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“I am so sorry, Tiana,” Naveen said. “This is all my fault.”

Though it was only a moment before Tiana answered him, the words seemed to hang in the air, heavy and threatening to break these fragile new feelings they had between them now, but Naveen knew he had to say it. There was no way they could start … whatever it was they were calling this life together, without addressing it.“What are you talking about?” Tiana answered in that gentle way that made his heart soar in a way he’d never felt before. Naveen supposed that was love. Was it really only yesterday morning when he first realized that he loved her? Listening to Mama Odie talk about wants versus needs, and watching Tiana laugh and dance… it had finally hit him hard, and he had the bumps to prove it. He loved her, simple as that. Though if he thought about it, the feelings had started long before then.Seeing her come out of her shell when they had danced together had been exhilarating. Who knew that making someone laugh and smile could be so wonderful. He wanted to do it again, and more. Naveen’s longed to touch her, to kiss her, to do everything he could to make her happy. But he couldn’t.“I ruined your life!” Naveen exclaimed. “It is because of me that you are doomed to live the life of a frog. If I had not fallen for the Shadow Man’s tricks… if I had not asked you to kiss me, none of this would have happened.” He buried his face in his hands. “But now you are here. Trapped in this body, and forced to live in the bayou when you should be living your dream. It is my fault that it is lost.”Naveen clenched his hands, relishing the pain in his palm. With fresh blood needed for Facilier’s scheme, Naveen had been captured by the shadows and brought to the Shadow Man, and to his surprise, Lawrence as well. The talisman used to take his blood was able to cut deeper into his frog skin than his human skin, and now Naveen had a deep cut across his palm to match his shallower one on his finger from when he had been human. The pain pulsed with his heartbeat, serving as a reminder of his mistakes.“I would not have wished this on anyone,” he continued, “especially you. I am so sorry, Tiana.” Naveen said again. “I will never forgive myself.”When she placed her hand gently on his shoulder, Naveen’s eyes stung as tears threatened to spill. “What happened to your hand?” she asked softly.Naveen shrugged, but not enough to dislodge Tiana’s hand. “Nothing.”He could tell she was frowning, even without looking at her. “Naveen.”“Fine.” He held his hand out to her and chanced a glance at her face. Yes she was frowning, but not in the way he had imagined. She had a concerned look on her face, and it hit him all over again how he wasn’t the only one in love.“This needs to be cleaned before you get an infection,” she said simply, and Naveen watched her in amazement as she somehow managed to make a small fire and boil water in a makeshift bowl. They had no cloth, so Tiana made do using moss. She dipped it into the boiling water to clean it of germs, and gently worked on cleaning Naveen’s cut. He winced.“Sorry,” Tiana said. He shrugged again, and looked away. The familiar feeling of uselessness crept back into him. How could they survive out here, when he didn’t even know how to do simple things like building a fire? Tiana shouldn’t have to be a frog and carry the burden of having Naveen around. For a brief moment he considered just letting her be free of him by fading away into the dark bayou one day when she would be too preoccupied to stop him. But even just the thought made his heart ache. And watching the tender way she cleaned his wound… Naveen knew it would hurt Tiana just as much. She should have fallen in love with anyone but me.“I don’t blame you, you know,” Tiana said softly, bringing him out of his thoughts.“You should,” he replied.“If there’s one thing you should know about me by now, it’s that I don’t take kindly to people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do,” Tiana said with a slight smile. Naveen felt his own lips curl before settling down again. “None of this is your fault, and you shouldn’t be blaming yourself for it.” Tiana wringed out the moss and dipped it into the hot water again. “It’s as much my fault as it is yours.”Naveen glanced up sharply. “Yours? I would never-”“You were the one who suggested the kiss, but I’m the one that actually did it,” she said, more harshly than she meant to. Tiana took a deep breath and softened. “You can twist and turn the events in the past few days to change the blame any which way you like, but that doesn’t change anything.”“I know.”“If you have to blame somebody, blame the Shadow Man -”Naveen jumped up, nearly knocking Tiana over. His eyes wide as he exclaimed, “The Shadow Man! Faldi faldonza, I forgot all about him.” He whipped his head around, as if expecting to see an army of shadows descend on them at any moment. “We should hide..? No. We can fight him. No, no. We can -”Once more Tiana placed a gently hand on his shoulder. Her touch instantly calmed him. “We don’t have to worry about the Shadow Man anymore,” Tiana said, meeting his eyes.“What? We don’t?” Naveen asked.Tiana bit her lip, and then shook her head, looking away from him. “He’s gone.”He took her hands in his. “Are you sure?” Naveen gently prodded. He needed to know they were safe - safe from the shadows at least. After a moment, Tiana nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”“What happened?” Naveen immediately regretted asking. As soon as the words left his mouth, her entire body tensed. She pulled her hands away from his, and held herself. Her hands rubbed up and down her arms in a steady rhythm. “I - I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.“Did he hurt you?” Naveen hated himself for asking, but as images flashed through his mind of the way the Shadow Man had treated him, Naveen knew he wouldn’t be able to stand by and do nothing if any harm had come to Tiana. Even if the Shadow Man was gone.But luckily she just shook her head and said, “No.”“Did he-”“Naveen please.” Her voice cracked and she squeezed herself tighter. And then he was holding her. It had happened so fast, Naveen didn’t even register it until he felt Tiana’s quick heartbeat against his own. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.She shook her head against his chest. “I can’t talk about it,” she whispered back, sniffing slightly. “Not just yet anyway.”Naveen gently shushed her, and held her tighter. “It’s alright.”Her arms found their way around his waist, making Naveen’s heart flutter. “I’ll tell you sometime,” she promised. “When I’m…. When it’s….” Naveen shushed her again, and surprising them both, kissed her softly on the cheek. The feeling of heat coming to her cheeks almost made him blush himself. “You can take as long as you need,” he said. “And if that that time never comes,” Naveen shrugged slightly, “that is ok, too.”Tiana nodded and rested her head against his chest. They stayed there a few minutes, wrapped up in each other. Naveen felt his heart unclenching as she relaxed in her arms. He wasn’t able to give her much, but he could always give her this.After a few moments, Tiana pulled back enough to give Naveen a small smile. He returned it easily, and forced himself not to smother her with kisses. It didn’t seem like the right time, no matter how much he wanted to. But perhaps just a small peck… Naveen leaned in slightly, and Tiana said, “How’s your hand?”“Huh? Oh.” He held it out for her to see. “Much better. Thank you.”“Don’t thank me yet. I don’t know how much I did for it,” Tiana said. “We should show it to Mama Odie in the morning. It’s a cut used for magic, so maybe it needs magic to heal. Or at the very least some iodine.” “Yes, good thinking,” Naveen said. “Though I am sure to be in for another scolding from her.” Absentmindedly he rubbed his hand against his head where he could still feel the bump from her hitting him with a wooden spoon. It paired nicely with all the other bumps he had gotten in the past few days. “I am sure she will be disappointed we are still frogs.”“I think she’ll be understanding,” Tiana said, threading her fingers through his. “We found what we needed, after all.” There was that blush again. God, she was cute.“Even though we are frogs,” Naveen said, surprised by how downcast he sounded. Tiana’s face fell. “Naveen,” she said, “I know I can’t tell you how you should feel about all of this. I’m still getting used to it myself.” Their eyes met, and he held their gaze. “But please believe me when I say that I don’t blame you for what happened. In fact,” her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes glistened with tears threatening to spill. “I’m almost glad because, if you weren’t here I don’t know what I’d do. Earlier I thought I saw you and Lottie on the float, and I felt… I felt so alone. But knowing that you are here, and that we’re together-”Naveen broke her off by pressing his lips to hers, in a hard, passionate kiss. He could feel the wetness of her tears on his face, and Naveen wasn’t surprised to find his own spill out when she kissed him back. “I will never leave you,” he said when he pulled back. She nodded. “I know,” she replied, trying to catch her breath, but Naveen didn’t give her the chance. He brought her in for another kiss. Softer this time, but no less urgent. Naveen wanted, no needed to make up for that moment on the float, and all the other times when he inadvertently caused her pain. Including just a few minutes ago. He hated himself for thinking of leaving, even for a second, and as he kissed her, Naveen promised himself that he would never do it again. “I love you, Tiana,” Naveen whispered against her lips. “I love you, too, Naveen,” she replied, still breathless, but smiling. Naveen was happy to find him smiling his usual wide grin in return. It felt good to smile, to laugh. With Tiana in his arms, freshly kissed and smiling up at him, he felt happier than he had in a long time.“I think,” Naveen said after a moment, “I think everything is going to be alright.” “Yes,” Tiana replied, “I think so, too.” Their life might not be what he had originally pictured, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be happy.“I suppose the bright side to all of this is that no one can tell us what to do anymore,” Naveen said, with a chuckle.“That’s true,” Tiana said. “We can do whatever we want.”“And what is it you want, my love?” Naveen asked, delighting in the blush that resurfaced on her cheeks. “The only thing I ever wanted was my own restaurant,” Tiana answered. “But I don’t think that’ll work now.”“Why not?” Naveen asked, grinning widely. “We can make our own restaurant right here.”“What are you talking about?” “I mean here in the bayou,” Naveen said.Tiana simply gaped at him, but he could see the wheels in her mind starting to turn. “Who would be the customers?”Naveen counted on his fingers. “I know Louis will be your number one customer, and I am sure that Mama Odie would love to eat something other than bathtub gumbo. We know we can count all of Ray’s family, too.” Ray’s family would be more than enough to keep them busy. Naveen chanced a glance up at the new star in the sky. He wasn’t sure, but the star seemed to twinkle. Ray must approve of the idea. “Yes,” Tiana said, half to herself. “It would be easy enough to find all the food we need. I won’t have everything that I’m used to, but that’s okay.” She grinned wide at Naveen. “I’ve never been afraid of a challenge.”“I didn’t think so,” Naveen grinned back. “Louis can play his trumpet for everyone,” Tiana said, growing more excited. She gave him a teasing look. “You know any good ukulele players?”Naveen laughed and hugged her, again. “I will mince for you, too. And anything else you need.”Tiana hugged him tight, doing her best not to squeal in his ears, but it was hard not to
be thrilled by the idea. “We’re really doing this?” she asked, fear mixed in with her excitement. “You really think we can?”“I know we can,” Naveen said simply, and cupped her cheek. “I know this won’t be the restaurant that you have always pictured, but I will do everything I can to make it worthy of you.” He took her hand and held it against his chest. “And to make myself worthy of you.”Tiana started to speak, but Naveen gently cut her off. “I do not know if I will ever be able to forgive myself for all that has happened, but I will try. In the meantime,” Naveen took her hand again, and got down on one knee, “I promise I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”In one swift movement, Tiana knelt down beside him and then their arms were around each other once more in a gentle embrace. They rested against each other, and Naveen realized just how tired he was. It had been a long few days. Soon they would find Louis and settle in for bed, but not just yet. “What should we call this restaurant?” Naveen asked, stroking her back slowly.She gave a contented sigh, and said, “Tiana’s Place.”Naveen smiled, and nodded. It was a good name. “Tiana’s Place,” he agreed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What do you miss the most?” Tiana asked.“About what?” Naveen answered.Tiana hesitated, but she had already asked the question. There was no going back now. “About being human.”These past few weeks had been a delicate dance between the two of them. They were both hungry for information about the other, yet talking about the lives they had left behind proved to be more painful than they anticipated. Somehow they seemed to manage - Naveen was very skilled at pulling the conversation in just the right direction. So far they had learned simple things about each other; like before leaving Maldonia, Naveen had celebrated his twenty-first birthday, while Tiana would turn twenty in the summer. His favorite color was ironically green, and Tiana favored yellow. And that while they both shared a fondness for Louis Armstrong, Naveen had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the man’s growing catalog of music. An impressive feat in itself, but was made more so by the fact that jazz hadn’t quite ‘made it’ to Maldonia yet, as Naveen explained.A few years ago a small group of jazz musicians had played a concert for the royal family, and while his parents had declared the music to be vulgar and crass, Naveen instantly loved it.“I learned that New Orleans was not only the birthplace of jazz, but also of Louis Armstrong himself,” Naveen told Tiana. “It is one of the reasons I wanted to come here in the first place.”“I’m really glad you did,” Tiana said with a small smile.“Me too.” Naveen squeezed her hand.Instead of satisfying her need to know more about him, these small tidbits only made her appetite grow. Perhaps it was this desperation that had led her to ask such a difficult question in the first place. Though there was also a part of her that needed to talk about all the changes they had gone through, no matter how much it hurt to remember their past.“I uh -” Naveen chuckled, “I suppose the thing I miss most is my hair.”“What?” Tiana found herself laughing too. “Are you serious?”“Of course I am,” he gave her a lopsided grin while he absentmindedly smoothed back hair that wasn’t there anymore. “You never saw me with it, but I can assure you it was glorious.” Naveen sighed and flopped onto his back, staring at the passing clouds.Except Tiana had seen him with his hair. Well, sort of. It had been Lawrence as Naveen, though she hadn’t known it at the time. She did remember that hair though, how perfectly coiffed it had been. The curls styled expertly, except for two that escaped and framed his face perfectly. Even now just thinking about it, her fingers itched, longing to touch it.She didn’t say any of that though, choosing instead to tease him. “Your greatest achievement, huh?”“I know you jest, but women would come from miles away for the chance that they might feel the silky strands between their fingertips. I mean…” He spared a quick glance her way, coughed, then quickly got back to his feet and propped up a piece of driftwood they had found, having realized it probably wasn’t a good idea to talk about prior conquests with Tiana.The intense jealously that flared inside of her surprised Tiana. How was it fair that these countless women had been able to experience something with Naveen that she she hadn’t, and now never could? It took all of her energy to remind herself that Naveen loved her, and that was much better than running her fingers through a nice head of hair.When Naveen cautiously caught her eye as he came close to her side, Tiana playfully tossed some crumpled up leaves at him, laughing as she did so. Naveen gave her a challenging look before he tossed the leaves right back. Soon they were chasing each other and giggling uncontrollably while they played this silly game, happily ignoring the task they had set out to do.They had been spreading the word of a restaurant in the bayou, trying to gather opinions on whether or not it would be welcome, and so far the feedback was remarkably positive. Tiana was anxious to start the groundwork, but both she and Naveen agreed that there were a few things they needed to do before they could start. First and foremost was some sort of shelter for themselves, nevermind the fact that most frogs didn’t build them. All these nights without a roof over their heads had been enough for both of them. Not only did the bayou make a lot of noise at night, but knowing that most everything here wanted to eat them made for some very restless nights. Of course it was true that Louis was always there and he served as a very large deterrent for most creatures, even he had to sleep sometimes. Plus he snored.It would be a relief once they had something more substantial between them and the night, though when Tiana thought about it she usually ended up blushing heavily, because sharing a shelter with Naveen meant that they would be together. Alone. All night.As usual, thoughts of them together made her replay the conversation she had overheard between Naveen and Mama Odie. They had gone to see the voodoo queen to ask about the cut on Naveen’s hand, and though the old woman would do what she could to help, it seemed that the black magic that caused it was too strong. According to her, it would never heal properly. Of course Naveen had tried to laugh it off, but it was obvious to Tiana that he was upset by it.So when Mama Odie sent Louis and Tiana out to find some special herbs to help, Tiana agreed (though she had a sneaking suspicion that it was just get them out of the way).When Tiana was walking back up the steps to the boathouse, she overheard Mama Odie pestering Naveen about when he would pop the question. Knowing it was extremely rude to eavesdrop on such a conversation didn’t stop her from ducking out of sight and listening as hard as she could. Surprisingly she hadn’t thought of marriage since that night on the river boat. So much had changed since then, and she still wasn’t certain that Naveen really had tried to propose to her that night, despite what Ray had told her otherwise.Tiana’s mind combed over all the things they had talked about on the riverboat. Despite it being the most romantic night of her life, the memory of it was spotty. Had it really been a proposal? Naveen sure had been nervous about something, that much was obvious. And hadn’t he been holding something? A walnut shell? Tiana had no idea what that could have been for, and had never thought to ask.They had flirted so effortlessly that night, too. All those touches, jokes, and quick witted responses had flown so easily between them. It was when Tiana first realized she loved him. But would she have said yes to a marriage proposal if he had asked? Would she say yes now?Images of a married life together flashed before her mind. They could make a life together in the bayou. It wouldn’t be easy, but they could do it. It would be a happy life, filled with love and laughter, and Tiana briefly imagined little tadpoles (she bit her lip to suppress a giggle). It was the easiest thing she had ever imagined - even more than imagining her own restaurant. Strange as it seemed to her, it also made her happier than she’d ever felt before. And she knew in that moment, that if he asked her to marry him, she would say yes.So when Naveen replied to Mama Odie, explaining that, yes he planned to ask Tiana to marry him, she was so overcome with joy that she barely registered his concerns about not having a ring, or the fact that he practically begged Mama Odie to find another way to break the curse. Even if it was just for Tiana.But Mama Odie had reminded Naveen that kissing a princess was the only way to break the spell, and soon after Louis had barged in, heedless of the conversation he was interrupting.And now weeks had gone by and Naveen still hadn’t asked her. Every time they were alone, Tiana wondered if this would finally be it, only for Naveen to simply show her something, or tell her a joke, or any number of things that weren’t a marriage proposal. Tiana was a patient woman by all accounts, but still there was only so long a person could wait.“Tiana?”Naveen’s question brought her back to the present, and despite everything, Tiana found her heart had sped up in anticipation. “Yes?”“What is it that you miss? About being human?”Ah. Of course. Well, it was only fair that he asked. Tiana took her time thinking while her heart slowed back to normal. “My Mama,” she finally said, surprised by just how painful it was to think of her mother.The last time they had seen each other was when Tiana was leaving for Lottie’s costume party. Eudora had practically begged to let her make a more intricate costume for her daughter, but Tiana waved that aside, claiming that anything else would make it difficult to make beignets. Of course they had gotten into an argument; that same old discussion of Tiana working too hard. It was a party, and she should be going to have fun, not to work! But Tiana had promised her friend that she would make the beignets, and she wasn’t going to break it. In the end Tiana had agreed that she would try to step away for a minute or two to enjoy herself, but of course that hadn’t happened.And that was it. That was the last time she had seen Eudora. No goodbye, no I love you, so chance to say she was sorry. Tiana found herself sniffling as her eyes stung with tears. Naveen’s arm found its way around her and she happily leaned into his side.“I should have guessed,” Naveen said, running his hand up and down her arm. “You talk about her in your sleep.”“I do?” Tiana had to laugh a little. She’d forgotten she did that. “Sorry about that.”“If what you say is true, she sounds like a wonderful woman.”“She is.” Tiana sighed and snuggled further into Naveen’s welcome arms. “What do I say?”“Well it is all jumbled. Nothing cohesive….” He trailed off.Tiana pulled back enough to give him a discerning look. “Naveen.”He smiled and gave a shrug. “Alright, so you may have mentioned a few times about you not wishing to be her mannequin anymore..?”“She’s a seamstress,” Tiana explained, nestling back into his chest. “Mama always had me model some of the clothes she made. I was always tripping and falling on those long hems.”Naveen let out a low chuckle, and squeezed her tight. After a moment, he asked, “Do you think she would approve of me?”“Would she like you, you mean?”“That too.”Tiana lazily traced patterns on his arm with her finger. “I think she would. She was always going on and on about me finding my own prince charming.” She smiled softly. “Just imagine her surprise to find out I met a real prince.”“Not much of a prince anymore,” Naveen said.“You still are,” Tiana replied, wrapping her arms around him tight. “A Frog Prince is still a prince.” Her voice grew light, and she hoped he knew she was teasing him. He kissed her quickly, so he must have figured it out.“We could visit her, your mother,” Naveen suggested, bringing the conversation back around. “To let her know that you are safe.”Tiana nodded and said, “We could, but I don’t know. Mama might get a little hysterical at the sight of a talking frog.” She giggled remembering her own attempts to squash Naveen when they first met. “Probably not the best way to introduce you.”“Ah, no,” Naveen agreed with a smile. “Definitely not the best way for your mother to meet her future son-in-law.”Tiana gasped softly as her heart skipped a beat. She blinked and pulled back once more to meet his eyes. “What did you say?”Naveen blinked once, then twice before an intense blush spread over his face. “Nothing,” he said quickly as he got to his feet. He walked over to a nearby tree suddenly very interested in the roots coming out of the ground.Grinning widely, Tiana casually followed him. “Nothing, huh?” She plucked a nearby leaf and began to tear it into sections. “Cause I sure thought I heard you say-”Naveen turned to her. “You didn’t hear anything.”She only smiled in response, holding his gaze. After a moment, he returned it with a smile of his own. “Alright,” he said with a slight shrug. “Perhaps you did hear something.”Her mind went blank trying to think of a witty retort, but luckily Naveen didn’t wait for a response. He stepped to her side, linked their fingers, and brought their heads close together. Tiana’s heart was beating so loud, she was sure he could hear it.“There is something I wanted to ask you.”Tiana had to concentrate hard on breathing. “Yes?”He bit his lip and absently stroked her hand with his thumb. A smile graced his face, and then faltered and he struggled with his words. “I…” Naveen forced out a laugh. “I had it all planned out. Louis was going to play some music. We would dance. I was going to make you a..” he swallowed, “a new ring.” Their eyes met. “Do you want to wait? To do this properly?”Tiana shook her head, “No.” She squeezed his hands.He squeezed back and began. “Tiana I… I am deeply in love with you. When you are near, I hear music all around me, which of course is impossible as we are in the middle of the bayou. Unless Louis is around, and even then the music I hear is not just a trumpet, but more like an entire orchestra and sometimes there is even a choir and….” Naveen cringed. “Sorry.”Tiana couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s okay,” she said, giving his hands another squeeze. “Keep going.”Naveen took a deep breath and continued. “I know things have not turned out the way we would have wanted but… when I look at you… when I am with you, it feels like everything is going to be alright. No, it is alright, because we are together.Happy tears were streaming down her cheek, and Tiana didn’t think she could stop if she wanted to. She sniffed, laughing despite everything as Naveen carefully brushed the tears away.“Above everything else, I just want to be with you, forever. Wherever that takes us.” Slowly, he got down on one knee and asked, “Tiana, will you marry me?”“Yes.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“By the power invested in me,” Mama Odie took a moment to chuckle before continuing, “I now pronounce y’all frog and wife.”This was it. Naveen felt his heart beating frantically in his chest - from nerves or excitement, he couldn’t tell anymore. Everything he felt was meshed together in his mind and in his heart, making him unable to think of anything except Tiana. He’d barely been able to say his vows properly, he’d been so tongue tied. Tiana, bless her heart, had taken it all in stride, giving him an encouraging smile or a gentle squeeze of the hand whenever he seemed to need it most.He took a deep, satisfying breath, willing his heartbeat to slow, before sharing a quick glance and a smile with Tiana. Once again, he was reminded of just how lucky he was. God, she was… perfect. How could there ever have been a time when she wasn’t in his life? When he hadn’t loved her? It was so hard to believe they’d only known each other for... well, he wasn’t sure exactly; the days blended easily in the bayou. Regardless, it hadn’t been long, but still, it was undeniable just how strong their connection was. Anyone could see that.And now they were getting married. No, at this point they were married. Naveen’s stomach jumped at the thought. It was the beginning of their new life together, and he couldn’t wait to get started.“Get to it hop-a-long,” Mama Odie said. “Give your lovely bride some sugar.”This was it. Tiana’s heart was pounding so loudly, she could hardly hear what the old woman was saying. Only Naveen’s firm grip on her hand was keeping her steady. It was all happening so fast, but Tiana had never felt more sure of anything in her life. He was just so… perfect. Of course nobody was completely perfect, Tiana knew that. But he was perfect for her, and that’s what mattered. He brought a balance to her life that she never even realized she was missing. Life with Naveen was like an adventure, and Tiana was looking forward to seeing just where it would take them next.Naveen waved off his makeshift butterfly-bowtie, who said something that sounded like congratulations as it flew away, but Tiana wasn’t really paying attention. All her energy, her focus, was solely on Naveen. Her husband. And she was his bride. Suddenly feeling shy, Tiana offered him a small smile, but Naveen’s reassuring gaze was all she needed to pucker up and lean into him. His hand cupped her cheek and brought her the rest of the way, bringing their lips together for their first kiss as husband and wife.At first it felt cold. Like a trickle of water was slowly dripping down from their heads, but soon it grew warm and pleasant. A comforting presence that was hard to differentiate between the person they were kissing, and maybe there was no difference, because it seemed to pull them together, tighter, like a magnet. Wisps of wind whistled through their ears, blocking out everything but each other. It almost seemed like it had voices, softly whispering to not stop the kiss, no no not yet.Stop kissing? Ha. That was the last thing on either of their minds. Why would they ever want to stop? It was so nice. So very very nice. They sighed into each other, as they deepened the kiss, relishing the dizziness, and the weightlessness that seemed to come all at once. And still they steadied each other, his hand firmly around her waist, her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Their other hands clasped tightly together, fingers intertwined, thumbs brushing lightly.It was brighter now, hard to ignore even through closed eyelids. And still the kiss continued, long after they felt grounded again. The sounds of the bayou came back all at once, like a bubble had burst around them. The animals watching the ceremony were still cheering, louder now it seemed. Louis, it sounded like, was crying, while Mama Odie giggled happily. It was time to break away, but maybe just a minute longer? Neither of them wanted to, but a kiss couldn’t last forever.It was Tiana who pulled away at last. Naveen briefly sucked on her lower lip, as if to promise that his lips would be back on hers soon. They opened their eyes, and smiled softly at each other, before they both gasped in surprise.They were human! Thousands of questions flooded both of their minds - how was this possible? Was this really happening? Am I my old self again? Are you? It was too much to process all at once, and they were too happy to care. The urge to laugh and cry was overwhelming Tiana quickly. She was afraid to look at Naveen too closely lest she lose what little control she had over the situation, though the desire to kiss him again was surging through her. He was just so beautiful, her husband. Almost too beautiful.So she took a few breaths and turned her attention to herself, the idea was to quickly make sure she was all here (Tiana was glad to see Naveen doing the same out of the corner of her eye), but she quickly became distracted by her wedding dress. She’d never worn anything so glamorous in her life, and even though she was wearing gloves, she could still feel this element of magic almost humming through the fabric. It was all around her, and if she concentrated hard enough, Tiana could feel it coming from Naveen too.  