Two years later
I ran. As fast as I could, I ran. I had to catch her. It was time for lunch and she needed to eat.
"Dominic ! Would you help !?" I scowled in his direction as our daughter hid behind him.
At just one and a half years, Jenna, was a riot. Named after my mother, our child was fast, sharp and far too adorable for her own good.
"It's not my fault she's this good at getting away, she gets that from you." Dominic shrugged at me, picking her up anyway.
Jenna struggled a bit in his grip, wanting to be free again but Dominic didn't relent. He calmed her down really quick by whispering something in her ear.
"Ma!" Jenna demanded, holding her arms out towards me.
"Now you want me?" I rolled my eyes, gathering her in my arms. She was pretty calm as we sat down for lunch.
It was a beautiful day and we'd decided to spend some time in the royal gardens. Life was super hectic and so we cherished any chance we got to relax.
Dominic had only conquered the last southern kingdom a while ago, its integration with Isolde was taking longer than usual. Besides that, he'd been adamant on hunting down and destroying all of Nish's allies. That had become his mission in life. He had done so thoroughly.
Dominic had eliminated Nish and his supporters from the roots. When the word of his hunt spread, some tried to escape on boats, some ran off to Ralia. Dominic had sent his men after some and others he'd followed himself.
Despite my initial inhibitions, I knew it needed to be done. I couldn't imagine my daughter growing up in a world where her life was in constant danger. I couldn't bear the thought of anything untoward happening to her.
Sometimes, Dominic would be gone for short periods of time every now and then. In his absence, I'd been governing the nation along with taking care of Jenna. It was a good thing I had help.
Lots of help.
"Eat baby." I cooed at Jenna and she obliged. I did notice a sparkle in her eye when she looked at Dominic. He gave her a smug smile in return.
"Finish your food first." He repeated. They'd definitely made some sort of a deal. I didn't bother asking him what it was about, as long as she ate.
"You're surprisingly good with her." I was still in awe of him.
"Come on then. We need to leave for your brother's wedding soon." He chuckled as I stared at him some more.
Speeding up my lunch, I made a mental note of all the things we needed to do before leaving for Ralia. Jace and Ariadne were getting married, which meant that we were going to be away for a couple of days.
Ariadne was to be officially introduced to the society, so she'd left a month prior. Ralia's royal family had a lot of social obligations, as expected. Even though I wanted to be there and support her, I had work.
Jace had also suggested that it was best if Ariadne did it alone. She needed to look strong and independent as the future duchess. Jace had also mentioned that even though I had good intentions, in court it could seem like I was trying to overshadow her.
Ralia's court politics were a lot more complex than Isolde's. Their royal family was a lot bigger too. Here, there were just three official members of the royal family and there were no subtle politics amongst us. I had to deal with unpleasant council members sometimes but that was it. A few generations down the line, perhaps, the situation in Isolde would be different. I had mixed feelings about it.
On one hand, having a big family was something I'd always dreamt of but on the other, more often than not, situations were far from ideal. Dominic had been a victim of hatred from someone within his family. My parents had died at the hands of Nish because of cracks in their respective families.
However, I was optimistic about the situation in Ralia and how things would progress with Ariadne. She was more than capable of dealing with malice. A small part of me worried about her but my belief in her was stronger.
Our party was to leave for Ralia soon. Leo and Maria were accompanying us along with ten soldiers. Dominic wanted a lot more men but Leo had argued that it was unwise to seem as though we were marching onto a battlefield. It was a wedding after all and he wanted to seem 'friendly'.
"I have a few things I need to take care of before we leave." I said to Dominic, chewing on my last bite.
"And I need to fulfil my end of the deal." He said, getting up with Jenna.
I raised an eyebrow and he smirked.
"Eurus !" Jenna demanded.
"Ah so that's what your deal was." I chuckled, wiping her face.
