parents were abroad and were likely to remain so for the foreseeable future, leaving Stefan to fulfil social functions while Karl and David ran the country.
"Father." Ben kept his voice cold and clipped.
"Stefan. You are both well?"
"Yes thank you. And you, Sir?"
"We are in good health. Has the Princess begun to fulfil her duties yet?"
Ben was about to ask what duties, then he realised what his father meant.
"She is not yet with child."
"She must conceive. If she shows reluctance, tell her you will take her whether she consents or not."
Ben understood where Stefan's cold heart came from.
The ice in his voice was genuine now.
"I understand. Goodbye, Father."
"Conduct yourself well, Stefan. Goodbye."
Ben's heart ached for two reasons. He suddenly felt an urge to go home and hug his real family. But the biggest heartache was for Sara and all women in her position.
I'll never take you against your will" he vowed.
Ethan was proud of himself.
"I went to a gym and did a workout!" he crowed.
"I know; I'm proud of you, little brother."
At the gym Sophia had noticed the longing in Ethan's eyes as he watched the others working out. She had a quiet word with Mark, who asked Ethan if he'd be willing to follow a safe exercise programme during his visits.
Ethan had started to say "Oh, today's a one-off" but suddenly realised he'd like to give it a try.
The day would have been great if he'd not been plagued by Denise, who had spent more of her energy staring at him than on doing her own workout.
"You're supposed to use bigger weights! That's girls' weights you're holding."
"Denise" Sophia told her sharply, "Ethan has a severe back injury. He has to use smaller weights. And there's no such thing as girl's weights or boy's weights – just the right weight for each person. Now you behave yourself or we'll have to ban you from coming, and you'll not like that, will you?"
Denise wouldn't. She wanted a good view of these handsome young brothers when they came for a workout and wasn't going to jeopardise her chances of seeing them around. She muttered an apology and carried on with her own programme.
"Thanks for stepping in" Cal told her when they were due to leave, "I think Denise just got a little carried away there, but I'm happy with what Ethan managed to do today and didn't want it sabotaging."
"She's a monkey; we have to watch her all the time. Jeannie's scared of her, you know."
"I'll make sure they're kept apart on my – sorry, on the minibus" Cal reassured her.
He'd been going to say "On my minibus" as if he owned the sessions! Idiot, he told himself.
"It was great. Cal, I never thought I'd be able to do stuff like that again." Ethan was more contented than Cal had seen him for weeks.
"You can go again next week; Sophia's going to go through a complete programme with you."
"Can't I go another day as well?"
"Better take it slowly, Ethan. We don't want you going at things too hard and ending up hurt, do we?"
"I suppose not."
Ethan walked across the kitchen, to the fridge, to pick out what he fancied for lunch.
"Ethan!"
"It's been ages since breakfast; don't begrudge me my biggest comfort!"
"It's not that" Cal replied, his tone joyful, "You walked straight across that floor without holding the wall!"
"Hey, I did!" Ethan beamed like a small boy who had just got all his sums right. Then he grinned:
"I must have burned off some calories today."
"Oh no, Mr Sly. You're sticking to your Healthy Eating plan. I don't want you bothering me in the early hours with the wails of the severely constipated!"
"Eeeew!"
Cal was still not feeling comfortable about Denise's interference. What if he wasn't there to watch her one day and she forced Ethan into doing an exercise that undid all the healing and therapy of the last few months. Ethan could speak up for himself before his accident but now… Cal wasn't so sure.
The incident he dreaded occurred two weeks later but it wasn't with Ethan.
Denise was bored because both Cal and Sophia were occupied with watching Ethan. She spied Jeannie climbing off the exercise bike.
"Everybody else goes on the treadmill after the bike; why don't you?"
Jeannie looked wearily at her tormentor.
"I'm scared of it… it makes me uneasy because it moves underneath."
Jeannie just wanted to finish the exercise programme she normally loved and get out of the way of this nuisance.
"The bike moves underneath you" she sneered, "And you don't mind that."
"I'm sitting down for the bike. Can you let me get on, Denise?"
"Oh, stop being a baby!" Denise linked her arm in Jeannie's and dragged her towards the treadmill.
"No!"
Denise was all but pushing Jeannie, whose face was almost grey with fear, on to the treadmill. Jeannie clung to it nervously.
Then the voice rang out.
"DENISE!"
"Eh?" Denise turned to face Ethan, who was glaring at her.
"If Jeannie goes on that treadmill, being as she's afraid of it, she could fall. If she falls and hurts herself-"
"She'll not; it's all in her head!"
"Be quiet, please" Ethan spoke as if he had a problem patient. Cal stood by in case he was needed, but Ethan continued:
"IF she falls and hurts herself, Denise, she could sue you. It could cost up to three hundred thousand pounds. Do you have three hundred thousand pounds, Denise?"
"N-no!"
"Then don't let me see you scaring Jeannie again, or I'll call the police on you. Understand?"
Cal felt huge admiration for Ethan flooding through him. Sophia was making a discreet thumbs-up sign to Ethan, who had walked slowly but surely over to Jeannie.
"Okay there, Jeannie? You remember you've only got to do the exercises that Sophia says to and don't try anything else."
Jeannie nodded gratefully.
After the session Cal showered, then helped his brother to the small snack and hot drink area that they had to pass to catch the mini bus. Cal's heart sank when he heard Denise saying loudly:
"That Ethan Hardy!"
Then he heard the rest of the sentence and the tone of voice:
"He's well masterful!"
Denise sounded like a lovesick schoolgirl. Cal gave a snort of laughter and turned it into a cough.
Cal pranced round the living room, chanting about Denise:
"She thinks you're gorgeous, she wants to snog you…"
"Urgh! Stop that! I don't make up stuff about Sophia fancying you, do I?"
"She doesn't fancy me, moron!"
"Cal, I don't know where you're looking when you're in that gym but you're sure as hell not looking very closely at Sophia!"
Over in Corvaine, although his life with Sara was much easier, Ben still felt a mix of anger and sympathy on her behalf. If only he could have taken her on honeymoon and given her all the things she loved. A bookshop so she could browse for favourites and discover new authors. The opera, the ballet. Even a theme park where she could relax and relive her childhood.
A small opportunity for this came the following week.
Sara waved an embossed envelope at him.
"You have to open this, Ben, but look, it's from the Opera House here!"
He passed the envelope to her.
"You open it, darling. I think it's something you'll like."
She beamed like a child and opened the envelope.
"Oh, Ben, The Nutcracker is at the Opera House and we have been invited. Please may we go?"
"No" Ben teased, then explained himself:
"I want you to start telling me what you want to go to, not asking my permission, sweetheart. We'll be going to this, I promise."
He kissed her forehead.
When they returned from the ballet, Sara's mood was almost ecstatic. She had smiled like a little girl through all the sentimental, pretty nonsense.
In the bedroom, away from prying eyes, Sara danced across an imaginary stage. Ben couldn't restrain himself, he caught hold of her in his arms, and kissed her. His lips were tender and gentle at first, with little butterfly kisses, then they became more passionate. And she responded.
Lying there in each other's arms, eyes heavy with contentment and wonder, they dreamed of the future they'd have together, at least for a while. Sara felt nothing but a trusting, contented love for Ben, who was feeling a quiet joy. They dreamed only of being together, little realising how fate could step in and break both their hearts, so easily. But for that night, only Ben and Sara mattered in their private universe.