All at once Mama Odie’s giggles became more pronounced, and Tiana found herself laughing as well. She had forgotten that the voodoo queen was even there.“Like I told y’all,” Mama Odie said once their attention was on her, “kissing a princess breaks the spell.”Naveen furrowed his brow in thought. So much had happened in such a short time, he hadn’t even thought yet about how the spell had been broken. His heart was still pounding furiously, but not from nerves anymore - he was just so… happy! There was no other way to explain it. They were married, and in love, and human! But he was supposed to be figuring out how that had happened… right.To break the spell he had to kiss a princess, but he had only kissed Tiana, which would mean that… Tiana was now a princess? But how? Wait.  “Once you became my wife…” Naveen started, unsure at first, but then the gears clicked rapidly into place. He brightened and turned towards her. “That made you-!”“A princess!” Tiana interrupted, having only figured it out herself a moment later. She was breathless, and almost unable to process this whole turn of events. She playfully bowed to Naveen, trying to hide her smile, but it was impossible - and why should she hide it in the first place? It was their wedding day after all. We’re married, and the spell is broken. Kissing me broke the spell. I’m a princess, and I love him so very much. Feeling flirty, Tiana smirked at her new husband as she grabbed his collar lightly and pulled him close. “You just kissed yourself a princess.” Her voice was sultry and teasing all at once, and it was driving Naveen wild.He couldn’t help himself as he first cupped her chin, and then brought their foreheads together, keeping their eyes locked. “And,” he said, bringing his voice lower, making it warm and husky, “I’m about to do it again.”Their lips met again in a sweet kiss, brief compared to their last, but certainly no less pleasant. It was broken by their laughter, which increased twofold when Naveen picked Tiana up in his arms and spun them around. Everything felt so good, it was impossible to sit still. Carefully, he placed her back on her feet, and it wasn’t long before their lips pressed against each other once more.Little pecks at first, but they soon grew, and then Naveen found himself kissing every inch of her beautiful brown skin that he could. He relished her giggles as he left kisses along her chin and across her cheek, amazed to discover she had dimples when she smiled. There were so many wonderful things to learn about her now!His hands were everywhere, up her back and over her arms, holding her close while his lips… oh those lips. They caressed her skin with such a fervent urgent need that Tiana had never known before. It was addicting, and Tiana realized that she would never have enough of him. Her giggles soon morphed into gasps, and then as he kissed a sensitive spot on her neck, Tiana surprised herself by letting out a soft moan.“Now, now, children,” Mama Odie playfully scolded them. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later.”Tiana blinked hard, clearing her head before she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. Once more she’d gotten caught up in Naveen’s kisses and forgotten they had an audience. Luckily most of the animals nearby had bashfully covered their eyes, and of course Mama Odie was blind, but anyone with ears would have been able to hear just how heavy their  kissing had become.Embarrassed, Tiana quickly buried her head in Naveen’s chest. He chuckled lightly and held her close. Soon she was giggling too. Naveen squeezed her tight, and then everything was okay. It was amazing how easily he could change a bad situation into something else, but of course she had already known that.“You knew this would happen, yes?” Naveen asked Mama Odie. “That we would turn human this way?”Mama Odie cackled, clearly delighted by the turn of events. “A voodoo queen never reveals her secrets.” She patted her snake Juju on the head playfully before adding, “But I maaay have had some idea of how this would all turn out.”That explained why after sharing the news of their engagement, Mama Odie had announced that the wedding would take place the next day. They had both been a little shocked by how fast everything was happening, but seeing as Mama Odie was the only one in the bayou who could perform the ceremony, they wanted to keep her happy. Now Naveen was very glad they had.“But why didn’t you just tell us?” he asked.“You young folk can never figure anything out yourself, huh? Have to be told everything point blank?” Mama Odie’s voice was rising, but it was clear she was teasing them. “Didn’t I tell y’all that kissing a princess would break the spell? It’s not my fault you couldn’t figure it out for yourselves until it was staring you in the face.”Tiana’s arms had found their way around Naveen by now, and she gave him a squeeze after he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. It did seem rather obvious now.“I’m just glad it all worked out,” Tiana said.“Me too,” Naveen replied. His voice made her heart leap. It was still so unbelievable, and Tiana’s head was starting to swim from it all.Tiana pulled back and glanced up at Naveen, hoping to find some stability there, and once again she was shocked to see that face looking down on her. It was remarkable how similar he looked to the frog she had known. That smile was the same. His eyes too. She cupped his face and brushed her thumb over one of his heavy eyebrows when a thought popped into her head; was it really him in there? She’d never seen him up close as a human before, and she had mistaken his human form once before.No. It had to be. She would know her own husband. Right?“Tiana?”Her hand sprang back, surprising her. “Yes?”“Um,” Naveen, laughed softly. “What do we do now?”The answer, it seemed, was to find their way to Eudora. It was the logical first step. Tiana’s mother would certainly be relieved to see her daughter safe and sound, and would presumably be very interested in meeting her new son in law.The only problem was that neither of them knew how to get back to the city in one piece. It had been much easier traveling through the bayou as frogs, but as humans… well, Tiana had only taken a few steps before stepping in mud. Surprisingly enough, however, her lilypad dress was none the worse for it. It seemed that the magic that had created the dress in the first place, was also nice enough to keep her clean, and for that she was thankful. It wouldn’t do to arrive on Eudora’s doorstep looking like she had spent weeks living in the bayou, even if that’s exactly what had happened.Luckily, Mama Odie had a direct solution to their problem, and for once she wasn’t cryptic about it. She led them deeper into the bayou, only to end up in a muddy bog, where she pulled back some spanish moss to proudly present the sorriest looking rowboat Tiana had ever seen.“How is it even floating?” Tiana asked, skeptically. The wood looked like it was rotten to the core, and though there weren’t any visible holes that she could see, Tiana had her doubts about it’s ability to get her and Naveen all the way back to the city. Plus it didn’t even have oars.“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, sugar,” Mama Odie replied. “This baby’s seen me through plenty of tough times over the years and has never let me down!”Tiana shared a doubtful look with Naveen. “But Mama Odie,” she began, “there aren’t any oars. How are we supposed to-”“All y’all need is a big, strong, swimmer to pull it for you.” Mama Odie’s voice was starting to strain. The joy over their wedding and transformation was clearly fading and being replaced by the frustration she felt having to explain every little thing to them.This however, was pretty easy to interpret. All eyes went to Louis, who was smiling innocently while holding his tail. He blinked once, then twice before it finally sunk in.“Me?” He asked tentatively, pointing to himself. Then he brightened. “Oh! Me! I can do it!”Tiana smiled at that. Though Mama Odie could be a difficult person to be around, she did have her moments, and had offered them a wonderful wedding present: she had used her magic so that, even though they were human now, they could still understand Louis when he spoke to them.Louis’ answer seemed to please Mama Odie, who then began giving detailed instructions on how to best hitch a rowboat to a giant alligator. She was not very clear, though, and so chaos quickly ensued, as tails were tied to feet, then hands somehow tied together, and then finally a big giant knot that wasn’t attached to anything.This looked like it was going to take some time, so Tiana took the opportunity to clear her head with a stroll. Now that she knew her dress could survive the bayou, she walked with confidence, even when it resulted in stepping in a few spots that looked like solid ground but most definitely were not.Still, it was nice to stretch her legs even for a little bit. She felt a little wobbly on her feet, and she had a slight headache - the effects of the magic that had transformed her and Naveen, she assumed.Eventually, Tiana found herself in a little clearing surrounded by clear water. It was quieter here, and she relished the moment to just breathe. She closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply, willing her mind to relax and remember these moments of tranquility before heading back to her old busy life. Who knew how long it would be before she could come back here? She’d never really been interested in the bayou before, but now it was different. It would always have a special place in her heart, and Tiana never wanted to forget it.Her eyes opened, and she found herself looking at her reflection in the water, still surprised to find her old self looking back at her. I really do look like a princess.  Tiana laughed softly. All those years as a young girl pretending to be a princess, and now she was the real thing. What would Lottie think? What about Mama?Mama.She still had no idea what she was going to say to her Mama, about all of this. Eudora was an open minded person, but even then it was going to be hard to explain that the reason Tiana had disappeared was because she had been turned into a frog, and the reason she wasn’t one anymore was because she had married a prince, who, coincidentally had also been turned into a frog.Oh Naveen. Was it really him in there? What if it was someone else using more voodoo magic? She hated herself for even thinking it, but there it was, and it seemed like it wasn’t going anywhere.While they were walking to find the rowboat, Tiana had tried to bring up the question, but the terrain had been difficult to cross, even knowing that their clothes could survive the journey, and it was taking all of her concentration not to land flat on her face. She was still wearing a hoop skirt and heels, and of course that wasn’t helping her at all. Naveen had offered to carry her through the worst of it. He was stronger than she realized, and up here, safe in his arms, well, it didn’t seem like the best time to ask her question. Instead she studied his face when he wasn’t looking, but it offered no answers for her. It was a nice view for her though.Naveen’s voice echoed through the trees as he called out for her, and as he burst through the brush, he grinned upon spotting her.“There you are,” he said, kissing her briefly but passionately. “What are you doing out here?”“Just thinking,” she replied. “I needed to clear my head.”Naveen nodded. “Are you alright?”“Yes,” Tiana answered. “But-”“Come on children!” Mama Odie pierced through the bayou. “Time’s a-wastin’!”“The boat is ready to go,” Naveen explained, and offered her his arm. “Your chariot awaits, my princess.”Tiana smiled softly to herself. His arm had flexed under her touch.Getting into the rowboat was harder than it seemed, but between the two of them, they somehow managed to sit inside without it tipping over. They waved goodbye to Mama Odie and the other bayou animals, giving promises that they would come visit soon, and then they were off. Louis might not have known the way to Mama Odie’s house, but he sure knew how to get to the city. If anything they could always follow one of the riverboats, but they would rather avoid those for the moment, as neither Tiana nor Naveen knew what they would say to explain how they had gotten on this ancient rowboat pulled by a giant alligator wearing such elaborate outfits.Just how they would explain it all to Tiana’s mother, Naveen didn’t know, but he had other pressing things on his mind just now, like kissing his wife again. He never realized what a wonderful word that was - wife - but he had never had Tiana before to associate it with before, and she made all the difference.Now though, as they kissed, Naveen sensed that Tiana wasn’t fully there. She wasn’t kissing him like she had when they had been frogs, and she certainly wasn’t kissing him like she had this morning when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Something was clearly wrong.Naveen pulled back and eyed her skeptically. “What are you thinking?” he asked.Tiana blinked, coming back to reality. “Hmm?”“I can practically hear the thoughts going around in that beautiful mind of yours.” Playfully he tapped the side of her head, before letting his finger caress her cheek. “You clearly have something on your mind.”Tiana bit her lip. “Is it that obvious?”“Well, I have never had someone be so, ah… distracted when kissing me before.” He winced slightly, wishing he could stop bringing up past girlfriends in front of Tiana. His face grew serious when he asked softly, “Are you unhappy?”“No,” she said quickly. “It’s nothing like that.”The knot in his chest loosened, but that concerned look on Tiana’s face was still there. “But it is something,” Naveen pressed.She lowered her eyes, and began to fiddle with her dress. Naveen itched to cover those hands with his own, to hold them tight and to cover them with kisses, but he kept his distance.At last Tiana nodded.“What is wrong, princess?”The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile before it disappeared. “It’s stupid.”“I am sure it is not.” Naveen couldn’t take it anymore and he rested his hands over hers, giving her fingers a quick squeeze. “Please tell me.”“I’m afraid you’ll be upset with me,” she said softly.“What? Why?”“Because it’s about you.”Naveen’s stomach dropped. Maybe she was having second thoughts about everything. “Me?”Her thumb brushed against his fingers absentmindedly as she bit her lip in thought. Tiana locked eyes with him, and whispered, “Is it really you in there?”Naveen exhaled, relieved. He smiled gently and squeezed her hand again. “Of course it is.” He almost added ‘who else would it be?’ but after all that had happened with Lawrence, the question seemed of poor taste. He really could be anyone, and Naveen shuddered at the thought.“If it would make you feel better,” Naveen continued, “why don’t you ask me something. Something only the real Naveen would know.”That got her attention. “Oh. Um, okay.” Her lips pursed in thought. Oh those lips. They were practically begging to be kissed again, but Naveen held those thoughts at bay. He had to concentrate and think of everything he had ever told Tiana about himself, but that wasn’t as easy as he had hoped. He was making himself nervous, and Naveen wished he had thought of some other way to alleviate her worries.Naveen was not the brightest growing up, and his memory was spotty at best. Though he never seemed to have a problem remembering things about Tiana, so that was something. Plus, this question would be about himself, so how hard could it be?That twitch appeared on her lips again, though this time the smile stayed. That had to be a good sign.“What happens,” Tiana began, “when a frog’s car breaks down?”Oh no. A riddle. Tiana, my love how could you do this to me? What if he got it wrong? She would divorce him and send him back to Maldonia where this question would haunt him for the rest of his days slowly driving him insane.No. This could not happen. He would think about it and get it right. For Tiana. Naveen’s brows furrowed in concentration. They certainly hadn’t driven a car when they were frogs, so that wasn’t it. He couldn’t even remember talking to her about cars. Then again, why would he? There weren’t any in Maldonia so it wasn’t like he knew a lot about them. His father had ridden in one once though, and afterward would never stop complaining about it - which in hindsight was probably why there weren’t any in the kingdom. What was it he was always saying about them? He said… they were always breaking and had to be…Naveen burst out laughing. He had figured it out. When he looked up, and saw Tiana laughing too, he knew he had the right answer.What happens when a frog’s car breaks down?“It gets toad away!” Naveen answered, laughing.“Yes! It is you!” And then they were kissing, difficult as it was through their laughter.“I love you so much,” Naveen said between kisses.“I love you, too.”“But wait,” Naveen pulled back and raised an eyebrow. “That was the question you picked to see if it is really me? Lot’s of people could have figured it out.”“Maybe so, froggy,” Tiana said, and playfully bopped his nose with her index finger. “But I knew you would be the only one who would find it funny.”“Ha ha,” Naveen said sarcastically, but with a smile. His cheeks hurt from smiling so much today, but he didn’t care. “I don’t know what that says about my taste in jokes.”“It means,” Tiana cupped his chin, and brought him close again, “that we have the same sense of humor.” She kissed him, and it was a long time before either of them spoke again.The trip to New Orleans was luckily uneventful, though it did take a long time to get back. Poor Louis practically collapsed once they reached the docks. Tiana gave him a kiss on the cheek and promised to make a big pot of gumbo as a thank you, and that perked the gator back up.Their joy at arriving was short lived though, once they realized that Eudora would probably be too scared of Louis to meet him right away. It seemed best to let them have a few days to explain everything before Louis could join them in the city.It tore Tiana’s heart to pieces when he started to cry. “It’ll be just for a little while,” she said. Louis’ head was in her lap, and Tiana was gently wiping his tears away. “And then I’ll make you two pots of gumbo, okay?”Louis sniffed, and nodded.Naveen patted the gators back. “And I will start looking for that band you played with during Mardi Gras. I am sure they would love to play with you again.”“But they were scared of me once they realized what I am,” Louis said, another tear slid down his cheek. “Everybody’s scared of me.”“We’re not,” Tiana said.Naveen nodded. “That’s right. When I find them, I will explain everything.” He glanced up at Tiana. “I can be very persuasive.”“But what if they still don’t want me to play with them?” Louis asked.“Well,” Tiana began, “you’ll always have a spot to play at Tiana’s Place .”Louis brightened. “Really?”“Of course, silly,” Tiana said. “How could you think for a minute that I wouldn’t want you to play in my restaurant.”“We can play together!” Naveen said, grinning.“But aren’t you afraid that I’ll scare away all your customers?” Louis asked.Tiana waved that away. “Anybody that’s scared of you doesn’t deserve my food anyway.”“Oh Tia, thank you!” Louis grabbed them both into a giant bear hug...or rather, an alligator hug.Then at last it was time to say goodbye. The sun was setting, and Tiana wanted to get moving before it got too dark. The shadows were already long and spooky, and it wouldn’t be long before the pitch black of night took over the city, making even the simplest of shadows look like it was moving. Tiana shivered, and reminded herself that she had seen the end of the Shadow Man, though even those memories haunted her still. They really needed to get moving. With one more round of hugs and kisses, they said goodbye to Louis with the promise that they would meet up again next week.Hand in hand, Tiana led Naveen through the city. At least the oncoming darkness hid them from the strange looks they would have gotten otherwise from wearing these outfits. Then again, this was New Orleans, where a lot of strange things happened on a daily basis, so it could be that nobody even noticed.As they got closer to Tiana’s neighborhood, she found her thoughts spinning more inside her head. She hadn’t even realized it until Naveen spoke up.“You are quiet again,” he said.“Huh? Oh, sorry,” Tiana replied.“Do you need to ask me another joke riddle?” Naveen asked, giving her hand a squeeze.“No,” she laughed. “I know it’s you.”“Paiso for your thoughts?” Naveen asked. At Tiana’s confused look, he clarified, “That is a one cent coin in Maldonia. What you Americans would call a penny, I believe. Did I not say it right?”“You did,” she said. “Sorry, there’s just a lot on my mind right now.”“Perhaps if you share it with me, I can help.”“Okay.” Tiana paused. “I don’t know where to start.”“Tell me more about your mother,” he said. “You mentioned a little in the bayou but, I imagine it will be easier to talk about now, yes? What is she like?”“She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” Tiana answered. “Daddy left to fight in the war when I was eight, and he died a year later.” She paused to take a shaky breath. Naveen squeezed her hand again. “So Mama had to do everything by herself. I still don’t know how she did it all - raising me, and keeping our heads above water. I know it was really hard for her too. I think she hid a lot of that from me. Especially when it came to money. We-” Tiana stopped herself.“What?” Naveen asked, softly.Tiana stopped walking and looked directly at Naveen. “I don’t think I ever really told you, because it didn’t really matter before. Maybe you already figured it out but… well, Mama and I… we never really had much money. We still don’t. We’re kind of… poor.”“Okay?”“Doesn’t that bother you?” Tiana asked.“No. Why would it?”“Because you’re a prince! You’re used to diamond encrusted toothbrushes, and golden pillowcases. Our house is going to look like rubbish to you. Hell, it’s probably smaller than your closet.”Gently, he placed a finger over her mouth, silencing her. “Tiana, how could you have forgotten already?”“Forgotten what?” The tears that were stinging her eyes surprised her.Naveen carefully wiped them away. “I promised to love you for richer, for poorer, and I meant every word.” He kissed her cheek softly. “Nothing has changed since then. Well, okay so maybe a few things have changed,” he paused as Tiana smiled softly, “but the way I feel about you hasn’t changed, and it never will.” His hand stroked her face down to her chin, which he held with his index finger and thumb. He kissed her then, long and sweet, peppered with small strokes of his tongue that made her insides turn over.“Please do not worry about what I will think of your house, or where you grew up,” Naveen said once they pulled apart. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “I love it already because it is a part of you. It made you into the woman I love, and I would not change you for anything in the world.”“Naveen, I do love you so,” Tiana said.“And I love you, my princess.”Their lips met again, but a quick flash of light followed by a slow rumble of thunder made them both look up at the sky. A storm was coming, fast by the looks of it. Tiana could smell the rain in the air.“We should hurry,” she said, and took Naveen’s hand, leading him faster than before. Luckily they didn’t have much further to go, but the rain was coming fast. By the time they got to Tiana’s block they were running, doing their best to beat the storm.  They stomped up the porch stairs, and just as they reached the top thunder clapped above them, releasing a torrent of heavy rain.Tiana gave Naveen a small smile while she caught her breath. “Well,” she held her arms up, gesturing to the house, “this is it.”He made a show of looking up and down the porch. It was a nice, solid building, complete with a porch swing, something he definitely didn’t have in Maldonia. Sure it was smaller than he was used to, but Naveen found that he didn’t mind. “I like it. It is,” he pursed his lips, “homey. Is that the right word?”“Yes,” she dimpled. “That’s exactly right.” It was homey, wasn’t it? Tiana knew she had missed home, but she hadn’t realized she missed it this much. She almost wept at the sight of the simple doormat and the screen door that didn’t close all the way. All those little things that went into making her home a real home, but the most important one was waiting for her inside.She rested her hand on the doorframe, wanting desperately to knock and let her Mama know she was here, but Tiana hesitated. Naveen’s hand found hers just as another clap of thunder boomed overhead.“Do you know what you are going to say? To your mother?” Naveen asked, his voice rising to be heard over the rain.“Not really,” Tiana replied. “What can I say except-”The door suddenly burst open, making Tiana gasp. Eudora stood just inside, gaping at the people on her doorstep. “Tiana?”“Mama!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Tiana?”“Mama!”As Eudora pulled Tiana into a crushing hug, Naveen quietly stepped to the side, giving the two women what little privacy the small porch would allow. It wasn’t long before Eudora started to cry, and then Tiana started in as well. Naveen found himself blinking back his own tears as he wondered what his own reunion with his parents would look like.  The last time he had seen his parents was when they had cut him off. They told him that they had been thinking of doing so for awhile, but after his recent behavior, they had ultimately decided it was for the best. Naveen felt the guilt weigh heavy on him as he remembered what he had done to deserve that punishment, and the rude things he had said to his parents before storming off in a huff. Not long after, Naveen had convinced Lawrence to use his savings to buy them tickets to New Orleans, effectively running away from his problems.He hadn’t said goodbye, or even told his parents where he was going. Were they even looking for him? Were they worried about him? Would they be as happy as Eudora was to see him again? Naveen shifted as Tiana’s mother planted a series of kisses on her daughter’s dimpled cheeks. Probably not. Still, Naveen hoped they would be able to forgive him once they learned he had married an amazing woman like Tiana.At last Eudora pulled back and cupped Tiana’s tear stained cheeks. “Babycakes, is it really you?” Babycakes? Naveen hid his smile behind his hand. That was the cutest nickname he had ever heard, and he couldn’t wait to tease Tiana about it later. He liked her mother already.“Yes, Mama,” Tiana laughed, sniffing and brushing away the last of her tears. If the nickname bothered her, she didn’t show it. “It’s me.”“But how…? Where have you been? I’ve been so worried. What happened to you?  And what,” Eudora finally took in her daughter’s dress, “are you wearing?” She cooed softly as she gently felt the fabric between her fingers. “It’s gorgeous.”“It’s a long story.” Tiana quickly glanced to Naveen, before turning back to Eudora. “Can we come inside?”Eudora’s hand came up to her forehead as she laughed. “Yes, of course, baby. I’m sorry, I should have done that first thing.” She wrapped her arm around Tiana’s waist. “Come in, come in, out of this rain and-” Eudora paused. “Did you say we?”Tiana took a deep breath, taking another quick glance at Naveen. “Mama, there’s somebody I’d like you to meet.”Naveen had the sudden irrational desire to flee. Oh god, this was it. He should have warned Tiana that he had never dated a girl who’s parents liked him. Though Naveen could easily imagine her quipping that they weren’t dating, they were married and love for her swelled inside him. Maybe this time it would be different. Yes, that was it. Think on the positive side, Naveen. As long as I don’t say anything idiotic I’ll be fine. Of course just thinking of speaking out loud made his mouth dry up. Great.Tiana gestured towards Naveen, and Eudora finally looked his way. When their eyes met, he offered her a wide smile, hoping it would make his slight nausea go away. It didn’t. He clung to Tiana’s hand when she offered it, stepping closer into the porch light. Eudora’s brows furrowed slightly.“This is my… this is Naveen,” Tiana finally said.He swallowed hard, his mind whirling for something, anything clever to say, but it was a blank. Tiana squeezed his hand gently. He cleared his throat, finding his voice at last. “Prince Naveen, of Maldonia.” Instinctively he clicked his heels and bowed low. “At your service.”When he straightened, Eudora’s hand rested on her heart, her eyes opened wide as she gaped blatantly at Naveen not saying a word.