A/N: Sorry about the delay! Hopefully this long chapter makes up for it.

Also, now seems like a good time to give a shout out to another fanfic writer Commander (I'm sorry I don't know if there is a way to link to their page) who wrote one of my favorite patf fics of all time, Through a Stained Glass Wall. The Maldonian in that fic is so good that years and years ago I asked Commander if I could use it for my own fic that I was trying to write. Even though it's been years since they said yes, and years since I finally have been able to write the damned thing, and in between the years that I asked and really started to write this I have developed my own version of the language, I still wanted to give a shout out. Check out their page!

Anyway, there's only a word or two of Maldonian in this chapter, but there will be more in future chapters.

Tiana had always been able to fall asleep quickly. As long as she could remember, all she had to do was rest her head on her pillow, and she would be out like a light. Nothing could wake her either, except the incessant ringing of her alarm clock.

Now though, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to turn off her mind. Everything that had happened that day was swirling around inside her head with her mother's words hanging over them. Thoughts of her wedding would surface, only to be dampened by the fact that there was no license to back it up. Memories of Naveen's kisses were accompanied by Eudora's warnings of a future scandal.

Tiana even tried counting sheep, but the sheep quickly morphed into frogs, and she would remember that she had been under a spell less than 24 hours ago, and that the entire reason the spell had been broken was because Naveen was a prince and she had married him, which meant she was now a princess which meant….well, she didn't know what that meant.

With a sigh, Tiana turned to her side. Everything in her room felt so normal. How could that be when everything about her had changed since the last time she was here? Even her body felt strange after being a frog for so long. Absentmindedly Tiana wiggled her toes under the blankets, marveling at how small they felt while the rest of her body felt giant. Not gangly, but just big.

Did Naveen feel the same way? Tiana really wished she could talk to him, not just about the spell they had been under, or about the worries that were keeping her awake, but just anything. She needed to hear his voice. She needed him to tell her that it would all be okay. The staircase that was separating them had never felt so infinite.

And then there were those thoughts that were at the back burner of her mind, that no matter what Tiana did they still lingered - what if this had all been a dream? The normalcy of her room kept reinforcing the notion, no matter what her body was feeling, or the memories that tugged at her brain, or the way her pulse raced whenever her mind strayed to the thought of the prince who may or may not be sleeping one floor below her. Which it did fairly often.

But even with all that, the whole story was so unbelievable. A spell that had turned her into a frog, trumpet playing alligator, and fireflies who became stars? Ha. And the most far-fetched was that someone (a prince to boot!) had fallen in love with her, and had married her just that morning. Tiana, who everyone knew was plain and boring, and too inconsequential for anyone to notice.

Tears stung her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. This was getting ridiculous. Tiana sat up. She needed… she needed a glass of water. Yes. That would help her get some sleep. And the fact that she had to go downstairs to get it was just a coincidence. Just like the fact that to get to the kitchen she had to pass through the living room. Just a mere happenstance, that's all.

At least she would be able to set her mind at ease about one thing tonight. If Naveen was there and was sleeping, she wouldn't wake him, strong though the temptation might be. If he was awake, they could talk a little about what to do next. And if he wasn't there? Tiana felt her heart break just from the thought. She didn't know what she would do if he wasn't there, but she had a feeling it would involve crying a lot.

Tiana secured her robe around her waist, and stepped into her slippers, trying to ignore the panic that was welling up inside her. He just had to be there, right?

Well, I'll find out one way or the other, she thought. Tiana held her breath as she opened her door and slipped out into the darkness.

This wasn't how Naveen had imagined his wedding night. Not that he imagined it much to begin with, mind you, but occasionally it had crossed his mind whenever he bedded a particularly beautiful woman. And then he met Tiana, and, well, the image of wedding nights made more frequent visits to his mind.

Still, no matter when he had imagined this night, they all had one thing in common: he was actually with his wife.

