The Humbled Prince
Festival Of Friends Part Two
"A very pretty thing aren't you? My husband is definitely smitten, but let me warn you that you will not be the demise of my marriage!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Telese asked, voice risen and catching the attention of the royal family, Errol and Vivian included.
"You stay away from my husband! Our arrangement has worked after all these years and I will not have a loose whore come in and kick me out of what I worked hard for!" And with that Nagina stormed back over to her throne.
Tiana frowned, walking over to her sister. "What was that about?"
"How should I know? The crazy bitch just stormed over here in front of Errol and made some sick accusation about me stealing her husband. No offense but I don't do mummies."
Tiana shook her head. "Nagina has been going through some things at the moment."
"Well if she ever comes to me like that again—
"You won't be doing anything!" Tiana smiled. "Not unless you want to go to prison for striking a royal official and on top of that get deported. I need my sister around and what will this look like in front of Vivian?"
Telese couldn't argue with that. "This is why I can't deal with females! That queen is lucky that I didn't knock her on her royal ass!" She knew Nagina heard her as she briefly returned her look before quickly looking away. "All mouth and bullshit!"
"Telese," Tiana frowned, not wanting her sister to get in trouble. "I know you try to hold this I'm a strong woman shield but you don't have to do it here."
"When dealing with jealous girlfriends and wives I have to show them that I am not to be messed with!" Telese said defensively.
Tiana took her hand. "Come on. Let's go change for the Maypole dances."
()()()()
The Maldonian music was the absolute opposite of the kind of music Tiana and her sister grew up to. Instead of a large church organ, trumpets, drums, saxophones playing there were flutes, horns, pipes and harps?
"How can people dance off of this music?" Telese asked.
Tiana laughed, taking a green ribbon. "We just have to roll with it."
"Your majesty!" Called a village woman wearing similar attire.
Tiana waved at the woman who giggled in joy.
The older women and little girls all wore dresses while the younger women were more exposed, some showing their midriffs as well as they all danced around the Maypole.
The dances were all representations of friendship: love, fun, angst, loyalty. Even though the children did most of the dances, the adult women also got the chance to dance around in some of the themes. The final theme was for all the newlyweds and young women who were hoping to conceive. As princess, Tiana had to participate in all the dances despite just giving birth a little over a month ago.
"You should be the last person to want to dance around the maypole right now!" Telese teased as she and Tiana skipped around the pole with the other village women.
"I already told you that I have to do it!" Tiana laughed. "It's tradition!"
"Knowing how Naveen is you're probably already carrying baby number three!" She said, holding a red ribbon.
Errol watched Telese the entire time as he and Naveen clapped along to the music.
"Tiana is doing an amazing job! I wouldn't be surprised if she's already with child!" Errol teased Naveen who raised a brow
"It's tradition!" He told his friend. "And Telese is doing a great job up there herself."
Errol shrugged arrogantly. "I wouldn't mind."
"Really?" Naveen was surprised. "You want to have a child?"
"Telese does things to me." He admitted.
"I bet." Naveen's eying Tiana who was looking very good in her skirt, her hips were all his eyes would follow at the moment.
Errol followed his friend's gazed and teased. "Down boy! She'll be all yours soon enough!"
"Gentlemen! Hastily join your ladies!" An older woman announced. "You are half the reason for fertility!"
Men slowly joined their desired partner, Naveen joining Tiana and Errol went to Telese.
Kabir looked smugly at the couple while Nagina reached out to touch her husband's hand.
"I remember us sharing that very dance," she shared. "And nine months later Naveen was born."
Kabir ignored her. "What does she see in that young foolish king."
Nagina sighed. "Have you ever loved me?"
"Not now, Nagina! I am watching the dance!" Kabir kept his focus on Telese.
"Or better yet that other woman! What is it about her Kabir?" She asked low enough for only the king to hear. "She's obviously very young and beautiful but I was once considered beautiful in your eyes."
Kabir ignored her as the dance continued.
"So are you up for baby number three?" Naveen joked.
Tiana looked at her husband as if he lost his mind. "Only if you're the one who will be carrying the baby and doing the pushin'."
Naveen put his hands on her waist, lifting her in the air. "Waiting it is!"
"Naveen!" Tiana laughed. "Put me down!"
"Show off," Errol smirked and looked back at Telese. "I can give you a lift if you want?"
"I'll pass on the lifting," Telese smiled and gasped when he lifted her up anyway. She smiled down at his humoured grin. "You can put me down now."
"I think I'll hold you up here for a while," Telese weighed nothing to him.
"But we have other people doing this maypole!" She reminded him.
Errol slowly lowered her down, her face inches from his before her feet finally touched the ground. "Is that better?"
She gazed into his blue eyes as their lips were a brush away from each other. The music ended and then came to applauds and the end of the Maypole ceremony.
"You have to show off those huge muscles of yours." Telese ran her hands over his powerful arms.
"Only for you." Errol said, arrogance behind his smirk.
Telese rolled her eyes making the king laugh.
"What?"
"So cocky!" she ran her hands over his chest.
"You bring it all out," he went to press his lips on hers but she turned her head away and eased her way but of his arms. "Hey!" He watched as Telese blew a kiss at him, sensually walking over to Tiana. She could feel Errol's eyes on her derriere.
Errol exhaled at every feminine asset on her body. "What a woman." He was pleased at the progress between he and Telese.
"Fascinating looking woman isn't she?" Kabir asked.
Errol turned to the older man. "Hello Kabir."
"I was just watching that dance between you two. Looks like its getting serious."
Errol nodded. "It looks like it."
"Are you certain that you want to carry the leverage of a woman like her?" Kabir asked.
"Pardon me?" Errol frowned.
"Unwed mother, promiscuous and she's dark skin." Kabir raised a brow. "Isn't your kingdom about the brightest and purest of women?"
"That was an old kingdom with old ways, Kabir. I don't believe in such irrelevance. And as for Telese being a mother before marriage I do not mind that one bit."
"It is a lot easier than dealing with a virgin—
"It isn't about sleeping with her." Errol said, refusing to show this man any emotion. "I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
"What?" Kabir was stunned by the revelation.
Errol smiled when seeing Vivian. "Pardon me!" He went over to the little girl who was with her friends. "Hello Vivian. May I have a word with you?"
"'I'll be back!" Vivian told her friends, taking the king's hand. "Yes Mr. Errol?"
"You know that I care deeply for you and mother."
The young girl nodded her head.
Errol pulled out a small box, opening it up. "Here's a gift for you."
Vivian gasped, taking the box and opening it. "It's a charm bracelet!"
He helped her put it on. "It's yours."
She looked at the gold and diamond bracelet before giving the king a hug. "Thank you!"
Errol wanted more than anything to have Vivian as his daughter and Telese as his wife. He suddenly grew nervous at the thought of proposing to her.
"You can go back to your friends. I have to speak with your mother!"
"Okay! Bye!" Vivian ran back over to her friends. "Look what King Errol gave me!"
He heard the girls "Ooo's" but now he was looking for Telese who seemed to be missing. He spotted Tiana and cleared his throat to catch her attention.
"Hey Errol!" she smiled.
"Hey, have you by any chance seen Telese anywhere?"
Tiana saw something different in Errol's eyes but couldn't put her finger on it. "She went in to check on Demetrius and Naiyah for me."
"In the nursery?"
She nodded, but stopped him before he went off to find her sister. "Are you going to propose to her?"
Errol smiled. "Am I that obvious?"
"A little," she laughed.
"Do you think she'll accept?" he asked.
"The only way for you to find out is if you ask her," Tiana answered as honestly as she could. Errol gently took Tiana's hand and kissed it.
"Wish me luck?" He asked, now very nervous.
Tiana found it adorable. "My sister loves very arrogant and confident men and I know that you carry that trait very well so don't act like you're scared a little boy now."
Errol laughed. "I am acting pathetic."
"Go to her," Tiana encouraged and watched as he jogged toward the palace doors. "Good luck!"
Naveen wrapped his arms around her from behind. "What was that about?"
Tiana smiled. "Errol is going to propose to Telese."
Naveen raised his brows. "Wow..."
"I know!" Tiana turned to her husband. "Remember when you proposed to me?"
"How can I forget? It was one of the best and depressing days of my life!"
"It wasn't that bad," Tiana said.
"Alright you were the very easy part. Your father on the other hand was giving me a very hard when I asked for his blessing. Perhaps Errol is doing the right thing by not asking him."
Tiana gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Maybe but you did eventually win him over, and who can resist the charm of Prince Naveen?"
"No one," Naveen then scooped her in his arms. "Not even you!" He said arrogantly.
"Oh we'll see about that!" Tiana got out of his arms and ran towards the palace doors.
"So you're up for cat and mouse again!" Naveen chased after her.
Tiana screamed as she ran up the stairs, but with Naveen skipping the steps two at a time it was too difficult to escape him.
"Gotcha!" He picked her up caveman style.
Tiana rolled her eyes. "How did you get up the stairs so quickly?"
He gave her derriere a pat. "You're just going to have to work harder at getting the best of me!"
"I can think of a way," Tiana said as they reached their suite.
When Naveen set her on the floor Tiana stepped away from him with a sensual look in her eyes.
Naveen laughed. "What is this about?" He followed her.
"What do you think this is about?" Tiana challenged him.
"A new form of role playing?"Naveen asked.
Tiana shook her head.
He quickly pulled her into his arms. "Then why were you trying to avoid me?"
Tiana stood on her tiptoes. "I'm not avoiding you."
"Then why were you backing away from me?"
"To prove that you can be resisted."
"Prove that you can't resist me," He whispered, arrogance in his voice.
"Take your hands off me," she calmly demanded.
Naveen obeyed, even taking a step back.
Tiana then turned away and undid her top, letting it fall onto the floor.
Naveen licked his lips following her. "Mi benita..."
She turned the handles of the bath tub making the water come on.
Naveen's eyes wandered the back of his wife, already aroused at her being topless. "Perhaps we can postpone this game—
"What game?" Tiana asked, placing her foot on the step, exposing her entire leg and thigh. "I'm about to take a bath."
"You win," Naveen gave up on the game. Already holdng back for many weeks he was ready to have his wife in his arms and under or over him. "I need you, Tiana."
Tiana smiled in satisfaction as she turned off the bath water and felt her husband's arms around hers, his lips on her neck and shoulder. "You win..."
Tiana swayed her hips, rubbing her derriere over her husband's much needed erection. "How bad do you need me, baby?"
Naveen forced Tiana to turn and captured her lips in a passionate and heated kiss, and to keep her from easing out of his arms he held her tightly around his strong arms.
"Mm..." she moaned5k and felt his hand on her lower back and they reached the bed and opened her eyes to watch him unbutton his shirt. She smirked, her thighs both exposed from the splits of her skirt. She raised her left leg as Naveen got back on the bed, his hand took her by the calf and began planting kisses with up and around her thighs.
Tiana moaned, throwing her head back as her husband worked on the other leg.
"Mi benita..." He kissed her inner thighs and licked his lips at the sight of her undergarment. "This is in the way!"
Tiana raised her hips to assist Naveen pulling off her panties and gasped when he pulled her closed to his face.
"I miss you..." He kissed her intimate lips.
"Mmm..." Tiana moaned as Naveen worked his magic between her legs...
()()()()
"Oh, Tiana, your hips are possess," Naveen said, out of breath.
"I can the same thing about yours," Tiana rested her head on his chest, catching her breath.
Naveen shook his head. "That was amazing. Worth all the delays, walk-ins, any interruption that came our way." He then remembered something and got off the bed, causing Tiana's face to hit the pillows below her. "Sorry about that mi benita!" He got back on the bed with a necklace with a large emerald.
Tiana frowned. "What is this for?"
"A belated anniversary gift!" Naveen answered, snapping on the necklace around her neck.
"But our anniversary was over two months ago!" Tiana ran her fingers over the large emerald. "So heavy."
"As you also know it's tradition and customary for the husband to give his wife, the woman he loves a gift for marriage, any child his wife births as well as anniversaries. Early or late."
"It's beautiful. Thank you." Tiana then got on top of hm. "Let's see how this looks from this angle."
Naveen was obviously impressed by the sight before him. "Achi...donza!" He ran his hands on the sides of her body...
()()()()
Errol jogged up the stairs and immediately spotted the second nursery door being slightly opened. Before he even stepped into the room he heard Telese singing a lullaby to what looked like the princess. It was one of the many visions he hope will come true someday if Telese accepts his hand. Since being with Telese he's got to see many sides of her in which he loved every single one. There were still walls that surrounded her. A minor setback to their progress but at least there was progress there.
Telese looked over at the door to see the Soluncian King watching her. She gave him a weak smile. "Were you watching me the entire time?"
He nodded, walking in. "You were very motherly to your niece."
"I should hope I am. It makes up for the missed opportunity I had with my own daughter who is much bigger than this little one!"
"Well you did beautifully. Your voice is mellifluous," Errol praised.
Telese raised a brow.
Errol laughed. "You have a beautiful sounding voice!"
"Why thank you!" She then looked down at her niece and sighed. "My niece and nephew are so beautiful."
"They're definitely going to be heart breakers when they realize how good looking they're going to be. Especially that Demetrius! I can already see him following his father's narcissistic footsteps."
"Would you like to hold her?" She offered.
Errol raised his brows. "Oh, you see I've never held a baby...before."
Telese laughed a little, standing up. "Have a seat."
Errol did just that.
"Hold you arms before you."
He did that.
"Here's the baby!" She slowly and carefully handed him the sleeping infant.
Errol's heart raced until Telese guided him on properly holding the young baby girl. He looked down at the sleeping princess and felt complete.
Telese saw this and put her hand over her mouth. "You're going to make some daddy to your future children and husband to whomever you end up marrying."
Errol looked up at her. "I'm hoping to have the honour of sharing this exact moment with the woman who easily took the fear out of an inexperienced king."
Telese desperately suppressed a smile and sighed. "It isn't hard holding a baby." She gently took the baby back in her arms to put her the crib.
"True but...," Errol rose up, walking over to her. He really wanted to propose. "Telese there is—
"We should go in one of the sitting rooms." She suggested, opening the door.
Errol followed her to the sitting room where he took a deep breath and started his proposal over again.
"This is one of my favourite sitting rooms here," Telese shared, picking up the watering can and pouring the water over the flowers.
"It's one of the better sitting rooms here," Errol agreed. "Te—
"And the flowers go well with the drapes. I actually arranged for this—
"Telese?" Errol smiled, catching her attention. "There is something I've been meaning to ask you." He took out a small box from his pocket.
Telese gasped, her hand over her chest as he got down on bended knee. "Oh, Errol..."
"Will you do me the honour of being my wife?" His blue eyes gazed into her brown eyes.
Telese wanted more than to say yes, but she couldn't do it. "No, Errol, I can't"
"I love you," he said.
"Oh, Errol..."
"I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you."
Telese heard the emotion in his voice when he professed his love for her. Her lips trembled. "I can't..."
"If you become my wife I will fight my hardest to win your heart."
"I do love you!" She admitted.
"Then am I being too forward in proposing?" He asked.
"No, I do want to marry you but it would be selfish of me." She added.
"Selfish?" Errol laughed, not in homour. "How will marrying me be selfish? No one deserves to be alone."
"I have my daughter." She said.
"Who is also like a daughter to me!" He added.
Telese shook her head. "I can't give you what you'll eventually need in a marriage," she confessed.
"Your heart is all I need." Errol rose back up to take her hands with his.
"So many men have given me that promise and I believed them...I can't take risk anymore. And I won't hurt you by doing it."
"But my interest in you isn't a risk." He lifted her hands to kiss them both. "If you would give me the chance I will give you the happiness you deserve."
Telese stared into his eyes, her heart so close to surrendering.
Errol leaned forward and pressed his lips onto hers.
She wrapped her arms over his shoulders, deepening the kiss.
They remained this way for another minute before Errol ended it. As amazing as the kiss felt it was best to end it for their sakes.
He opened his eyes to see that Telese's were still closed, cupping her cheek with his hand he said, "I would rather you to be my wife, but I would also prefer you to be happy, and if it means waiting for your earned trust then it will be well worth it."
Telese slowly opened her eyes to Errol gazing at her with everything that just left his mouth which met with his blue eyes. Genuine. Truth. Love.
Which relieved her because it didn't feel as if he was trapping her in wall after wall like with Charles. She put her hand on his as tears escaped her eyes. "Its time that I be very honest on why I can't marry you, Errol."
"Tell me." He listened on.
"I come with too much baggage and on top of that will make you unhappy in the long run."
He frowned. "I will be unhappy in a life without you—
"I'm burren! I can't have anymore children, Errol!" She confessed, her eyes watered. "I had life threatening cysts that required surgery. My chances of having another child died along with it."
Errol was just as heartbroken to see the woman he love in so much pain. So he wrapped his arms around her. "A child doesn't make a marriage."
"No," Telese shook her head. "You need to marry a nice virgin princess who will give you all the babies you deserve. You're a good man, Errol."
"And you're a good woman whom I want and need as my wife," Errol said.
"You're a king and..." she then stopped.
"And what? I'm required to have an heir yes, but I would rather have a child out of love, not by tradition or convenience."
"I won't let you do this." She said, stepping out of his arms.
"Vivian is like a daughter to me. I love her!"
"I know but you will want your own children and deserve more than a soiled wife who can't even give that to you..." Telese stopped when feeling Errol's lips on hers. She accepted the kiss and melted into his arms. Slowly but surely tearing down that stubborn wall that was keeping her from acceptng hs proposal.
Errol ended the kiss. "I would give up my crown for you."
Telese exhaled. "I would never let you do that."
He kissed her on the forehead. "When I left for my kingdom almost a year ago all I could think of what bringing you and Vivian back with me as my pending wife and daughter. I also swore that I will not give up on you without a fight."
Telese smiled at that and looked up at him. "Well you don't have to fight anymore." And pressed her lips onto his lips.
"Mm...wait!" Errol had to be sure he heard her right. "Do you accept my proposal? Will you marry me?"
She nodded.
"Yes!" He lifted her up in his arms before setting her back on the floor. "You have made me the happiest man on earth. I love you."
Telese put her hand on the king's chiseled face. "I love you."
He smiled, taking her left hand and slipping the diamond ring through her ring finger. "Perfect fit."
She looked at the obviously expensive looking ring. "It's beautiful."
"It belonged to my mother who once told me that I will marry a beautiful woman with dark hair and brown eyes." Errol confessed.
Telese leaned forward to kiss Errol when she heard her sister's scream. She frowned and hurried to look out onto the hall. When she saw her sister being carried by Naveen as if she was a cave woman both she and Errol laughed.
"I really hope our marriage is as colourful as theirs," Errol said.
"Oh, it will be," Telese promised, standing on her tip toes, feeling the king's strong arms around her frame.
"Then I look forward to it," Errol pressed his lips onto hers.
()()()()