“Mama?” Tiana’s asked softly, taking a small step forward. “Are you alright?”Eudora didn’t answer, but Naveen did notice her knees start to wobble and the color was draining out of her face. Her lips started to move, and Naveen had to lean in to hear her over the rain. “The p-p-prince?”It all seemed to be getting to her fast. In one fluid motion, Eudora’s eyes rolled back into her head, and her knees buckled.Tiana cried out. Naveen rushed forward, not aware of anything else but the desperate need to catch her before she fell. He didn’t even remember catching her, but there she was, safe in his arms. He held her firmly as his heart beat furiously in his chest, his mind blank on what to do.Tiana was already behind him fumbling with the doorknob. “Quick,” she said. “Bring her inside.”Yes. Ok. Yes. Inside. Yes that was the right thing to do. Naveen was grateful that his body seemed to remember how to move, because his mind was on overdrive. Faldi faldonza, what did I do? I didn’t mean for this to happen, I’m so sorry, please be alright, faldi faldonza what did I do? “Here, on the couch.” Tiana’s command cut through his intrusive thoughts. She quickly cleared off the couch, leaving room for Naveen to gently lay Eudora down.Tiana began frantically searching through a drawer, looking for what, Naveen didn’t know. Desperate for something, anything, he could do to help, he did the only thing he could think to do - he found a nearby pillow and carefully propped Eudora’s feet up.“Here, Mama.” Tiana had found the smelling salts she had been looking for, and she waved them under Eudora’s nose. Naveen stood by her, resting his hand on Tiana’s lower back, offering her what little comfort he could.At last Eudora blinked awake. Her eye’s focused on her daughter. “Tiana?” she croaked out.Both Tiana and Naveen exhaled in relief. “Yes, Mama. It’s me.”Eudora’s brows furrowed in confusion. Naveen offered her a small smile when she gave him a passing glance. “What happened?” she asked, her gaze returning to Tiana.“You fainted,” Tiana explained keeping her voice low and soft. She brushed a stray hair off her mother’s forehead.“Oh.”“Are you alright?” Tiana asked.“Yes, I think so.” The color was returning to her cheeks. Though Naveen had only met the woman five minutes ago, he thought she looked more like her old self. He exhaled again, softer this time. It looked like she was going to be alright. So much for a good first impression though.“I’ll get you some water,” Tiana said. She pressed a kiss to her mother’s forehead. “You stay right there.”Eudora sighed and rested her hand over her eyes. Before Tiana could make it too far, Naveen gently held her hand and kissed her palm. He was rewarded with a soft smile that made his stomach jump. How his insides had survived this day with all its surprises he didn’t know.God she was so beautiful. He wanted to hold her in his arms, kiss her senselessly and apologize for frightening her mother, and then kiss her all over again and again and-.Tiana rested her finger on lips, as if to quiet the thoughts inside his head. “ Not in front of my Mama ,” she whispered. How did she know what he was thinking? Was it that obvious? Oh, he was still holding her hand, caressing it softly.He gave it a parting squeeze, and reluctantly let go. Tiana bit her lip and took another glance towards Eudora, who still had her eyes closed. Oh those lips. She was torturing him. Before Naveen could do anything about it, Tiana pressed a quick kiss to his cheeks.He chuckled softly, watching her leave. She looked over her shoulder and smirked at him before turning the corner into what Naveen assumed was the kitchen. His whole body felt lighter. Naveen wouldn’t have been surprised at all if he started walking on air.Of course he didn’t, but no matter. He turned back to the living room with a spring in his step, having practically forgotten the frightening last few minutes. But Eudora on the couch brought it all back. She was looking at him now, her gaze was strong and clear. He didn’t think there was any danger of her fainting again but Naveen wanted to be careful just in case.“Are you really the prince?” Eudora asked.“Yes.” He wanted to say something clever that would make her like him. Something that could prove that he would be a good husband to Tiana, but at the same time sooth her nerves and not scare her again. Instead he simply said “Hello.”Eudora cracked a smile and laughed. Naveen could see where Tiana got her smile from. “Hello, yourself.”This was promising. Naveen fiddled with his cape, unsure of what to say next. So he took the opportunity to look around the room. It was small, but as he told Tiana outside, very cozy. Though the room was quite a mess - scattered newspapers littered the floor, while bits of fabric, thread, and half sewn garments were strewn about. It wasn’t at all like the clean and tidy house Tiana had described to him.“Sorry about the mess,” Eudora said, as if hearing his thoughts. “I haven’t been myself lately. If I’d known the prince was coming I would have cleaned up.”Eudora groaned as she tried to sit up.“No, no. It is fine,” Naveen said. “I will straighten things up for you, yes? You stay and rest some more.”She stared at him in disbelief, but the fear that she would collapse again seemed to be the only thing that made her nod and lie back down.Naveen quickly got to work gathering the newspapers, and was surprised to see his own face peering up at him printed on many of the pages. The pictures were accompanied by headlines like MALDONIAN PRINCE MISSING and STILL NO TRACE OF THE PLAYBOY PRINCE. Skimming the articles, Naveen found them to be full of hearsay about his philandering past. It seems his disappearance had been a boon to the local newspapers. Naveen highly doubted that Eudora was the only one buying the papers to read gossip about him.But why had she been buying these? The answer was tucked into a small corner. One short sentence had been underlined and circled in heavy black pen: A missing persons report has been filed stating a local citizen has also been missing since Mardi Gras. Tiana.Eudora must have been scouring the news, desperate for any mention of her missing daughter, but his own disappearance had eclipsed everything else.But just how much had Eudora read about him? Did she believe everything she had read? Even though some of it appeared to be true, this was not the first impression he had hoped to make on his new mother-in-law. At least word about his disinheritance hadn’t come out yet. Though Naveen knew it would only be a matter of time before it did, which meant that he would have to tell Tiana exactly what happened sooner rather than later. He would much rather have her hear about his stupidity from him than read about it in the paper. He only hoped she wouldn’t think less of him for it.Tiana finally returned carrying a tray with water and plates of food. Naveen didn’t recognize the food, but who cared when it smelled so good. His stomach rumbled and he realized just how long it had been since he had eaten food cooked on a real stove.  “Here Mama,” she said handing her mother the glass of water. “Drink this. Slowly.”“Lord, child, I know. You don’t have to babysit me.”Tiana handed Naveen a plate. Fish it looked like, served on top of rice. “Thought you might be hungry.”“Yes, thank you,” he said. Their fingers brushed as he took the plate from her, sending sparks down his spine. “You made this just now?” he asked, impressed.Tiana smiled, pleased. “It’s not that hard. I’ll show you.”“I’d like that.”“Alright...” Eudora butted in. Naveen felt heat rush to his cheeks. He’d forgotten she was there. “I feel like I am missing a lot here. Tiana, will you please tell me what happened?”Tiana shared a nervous look with Naveen, who gave her a reassuring smile in return. She took a deep breath. “Ok. Well, I guess it all started the night of Lottie’s party.” To Eudora’s credit, she didn’t interrupt the story, unbelieveable as it all sounded even to Tiana’s ears. Though her mother’s eyes did widen at the first mention of magic, and they almost seemed to pop out of her head when Tiana mentioned that she was in love and also married to the prince sitting beside her. By then she and Naveen had linked hands, for which Tiana was grateful, even though she did find herself being distracted by the occasional brush of his thumb.And then the story was finished. Silence engulfed the room, save for the relentless ticking of the clock. Eudora sat with her arms crossed, rubbing her arms, a habit Tiana had picked up herself. At last the clock struck the hour (Tiana counted eleven strokes. Was it really that late already?), and then suddenly Eudora let out a subdued chuckle. It quickly grew into full on laughter. Naveen glanced quizzically at Tiana. Is this a good sign? She shrugged her shoulders, having no idea.“I must have hit my head earlier,” Eudora finally said through her laughter. “That is the craziest story I’ve ever heard.” She wiped away a tear shaking her head. “You mind telling me what really happened?”Tiana shared another look with Naveen. “That is what really happened. It’s the truth.”“The truth.” Eudora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Tiana, this isn’t like you to be spinning fairy tales like this.”“You mean you don’t believe us?” Tiana asked.“Believe you?” Eudora laughed. “Of course I don’t. Why would I?”But Tiana was stuck. What proof did they really have that all of this had happened? No matter what little evidence they offered - their clothes or the scar that was still present on Naveen’s hand - Eudora turned it back on them.A costume shop could have had clothes like that, and Naveen could have cut his hand on anything. It didn’t prove anything.Eudora sighed again. “Do you at least have any witnesses? For this wedding that supposedly happened?”“Mama Odie was there,” Tiana said.“Louis too,” Naveen added.“Right, the 200 year old blind voodoo queen and a trumpet playing alligator. I’m sure that will hold up in court.”“Court?” Tiana couldn’t help but ask. She felt a pit in her stomach.“Yes, court. You think you can just go around telling people you’re married? Tiana, use your head.”Oh no. How could this thought never even cross her mind? Tiana glanced at Naveen and was disheartened by the despair on his face that mirrored her own. “We don’t have a marriage license.”“I’m guessing y’all didn’t get a blood test either,” Eudora said.Their silence was all the answer Eudora needed. “Tiana, I’d like a word with you, please. In private.”Tiana reluctantly followed, but not before Naveen gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.Once the two women were alone in the kitchen, Eudora asked softly, “Are you pregnant?”Tiana gasped and blinked in surprise. “Mama! God!”“It’s alright, sweetheart. We’ll work it out together, okay?”“How could you ask me something like that?”“I don’t know, Tiana. You’ve just been gone so long, and now you’re back and...” Eudora’s voice was starting to break. “I’ve been so worried about you!” She pulled Tiana into a crushing hug.“Oh, Mama, I’m so sorry.” Tiana hugged her mother back. “I wanted to write to you so much, to let you know that I was okay. But I couldn’t because-”“I know, I know.” Eudora sighed as she pulled back. It was clear that she still didn’t believe their story, but she wasn’t going to fight it anymore. At least for tonight.“I’m not pregnant, though,” Tiana said. “I can promise you that.”Eudora let out a tired chuckle. “Well, at least we have that going for us.”Us. Such a simple word, but it was one Tiana was very glad to hear. Despite everything they had told Eudora tonight, this meant that she was still on her team. They could get through this together.But then suddenly Eudora hounded her with questions, each one harder to answer than the next.Did she honestly expect to go out into the world and declare to everyone that they were married and have it be okay? Eudora wouldn’t be the only one who would think that Tiana was pregnant, and that would give her a bad reputation, and what would that mean for her restaurant? People wouldn’t want to come to an establishment owned by somebody who for all intents and purposes was basically pretending to be married. It wasn’t proper.And what about Naveen’s parents? What about his royal duties? Was Tiana now expected to be a princess to a country she had never been to, or even heard of before? Did that mean she had to pack up her life in New Orleans and give up her dream restaurant?Tiana had no answers for any of these questions. The happy camaraderie they had shared just a few minutes ago was gone. Her eyes started to sting with tears. Why couldn’t Mama just be happy for her? Why did she have to ruin such a happy day with her matter-of-fact reasoning?The worst thing about all of this was that Eudora was right, and Tiana knew it. Of course she hadn’t thought about any of that when she married Naveen. They had been frogs, and neither of them expected to ever be able to change back. But now they had, and all of the complications of the human world were crashing down on them fast. Would they even be able to stay together now? Were their lives just too different to sustain this fragile beginning of a relationship?A tear escaped and flowed down Tiana’s cheek as she started to sniffle. This was all wrong. Just when she had found a sense of happiness, it was all being taken away. Again. It just wasn’t fair!Eudora tenderly pulled her back into her arms and shushed a weeping Tiana. “I’m sorry, baby,” she said softly. “I know love makes you do crazy things sometimes.”Tiana looked up, hopeful. “So you really believe that we’re in love?”Eudora sighed and brushed away a tear from Tiana’s cheek. “Out of all the impossible things you told me tonight… well, that’s the one thing that seems true.” She smirked. “It’s pretty obvious from the way you two look at each other.”Tiana felt the corners of her mouth tug upwards. “Does this mean you approve after all?”“Babycakes,” Eudora began. Instantly Tiana’s ghost of a smile disappeared. “Being in love and being ready for marriage are two completely different things.” She took Tiana’s hands. “I’m so happy that you found somebody, really I am. I’m sorry if it doesn’t seem like it. Y’all just surprised me, that’s all. But it doesn’t seem like you’ve thought things through, and I can’t give my blessing until you can show me that you have.”Eudora glanced at the clock. “It’s late. I think we could all do with a good night’s sleep.” She squeezed Tiana’s hands. “That prince of yours can sleep on the couch. I don’t care how married you two think you are, there will be none of that funny business in my house.”“Yes, Ma'am.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

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.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

All at once, even before she opened her eyes, Tiana realized three things: she had inadvertently fallen asleep on the couch last night, she was snuggled deep in Naveen’s arms, and Mama had found them.With a start, Tiana sprang away from the couch, scrambling to hide any evidence of their embrace. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, as she tried in vain to come up with any sort of excuse for why she had been sleeping in Naveen’s arms. But her sleep addled brain couldn’t think of anything.“Nothing happened, Mama,” Tiana said simply.Naveen was quickly following her lead, but the blankets caught around his legs. He fell onto the floor with a loud bang. He cursed himself for letting this happen, but it had been so nice last night. Still, Naveen knew better than to have fallen asleep without sending her back upstairs. This is exactly the kind of thing he had been trying to avoid.“It is not what it looks like!” He offered, then cursed again as the blankets seemed to constrict on his feet. Naveen kicked at them in frustration, finally breaking free.He finally stood next to Tiana, with his heart racing he followed her gaze to the front door where Eudora’s voice had come from. Naveen blinked in surprise. Eudora wasn’t even looking at them. Her eyes wide with fright, as a giant shadow fell across the front hallway.Naveen’s stomach dropped. Was it the shadows? But how? And why would they seek him now, weeks after Facilier had disappeared? Unless the Shadow Man was back somehow.He felt his knees start to shake, despite himself. He knew what those shadows could do, and he also knew he was powerless to stop them. Naveen spared a backwards glance at Tiana, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing.She stood frozen to the spot, her eyes wide with fear, but still looking so beautiful even in her rumpled sleep clothes and mussy hair that Naveen felt his heart go out to her. He knew he would do whatever he could to protect his wife and mother in law from the thing on the other side of the door.He inched his way closer to Eudora, slowly so as not to startle her anymore than she was. Out of the corner of his eye, Naveen saw Tiana grab a fire poker. Well, at least he knew he had some back up.At last Eudora glanced over. “Don’t come any closer,” she warned. Her voice was low. Naveen thought he detected a slight tremor in it.“What is it?” He whispered.“There’s a giant gator outside,” Eudora told him. “Big enough to eat all three of us.”“A gator?” Naveen paused, feeling some of his tension release. “You mean an alligator?”Eudora frowned, looking so much like Tiana he could have laughed if everyone hadn’t been so on edge.Before she could chastise him, Naveen peeked outside. He let out a huge breath and broke into a grin.“Don’t-!” Eudora cried out as Naveen opened the door. She covered her eyes, expecting the prince to be this creature’s next meal. How could she ever explain to the Maldonian king and queen that - ‘yes, your son stopped by my house but then I let him be eaten by an alligator the next morning. So sorry about that.’But when she peeked through her fingers, the gator had lifted Naveen into the air into a heartfelt embrace. Naveen was laughing, and so, god help her, was the alligator.Tiana was by her mother’s side now, and gently rested her hands on her mother’s shoulders. “It’s only Louis, Mama.”While Eudora was taking it all in, Tiana rested her hands on her hips. “Louis, what are you doing scaring us half to death?”Carefully Louis set Naveen down. He twisted his tail in his hands. “I was lonely.”Lonely. Of course. Tiana shook her head, feeling so relieved that it was only Louis. Of course the shadows hadn’t come back for them. Why would they, with the Shadow Man gone? But Tiana didn’t want to think of that just now. She pushed it out of her mind and concentrated on her mother, who looked like she was about to faint again.Eudora gasped softly, her hand over her heart. “ It talks .”Tiana squeezed her mother’s shoulders lightly, remembering how unnerved she had felt after Stella had spoken to her. Though Eudora seemed to be doing remarkably well, all things considered. “It’s alright, Mama. He won’t hurt you.” Tiana turned to the gator and asked, “Louis, would you like some breakfast?”The gator grinned, and before any of them could say anything else, he pushed past them to the kitchen.Naveen shouted after him. “Louis be careful. Watch out for that-!” He flinched as the sound of glass breaking filled the silence in the air. Eudora just stood, her mouth slightly agape.Tiana squeezed her shoulders again.Naveen offered a sheepish grin at the two women. “I will, um. Make sure he doesn’t break anything else.”Eudora glared at Tiana once Naveen had shuffled back after Louis. “First a prince shows up on my doorstep, then an alligator. If something else shows up here tomorrow, Tiana, so help me…” If this was the strangest breakfast Eudora had ever had (it was) she didn’t show it. Though she did sit as far away from Louis as possible. All those teeth were making her uneasy, even though he was perfectly content eating the omelets Tiana made.With a full stomach, Louis settled in the corner for a nap, and Eudora was forced to admit to herself that he was pretty cute for an alligator.Tiana was glad when Naveen offered to help wash the dishes. Even though she had to show him how to do it first, this would show Mama what a good man he was. Sure Naveen had a lot to learn, but he was willing to do it. That had to mean something to Eudora, and, Tiana hoped, would mean that she wouldn’t lecture them too much. At least right now.But Eudora didn’t start to lecture them. It was more like an interrogation.When Eudora mentioned last night, Tiana’s stomach dropped, afraid that her mother really had found them on the couch this morning. But fortunately she merely wanted to know what their plan was going forward. Tiana sighed in relief. She didn’t know how much more of this emotional roller coaster she could take.“I assume you’ve thought about what we talked about last night,” Eudora said. “At least I hope you have.”Despite her best efforts, Tiana couldn’t remember anything about last night except for their more intimate time on the couch. She felt her face flush remembering the way his body had felt against hers. She could still feel the hard pressure of his thigh, the warmth of his breath on her cheek.Under the soapy water their fingers brushed. Last night in the dark, those sure confident fingers… they had been inside her.Never had Tiana been so glad to be washing dishes, facing away from her mother. At least she knew she could blame the way her cheeks were flaring on the heat of the water. Though Eudora would hardly buy that excuse.She glanced up at Naveen, silently pleading for his help. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments. The way he was looking at her made her think he was remembering  those moments from last night too.Luckily Naveen was able to articulate their small, but somewhat efficient plan to Eudora, though there were still some other things to figure out, and she would not let up until they had. Sure Naveen would write to his parents, but what would they do while waiting to hear back from them?As they sat down to discuss the matter, Naveen felt himself getting more and more crushed by the revelations. There was no way they would be able to say that they were married without starting a major scandal. For both their sakes they would have to pretend not to be, which meant that Naveen needed to find somewhere else he could stay.Stay away from Tiana? Not even allowed to say that they were married? It was heartbreaking to think that hardly 24 hours into their marriage, it was already falling apart. But what solution could he offer to fix it?So when Eudora suggested that Tiana ask Lottie if Naveen could stay there (that’s where he was going to stay originally, she offered. It just made sense) he grudgingly accepted. He watched Tiana mull it over, and as she bit her lip in thought, Naveen realized he hadn’t even kissed her this morning. He wanted to be in bed with her, slowly and tenderly making love, not here in the kitchen discussing ways to hide their marriage from the world. Just the thought made him want to weep in despair.Tiana was hesitant to agree to Eudora’s suggestion, Naveen could tell, but at last she nodded. “I need to talk to Lottie anyway,” she said. “And while I’m there I can find something more suitable for you to wear,” Tiana teased Naveen.He gave her a soft smile back. Hopefully they still had all of his clothes there.Once they had that taken care of, there would be a few more errands to run, most notably going to the police station to say that they weren’t missing anymore.“Well,” said Eudora, seemly satisfied she sat back in her chair. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot to do today.”“I’d better go get dressed, then” Tiana said, simply, before she headed upstairs to get ready for the day. By the time Tiana was dressed and back downstairs, Naveen was already set up at the table with a pad of paper and a pencil for his letter to his parents.Gosh he looked cute, bent over his writing, concentrating on it like it was the most important letter he had ever written in his life. The scholarly look was diminished by his mussy hair and his wrinkled sleep shirt though. He hardly looked like the princes in the storybooks she’d grown up with.And that made him seem all the more beautiful.“I’ll be back soon,” Tiana announced, trying not to ruin his concentration, but delighted when he put his pencil down and came to her side.“You’re leaving already?” Naveen replied,pulling her into a casual embrace.Tiana linked her fingers behind his neck, glad that Mama wasn’t around. “There’s a lot to do, and you can’t go anywhere until you get some proper clothes, mister,” Tiana giggled despite herself.“Hmm, I suppose you are right.” Naveen’s soft smile made her heart leap. “But  you wouldn’t leave without kissing your husband goodbye, would you?” He pulled her close and nuzzled at her cheek.Despite the delightful shiver that traveled down her spine at the way his stubble scratched lightly against her skin, Tiana felt her heart break. For all intents and purposes, as soon as she left this house, they would no longer be husband and wife.It wouldn’t be forever, Tiana told herself. Just for a little while. Still, if she had known they would only have one day together …Involuntary tears started to stream down her cheeks. Frustrated, Tiana brushed them away. The last time she had cried so much was when her Daddy died. She was just tired of it. All she wanted to do was be happy with Naveen, but the world kept getting in the way. Why did everything have to be so difficult?Seeming to sense her discontent, Naveen gently brushed a tear aside with his thumb. “Don’t cry, princess.”“I’m sorry,” Tiana sniffed. “It just feels so final. Like I really am kissing my husband goodbye.”Naveen wrapped his arms around her, squeezing gently. “I will still be here when you return.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.“I know, I know.”“I don’t like this anymore than you do, love,” Naveen said, tucking a curl behind her ear. “But it will be alright. It has to be.”Tiana nodded with a sigh and rested her head on his chest. It was so lovely to be in his arms like this.“Now,” Naveen tilted her chin up and gave her a lopsided grin. “How about that kiss?”Tiana laughed. Her hands slid up his chest and settled behind his neck again. “You’ve certainly got a one track mind,” she teased.Naveen shrugged, letting his own hands rest comfortably on her waist. “What can I say? It’s hard to think of anything else when you are near.”She came closer, rubbing their noses together, brushing her lips against his, teasing him while she whispered. “Maybe it’s a good thing I’m going then.” Another light kiss against the corner of his mouth. “You’ll be able to concentrate on that letter.”Naveen shivered, chasing her kisses. “You won’t stay away too long though? Promise me you’ll hurry back.” He inhaled softly and whispered, “I need you.”At last, Tiana tipped her head slightly to one side and kissed him. His lips were soft and warm and moist, and she could taste the faint trace of their breakfast still lingering there. But how could she concentrate on that when his tongue was sliding into her mouth? She felt a pleasure so exquisite that she almost forgot about everything else.And then their faces were a few inches away, though her hands lingered on either side of his face, her fingers pushing into his hair. They smiled softly at each other as they tried to catch their breath. Naveen’s eyes kept darting down to her lips. What she wouldn’t give to keep kissing him, but they had so much to do, and Eudora would walk in on them at any moment.Still, it wouldn’t hurt to stay for a few minutes more. Tiana laughed to herself. What was she turning into? She’d never behaved like this before. But then he smiled at her again, and once more Tiana’s inside’s melted. No wonder people did crazy things when they were in love.Slowly, she traced a finger along his jawline. His stubble was coming in already. Her skin still felt raw from the way it had rubbed against her when they kissed. She wanted to feel it again. Instead she said, “You need a shave.”Naveen rubbed his chin. “Yes, I suppose I do. I will take care of it while you are out.” He kissed her again, chastely, and then once more, lingering on her soft lips. “Hurry back, princess.”She shivered. “I won’t be long,” Tiana said, and stumbled out the door on wobbly legs with a grin on her face. Normally Tiana took the streetcar to Lottie’s house. It didn’t cost much to ride, and her feet were always grateful for a rest after running around working all day. Today though, she needed time to think. So much had happened in these past few days, the streetcar wouldn’t provide the kind of solitude her mind needed to process it. The drawback though, was that this gave her ample time for her worries to bubble up inside her.Why had she agreed with Eudora’s idea to let Naveen stay at the LaBouff’s? She had been hesitant to say yes at the table, and now the reasons for it were boiling over in her mind. Tiana hated herself for it, because deep down she was afraid that if Naveen spent an ample amount of time around Lottie, he would leave Tiana for her.It was stupid, she knew, because Lottie would never steal Naveen from her! Hadn’t Lottie given up her dream of being a princess so Tiana and Naveen could be together? But Lottie didn’t have to do it on purpose for it to happen.Tiana could recount so many parties or even just casual gatherings where people crowded around Lottie and practically pushed Tiana aside. Lottie was so effervescent that people just naturally liked her better, and Tiana could hardly fault them for it. She knew she was hard to get to know, but she would rather her food be in the spotlight than herself, that was all.But Naveen was a lighthearted person, too, so wouldn’t it be natural for him to want to be with someone like Lottie? Marrying Lottie had been his original plan, and of course Lottie wouldn’t say no to being a princess twice. And once that was done, Naveen would practically have his old life back, with all the money he needed. Stop stop stop. Tiana squeezed her fists in frustration. She was letting her imagination get the best of her. Naveen loved her! He wouldn’t just toss her aside like yesterday’s news, and Lottie knew how they felt about each other. Tiana just needed to stop worrying and have more faith in her husband and her friend. Though saying that and actually doing it were two different things.So lost in her thoughts, Tiana hadn’t even realized that her feet had taken her right to the LaBouff house. The empty feeling in the pit of her stomach surprised her, but she wouldn’t let nerves stop what she came here to do.Tiana took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. Writing this letter to his parents was more difficult than Naveen had anticipated. How could he convey everything he needed to just on paper? At least with Eudora she had been able to hear how sincere they were when they told their story, even if she didn’t believe them. Though since Louis’ arrival this morning, Naveen thought she seemed to be coming around.It didn’t seem like a good idea to send Louis to deliver this letter to his parents though.He twirled the pencil in his fingers before trying again.