"Can't keep a secret, can we?" Dominic chided and Jenna laughed in return. Sometimes it felt like she understood a lot more than she let on.
After kissing them both, I made my way to the meeting room. There wasn't enough time to brief all council members so I'd made different arrangements.
"There you are." Mira said as I entered the room, "I was about to send someone to look for you."
"You know how Jenna is." I sighed, we didn't have much time and there was work to be done.
"Well, lets get right into it." Mira laughed and we began going through the list of things that needed to be done in my absence. I was going to leave instructions.
I was grateful to Ferra, Cleo and Hara, for they had worked tirelessly to save the victims of the attack two year ago. Most of them had not only survived but had recovered completely, among them was Mira. Though she had survived, Mira had sustained a lot of injuries and had been asked to refrain from extreme physical activity for a couple of years. She'd been told to regain her strength from scratch. It would've been a shame to let her wit and skill to go to waste in the meantime and hence I'd made her an envoy for the nation.
Mira's main duty was to make sure that the relationship between various states in Isolde and those in Ralia, remained smooth. Ralia was our immediate neighbour and there were a decent amount of international trade deals between the two nations, especially since after the war.
I also asked her to fill my seat at the council when I was unable to. She didn't make decisions on my behalf, she just communicated what was to be done. It was much easier to explain my plans to one person rather than involving the whole council at a time of my convenience. She was also a loyal friend and I recognised the value in keeping her close.
"All done then." Mira exhaled with relief. I hugged her goodbye and rushed to the room for some last minute packing of essentials. Travelling with a toddler was hard.
Fortunately, we'd made upgrades on the carriage itself. Though slower moving, it was double the size and had a lot more room as well as storage space. It was also equipped with thicker curtains so Jenna could have her afternoon nap. Maria had decided to keep me company inside, while Dominic and Leo rode on horses.
"You sure you don't want to ride a horse?" I asked Maria as we made our way to the main gate.
"I've actually come to appreciate the ease and comfort of a carriage." She muttered, a sly look on her face.
"That is such a lie." I laughed. Maria had a dislike for all things luxury. I was sure she wanted to lend a hand with Jenna. The two had a special relationship and were quite fond of one another.
Leo and Dominic seemed to be in the middle of a serious discussion it seemed. What was strange was that Dominic had a small smirk on his face while Leo was frowning. Usually it was the other way round. Leo's easy mannerisms irked Dominic, who had the tendency to take everything very seriously.
"He's been so stressed lately." Maria sighed.
"About the wedding ?"
"Mainly yes, he has to walk Ariadne out to the alter in front of everyone. You'd think that being by the king's side for so long would've made him comfortable with formal affairs but that isn't the case." She explained.
"Part of me feels for him but a larger part of me thinks it'll be extremely amusing to watch him squirm a little." I admitted, "It'll be quite a rare sight."
"I can hear you lot." Leo said, rolling his eyes at us but recovering quickly with a small bow.
I refrained from laughing at the abrupt gesture.
"What's the commotion about?" I inquired, trying to take Jenna from Dominic's arms. I was happy when she complied, I had missed my baby.
"The king has made adjustments to our travel party last minute." Leo grimaced.
"Dominic. We spoke about this." I sighed, knowing that he'd probably increased the protection.
"It is important that we don't appear weak." Dominic explained, "This is my first official visit to Ralia."
"You've been there before?" I asked.
"I have only been there previously as a spy and can I say, it is very easy to get into the nation. It's a wonder they have survived this long without a tragedy."
Ok...
"You do realise you're talking about my family." I pursed my lips, "And Leo's".
"Yes and I wish they were more careful." Dominic said with a slight smirk, sensing that he didn't have a strong opposition on the issue. "I don't trust them to keep us safe. Thus, the increase in our numbers."
"That is absolute-" Leo fumed.
"We are getting late." Maria said, interrupting him. "I presume you'd like to make it on time?"
