The 2008 American economic crisis causes Prince Darius Mansur Seranos of Lexconia to come to Los Angeles, California to save Stockton Adams Bank. Shortly after meeting with Mr. Adams, the bank owner, Darius meets his lovely daughter, Justine Adams. He is attracted to her intellectually and physically. After Darius finalizes the bank bail-out, he will insist that Justine return to his Kingdom of Lexconia with him. But Justine will refuse to leave the United States because of her career demands. Justine Adams is a well established business woman. She works as a Human Resource Generalist at her father's bank. She also owns an art gallery called the Mirage which is located in a swanky Los Angeles district. On a smoky night, Justine's art gallery is robbed of priceless paintings. She reluctantly informs Darius about the robbery. Darius also has a love for art and he empathizes with Justine's dilemma. The Prince offers to help Justine by making her an art deal. But to reap the benefits of the Prince's art deal, Justine must return to the Kingdom of Lexconia with Darius. Before his son returns to the kingdom, King Asad Benedict Seranos finalizes an agreement with Kareem Gibran, the chief judge of their courts, to bring an end to the ongoing conflicts inside their new province of Brubance. King Asad is a conservative ruler, vowing to uphold the laws of his royal kingdom. When King Asad sees Darius and Justine together, he becomes alarmed that his son may violate the Seranos Royal Marriage Act-an act that forbids Darius to pursue a relationship with the beautiful Justine Adams. A rift forms between the father and son over his interests in Justine. Will Prince Darius choose to honor his family's laws and traditions over finding true love?

Royal Dissent

By Rhonda Jones

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2009 Rhonda Jones
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4389-6734-9

Chapter One

The Kingdom of Lexconia

Lexconian citizens admire Asad's only son. Prince Darius Mansur Seranos upgraded their kingdom into a glamorous land. The people also greatly appreciate their booming economy. Darius created more jobs for the people. He brilliantly incorporated the steel industry into the economy, creating millions of jobs. Prince Darius is a man respected and loved throughout his kingdom. A majority of Lexconian citizens wish he were king. Darius identifies with the needs and concerns of his people by being more hands on in talking with his people unlike his father, King Asad. Most importantly, Darius is not war-hawkish but more reasonable, calm and diplomatic.

With the leadership of Prince Darius, Lexconia became an exquisite diamond that offers its citizens: jobs, security, and stability along with numerous activities in music, art, movies, theater, sports, and even an active nightlife. The architectural designs of the city buildings are magnificent and brighten the kingdom further. The schools and universities are upgraded. The brightest, best teachers and professors lecture in the classrooms, providing their students with an exceptional education. Darius always stresses the importance of education. He believes that intelligent, skilled people are Lexconia's greatest human resources. Lexconia's climate is mild almost year around with over 200 days of bright sunshine each year. When residents do get hot walking and bicycling, they find rest under the plush green palm trees in Lexconia. The kingdom also has trendy restaurants that offer delicious meals. In the summer months, Lexconia's residents flock to the beach to swim in the crystal blue sea.

Prince Darius is warmly greeted by his citizens who line the sides of the streets to view his royal procession. They welcome him home with open arms. Their Prince was gone for an entire month. The parade is given on a bright and sunny day to celebrate his highly successful Middle-Eastern and European tour on which Darius outlined his diplomatic foreign policies and economic policies. On his foreign business trip, Darius reinforced his commitment to help stabilize foreign ailing economies.

Prince Darius waves and smiles from the window of his limousine. The kingdom's royal colors of metallic gold and crimson fly through the air. His motorcade procession is formal and extravagant. Three hundred uniformed guardsmen of the Royal Lexconian Legion proudly wave the kingdom's flags. They are preceded by Lexconia's large military band beating on drums and blowing through brass colored trombones. Lexconia's citizens greatly enjoy the formal procession. The crowds of on-lookers dance, cheer, laugh and yell out to their handsome Crown Prince. Many have video cameras in hand to film the event. Others take snap shot pictures. They view Prince Darius as their hero.

At thirty-five, Prince Darius is without a doubt the country's most eligible bachelor. He is very athletic with a muscular physic. He is tall with a pecan complexion. His black hair is neatly cut. Darius' trimmed goatee adds to his sex appeal. His handsome male features make him a magnet for the ladies. Darius maintains an intense professional persona in public but within he is a very passionate and romantic man who values life. The well-being of his citizens is of great importance to him. Darius is resolved to maintaining peace and encumbrance in Lexconia.

Out of all of the beautiful ladies in the kingdom, Darius still hasn't chosen his wife. Many wonder what he is waiting for. He could have any woman he wanted. When he finally does fall in love, Darius will make a commitment of fidelity. But what woman can hold the interest of the sexy Lexconian prince? What woman can handle his high sex drive? Every time Darius is asked about his present bachelor hood, the charmingly audacious Prince always disregards inquires into his personal life.

His royal limousine finally drives through the palace gates and parks. The doorman opens his door. Darius stands from the car waving to the crowd. He is dressed in a black suit and tie. The cheers grow louder. Still wanting to bask in the glow of his celebration, he walks over to greet some citizens who stand behind the railing. His body guards accompany him. Darius shakes hands and pleasantly greets the screaming women.

"We are relieved that you came back safely." A lady told him.

"Thank you for your support while I was away." Darius smiled at her. He continues walking down the line embracing his citizens.

A young man reaches out to him. Darius shakes his hand firmly.

"Your Majesty, Lexconia's reputation has improved around the world because of you. Thank you for restoring our broken alliances with our allies."

"What is your name?" Darius asked.

"Abdul, Your Majesty." He answered politely.

Darius takes this compliment very seriously. "Abdul, it is critical for Lexconia to maintain strong alliances with our allies. We cannot confront terrorism and other critical issues alone."

"You're right, Your Majesty." Abdul agreed.

Darius is then taken away by his bodyguards. He heads inside the palace. As he walks through the doors of the Crown Room, the Prince is formally saluted by the guards. Abdul's comment is further confirmation for Darius that he was right for embarking on a foreign tour to repair the Seranos reputation which was damaged ten years ago by his father, King Asad. Darius wished his father would have listened to his warnings against the Brubance invasion. When he enters the Crown Room, Darius still hears the shouts of the adoring crowd. The Prince greatly appreciates their acknowledgement. He walks onto the balcony waving and smiling at his citizens.

"They're treating you like a rock star." Asad said coming to stand next to his son on the balcony.

Darius looks over at him. His father's silver hair is sleeked back from his face. He looks like the traditional commander that he always portrayed himself as, not allowing his sixty-seven years to stop him. He always wears his business suit. Today, Asad dons a charcoal gray suit.

"Our people want to see their leaders." Darius replied.

His mother, Queen Vivian Seranos, joins them on the balcony. She also begins waving to the crowd. At sixty-one years of age, Vivian plays her roll well as Lexconia's queen. She always looks the part. The Queen's outward appearance is always lovely and formal. But Lexconia's citizens couldn't identify with her either.

"Son, I know you want to connect with the people but you should be more cautious." Asad advised.

The shouts grow louder from the crowd when they see three key members of their ruling family.

"I know that safety is very important. This event is a celebration." Darius told his father.

His handsome younger cousin, Prince Azim and his wife, Princess Jasmine join them on the balcony. The Princess carries their baby son, Jamal. Darius' two sisters, Princess Tanjalina and Princess Emmanuelle follow. They are both overtly beautiful. Asad is very strict on his daughters by not allowing them to date until they are ready to marry. He wants to uphold the Seranos family's traditional moral values and preserve their chastity. Tanjalina is the youngest at seventeen and Emmanuelle is two years older at nineteen. Despite his sternness, Asad still provides his daughters with the riches of the kingdom. The princesses never lack or want for anything. They are now...