***

Dear Ammi and Baba,

I am sorry for the way I left. If you have been worried about me, I am fine, though Lawrence is in jail and I have a horrible scar on the palm of my hand. It does not keep me from playing the ukulele though!

I am writing to you because I have wonderful news. Can you guess? I am married!
***Naveen groaned and crumpled the paper into a ball. Rubbish.He tossed it to the floor with his other failed attempts.“You know that pencil has an eraser,” Eudora piped up. She was properly dressed now (Naveen was feeling more and more awkward in his borrowed sleep clothes. He hoped Tiana wouldn’t be too much longer), and was settled by her sewing machine, dutifully stitching up some garment. A dress by the looks of it, though Naveen wasn’t sure.“Oh. Sorry.” He cringed inwardly looking at the mess he was making. Not just a mess, he thought. Naveen, admittedly, wasn’t the brightest, but he was sometimes able to pick up subtle hints. He wasn’t sure how much a pad of paper cost, but he knew that Eudora and Tiana had to pinch their pennies, and judging by the growing pile of discarded paper he was making, Naveen had wasted quite a few pennies.He picked up the crumpled papers and dutifully tried his best to straighten them out and erase his unsuitable correspondence without ripping the paper.“Not going well?” Eudora asked.“No,” Naveen sighed. “There is so much to say, and I do not know where to begin. Every time I try it all sounds so wrong.”Eudora pursed her lips, and Naveen braced himself for some sort of lecture. She hadn’t been shy about saying what was on her mind in the brief time he had known her. It surprised him when she asked a question instead.“Do you really think this will work?” Eudora asked.Naveen shifted slightly in his seat. What could he say about his family that wouldn’t make him sound like an ungrateful son and a spoiled prince? This was not the best way to win Eudora’s favor, but lying about it seemed even worse.He lowered his gaze, too ashamed to make eye contact, and instead concentrated on more erasing. “My parents and I, ah, do not have the best relationship,” he began. “But if I write the perfect letter, I know they will be on our side and will work with us to find a good solution.”Eudora frowned, detangling a piece of thread that had gotten into a knot. “I didn’t mean the letter,” she said. “I mean you and my daughter.” She paused and waited until Naveen looked up to meet her eyes. “I’ve been reading about you in the paper. Is it true? About you being a playboy?”“I-” Naveen hesitated. The hardness in his stomach felt heavier by the second. He had known this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. Why, why had he acted like that back in Maldonia? Couldn’t he have seen what a mess it would make out of his life? Why hadn’t he known that none of it would be worth it, especially when he compared to the life he wanted now, with Tiana?Except he hadn’t known Tiana then, and maybe that made all the difference.But there was no way to explain that to Eudora.Naveen fiddled more with his pencil. He felt his shoulders hunch as he tried to hide himself from the truth of his past.“The newspapers have probably exaggerated a little, but,” he sighed, “it is true. But I am not that man anymore. I would never treat Tiana that way.” He threaded his fingers through his hair. “All I want is to be with her.”“Are you sure that you’re not that man anymore?” Eudora asked. The knot had finally come loose, and she threaded it back into the sewing machine. “You say you changed when you met Tiana. Fine. I understand that. But you’ve only known her for, what, a month?”Naveen nodded.“So how do you know that you won’t change back?”It was a fair question, though that didn’t make hearing it any easier. He hated this. Hated how he had acted for years, hated that those actions now seeded doubt about who he was now, hated how it was dragging Tiana into this. And he hated himself for the simple reason that he was worried he would revert to his old behavior too.For wasn’t he at this very moment trying to write a letter to his parents with every intention of begging for his inheritance back? Because as hard as he denied it, Naveen did miss having all that money. Now that they were human again it mattered! With the money, Tiana wouldn’t have to work so hard to get her restaurant. He could easily pay for it, and anything else she desired.She deserved to be treated like the princess she was. He had promised her that he would make her dream come true, and this was the only way he knew how. It made him feel dirty just thinking about it, but he justified it by saying he was spending the money on someone else, someone he loved. So that had to make it different, right? He wouldn’t just turn into that old Naveen once he had money again, right?He certainly hoped not. And so he was not going to tell Eudora about it. As for Tiana… he would tell her, but not until their 10th anniversary.None of that answered Eudora’s question though. He pursed his lips in thought while he continued to methodically erase his earlier writings. “The truth is, that I did not like the person I used to be very much.” As soon as he said it, the tension in his stomach lessened. It felt good to say it out loud. “Maybe I did at first, but after awhile it was like I was playing a part, but I didn’t even realize it. I didn’t know how to change, or even that I wanted to.”Absentmindedly he smoothed down the wrinkled paper as he spoke. “Tiana helped me realize that I can be a better person, and I want to be that better person. For Tiana, and for myself.”Eudora hesitated before she said, “You still don’t know each other very well, though. Are you sure you’re ready for such a big commitment?”“Yes. We love each other,” he said simply. “Yes, things are complicated right now, but it won’t always be that way.” He looked at Eudora, fixing her with his gaze. “I know Tiana and I have not known each other for very long, but in my heart I know we are supposed to be together. I would do anything for Tiana. I can assure you, Mrs…., uh, Mrs…..” Oh faldi faldonza. This couldn’t be happening. Tiana must have told him her last name at one point, but no matter how much he wracked his brain trying to remember, it came up empty.Eudora crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. He could feel any progress he had made being drowned in his own incompetence while he stuttered and stammered helplessly.“It’s Batiste,” she offered at last.“Mrs. Batiste,” Naveen replied, wishing that the floor would just open up and swallow him whole.“You’d better hurry up and finish that letter,” she said and poured herself more coffee. “Miss LaBouff? There’s someone here to see you….”Even in the entryway where Gertrude, the maid, had asked Tiana to wait, she could still her Lottie’s muffled reply that she didn’t want to see anyone and that they should just be sent away. Normally Tiana would have just gone right to her friend, but she agreed with Gertrude, who thought that Lottie would be too startled to see her. Gertrude herself had almost fallen over at the shock when she opened the door.Tiana couldn’t wait until people weren’t shocked by seeing her again. It was proving to be rather a nuisance.“But Miss, I think you’ll want to see who is here,” Gertrude said.She could just about hear the telltale signs of a tantrum coming from upstairs when Gertrude continued, “It’s Miss Tiana.”“Tiana?!” Charlotte’s door banged open with a crash, and Tiana’s nerves were just about to a breaking point. What would Lottie say when she saw her? Would she be mad?Lottie’s face peered down the stairs at Tiana. Her mouth was agape and she blinked rapidly, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.“Hi, Lottie,” Tiana said, surprised by how calm her voice sounded, when her insides were tied up in knots.Charlotte burst into a grin and let out an ear piercing squeal as she ran down the stairs. She practically crushed Tiana in her arms.“Tia! Tia! Tia!”Tiana was laughing now, as Lottie started jumping in their embrace, and soon Tiana started to jump too.They were both giggling happily when Lottie pulled back. “Tia… you’re human!! I’ve  missed you so much!! How did this happen??” She pressed a hand to her forehead, and still giggling said, “Does this mean I dreamt the whole thing about you being a frog?”“I thought it was a dream too,” Tiana said. “But it was real.”Lottie’s eyes widened. “So how did you break the spell?”“It’s a long story.” Naveen stared hopelessly at the shaving kit laid out before him. He could do this, right? It didn’t matter that he was twenty one years old and had never shaved his face before… right?He groaned inwardly and brought his palm to his face. He felt like the most pathetic human being on the planet.After Naveen finished what he hoped was a suitable letter for his parents, he had asked Eudora if she had a razor he could use. He had been hoping that just seeing it would bring up some sort of memory of what to do with it, but after Eudora had dug around in Tiana’s father’s old things and placed it in front of him, Naveen was still at a loss.At least Eudora had sharpened it for him, because the only thing he knew was that a sharp razor was better than a dull one. ‘Great ,’ he thought. ‘ Now I will be able to slice my head off in one swipe instead of two.’ Naveen shook his head. He needed to get a grip. It was just a shave! He could do this! He’d had hundreds of shaves back in Maldonia. And just because he had never paid any attention while they were going on didn’t mean he couldn’t figure it out now. How hard could it really be? Besides, the straight razor didn’t look that sharp.He picked it up and ran his thumb across the blade. It instantly cut his skin.Naveen cursed and stuck his thumb inside his mouth. It was then that he realized that Eudora was leaning against the doorframe, eyeing him with clear skepticism.“You don’t know how to shave, do you?” she asked, incredulously.Naveen wondered for a brief moment if he could lie his way out of this. But standing there, with his thumb in his mouth, he felt such a wave of embarrassment that Naveen was sure even his ears had turned pink. “No, ma’am,” he admitted.Eudora rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You’re lucky I used to shave James’ face sometimes. Scoot over.”Naveen did as he was told and listened intently while she told him how to lather up the shaving lotion with the brush. He only hoped that Eudora wouldn’t tell Tiana about any of this, but he had a strong suspicion that she would. “Gosh, Tia. It’s all so romantic!”Explaining everything to Lottie turned out to be a lot easier than it had been with Mama. Tiana thought it might have had to do with the fact that Lottie had always been open to the idea of magic and fairy tales, but it also helped that she had seen both her and Naveen as frogs.It was a nice enough day that they were able to move outside to the gazebo. They were nibbling on tea sandwiches and drinking iced tea.“To think, true love broke the spell,” Lottie placed a hand over her heart and let out a blissful sigh.“Well, not exactly love,” Tiana countered. “Just a kiss.” But even as she tried to lessen the impact of everything, she felt a blush begin on her cheeks as she remembered the kiss that broke the spell and the many kisses she had shared with her husband since.“But the kiss wouldn’t have broken the spell if you hadn’t gotten married, and you wouldn’t have gotten married if you hadn’t been in love! So ha.” Lottie playfully tossed a garnish at Tiana. “True love.”“Okay, fine,” Tiana laughed, trying to downplay it, but her smile gave her away. It felt nice to talk about Naveen in a way that didn’t involve someone pointing out all the ways their relationship could fall apart.“I can’t believe you’re married!” Charlotte said with a grin, but then her face fell slightly. “I wish I could have been there.”“Me too.” As much as she had loved her wedding, Tiana couldn’t lie and say it had been perfect. Of course she wished that her Mama and Lottie had been there, and sure she would have loved to wear a proper wedding gown. And most of all, she wished she had walked away from it with a marriage license.“Ever since Mardi Gras, I’ve just been so miserable,” Lottie said. “I felt so horrible that I wasn’t able to help you that night.”“Oh, honey.” Tiana reached across the table and squeezed her friend’s hand. “It’s not your fault. I never blamed you.” She squeezed again. “And it all worked out in the end.”“You’re right, Tia. You’re always right about those things.” Lottie brushed away a stray tear and smiled. “I still can’t believe you’re married! And to a prince! You’re a princess, Tia!!” Charlotte started to squeal again. “Oh it’s just so exciting! Are you gonna get a crown? And the dresses!” She gasped. “You’re gonna have dances and balls right?“I really don’t know,” she admitted, shifting a little in her chair. Tiana hadn’t thought of any of that yet. There was so much she didn’t know about being a princess, so much she had to learn. Would Naveen’s parents even let someone like her be a princess? Despite Naveen’s assurances, Tiana had her doubts.“I can’t wait to meet him!” Lottie continued, oblivious. “Well, we’ve sort of already met, but there wasn’t much time, you know?”“And you’re sure he can stay here?” Tiana asked. “It won’t be awkward?”“Of course he can, honey. But why would it be awkward?” Lottie asked. She added more sugar to her already sweet iced tea.Tiana blinked. Did she really have to spell it out? “Lottie, you were going to marry him, and you almost married someone else who had been under a spell to look exactly like him.”Charlotte stopped stirring her tea. “Well, when you put it that way it might be a little awkward.” She smoothed down the tablecloth. “But it’ll be fine.”“Where you… did you fall in love with him?” Even without saying who, it was clear Tiana was talking about Naveen. But not her Naveen, the Naveen Charlotte had known, the Lawrence as Naveen Naveen, which to Lottie would have been the real Naveen. It was all very confusing.Lottie started to pick up the crumbs on the table one by one, and Tiana wondered if she had gone too far with her question.“N… no,” Lottie eventually replied. She sighed. “Even before I found out he was a fake and that everything was a lie, I didn’t love him.”Tiana could practically taste the lecture she wanted to give her friend. How could you marry someone you didn’t love?? But Tiana knew better. If you told Lottie to do something, she almost always did the opposite. She had to learn on her own, no matter how hard it was.So Tiana bit her tongue and waited.“I think…” Lottie continued after a moment. “I think I loved the idea of him.”Tiana nodded. This at least made some sense.“He acted just like a prince out of a story book. It was easy to be swept up in the fairy tale.” Charlotte sighed. “Do you think I’m silly for still wanting to be a princess?”“No.” How could she say otherwise? So many people had criticized her for her own dream, she could hardly fault Lottie for having her own far fetched dream. “I don’t think it’s silly, Lottie, but, you should make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons.”Charlotte nodded.Before Tiana could stop herself, she asked, “Are you mad at me?”“Mad?” Lottie asked. “Whatever on earth for?”Now it was Tiana’s turn to fiddle with the tablecloth. “You said it yourself that you still want to be a princess. You’ve wanted it your whole life, and when you do find yourself a prince it turns out he was a fake and I ended up with the real thing and…” Tiana sighed. “I would completely understand if you’re upset.”“I’m not upset, Tia.”Tiana didn’t believe this for a second. She pressed again. “Lottie.”“Ok, ok, maybe I’m a little jealous,” Charlotte caved. “Part of me feels like it’s not fair, but that’s so ridiculous because if anyone deserves this, it’s you, Tia! I want you to be happy, and I’m so glad that you found someone.” She shrugged slightly. “Don’t worry about me, though. I’ll get over it.”“Besides,” she continued, “from what you’ve told me about Prince Naveen, it doesn’t sound like we’d be a good match. So even if things had worked differently, it wouldn’t have lasted. But you….” Lottie started to chuckle. “Did you really fall for someone who likes to dance and doesn’t know the first thing about cooking?”Tiana felt the heat rush to her cheeks again. “It doesn’t make much sense, does it?” Tiana had to laugh too. She reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand again. When Lottie squeezed back, she knew everything was going to be okay. “Love is funny that way, I guess.”Lottie waited until Tiana had taken a sip of her iced tea before she asked, “So how was it? Last night?” She raised an eyebrow. “In bed?”Tiana almost choked on her tea. “Lottie! Oh my god!” She felt herself blush harder than before, and used her coughing fit to try and bring it under control. It didn’t help though. “How could you ask me that?”Charlotte was openly laughing now. “What? You can tell me!”“Okay, first, I am not going to tell you, and second, we haven’t even done anything yet!” Her mind instantly went back to their time on the couch, but there was no way Tiana was ever going to share that. She paused, feeling a smile creep back to her lips. “He is a good kisser though.”Lottie squealed with laughter, and soon they were both laughing warmly, reveling in their shared friendship.“So,” Lottie said once they had calmed down. “Do you think Naveen knows of any princes out there who happen to be single?”

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Tiana wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. Naveen had assured her it wouldn't be a problem, and… well he was right, no matter how implausible it had seemed an hour ago.She had spent much longer at Lottie's than she had anticipated, and practically ran the whole way home with a suitcase of clothes for Naveen to change into. An apology was already on her lips when she walked through the door, expecting Naveen to be upset with her for taking so long. Instead Tiana found him in the middle of a card game with her mother. Losing badly from the looks of it.Naveen quickly changed (and gave Tiana many kisses of thank you in the process. Not that she minded in the least) and they set off for the day. The first stop, Tiana reminded him, would be to the police station.Though she knew that it had to be done, her stomach was tying itself up in knots. How were they supposed to effectively lie to the police? But how could they tell the truth when even Tiana's own mother hadn't believed their story?She had never been good at lying, and knew that she would crack under even the slightest pressure from any interrogation they could give. She'd have to pay a fine, and would probably be arrested. There was no way she'd be able to afford bail, and so she'd spend the rest of her life behind bars and oh god her life was over.Seeming to feel her distress, Naveen had gently pulled her to the side and wrapped his arms around her until she calmed down. "Everything will be alright," he promised. "I know how to handle this."And now here they were, and Tiana still couldn't believe it.The police were so utterly charmed by Naveen that they hardly paid any attention to her, or the story he presented to them explaining why he had been missing.She blinked in surprise as once again Naveen lead them all in another round of laughter, and, she blinked again, was that officer asking for an autograph?"That wasn't so bad," Naveen said once they left. The police force had been so enamored by Naveen's charms, they even offered to give them an escort around town, but Tiana declined and they quickly made their escape.Now they were walking hand in hand, Tiana giving him a haphazard tour of the city. "I'm just glad it's over," she replied. "Lying like that… it doesn't sit well.""Well, luckily we don't have to do it again," Naveen said. "Unless someone besides your mother, or Charlotte, or my parents ask us where we have been all this time." He had meant it as a joke, but Tiana wasn't laughing. He squeezed her hand. "It will be alright, love.""You told your parents the truth in your letter?" Tiana asked. In truth she was slightly shocked by this. After how difficult it had been explaining everything to her own mother, she had expected him to stretch the truth to his parents."They deserve to know what happened," Naveen replied. He had mailed the letter soon after leaving the police station and couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't explained everything well enough for them to understand. He knew there was nothing he could do to change it now, though, so he tried to push those thoughts away, at least until he had their reply in his hand. "Even if they do not believe it, at least I will know that I tried."Tiana squeezed his hand. "Do you think they'll believe you?"Naveen laughed softly. "Honestly? I do not know. We will just have to wait and see."They paused waiting to cross the street, and Naveen asked, "Tiana, where are we going?""Well, I thought we'd stop by Duke's and Cal's, to see if I can get my old jobs back," Tiana explained.The light changed, allowing them to cross, but when Tiana moved forward, Naveen held her back. "I thought we were going to be working on your restaurant. Aren't we?""Well, eventually," Tiana said. She tugged him forward gently, and at last they crossed the street. "But somebody else bought the sugar mill."She couldn't even bear to think of it. That was the building her Daddy had wanted to turn into their restaurant. The building all her hopes and dreams had depended on. Tiana had a notebook filled with plans, measurements, and budgets all based around that building. Now she'd have to start over.That's why they were taking the long way to Duke's. It would be too much to endure to walk past it and know it belonged to someone else. Or worse, actually see what changes that someone else had done to it. If it had been torn down, Tiana might actually weep."So you have to find a new building?" Naveen asked.Tiana nodded. "It's gonna take a lot of work to get back to where I was. The sugar mill was the only building that I could reasonably afford, and even then I only had the down payment." She let out a sigh as they turned the corner. "If I keep going at this rate, I'm gonna be a old woman by the time I get my restaurant."Naveen gave her hand a squeeze. "Well, you do have something that you did not have before.""Oh? And what's that?""Now you have me.""Yes." Tiana kissed his cheek. "Now I have you."Naveen broke out into a grin. As they turned another corner, he looked around more carefully. "This looks familiar. Did we pass by here before?""No, I don't think so.""Hmm. It really looks familiar." But when would he have been by this area? "I must have walked by here after I first arrived.""That makes sense," Tiana said. She pointed to the south. "The docks are right over there."Duke's was in sight now, and Naveen slowed his step, thinking. "This is where you worked, yes? At Duke's?"Tiana nodded. "It's not the greatest cafe, but they let me make the beignets in addition to being a waitress." She preened. "My beignets were always the best selling thing on the menu, so I'm sure Beuford will give me my job back."Naveen wasn't really sure what beignets were, but if Tiana made them, they were bound to be delicious. "Will you make some for me sometime?""I think I can do that."This was looking very familiar to Naveen now. It was all coming back to him. He remembered playing with the band as they walked down the streets. It had been such fun dancing to the music, and flirting with all the women. All of whom eagerly flirted back… except for one.Naveen gasped, stopping in his tracks."What is it?" Tiana asked.He looked at Tiana, then at Duke's, then back to Tiana. "O mio deus," he whispered, and burst into laughter."What? What's so funny?" Tiana asked again.Naveen was laughing so hard he almost couldn't breath. This was too much. At least he calmed down enough to speak. "The morning of Charlotte's party," he said between laughs. "Do you remember it?"Tiana raised an eyebrow at him. "Umm, a bit? Why?"Naveen wiped his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Do you happen to remember seeing a charming handsome man that morning? Here, perhaps? Carrying a ukulele and who gallantly tipped his hat to the most beautiful waitress he had ever seen?"While he was speaking, Tiana's eyes grew wide. Now it was her turn to gasp. She covered her mouth, unbelieving. "You?""Who knew that the best way to get your attention was to become a frog."The porch swing creaked gently as Naveen absentmindedly rocked back and forth on it. He was deep in thought waiting for Tiana, who had offered to make some iced tea, something that baffled Naveen's mind even now. He'd never thought that tea could be served cold.That wasn't what he was thinking about though. The day had been harder than either of them had anticipated. Not the general errands, but whenever they ran into someone that knew Tiana, they would have to lie about their relationship. And despite what Tiana had thought, there were a lot of people who knew Tiana.Naveen could still taste the bitterness of having been introduced as Tiana's friend instead of her husband. It wasn't that he minded being called her friend, because, of course, they were friends. But he was also deeply in love with her, and had married her. For all intents and purposes he was her husband and that's how Naveen wanted to be introduced. There had been so many times where he had just wanted to shout it at the top of his lungs, but he bit his tongue and smiled through it.Soon, he reminded himself. Soon. As soon as Baba and Ammi replied to his letter, it would all be sorted out. They just had to wait about two weeks for a reply, as Naveen had a feeling they would respond right away. Maybe they would even accompany the reply and could give their blessings in person. Now that would be something."What are you smiling about?" Tiana teased. She set down the tray that held a pitcher and two glasses."Just thinking about when we can freely admit that we are married to each other," Naveen said, accepting a glass of iced tea when she offered him one.Tiana's smile faltered as she poured herself a glass. "That was hard today, wasn't it?""Yes." He could see her retreating inward, taking the blame for it all on herself. Though Naveen was still feeling rather peevish about the whole thing, he would not let her suffer through it alone. "Come here, princess."When she settled by his side, Naveen pulled her close and kissed her temple. "It won't always be like this," he reminded her, as he gently rubbed her back."I know," Tiana said, resting her head on his shoulder, taking what comfort she could. "But I still hate this.""Me too." Naveen pressed another kiss to her forehead and began to slowly rock the porch swing back and forth. They sat in silence, holding each other. There was nothing to do but wait, and they both knew it. That didn't make it any easier though.Except, Naveen knew there was something he needed to do. It wouldn't solve their current problem, far from it. In fact it might make things worse, but it needed to be done. It had been percolating in his mind all day, especially when they were walking around town. Word was already spreading that he was no longer missing, it wouldn't be long before reporters found out. Judging by what he had seen about himself in the newspapers already, there was no guarantee any of it would be accurate, but he did not want Tiana to hear about any of it through gossip and hearsay."Tiana, I need to tell you something."She turned to look at him. "What is it?"Naveen swallowed, his mouth already dry. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. "We should always have the truth between us, yes?"Now Tiana was fully sitting up, giving him her full attention. He missed her warmth, the comfort of her weight resting against him. Naveen was tempted to pull her back into his arms and forget the whole thing. But she nodded and so he continued."There is something I have been meaning to tell you for awhile now. And the reason I never mentioned it until now is because, well, when we were frogs it didn't matter. But I still should have told you, especially before we married, and now that we are married and human again it matters very much, and I wanted you to hear it from me, and-"Tiana placed a finger over his lips, gently shushing him. "What is it, sweetheart?"Oh how Naveen could have cried just from hearing that pet name. And knowing it might be the last time he heard it from her made his heart break. For she might not love him after hearing what he had to say. But she deserved to know. He owed her that much."I need to tell you why I came to New Orleans, and why my parents cut me off."

