ROYAL SECRETS

CH 4

DIMITRI

"We need to extend our stay. Move things around, do whatever, but I'm not leaving here till I have made things right with Rose and my daughter. Also tell Mickhail we will have three more for tomorrow night at the banquet. I invited the three of them to join us." I had just ended my phone call with Rose and I was feeling so guilty. I could tell she was crying, I really never meant to hurt her.

"So her cute uncle will be in a tux?"

"Ivan, focus please. Can you make it work?"

"Of course I can, but you're going to have to call home and give some explanation of why we are extending our stay."

"I know I do, but it's still early and no one will be up yet. So it'll have to wait. That gives me a chance to come up with something."

"Why don't you just tell the truth."

"Ivan, are you crazy?"

"What I mean by that is just say you want to spend more time here. You have some old classmates you want to reconnect with."

"That's not going to work, everyone knows I stuck to myself."

"Then say it's for me. They all know I partied hard when we were in college. Plus there is no gay club anywhere in Baia. Tell them I need to be with my people."

"Ivan, be serious."

"I am being serious."

"You're no help, you know that?"

Tash please text me when you get this. D

Tash, Is everything ok? D

I had been texting and trying to call Tasha all morning long. I needed to get this conversation out of the way before I called Rose. I decided to try to call my mother and see what was going on.

"Privet Dimka."

"Privet momma."

"Are you enjoying your trip?

"I am, but I've been trying to get a hold of Tasha all morning. She's not answering my texts or phone calls. I'm getting a bit worried."

"Honey she's in her last month of pregnancy, she's probably laying down and getting some rest. I'm sure she is ok, but do you want me to go over to your place and check on her?"

The Belikov family had an estate. Truth be told you could probably fit a small college town in it. There was the main house, well, mansion, that me and Tasha lived in, plus our personal staff. Each of my sisters had their own houses that they shared with their spouses and children except my youngest sister Victoria. She was still single and was away at college doing her doctorate. My dad built his own place when I became king. My mom had already moved out of the main house once all of us kids were adults. My dad never loved my mom and treated her badly their whole marriage. Their marriage like my own was arranged, she now lives with my babushka in their own place.

When I became king I upgraded the staff's accommodations as well. There was no reason they should be living in squalor while we all lived the high life.

"Would you please, I need to talk to her."

"You sound stressed. What's going on?"

"I'm not. I decided to extend my stay in New York and need to tell Tasha I won't be home for a few more days."

"Is everything ok?"

"Yea, me and Ivan just want to stay a couple of extra days."

"Are you sure everything is ok?"

"Yes, mamma." I could hear my Babushka saying something in the background.

"Your grandmother wants to talk to you. I'm going to go check on Tasha I will talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you too momma"

"Privet babushka."

"Don't babushka me." Here's a good place to note that my Grandmother is a witch. Not the kind you are probably thinking of, she doesn't cast spells around a cauldron. She is more of the kind that can see the future and just knows things.

"The truth will finally come to light." She said and hung up the phone. Of course she knows, she always does.

Tasha

Tash, is everything ok? D

"Would he just leave you alone, it's not like he cares."

"Don't worry about him, you just let me take care of you."

"I'm trying, but he always seems to mess up everything for us. I can't wait for this little one to be born, then we can have everything we've ever wanted."

Tasha was mounted atop the father of her unborn son. He was head over heels in love with her, but she wasn't with him. He was just a means to an end. She knew the moment they met that he was going to be easily manipulated. She also knew Dimitri being the stand up guy he is would take full responsibility for this baby. And that's exactly what she needed him to do for this plan to work.

Tasha seemed like she was the bad guy in this situation, but the truth was she was being manipulated herself. She, like Dimitri, was forced into this marriage. She had fallen for someone that she would do anything for. He promised her the world if she would go along with the plan he came up with.

The plan was working out exactly as he had planned. Just a few more months and all his hard work would pay off. What neither of them planned on was being caught. Tasha's mother in law Olena had come over to check on her for her son. Tasha was so busy worrying about taking care of her lover that she never heard her come into the house let alone the bedroom.

OLENA

Olena couldn't believe what she had walked into. Her daughter in law, naked in all her glory on top of another man. She quickly left the room without being seen. She had tears in her eyes as she ran back to her own house. She never wanted her son to be in a loveless marriage like her own. She knew they were having problems, but was hoping that this baby, her grandson, would bring them together. She didn't know what to do, should she tell her son the truth or just let him live in bliss? She knew her husband was never faithful to her and knew how much that hurt. She didn't want to hurt her son and decided to not tell him and let him enjoy the extra time he had away.

"Momma, is everything ok?"

"Yes Dimka,she was just resting. I will tell her when she gets up that you are staying a bit longer. Call me tomorrow and let me know how the banquet goes."

"I will and thank you love you momma."

"Love you too my sweet boy."

She barely made it through the phone call before she broke down sobbing. She hated lying to him, but what good would it have done to tell him over the phone. It was obvious he was having a good time and she wasn't going to ruin it for him. She only hoped that he would forgive her for this.