Naveen let out a pitiful sigh as he gazed longingly at the stairs. She was just up those twenty or so steps. If he could only…

The rational part of his brain (which was still miraculously functioning) would pipe in, reminding him that he didn't know which room was Tiana's, and if he went into the wrong room there would be hell to pay. He would not make such a disastrous mistake now, not when everything felt so fragile.

But he hated thinking of her lying in bed, alone, tonight of all nights. Was she awake, too? Was she waiting for him?

He sighed again, trying to get comfortable, though he knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight. Even if he wasn't plagued with a constant state of arousal coursing through his entire body, this couch was the lumpiest couch he had ever had the displeasure to lay on. Naveen would have traded it for the ground in the bayou in a heartbeat. At least there his feet hadn't been sticking up in the air because the damned couch was too small. At least there he had been with Tiana, and could kiss her and hold her all night.

He rolled his eyes at himself. Was he really wishing he could be back in the bayou as a frog because he was a little lonely and uncomfortable here on the couch?

Still, if they were frogs Naveen knew he would be holding her close right now. Just the thought sent another wave of longing through him. But it wasn't just arousal this time - he missed her.

It was strange to think, as it had only been an hour or two since they had gone to bed, but there it was. They had slept side by side throughout their entire time in the bayou, and if he wasn't holding her when they first fell asleep, they always awoke in eachother's arms.

That must be what he was longing for - the way she nestled into him whenever he put his arm around her, the way she talked in her sleep, that utter completeness he felt whenever they were together.

Naveen's gaze fixed on the stairs once more. If he could just make it up those few stairs, he could hold her for a little while. He could kiss her. Naveen hadn't even been able to kiss her goodnight, so surely that would be alright. And if she wanted to do a little more, then maybe…

He groaned, restlessly running his hands through his hair. He had to stop thinking like this! He couldn't go to her, there was too much at risk! He didn't have protection! He… he….

He didn't want their first time to be like that.

Tiana deserved more than a quick romp in the sheets, their hushed voices urging the other to be quiet, while all the while keeping an ear perked for any possible noise from the other room. It would be hurried and rushed and after… after he would have to leave.

He couldn't even bare the thought of leaving her side after making love to her. It tore his heart in two just imagining it. Naveen needed to stay with her, holding her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear until the sun rose in the morning. Anything else seemed so ugly.

Their first time together shouldn't be rushed. They should have all the time in in the world to explore each other and learn their rhythms. He wanted to give himself to her fully.

Which meant, Naveen sighed forlornly, he had to stay put. No matter how inviting the idea was, he wanted to start this marriage off right; even if it technically wasn't a legal union, yet.

This was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

Once more he closed his eyes, attempting to think of anything but his wife one floor above, but the creaks and groans of this house were louder now. It even sounded like someone was walking around upstairs. But then Naveen heard the soft click of a door opening, and soft footsteps coming slowly down the stairs.

Of the two possible people who would be coming down, Naveen guessed it would be Eudora. He hadn't known her long, but she seemed like the type of mother who would make sure that he hadn't ventured into places she wouldn't approve of.

Glad that he hadn't ventured upstairs, Naveen quickly closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep. It seemed like a better plan to have Eudora think he wasn't being kept awake by lust all evening.

But the soft voice in the darkness didn't belong to Eudora, and when he heard her softly whisper his name, Naveen's eyes popped open.

"Tiana?" he whispered back, suddenly feeling wide awake as the adrenaline worked it's way through him.

She gasped softly, but Naveen could practically hear the smile on her lips. It mirrored his own. "Naveen!"

They blindly reached for each other in the dark, their fingers aching to touch one another, but their heads found the other first with a loud clonk.

Their soft curses were soon replaced by suppressed giggles, and then Naveen was peppering her forehead with kisses.

"Did I hurt you, my love?"

"No," Tiana whispered. She cupped his cheeks and marveled at the face grinning down at her.