Leo relented with a final sigh. Giving Dominic a shake of my head, I settled into the carriage with Jenna and Maria. We were off soon after that.
————
The journey was smooth for the most part. Jenna had been very well behaved and the weather favourable. Just as we were about the capital however, we'd been greeted with heavy rain. It had slowed us down a bit but fortunately we hadn't been too far from the palace.
The skies were supposed to clear out in the next few hours, Leo had said. He'd been in touch with the local weathermen. The fact that he had thought of every little detail was very sweet. Dominic found it quite hilarious though.
The weather had not deterred the people of Ralia. The streets looked resplendent. There were flowers and woven fabrics adorning every little nook and corner. It looked much different from when I had been here previously, it looked much livelier.
"This is good." Maria commented as we rode on, "Leo was worried about how the public would react to a foreign princess. The response looks promising."
I nodded in agreement. Though I'd been confident about Ariadne's ability to win people over, the sight brought me peace. Jace was very dear to his people and now, so was Ariadne.
John had been slightly reluctant about the marriage. He feared for Ariadne' safety. She'd had nearly died once because of their internal politics and he didn't want anything untoward happening to her. However, after seeing their love and commitment towards one another he'd given them his blessing.
As we neared the palace, the lights and colours only grew brighter and bolder. The royal grounds were illuminated brilliantly with shades of gold and purple.
The colours of Isolde and Ralia...
"That'll please your father." I whispered to Jenna who was only half awake.
Upon hearing about her father, her eyes flew open and she sat on my lap, trying to look out of the window. I only partially regretted waking her up. She was always a handful but I didn't want her to miss anything. After all, this was where my family was from, this was where I was from in a manner of speaking.
Trumpets began to play as the carriage pulled us on an upward slope. Maria sat up straight and Jenna was practically bouncing. We were almost there.
The carriage soon stopped and the music winded down. The doors opened and Dominic stood there, waiting for Jenna. She was in awe of the palace however and barely noticed when he pulled her into his arms. He chuckled.
If I'd ignored his presence for something else the reaction would've been different. Dominic would've sulked to no end. His precious daughter however could do no wrong in his eyes. It was sometimes an inconvenience because Jenna was almost always prone to mischief.
Traditionally, it was unusual for Kings to carry children but Dominic wasn't very traditional. Sometimes I felt like John respected him a tad bit more because of that.
Jace appeared from behind them and gave me a hand, pulling me into a hug as soon as my feet touched the ground. I couldn't help but laugh, his mood was infectious.
"We're so glad you're here." He whispered, placing a kiss on the top of my head.
John cleared his throat and Jace stepped back. An assembly was waiting for us. Ariadne stood next to John with a huge smile on her face. Behind them stood Marcus and Talia. I was touched that they'd come out greet us. I suspected that it was because of Jenna, it was evident from their line of sight. They were just trying to be proper and wait till the formal announcements were made.
John and Jace had made a trip to Isolde under the guise of an official visit during the final days of my pregnancy. What was unusual was that they'd insisted on staying in Chant. They didn't want to travel to any of the other states. Jace had finally let it slip that the visit was a ruse, they just wanted to meet the baby.
The brothers absolutely adored their niece. Jace in particular was a natural much to our surprise. They had ordered carriages full of gifts which had made Dominic a bit uncomfortable, since he wasn't one for extravagant gifts. It was all a bit extra and yet what was evident was that the gesture was out of love and not pompousness.
The visit had also given Jace and Ariadne an opportunity to spend some time together. It seemed that even John and Dominic had warmed up to each other a bit more, albeit begrudgingly. It had all worked out for the better.
Trumpets blew once more and our names were called out, along with our titles. Leo was announced also, much to his shock. Maria only sighed at that and made her way to him, this anxious and easily spooked version of Leo was making her uncomfortable. I'd reminded her on the journey multiple times that this was only temporary.
