It was the day of the crowing.
I was standing in our room looking in the mirror, my hands shaking.
"You look beautiful." I van said walking up behind me.
"Excuse me." Mikhail said walking the door. "We are ready to start." He said leaving the room.
Ivan took my hand and we headed toward the doorway to the great room.
It was packed full of people and reporters turned and looking at us.
Ivan smiled down at me and we started walking down the aisle.
We walked toward the end of the isle and knelt down in front of the archbishop.
He started saying s prayer in another language.
After what seemed like about 30 minutes they placed a crown on Ivan's head, and then placed one on my head.
He gestured for us to stand before saying another prayer.
"In the eyes of the lord, family and friends, I present to you the new king and queen of Sanct Sybil; King Ivan and Queen Tanya."
Everyone stood up and clapped their hands as me and Ivan walked past them back down the aisle.
Ivan took my hand as we walked and we went back to our room to change.
"Are you OK?" He asked looking at me worried. "You're shaking."
"I have just become queen. That is not something I ever saw happening ever in my life." I said smiling at him.
"You will be a great queen.' He said kissing me.
"And you a great king."
We changed and headed to the celebration with everyone.
After a few hours the party was still going.
Ivan was walking around talking to people and I was starting to get really tired.
"Ivan." I said walking up to him.
"Everything OK?" He asked.
"Yes, I am just going to go lay down. I am starting to get a little tired."
"Want me to come with you?"
"No, stay here and celebrate. I will be fine." I said kissing his cheek before I walk toward the stairs.
As I am walking I pass by a lot of people I don't know that are here to celebrate with us.
"Can you believe this?"
"I know. There is no way she is fit to queen."
"I honestly do not see what he sees in her."
"I am sure there are plenty of people here that will agree with me when I say a born commoner should not be queen."
I stopped and looked at them.
The turned around and saw me and curtsied like they weren't just gossiping about me.
I walked up the stairs and lay in our bedroom trying to go to sleep.
Everything they were saying was going around in my head.
Sure I was born a commoner, but that doesn't mean I won't be a great queen.
"I will be a great queen." I said as I fell asleep.
Ivan's POV
I was talking with Koun and the other princes while everyone was celebrating with us.
"We have to get together again, I mean ALL of us." I said looking at Aslan.
"Don't look at me." He said taking a drink.
Everyone started to laugh.
"I'm serious though, we really need to get together and catch up."
"Prince Ivan." Yosef said walking up to me bowing.
"Yosef, I am so glad you could make it and I am sure Tanya is really excited that you came as well."
"Thank you for having me. I am actually getting ready to leave. Have you seen Tanya?"
"She went to rest a while. I can take you to her." I turned and bowed to the prince's and started walking off with Yosef. "Thank you again for coming Yosef. I know that it has made Tanya happy to have you here. You are like a father to her."
"So she says. I am just glad to see her happy." He said smiling. "But so help me, if you hurt her."
"I understand." I said smiling at him.
We were walking past a few of the ladies gossiping when I heard them talking about Tanya.
"She doesn't deserve to be queen. I mean how can she be queen to a kingdom she was not born in?"
"And the rumors going around about the affair…if she is not faithful to King Ivan how can we trust her with our kingdom?"
"Ahem."
They turn around and see me and go pale.
"King Ivan…"
"Stop." I said interrupting them. "You may not think that Queen Tanya is fit to be queen. You could not be more wrong. She has something you all will never have that it takes to be queen. A good and pure heart. Sure she wasn't born here, but she has the same passion as any other queen has. Just because she is a commoner doesn't mean anything. Second of all. Those rumors you are talking about are nothing but. Tanya has never been unfaithful to me. You are here to celebrate the fact that I and Queen Tanya have succeeded the crown. If you are not here to do so, there is the door."
"King Ivan…"
I hold my hand up to stop her and start walking off with Yosef.
"People can be so cruel." I said walking up the stairs. "Right this way."
We made it to our room and I knocked.
"Tanya, are you awake?" I said opening the door.
She was just sitting up getting her shoes back on.
"Ivan, I was just getting ready to come back down to the party."
"That is fine, but you have a visitor." I said letting Yosef in.
"Yosef." She said walking up to him and hugging him. "Thank you for coming." She said smiling.
"Of course. It is not every day my daughter is crowned queen." He said laughing a little.
"I will leave you two alone." I said leaving the room and giving them some privacy.
I walking back down the stairs when I saw some guest drunk and starting a fight.
I started walking toward them as the guards did as well.
I put my hand up and walked over to the men.
They were swinging punches at each other.
I pulled them apart and one of them swung there fist at me.
I put my hand up and blocked it.
Everyone gasp.
The man turned pale the minute he saw it was me.
"We are here celebrating. Having two grown mean, drunk and fighting…" I gestured for Mikhail. "Mikhail, would you kindly show these men the door."
"Gentlemen." Mikhail said walking out with the men following.
I turned around in time to see Tanya walking down the stairs with Yosef at her side.