Naveen chuckled and gently rested his forehead against hers. "What is it?" His arms were around her now, holding her close.

"It's just that - you're real."

"Were you afraid I wasn't?"

"Maybe a bit," Tiana confessed. Her fingers were tracing over his jaw now, and when they circled his ear, Naveen shivered in delight. "It all felt too impossible to be real."

The nearness of her, her touch, her scent, that voice, was getting to him fast. He wanted her, and all thoughts of waiting for a better moment were gone from his mind.

"Oh, I'm real, alright," he whispered in her ear. Now it was Tiana's turn to shiver, and Naveen delighted in it. "Let me show you how real I can be."

Naveen held her tightly to him as their lips met in a fiery kiss. With only her nightgown and robe on her, Tiana might as well have been naked. She surprised herself by pushing and pressing her breasts and hips against him. Combined with the yield and wetness of her mouth, it gave the embrace a certain persuasion. It was like nothing Tiana had ever known. It was like she was kissing not simply with her lips, but with every nerve in her body.

As Naveen's hands moved down her back, her waist, her rear, Tiana found it was too much, and her knees buckled underneath her. But his grip around her was strong, and they awkwardly shuffled towards the couch.

Tiana's entire body had turned into jelly, and she clutched onto him, as he guided her until she was lying on her back. The pressure of his kisses and his body sent a warm ache humming through her body, making her dizzy. She clutched him again, running her fingers through his hair, letting her hands explore his arms, his chest, hoping that he would ground her, that it would help stop her body from shaking. But she could feel his muscles through his thin nightshirt, and that wasn't helping at all.

Naveen's hands seemed to be everywhere at once. He caressed her face, her hair, sliding down her back, her waist. When a hand slid under the hem of her nightgown Tiana was surprised by the whimper that came out of her, feeling his hot hand on her bare thighs. He traced all along her delicate skin between her thighs and along the edges of her underwear. Tiana gasped as he dipped into the waistband of her undies and cupped the crisp curls between her legs.

They pulled apart, breathing hard, their hearts thumping. Naveen locked eyes with Tiana, hesitant.

"Tiana," he breathed.

"Please," she begged, and reached out to cup his face, finding it in the dark, finding his lips. She kissed him again, hard, and parted her legs, opening herself to the delicate slide of his fingers.

The gasp escaped her lips before she even had a chance to fight it. But by then she had forgotten about the need to stay quiet, forgotten about her mother upstairs, forgotten about everything except for Naveen. His touch and his kisses drew her on, on past caution, past care. Her hips began to move to match the rhythm of his nimble fingers working in and out of her sensitive flesh. His thumb brushed and teased her, making her moan into the kiss, making her nudge her hips all the harder.

His fingers curled inside her, hitting her most sensitive spot. Tiana cried out as shockwaves coursed through her, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Their mouths were tight together, and Naveen took in the cry like a breath, making it his own.

His fingers were still moving inside her as she hitched and jerked in his arms. The pleasure was almost unbearable.

Mercifully, he withdrew his fingers, and eased his lips from hers. Tiana couldn't seem to catch her breath as he nuzzled against her forehead and held her close. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest as she nestled against him. The reality of their situation suddenly dawned on her. What had they just done? They must be crazy! But the pleasure that was still flowing through her… well, that outweighed everything didn't it?

"Tiana?" Naveen whispered, kissing her neck, lingering on the soft skin. "Are you alright?"

It took her a moment to realize he had asked her a question, to remember that words were a thing, and that he was waiting for her to respond. But Tiana's tongue felt heavy and clumsy after swirling it around Naveen's for so long. She swallowed, and could only manage a soft, "Huh?"

"You're trembling."

"Oh." She was shaking at that. How could Tiana not have realized? There were so many things to feel right now, too much to comprehend all at once. "I'm - I'm okay," she answered, finding her voice at last. She could feel heat rushing to her cheeks as he kissed and nuzzled against her neck.