Jace rushed back to us, this time with Marcus and Talia in tow. I was smushed from all sides for a brief moment before they all turned their attention to Jenna. Dominic, who was holding her, wasn't spared either. I believed he secretly liked the warmth he received.
"How are you doing, sister?" John said, standing tall and looking regal as ever.
"I'm good." I said going in for a hug. He gave my back an awkward pat and cleared his throat.
Just as I'd taken a step behind, Ariadne threw her arms around me in a bone crushing hug.
"I missed you." She said, sniffling. "So much."
"I'm here now" I said squeezing her in return. "And we are going to have a lot of fun."
Ariadne composed herself and we joined the others. Once the greeting bit was over, a brief discussion followed about how we were to spend the rest of our day.
Jace had taken the responsibility to look after Jenna, both of them seemingly super excited about it. I'd warned him that even though she looked cute and harmless she could be an absolute riot in the worst possible way. He hadn't been deterred, however. That piece of information had only made the idea seem more appealing to him. He even took it upon himself to feed her. I wished him good luck on that brave endeavour and told him to run to me incase he needed any help.
Typical Jace.
John would've liked to join him but Jenna was being uncharacteristically shy around him. Marcus and Talia had sworn to get to know her better in the duration of this trip. Jace had bragged quite a bit about how good he was with her and they'd taken it upon themselves to at least give him some competition. Dominic, to my surprise, chose to spend some time with John. Apparently, he wanted to discuss some treaty about border safety.
Leo was undergoing a crash course on how to act during the wedding, what to do and more specifically, what not to do. Maria had accompanied him for his sake.
That allowed me to spend some time with Ariadne before the formal dinner. As always, Ralia had organised a welcome party for us. It marked, not only, the first official visit from the Emperor of Isolde but also the beginning of their young Prince's wedding festivities.
"Come..." Ariadne said to me, looping her arm through mine, "Let's have a nice cup of tea. It's cold outside."
"Since when did you start drinking tea?" I asked, pleasantly surprised.
"What can I say?" She chuckled, "it has grown on me."
We made way to an indoor seating area that I was familiar with. The Queen mother (also my grandmother) was well known for hosting the most amazing tea parties, something I'd learnt in my previous visits. The room itself was gorgeous too, adorned with a stained glass roof top.
Ariadne called for biscuits and tea as we took a seat in the middle of the room. She seemed a tad bit more poised and soft spoken and yet her eyes seemed as sharp as ever.
"It's good to have you all here." She said, her smile bittersweet. "Especially since mother can't travel. I hadn't even realised how much I was missing home till I saw the carriage pull up, the familiar engravings brought back memories. Funny how something seemingly insignificant can affect you so."
Ariadne's mother was, sadly, unable to travel due to old age. Her health wasn't in the best condition. She had given the couple her blessings, however. Jace had charmed her when he'd met her and the fact that he was good with children had only helped his reputation in her eyes, that and the fact that he was a prince with a heart of gold.
"How are things?" I asked, a deeper question in my mind.
"Things have been good. It's been a journey." She sighed, "at first I was overwhelmed...winning the hearts of these many people seemed impossible to me. I'd never really been in the public eye before, not in this manner at least."
"I get it." I said, waiting for her to continue.
"But the people here are just so sweet." She smiled, looking down at her lap, lost in her train of thought. "Everyone, and I mean every single person has been so nice to me."
With the exception of those that tried to kill you.
"Ever since that incident, John has removed a lot of negative people from his inner circle. Being related to him or having known the royal family in the past are no longer the only prerequisites to be members of our council. There have been a lot of changes in the hierarchy."
"Our council, huh?" I teased.
"You know what I mean." She laughed.
"Ofcourse."
"I was unsure of how the people would react to the change, to the fact that one of the members of the royal family wanted me dead." She looked at me, her face somber. "But it turned out to be better than we'd hoped for. Our enemies had, inadvertently, made me look like a martyr. Not just that, the new rules also had a positive impact. People were tired of the rampant corruption. New pathways have opened up where any citizen has the chance to rise in ranks."
