3 years later.
Donatello and I sat under the shade of the trees, kissing passionately as the wind swept my curls away. We broke and stared at each other's eyes.
"Are you sure this one is mine?" he teases as he went down and kissed my barley there stomach, smiling with pride.
I shrug, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I don't know, maybe it might be Oslo's."
"Of course. Betrayal With my best friend."
I giggle and we kiss again.
I break away and stare into his soft brown eyes. "I don't think we should tell anyone until I start showing."
"I can keep a secret but can you?" He says through a lazy smile.
"No" I giggled. "But I must."
He takes my palm and kisses it before we kiss again. A loud shrill breaks me away. "Calla!! Cala!!!!" I hear Sarai's tired breaths as she calls over me.
"Callla!!!" Sarai runs breathlessly, dripping fresh water droplets on our skin. Her growth spurt had been more than obvious.
Gone was the lanky girl I left in my hometown.
She had a subtle beauty when she was young but now she was ethereal.
"Calla!!" She screams, standing over us both. "Elizabeth refused to stay put" Sarai tattles as she points to the stream in the distance.
Elizabeth splashed in the shallow waters giggling with pride.
Elizabeth and Sarai had became fast of friends. Eveywhere Sarai went, Elizabeth followed. They were inseparable.
"Elizabeth refuses to stay in the shallow end. She wants to explore."
"Of course she does" Donatello chuckles, attributing her stubbornness to me. He looks into my eyes and wipes my cheek softly before kissing again, resuming our position before we were interrupted by Sarai.
"Calla and Donatello together, forever.
We get it!
Donatello can you please help!" She begs impatiently. Sarai was at the age where boys were the worst so I understood her distaste for our affectionate display.
I chuckle as he pulls away! "I'll go get that swimmer. Maybe I'll show her my secret hiding spot." Donatello brags casually.
"Secret hiding spot?" Sarai and I say at the same time. He nodded but shrugs, pretending to lock his lips.
"Come on Sarai. Let's wrestle him to submission." I frown, clueing my sister in. I climb his neck while Sarai grabs his ankle and we wrestle him to the ground.
"Hey hey!!" Donatello laughs. He was stronger than both of us but let us win.
We all take a break and he carries both of us to the pond where Elizabeth splashed in the shallow waters.
"Mommy! Look I found a worm!!" She ran to me and put it in my hand. I squirm but nodded, praising her sense of appreciation for animals.
"Wow. What a pretty worm." I bite my teeth.
"Sarai said it looks like father" she brags innocently.
My laughter was brash as I heard the clever insult.
"You know..." I tilted my head, making sure to take in its profiles, "It does. You can bring it back to Genovia for him."
"Can I mother?" She screams, her tight curls cling to my stomach as she hugged me. Although she looked like Leo...she had my wits. my smarts. my wiseness and humbleness. I could not say no to her.
"Yes, we will put it in a cup with a hole so it can breath."
"Yeeeee!!" She shrieks before jumping into the pond again. She splashed some more before Sarai joined her.
I stand and look at the expansive vineyard. Donatello's vineyard looked different. It was healthy and thriving but I was blessed it was the former rather than the latter. Leo had burned it to a crisp and to see how it bounced back, was inspiring. I alloted whatever funds necessary to fix it. It was Geneva's fault anyways.
I look to the disntace and smile as I see Oslo and the doctor conversing while Lizabeth and Laura fussed over the table arrangements for our picnic.
Lizabeth and Laura l had become fast foes disagreeing on everything and anything they could. I knew Lizabeth wouldn't like her...but it seemed as if Oslo did. 👀 I was suprised Oslo and her had taken a liking to each other. They were smitten.
I made it my first duty to appoint Lizabeth and Oslo as high standing officials of Genovia. Lizabeth was not my maiden anymore. Instead, she was my advisor. She traveled everywhere with me and so did Oslo.
The priest had been demoted to a measly groundskeeper. And Leo? Well I will get to him when the time comes.
