After clasping the note in my hand for a few more minutes, I took a deep breath and let it join the small pile of other notes I'd already received. As I once again looked inside the box that held the Tiara's, I realised that they were all different sizes and there was a small plaque in front of each. I peered closer to the first and read what is said.
Baby's First Tiara
20/02/2000
Moving to the next two I quickly read them too.
Alina's Eight Birthday Tiara
20th February 2008
Alina's 13th Birthday Tiara
20th February 2013
I smiled widely and fell back onto the bed in happiness as I thought about my new life ahead of me. Just then Ruyard came back up the stairs and gave me a small smile.
"Ma'am, I just thought that I would remind you that your date is in an hour and a half." He said softly.
I let out a soundless gasp.
"Thank you so much for reminding me Ruyard," I said gratefully.
Ruyard nodded, bowed and turned leaving me to my own company. Quickly I grabbed the last present on the bed and sat back down.
Tearing into the paper, I opened the box and looked inside. An assortment of items rested inside the box, and it was almost filled to the brim with gifts. Although laying on top of the pile was a familiar envelope with what I guessed was a note from my last suitor. The envelope was thick and once again had a royal seal keeping it closed. Ripping the letter open, a blush settled upon my cheeks as I began to skim my eyes over dozens of endearments, apologies and sweet words.
Sweetheart,
The sun is shining today, it only does that on your birthday in Nemphrodelia, because that's the only time when our world feels any happiness. I still remember your baby soft skin, your little pink fingernails, your beautiful golden ringlets and your sky blue eyes. Every time I close my eyes, I see your little face. Although I have no idea what you look like now, every day I fly up onto the meadow behind our house, lay down on the grass and imagine what you would look like.
Sweetheart, I want you to know that I love you so deeply and for leaving you on Earth, I'm sorry. I will never forgive myself, but I hope that in your sweet little heart you can forgive me. When you return to my arms, I will torture and kill those who harmed you and those who took you from me. You belong to me sweetheart; you belong to us.
Lili, your familiar, still hasn't forgiven us, although most of all she hasn't forgiven Xavier as it was his idea to leave you. She won't even acknowledge him. She spends most of her day sulking - just like your other mates and me - in your room on your cot. Although she would never touch your special blanket, she lies right next to it, facing the wall so her back is to the door.
The castle is sad without you baby. I walk through it almost every day and around every corner is an empty space that is meant for you - your highchair, your bouncy house, your life-size dollhouse and your two rooms. Alina, my beautiful angel, please come home soon. Nemphrodelia needs you... I need you. My heart breaks a little more every day that I live without you. My faith in myself has been lost since I left you and I hope that when you come home, you believe that I'm worthy enough to be your Daddy Dominant.
I love you
My little princess
Mercuries
xoxo xoxo
With watery eyes and a sniffling nose, I turned my attention back to the box full of gifts and began to awe at every one of them. There were three large packages of chocolate on top and under them was a rose gold bracelet resting in a jewellery box.
The next thing I saw in the box was three stuffies; one was an elephant, the next a teddy bear, and the last a tiger. Cooing happily I brought them to my chest and cuddled their soft fur to me. Silently in my mind, I quickly named them, Elle for my elephant stuffy, Fuzzy for the teddy bear and Kitty for my tiger. Finally, after several minutes I was able to put down Elle, Fuzzy and Kitty on my bed and once again peer inside the box. My new stuffies had been hiding a few boxes of some candy, a few books and a pair of the prettiest high heels ever - they had a bow on the front with a five-inch heel and were a deep black.
Just as I'd put what I thought was the last item in the box on the bed, There was a knock on the door on the first floor. Quickly I stood up and quietly peered over the railing, trying to see who was at the door. Even so, Ruyard had positioned himself so whoever it was couldn't be seen.
Sighing, I moved away from the railing in disappointment and sat back down on the bed. Wanting to check that my last gift box was, in fact, empty, I pulled it over to where I now sat on the edge of the bed and looked inside.
I was only going to have a quick, brief glance but then something at the corner of the box, almost unseeable, caught my eye and I gasped in shock and grabbed the small object. The diamonds on the ring sparkled and glittered in the room's soft light and I gulped as I thought about how much this ring must have cost. It was made of eighteen karat gold and created to match a princess crown.
With the care of a mother holding her newborn child for the first time, I carefully slid the ring onto my middle finger on my right hand. Suddenly on the bottom floor, I heard the soft click of the library door as it closed and then footsteps as Ruyard made his way to the stairs then up to the second floor to where I was sitting.
"My princess are you ready to go get dressed for your date?" He asked as he stepped in front of me.
"Yes!" I said a little too loudly in excitement before I jumped off the bed and skipped over to the stairway. Even so, just as I was about to put my foot on the first step of the staircase, my gaze flittered back to the presents on the daybed and I pouted in thought as I wondered how I was going to take them all with me. Ruyard must have realized my train of thought as he smiled in knowingness and gave me a soft smile.
"My princess, please don't worry about the gifts, I assure you they will be fine, and taken care of." He reassured me.
I looked at Ruyard for a moment, turned my gaze to Elle, Fuzzy and Kitty, then to Ruyard again and gave him a slight nod despite my concern for my new and only stuffies.