His hands were moving again, slowly up and down her back, but that didn't erase the memory of what they had just been doing. Tiana shivered a little more, and scooted a precious centimeter closer to him. Their bodies were now so tangled up, she couldn't tell where hers stopped and his began.

"I've never -" she began, and stumbled. "I mean, that was my…" Tiana trembled again as the echoes of her pleasure rippled through her one last time. "Am I drunk?"

Naveen let out a breathy chuckle. "No." He was playing with her hair now, as much as he could with it still being pulled back. "You know what it is, yes?"

Did she? She'd certainly never touched herself there before - that's what bad girls did! But how could it be bad when it felt so good? "I never knew it could be like that," she finally said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did you like it?"

Another shiver, followed by a shaky breath. She was blushing heavily now, she could feel it. But it didn't really matter, did it? Suddenly feeling shy, Tiana buried her face in his chest, and nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

Naveen kissed her forehead, kissed her cheek, lingering on her dimple as she smiled. "Tiana?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Her toes curled, and she pulled back. A finger gently traced down his face. "I love you, too." And just like that they were kissing again. But before things got heated again, Naveen pulled back.

"Tiana, wait." He was out of breath, and she was too. Maybe that's why the next words out of his mouth were so surprising. "I think we should stop."

She blinked. "Stop?"

Naveen took a deep breath. They had already gone further than he had wanted to, so he had to explain. But his brain was fuddled from her kisses, and from the memory of that lovely noises she had made as she climaxed (oh how he wanted to hear that sound again). So instead of a well formatted explanation, he blurted his argument out in the simplest terms his brain could allow. "I don't want to have sex with you."

"You don't-" Tiana was struggling to comprehend what he was saying as her eyes filled with tears. "- you don't want me?"

Naveen immediately realized his error. "No!" Tiana's eyes widened, and Naveen began backpedalling. "I mean, yes, of course I do!"

"But what about…?" She couldn't form the words to describe what they had just done, the afterglow of her climax was quickly fading away.

He cringed slightly. "We may have taken things too far."

"You mean it was a mistake?"

Oh god, he was just making everything worse. "No! Of course not!"

Tiana ignored him, hastily brushing tears away as she sat up and moved away from his embrace. "If you think I'm ugly just say so."

"What?" Faldi faldonza. "Tiana, you're the most beautiful-"

"I know I'm bad at this sort of thing, but I didn't think it mattered."

"It doesn't!" He reached for her, but she shrugged him off. "But you are very good-"

"But you still don't want me?" Tiana was hugging herself tightly now, a gesture he was beginning to recognize. How could he make her understand?

"Tiana." He reached for her again. She didn't shy from his touch this time, so he tilted her chin up until their eyes met. He softly brushed a tear away. "Tiana, I want you. I want you so much I can hardly breathe."

"All I can think about is lying with you, having you beneath me, naked, while I make you scream in ecstasy. I want to kiss every inch of your body. I want to be inside you and feel you pulsing as we join together in that ultimate pleasure. I want to take you again and again, until we are both so sore we can hardly stand one more second, and even then we keep going because even one second apart is like death."

Their foreheads were touching now. Naveen could feel the heat in her cheeks. The desperate need to kiss her senseless filled him once more, but he held back. He found her hand and linked their fingers together, bringing their joined hands to his lips, and kissed the sweet knuckles of her hand.

"What I mean is, I want to be the best version of myself for you. I don't want to be the kind of person who sneaks around anymore. I don't want to rush through things with you, and I don't want to be anxious about someone finding us together. I want to be in a real bed so we don't have to worry about falling off the couch."

Tiana snickered at that, and Naveen broke into a grin.

"What I said earlier… what I meant was that I don't want to just have sex with you. I want to make love to you. I want us to be intimate together, as husband and wife."

Tiana was crying again, and Naveen panicked for a moment, terrified he has still said the wrong thing. But then she threw her arms around him, kissing his cheek, his jaw, his neck, before resting her head on his shoulder.

