A/N: Chapter 8. Hope you enjoy.
I do not own The Princess and the Frog.
The Glory of Love
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Tiana was hopelessly lost. Naveen had given her directions to the drawing room before leaving for his meeting. Down the corridor, down the stairs, a left at the suit of armor, down the stairs... and that's all she could remember. Everything hallway looked the same, she'd passed about ten suits of armor. She stood there now, in her favorite dress, searching for someone who could direct her. It was only eighteen minutes until ten, and she didn't want to be late. Again.
Eventually she came across a maid, emerging from a room. "Hello?" Tiana called out. The maid, a stout middle aged woman jumped about a mile, and turned around, wide eyed. She stared at Tiana, clearly confused. "Can you tell me how to get to the Drawing Room?"
The woman looked still looked confused, but said something in Maldonian.
"Beg pardon, I don't speak Maldonian," Tiana said loudly and clearly. The maid shook her head, and again responded in Maldonian. 'And she obviously don't speak English,' she thought. Perfect. What on earth was she going to do now? She checked her father's old watch: twelve minutes left.
Another voice, a man's this time, came from behind. Tiana whirled around to see a tall, wiry man approaching. Light skinned, he had black hair flecked with grey, and steely grey eyes. He scolded the maid, who shot him a glare and walked away. He then turned to Tiana and continued his tirade at her.
"Excuse me? I don't understand," she said. Without missing a beat, he quickly switched to English.
"What do you think you are doing standing around conversing? Back to your chores!" he snapped. He had a light British accent.
"Chores?" she asked, truly bewildered now.
"Yes, your job," he said in a rather condescending tone. Her face grew hard, but she held her tongue. "Who are you anyway, girl? I don't recognize you."
"Oh!" Tiana said, surprised. She extended her hand out to him. "I'm sorry, I'm Tiana..."
The man's sneer abrubtly changed into an expression of utmost horror. "Forgive me, your Highness! I had no idea that you had arrived!" He said, bowing low.
"That's fine..."
"My name is Hartwell, your Highness. I am the head of the household staff. Forgive me, it's been a busy morning, or else I would have been alerted to your arrival!" His face was bright red as he rose and took her hand.
"That's all right, Hartwell. It's no big deal."
"You are too gracious, Princess. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Actually yes. I'm looking for the Drawing Room. I have to meet her Majesty there in ten minutes..."
"Ah, yes. I will escort you myself," he said, bowing again. He beckoned her and she followed him around the corner and down the hall. "Here we are, your Highness," He said when they came to a set of double doors, exactly like the others in the corridor. She realized, to her embaressment, that she had passed it a few times during her search.
Hartwell opened the door, and she walked in. He bowed again, and said, "If you ever require anything Princess, just send for me and I shall take care of it personally." He backed out of the doorway, and shut the door. The thud echoed loudly in the massive room.
She wandered around the empty room, taking everything in. There were several sofas and armchairs, and an white piano in one corner. She stopped in front of a china cabinet, and admired the exquisite pieces. She moved on, running her fingers over the molding of the fireplace. Above it was a portrait of a young couple, whom she recognized as Naveen's parents. Both wore somber expressions, showing no joy or happiness. She felt that it was odd, for such young couple much like herself and Naveen would look so... unhappy.
She heard angry voices outside the door. Curious, she snuck over and leaned her ear to the door.
"... No buts, Marie. You are not to wake Avram yet," the queen's voice snapped.
"His tutor will arrive at noon. What am I supposed to do, send him away? Tell him his Highness will be missing his lessons yet again?" another voice sneered. It belonged to a woman with a thick Irish accent.
"There will be no need for that, just wake him around eleven thirty. He's worn out, he was out and about in the sun and fresh air yesterday, and he was up at the crack of dawn this morning."
"Perhaps you should not have allowed him to run wild with Naveen and that American barmaid he's married! He's not used to that sort of excitement," the Irish woman snapped. Rage swelled up inside of Tiana. Barmaid? She longed to burst through the door and confront that woman, but resisted. The last thing she wanted was to be branded as an eavesdropper.