"This sounds great. I'm glad things are working out but I'm worried. I hope they're not being overbearing." I said.
"What do you mean?" She asked, a bit taken aback at my direct line of questioning.
"Ariadne you've changed. You seem....a bit more..."
"Tempered." She said, sitting back and giving me a slight smile. "It must be this way."
That doesn't sound good.
"If they're forcing you to act a certain way then-"
"No no. You misunderstood me." She said, getting up abruptly.
"Oh thank you, your grace!" A server exclaimed from my right. In her hands was a tray full of biscuits.
A quick review of the situation told me everything I needed to know. Ariadne had seen the girl trip and before there was an accident, she'd grabbed onto the server's shoulder and arm to steady her. On the other hand, having been so engrossed in our conversation, I hadn't even noticed anyone come in.
I'm getting soft.
"Careful now." Ariadne said as the girl laid down the food, "Tell Grant to take care of the uneven flooring here."
"You're fast as ever." I smiled, a bit relieved that not everything had changed.
"Yes." She paused till we had no more company, "I love Jace with all my heart but he isn't the best at recognising potential threats. John sees value in my background and has tasked me to keep an eye open at all times."
"But that's too much pressure..." I frowned.
"Not at all, Seraphina." Ariadne reassured me. "Infact, I would drive myself mad if I wasn't given anything to do. I am enjoying this. To strengthen my cover as a mere pretty face, I've been taking etiquette lessons. Learning new skills can only help me."
"I see." I said, leaning back, trusting the sincerity in her voice.
Our conversation was halted once more as the server returned with tea and cups. It was a welcome interruption, everything smelled delicious.
"Ralia shares its eastern border with many nations." Ariadne said when we were alone once more, "More nations equal to a higher number of potential threats. They need me."
"And they're lucky to have you." I said, finally convinced that Ariadne had successfully made a place for herself, it seemed like she truly belonged.
For the remainder of the time, our conversation was light and easy. The topic varied. She showed me her new chambers, her formal clothes, her weapons and we reminisced about how drastically our lives had changed since we first met.
Soon, it was time for us to dress up for the dinner. Though a formal affair, Ariadne told me that there were no real seating arrangements. It was more like a meet and greet.
"Just like a party, but for reserved people." She'd said.
"Got it."
Even the dress code called for clothes that weren't revealing in any sense. Full sleeved gowns with shallow necks, were sent to me to choose from. Whereas Ariadne only got one gown. For a moment I was uneasy about the fact that she hadn't been given any options. She then explained that she'd made her choice a few weeks prior.
We arrived to the main hall a bit later than expected and I was delighted to see that the crowd wasn't huge. Perhaps seventy five or hundred in total. By royal standards, this was almost an intimate gathering.
"Told you it wasn't really formal." Ariadne sighed.
"I'm glad. You know how much I hate big gatherings."
To my surprise, Jenna was still in Jace's arms, accompanied by Marcus as well as Talia. They were trying to feed her and she was being rather cooperative from what it looked like. She was even wearing a new dress, pink and frilly, a small tiara on the top of her head to complete the look.
John was still in conversation with Dominic, the former seemed in deep thought, frowning and nodding to whatever my husband had to say. Ariadne was soon surrounded by some of the newer council members. After chatting with them for a few minutes I excused myself. I'd have done it much sooner but some things were expected of me.
Cherishing my time alone, I grabbed myself a plate of food and headed to the balcony. It wasn't often that I was relieved of my duties and even though I wholeheartedly loved my family, sometimes I just needed peace and quiet.
It didn't last for long. Just as I'd finished my last bite, Jace had rushed to me explaining that she'd been good up until a little while ago. She had even finished all the food they'd fed her. I knew what the problem was.