Walking down the steps, she was beautiful. She had a smile on her face talking with him. I couldn't take my eyes off her.
They got to the bottom of the stairs and Yosef gave her a hug before departing.
"Yosef's leaving?" I asked walking up to her.
"Yes, he has to get back and open the shop tomorrow." She said smiling.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes. I just needed a little rest."
"Shall we?" I said holding my hand out.
She smiled and took ahold of my hand.
We went around for a few more hours thanking everyone for coming.
Finally the celebration came to an end and everyone had left.
"Now we can relax." I said changing into something more comfortable.
*knock knock*
"Yes?"
Mikhail walked in with a gloom look on his face.
"What is it Mikhail?"
"It's about Mr. Yosef Brown."
Tanya looked up from her book.
"What happened?" she said putting it down and walking over.
"It seems that he was in an accident."
"Is he ok, where is he?" Tanya asked.
"He is at the hospital. I have the car ready to go."
Tanya looked up at me.
"Let's go." I said taking her hand and leaving.
We were waiting in the hospital waiting room for a doctor.
Yosef had been struck on the passenger's side and it sent the car flying into a curb and it flipped twice before coming to a stop.
He was in surgery with the doctors when we arrived.
Everyone there was staring at us whispering.
"Is there anything I can get you your majesties?"
"No Mikhail, why don't you go ahead and go back to the castle. Get a spare room ready."
Mikhail bowed and left.
"Spare room?" Tanya said looking confused.
"Once Yosef is released he will be staying with us during his recovery."
"Is that really ok?"
"He is your father, Tanya."
"No…"
I put a finger to her lips to stop her.
"He is like a father to you and I know he means a lot to you."
"Thank you."
I reached over and squeezed her hand.
After a few more hours the doctor comes out of the operating room
"Tanya." I said waking her up.
She opened her eyes and sat up.
"Family of Yosef Brown?"
"Yes." Tanya said standing up.
The doctor's eyes widened a little when he saw us.
"How is he?" she asked.
"Well, he is lucky, having his car flip that many times. When he arrived here he was unconscious. He had some internal bleeding. We went in and stopped the bleeding. He has a broken leg and fractured ribs."
"So he is ok?"
"He will be sore for a while but he will be fine."
Tanya stated crying and hugged the doctor.
"Thank you."
The doctor stiffened up and looked at me.
I smiled.
He hugged her back with one arm.
"Can we go see him?"
"He is in recover so only for a few minutes."
We followed the doctor to his room.
We walked into Yosef's room and he was lying in the bed.
"Tanya, King Ivan?"
"You know you can just call me Ivan, you are my father-in-law." I said smiling at him. "How are you feeling?"
"They gave me some nice pain killers so I am doing fantastic." He said laughing.
"What happened?" Tanya said sitting in a chair next to his bed.
"I was sitting in the back seat of the car and then I saw a car coming toward us and they just rammed into us."
"Do you know who it was?"
"No, the windows were tinted."
"Well, we will look into it and see."
"How is the driver doing?" Yosef asked.
"He is doing as good as expected. He was not as lucky as you."
"I'm just glad you are ok." Tanya said squeezing his hand.
"I'll be fine."
"Do you know how long you have to stay in the hospital?"
"They said at least a week to make sure my incision heals properly. Even then I need to lie of the work. I don't know what I am going to do about the shop. If I can't work…"
"Don't worry about the shop. I will worry about that." Said Tanya.
"Once you are released, we have a room ready for you at the castle so you can recover." I told him.
"I can't ask that of you. It's too much."
"Nonsense, you are family Yosef." I said.
"But…"
"I won't take no for an answer."
Yosef lay back against his pillows and sighed.
"Thank you…both of you." He said smiling.
"You are family Yosef. We would do anything for you." Said Tanya.
I looked up at the clock on the wall.
"We better get going." I said.
"Feel better Yosef." Tanya said kissing his cheek.
"I will."
"We shall see you later Yosef. Get some rest." I said as we left.
"I'm glad he is ok." Tanya said.
"He is, and he is a strong person. He will heal very quickly."
"I don't know what I would have done if…" she said starting to cry.
"Hey," I said taking her face in my hands. "Don't think like that. He is fine and
will get better." I said pulling her into a hug, letting her cry into my chest.
We pulled up to the castle.
"Tanya, were home." I said waking her up.
"Ok." She said opening her eyes and sitting up.
We got out of the car and walked up to our room.
"Here." I said pulling the covers back as she climb in.
"Are you not coming to bed?" she said yawning.
"I will soon. I have some work I need to do." I said kissing her forehead. "Sleep, I will come to be shortly." I said turning the light off and closing the door.
Tanya's POV
I woke up the next morning and saw that Ivan's side of the bed was still made.
I got out of bed, put my robe on and walked out of the room.
I run into Mikhail walking down the hall.
"Mikhail, do you know where Ivan is?"
"I believe he is still in his office. He has been there all night."
"Thank you." I said walking off toward Ivan's office.
I knocked on the door but he didn't respond.
I opened the door to find see him at his desk.
Hs arms were across his desk, his head laying on them.
He was asleep.
"Ivan?" I said walking up to his desk.
He had been here all night?
I looked at some of the papers that were laying on his desk.
Letters?
I picked on up and started reading it.
"We feel that the newly crowned queen of Sanct Sybil, Tanya Chernenkov, is not
fit to be queen."
I picked up letter after letter.
"What kind of queen can she be if she was not even raised in Sancy Sybil."
"No commoner can understand what it is to be royalty. She can not begin to
understand the economy or any other aspect of this kingdom."
Letters...all letters of people doubting me.
"Tanya?" Ivan said opening his eyes.
He saw me holding a few letters.
"You were not supposed to see them."he said quietly as he took them from my hands.
"So other people feel the same?"
"Same? What do you mean?"
"There are some maids around the castle, then women at the crowning
ceremony. They all feel the same way."
"Dont listen to them. You are going to be a great queen." He said taking my
hand.
I smiled at him.
"So, Mikhail has told me that you have been here all night."
"I guess I fell asleep. What time is it."
"Almost 6."
"Why are you up so early?"
"I have to get changed and open the shop. I just thought i would come say goodmorning." I said kissing him.
"Right. I will have Mikhail take you. I am going to send Alexander as well just to make sure your safe."
"Thats fine. I will be back this evening." I said walking out of his office and to
our room to get ready.
"Thank you Mikhail for driving me." I said, sitting in the back of the car next to
Alexander.
"Its no problem your majesty. I am more than happy to do drive you." He said
looking at me in the mirror.
We arrived at the shop just before 9.
"Thank you again Maikhail."
"What time should I come pick you up?"
"I will be closing the shop at 5 that way i can make it back in time for a late
dinner with Ivan. I know he wont eat dinner on time."
"Ok, I will be back here then."
"O and Mikhail, can you make sure Ivan gets some rest today since he didnt
sleep last night?"
"Of course. I wil be back this evening."
I opened the door to the shop ad turned the lights on.
I was swarmed with the smell of the sweets in the shop.
"Is there anything i can do to help you your majesty?"
"Thank you but i will fine. You can just have a seat and relax." I said turning on the lights in the cold case ad the register. I am going to be in the back
preparing some morning sweets."
He nodded as he picked up the paper.
I was just sitting out some fresh homemade banana bread when Alexander
looked up.
"That smells sweet." He said.
"Try some." I said grabbing a plate wnd putting a piece on for him.
"I couldnt do that."
"I insist." I said pouring him some coffee as well. "Here." I said bringing it to his table.
"Thank you." He said smiling at me.
I smiled back and started walking over and unlocking the door.
"Its really good your majesty."
"I'm glad you like it." I said smiling.
I spent the rest of the day serving customers and baking.
The regulars that came to the shop when I was working there kept congratulating me.
Everyone was worried about Yosef and hoping for a fast recovery for him
Finally it was 5 and I locked the door as the last customer left.
"Are you closed now?" asked Alexander.
"Yep, I am just going to clean up a bit while we wait for Mikhail." I said wiping down some tables.
"What can I do to help?"
"Umm, well you can take the broom and sweep the floor."
"Ok." He said as he started sweeping the floor.
After about 30 minutes of cleaning, Mikhail showed up knocking on the door.
"Ready?" he asked as I opened the door.
"Yes." I said climbing into the back of the car. "Did Ivan get any rest today?"
"Not much. He was determined to finish all the work he had today."
"I'm going to have a talk with him when I get home." I said looking out the window.
"Of course." Mikhail said with a smile on his face.
When we arrived I went into our bedroom expecting to talk to Ivan only to find him passed out on the bed.
"He was exhausted." I said taking a throw blanket and covering him up.
I shut the door and proceeded down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Good evening." I said walking into the kitchen.
"Your majesty, where is his majesty. I thought you were going to have dinner together?" said Mikhail who was talking over some stuff with the chef.
"That was the plan. However I went to our room and he was asleep." I said opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of water.
"Would you still like to have dinner in the dining room?"
"Actually, do you mind bringing dinner for me and Ivan in the bedroom in about an hour?"
"I will do that."
"Thanks." I said walking back out of the kitchen.
I walked into the bedroom and shut the door.
I went into the bathroom and started running the bath.
I got undressed and climbed in.
I was relaxing.
After a few minutes I heard the bathroom door open.
"Tanya?" Ivan said.
"I'm in the bath."
"When did you get home?"
"Maybe 30 minutes ago?"
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"Because I know you did not get a lot of sleep so I was going to wake you up when Mikhail brought our dinner." I said sitting up.
"How was the shop?"
"It was nice. It felt good to be back there for a change."
"Really?"
"Yes. I missed seeing all the customers faces."
"Im glad that you enjoyed it, you do realize it is just until Yosef is able to get back to work right?"
"Of course."
"I just don't want you to start working there again like before."
"Don't worry."
After we ate dinner we both got into bed and went to sleep.