The Thrill Of It All II
No Pun Intended
Tiana went straight to her room feeling confused after the meeting with Mama Odie and wanted to be alone. As she put her hand on the handles...
"Tiana?"
She turned to see a surprised Nagina looking her way. She was wearing a beautiful nectarine shade dress with her grey hair pinned up beautifully.
"My dear what is the matter?"
"It's nothing. I'm all right," Tiana answered, wanting to get into her room as soon as possible.
"Naveen told me you were here..." Nagina took both her hands for a cheek to cheek peck. "You must be seventeen or eighteen now, yes?"
Tiana shook her head. "I'm twenty-two."
"Oh!" Nagina laughed and began walking them down the hall. "Come, we must catch up! And meet your son!"
"Pardon, Madame Tiana?"
Both turned to see a middle aged woman. "You are needed in his highness's study."
Tiana looked at Nagina who nodded her head.
"We'll have to put a rain check on catching up."
"I'm sorry Nagina," Tiana said.
"No, no...if you really are staying here then we've got plenty of time to catch up. Go and see my son, who is in high spirits nowadays," she hinted.
Tiana gave the woman another hug before walking away with the servant.
Naveen signed another bill into law as the door opened.
"I've been looking forward to seeing you..." he stopped when he saw an ebony haired woman standing before him with a sensual grin on her face.
"Claudine, what are you doing here?" he asked, standing up.
"Been waiting for you to call on me your majesty," she wrapped her arms over his shoulders. "I've missed you."
Naveen took her hands off him, stepping back. "You are no longer needed for me. Didn't you get the message?"
"That the concubine hall will be closed by the end of the week? Yes, and I knew that you would get rid of the others. Not me."
"You and the others will have a nice place to stay. It just won't be in my palace," he said matter-of-factly.
"Is it because of that American woman you have here? Because I can style my hair like hers and we'll be like twins!" she reminded him.
"Claudine..." Naveen said before she pressed her lips onto his.
Tiana gasped when she saw Naveen and another woman kissing in his study.
Completely oblivious of Tiana's presence, Naveen pushed the other woman away from him. "That's enough Claudine! Your services are no longer needed!
Claudine wiped her mouth. "I had to kiss you one last time your majesty. No other man will make me feel the way you did."
Naveen walked around the woman to open the door wider and was surprised to see Tiana standing in the threshold. "Tiana!"
Claudine eased out of the room before running down the hall.
Naveen could see that Tiana was angry and tried to take her hand but she stepped away, looking at him in disgust. "You're no better than Jacques!"
"Tiana..." he reached out for her.
She stepped back. "Concubines?"
"It isn't as if I stayed celibate when you returned to your damn husband!" Naveen said.
Tiana started to leave the study.
"Wait Tiana please," Naveen took her hand. "I'm sorry..."
"Maybe I moved in too soon. I think we shouldn't be living together. Not yet," she felt helpless and like a fool.
"What are you talking about? This is where you belong!" Naveen said.
"No, I want to feel like I have a say for once," Tiana explained. "To show my son that life isn't handed to you. You've got to work for what you want. I don't want to depend on nobody but myself."
"So you want your independence?" Naveen asked.
Tiana nodded. "Yes."
"Then your independence is what you'll have!" Naveen declared.
Tiana raised her brow at him.
"I'm a king..." Naveen laughed, placing his hand on her lower back. "Which side of the palace would you like to stay in? The North end? Southwestern end? You can see the brand new garden—
"Actually I was thinking of somewhere outside of the palace," Tiana smiled a little.
"Outside of the palace as in the village?" Naveen frowned.
"Yes," Tiana smiled, feeling a little optimistic. "I can get a job in town and—
"Out of the question," Naveen interrupted.
She could understand his concern. "Okay, I can work as one of the cooks here!"
"Not at all," Naveen shook his head.
"Naveen!"
"Tiana! You're not an ordinary woman! You are going to eventually become the queen of Maldonia and with that title you don't so...domestic work," Naveen explained.
