Tiana was nervous. Naveen has come to see her again and here she was rushing around a café covered in flour and syrup answering to Duke and the customers beck and call. She felt embarrassed. He is seeing her in her messiest form instead of her prim and polished way like how he saw yesterday. He probably would think she is an unkept tramp and shouldn't deserve to breath the same breath of air as him.
'He's probably disappointed. I really need to stop thinking like this.' She thought as she collected the finished customers plates and the tip they left. Every tip was getting her closer and closer to her dream restaurant and after the Fenner brothers' rejection, it has pushed her to work even harder. It wasn't just for her; it was her way of honoring her father and how hard he worked to make sure Tiana had a comfortable life.
"Tia! Snap out of it. Our shift is over, get out of these clothes and go get that Prince." Kiara told her excitedly as she basically dragged the apron off of Tiana.
"No. I look horrible and I have no other clothes."
Tiana thought she could get out of it but Kiara was already five steps ahead.
"Which is why I took it upon myself to provide you with some clothes so you can hang out with your soon to be husband."
Tiana couldn't help but roll her eyes at the comment. "Soon to be nothing. Just give me the damn clothes." With that, she walked into the toilet to get changed.
Naveen knew Tiana's shift was over because he saw Kiara take off her apron and disappeared into the back, most likely to get Tiana. He had been sitting there for so long, eating the food slowly to waste time as well as engaging in the customers curious questions. New Orleans was home to such lovely people and Naveen was beginning to feel comfortable here. The city of jazz offered him so much, not that he didn't miss home but it was refreshing to be away from having to be the crowned Prince. Here, he was just a Prince from a foreign country with no responsibilities. His thought was interrupted when he saw a smiling Kiara sat across from him.
"Where's Tiana? Did she not want to see me?"
"She is getting changed. She shouldn't be long. Now for the protective sister part; if you hurt her, I will not hesitate to hurt you. Prince or not. I will find a way for you to feel some type of pain, understood?" She pointed directly at Naveen and this shocked him because she has been so nice and soft since he met her yesterday.
"I completely understand."
"Glad we are on the same level."
"You know, I have a friend back home that is just like you. I think you would enjoy their company." Naveen chuckled at the girl after the slight tension went.
"I hope to meet them some day."
"Maybe you will." Naveen replied back to her. The two then engaged in basic conversation as they waited for Tiana.
"I'm ready." Tiana announced as she walked up to the table. She was wearing a simple blue dress but it hugged her curves perfectly.
"You look beautiful." Naveen completed her as he rose from his seat and pulled her into a kind of awkward hug.
"Thank you." She said quietly. "We should leave if you want to see the town while there's still some light out."
"Yes. Of course." With that he took out his wallet and gave Tiana a handful of money, making the girls eyes grow in size but Naveen took it a different way. "Is this not enough? I can leave more if you li-"
"No. This is fine. To be honest, this is way more than what you actually ordered. You can take some of it back." Tiana tried to put the money back into his hands but he pushed it back into her own.
"Keep it. Put it towards your restaurant." He smiled down at her before she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered a soft thanks in his ear. When they pulled apart, they took a large step back, shocked from their sudden closeness.
"We should leave, we have been here way longer than we have needed to." Kiara said as she took the money and put it in her bag with the rest of the tips, knowing that if she never jumped in the two would be clueless of what to do next. "I will count these up when I get home, see you later. Naveen, take care of her." With that Kiara left to make her way home, leaving the two slowly walking outside.
"So... where are we off to first?" Naveen asked as they began to walk down the street.
"Well, I know you enjoy jazz very much so I thought I can show you the streets where it is played the most." She said as they turned a corner. Just like that, there was a large band playing a soft jazz tune with a medium crowd surrounding them, swaying along to the sound of the melody.
"It's beautiful." Naveen voice was just as soft as the music as he looked off in wonder, not breaking eye contact away from the band. Tiana saw the look in Naveen's eyes. It was how she would look when she would cook. The love. The passion. The excitement. Every emotion possible. "How has it been growing up here?"