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This was the biggest, most spectacular party he had ever thrown. There was always plenty of laughter and music whenever Naveen threw a party, but there was something special about this one. Maybe it was the fact that it was his birthday and he had managed to find a Maldonian band that could play jazz reasonably well. They weren't Louis Armstrong, but then again, even in America there was only one Louis Armstrong.Naveen had to laugh once more watching the guests try to dance to what he thought was 'I Found a New Baby' (this band really needed to work on their syncopation. Their interpretation of these songs was making them almost unbearable) and utterly failing. No one knew how to dance to the Prince's favorite music genre, but it didn't matter. Naveen knew the steps and was good at leading his various partners around the ballroom, or the great hall, or the gardens, or wherever he happened to find a willing partner. And he never had to look far to find one.If Naveen had to guess, he would say there were a few hundred people here tonight. The party had taken over the entire castle grounds, and practically the entire inside of the castle as well. There were a few servants who, despite the fact that the King and Queen were away at a diplomacy meeting, were stubborn in enforcing their rules and bared any guest from entering into certain areas. Most notably the bedrooms and the nursery where the young Prince Ravi would be attempting to sleep through the night.This suited Naveen just fine. If there were servants making sure no one bothered Ravi, that meant those same servants would keep Ravi from bothering him, and the last thing Naveen wanted was his little brother trailing after him tonight. Besides, if he wanted to make some whoopie with someone, there were plenty of places to go besides the bedrooms, and if he was very desperate, he knew how to get into his room without anyone seeing.But there were still so many women Naveen had yet to dance with, or flirt with, or kiss, and he wanted to do at least one of those with all the women here. By this point there was practically a line formed to dance with the prince, and Naveen welcomed it with open arms. Though he usually prefered a chase, he certainly wouldn't say no to any woman who eagerly wanted him. He wanted them too, and he craved that attention like a drug. A warm smile, a knowing glance, that spark from a first kiss, it was all so addicting.He wanted as much of it as he could get.So when Ria Dewan caught his eye from across the ballroom, it didn't take long for Naveen to to be by her side.He had known Ria for years. Her family was one of the most prominent in Maldonia outside of the royal family, so they had obviously wiggled their way into the king and queen's favor. Ria had been his first kiss, and the first one he had taken to bed. She was comfortable. He never had to work hard for her, and could always be counted on to have a good time."Took you long enough, Prince Naveen," Ria said, once Naveen was close enough."It's always more fun to make you wait," he replied with a smirk. Naveen looked Ria up and down, taking his time appreciating the lovely curve of her hips, her beautiful brown skin, and those brown eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief. But it was the dress she was wearing that caught his attention. It was shorter than anything he had ever seen anyone wear, almost to her knees. "What are you wearing?""Don't you like it?" Ria turned around slowly, making sure Naveen saw the sheer fabric that went all the way down to her waist. He shivered slightly at the sight of it. Naveen knew if Ria's father saw her in this dress, he would kill her. And probably him too. Ria's father thought Naveen was a bad influence, which was probably true. "Don't you think I look like an American movie star?"She did at that. All she needed was a bobbed haircut, but Ria's long hair was her pride and joy. Naveen knew she would never cut it. "Ha, hardly," he teased. "You could pass for your grandmother in that outfit."Ria frowned and flicked her feather boa at his face, but didn't fight when he lead her out to the dance floor. "Like you can talk, wearing that royal blue attire, Prince Naveen."Naveen smirked. "I have to make sure that everyone knows who the prince is around here.""You always have to be the center of attention, don't you?""Always." he said, and he spun them around to the music, making sure that everyone was watching. Naveen grinned as he saw heads turn their way, and cheers and applause for their dance filled the room.When the music stopped, Naveen turned and bowed towards the guests, grinning wide. "Let's have another round of drinks!" he declared, and the room exploded in wild approval."Don't even think about it," Ria said, tugging him back into another dance. "I'm not ready to give you up yet."Naveen shrugged, nonchalantly, and easily slid into another dance. Slower this time. "If you insist.""I do. Besides, I haven't even had a chance to wish you happy birthday." Ria leaned in and pressed a light kiss to his lips, teasing him with a promise of more to come later. "Happy birthday, Prince Naveen.""Thank you, Ria," he said."So, are you excited?" she asked. "It's finally official, isn't it? Your inheritance?"Naveen grinned again, nodding. Yes, it was. For so many years he had bought whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it with credit. Of course his parents had always given him hell for it, as Naveen had never really paid attention to how much he was spending, but they had more than enough money so what was the harm? But now that he was twenty one, it was all his. He could do with it as he pleased, which was one of the reasons he was having this party.It was so freeing to be out of his parents control, and he couldn't wait to see where it would take him. Judging by the look in Ria's eyes, it looks like it will soon take him to bed."So what are you going to do with all of that money?" Ria asked.Naveen shrugged, casually, though the thought of having all that money, all that freedom made him want to jump for joy. He spun her a few times around the dance floor before answering. "I am not sure yet. Perhaps I will buy another yacht and take a trip.""You're not talking about New Orleans again, are you?""And why not?" Naveen frowned, slowing their dance.Ria sighed. "I know you have this obsession with jass and all-""Jazz. It is jazz music," Naveen interrupted."Right that's what I said," Ria replied. "But Prince Naveen, that's not a good reason to go halfway around the world. Wouldn't you rather stay here? With me?" Her voice was low but Naveen could still hear her over the band. They were dancing closer now, and much slower than before, despite the fast tempo of the music.Naveen ignored this. "There is also the Mardi Gras in a few weeks. That is a good reason to go."Ria raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is a Mardi Gras?""A party!" Naveen replied, picking up their dance speed once more. He twirled her once more. "The biggest party in the world!"Ria had to laugh. "Bigger than this party? Impossible.""Yes, it is true," Naveen grinned, "as difficult as that is to believe." He had to stop himself from talking Ria's ear off about what he knew about Mardi Gras and the jazz they played there. Well, he just mostly assumed they played jazz during Mardi Gras. It was remarkably difficult to learn anything useful about the city where jazz was born all the way from Maldonia. Any encyclopedia with information about New Orleans was out of date, and only had boring information like how many people lived there and when the city was founded. Yawn.But there were songs about Mardi Gras, and that was enough for Naveen to know that one day he would experience it, and that it would change his life."If you're seriously thinking about traveling," Ria said, "don't you think it would be nice to have someone to accompany you?""Lawrence will be there," Naveen said, oblivious. He laughed, spotting his valet trying to carry multiple trays of pakora, samosa and kulcha around the room and failing. Hopefully the samosa was alright, that was his favorite.Ria rolled her eyes. "I was thinking of someone else. Someone more… familiar." She pressed herself against Naveen again. "Maybe someone like me.""Ha, your father would never let you come.""Well, he would if our circumstances changed," Ria said.Naveen raised an eyebrow. "Oh?""Well, we've known each other for a long time. Don't you think we've been dancing around this for too long?"Naveen blinked. "What? The ballroom?""No, silly. I mean," she paused. "Isn't there something you'd like to ask me?"Oh boy. "Ria," Naveen halted their dancing and looked deep into Ria's eyes. They were brimming with hope. "Will you…..get me a samosa?"Whenever Naveen thought about the events that followed, guilt and shame overwhelmed him to an almost unbearable degree. If only he hadn't been so rude, if only he hadn't laughed at the fury on Ria's face, if only he had thought for once about his actions, perhaps what followed could have been prevented.But of course Naveen did none of those things, so when Ria threw up her arms in frustration he pulled her back into a fast dance. He couldn't have anyone be upset at his party, and he had every intention of making it up to her. So Naveen spun them around the room in an elaborate dance, faster and more complicated than anything they had done that evening in an attempt to make her smile again.Ria could never stay angry with him for long, so it wasn't long before she was laughing and enjoying herself once more. Naveen lead them around the ballroom and gave Ria one final turn. In Naveen's haste, or ignorance, or stupidity, he hadn't even noticed that they were dancing near one of the many gas flames that illuminated the ballroom. Or perhaps, as he told himself later, it had never made a difference whether he danced near those or not, because none of his dance partners ever wore such elaborate wraps.But putting the blame solely on Ria wasn't fair. He was the one who had brought them close to the flames. He was the one who guided her into that turn that made her wrap fly out. And when he pulled her back and saw the wrap on fire, he was the one that threw it to the side, once again not thinking of the consequences. He was the one who hadn't noticed the way the fire devoured the curtains and spread to the rest of the room until it was too late. "I don't even know where to begin."Naveen couldn't meet his father's eyes. This was a very familiar scene to him, being in his father's office about to receive a stern lecture by his parents. Ever since he was a boy this is where Naveen would come to be given his punishment for whatever wrong thing he had done. It had been a few years, though, since the last time he had sat in this chair facing his father's desk.His parents had speculated that their eldest son was finally growing up and that's why his rowdy behavior had slowed, but in reality, Naveen was just better about not getting caught.This time though, there was no way to avoid the consequences."I said I was sorry," Naveen mumbled. Sitting in this chair again made him feel like a child, so he might as well act like one. He spared a glance at the window where his mother, Idhal, was standing. It felt safer looking at her than at his father, Sunil, but mostly because she wasn't looking at him. Her arms were crossed and she was frowning, looking out at the shining waters of the ocean waves.Sunil said, "Sorry doesn't even begin to make up for what you have done.""I know." But it was a start, right? Why couldn't they give him that at least?"Do you know how much damage that fire did?"Naveen shook his head, though he had an idea of how far the fire had spread. Even before he had fled the ballroom with the rest of the guests of the party, the flames had extended beyond the curtains, and the smoke was so heavy and dark he had almost lost his way.Sunil put on his glasses and read from the papers on his desk. "The entire ballroom is destroyed. The west parlor, the study, the drawing room, the west hall all have damage from the fire." Sunil glanced at Naveen over the rims of his glasses. "Not to mention all the rooms on the higher floors that suffered smoke damage.""At least no one was hurt," Naveen offered. Somehow everyone had gotten out before the flames got out of control."But someone could have." Idhal said, her voice cracking as she turned to face her son. There were angry tears in her eyes that threatened to spill. "Do you know what room is two floors above the ballroom? Do you?"Naveen lowered his gaze again. He knew, and this knowledge has haunted him ever since the fire. He didn't need his mother pointing it out to him. "The nursery," he finally answered softly."Ravi was in there!" Idhal's tone was harsh, but she hadn't raised her voice. The Queen of Maldonia didn't need to yell to make her anger known. "If the fire brigade hadn't arrived when they did… if he hadn't gotten out in time…" She blinked hard, not willing to cry at this moment. Not when she was so very very angry.Sunil turned and reached over to his wife. He placed a warm hand on her arm, holding her steady. "But he did," he reminded her. "Ravi is safe, mia floresca. We mustn't focus on what might have happened," he turned back to Naveen, "when we must discuss what did."Naveen's stomach dropped.Idhal nodded and turned back to the window. "I don't recognize you anymore, Naveen," she said. "But we shouldn't be surprised, should we? Over and over again, you keep finding new ways to disappoint us. To disappoint your country."Sunil continued, "Is it possible that you have somehow forgotten that you are the crown prince? That one day you will be the ruler of this country?"How could he ever forget something like that? But his father just stared at him, waiting for a response, so Naveen had to answer, "No.""Then why haven't you shown any interest in taking any of this seriously?" Sunil asked. "All you do is party and play that damned jazz music on your ukulele. And the girls, lord help me all those girls!"Naveen felt a slight blush form on his cheeks. He didn't want to talk about all the women he had dated with his parents."We waited for you to turn twenty one until you received your inheritance because we thought you would have matured enough to take on this responsibility," Idhal said, turning back to face him, her anger placated, for now."You know it is tradition to give that money back to the people of this country by starting a charity group or a benefit foundation. Something to better our country and our people," Sunil said. "But instead you decided to selfishly throw yourself a party. You put your brother and your guests in danger, and you destroyed our ancestral home in the process."Naveen squirmed in the chair just wishing they would finish so he could leave. The embarrassment and guilt he felt were intensifying as he listened to the truth in their words. What he really wanted more than anything was a drink.Sunil and Idhal shared a glance, so Naveen knew his punishment was coming. In the past they had always been inconvenient but that was all. He had no reason to expect anything differently this time."Your mother and I have decided that you will no longer have access to your inheritance," Sunil said.Naveen glanced up in shock."Or to our credit account that you have been using," Idhal added.Naveen blinked hard trying to understand. He let out a shaky laugh. ""You're joking, yes?" But his parents said nothing. "You're really cutting me off?" This couldn't be happening. Prince Naveen without his riches? Impossible!"Wh-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered."That," Sunil said, "you will have to figure out for yourself." Explaining the story to Tiana was difficult, to put it mildly, but telling her how he had reacted to it all was too shameful even for Naveen.Because of course he had gotten angry at his parents, telling them it wasn't fair what they were doing to him, and any number of half hearted arguments that only settled in their mind that they had made the right choice.Naveen had stormed out of the castle and had tried to buy just a simple drink, nothing extravagant, but he found that his credit was declined wherever he went.Word was spreading as well, that their playboy prince no longer had large amounts of money to spend. As Naveen walked about, he saw reactions ranging from sly mocking behavior to full out laughter. Humiliated, he had tried to reach out to his friends, desperate for comfort, reassurances, and perhaps even a loan or two, but no one answered his calls.Even Ria, who he had talked to after the fire, had closed the door in his face.Fine. Naveen knew when he wasn't wanted. He would just have to go somewhere he could be appreciated, and Naveen knew just the right place to go. Alone and angry, he made Lawrence take out all of his savings to purchase the boat tickets, and they snuck away before anyone was any the wiser.And now he was here.His story finished, Naveen looked at his hands while he sat in silence. While he had been talking, Naveen had inadvertently moved to the edge of the porch swing away from Tiana. Now he knew why - he felt like he didn't deserve her, even the simple act of feeling her touch was too good for him.And still, strangely, Naveen felt a sense of lightness in himself now that he had told her everything. But it was also paired with the weight of Tiana's possible reaction. He wanted to get on his knees and beg her to stay with him, to say that she still loved him, but he couldn't. That felt like something the old Naveen would do, and if anything, the telling of his story cemented the knowledge that he didn't want to be that person anymore.So he waited, not even daring to look at Tiana's beautiful face.He felt her shift on the bench, and Naveen braced himself for the inevitable. Because how could she still be with him after learning all of this?She placed a hand on his arm, soft and tender and warm. Naveen let out a sob, but swallowed hard trying his best to stop the flow of tears before they started. But then she pulled him into a hug, and Naveen burst into a blubbering mess.Tiana held him tight and stroked his hair, but that only seemed to make it worse. There weren't enough words to describe how much he loved this woman, and once more Naveen promised himself that he would do everything in his power to be the kind of man she deserved. So what was he doing now crying on her shoulder like a baby?Naveen forced himself to stop, though it wasn't easy. He felt empty inside, and also foolishly hopeful. What did this mean that Tiana was still holding him to her and wouldn't let him move away when he had halfheartedly tried? She was still stroking his hair too. It felt nice."I'm sorry," Naveen said at last once he had calmed down."For what?" Tiana asked in reply.Naveen took a shaky breath and let out a tired sigh. "I don't know. For everything. For being me.""Don't ever apologize for that," Tiana said, holding him close. "I love you for the person you are."That was enough to bring tears to his eyes again, but this time Naveen laughed forcefully through it. "How can you still love me after all of this?"Tiana pulled back and held his face until he looked her in the eye. "Because you're my husband, no matter what we tell everyone else. And I know that my husband is a good man.""One act doesn't define your whole life," she continued, brushing away more of his tears. "The fire was an accident, so please don't blame yourself. And as for the rest…"Naveen inwardly flinched. Even without the fire the rest of his past behavior wasn't anything to be proud of."I didn't know you then, but I do know you now," Tiana said. "And the man that I know is smart, and funny, and handsome." Naveen smirked slightly. "Look, Naveen, nobody is perfect, and I know you've made a lot of mistakes in your past but you've proven to me many times that you've learned from them, and that's what matters to me."Naveen gave her a soft smile that she returned."I love you, Naveen," Tiana said. "Warts and all."He laughed his first true laugh in what felt like hours, and when she kissed him, Naveen's heart felt lighter than in had in weeks. He should have told her what happened a long time ago, but better late than never as they say. And it was better. So so much better."I love you too, Tiana," Naveen said when they parted. He pulled her into another embrace, letting the relief truly sink in as he gently rocked them back and forth on the porch swing.They sat in silence for a long while, until Tiana said, "Naveen… if we're telling each other everything, there's something I need to tell you, too."Naveen blinked in surprise. In his mind Tiana was incapable of doing anything wrong, especially in comparison to his earlier confession. But if she needed to get something off of her chest he certainly wasn't about to tell her no. "Alright.""It's… it's about the Shadow Man."A shiver went through him uncontrollably. Any thoughts of the Shadow Man had been forcefully pushed to the back of his mind, and Naveen wasn't sure he wanted to hear about it right now. But, shit, he remembered how distraught she had been that night when they were frogs and she hadn't wanted to tell him what had happened until she was ready. Now it seemed like it was that time.Naveen pulled her closer, offering her what comfort he could, and kissed her temple. "Tell me, love."She brought them back to that fateful night and told him about the way the Shadow Man had tempted her with her dream restaurant. So exactly like she had always pictured it, it was almost scary. It had everything exactly right, except for one thing.Naveen.It was a strange sense of pride that Naveen felt as she told him that, because he wasn't in the illusion, that there was no love present in her restaurant, Tiana had been able to break free from the Shadow Man's hold.Then she told him about how she broke the talisman, and Tiana started to shake. Naveen squeezed her tightly, but it didn't seem to help. He pulled her into his lap and held her close, whispering that she didn't need to tell him anymore, but Tiana persisted.She told him how the shadows had come, and the Shadow Man's pleading to give him more time, but they were relentless in their effort to pull him away into their hellscape. Tiana had been afraid they would get her too, but had managed to hide behind one of the tombstones in the cemetery. If they had been interested in her though, it would have been easy to find her, and this made her shake all the harder.Tiana remembered the Shadow Man's screams as he was dragged into what must be an eternity of torment and misfortune. The drums and the chanting had been so loud and frightening, there was nothing Tiana could have done except watch the Shadow Man be swallowed by the demon mask."Shit," Naveen whispered and held her tighter. "My poor darling. I am so sorry you had to see all of that. But you're safe now. The Shadow Man is gone, and the shadows have gone with him. Nothing will hurt you, I promise."Tiana nodded, though she was still trembling slightly. She clutched tight to Naveen's shirt as the memories of that horrible night flashed before her. That had been the most terrifying thing she had ever seen, and it still haunted her. But that wasn't why she had told him this story. "But it's not… that's not… didn't you hear what I said?""Of course I did. I-""Naveen, I killed him!" Tiana said."Whoa. Okay, hold on." Naveen tried to calm her down, to speak words of comfort but she plowed ahead."I'm a murderer," she stated firmly, pulling away from his embrace. "I almost said something when we went to the police today, but I was afraid…. And now… oh god." Tiana buried her face in her hands."Darling, that's not true!" Naveen said, reaching for her again."When I broke the talisman, that's what made the shadows come for him," Tiana said. "If I hadn't he would still be alive.""And we would still be frogs," Naveen countered. "Or worse!"Tiana shook her head vehemently. "You don't know that.""Yes I do," Naveen said. "Lawrence told me his plan. Once he had the LaBouff's fortune in his hand, he was going to let the shadows loose on the whole city. And once that happened he would have no more use for Mr. LaBouff, or Charlotte, or Lawrence, or… or me." Naveen's thumb brushed the scar on his hand."He was going to kill us all, and leave our souls for the shadows to take," Naveen continued. He cupped Tiana's cheek, lightly stroking it. "He would have killed you too for taking the talisman. Like he killed Ray."Tiana was rubbing her arms up and down, hugging herself tight. "That doesn't excuse what I did. I'm still a murderer even if he was a bad person.""No, darling. It was the shadows who did it, not you," Naveen said. "The talisman had power, yes, but, it wasn't tied to his life. Breaking it was like breaching a contract. The Shadow Man had so many deals with those 'friends' of his that there was no way he could have come out of it any other way."Tiana rubbed her arms a few times before she said teasingly, "You sure do know a lot about those shadows. Are you sure that's the real Naveen in there?"He chuckled softly. "Well, I was captured by them multiple times, I should know a few things about them. Besides," Naveen continued, "Lawrence and I had quite a long chat when we were holed up in that church." Not much of it was in Naveen's favor. This did remind him though, that he should probably pay a visit to his former valet.Turning serious, Naveen said, "You saved a lot of people, Tiana. All of New Orleans, your best friend, and myself. I am forever grateful to you."Tiana hugged herself tightly once more, then nodded. Naveen knew that this signaled the end of this conversation, at least for now."Tiana, can I ask you a question?" Naveen asked after a moment.She nodded."Why do you hold your arms like that?""Huh? Oh." Tiana immediately put her arms by her side. She hadn't even been aware that she had been hugging herself again. "I don't know. I've always kind of done it. I guess it's like… like I'm hugging myself. I think… I think especially after Daddy died it was like, I couldn't get a hug from him anymore, so I had to do it myself. ""Tiana," Naveen said after a moment. "The next time you feel the need to do that, will you do me a favor?" When she nodded, Naveen continued. "Will you come find me and hug me instead?"She smiled at him, and fell back into his open arms. Once more, Naveen pulled her into his lap, and they held each other for a long time.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Tiana's head turned as the bell above the door at Duke's rang to announce someone coming inside. She had moved so quickly that she almost spilled the coffee she was pouring. Only a sharp cry from the customer brought Tiana's attention back to her task."Sorry, Lester," Tiana said quickly, and finished pouring into the cup, wiping up the few droplets that had spilled. This newcomer to the cafe wasn't who she was waiting to see anyway. She felt silly for getting so worked up every time someone came in this morning, but she couldn't help it.After their emotional evening the night before, Tiana had such a hard time saying goodnight to Naveen. More than anything she wanted him to hold her through the night, to just be there by her side, but they both knew it was too risky. That night on the couch would have to last them until things settled better into place.'You've got to get used to this set up anyway,' Tiana had thought while they waited for the streetcar to come and take Naveen back to Lottie's guest house. 'And it won't be forever.' But how long it would be before they could spend the night together again, neither could say.While they waited they had started by simply holding hands, but soon she was in his arms again. Tiana had held him tight wishing more than ever than the streetcar would never come, that they could stay in that moment forever.But the streetcar had come, of course. It was then that Naveen had kissed her. "You are starting work again tomorrow morning, yes?" He had whispered to her.Work was the last thing she had wanted to think about at that moment. Still, she nodded."Would it be alright if I come see you then?" He nuzzled against her softly. "I do not think I can make it if I have to wait to see you until after your shift is over."Tiana ignored the clang of the streetcar bell, and the obvious glare of the conductor. They were holding up the line. She smiled at Naveen and said, "I'll be waiting for you."They had kissed once more, and then he was gone.It had only been a few hours, but to Tiana it had seemed like an eternity. She hadn't expected their first night apart since they had met to feel so… lonely. Maybe that's why she was practically breaking her neck turning to see who was coming in every time the bell above the door rang.Absentmindedly Tiana massaged the crick in her neck, telling herself once again that she was being ridiculous. Naveen would come when he would come. She knew that a watched pot never boiled, and it seemed that a watched door wasn't about to produce her husband either.So she busied herself bussing tables and taking orders, promising herself that she wouldn't act the fool the next time that damned bell rang.Tiana was setting down an order of boudin, eggs, and grits, when the bell chimed once more, and despite her promises, she turned.But there he was, looking so handsome it almost seemed like a dream. Naveen caught her eye and gave her a smile. If Tiana didn't know any better, she'd say that he was just as mesmerized as she was.Tiana quickly finished handing out the food, and before anyone could ask anything else of her, she headed over to where Naveen had settled himself."Hello, princess," Naveen said, and Tiana just about melted from the sound of his voice alone. Then he gave her another smile, making his dimples show and Tiana had to lean against the table, lest her knees completely buckle underneath her.What was happening to her? Was it just because she hadn't seen him since last night? Whatever it was, Tiana tried her best to get it under control. It wouldn't do to act like this in public, especially while she was at work."Hey you," Tiana replied, making an extra effort to appear calm and collected. But her heart leapt as he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Naveen slowly pressed a kiss to her knuckles."I missed you last night," he whispered."I missed you too.""I was thinking of you," he asked in a low almost husky voice. Tiana felt a blush form on her cheeks, it deepened when he cupped her hand between both of his. "Were you… thinking of me?"Another blush, another half smile. But why should she hide the truth from him? "Yes," Tiana whispered back.He smiled again and her stomach flipped. 