"I haven't done domestic work since I was fifteen. I want to work. I need this Naveen."
"How about we make a compromise?"
Tiana frowned. "What do you mean by compromise?"
Naveen quickly regretted his wording. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I want to talk about this. Jacques can have an easier time finding and capturing you if you lived in the village. Guards and all. In the palace you have the legal protection...well, in Maldonian terms that is. And I can at least feel at ease knowing that you and Daniel are all right when I am out of the palace for business."
"Business," Tiana repeated, feeling tired all of a sudden.
"Hey!" Naveen catch her before she fell back and picked her up bridal style. "We can talk about this later if you want?"
She shook her head. "No, I'll stay in the palace. I'm...I'm okay you can put me down."
"Have you eaten anything today?" Naveen was aware of how less Tiana ate and had to ask.
"I ate a toast and an orange."
"That's all?" Naveen put her on the couch. "You are going to eat when you're here and for now on!" he pressed the intercom and a knock was heard at the door seconds later. "Come in!"
A male servant came in and bowed. "Your highness."
"Tell the kitchen staff to bring up some lunch in my office," Naveen ordered. "They know what to make."
"Yes, your majesty," the servant bowed before leaving.
"What I really need is my son," Tiana said\.
"He's with his tutor and will be for a while. If he needs anything she will get it for him."
Tiana frowned. "Tutor? You set him up with a tutor?"
"Until his permanent instructor arrives here from Moscow. He was mine and Kanad. The best in the world."
Tiana shook her head. "Naveen really...you didn't have to."
"I wanted to and I know how important education is for you," Naveen remembered a conversation they had on the ship ride.
She stared up at him. "It is...I never had much education and after I married I wasn't allowed to even go back to school!"
Naveen shook his head and took he hand. "If you like—
"No, its too late for me. But for Daniel he can have what I didn't," Tiana closed her eyes.
Naveen lifted his hand and softly caressed her cheek. "It's never too late to learn something new. If you want I can set up for you to visit the best culinary schools is the world."
Tiana opened her eyes and smiled. "Naveen you're too much...I would love to go culinary but I'm a mother and the courses may be too difficult for someone like me."
"Then how about a new language such as Maldonian? I'm sure you probably know others—
"I only speak english and a little cajun french through a family fruend...I've never..." Tiana stopped when she heard Jacques words:
'What the hell do you need to know French and Italian for? Or any other language?'
'You're too stupid to even settle on being a good enough wife'
'Piss poor nigger women are only good enough to screw and nothing more!'
"Jacques must've said this to you before," Naveen watched her.
Tiana broke from her trance and shrugged her shoulders.
"Tiana, I—" A knock was heard at the door. "Come in!"
The royal chef and five cooks pushed in carts of food with meals on each row.
"Everything looks delicias, Sean!" Naveen eyed the food. "I'll take it from here."
The chef looked surprised. "You do not need my cooks assistance?" he saw Tiana was looked to be sleepy. "We have soup if the beautiful young lady isn't well."
"I see," Naveen said. "Thank you all for what I know will be a pleasing lunch."
The chef and cooks all bowed before leaving the room, closing the door.
"Would you like some of this?" he held the bowl.
Tiana smelled the soup as her stomach growled. "Smells good. What's it called?"
"Avgolemono. You want try it?"
She nodded. "I'll try...," and was about to get the soup until Naveen stopped her. "What?"
"I'll feed you the soup," he dipped the spoon into the soup.
Tiana slowly opened her mouth and moaned when the warmth and flavor hit her tastebuds.
"I knew I had a talent for making women moan..." Naveen joked arrogantly.
"Naveen!" Tiana exclaimed with a small smile
He laughed a little. "Let's return to the topic we were discussing before the interruption, you should take my offer on the schools. You don't have to go."
Tiana shook her head and swallowed the hardy soup. "I already told you—
"What Jacques got you to believe," Naveen said. "Tiana you are a very bright woman and I encourage you to at least consider it."
"No!" she said, sitting up. "I'm sorry Naveen but I can't...and Jacques has nothing to do with this!"