"Come on Calla!!" Sarai yells snapping me from my thoughts. They were yards ahead of me as Donatello led them to the secret spot.
———
Back from Genovia.
Leo came from his quarters looking relaxed as our carriage arrived. I has banished him to the apartments in the perimeter. He loved not being emperor strangely enough. He was not married so that meant no obligations to be faithful. He had parties of orgies and surprisingly, people respected him more since he was not ruling and driving Genovia to their impending doom.
It was less stress on him which made him a better person.
"Daddy!!!" Sarai screams running to hug him. We were in the west wing where Leo and his friends stayed.
"Ahhh Lizzie!!!" He smiles opening his arms. She was still in tears from the carriage ride.
"Why do you cry?l He pushes her curls away, "who hurt you"
Lizabeth shook her head, burying her head in his arms. She was too embarrassed to speak.
"She found a worm that looked like you" I admit bluntly.
"Oh" he smiled before lifting her chin to see her tears. "I bet it was a handsome worm"
"It wasn't father...but it looked so much like you!"
But then then she started crying, embarrassed she had let the worm perish in her care.
"Where is it?" Leo frowns.
"He died" I said bluntly, pushing the glass in his hand.the table. I for one did not care to spare the bluntness.
He smiled and looked at her. "That worm may be dead but I am not Elizabeth. Shouldn't that be enough to rejoice?" Leo reminds her.
"Yes father but I have nothing for you! No gifts!"
"Aww. Well, you are enough of a gift for me."
Lizabeth blushed before smiling and wiping away her tears.
Yes.
You may be thinking was this the same Leo who tried to banish me in eternal depression.
It sure was!
There had been a change in him.
A sort of moving on from what he used to be.
Even I was surprised.
"I will leave you two" I say, kissing Lizabeth before departing.
"Oh Leo, where having a dinner. Donatello and I.
I would hate if you joined us but Donatello still said to invite you."
"What a saint he is." Leo scoffs annoyed at his presence.
"Well, he didn't burn down someone's livelihood so I guess he is." I turn on my heel once more.
"Calla wait!" Leo shouts making me stop in my tracks.
Elizabeth still hovers around staring at us both.
Leo gets down on one knee and holds Lizabeth's hand. "Lizabeth can you find daddy's crown? The one with the green stones? I hid it in a special spot and if you can find it, I'll buy you a green pony to match"
"Yay!!! Bye mommy!"
"Cover your eyes if you see anyone naked!" I yell and curse at how normal a phrase it was.
Either way it didn't matter. It was too late because she had already disappeared into his quarters.
It happened in the past. Lizabeth came back asking why people in "daddy's room" doesn't wear clothes.
I was furious and drafted a letter to take her away from Leo, but Donatello chucked it as an early lesson in anatomy.
I obliged only after a few convincing from Donatello.
Leo and I stare at each other awkwardly. Our interactions were brief and sporadic which is why It took me by suprise that he wanted to speak with me.
"Well..." he clears his throat. I roll my eyes and turn to leave.
"Calla wait—"
"spit it out Leo? Donatello is waiting for me. " I warn.
"I have been reading."
"Did you want a treat?" I ask. I had no patience for him.
"Books of thought suggested by Dr. James. He studied psycho...psycho something."
"Psychology" I say.
"Huzzah" he snaps acknowledging the word.
"After reading, I did some reflection and have to do this." He took a deep breath, takes off his crown and breaths out.
"Calla?
I am sorry"
The effort it took him to even say the words seemed strenuous.
"Okay." I turn to leave not caring to entertain him. He had said sorry in the past but never really knew what he was apologizing for.
"Calla, please wait!"
"Leo, Donatello is waiting for me. My husband will start to worry, especially since I ventured here" I scan the police with distaste.
"What I'm trying to say is that I apologize for treating you the way I did. For putting you through your torture.
When I saw you come to Genovia I saw a woman who would bring change.
It scared me Calla"
I was shocked he had uttered more than a lazy apology.
"So I decided to break your spirits and for that I was wrong.
Evil.
Despicable
vindictive"
I stare at him. He had learned more words than three!
