At every step of life, a choice must be made. The choice has consequences that cannot be escaped. And every consequence is an opportunity, a step closer to our destiny. His choices led him down a path, Ryan Price never imagined for himself. Instead of retreating or resisting, he built a castle out of stones. Then his choices led him back to where his heart truly belonged. In the words and thoughts of the knight of hearts stepping out from the pages of House of Cards, find the answers to questions the readers asked:

Ryan: Ask Maise. She knows it better than I do, I’m afraid. On that note, I heard someone asked Maise for her ring size. She’s right, contact me if you want to marry her. For the legalities, I mean.

Ryan:There’s no one thing about Maise that’s my favourite. If I pick one thing, I feel I would offend other things about her that are equally irresistible. I don’t think I can even point out what all I like about her. It’s just her. Every little thing, the good and the bad, makes her Maise. And all of her is my favourite. I just know I used to see her every day in high school and then one day everything about her became beautiful, inside out. And it hasn’t stopped being beautiful ever since then. Diplomacy aside, if I had to pick my absolute favourite feature of her, I’ve concluded after hours of thinking and looking… her hair. She uses something that makes her hair luxuriously softer than silk.

Ryan: To be honest, it was a really horrible déjà vu moment. It hadn’t been the first time that happened to me. Awfully similar to the case where Wayne screwed Ace Berny and me over. However, I desperately wished Maise didn’t have to see me getting completely annihilated by Wayne. She already didn’t think I was good enough. Already warned me we must wait. The first time, I get to do something for Maise and that’s how it turns out? The embarrassment! And on my own turf. But then they turned to destroy Maise. That was below the belt. I wanted to throw some punches especially when I was asked to lower my voice. Wayne was insulting his wife! Go ahead throw some punches at me. What’s the worst you can do? But I was fuming and all I could think of was “Please Maise, just leave the courtroom”. Such an obvious setup. She didn’t deserve to be insulted like that. Especially from “her husband”.

Ryan: Let’s see… I tried my hand at dating again after high school. Can’t say who had the shorter end of the stick. Probably her, because she could tell I wasn’t totally into her. Or maybe I shipped us both to hell with no discrimination at all. But I couldn’t get certain someone out of my head and we mutually ended it. Like adults. And even Maise doesn’t know this, but when her engagement news made it to the newspapers, I almost showed up at her doorstep. Jealous. But I had no right to be, so I restrained myself and went home after sitting in front of her house for a few minutes. Can’t screw up her happiness. 

Or was the answer you’re looking for something like I’ve got a birthmark that looks like a stab wound on the left side on my back? 

Ryan:After the Product Liability Case? Before the celebration where he called me his friend? Or the other times? The answer is almost the same. He finds people, including me, beat us up enough so we can’t run away unless he wants us to run so he can chase us. I’ve had that happen too. But then he gets to the point where he tells us what he wants. After the case, he just told me to play along a little while and every once in a while, I’d end up in the ER after an “accident”. Never knew he would slowly start threatening my employees and clients too. They all left, except my receptionist, Zoe. That was good of her. Before the celebration, he said either I sign the contract where I help him win the case or I lose a hand. I like my hand too much to watch myself lose it. As you can guess, I signed the contract. 

In short, he picks you up from your offices, homes, the streets. Beats you up. Puts his demand. You either agree or get beaten up even more… until you agree or disappear.

Ryan: Which time are we talking about here? Because there were many. What can I say I have the patience of a monk? My self-restraint mostly came from respecting her choices. Imposing myself on her would not win me any favours. Then again, they were my feelings, and she wasn’t liable to reciprocate. I needed to be sure she was okay with the kissing before going ahead.

Ryan: Just one thought: No one deserves to be with that clown. Especially not Maise. That wasn’t marriage at all. Let’s count how many things were wrong in that marriage: infidelity, trust issues, abuse, controlling behaviour, manipulation. The guy was a walking, talking, breathing red flag. I was hurt when Maise lied to me, but I could see how she got things confused. Living with that clown must’ve taken a toll on her. And what happened between us wasn’t exactly winning me any awards. How could I blame her when all she was trying to do was survive? Although she was going in the wrong direction. But, hey! She figured it out, didn’t she?

Ryan: Just seeing her walk into that room threw every thought out of my head. She was the last person I ever expected to walk into that room. I imagined it, but that was just wishful thinking… daydreaming. Never did I ever believe one day that could happen. And then there she was, standing in front of me. Looking so different from when I saw her last. I thought I had gotten over her and wasn’t bothered by her cold exterior anymore. I was wrong. Everything hit me back with the same intensity. And then she went ahead and flashed that ring and all I could think was how much I regret not being with her. People had a problem with me being with her. But she ended up with worse. Was there ever a chance for us? That is if we tried.

Ryan: She chose him over me. I actually thought something was wrong with her after that phone call from Wayne’s phone, but I walked into that place and Maise chose him even after she saw the worst of him. I get she was trying to make sure Wayne didn’t hurt me more than he already had. But she also never believed I was capable of protecting the two of us? Maise didn’t trust me with the proof in the court, or later for taking her away from Wayne. I was just hurt, the harshness came itself. It wasn’t intentional at all.

Ryan:I knew her as Maise’s sister. We went to the same high school. Rose probably knew me as her sister’s ex-boyfriend. But we never officially met. I’m sure she knew me better than I knew her.

Meet Ryan Price in Sitciny: Read House of Cards on Inkitt and Wattpad.