"I don't believe you," Naveen fed her the soup.
Tiana shook her head and picked up a sandwich. "I'll eat this.."
"Dammit Tiana!" Naveen grew frustrated.
"I said no Naveen. At least try to pretend to respect the word that my husband ignored throughout our marriage!" Tiana exclaimed.
Naveen felt guilty and apologized. "Tiana, I..." he stopped when he watched her take a bite of her sandwich with her other hand on her stomach. The hand had a scar the started from her wrist. It was very thin and could be missed if she wore a long sleeve blouse or dress. "Was that from your...?"
"My what?" she asked and followed his eyes. "Oh, yes...it was. I was in a dark place then, but Daniel changed that. And so did you."
"Daniel was conceived during that time," Naveen remembered.
Tiana knew where he was headed. "I wish he was yours but he isn't."
"How are you so sure?" he asked.
"Because I am," Tiana confirmed. "Mama Odie also told me."
"Did she specifically tell you?" he was aware of the woman phrasing her words in order for those who seek her help solve their problems on their own.
"No, but she did say he looks a lot like his grandfather Pierre Montreuil."
"Looks like him!" he pointed out.
Tiana sighed.
Naveen didn't want to fight so he moved on. "When you were pregnant do you remember when I told you that Daniel is my child whether by blood or not?"
"Yes, I remember," Tiana placed her hand on his. "And if it was up to me he would be yours."
Naveen lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
She then smiled and looked down at a photo of a young boy in a Maldonian uniform. "Is that you?"
He looked down and picked up the frame. "Yes, that handsome little fellow is me."
Tiana's heart beat increased while looking at the photo. Noticing the similarities between her son and Naveen as a boy. "Your photo...," she said softly, suddenly feeling weak.
"Tiana!" Naveen caught her before she fell.
"What happened?" she asked, confused.
He helped her back over to the couch. "You should stay seated and finish eating."
"I'm not hungry...I feel tired," Tiana said.
"Then why don't we go back to my suite and you can sleep for as long as you want," he offered.
"But Daniel..." she began.
"Herbert will bring him to me after his session and from there we will play ball or...find something to do."
Tiana thought about it and liked the idea. "All right but if he wants me than please bring hm to me."
""Let's get you into the suite and..."
"Sleep remember? I'm only going there to sleep," she reminded him with a raised brow.
"Sleep, play...what's the difference?" he joked with a playful grin.
()()()()
New Orleans -
Jacques sat in his office when he heard a knock at his door. He rose from his desk and opened the door to see Tiana and his son. He was shocked to see her. "Tiana? Daniel?"
She nodded her head as Daniel ran over to hug him.
"Daddy! We're back!"
Jacques smiled, and picked up his son for a hug. "My dear boy!" and looked over at his wife. "And beautiful wife."
Tiana steeped forward and hugged him. "I'm so sorry for leaving!"
"No, don't apologize it was my fault for pushing you two away!" Jacques wrapped an arm around her. "My darling...," and pressed his lips onto her and was surprised when she accepted the kiss.
"Yuck!" Daniel interrupted his parents.
Both Jacques and Tiana laughed.
"You have no idea how ecstatic I am right now!" he kissed her again...
Jacques opened his eyes and found himself alone in his bedroom.
"Dammit!" he turned his head to see no one on the other end of the bed. What made it so painful was that he could still smell her vanilla scent on her pillow. He lifted it before inhaling it and suppressed the tears from developing. He knew that she wouldn't come back and that he blew it.
Derek encouraged him to fight hard and dirty until she came back begging and he probably would've done it if it weren't for their son.
His son.
The last thing he wanted was for the boy to grow up traumatized due to his parents selfishness through a bitter divorce.
He remembered arriving home after making an easy and successful deal with his one his in Chicago. He was in high spirits and thought to visit one of his businesses in Atlanta. His spirits turned to frustration when he discovered that one of the buildings to his glass company were burnt down by the klan in Atlanta the night before. It wasn't the first time and he was sure it wouldn't be the last that something like this happened.