'Alright, Miss Tiana, there will be plenty of time for this later.' This kind of behavior just wouldn't do, and she was sure Buford was watching from the kitchen. She couldn't afford to make him angry after disappearing on him for weeks. She was on thin ice as it was."Are you hungry?" Tiana asked, reluctantly taking her hand away from Naveen, but not before giving his hand a squeeze."Starved.""Here." She handed him a menu. "Take a look at this, and I'll be back in a minute to take your order."Tiana turned to take care of the other tables when Naveen quickly grabbed her hand again."Tiana, wait," Naveen said. His eyes were slightly alarmed and his whisper was hardly the seductive tone he was using on her before."What's wrong?" she asked."I can't…. I don't have the money to pay for this." Worry and shame flashed across his face.Tiana gave his hand another squeeze. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's on the house."Naveen briefly glanced up towards the roof before giving Tiana a confused look.Tiana had to laughed. "I mean it's free," she explained. "I'll take care of it for today."Naveen knew he should be studying the menu Tiana had given him. She would be back soon and would want his order, But whenever he started to look it over, Naveen's eyes naturally wandered back to wherever Tiana was in the room.This was the first time he had seen her in a work environment and it was fascinating. True he had seen her cook and plenty of other tasks, but this was different. She talked so casually to the customers as she took their orders and delivered their meals. Tiana knew everyone's name that came in, and they all seemed delighted that she was their waitress.Well why wouldn't they be? Naveen thought. Tiana was clearly the best waitress in the whole world. Her replies to the customers friendly and sincere, but as soon as she started to move around the room she became brisk and efficient. Nothing escaped Tiana's attention to detail as she wiped up tables, and straightened napkins. She was even able to balance plates upon plates on her trays without spilling a single drop.God, she was magnificent when she was all business.When he caught her eye from across the room, Naveen couldn't help but wink at her. He had to bite back a laugh as Tiana grew flustered and nearly dropped the dishes she was holding.When at last she returned to his table, Naveen realized, sheepishly, that he still had no idea what to order."Um, what would you recommend, darling?" Naveen asked.Tiana rolled her eyes good naturedly, clearly aware that he hadn't done the simple task she asked him to do. "Well, the beignets are the top seller here. Can't go wrong with those."Naveen perked up. "Those are the ones you make, yes?"She nodded."Then that is what I shall have." Naveen handed her back the menu. "If you don't mind, that is, princess.""I don't mind at all," she said with a smile that made his heart leap, and left to go make his order.With nothing to occupy himself, Naveen was now free to watch her as he pleased, and damn if she wasn't the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And she loved him! Still! Even after he had told her everything and wept like a baby, she still loved him.Despite the fact that he didn't have a penny to his name, and his entire country probably despised him, Naveen still felt like the luckiest man in the world.Tiana was quick and efficient in the kitchen (this Naveen knew, but it still impressed him) and soon returned with a plate of beignets topped with heaping amounts of sugar."These are beignets?" Naveen asked. "Not at all what I imagined.""What did you think it would be?" Tiana replied.Naveen picked one up in his fingers. It was still warm, and the sugar spilled onto the table. "I don't know, but it didn't involve so much sugar." He chuckled.Tiana quickly wiped up the mess. "That sugar gets everywhere," Tiana laughed. "Sometimes after work I find it even in my hair. There's no escaping it, I'm afraid.""I am sure I can handle it," Naveen said, and took a bite.All at once, a multitude of flavors hit his tongue in a way he had never experienced before. The sweetness of the sugar exemplified the seasonings baked into the pastry. And yet it was so light! It was like eating a pillow. The most delicious pillow in the world.Such a perfect delicacy shouldn't even exist in this world, and yet here it was, on his plate, on his lips, and it was made by the person he loved most.Naveen swallowed his first bite and gaped at Tiana."Well?" She asked, biting her lip. "What do you think?"What did he think? There weren't enough words in any language he knew to describe what he thought. "You made these?" Naveen finally managed to ask.Tiana nodded at him, but raised an eyebrow. Did he not like them?Naveen stood from his chair and took a step towards her. "You really made these?""Yes…?" She was laughing softly now, though she was no less confused by his actions.Naveen cupped her face and brought her in for a deep deep kiss.Tiana grinned into the kiss, laughing at it all. He still had sugar on his lips. Whoops and hollers from the other customers made Tiana blush, but not enough to stop. The kiss was sweet, just like Naveen, and it seemed like ages since they had last kissed, even though it had only been a few hours.Of course they did have to part eventually."My compliments to the chef," Naveen said somewhat breathlessly.Tiana snorted and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in for another kiss."Tiana!"She sprang back and tucked a curl behind her ears, trying to look like she hadn't just been smooching. But the way that Buford had his hands on his hips and a furious glare on his face told Tiana that she had been caught. Of course they hadn't been subtle about it at all. Oops."You!" Buford pointed to Naveen. "Outside. Now.""What?" Naveen blinked. "But-""Now!"Naveen wasn't used to people ordering him about this way, and was all ready to turn the tables on this man, but one glance at Tiana made him change his mind."Best do as he says," Tiana told him, softly.Naveen shifted slightly. Sparing one last glance at Tiana (and his beignets) he walked out the door.He tried to surreptitiously peek through the window, but Buford had taken Tiana into the kitchen, and from Naveen's vantage point in the front he couldn't see what was happening. That didn't mean he couldn't hear though.Buford didn't have much of an inside voice normally, but when he was angry, well, Naveen didn't have to strain his ears to hear the lecture he was giving Tiana.Naveen was about ready to burst back inside and defend his wife's honor when Buford loudly declared that if she had one more slip up then she was fired, and he wouldn't hire her back no matter how good her beignets were.Fired? Tiana?Naveen rested his head against the side of the building, all of his anger gone now. If he went back in there, Tiana was sure to get reprimanded for his actions, and Naveen knew she needed the money not only for her restaurant fund but for everything else.Damn it.Why did money have to be so important in this world? Once more his mind wandered to his inheritance. If he could only get it back, Tiana wouldn't have to work for jerks like this Buford person. But after telling her everything he had done to lose it, Naveen wasn't sure he deserved to get it back. Still, it would make things a lot easier for them.The door to Duke's opened and Tiana came out."Hey," she said softly.Buford be damned, Naveen ran to her and wrapped her in his arms. "Tiana I am so sorry I got you in trouble.""It's alright," she answered, resting her head on his chest, letting herself be held. Buford had a short fuse on his good days, but he'd never been this upset with her. Tiana felt a little shaken by it all, but being with Naveen helped, even if he caused the trouble in the first place. And really, in the long run it had been worth it. She could still taste the sweetness of their kiss on her lips."No, it's not," Naveen said. He was rubbing her back now. It felt good. Tiana could feel her tension slipping away. "I should know better. I do know better."She giggled slightly and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Well, it's not like I was pushing you away, was I?""Mmm. You're just so sexy when you're all business."Tiana pulled back to look up at his face. "Sexy?"He nodded, giving her those bedroom eyes that were not at all appropriate out on the street the way they were. That didn't mean Tiana wanted him to stop though. "And when I tasted those beignets. Mmm. I just had to kiss you." Naveen was swaying her back and forth now, to some silent beat. "Are you mad at me for it?"Mad? If Buford hadn't put a stop to it, she'd still be kissing him. She wanted to kiss him right now. "No," Tiana said instead, trying to use common sense for once this morning. "But," she paused in their swaying and bit her lip. "I think it would be a good idea for you to stay away from Duke's. At least for a little while."Tiana hated that hurt look on his face, and wished there was a way to bring back his smile. But what could she do? She could barely keep herself from kissing him now, just moments after she had gotten in trouble for it. If Naveen kept coming back it was bound to happen again."Yes, perhaps you are right, princess," Naveen said with a sigh. He rested his forehead against hers, and started swaying again. "Does this mean no more beignets, then?"Tiana had to laugh. "One of the perks of being my husband is that I'll make you beignets whenever you want."Naveen grinned warmly. "Really?"She nodded.Naveen spared a darting glance inside the cafe, and seeing that Buford wasn't watching them, he gave Tiana a quick chaste kiss on the lips. He wanted to do more, especially since it had to last them until she was done with work, but there was nothing to be done about it."I'd better go back inside," Tiana said. "My break is almost over.""Wait, before you go inside…" Naveen took her hand and held it softly. "What ah…. What are you doing tonight?""Tonight? Um.. I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it." Usually she had to work, but she hadn't been able to get her job at Cal's back, so for the first time in a long time Tiana had free time. Things had been so busy for the past few days too, that she hadn't even thought about making plans. "Why?""Would you like to go out dancing with me?" Naveen asked."You mean on a date?"He nodded.She had kissed him, married him, slept in his arms in the bayou, and been a little intimate a few nights ago. They had seen the best and the worst parts of each other, and somehow through it all they had never really been on a proper date. Even after all they had been through, the idea of it made her feel a little nervous. But Tiana also felt excited by it."Okay," she said, feeling heat rush up to her cheeks.Naveen kissed her dimple and grinned. "Great. I'll pick you up at seven."Promptly at seven, Naveen knocked on Tiana's door. As far as he could recall, this was the first time he had ever been on time for something. Just goes to show what love will do to a person, he thought as he knocked again. It sounded like there was some commotion going on inside. Not a fight per say, but Naveen had known Tiana long enough to recognize exasperation in her voice, even through a closed door.At last, Eudora opened the door. "Hello, Naveen," she said in a sigh. "Maybe now that you're here you can talk some sense into this daughter of mine.""Mama, don't bring Naveen into this. He's just gonna take your side!"Naveen could hear Tiana's voice, but as he entered the living room, she was nowhere to be seen. He assumed she must be in the kitchen. "What's going on?"Eudora said, "Tiana told me that you're taking her out dancing tonight? Is that right?""Yes. If that's alright?" Was he supposed to ask permission to take her out? He hoped he hadn't messed things up even further with Tiana's mother.Eudora grinned at him though, and Naveen's worries disappeared. "Alright? Of course it's alright! I've been trying to get Tiana to go out dancing for years! I don't know what you did to finally convince her but whatever it is, keep doing it.""It must be my charming personality," Naveen quipped. He heard Tiana groan from the other room, and he laughed. "So what is the problem then?""The problem," Eudora said, "is that I made a dress for Tiana to wear out dancing, that she's never even worn, and now that she's actually going out dancing she doesn't want to wear it!""That's not true!" Tiana countered. "You know I love everything you make Mama, but why did you have to make this one so elaborate? I'm gonna stick out like a sore thumb, and I'm already nervous as it is. I don't need the extra attention this dress is gonna give me."Eudora just gave Naveen a look that said, 'help me out here please'.Naveen shifted slightly, not liking being caught between these two women. "Can I see it?""Yes, that sounds like a great idea," Eudora said."No, it doesn't," Tiana said, but Naveen could hear her laughing. "He's just gonna say I look nice, like he always does.""But it's always true," Naveen said, sharing a smile with Eudora. "Please let me see, princess."Tiana sighed. "Fine, fine."She stepped out from the kitchen and Naveen had to stifle a gasp. She looked beautiful, as he knew she would, but he'd never seen her wear something like this before. Then again, considering that most of the time they had known each other they hadn't really needed clothes meant he had only seen a few of her outfits. Still, it was different than the more plain clothes she wore on a daily basis, or the more elegant ball gowns he had seen her in, including her wedding dress.This… this was just so modern. Sleeveless, in a beautiful shade of yellow, the dress itself seemed to sparkle all on its own. Naveen could tell that just by the way she took her few tentative steps that the almost knee length skirt would flare out wonderfully when he spun her on the dance floor. It was the perfect dress for dancing. No wonder Tiana thought the dress would make people pay attention to her. Naveen couldn't take his eyes off of her."Wow," was all he managed to say."It's too much, isn't it?" Tiana said, fiddling with her fingers."No, not at all. It is just right," Naveen replied.Eudora grinned in triumph. "Ha. I told you, baby cakes."Naveen caught Tiana's eyes, and a blush formed on her cheeks. "You don't think it's too flashy?""I think it's perfect," Naveen said. Eudora was practically beaming now, and he shifted slightly to turn his focus completely on Tiana. "But if it makes you uncomfortable, you should change."Now it was Tiana's turn to smile."Hey!" Eudora said to Naveen. "I thought you were on my side!"Naveen just shrugged his shoulders and offered her a grin.Eudora threw her hands up in the air. "You two are impossible," she grumbled and headed towards the kitchen. "Do whatever you want, Tiana, I don't care.""Mama, don't be mad," Tiana called after her."Mad?" Eudora said. "Who said anything about mad? I'm not mad. If you want to look a fool on a date that's none of my business. If you don't want to wear the dress that I painstakingly made for you, that's fine."Naveen cringed at the sound of pots and pans being heavily moved in the kitchen. "She's upset with me," he said to Tiana softly."She'll get over it," Tiana said reassuringly and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for sticking up for me.""Of course, princess," Naveen said. "It is a shame though, that I won't be able to show you off in that dress. It really is perfect for dancing.""Really? How so?""Here, let me show you." Naveen took her hand and led her towards the middle of the room, away from the furniture. With one hand on hers, and the other on her waist, Naveen led them in a slow waltz around the room.Tiana promptly stepped on his foot. "Sorry, sorry.""It's alright.""I thought I knew what I was doing. I guess," she paused and laughed. "I learned how to dance as a frog, and now I have to start all over again."Naveen chuckled. "You'll catch on quick." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "You did before.""I just have a good teacher."But it was already coming back to her. Even though there was no music, she found his rhythm and soon they were waltzing faster around the room. Naveen sensed her confidant steps and decided it was time, and he spun her around."Oh!" Tiana gasped. Her skirt flared out and the carefully sewn on beads caught the light of the nearby lamp in such a way that made the dress look...well, like magic."You know," Tiana said once she was back in his arms. "I've changed my mind. I think I will wear this tonight." She cast a quick glance towards the kitchen, and then whispered, "Just don't tell my Mama."Naveen laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."The Paradise Ballroom. In all her years, Tiana never would have imagined herself coming here on a date, or even at all. Trust Naveen to have found one of the most popular dance clubs in New Orleans after only having been here for a few days.As soon as they stepped inside, it was like going into another world. The wall of sound blasted around them, as the horns blared in a way Tiana had never heard before. 'Louis would love this,' she thought. But looking around at the swanky decor, she doubted that the alligator would be welcome here.And it was an elegant ballroom, that was for sure. Tables were placed around the edge with beautiful tablecloths and elaborate centerpieces. The men wore suits and checked their hats, and the women, gosh. They were so beautiful. Tiana was glad she had changed her mind about wearing this dress. She had been worried about standing out before, but with this dress she blended in perfectly. At least on the outside.Inside, Tiana was a bundle of nerves. She held onto Naveen's arm hoping to steady herself, but it could only do so much. Dancing in the bayou and in her living room was one thing, but here? She was sure she'd make a fool of herself, and of Naveen. Her only hope was that, once they settled at a table, she could distract him for the rest of the evening enough so that he wouldn't want to take her out on the dance floor.But he was already tapping his toes, grinning wide and they hadn't even checked their coats yet."Hello, welcome to Paradise!" The hat check girl said to them. "There's two of you? That'll be fifty cents, please."At once, Naveen stopped in place. "Fifty cents?""That's right. Twenty five cents a piece to get in. And you look like you're ready to get on the dance floor. Would you like some dance tickets?""Tickets?" Naveen said."It's 10 cents for each ticket, or three for a quarter."Tiana now saw that the dance floor was roped off, and there was a staff member at the opening taking tickets from couples as they entered to dance."I-" Naveen forced out a laugh, but all of the joy from his face was gone. "I didn't know…""Well, you know now," the hat check girl said. Her tone was bright and friendly, but Tiana knew from years of working with the public that she was annoyed at them. "Fifty cents please."Naveen started searching through his pockets. Tiana thought longingly of her savings she had left at home. She hadn't even thought to bring any money with her tonight, though she had a feeling there was no way Naveen would let her pay for anything even if she had."I don't have it," Naveen said, dejectedly."Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the hat check girl said."But you don't understand," Naveen said, growing desperate. "I am the Prince of Maldonia." This always worked in Maldonia, so surely it would work here as well. At least for tonight."Naveen," Tiana piped in. "Come on."The hat check girl just rolled her eyes. "Oh really? You and practically every other guy in this city have tried that to get in here for free. Well it's not going to work. Now do I have to call security?""That won't be necessary," Tiana said, and tugged on Naveen's arm. "Let's just go."Naveen held his hat in his hands and allowed himself to be lead back outside.There were plenty of events in Naveen's life that he was ashamed of, but oh boy, this? This one might just top them all.They had walked in silence for a bit, and when Tiana tried to reassure him, Naveen only shrugged it off. He didn't deserve her sympathy. He didn't deserve her.They had ended up in a nearby park, and now Naveen was slumped on a bench, his head in his hands."I'm so sorry Tiana." It felt like all he had been doing for the past few days was apologizing for himself. It felt bitter on his tongue."It's really ok," she answered. Tiana had wrapped her arms around his and was now resting her head on his shoulder. "That place looked dumb anyway."Naveen gave her a half smile and rested his hand over hers. She was so wonderful to put up with him. "I just wanted to take you out somewhere nice. To treat you like the princess you are.""I don't need any of those bells and whistles. You know that." Tiana nestled closer. "I just want to spend time with you."He could kiss her for that, but he wouldn't, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead Naveen sighed. "Still. You deserve more." Naveen had wanted to spoil her senselessly. To give her everything her heart desired and then some.How many times had he told himself exactly this? That he needed to be better for Tiana? That he wanted to be better for her? And still he had done nothing to change that.This had to stop now."Tiana?" Naveen asked softly. "Will you help me with something?""Of course," she answered. "What is it?""Will you help me get a job?""You know I've always had a thing for a man in uniform," Tiana said, straightening Naveen's collar."Not much of a uniform," Naveen said, squirming a little under her attention. Part of him was greatly enjoying her praise and admiration, but mostly he felt mortified. "I still can't believe this is the only job I was able to get."Who knew that getting a job could be so difficult? Both he and Tiana had scoured the classified ads in the paper looking for something, anything, Naveen could do. But growing up the way he had, Naveen had little knowledge and even less experience in even the most basic of jobs. And even the jobs that seemed like a good fit wanted more experience than Naveen had, by which they meant any."How am I supposed to get experience if no one will hire me?" Naveen had complained, resting his head in Tiana's lap.She stroked his hair sympathetically. "We'll find something. Maybe there will be something new in today's paper."Naveen sighed. This whole time they had been job searching, he had had one job in the back of his mind. One that he definitely did NOT want, but one that he was sure he could get because who in their right mind would want it? Nobody, that's who. Unless you were desperate.Which Naveen was. "I may have an idea…" he had offered.When he talked to them, they had offered him the job on the spot, and now here he was, Naveen, the Prince of Maldonia, about to leave for his first day of work, as a street cleaner.Dressed in white overalls (seriously they could have at least given him something nicer to wear than this) and a white hat, Naveen would soon head off to pick up his trash can that he could wheel around the city, a push broom, and his very own shovel for picking up the unmentionables left behind by the horses that pulled the carriages.It was going to be hell.But the smile Tiana was giving him right now made it all worth it. And once he started getting paychecks, he could take her out properly, and add more money to her restaurant fund. He should have done this sooner."You don't mind being married to a lowly street cleaner?" Naveen asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. He had to leave soon, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold his wife for just a little bit longer.Tiana cupped his face and kissed him, sweetly on the lips. "I couldn't be more proud of you," she said.Naveen smiled down at her. "Thanks," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. Gosh, but she had the most beautiful brown eyes."You'd better get going, mister," Tiana said, glancing at the clock. "You don't want to be late for your first day of work."Naveen's stomach lurched. He was nervous, lord help him. "Wish me luck?"Tiana pressed her lips to his. "You'll do great.""I can still stop by tonight after work, yes? For dinner?" Just saying 'after work' felt funny coming out of his mouth. And yet… also strangely satisfying.Tiana nodded. "I'll want to hear all about your first day," she said. "And I'll make you something special too.""Will you make some beignets?" Naveen asked, hopeful.Tiana dimpled. "I think I can do that."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"It's payday, gentleman. Line up!"Naveen practically sprang into his spot in line next to the other street cleaners. He was hardly the only one though. Everyone in line was excited and talked happily about the ways they would spend their money over the next few days while they waited for the boss, Mr. Goldberg to give them their cash. It was a type of camaraderie that Naveen had never felt before, but he found that he liked it. Though this job was far from ideal for the young prince, he was making a lot of new friends. And given their position in life, none of them seemed to care that he had basically disgraced his family and his country and wound up penniless. It was all so refreshing, even if the smells from this job left him feeling anything but.This job also gave him a great way to explore the city. He'd even managed to track down the band that had played with Louis back during Mardi Gras, though they would need a little more convincing to prove that Louis was hardly dangerous.Naveen knew they would come around though. Louis was such a wonderful friend, it was impossible not to like him. Hell, even Eudora had come around to the lovable gator. Tiana had told him that Louis was stopping by every morning for breakfast, and Eudora always seemed to give him extra helpings. She was even teaching him how to play cards."Alright, Naveen my boy," Mr. Goldberg said, now standing in front of Naveen. "You survived your first week. How was it?""Harder than I thought it would be," Naveen replied, but he was laughing. His first day on the job, Naveen had ended up with blisters on his hands. It was a little better now, but still, it made him aware of just how easy he had had it before. He also felt more appreciation for someone like Tiana, who had worked hard her entire life.But that just made him love her all the more."Well, the first week's the hardest, they say," Mr. Goldberg said. "But it's all worth it on payday." He handed Naveen five dollar bills. "Here you go, son. Don't spend it all in one place.""I won't, sir." Back in Maldonia, Naveen had gotten used to a seemingly unending supply of cash, but holding these five dollars that he had earned himself, he felt like the richest man in the world. "I am just so proud of you!" Tiana said, for the second time in the last ten minutes. She pressed another hard kiss on Naveen's cheek and then one more on his lips.He had taken a quick shower (a much needed necessity) and then headed right over to present his earnings to Tiana. Upon seeing the crisp dollar bills presented to her, and Naveen's wide smile, Tiana was filled with such a wave of pride, that she hadn't been able to stop kissing him.Not that Naveen seemed to mind.He certainly had come a long way from the frog she had first met."I feel like we should celebrate," Tiana said."Yes!" Naveen agreed. "Let's go dancing! They have to let us in now!""Sounds great," Tiana said enthusiastically, though her stomach jumped with nerves. Her trepidation over dancing in front of other people hadn't changed since last week. Tiana had been hoping to get some practice in before they went again, but Naveen had been so tired after work, he could hardly do more than rest his head in her lap. Two nights ago he had even fallen asleep there. Poor thing."You think you'll have enough energy to stay awake on the dance floor?" Tiana teased."Ha, ha." Naveen rolled his eyes at her, good naturedly. "I will have you know, that I have the energy of fifty men put together!" He gathered her in his arms and spun them around Tiana's living room. "Tonight we will trip the light fantastic!"She laughed and let him lead her around the room as her nervousness about the evening few away. Naveen wasn't the only one who had come along way since they met. She knew what she was doing on the dance floor. Sometimes. But no matter how well she danced, they would have a good time, and that's really what counted.At last, Naveen ended their dance by dipping Tiana low and kissing her softly on the lips. "Will you do something for me, love?"She laughed, feeling light headed and giddy. "Sure. What?"Naveen straightened them both up and looked Tiana right in the eyes. "Whatever is left after tonight, will you take it?""What are you talking about?" Tiana asked."The money," Naveen explained. "I want to give it to you. For your restaurant fund.""Oh gosh. Oh Naveen." Tiana cupped his cheek warmly as love for him enveloped her. It felt so good to have someone on her side like this, to want to help her with her dream, but at the same time, the guilt she felt over his offer was too strong to fight it. "Thank you, but," she moved her hand to his arm and gave it a slight squeeze. "I can't take your money."Naveen looked at her questioningly, obviously not expecting this response. "Why not?""You worked so hard for it," Tiana replied. "I can't just take it from you.""But you're not taking it from me," Naveen countered. "It is a gift.""I really can't accept it," she said. "You should spend it on something you want."Naveen smirked at her in a challenging way. "What I want," he said, "is to give it to you for your restaurant fund."Tiana glared at him. Oh so this was how it was going to be, huh? Well, his stubbornness was no match for hers. "This really isn't necessary, Naveen. Please don't feel obligated to do this because we're married.""Tiana," Naveen had to chuckle softly. "It is because we are married that I want to do this. I married you because I care about you, and loving someone means that you want their dreams to succeed." He cupped her hands in his, warmly. "I promised you I would help you get your dream, and right now, this is all I can do to help. Please let me."Tiana just stared at their hands. Why was it so hard to accept his help? She knew why, of course. Because there was still a part of her that felt like she needed to get her restaurant all by herself. That getting help from someone made her efforts less somehow. Made her less somehow.It was all complete nonsense, she knew. This wasn't at all taking the easy way out, or making some sort of backwards deal with someone untrustworthy. This was her husband.Still. Tiana shifted slightly in her seat. "I can't take all of your money," she said eventually, feeling guilty even at the thought. She rubbed his hands gently, feeling the new blisters on his skin.Naveen sighed heavily, growing annoyed. "So take some of it.""But-"He shushed her gently by placing a single finger over her lips. "Tiana, please. If you say no, you know I am only going to find a different way to give you this money. I will give it to your mother, or I will put it in your coat pockets, or I will find where you have the rest of the restaurant fund and put in in there myself if I have to."Naveen counted out some of his money and placed it in her hands. "Here," he said. "It isn't all of it. It is about three fourths."Tiana frowned and handed him some back. "I'll take one fourth.""Half," Naveen said, firmly placing the money back in her hand.Their eyes locked, in a stalemate. Until Tiana finally relented. "Fine," she said with a slight sigh. "But no more than that, deal?""Deal," he agreed and shook her hand when she offered it.The front door opened just then, Eudora came inside, her arms full of bags. Naveen immediately got up to help her."Hello, Babycakes. Thank you, Naveen," Eudora said as he took her bags. She let out her breath quickly and smiled wearily at her daughter."What is all this, Mama?" Tiana asked, giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek."It's all the fabric for the Landry family wedding," Eudora explained. "Besides her wedding dress, she wants a new dress for the rehearsal dinner. Not to mention two dresses for each of the bridesmaids.""Don't tell me they want rehearsal dinner dresses for them too?" Tiana asked, incredulously.Eudora nodded with another sigh."Poor Mama," Tiana said. She gave her mother's cheek another kiss."All this for a wedding?" Naveen asked, eyeing all the bags with disbelief. "They should just have their wedding in the bayou. That's where all the best weddings take place." He winked at Tiana.Despite everything, she felt the heat rush up to her cheeks. It felt strange hearing him talk so openly about their wedding when they were trying so hard to keep it a secret. But it was also very very nice."Nevertheless," Eudora said with a smile, Tiana noticed, "I have a lot of work to do.""That is a lot of work, Mama," Tiana said, and all at once she realized what she had to do. She glanced at Naveen and caught his eye, but his wide grin faltered slightly when he realized what the look meant. She could see the disappointment in his eyes, and Tiana felt it too. She had wanted to celebrate tonight just as much as him.After a moment, Naveen nodded slightly. Tiana could kiss him for it, and would when her Mama wasn't in the room."Let me help you with everything, Mama," Tiana said. She started to gather up the fabric to fold and sort in neat piles."What?" Eudora looked confusedly at her daughter. "I thought you were going to celebrate tonight. Isn't it your first payday, Naveen?""Well, yes," Naveen admitted. "But we can always go dancing another time.""Dancing?" Eudora turned to Tiana. "You were going out dancing? For real this time?"Out of the corner of Tiana's eye she saw Naveen turn beet red. Of course they had told Eudora of the disastrous attempt at the club last time. She had at least offered sympathy to them, saying that when she had gone dancing with James in her youth the prices hadn't been so outlandish. Even that hadn't erased Naveen's deep embarrassment of the whole thing."Yes, we were," Tiana explained. "But-"Eudora held up a finger, silencing her daughter. "Tiana," she said firmly in a tone that Tiana knew well. Her mother meant business. "You know how long I've been trying to get you to go out dancing, so what makes you think for one second that I am going to keep you here tonight?"Tiana sighed, and tried again. "Mama-""You know I have had bigger orders than this and gotten along just fine." Eudora took the fabric from Tiana. "I know you feel guilty going out and having fun while I'm here, but you know I don't mind the work. I like it as much as you like cooking for people."And still Tiana wouldn't be put off. "But Mama, this is still a lot. I can help you.""If you really want to help me you can start by getting out of my hair so I can have some peace and quiet around here," Eudora said with a smirk. She cupped Tiana's cheek. "This is what parents want for their children, Babycakes. Go. Have a good time."Tiana still looked unsure, and so Eudora sighed. "If you still really want to help me, you can do it tomorrow."Tiana looked to Naveen again, who had such a hopeful expression on his face that she couldn't disappoint him. It was his night to celebrate after all. She couldn't take that away from him. "I guess I'd better go change," she said and turned to head upstairs.Once she was gone, Naveen chuckled to himself a little. "I see where she gets it now. Her stubbornness," he explained when Eudora have him a questioning look.She frowned playfully making Naveen laugh. "I am sorry, I didn't mean any offense.""None taken," Eudora replied laughing herself. "Has she been causing you trouble then?""No," he answered, stroking one of the fabrics between his thumb and forefinger absentmindedly. It was white, so he assumed it was for the bride. Such a shame that his own bride hadn't been able to wear a traditional wedding dress."It is only that, just before you came in, Tiana was quite firmly rejecting my offer to take some of my earnings for her restaurant fund," Naveen continued."That sounds like Tiana, alright," Eudora said, smiling."Though happily, I was able to convince her."Eudora stopped what she was doing and stared at Naveen. "Really?"He grinned at her. "Do you doubt the power of my charming personality?""After knowing you for these past few weeks? No," she quipped. "Still, it takes someone very special to change Tiana's mind once she's set it on something."Naveen shared a soft smile with Eudora. They both turned towards the stairs as Tiana reappeared in her dancing dress. "Ready to go, Naveen?" she asked."Ready as I will ever be," he answered, holding out his arm for her. Naveen kissed her dimple. "You look beautiful, darling.""Thanks," Tiana beamed, and turned to Eudora. "Well, we're off, Mama. You sure you haven't changed your mind?""Not a chance," Eudora replied, making Naveen laugh again. Eudora was where Tiana got her quick wit as well, he thought. "But before you go, there is something I would like to say to you both.""Oh?" Tiana said as Naveen felt his stomach drop. In his experience, conversations that started like this never ended well. She squeezed his arm lightly."I just want to say," Eudora began, "that even though it's only been a couple of weeks since you came back and that things aren't quite… settled as far as everything goes."That was an understatement, Naveen thought, but he kept it all to himself. He put his hand over Tiana's and squeezed."But," Eudora continued, "I've been watching how you two are together, and I still don't know if I believe how you two found each other, but I am glad you did."Naveen was afraid to breathe. That doing so would somehow break this illusion they had to be in. This didn't seem like bad news at all, in fact it seemed like it could go in the complete opposite direction, though Naveen was afraid to hope for it."These past few weeks, I've seen you two show the strong foundation of a good marriage by building trust and supporting each other," Eudora said with a smile at their gaping faces."You make a good team," she continued, "And whatever happens next, I want you to know that I'm on your side."Tiana blinked a few times before asking, "What exactly are you saying, Mama?""I'm giving you my blessing to be married.""Oh, Mama!" Tiana burst into tears and ran into her mother's arms.Naveen was too shocked to do much of anything at first, besides grin widely. So when he caught Eudora's eye and she beaconed him into the hug, he eagerly accepted. Squeezing both women tight, they all began to laugh."Now this doesn't mean y'all can start going around saying you're married now," Eudora said once they had relinquished the hug."Yes, yes, of course," Naveen agreed, handing Tiana his handkerchief to wipe away her tears. His arm automatically went around her waist again, holding her close.Eudora's eyes were a little glossy too. She took in a deep breath and smiled happily at them. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know.""Thank you, Mama," Tiana said, her emotions somewhat under control again."Yes, thank you," Naveen said. "You have no idea what this means to us."Eudora gave them a small smile. "I do have some idea." Tiana hummed a simple tune to herself as she prepped her kitchen for Naveen to stop by. She smiled a little when she started dancing just a little. Last night had been so wonderful, she couldn't stop thinking about it.Naveen's triumphant grin when he had presented his hard earned cash to the hat check girl at the Paradise had been priceless. Tiana only wished she could have taken a picture of it. One of those moving picture cameras might have been better though. Naveen was always very handsome, but never more than when he was dancing to the beat of a jazz band. It would be impossible to capture that spark with anything that didn't allow movement.Despite all of her pep talks to herself, Tiana still found herself nervous at the idea of dancing in public. Naveen was a patient teacher with her, though. They started with the slow songs, which Tiana thought might have happened regardless. The adagio tempos gave her a chance to remember all that Naveen had taught her, but it also left plenty of opportunities for knowing glances and sneaking kisses.And oh how she wanted to kiss him. Every love song that played seemed to be playing just for them. Tiana had rested her head on Naveen's shoulder while they swayed to the music, so happy and so in love, she never wanted the evening to end. Tiana felt like the luckiest woman in the world to be dancing in Naveen's arms that night.When the music had picked up Naveen shared a wild look with Tiana, and before she knew it she was practically flying across the dance floor. But soon Tiana was laughing and moving her feet like she'd been dancing her whole life. What had she been so nervous about? This was marvelous! Dancing like this with Naveen was a whole other level of joy that Tiana hadn't even known existed.Song after song they danced together, only taking in each other and the music. But of course eventually they did have to head home. That didn't stop Naveen from twirling Tiana around the empty lantern lit streets."Did I really do ok?" Tiana asked, coming back into his arms. Her feet were hurting, and she knew there would be hell to pay tomorrow, but she couldn't stop dancing with him. Her cheeks hurt too, from smiling too much. Neither one of them had stopped grinning all night."Oh darling, you were wonderful!" Naveen said, playfully dipping her as they walked on the sidewalk. "Everyone wanted to dance with you.""That is such a lie," she laughed."It is true and you know it," Naveen replied, straightening them both up and giving her a quick kiss. "Will you come out dancing with me again on my next payday?""Yes, of course." She couldn't wait, though they would have to. A week had never seemed so long before.And then before they knew it, they were back in front of Tiana's house. Neither was ready for the evening to end, so they lingered casually on the porch. But it wasn't too long before Tiana was pressed against the wall with Naveen's hands on her waist and his lips pressed against hers.His tongue teased hers, making her giggle and sigh into his kisses. It all felt so magical. Could it be she was under another spell? Naveen's hands moved cautiously down to her rear, and he squeezed. Tiana gasped softly, and knew that she was under a spell. Whether it was love or lust, it didn't really matter right now, especially when his hands were doing so many interesting things.From being on her rear, they were now moving upwards. Briefly, so briefly, he brushed them over her breasts.Tiana gasped, louder this time.Naveen broke away from their kiss. "Ah, sorry," he grinned sheepishly while trying to catch his breath. "I am getting carried away again."His hands had moved to the relative safety of her waist, and Tiana longed for his hands to go back where they had just been. She cupped his cheek, breathing hard herself, and said, "I don't mind."Naveen let out a soft, low, throaty chuckle. It made her insides squirm. "I know, princess," he said, his breath hot on her skin. "But this is hardly the best place for this, no?"In a million years Tiana never would have guessed that Naveen would be the one using common sense in a situation like this. She wondered if it was because she's never really necked with anyone before. Or maybe it was that she was addicted to his touch, his kisses, his taste. It was that spell she was under, and it was doing strange things to her mind and her body. She liked it.Tiana took in a deep breath, willing the night air to clear her head, just a little, but Naveen was still pressed against her, so instead she breathed in him. She licked her lips, swollen from his kisses (his lips were swollen too, she was happy to report). Somewhere down the street, one of her neighbors knocked over something with a loud crash. Despite the late hour, it was followed by exclamations and laughter. It was that that finally brought Tiana to her senses."Mmm, I suppose there are better places for this than the front porch." At least the porch light was off, but that did little to secure their privacy from anyone who happened to walk by."It is getting rather late as well," Naveen said matter of factly. "I don't want you to be too tired tomorrow."Tired? How many mornings had she woken up exhausted from working the night before? At least in this case, if she were tired tomorrow it would be from a magical evening that she didn't want to end.Tiana wrapped her arms around his neck, and twirled some of his curls around her finger. "I don't mind that either"Naveen groaned softly and pressed his forehead against hers. "What have I done to you?" he whispered playfully.Tiana giggled happily as he kissed her again."Unfortunately for you," Naveen said, "I do mind if you are tired tomorrow."Tiana pouted, and now it was Naveen's turn to laugh. He kissed her once more, lingering just a little longer this time. When they parted, they looked deep into each other's eyes and Naveen gave her a lopsided grin. "Goodnight, mi sitara lu'seinn," he said, stroking her cheek."You've called me that before. Mi sitara lu'seinn," Tiana said, repeating the phrase as best as she could, but she didn't have the knack for the pronunciation. "What does it mean?""Ah, it is um," Naveen paused for a moment. Was he blushing? It was hard to see in the dark. Bless him if he was. "It is just a Maldonian phrase.""Well, I gathered that," Tiana said. She pushed back some of his curls. "But what does it mean?""Well, roughly translated, it means, um," Naveen laughed softly again. "My shining star."That was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. "Oh," was all she managed to say. But she dimpled, and so did Naveen.Their lips met in another kiss, and it was a few more minutes before they were able to say goodnight.Tiana smiled to herself now, remembering. A pleasant feeling coursed through her stomach as she set out a measuring cup. They were going to have a long overdue cooking lesson, and she couldn't wait to see him again.A quick spirited knock at the door let her know he had beamed and rushed to the door. Once she opened it, she couldn't help but kiss him, something Naveen happily reciprocated."Hello, princess. This is for you," he said, and handed her a small daisy, freshly picked by the looks of it.Well, Tiana couldn't let that go without another kiss, a quick one this time. After all, they couldn't stand here kissing all day, no matter how much she wanted to.Taking him by the hand, Tiana led Naveen back to the kitchen."Feeling tired today, princess?" he asked, teasingly.When Tiana turned to glare at him, he winked at her. Damn him. "I've never felt more awake, thank you very much," she replied. Tiana filled a small jar with water for her flower, and placed it on the windowsill. It somehow it made the whole room seem friendlier, happier. But maybe that was in part due to knowing who had given it to her."So," she said, turning back to him, "are you ready for your first official cooking lesson?""You mean mincing up mushrooms in the bayou doesn't count?" Naveen asked with a twinkle in his eyes.Tiana rolled her eyes, but smiled. "We will be using actual cookware and a stove today, so I think it's a far improvement than the bayou.""Alright, chef," Naveen said, surveying all that she had set out on the table for him. "What are we going to be making today?""You are going to make jambalaya.""Jambalaya?" It sounded more like music than food, but then again that's what food was in Tiana's hands. Naveen shifted slightly, growing nervous that he wouldn't meet her expectations. There were a lot of ingredients too. "It sounds complicated.""It's not," Tiana said. "Trust me.""I do."She smiled at him again and helped him tie an apron around his waist after he washed his hands. "Alright, so the first thing we need to do," Tiana said, "is to prep the vegetables. We'll be starting with the holy trinity. Do you remember what that is?"Naveen pursed his lips in thought. Tiana had briefly explained once that there were three vegetables that made up the base of almost every traditional New Orleans recipe. Everyone called them the holy trinity. "Onions, bell pepper and… celery?""That's right." Tiana placed an onion on the cutting board in front of him. "I'm going to guess you've never chopped up an onion before.""You would be correct." Naveen eyed the onion suspiciously. With it's paper skin it hardly looked appetizing. Though none of the other ingredients laid out looked particularly appealing by themselves.Before they started Tiana patiently showed him how to hold a knife properly. It felt funny in his hand, big and cumbersome. And sharp. He thought he could feel the scars on his hand throb briefly. But if Tiana said this was the way to do it properly, then this is how he would do it.Tiana then had him cut the stem off, and then slice the whole onion in half leaving the root intact. He peeled the paper skin off and then made a series of (albeit sloppy) horizontal cuts towards the root. Then, as directed, he then made a few vertical cuts pointing the tip of the knife toward the root, trying to make the cuts as close to the root as possible without cutting through. Finally, he was able to make perpendicular slices.To Naveen's amazement, diced pieces appeared on the cutting board. "Achidanza!" Naveen exclaimed, grinning widely at Tiana. "Look at that!""Great job!" Tiana said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Think you can do the other half by yourself?"Naveen nodded and blinked hard, fighting back… tears? Was he crying? He laughed a little to himself. Sure it felt great to actually do something productive like this, but he was well beyond the stage where he needed to cry over it.The more he cut, the worse his tears became. They were stinging now, too. What the hell? Feeling very silly about the whole thing, Naveen quickly wiped his eyes with his hands, not realizing they were covered in the onion juice."Fukza!" Naveen screamed. The pain and stinging in his eyes was suddenly unbearable"Naveen?! What is it?" Tiana exclaimed.With his eyes shut tight, he couldn't see the deeply concerned look on her face, but he felt her strong hand guide him and lean him over while he shouted in pain. Naveen was positive that he was never going to be able to see again, and that only seemed to make everything worse."Relax, Naveen. Everything is going to be fine," Tiana said, her tone lighter than he thought the situation called for. In fact… was she laughing at him? How could she when he had just lost his sight forever? He'd never be able to see her beautiful face again and she was laughing at him?Naveen felt blissfully cold water splashed over his eyes, and his pain lessened slightly. He finally realized she had him bent over the sink."There now," she said calmly, gently splashing more water over his eyes. "You're gonna be just fine." Tiana had a hand cupped around the back of his neck and she was rubbing it slightly.Naveen was still breathing heavily but the pain was almost gone now. Still, he was afraid to open his eyes. "What-?" he started."I'm sorry, I should have warned you," Tiana said. "Onions have a… substance? Or a chemical, I guess, that irritates our eyes and makes us cry. It didn't even cross my mind that you wouldn't know that." He felt her kiss his cheek softly.There was a knock at the door."I'll get it," Tiana said. "Here." She put a wet washcloth in his hands, and kissed him once more. "Cover your eyes with this."Naveen did as he was told, feeling all kinds of foolish. After a few minutes, he carefully took away the washcloth and opened his eyes. They felt raw and dry, but somehow, miraculously he could see. Tiana had been right. How many different ways could he embarrass himself in front of his wife? Well, here was one more for the list.He looked at his reflection in one of the spoons laid out, and saw that his eyes were completely bloodshot. Great.When Tiana came back into the room, Naveen was trying to think of some sort of quip he could say to diffuse his embarrassment, but the look on Tiana's face made him rethink that decision. She didn't seem upset, but focused intently on something she was holding. Definitely not in the mood for a joke."Who was at the door?" Naveen asked.Tiana glanced up at him. "It was the mailman," she answered. "He brought you a letter. I… I think it's from your parents."Tiana held up the letter in her hands, and even from across the room Naveen recognized Baba's neat and careful handwriting.His heart rate speed up exponentially, and his stomach dropped. Here was everything they had been waiting for, ever since they had first returned from the bayou. Inside this letter would direct them towards their next steps, and could possibly determine the fate of their entire marriage.'Stop being so dramatic,' Naveen thought as he took a seat at the kitchen table, the cooking lesson forgotten for now. But no matter what he told himself, that didn't change the fact that his parents held a lot of power over his life and what he wanted to do with it.As he opened the letter, Tiana found herself start to tremble. Finding this ridiculous, though not being able to stop, Tiana sat down across from him, all the while not taking her eyes off of his face while he read.Naveen's expression had been apprehensive when he started to read, and as he continued, she watched it change until it finally settled on something she'd never seen on his face before. Tiana couldn't quite place it, but whatever he was feeling right now, it didn't look good."What does it say?" Tiana asked, finally, too curious to keep it in any longer, yet at the same time dreading the answer she needed to hear.Naveen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It says…" he sighed again. "It doesn't say anything."Tiana's jaw clenched tight. She couldn't believe this. After all they had been through together he didn't want to tell her what was in the letter? After all they meant to each other, he didn't trust her? "Naveen," Tiana said firmly. "You have to tell me.""I told you, it doesn't say anything," Naveen replied, trying to fold the letter up again but his hands were shaking too much to stick it back in the envelope. Shaking either from fear or anger, Tiana couldn't tell, and right now she didn't care. "I will take care of it, don't worry.""Oh so there's something to take care of in there?" Tiana asked. She wanted to grab the letter from his hands and just read it herself, but even sitting across from him she could see that it wasn't written in English. Tiana doubted she could reasonable translate it from Maldonian, given that she only knew a few basic words and pet names."Please don't worry about it," Naveen said. "I said I will take care of it.""Do you not know me at all?" Tiana replied, her temper finally exploding. "You know that I have been thinking about what they would say ever since we turned human again! So you think that, now that you actually know what they said, I'll suddenly forget? That it somehow doesn't matter to me anymore what they think about me or the fact that we're married?"There was a tightness in Naveen's expression, but he wouldn't meet her eyes."God damn it, Naveen!" Tiana continued. "I am your wife! If you can't tell me what it says, then-""They want me to go back!" Naveen interrupted, finally looking at her, his eyes were furious. "Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?"Tiana could still feel the anger swarming through her, her pulse pounding fast. But his answer left her speechless."They think this is all some sort of game," Naveen continued, tossing the letter across the table to her with more force than it needed. Not that she could read it anyway. "They think that I am doing this to get back at them for cutting me off!"Tiana's thoughts were so jumbled, she didn't know what to think. She could only stare at the letter in front of her, written in a language she had never even heard of a few months ago. How could something so simple as a letter basically destroy everything she had grown to love? "And now they want you to go back.""They even sent me a ticket." Naveen gestured towards the letter.Her own hands were shaking now, but Tiana managed to open it to find a first class ticket to the next ocean liner to Maldonia. It was due to leave in a few days. "Oh god," she whispered, almost to herself."I'm not going, though," Naveen said.Tiana blinked, finally coming back to her senses and reality. "You're not?""No! Of course not!" Naveen reached over and squeezed Tiana's hand so tight it started to hurt, but she was glad for it and clung to him just as hard. She still hadn't quite comprehended everything, but the thought… just the thought of him leaving was too much to bear."I'm never going to leave you. Ever." Naveen then ripped up the ticket into tiny pieces. He gently pulled Tiana to his side of the table and guided her into his lap, where he held her tight."What do we do now?" Tiana asked, feeling empty inside."I will write them back and explain everything. Better this time." He was stroking her hair now, and his touch made her want to weep. "I will make them understand. And they will. They have to.""It's hopeless, isn't it?""What? You're giving up already?" Naveen was giving her a playful smile, but she could tell that it was forced. "That's not like you, Tiana. Where is that stubborn streak when we actually need it?"To Tiana's surprise, her lips started to tremble a little, and a soft whimper managed to escape."Aw, darling. I'm sorry. Come here." Naveen pulled her in for another tight hug, pressing a kiss to her temple while he rocked her gently."They hate me," Tiana cried softly."They don't hate you. They haven't even met you.""That doesn't matter, they hate me all the same." Tiana sniffed. "There's nothing I can do that will make me good enough for you.""Tiana, no." Naveen gently cupped her face in his hands and gently smoothed back her curls. "I promise you, this has nothing to do with you."Tiana frowned. "I think it has something to do with me." She was the one he had married after all, how could it not have something to do with her?Naveen cringed. "That is not what I meant." He tucked a curl behind her ear. "What I mean is, that they are angry with me. At least, that is what it sounds like. I think they would have acted the same no matter who I married. Not that I want to marry anyone else," Naveen added quickly.Tiana rested her head on his shoulder. She wished that things could go back to how they had been last night, when they had been so happy, and so blissfully unaware that this letter was coming their way. But Tiana knew that you couldn't get anything done by just wishing for it.Still, she wondered - could they ever get back to that happy place again?"So you'll write another letter?" Tiana asked, absentmindedly fiddling with his tie."Yes." Naveen took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't have the slightest clue of what to say, though.""I'll help you."Naveen leaned down and pressed his lips softly against her dimple. "Thank you, love."Tiana gave him a small smile, it felt like her first smile in ages. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier."Naveen chuckled. "I am sorry too. Let's kiss and make up."The kiss itself was short, but it did make Tiana feel a lot better.She sighed, and reluctantly stood. "I'll get some paper and a pencil. We might as well start on that letter now.""What? Now?" Naveen asked. "What about the jambalaya?"Tiana placed a hand to her forehead. "Oh gosh, I completely forgot." They had promised Eudora that there would be dinner ready by the time she got home, too. There was still plenty of time, but they couldn't dilly dally."Alright, I guess we'll finish with that first, and then we'll start the letter. Luckily it doesn't take too long to get everything in the pot. Unless you want to cry over the other half of that onion?" Tiana tentatively ventured, testing the air between them with a slight tease.Naveen smirked, and Tiana knew it was alright. "Hey, I didn't know!"She kissed him softly. "I know. Try this, it should help." Tiana opened the breadbox and took out a slice of bread. She tore off a small piece and handed it to Naveen. "Put this between your front teeth."Naveen was looking at her like she was crazy, but he took the bread anyway. "This really helps with onions?""I know. It's ridiculous, but it really does help. Trust me.""I do."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Never let it be said that Naveen didn't know how to distract his wife. Kisses were his favorite way to do that, of course, but Naveen had a creative mind and was more than willing to do what he could to take Tiana's mind off of the letter they had sent and the coming reply from his parents. It helped distract him from those thoughts as well. Now that Naveen knew exactly how his parents felt about everything, well, he didn't have high hopes for this next reply from them, no matter how good the letter he had sent them had been.And it was a good letter, too. Tiana had a wonderful way with words. Naveen wished that he had asked for her help on his first letter, though he doubted his parents response would have been much different.It was still so frustrating though! If they could only meet Tiana, even for five minutes he knew they would approve of her. How could they not? She was the most wonderful person in the world!But he tried not to dwell on it to much, and whenever he inevitably did, Naveen turned that energy onto his wife.Chances were, when they weren't working they were spending time together having dancing lessons in Tiana's living room, or dancing at the Paradise on Naveen's payday. The cooking lessons went on as well, and Naveen was proud to say that he could now chop, dice, and mince all kinds of food, and he hadn't cried once, thank you very much, not even when he had cut his fingers (though he did swear quite loudly).Louis was a good distraction, too. He kept stopping by Tiana's house in the mornings for breakfast, so soon the appearance of the giant gator stopped being a shock to everyone in the neighborhood. In fact, Louis was quickly becoming something of a local celebrity, even more so than Naveen was. For news that the missing prince was in fact Tiana's new beau had finally spread, as well as some of the story of his fall from grace so to speak.Any adoring looks he had received initially had changed to laughter hidden behind hands, once his story had come out. Sometimes people would even brazenly mock him out in the open, especially when he was sweeping the streets during the day. Naveen tried not to mind. It helped to have the other street sweeper's support, and Tiana's too, of course. Always Tiana's.She would kiss him sweetly and tell him that she loved him, and that was all Naveen needed to feel better. Because what did he care what these strangers thought about him? The only person whose opinion really mattered to him was already on his side. So Naveen would kiss her back, whispering sweet nothings to her, and he hoped that this alleviated at least some of her anxiety about their future.On their more quiet nights together they would talk a little about it, their future, usually while sitting on the porch swing enjoying some iced tea (Naveen's new favorite). But Naveen noticed that they were both careful about anything they had to offer on the subject. They spoke mostly in vague ideas unless the conversation geared towards Tiana's restaurant, which was a much firmer future than anything involving their marriage.It was on one of these quiet moments when no matter what Naveen did, he couldn't seem to take Tiana's worries away from her. It was the early evening, with the sun still shining for a few more hours, but the city was already winding down to rest. Well, unless you were in the French Quarter, then the evening was just getting started.But both Tiana and Naveen had had a busy day, and were looking forward to spending the evening off of their feet. Tiana hadn't said what was on her mind yet, but Naveen could read her like a book. Tiana wasn't a very good liar at the best of times, but he knew her well enough now to be able to detect even the slightest hint that something was wrong. The way her eyes darted slightly, or the way her mouth crinkled just so. Naveen had memorized it long ago, and still he wished more than anything he could make it go away.So Naveen did the only thing he could do - he draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her in closer. Tiana didn't fight it, and even offered him a half smile when he kissed her cheek. He was about to ask her what was on her mind, hoping they could talk it out, when several people shouted his name from the street.Reluctantly, Naveen tore his attention away from his wife and looked towards the noise. He had to smile though, when he saw a few of the neighborhood boys he had gotten to know over the last few weeks. They clomped up the few porch steps and stood before Naveen and Tiana, trying to catch their breaths.Tiana said, "Hello, boys.""Hello, Miss Tiana," they chorused, politely, before turning to Naveen with hopeful grins."Naveen, come play baseball with us," Charles, the oldest, said."Can't you see that I am busy at the moment?" Naveen asked, his arm still draped around Tiana."Please, Naveen," one of the other boys, Billy, begged. "We want to play but we don't have enough people." They all put on their best puppy dog eyes, making Naveen groan and Tiana laugh."Go ahead," Tiana said, patting his knee. "I don't mind. Go have some fun."Naveen smirked. "Alright, alright. I'll join you, on one condition."Youthful cheers from the boys were quickly replaced by uneasiness."I'll play if Tiana can play too."The boys groaned in unison, Billy even being so dramatic as to flop on the floor. "But she's a girl! Girls can't play baseball!""Excuse me?" Tiana said, putting her hands on her hips."No offense, Miss Tiana."Normally, Tiana would have given these boys a stern but heartfelt lecture on sexism in sports and in the world, but the truth was, she wasn't at all sure she wanted to play in the first place. Two parts of her were battling each other inside her mind. One part wanted to prove to them that women can do anything men can do, while the other part, perhaps the more rational part, remembered that she had never played baseball before, and that she would embarrass herself and in the minds of those boys that would prove their point."Come on, it'll be fun," Naveen assured everyone, including Tiana. He stood up and held out his hand to her. "It'll be fine, princess. I'll show you how to play."Somewhat hesitantly she took his hand, while the boys groaned again, but dutifully went to the street to set up. It may not be exactly the game they were looking for, but they did have two more people to play, and that counted for something."Do they have baseball in Maldonia?" Tiana asked."No," Naveen answered, then grinned at Tiana. "I learned how to play last week when you were having tea with Charlotte."The fact that Naveen was almost as new to this as Tiana was, should have made her feel better, but when he started casually swinging the baseball bat around, it was clear he was a natural. Why would these boys have practically begged him to play if he wasn't good at it?"Here, Tiana," Naveen said, handing her the bat. "I'll show you how to swing."The eyes of boys were on her, and Tiana tried to ignore their teasing and gestures for everyone to come in further to home plate. As furious as she was, that didn't stop her limbs from shaking slightly. These were just kids, why was she so nervous?Naveen suddenly surprised her by wrapping his arms around her from behind, guiding her hands to the bat. Now Tiana could see why he wanted her to play."You want to place your hands here," Naveen said. His front was comfortably resting against her back, and he had even leaned forward enough so that their cheeks were brushing. "And hold the bat about this high. And don't forget to bend your knees.""Naveen, I'm left handed," Tiana laughed. "This scheme of yours isn't going to work.""Scheme? What scheme?" Naveen tried to look innocent, but failed. "Alright, fine. Turn the other way and make sure your left hand is on top."Tiana did so, but without Naveen's arms around her, she felt silly. "Like this?""That's right," Naveen said. "Charles, are you pitching?" When the boy answered yes, Naveen told him to go ahead and throw the ball to Tiana."What?!" Tiana looked shocked. Surely there was still more to learn before she actually took a swing. And if there wasn't… maybe that was enough for the day. She'd try it again tomorrow, or never."I know you can do it, love."Inwardly, Tiana groaned. For once it would be nice if Naveen didn't have such faith in her. But fine. She would try."Go easy on me, Charles," she said, raising the bat, ready to swing.Charles just smirked, as if going easy was the last thing on his mind. He wound up and threw.Tiana screamed as the ball came towards her, or at least it seemed like she did. She'd never seen Charles throw a ball so fast. Then again she'd never been the target of one of his throws either, and perspective changed everything. She didn't even think as she swung the bat, and was surprised by the loud clack when she actually hit the ball. She actually hit it!"Holy cow!""Wow! Look at that!""Achidanza, Tiana! That's a home run!" Naveen swooped her up in his arms and twirled her around laughing all the while. Of course he remembered that she should be running the bases, but this was so much better. She had hit the ball practically to the next block. It had almost hit someone walking in the street, too!The person in question bent to pick up the ball, and walked casually back towards the players."Little help?" Charles shouted, but the man just kept walking, taking his time as he did so.Naveen furrowed his brows at the stranger. There was something about him that seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. It wasn't until the man came closer that Naveen's stomach dropped and any happiness he had felt even moments ago evaporated.He did know this man, and nothing good could come of his being here.At last, the stranger was standing in front of Naveen and Tiana. He dutifully dropped the baseball into Charles' outstretched hands, and then turned to Naveen.{"Hello, your highness,"} he said.{"What are you doing here, Kedar?"} Naveen asked.{"Well that's a fine way to greet a fellow countryman,"} Kedar replied.{"After all, I've come all this way just to see you. The least you could do is show a little respect."}Billy tugged impatiently at Naveen's sleeve. "Come on, let's keep playing.""Um… perhaps another time," Naveen said, making all the boys voice their disappointment. "I'm sorry fellas.""You'll still play, won't you, Miss Tiana?" Billy asked, turning to Tiana, any reservation about girls playing baseball having been forgotten.Tiana glanced at Naveen, and then Kedar. "I'm sorry, I think I'm going to have to take a rain check on that."The boys, tired of waiting for the grown ups decided they would head over to the park and find something else to do. Now there was just the three of them. Tiana caught Naveen's eye, worry plainly etched on her face. But how could he explain everything to her?Kedar was the Captain of the Royal Guard in Maldonia. He wasn't in full uniform at the moment, but he was wearing the official blue that all Maldonian officers wear. He even had a saber on his waist. Of course it was mostly for decoration, but Naveen knew that it was real, and very sharp. And in Kedar's hands, it could be very deadly.{"I will ask you again, Kedar. What are you doing here?"}Kedar sighed and smoothed down his pencil thin mustache. {"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to fetch you home."}Naveen blanched.{"My father sent you?"}{"Of course he did. The King and Queen want you back on Maldonian soil where they can keep a better eye on you. If what the rumors say are true, I don't blame them."} Kedar raised an eyebrow at Naveen. {"Is it true that you went and married some American girl?"}Naveen didn't say anything, but Kedar could put the pieces together. The way Tiana was standing near them, confused yet protectively could only mean one things.{"Is this her?"} Kedar said, chuckling softly. {"Not exactly your type, your highness. So when is the baby due?"}{"Don't talk about her like that,"} Naveen sneered. {"She is your princess, and you will show her respect."}Kedar just glared at Naveen. {"Princess. Right. With no official wedding blessed by the King and Queen, and no coronation. Nothing even in the papers! Well, unless you count the gossip columns. Which, I take it, you do."}Naveen's fists clenched. Kedar knew how to get under anyone's skin, and it wasn't often Naveen was on the receiving end of it. Usually Naveen could give it back just as hard, but right now he couldn't think. Kedar's appearance had surprised him too much, which was probably exactly what the captain had been hoping for.{"Let's cut the bull, highness,"} Kedar said simply. {"As I said, I have come to take you home. So let's-"}{"I'm not going,"} Naveen stated, matter of fact.Kedar blinked. {"What was that?"}{"I said, I'm not going, and if you think you can make me, then you're greatly mistaken."}Now it was Kedar's turn to glare and clench his fists. {"You are the one who is mistaken. You may not care about Maldonia, but I do. I have direct orders from King Sunil to bring you home, and I am not going to fail him. You will come back with me."}For a moment, Naveen briefly considered that he should be angry. Not that his father sent someone to fetch him (Naveen was plenty angry about that) but that Kedar thought he didn't care about Maldonia. Naveen did, of course, but he suddenly realized that he didn't care for his country the way he should. The way a prince should.The simple fact that Kedar could so plainly say what Naveen hadn't even realized he'd been struggling with internally for a long time infuriated him. {" Are you just naturally stupid or are you making a special effort today?"} Naveen said. {"Because I already told you that I am not coming with you. But maybe you couldn't hear me with your head so far up your own ass."}Perhaps if Naveen had been in his right state of mind he would have known better than to throw out petty insults. Kedar could dish them out with the best of them, but taking insults was another matter completely. The Captain of the Guards was known to have a short fuse, and this, it seemed, pushed him over the edge.Kedar drew his sword and held it inches away from Naveen's face. To his credit, Naveen didn't flinch. At least he didn't until he heard Tiana cry out in fear. When he turned to her, he saw the panic clear as day on her face, but even beyond that was her desire to act, to do something even though she had no idea what was happening.Naveen might not have been afraid of Kedar, but that didn't mean he wanted Tiana anywhere near him. "It is alright, Tiana," he said to her before turning back to Kedar. Naveen felt a cocky grin grow. "He's not going to hurt me."{"Like hell I won't,"} Kedar sneered. He drew close enough that Naveen could smell the stale cigarettes on his breath. The sword was dangerously close to Naveen's neck. {"I will break your arm if I have to."}"Ha!" Naveen laughed. {"Break the arm of the Crown Prince? That sounds like a life sentence if you ask me, and I know my father would."}Realization seemed to be dawning on Kedar, so Naveen continued. {"I might not be on the best terms with my parents right now, but do you really think they would believe you over me if I showed up with a broken arm and cuts all along my neck?"}Kedar let out such a violent string of curses that, under normal circumstances Naveen would have been impressed. As it was, he just wanted the Captain out of his sight.But Kedar wasn't finished, it seemed. {"Fine,"} he said, scowling at Naveen, lowering his sword. {"I may not be able to hurt you, but…"} Kedar's gaze moved past Naveen and landed on Tiana's frightened face. {"I can hurt her."}Naveen felt fear take over him. Instinctively he moved between Tiana and Kedar. {"Don't you dare hurt her."}{"Or what?"} Kedar smirked.{"You'll cry all the way home to your Baba? That would save me a lot of time and effort to get you home."}{"You'll still go to jail."} It was all Naveen could think of. He was grasping at straws, saying anything that might keep Tiana safe. Because Naveen knew that if given the chance Kedar would be true to his words.{"There might be a law pertaining to violence against the crown, but there aren't any laws written to protect American nobody's,"} Kedar stated coldly. {"The king gave me leave to do whatever is necessary to get you to come home, and I will exercise that right."}Kedar started to circle Tiana, taking a few fast swipes in the air with his sword. Naveen immediately began to move, keeping Tiana safely behind his back."Naveen?" Tiana asked, the fear in her voice plain. She clutched tightly to his shirt."It's alright, love," Naveen said, not at all confident in his words. More than anything he wished he could turn around and embrace her, hold her in his arms and kiss her, and then spirit her far away from here.He turned to Kedar.{"She is your princess! The same law applies to her as it does to me."}{"She means nothing to me, or to Maldonia."} Another quick succession of swipes of his sword. Somehow they were all missing Naveen, but they were getting dangerously close to Tiana.Kedar swung again, and managed to catch the bottom of Tiana's dress. She shrieked as the fabric tore.{"Stop it, Kedar!"} Naveen shouted.{"Say you will come back with me."} Another swing. Tiana moved away just in time, but it almost caught her elbow.{"No!"} Naveen was clutching Tiana tight, as best he could while she was still behind him. He was desperate to keep himself directly in front of her, but Kedar was too quick.It wasn't the sword that got Tiana, it was Kedar's firm grip. In one fell swoop, Naveen felt Tiana slip from his grasp. It was the worst thing he had ever felt in his life. The worst thing he had ever seen. Tiana being pulled away from him and into the arms of someone who wanted to do her harm, unable to get away no matter how hard she tried. Kedar was just too strong.And then he held the sword at her throat. It stopped Tiana cold.It stopped Naveen too. {"Kedar please,"} Naveen begged, holding out his arms, willing Tiana back into the safety of his embrace. {"Just let her go."}He tightened his grip, making Tiana cry out. {"Say you will come back to Maldonia with me."}Tears started to leak down Tiana's face. "Naveen!"{"Yes!"} He cried out. {"Yes, fine! I will go with you! Just please don't hurt her!"}Kedar let go of Tiana, who's knees were shaking too much to hold her upright. Naveen ran to her to catch her before she could fall.He held her tight while she trembled and covered her in kisses. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered in her hair. "It's alright now. I've got you."{"That wasn't so hard now, was it?"} Kedar asked, sheathing his sword.{"You bastard,"} Naveen spat.{"Me? Hardly,"} Kedar said. {"But it sounds like you'll be having one in a few months, won't you."}Naveen wanted to punch him right in that smug face. Instead he held Tiana tighter against his chest.{"The ship to Maldonia leaves in three days,"} Kedar said. {"And don't even think about running away again, because I will find you, and there will be consequences."}With that, Kedar turned on his heels and left, but Naveen knew that until he was delivered to his father that Kedar would turn into a shadow, following his every move, tracing every step.Naveen turned his full attention back to Tiana, who he swept up in his arms and carried her safely inside. And still he held her tight on his lap when he sat on the couch, kissing her softly and whispering comforting words to her.Eventually she stopped shaking and the hand that clutched him tight loosened. Even so Naveen didn't stop his kisses. It wasn't until she said his name softly that he finally did."Yes, my love? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"Tiana licked her lips, but her mouth was so dry that it didn't help. "I'm alright. I… Naveen… what the hell was that all about?"Explaining everything to Tiana was one of the most difficult conversations Naveen had ever had in his life. It hurt so much when she wept in his arms and declared that they would never see each other again, knowing there was nothing he could do to comfort her other than offer vague promises that he would come back. He didn't know when, but he would. If he had to bribe someone, if he had to stow away on a ship, or even if he had to swim across the entire ocean he would come back to her. Nothing would keep him from her for long, except, it seemed, for Kedar and his parents.How could they send such a monster after him? Didn't they know how Kedar acted? It was possible that Kedar hid his true personality from his parents, wasn't it? Naveen found it hard to believe that his parents, no matter how upset they were with him, would knowingly send someone who would threaten to harm his wife. His wife who he only had three days left with.There was so much that he wanted to do in that time, so much that he needed to say to her. Tiana knew how much he loved her, but he had to make sure that knowledge stuck when he wasn't there to tell her every day. That was why Naveen asked Louis to help him with a secret project, but the likelihood that it would succeed seemed small at best. Louis assured him in that infectiously cheerful way of his that he would get the entire bayou to help, and they would find it before Naveen left.It wasn't much, but Naveen held onto it. He would need it to survive these next three days. His mind was in a constant whirl of everything he had to do - quit his job, say goodbye to the friends he had made, the life he had started to build here. It was all so heartbreaking. He didn't want to leave any of it.Each time he had to explain what was happening, it felt worse and worse. He really was leaving. Despite his promises to Tiana, there was a part of him that wondered if he really ever would see this city again, if he would see the wonderful people here, if he would see her.When he told the LaBouff's the story, Charlotte had burst into tears, crying for her best friend. It gave Naveen a little comfort knowing that Tiana would have the support of her friends and family, unlike Naveen, who would be headed into a country filled with hostility for him.Kedar gave him a preview of what was to come when he showed up at the LaBouff's guest house that same evening. All the better to keep an eye on the wayward prince, was his excuse. He had to make sure that the prince wasn't getting into any more trouble than he already was, didn't he? It was all accompanied by sneers, rude gestures, and of course Kedar's constant smoking of cheap cigarettes.Whenever Kedar blew another puff of smoke, with it went any hope Naveen had of spending more intimate time with Tiana. Because for the next few days, even if they couldn't see Kedar, they could smell the cigarettes in the air, effectively turning ruining the mood whenever they were together.That didn't mean Naveen didn't try though. It seemed that any chance he had, Naveen was kissing her, as if that would make it possible to bottle parts of her up to take with him. He needed it though, to remember her taste, her scent, the way her dimples appeared when she smiled at him. The way she made him laugh, the way she made him feel needed. The way she made him feel.It took everything in him not to beg Tiana to come along with him. Maybe she thought of it too, though neither of them brought it up. It would be too much to have a small moment of hope only to have it dashed to pieces almost immediately.First off, the tickets were too expensive. There was no way Tiana would be able to afford one. And then, of course, neither had any idea of how long it would take for them to come back. So Tiana would lose her job, again, which meant that there wouldn't be any money going into her restaurant fund, and Naveen could never ever ask her to stop working towards her dream.Then too, there would be a gigantic scandal if they appeared on Maldonian shores without a proper chaperone. Naveen knew he was in hot enough water already, and he didn't want to drag Tiana into the mud with him any further than he already had.And then there was the fact that if she came with him, Kedar would be sure to find out, and Naveen was never going to let him lay a hand on his wife again. As much as it hurt to leave her, it was the only way to guarantee her safety. Above all else, he had to keep her safe.Three days. He only had three days left with her. And then all too soon it was two days."I feel silly, Naveen.""Well you look beautiful.""You always say that.""I can't help that it is always true." She smiled at that, he noticed. "You can always change your mind," Naveen added."No, I want to do it," Tiana said. "I guess it's just that I'm just not used to so much attention."Naveen tsked playfully. "You say that like I haven't been paying attention to you since the moment we met."Now she flushed. "This is different." Tiana fiddled with her skirt, scrunching the fabric in her fingers and then immediately smoothing it out. "I just feel awkward. I don't know what to do or where to look.""All you have to do is sit like you are, and you can just look at me.""But you're behind the camera, and looking at it makes me remember you're taking my picture and then I tense up again."From behind the camera, set up on a simple tripod, Naveen gave her what he hoped was a sympathetic smile. "I won't force you to do it if you don't want to," he said, though he hoped that she wouldn't change her mind.This morning Naveen had given Tiana a picture of himself, one of the many he had with him at all times to give to admiring citizens of Maldonia. There hadn't been much use for them here in America, and in truth he felt somewhat silly giving it to Tiana, but he wanted to make sure that she had it before he left. It was then that he asked for a picture of Tiana in return, only for her to confess that she really only had a small number of pictures of herself, and in all of them she was a little girl.So now with Lottie's borrowed camera, they were set up in Tiana's living room, trying to make everything perfect. Lottie had confessed, sheepishly, that there was only one more photo available on the film, so it was doubly important not to have any errors in the picture. Naveen felt the extra pressure once they realized they wouldn't be able to develop the picture before he left. Tiana was going to have to send him the picture in the mail.While it was true that if the picture didn't come out right, Tiana could just have someone else take another one, Naveen really wanted it to be him that took the picture."I'm sorry," Tiana said. "I'm being ridiculous.""It's fine, love," Naveen replied. He came around the camera and joined her on the couch, draping an arm around her shoulders. "I want you to be comfortable."Tiana leaned into him, and sighed. "I still can't believe you're leaving."He couldn't either. "I'm so sorry.""It's not your fault."How many times had they exchanged this exact conversation? Naveen had always believed her when she told him he wasn't to blame for the trouble he had caused her, but not this time. "Yes it is," he said simply.If he had been a better son and a better prince they wouldn't be in this mess. But if he had been better to begin with, he might never have made it to New Orleans and they might not have met. Naveen didn't like thinking about that, so he kissed her cheek instead. "Can you forgive me for it?"She turned to face him and gave him a soft smile. "I think I can do that." Tiana walked her fingers up his chest and bopped him on the nose. "Just as long as you come back."She was much too good for him. Naveen kissed her, long and sweet. "You know I will.""I know," Tiana said, cupping his cheek. Her eyes were getting misty, and so were his, but now was not the time for another crying session.He kissed her again, nothing more than a quick peck this time, and forced a grin on his face. "Are you ready then? For the picture?"Tiana nodded, and Naveen went back behind the camera. He looked through the lense. Everything looked good, but there was no way to be sure until the picture was developed. But the lighting was nice, and the camera was in focus, so his chances for a good picture were high. At least Naveen hoped so."Ready, darling?" he asked."Ready when you are," Tiana answered, and smiled into the camera.
Click.
Two days soon became one, and then the day turned into night. The next morning Naveen would be leaving. By this time tomorrow he would be gone.Tiana was determined not to cry. She had done enough of that lately. It was going to be difficult though. Whenever she thought about anything, her mind somehow connected it to Naveen. She missed him already, and that made her want to cry, but she couldn't. Not now, not tonight. