Chapter 26: Bulletproof

Elton

I am desperate.

I royally screwed up this time when I put my hand on Bradley's neck.

There is no turning back from this once the picture of my handprint on his neck hit the news. I could deny it was me, but that would only be worse when it would be revealed later that I was not only a bully but a liar. No, sir. I do not cower in the face of facts.

I owned my mistakes, took the slap on the face - literally - and now the whole nation believes me to be a bully who wants to be King by intimidating contestants. It is not the truth. I wasn't there talking to Bradley as a fellow contestant, I was talking to him as a brother.

I realize that was misguided of me, but it came from a place of love for my sister. He is not good enough for her. However, it was not my place to say anything and interfere in their courtship. I was wrong, and I got carried away. I know that now.

The story ran rampant across all media platforms, which are now calling for my immediate disqualification from the tournament. Colonel Armstrong, the person who is in charge of spearheading the competition, has already gathered statements from witnesses to present a case against me to my uncle.

It's going bad for me, and my reputation will be forever tarnished by this.

My only recourse is to talk to Bradley myself and see if I could convince him to do something about this and save me, but why would he do it? We all know it wouldn't be for the goodness of his heart and the way I treated him so far...

I found a way to talk to him inside one of the restrooms in the corridor leading to Armstrong's office. It was the only way I thought of doing it without anyone seeing us, which would be damaging for me. I just had to try and say my piece.

Bradley kept staring at me as I was practically kneeling before him, begging him to put out a statement clearing my name. I thought he would take money for the task, but he refused it. What kind of person says no to money? It's not like he is rich... O.o

"There will come a time, any day from now, when I will need a favor from you. Who knows? Maybe you could be King or not. But you'll take my call and return the favor. Am I marking myself clear?" He stated with a serious expression on his face.

"Yes. Whatever you need. Whenever you need. I swear on my life." I pledged, wholeheartedly.

"Fine. I will clear your name. But I won't lie for you!" He agreed, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I had a big smile on my face, seeing that he was ready to do something for me when I treated him so unkindly. This goes to show that we never know when we are going to need someone else.

"Of course, I would never ask you to lie for me. I only ask you to tell the truth." I reiterated, thinking to myself this Hail Mary better work, or else I am screwed for the rest of my life.

"How would I go about putting out a statement anyway? I don't know any reporter!" He pointed out, sounding puzzled about the prospect. As an ordinary person, I understand that he has no experience with this sort of thing, but that is where I come in.

"Oh, leave that to me." I said with a mischievous grin.

Sometime later...

The Briefing Room in the West Wing is loud with reporters eager to hear from the Press Secretary about last night's incident. Earlier this morning, the King was notified of the report gathered by Colonel Armstrong, comprised of witness statements and the report from the nightclub - to which he had sent people over last night to gather the facts.

Uncle Lucius had all the facts he needed to put out a statement, and he talked to his Press Secretary about it extensively. They have prepared a brief for the King to deliver himself to the press. Normally, this would be the job of the Press Secretary, but since it involved me, he felt it was his job to deliver the news. It was a family matter.

Dressed in royal robes, Lucius was introduced to the press - who all stood to greet him - and he took to the podium to address the reporters.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Like many of you, I was distraught to hear about my nephew's behavior last night when he–"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty, but it seems that the young man involved in the conflict last night is giving an interview to CNN. Maybe we should check that out before you announce your decision." Ms. Logan, the Press Secretary, interrupted the King in his speech while most of the reporters present were also zoned out of his statement.

Everyone was curious to hear what Bradley had to say, even more than they were intrigued about the King's response. Ms. Logan turned on the TV on CNN to catch the interview being broadcast at this very moment.

On the screen, a reporter was talking to Bradley about last night. They were talking just outside the Château Blanc.

"Hi, Bradley. What do you have to say about the events that happened last night? Is it true that Prince Elton tried to intimidate you?" The reporter asked him, then put the microphone near his mouth, waiting for an answer.

"No, ma'am. Here is the thing. Earlier that day, Princess Emily had invited me to go to that same club, but I already had made plans with some of my fellow contestants, so I couldn't go with her. When we met outside the nightclub, she was nice enough to talk to the bouncer on my account, who let me and my friends skip ahead in the line." He replied to her in his signature accent.

"Then later, Prince Elton met me inside the restroom, but he didn't talk to me about the tournament. He was concerned for his sister." He continued telling his tale to the reporter and the cameraman.

"What about the bruise on your neck? That was Prince Elton who caused it, right?" She questioned him, getting her facts right. Bradley chuckled for a second, which threw her for a moment. She did not expect that reaction to her question.

"Yes, His Highness grabbed my throat when I told him that I would not stop dating his sister on his account. He was just being a concerned brother. I have two younger sisters, so I can relate to him. No one is good enough for my baby sisters, except for their mates, of course." He replied, humorously. His sense of humor about it completely disarmed the seriousness of the reporter.

"Wait, so let me get this straight. You mean to tell me that this whole incident had nothing to do with the tournament?" She was suspicious of this, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, ma'am. That is correct. The whole time, we only talked about Princess Emily, and he expressed his concern about me dating his sister. Nothing else." He stated, clearly surprising her and most of the audience who was watching.

"What about the report that the Prince broke one of the doors of the bathroom stalls? Wasn't that an intimidation tactic?" She grilled him, inquisitive.

"Can I be honest, ma'am?" Bradley spoke with a serious expression on his face, drawing the reporter closer to him, interested in what he was about to say.

"Of course!" She was quick to reply, widening her eyes in anticipation.

"My dad once told me, Goddess rest his soul, that the only man I should bow my head to is the King. The truth is, I am not scared of Prince Elton. I don't fear him in the tournament. Or outside of it. He does not intimidate me at all. And if his sister wants to date me, she knows where to find me." He declared, winking at the camera by the end.

BOOM! That was it, folks. He made it look like I was a concerned brother, which I was. He never lied; in fact, he was too honest for my taste. What did he mean by saying that he was not intimidated by me? *grunts in annoyance*

After the reporter signed out, the press hounded King Lucius about the declarations they just heard in the interview and what he was going to do about it.

"Respected members of the press, you heard the kid. He said that the incident had nothing to do with the tournament. He doesn't even feel intimidated by my nephew, who was only there as a concerned brother. I have sisters too, so I can relate to the feeling that nobody is ever good enough for them. Of course, the Crown will pay for the damages done to the nightclub." Uncle Lucius declared, in a good mood. He looked relieved, for the lack of a better word.

"You should watch out for that Pendragon kid! I have a feeling he will go far in the tournament. Thank you, that'll be all." He concluded, in good spirits about it, then walked out of the Briefing Room with his Secret Service Protection Detail.

My father was elated when he watched all this play out, following the news. Both my parents were, but he was impressed by me. I have managed to turn around an impossible situation and leave the public thinking I was just a jealous older brother, which I am.

I guess I dodged a bullet.

A|N: BOOM!

How do you like me now?

Let the games begin!

Love,

Léo.