"I am glad you were resilient
You planned a coupe
You tried to murder me but you gave me the greatest joy in my life. Elizabeth.
You gave me a second chance
When I see her, I see you and I smile because she is a reminder, of my past and my future.
Instead of breaking her spirit like I did yours, I will nourish it.
I will watch her grow and encourage her to be as bold as her mother. She is a reminder of my living hell and the mistake I made attempting to try and break you down. I am sorry Calla"
I couldn't believe it!
Leo was actually... sorry? The words he had spoken were clear and succinct. I was shocked.
I looked at him as I thought of what to say.
"You know why I showed mercy to a man who didn't deserve it? Why Donatello still invites you to dinner
Why we even acknowledges your existence?" I ask him.
He was quiet.
"Because after every sunrise and before every sunset I can hold hands with the man I love.
Donatello is my lifeline.
He breathed life into me.
He is my home.
You brought Donatello to me Leo and I will thank you for that....forever"
I extended my hand so he could shake it. He takes my hand and kisses my palm. That was my white flag. We could move on cordially now.
"I love you Calla.
I will never stop loving you."
I knew he did.
"Good." I smile evilly. He chuckles and pats my cheek before turning back to his wing to join Elizabeth.
——-
Donatello and I walk hand in hand as the chefs prepare dinner for our return home.
We overlook Genovia. He and I wore our crowns walking around the campground, but quickly took them off when we came to our spot that overlook the river of Genovia. He wrapped his arms around me kissing my neck before playing in my soft braids.
"I will never tire of this." I smile looking at the sunset as it bled into the horizon.
"Neither will I" he whispers, kissing my cheek.
"Do regret any of it?
Coming to Genovia on that dreadful carriage?"Donatello asks, still kissing my neck.
"No" I whisper before shaking my head.
He forces me around to face him and stares into my eyes.
"As much as Leo tortured me and broke me...if I didn't come, I would have never met you.
I would get on that carriage 1000x if it meant my fate would always lead me to you"
Donatello smirks and presses his lips against mine, kissing them again tenderly. He broke and hovers his thumb against my bottom lip, caressing it with care.
Donatello holds my jaw with care, touched by my words. "I love you Calla Montoya." He whispers as if he were saying a prayer.
Donatello lifts me up and carries me to the tree where I carved our names. I had shown him on a drunken night a year ago.
"Donatella we have dinner soon" I giggle. He ignores the sentiment, peeling off my dress with haste.
"Donatello, were always late to dinner! I think everyone is starting to catch on" I smirk.
"Let them. Im a Montoya man after all." He brags. He kisses my shoulders then stomach, going lower and lower until my dress was around my ankles.
"Calla! Callaa!!!" Sarai called from the palace.
"Donatello.
We must go" I giggle.
He curses against my thigh and lifts my dress up before kissing me passionately.
"Come." I hold his hand and we walk through the hallways to the dinning room greeting each worker as they bowed to us.
"You know Sarai is growing up into a beautiful young lady" I sigh wondering where my sister went.
"Do you think she'll stay if we ask her? She can be raised in the culture and art, away from that stuffy village"
"Would she leave your mother?" Donatello asks, pushing an arm around my waist.
"My mother wrote she wouldn't mind and I think Sarai would like it."
"I think so too but must not force her to stay, only allow it if she mentions it."
"That is true." I say, nodding at his advice. I didn't want to force Sarai into thinking she had to stay.
Just before we pass the dining room, Donatello pulls me away and leads me the opposite way.
"Come on." He whispers, pulling me into a jog.
I smile and giggle as we run away.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see" he smirks, still focused ahead.
He knew I trusted him. From the minute I asked him to help me kill Leo.
I was ready to go on any adventenute with Donatello. I didn't care where it was, as long as he was by my side.
I would follow him to the ends of the earth.
Author note:
I didn't know how to end the epilogue lol
Imagine Sarai is really scared to ask Calla something at dinner (she asks Calla to stay at the palace)
Calla says yes of course lol