"That is Prince Naveen and Princess Tiana to you, Marie, and perhaps if you did not keep my son locked up all day long, he would be more accustomed to the excitement," the queen said, in a low cold tone that made even Tiana feel a twinge of fear. "And perhaps you are forgetting your place."
There was silence on the other side of the door, then the subdued response came, "Beg your pardon, Majesty. I'll just be going." Tiana ran over to a chair and flopped down just as the door opened, and her mother in law stormed in. She took a deep breath, and muttered something under her breath. She noticed Tiana sitting there, and smiled gently.
"I see you found your way here. Are you ready to leave?" She looked slightly nervous, as though she knew that Tiana had heard every word of her arguement.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Tiana said, jumping to her feet. She smoothed out her dress, and watched as the queen inspected herself in a mirror. She looked back to the portrait. Padma noticed where she was looking and turned to her. "Is that you?" Tiana asked.
"Yes, Majencio and I after our wedding. It was dreadfully hot that summer, and I was still new to that awful corset, I was just miserable through those sittings," she said with a reminiscent grimace. "You and Naveen will be having your own done this summer. I've made the arrangements, your first sitting is in three days."
"I don't have to wear a corset, do I?" Tiana joked.
"No, you do not. Believe me, I am very glad that those vile contraptions have gone out of style," the queen laughed. "Shall we?" She gestured towards the door. Tiana followed her out, and through the deathly silent halls of the castle. They made their way down the grand staircase in the front hall, and through the front door. A servant came up to them, and bowed.
"Good day your Majesty, your Highness. I have your carriage waiting," he said with a sweeping hand. The queen nodded, and followed him. He opened the door, and helped her in. He offered his hand to Tiana, but she politely refused, and climbed in after her mother in law was settled in. She sat across from the queen, and the two sat in silence as the carriage started rattling through the busy streets of Maldonia's capital city. They soon came to a stop in front of a modest manor house. They climbed out and walked up to the front door. The servant knocked on the door, and a gentleman answered. He became very excited when he saw them, and showed them inside.
The house was dark and cool, with beautiful paintings lining the walls. They walked through an open set of doors, into a large sitting room that was full of people. One of them, a middle aged man with dark grey hair and beard, turned to them, and smiled warmly.
"Dearest Padma, how wonderful it is to see you," he said in a booming voice, taking the queen's hand and placing a kiss on it. He then turned to Tiana, and did the same to her. "And this must be the lovely new princess."
"Hi there, I'm Tiana," she said as he released her hand.
"Akil Prokopios, your Highness."
"Our beloved Prime Minister," the queen added, touching him lightly on the shoulder.
"Very pleased to meet you," Tiana said, bowing her head a little. A woman had come to stand beside him, who curtsied to the queen and Tiana.
"This is my wife, Odelia," He introduced Tiana, giving the woman a little squeeze. Tiana smiled, and shook her hand. The couple stepped aside, and gestured to a chair in the corner. Tiana could see another woman, a younger clone of the Prime Minister's wife, sitting there, a cradle at her feet. Padma hurried foreward eagerly, and gave the young woman a hug. Tiana had stepped closer and peered into the cradle. A tiny baby lay there, buried in blankets. She couldn't help but smile when it yawned with an adorable little squeak.
The girl extended her hand and shook Tiana's. "I am happy you could come, Prutta," she said, "I am Era Telone, welcome to my home." The queen was now leaning over the cradle, grinning from ear to ear. Odelia bent down and scooped up the baby. She carefully handed the child to Padma, who eagerly took it in her arms.
"He is just beautiful!" the queen gushed to their young host, who smiled serenely. "What is his name?"
"We have decided to call him Angkel, your Majesty," Era said, getting to her feet.
"A fine name," she said with a nod. She cradeled the baby, cooing softly to him in a language Tiana did not recognize. His mother asked the queen something in Maldonian, who nodded, and turned her head to Tiana. "Would you like to hold him, my dear?"