Once an arrest was made as well as negations on rebuilding or relocating he decided to head back home to his family. He looked forward to seeing his wife and son at home when he got there.
But when Florence told him Tiana nor Daniel never returned home he went straight to her parents and was disappointed when Eudora told her she haven't seen neither. He then went to Travis and Charlotte and ended with the same results, they never saw her.
He searched downtown where he so happened to have overheard another person mention a patient of his being a survivor to that ship explosion.
"Naveen! How about that?" someone said.
"He left for his home not too long ago," a woman added.
Jacques knew then where Tiana and their son was.
At first he was angered and drank until he passed out. He later woke up in his bedroom after being brought home from some of his friends which he was thankful for, but alone and without his wife...
"Jacques you have a phone call from Derek!"
He groaned at the sound of his older maid's voice and said, "Piss off!"
"Don't talk to me like that!" Florence barked, opening the door. "If you were more respectful to women then you would have a wife and son here with you right now!" she left the room, slamming the door.
Jacques covered his face with his hands knowing she was right. If he was a better man to his wife then she wouldn't have left.
He would still have his family here.
He recalled a dream he had of his mother the night before he got home. She warned hm to
'Listen to your wife...'
And knew she was referring to getting help for his temper and philandering, but the thought of medication only depressed him from flashbacks of his recovery. Eventually he blew it off completely.
"Maybe I should've considered it," he said while getting out of bed. Opening the closet doors he saw all of Tiana's beautiful dresses, gown, shoes and other fashionable accessories and sighed. She always looked beautiful in the expensive dresses and as much as he said that hated her not wearing make-up most of the time, he actually loved it. Whenever she was asleep he would watch her in amazement at how perfect she was to him. If only he was better to her.
Would she still be happy with him?
Then it goes back to his temper and philandering. If she miraculously did come back to him he would get that help for her and their son. Or perhaps he could begin bettering himself by getting the help anyway. To at least see his son whom he have the legal right as a man of wealth and power to snatch away from his mother.
But would he really separate his son from his mother? The best thing that's ever happen to his marriage was the birth of of Daniel.
A product of the night Tiana finally enjoyed making love to him. Though she was still admitted to the Moraine institution he wondered if drugs played a role that night. Or was she thinking of Naveen? Nonetheless, a satisfying smirk formed on his lips at the thought of Tiana carrying and birthing his son. She gave him that and not Prissy king Naveen.
"Hey Jacques!" Derek knocked on the door.
"What the hell do you want?" he asked, still bitter about the man coming on to his wife. "Me ignoring your phone call wasn't good enough?"
Derek opened the door, walking in. "I was finished with some business at my home and had to see how my brother is doing?"
"We aren't brothers," Jacques said.
"Not by blood, but being friends since god knows what I say that we are. And as brothers we have a right to be concern for the other, correct?"
"Where are you getting at Derek?"
"I wanted to be here for you as you were when Tonya left."
"You don't have to worry about me. I am already a step ahead of her," Jacques said.
"Really now?" Derek smiled, interested. "What do you have in mind Montreuil?"
Jacques smirked. "Just something that will blow Tiana away. No pun intended."
"Mr. Montreuil you have a phone call from Dr. Martin," Dorothy said before leaving for another room to dust.
"So are you going to tell me the plan?" Derek asked, now following his friend down the stairs.
"I've got to have a telephone install in my bedroom," Jacques said.
"Oh come man! I'm staying here part-time I should know!"
Jacques picked up the phone. "Dr. Martin! To what do I owe this phone call?"
"Do you remember when you and Tiana stopped by for a yearly physical a little over a month ago?" the doctor asked.
"Yes?" Jacques answered.
"Is your wife around?" Dr. Martin asked.
"She's out at the moment..." he lied.
"Then you should sit down for this," advised the doctor. "Though I was hoping that your wife was with you at the moment.
"Juan you're making me a little nervous...," Jacques said, now concerned for his wife.
"Jacques..." Dr. Juan began...
()()()()