"I want that, too," she said, sniffling. "I love you. I'm sorry, I-"

Naveen shushed her gently, planting a chaste kiss on her lips. "I am the one who should apologize." He rubbed his nose against hers. "I'm sorry, princess." Another kiss. "I love you, too."

They held each other close, until their breathing became normal and steady once more. Tiana pulled back, tucking an errant curl behind her ears. She shared a shy smile with her husband, before glancing to the nearby clock.

"How did it get to be so late?" she asked.

Naveen smirked. "Time flies, as they say."

"Yes, they do." Tiana tried to suppress her grin, but doing so only made her giggle. Everything felt so good it was impossible to keep it all in. Still… "Maybe it's time I headed back upstairs."

Naveen's face fell. "What?"

Tiana shrugged. "If we're not going to sneak around, then there's no reason for me to be down here, is there?"

Naveen tsked at her. "Why Miss Tiana, you mean to tell me that you came down here only to kiss me?" He chuckled. "And I thought I was the playboy in this relationship."

"No!" Tiana baulked. "I came downstairs because I just wanted to get a glass of water."

He pulled her back into his arms, bringing their faces close together once more. "And how was that glass of water, hmm?"

"Very refreshing."

Their lips brushed softly.

"Stay with me," Naveen whispered. "Just for a little longer. Please?"

Maybe it was the way his breath tickled her skin, or the way his eyes looked as those thick dark lashes of his swept low as he looked down at her, but Tiana found it impossible to deny his request. "Okay," she conceded. "But just for a little while."

They settled once more on the couch, cuddling face to face, their arms and legs wrapped up in each other.

"You really are a bad influence on me," Tiana teased as Naveen arranging the blanket over them.

He let out a soft laugh. "You are more than welcome to go upstairs anytime you like. I won't stop you."

Tiana raised an eyebrow at him. "This coming from the man who just begged me to stay?"

"I did not beg. I asked politely."

"Ah, well, that makes all the difference then."

"Obviously."

She giggled, nestling in his embrace.

"Any regrets?" Naveen asked.

She knew he was asking about staying down here with him, but Tiana's mind thought back over the past few hours. Their marriage and the heartbreak that seemed to follow as they realized it wasn't going to be as easy as they thought. But even now, Tiana felt happy. Content. How was he able to do this to her? Normally she would be bouncing off the walls, making lists and worrying herself sick. But here with Naveen she felt relaxed, despite all the problems that awaited them.

Regrets? She kissed his lips. "None whatsoever." Tiana smiled as she finally rested her head on his arm.

"Comfortable?"

"Mhmm."

"Good." Naveen gave a happy sigh and gently stroked a finger down her cheek. "You know, one of the worst things about being frogs was that I thought I would never see this face again. Don't get me wrong, you were very cute as a frog, but now," his fingers lightly traced over her skin, memorizing every contour, "you're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

She pressed her palm over his heart, feeling it beat strongly in his chest. After her foolish outburst earlier, Tiana felt silly having him call her beautiful, though it was still appreciated. Still, she'd never been good at accepting compliments, unless it involved her cooking. Usually she would turn it into a self deprecating joke, but now didn't seem like the time. Tiana just decided she would change the subject.

"You know something?" Tiana said, moving her hand up to his hair, twirling it slowly between her fingers.

"Hmm?"

"You were right about your hair," she said. At his raised eyebrow Tiana clarified. "In the bayou, you said-"

"I remember now," he said, laughing. "I'm very glad you like it, princess."

Princess.

The word sliced through her, popping the contented bubble she had been in. She didn't know the first thing about being a princess. She didn't even know where Maldonia was! There was no way she was anyway qualified for it, and even if she was, what did that mean for her dream restaurant?

"Naveen?" she asked softly. "What are we going to do?"

He yawned. "Mmm? About what?"