"Oh!" Tiana exclaimed, taken aback. "I don't know..."
"Here," the queen said, thrusting the baby into her arms. She clasped onto the tiny bundle tightly and looked down at the tiny face peeking out of the blankets. Smooth and tan, with dark curls peeking out from the blanket. Tiana felt a sudden swell of happiness as she held this precious child. She rocked him gently, humming to him. If she had looked up, she would have seen the queen's overjoyed expression at the sight of her daughter in law holding a baby. But all her attention at that moment was on baby Angkel.
The boy opened his eyes slowly. He blinked his dark eyes a few times to focus, and looked up at Tiana. She grinned down at him, and cooed "Hi there, little fella!" He screwed up his face, and let out a mewling cry. She panicked, and thrust the child out to his mother, who took him with a laugh.
Tiana took a seat beside her mother in law, and looked around the room as the queen and the Prime Minester's family chatted away. The she was strongly reminded of the LaBouff's mansion, with the flowery silk wallpaper and plush chairs. Thinking about the Labouff's made her a little bit homesick again.
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Several hours later, they were saying their goodbyes. Odelia grasped Tiana's hands. "I am glad that I have met you, Prutta. It was most pleasant." She struggled to say, slurring her english.
"De Schaze, Odelia," Tiana said. The older woman smiled gratefully, and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Abinaza Prutta," she said, backing into the house. The Prime Minister nodded to Tiana.
"I am sorry that my wife's english is not very good," he said.
"I'm... sorry my Maldonian ain't better," she said, blushing.
He laughed, and said, "Well you will both learn. She will practice her English, you will practice your Maldonian, and you will meet in the middle, yes?" Tiana nodded, and with a wave, she followed the queen back to the carriage.
"So what do you think of Akil?" Padma asked as they started down the road back towards the castle.
"He seems very nice," Tiana said truthfully, "Are you two friends?"
"Oh yes. He was the first friend I made upon coming to Maldonia. I could not have been happier when he was elected."
"Why's that?" She asked.
"Let's just say that the former Minister and I... we did not always see eye to eye," the queen said coldly. Tiana was reminded of the conversation she had over heard with Avram's nanny that morning. She couldn't help but wonder who else the queen, who seemed so adored by everyone she had met, didn't "see eye to eye with".
"Dear Era has really straightened herself out. You would never know it now, but in her youth, she was such a wild child."
Tiana had a hard time believing that the serene girl she had met could have ever been wild, and told her so. The queen laughed.
"It is true. It shames me to say it, but Naveen did not have the best influence on her. It is a wonder the parents of all Naveen's friends do not hate us."
"We met Marcello Du Ezpasita in Zulima last night," Tiana remembered.
"Yes, he is a wild one. A nice boy, but wild. Although I hear he is straightening out. But Era... I was most concerned for her. But once Naveen left, she started getting her life together. She got married, and now she is a mother!" Padma said with a meaningful look in Tiana's direction. Tiana was not lost on the meaning. She received that very look from her own mother at least twice a week.
"I don't think Naveen and I are ready to have kids yet," she said, looking out of the carriage window.
"That is fine. Just bear in mind that I would like nothing more than to see my grandchildren before I go..."
"I don't think you have to worry about that, Your Majesty. You're still a very young woman, you don't look a day over fifty!" Tiana said with a laugh. Her laugh was silenced, however, when the queen's face fell.
"I am only forty three..." she muttered. Tiana's eyes grew wide in horror.
"I didn't mean anything by that your Majesty! You are very beautiful, and I forgot to think..."
"Calm yourself, love. This," she said, tugging on a stray piece of grey hair, "Comes from being Naveen's mother." Tiana started to say something, but she caught a glimpse of the playful gleam in the queen's golden brown eyes.
A gleam she knew all too well.
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A/N: Oh, Tiana. Insulting the queen and making babies cry...
Sorry for the late update, but the next one will be up sooner. ( WARNING- Rated F for Fluff!)
Thank you for reading! Please review.