Tiana let out a sigh before answering. "I would say it has been crazy and comforting. Crazy because this city never seems to sleep. Music and partying everywhere you turn like here. There is such a rich culture here which I love. Everything I cook has come from this city and every time I make it, I feel like I am making people proud, mainly my father. I say comforting because this is all I know. I have only left here a handful of time but this is somewhere I will always call home. I live here, loved here, been heartbroken here... everything. My family is here and I wouldn't know what I would do without them. Which is why it makes it harder to believe my daddy isn't here to see me grow into an amazing young woman he always said I would be." Tiana ended the sentence with a single tear falling from her eyes.
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any upset." Naveen hurriedly apologized as he looked down at Tiana, completely forgetting the music in the back.
"It's not your fault. I just tend to get emotional sometimes. Sorry."
"Don't apologies for something so normal. Never apologies for being yourself." Naveen reassured her. He wasn't sure what he was saying but it seemed to be working as Tiana face began to brighten again. Who would have thought Naveen could be this helpful in others feelings?
"Thank you." Tiana smiled at the honey eyed man before being cut off with the sound of applause from the crowd since the band had finished play.
"Ashidanza! That was beautiful." Naveen announced as they walked past the band and gave them a gentle nod in admiration and a tip.
"That's New Orleans for you... now where would you like to go next?" She asked the Prince. She was really beginning to enjoy herself. It has been a very long time since she has been in the company of someone other than Charlotte, Kiara and her mother.
"Well, I would like to get clothes to fit in and not the rich kind of fit in." Naveen said as he looked down at his outfit which just screamed rich and spoiled. He wanted to be furthest from it as he could.
"I know just the place we can go. It's just up her-"
"What a lovely lovely day it is. Pretty little Tiana and the one and only soon-to-be King of Maldonia. How may I be of services today?" A smooth deep voice called out before a figure appeared from the shadows.
Dr. Facillier. One of the many voodoo doctors in the city but this one was a different story. With his striking purple eyes, he attracted many customers. Each time he helps them with their problems, the clients would get more than what they bargained for. Despite this, people never stopped going to him. His pitch was too advertising for some to resist but Tiana has managed to stay away for the 2 years he has continued to ask her.
"And you are?" Naveen asked as he studied the slander man who had popped out of nowhere.
"Dr. Facillier at your service. A wish you would like I can give. All I need is a payment and agreement." The man circled around the two. He knew the Prince would attract big money; he just needed the shake of the hand.
"Don't listen to him. He's not one to be trusted. He will sell you dreams and crush it ways you wouldn't think were possible" Tiana said as she tried to move away from the doctor but he was not making them leave that easily.
"Now now Tiana. I have never done you wrong." He was getting mad at the girl for stopping his business.
"Not me but many people around here. You are tarnishing the world of voodoo." Tiana was getting frustrated and hopped the man would get out the way.
"How dare you, you dirty bitch." Naveen. It is time to jump in now.
"Let's stop there. Tiana is my company now so I will listen to her and we shall be on our way." Naveen announced before grabbing onto Tiana's hand and pulling her into the direction they were going before the man could step in front of them again. If they weren't so determined to get away, this would have felt very weird for them.
"Fine. Mark my words. One of you will get the shock of your life and it will not be pretty. It will mess with your vison of life and nothing will ever be the same. You just wait. An unlikely pair will crumble." The last thing the pair saw was the man's purple eyes vanish into the shadows which caused them to shiver. Just as quick as he left, the two parted their hands and continued their travel.
"I should have stepped in sooner." It seems as all these two do around each other is apologies for things they cannot control.
"Don't you worry. Pay him no mind. He's just upset that he can't convive everyone to find the easiest way out of life." Tiana said as they entered the shop. "Now, what are you going to buy?"
Naveen thought for a second before breaking out into a large grin which kind of scared Tiana.
"Everything."
Yup. Defiantly scaring her.
Does Dr. Faciller's threats mean anything or is it just said out of anger? The two seem to be getting closer. I hope you enjoy Kiara's character. Make sure to leave reviews.
-TBG