Jenna had exerted herself a bit too much and being cranky. It was time for her to sleep. The only problem was, she never wanted to sleep. The little troublemaker had a hard time accepting that she needed to rest. She took after her father in that regard.
It was a special day however because her tantrum wasn't just limited to crying. As I started making my way out of the ball room, sparks flew out of her hand at the person behind me.
I turned around, horrified, hoping that she hadn't caused too much damage. I didn't need people to think she was a monster.
Luckily it was Dominic.
"Are you a dragon, Jenna?" He laughed, the sound so unhindered and free. It caused some people to stop and stare, after all his reputation was that of a ruthless monarch.
Jenna melted for a second at the sight of her father but she was by no means done expressing her disappointment at me. Scowling in my direction she closed her fists again.
I was furious at her. It was all fun and games till someone got hurt. I was about to give her an earful when Dominic stepped closer.
"I know a secret spot around here, Jen." He said to her, "And I've heard that it's full of little fairies."
"Fairies ?" She gasped, "I want to see!"
Phew...
"You'll have to be quiet though." Dominic warned Jenna, sounding very serious, "You don't want to spook them."
Jenna nodded, her eyes wide and serious. Dominic then led us through a series of corridors and up a few flight of stairs. I had no idea as to where we were going. I assumed he knew his way around since he'd been here as a spy before. The thought brought a smile to my face. He was something else.
Dominic had been absolutely delighted when Jenna had started manifesting her abilities outside of the womb. At first it had been subtle, cold stopped affecting her and so did heat. She could change her body temperature at will, almost instinctively it seemed.
One fine day during her bath time, she had made water float in the air in the form of various shapes. Soon, her abilities had spread to the other elements also. We had no idea as to what extent she could manipulate nature. The good thing was that she always seemed in control.
I had mixed feelings about it. While it eased my mind to know that she could easily defend herself if need be, the thought of her hurting others or herself due to said powers was disturbing. Dominic on the other hand had gotten over his initial doubts and was decidedly optimistic about the issue.
"I learnt to deal with them on my own. She has me. Nothing will go wrong." He had said, reiterating my words.
He had also reminded me that I was alive only because of her powers. I couldn't argue with that. Even after her birth, somehow I'd retained my ability to heal rapidly. We'd discovered it when my body recovered from childbirth in a matter of days. Jenna had changed me inside out, literally.
"How much longer?" She whined.
"We're almost there. Remember, you have to be quiet." Dominic said to her, softly.
I was about to voice my own confusion when a beautiful rooftop garden came into view. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Somehow there was a mixture of tall plants and neatly trimmed grass across the terrace. That wasn't the most impressive bit however, around the flowers were thousands of floating lights. They were flying about silently, casting an enchanting vision.
"Fireflies." Dominic whispered to me as Jenna gasped in delight.
"How? A garden? Here?" I muttered, low.
"Ralia has its perks." He sighed, a bit envious. "Shall we sit? There are benches on the left."
I snickered at how much he knew about the palace but then a dark thought crossed my mind.
"Were you here with someone ?" I hissed as we sat down.
He only chuckled in return, putting a finger on his lips. I was about to argue but Jenna yawned before burying her head in Dominic's neck. He rocked her gently till her breathing slowed down and we knew that she was asleep.
I pursed my lips but narrowed my eyes at him, letting him know that the conversation wasn't over. A part of me knew that bothering about his past was irrational and yet, I couldn't help it.
"I was here alone." He explained, "And the experience was cold and empty, unlike this one. Having you both here just feels..."
"Right?" I offered, moving closer to them.
"Yes, it feels right." He said wrapping his free arm around me. I sighed as the warmth flooded in, I'd been cold.
Nestling closer to them, I turned to enjoy Ralia's beauty. The moon was full and fortunately the clouds had parted. The garden was on the far side of the palace, allowing us to see outside. The night was lively with the hustle and bustle of the city and yet there was a sense of calm and joy. Taking in the view, I allowed myself to relax. It had been a long day after all.