"Ashidanza! That services was beautiful." Naveen announced as he stepped out into the warm afternoon air. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes. Church really enlightened the young man.
"I am glad you enjoyed it. I guess you would be joining us next week. That is if you're not going back home any time soon." Eudora asked Naveen as they began to walk back to the house.
"I hope so. I am not sure how long I will be staying here... maybe another month or so." Naveen lied. He knew that his parents sent him away for half a year, hoping he could get his act together in that time. A crowned Prince cannot be away from the kingdom too long as that would show that they were an unstable monarchy and they did not need that attention.
"Well church is now finished which means we got to start cooking." Kiara said as they got onto the street they lived on.
"I cannot wait to get out these clothes and start cooking." Tiana said happily as she held onto her mother.
"Naveen, you're staying for dinner I hope you know that." Eudora told him in a motherly tone which caught him off guard.
"Mama-" Tiana tried to jump in.
"Tiana. You really think I was going to let this young man go home with nothing to eat? I thought you knew me better."
Tiana sighed and held a hand to her head which made Kiara and Naveen laugh.
"I guess that's that. What will be on today's menu?" Naveen asked as they stepped into the house.
"Gumbo." All three women said at once.
"You stay here young man while we change out of our clothes, then we can all start cooking." Eudora got him a glass a water and seated him in the living room while she ran upstairs.
'We?' Naveen thought as he nervously sipped on his water. He has never cooked in his life let alone stepped foot in a kitchen. He had cooks that made his meals, even his snacks and then he had people bring them to him when it was time.
Not long after, Tiana came downstairs and sat next to Naveen.
"How you feeling?" She asked him.
"I am feeling good, you?"
"Good."
They both sat next to each other, not knowing what to say next. Just as Naveen was about to ask her something, her mother and sister came downstairs.
"Let's get started, I am starving." Kiara immediately walked into the kitchen and began pulling out ingredients.
"Come on kids let's get cooking. Naveen, I will get you an apron for you to put on so you don't get your nice clothes dirty." She pulled him over to where there was a green apron hung up on the side.
Naveen stood there lost because everyone seemed to know what they were doing. They moved around effortlessly from the fridge to counter, counter to cupboard without bumping into each other once.
"Umm..." Naveen mumbled from his spot which made the women stop and look at him.
"Baby. Why don't you help Tiana mince the vegetables?" Eudora instructed the boy. The way Eudora was with Naveen made him feel like he knew her all his life and was just another day hanging out together.
"Ok..." He nervously answered back before walking over to where Tiana was standing. "Hi."
"Hi." They smiled at each other. "Have you ever minced before?" She asked him.
"No, I have not."
"Don't worry, I can teach you." She then proceeded to spend the next two minutes teaching the Prince how to mince vegetables. Her hands would lay on top of his every now and then which was very comforting to him. The four of them spent the next hour or so prepare the food and once it was done, sat around the table. They held hands for a quick prayer before diving in to their meal.
"Ashidanza this food is amazing. You all are amazing chefs. I should tell the cooks at home about this recipe and tell them to make it for me and my famiglia." Naveen told them happily.
"So, Naveen, what is it like to be the Prince of a whole country?" Kiara asked which made Tiana give her a warning glace which she just shrugged off.
"Well, it comes with a lot of responsibilities. You have to keep up a clean appearance because the whole country is watching. There are people that are just waiting for us to mess up so they can find a weakness in the monarchy but my parents never allowed it to show. I guess I never realized how hard they work to make sure of that. There wasn't always a monarchy." Naveen explained to the family as they all sat around to listen to his stories.
"What happened before the monarchy?" Tiana asked with interest as she leaned in more to hear what he had to say next which made Naveen happy to see her so interested in his history.
"Well, around 200 years ago, there was an evil dictator that ruled Maldonia and installed fear into all the people. Until two brave men named Ralphie and Augustus, secretly rallied people to kill the dictator. It led to a blood bath that lasted 5 days before the two finally killed the dictator as they desired to do. From there the two friends restored the country in even better ways, the people loved them so much, they wanted both to be Kings. To settle it, Augustus got half the land of Maldonia and thus it became Akrainela (A-crain-nella). The two kingdoms have a strong alliance and people always hope that one day, there will be a marriage between the two, joining it together but as of right now we're family in a different way."
Throughout the whole story, the whole family were pulling different facial expressions as they reacted to each sentence.
"Well isn't that something." Eudora was the first to speak.
"What is your family like?" Tiana asked.
"My family? Very different from your family. There's my father and mother, King Rafu and Queen Nalea and my little brother Prince Rafi. We cannot forget about my paternal grandparents Rafu the first and Antonia. I don't know how I will be able to live up to their work. I am to be crowned when my father steps down and faldi faldonza I am terrified." Naveen confessed.
"Why you so scared? You will be fine, you just got to work hard for what you believe in and everything will be fine." Tiana reassured him. For the second time today, she rested her hand on top of his and he tried his best not to draw attention to it but the others did see. Her hand on his now felt natural.
"Thank you. I needed to hear that." He smiled at her. To them, they were the only two in the room. Naveen couldn't help staring into her beautiful brown eyes of her. It was cut short but a knock at the door.
"I'll get it." Both Kiara and Eudora announced as they jumped up to get the door hoping that whoever was there would leave so Tiana and Naveen could talk so more.
As they opened the door, they were met by three men.
"Hello what can I do for you?" Eudora asked them.
"Good evening ma'am. We are here to escort Prince Naveen home." The short and round man said at the front. Looking over the men, she could tell that the other two were his driver and security.
"Oh, come in come in." They began to walk over where Tiana and Naveen were now standing.
"Naveen, we are here to bring you back to your accommodation." The man spoke up again.
"Ah. Lawernce I see you have made your arrival." Naveen said disappointedly. It was getting late but her didn't want to leave.
"Yes, your highness, we are ready to leave."
"Ohh. Your highness. Fancy." Kiara laughed.
"You don't have to call me that Kiara, Naveen is fine but I must be going now." Naveen sighed and was about to say his goodbyes when Eudora stepped in.
"Nah uh. Have you boys eaten?" She asked the newcomers. They were shocked by the question but shook their heads and mumbled no. "Well alright then. Sit down at the table and I will bring you some gumbo." The older woman whisked away into the kitchen and began to fix the men some plates.
"I guess I am staying longer." Naveen laughed.
"I guess you are." Tiana smiled up at him and he gave her an even bigger grin back.
They ate, talked and laughed which made Naveen feel like he belonged here with the Rose family. He never really got these types of moments with his family because of how busy they were running a country but it still never matched what he was experiencing here. When he got back home, he would make sure there was more moments like this. If not for him, for Rafi. He needed this type of love.
Naveen looked back over to where Tiana was laughing, letting out an adorable laugh. Well, Naveen needed this type of love.