Zeus's POV:
Everything was set up for the date and my brothers, and I were all dressed up in suits. Tonight would be perfect. I looked away from where my brothers were placing food on the bed. They had brought a large picnic basket from home, filled to the brim with Nemphrodelian food and at the bottom was a baby bottle filled with formula. Xavier was talking to the guards on the side, making sure they knew that if danger did come, Ayla was their only priority. Opening my mind barriers, I reached out to Ruyard.
"Ruyard is she getting ready?" I asked.
I moved further back into the cinema, as I waited for his answer and started to organize some of Ayla's stuffies my brothers has brought from home. We had left them in the helicopter until it stopped raining before going and getting the stuffies ourselves after coming to the conclusion that we couldn't trust anyone with Ayla's babies.
"Yes, my king. Princess Ayla is getting ready. Although, my King, it did take some convincing that her presents would be okay whilst she was gone. In fact sir, I think she was contemplating how she would carry them all around, especially her stuffies anyway." Ruyard finally replied and I cooed hearing about how my baby girl was so precious.
"Thank you Ruyard...for everything. If it weren't for you, I never would have gone to the children's playground on board two days ago to look for our princess. I thought it to be a lost hope, but you convinced me to go because you knew that my mate - if on board - wouldn't be able to stop herself from going. It was because of you that I was able to watch Ayla for hours playing to her heart's content and at the same time mind link my brothers the image of her sitting down in the sandpit and making sandcastles. Now our kingdom has their Princess and Queen back, and my brother's and I have our mate. So thank you." I said gratefully through our link.
"Y...your...welcome...Your...H...Highness." He stuttered back, amazement shining through his tone.
I paused briefly before speaking again.
"Ruyard have Ayla's presents sent to our suite and have them put in her room. Also can you please bring her down here in no more than fifteen minutes. When you're on your way, contact me please."
"Yes, my King."
I cut off the connection before turning away from the now large pile of stuffies I'd set up in the corner of the cinema and made my way back to my brothers with my shield down so they could replay the conversation I'd just had with Ruyard. It took three minutes before Mercuries and Chevron were both cooing in awe and Xavier had a small smile on his face.
Ayla's POV:
I couldn't stop staring at myself in the mirror. We were in what Ruyard has said was my suitor's princess suite. After leaving the library we'd taken the elevator up two floors, gone through another bunch of secret doors until we ended up in a massive room that like the library has one massive wall covered in glass.
I turned my head looking out the glass window, out into the ocean where the sun was just setting behind the horizon and a quarter moon peeled out behind a cloud. It wasn't long until my eyes had wandered back over to the mirror. I had spent just over an hour getting ready with the help of two wonderful, middle-aged woman, Mrs Clover, and Mrs Miranda. I now had about fifteen minutes to my date.
My reflection seemed like a stranger to me. I was wearing a dress even prettier than the one Zeus had given to me. It looked more expensive too. Although, Mrs. Clover and Mrs. Miranda had told me when they were helping me step into it, that the dress was another one of my mate's gifts to me, and after tonight I'd still be able to keep it. At this piece of information, I had squealed and made it ten times more impossible for Mrs. Miranda to tie the lace at the back of the dress up.
The dress seemed to be made from a material even more delicate than silk. And on top of that rested a beautiful spider web pattern. The material flowed to just past mid-thigh while the top clenched in, almost like a corset but more comfortable and I was still able to breathe. On my feet were baby heeled black ankle booties and around my ankle was a clasped anklet that I had worn since the day I was born, and I can't remember who'd I'd promised, but I knew that because of the power of a pinky promise I would never take it off. Even when my mother, father or brother had attempted in every way they could, they could never take it off. It was because of the anklet that I believe in magic.
My hair was braided up and tied in a ballerina bun and courtesy of my suitor's command the only makeup I was wearing was lip balm.
Suddenly there were three loud knocks on my door, startling me and I watched through the mirror as Mrs. Clover paused in cleaning up and went to open the door. Ruyard stood waiting, and he gave me a soft smile through the mirror when he saw me looking before he turned and started to talk to Mrs. Clover and Mrs. Miranda quietly. It was a few minutes later when Mrs. Miranda turned around and beckoned to me.
"Princess Ayla, it is time for you to go on your date. Are you ready?" She asked.
"Yes Ma'am," I whispered shyly.
Quickly I hugged Mrs. Clover and Mrs. Miranda around the waist, whispered thank you, before grabbing Ruyard's outstretched hand in my sweaty nervous one and let him guide me down the hall and out the door leading to what Ruyard called the Royal Suite's. We walked for a long time, me skipping beside Ruyard, while still holding his hand. At one point I saw Ruyard's eyes glaze over and was about to ask him if he was ok when suddenly he pulled me to a stop in front of two large mahogany white doors and Ruyard turned to me, his eyes normal once again.
"Are you ready my Princess?" He asked softly.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again and nodding excitedly. Ruyard let go of my hand, leaned forward slightly and pushed the doors open with a flourish.
My mouth fell open in shock, disbelief, and awe. Even so, just as I was about to take a step forward, A stiff, harsh and brutal hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me back and a familiar sneer rang out through the air.
"Where the fuck have you been sis?"