Queen of Maldonia
Is It Too Late?
A couple weeks have passed by and still, Naveen couldn't find a proper apology for Tiana. With running the country and business trips in the way he also had a hard time trying to find creative ideas for his apology.
And sleeping in his old room wasn't the same as sleeping in the suite with his wife either. He had pillows and sheets in his bed. At least on his bed in the suite he had someone to wrap his arms around. He also missed the scent of Tiana's hair. Apples. Which is his favorite fruit. And her natural scent was of lavender/vanilla, her favorite perfume and a wedding gift from him.
Life for Naveen was a lonely one. He didn't even get to see his son much either and it didn't help that Tiana brought him out to every event and appearance that was held for the past couple weeks. At least when he is with James he could feel some of Tiana from him, including her scent.
Naveen was walking down the halls on the upper level of the palace hoping he would bump into Tiana, if she was already done with the Timberla school of girls. But instead of seeing Tiana he saw Tela.
"Ugh." He groaned and turned around, but he had an idea and turned back around.
"Tela!"
She turned to see Naveen walking toward her. She didn't know what to expect from him so she remained where she was.
"Have you seen Tiana?"
Relief came upon her. "Tiana, I mean-
"You can call her that." He said.
"Well, she's in the queen brunch room with the students. They should be about done, your highness."
"Thank you." He then ran down the stairs and down the hall to see Tiana waving goodbye to the students outside the brunch room.
"See you girls next month." Tiana said, holding the baby. "Well lil James it's just the two of us, again. And me getting ready for the doctor."
"Tiana." Naveen called her name.
She turned to see her husband standing before her with a serious look on his face.
"What do you want Naveen?"
He heard the tone in her voice and knew she was upset. "Can I hold James?"
"Sure. It has been days since you even seen him." She handed him over.
"Sorry about that. I was so busy with-
"Bills, parliament. I know." She cut him off. "So, do you want to spend some time with him?"
"Yes." He quickly answered 'I rather give the baby to a nanny so that we could spend some time together'
"Well you two have fun." She started to walk away.
"Where are you going?"
"To make some phone calls about my restaurant. I still have a business to take care of." She partly lied. A couple days ago she asked for the doctor to come over to see if her symptoms were what she thought they were. She already took care of the restaurant call this morning.
"Wait!" Naveen followed.
She turned to see him.
"I love…what you are wearing."
Tiana looked down at her yellow dress. "This old thing? Heh. Thanks." And walked on up the stairs.
"Shitus." He cursed in Maldonian, but quickly apologized to the baby. "Sorry about that James. But your mother is so…I don't know what she does to me even when we aren't compromised at the moment."
The baby just looked at his father.
"You will understand when you're older." And Naveen walked on up the stairs.
()()()()
In the royal suite…
"Well your majesty, you are expecting once again." Said the doctor.
"I knew it." Tiana said, not surprised.
"With your last cycle being a month late my prediction is that the baby will be due by early July."
"Thank you doctor."
"I am sure the king will be very pleased." The doctor began putting his instruments away in his bag. "He wanted another baby."
"Well he's definitely getting another one." Tiana sat up.
"All I ask is that you stay away from the stress. Other than that you are okay to go. Call for me whenever you need me." He then left the room.
Tiana hugged herself. She was overjoyed by the news but also feeling bittersweet since she and Naveen aren't really talking to each other right now.
()()()()
Maldonia-Temphess Hotel
Lucas let out a cigarette in the ash tray that sat on a coffee table. He moved out of Jasmine's palace once he got the okay from Naveen that his ban has been lifted. Now all he was waiting for was the return of his title.
"Tela, get in here!" He yelled.
A woman with a red wig walked in the bedroom wearing a robe.
"Oh how I missed you." He pulled her on his lap.
"Could we please hurry-
"No. I will take my good time with you." He planted wet kisses on her neck. Tela closed her eyes like she usually did and pretended to be somewhere else. "I'm staying here until I get my title back. So I expect you to come on time everyday." He said, ripping her robe off.
But Tela closed it back. "I thought we were going to be quick with this."
Lucas slapped her so hard that she hit the floor.
"You'll leave when I say it's time!" He pulled her back up to him. "Now, where were we?"
()()()()
Later that night Tiana laid in her bed thinking about Naveen and his behavior. She laughed when she thought about his excuses on their "coincidences" on bumping to each other. She knew he wanted to see her and probably apologize but she was waiting for him to do it. And once he does she will most definitely wrap her arms over his broad shoulders, with the help of her tippy toes and his strong arms lifting her sealing it with a kiss.
"Ugh. What am I doing?" She looked over at the sleeping baby who was resting on the bed. "Mommy will be right back." She gave him a kiss before opening one of the doors.
As she stepped out she heard Naveen's voice. She quickly went back in her room and peeked out to see him talking to someone.
"Thank you for giving up some sleep for me." He stepped aside and the back of a dark haired woman stood before him. "Come, we have a lot to do." He walked her in his room and shut the door.
Shock ran throughout Tiana's body and her heart was breaking all over again. "No." She said, tears falling from her eyes. "I can't stay here…We can't stay here." She quickly ran in the closet and pulled out a luggage, but then she stopped. "I don't need to take any of this with me. But I'll just take some of the baby's stuff." She went back in the closet and took out a smaller bag. She buzzed for a helper to come in. Within thirty seconds a helper came in.
"Nina. I need for you to pack James' things." Tiana instructed.
The helper frowned. "You are leaving in the middle of the night?"
"No, I'm leaving in the morning. I'll just pay for a ticket while I'm on the ship to New Orleans."
The helper quickly did as she was told to do as Tiana went back over to a sleeping James. "I'm so sorry James. But leaving here is for the best."
()()()()
"Tiana will be pleased with whatever you give her your highness."
"I told you for the last time Tela, call me Naveen." Naveen instructed. "And I can't just give her anything and an apology. I want it to be something special."
Naveen walked back and fourth in his room pondering.
"Tiana loves you. Perhaps a simple 'I'm sorry' would work for her." Tela suggested. She wasn't so sure about Naveen since he can be a pain sometimes, but at this moment he was really cute about making Tiana happy.
"No, it's too easy. Tiana deserves more. I could get her a necklace."
"She has plenty of those." Tela laughed. "Tiana is very simple with her tastes."
"Tastes?" Naveen pondered. "I could cook something for her! Prepare a big breakfast and an apology!"
"A romantic apologetic breakfast." Tela finished.
Naveen nodded his head in approval. "If this doesn't get me back my Tiana then nothing else will."
"Oh she will love it."
Naveen scratched the back of his head. "Uh, thank you for your help. And for sacrificing your sleep to help me."
Tela smiled. "Tiana has always been a good friend to me. I love her like she's a sister."
"Sister?" Naveen asked.
"Yes…" But then she quickly apologized. "I am sorry-
"Don't be." Naveen said with a smile. "I understood what you meant."
An awkward silence came upon the two but Naveen broke it. "Uh, thank you, again."
Tela curtsied before leaving the bedroom.
Naveen on the other hand went to the nightstand where he had the honeymoon picture of he and Tiana as well as a picture of baby James and felt relieved.
"Tomorrow, I will have my family back."
()()()()
The next morning Naveen pushed the cart of breakfast down the hall. He opened the door to the suite and saw no sign of Tiana or James in the bed. He frowned.
"The queen and prince departed early this morning your highness." Nina said, walking to the King.
"What? Why did she leave?" He asked, shocked. Then he thought about the fight and his accusations.
Nina shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. She was very emotional. She really wanted to leave and go back to the US."
"Faldi faldonza." Naveen pushed the doors open to his suite. "I'm going to need for you to pack my things and to call for a driver."
"Naveen, what is going on?" Nagina asked, walking inside the room with Tela just behind.
"Tiana's gone back to New Orleans."
Tela gasped, surprised.
Nagina sighed. "I knew she would leave after all your accusations of her and Lucas…why didn't you just apologize?"
"Mother…" he stopped himself. "I'm going to do that when I get there."
Nagina shook her head and gave her son a hug. "Please, bring her and your son back home."
"I will." He promised. "But there is something I have to do before I leave."
()()()()