"Us. Everything." Tiana's heart was sinking just thinking about it. She clung to Naveen, desperate for him to keep her from drowning in it all. 'Make it better,' she thought. 'Make it better like you always do.'

"Everything? That is a tall order," he quipped.

"You know what I mean," Tiana replied.

"I do." Naveen kissed her temple. "Do not worry mi sitara lu'seinn. It will come out right in the end."

"But how?" Even his kisses couldn't keep away the dread that was building inside her. "Usually I know exactly what to do to get to where I want to go, but now," Tiana sighed. "I haven't the slightest idea."

He kissed her again, this time on the lips. "First thing tomorrow, I will write a letter to my parents to tell them the good news. After they give their blessing, we can get a marriage license, and whatever else the law requires us to do."

There. That cloud of hopelessness was lifting. He made it sound so easy. How was it possible that a few hours ago her stomach had been churning with hundreds of anxieties? And now Tiana could almost see that light at the end of the tunnel.

But the mention of his parents threatened to bring it all back to her. There had been so many other things to worry about, she hadn't even spared a thought to them. "Do you think they'll like me?" Tiana asked.

Naveen gave her a soft smile. "They will love you, though not as much as I do. That is impossible."

She laughed, but pressed on, eager to alleviate all her worries. "Even though I'm not a princess?"

"First of all," Naveen said, "you are a princess, or the spell would not have broken." He kissed her quickly before moving on. "Besides, I do not think there is a law dictating that I have to wed someone born to royalty."

"You mean you don't know? Isn't that kind of important?" Tiana asked.

"It may not surprise you, but I was not the best student growing up," Naveen said, giving her a half smile. "There are many Maldonian laws that I do not know."

"But in my defence," he continued, "Maldonia is hundreds of years old, so it is nearly impossible to know everything." Naveen tucked a curl behind her ear. "Even if we are the first marriage like this, I am sure there is a law on our side." He chuckled softly. "We have a law for everything."

Tiana asked softly, "And if there isn't?"

Naveen shrugged. "My father is the king. He can change any law he likes."

Tiana's fingers curled tight around Naveen's nightshirt as she realized just how powerful her in laws were. How powerful Naveen was. Lying in his arms like this, it was easy to forget that he really was a prince. Until now it had just been a simple word to describe him, but now it was becoming more real.

"Will we have to move there?" Tiana asked after a pause. "To Maldonia?"

"No," Naveen answered firmly. "Not unless you want to."

"But-"

"Tiana, your family is here. Your dream is here. I could never take that away from you." He found her hand in the darkness, grasping it tight. "And I will fight anyone who tries."

She wanted to believe him, she really did. "But we'll have to move eventually, won't we?" When Naveen became king, how could he stay here? How could she run a restaurant when she would be at his side as his queen?

"I don't know," he admitted. "As I said, there are many things I do not know about Maldonian law. But my parents do, and I will ask them in my letter." Naveen pressed his lips against hers in a soft, sweet kiss. "Please do not worry, princess. You will never have to give up your dream. I promise."

Now that, Tiana believed. "Thank you," she whispered, and sealed that promise with another kiss.

"Now," Naveen said, "tell me more about your plans for the kitchen of your restaurant."

"You don't really want to hear that, do you?" Tiana asked.

"Yes I do," he replied. He was playing with her hair again. A curl had escaped, and Naveen was twirling it around his finger. "If I am going to help you build it I should know as much as I can. Plus," he grinned, "you are so cute when you talk about your dream. I could listen to you talk about it all day."

The smile that spread over her lips was irresistible. Naveen had to fight the urge to kiss her again, but she had already gotten swept up describing the ideas she had for her restaurant. Naveen asked the occasional question, but for the most part he was content to listen to his wife.

As the night went on, their conversation grew slower, and softer as the weariness of the day settled in. Their troubles forgotten, at least for now, they were happy and content. Wrapped up in each other's arms they eventually drifted off to sleep.

In the morning they woke with a start.

"Oh my god!" Eudora cried out.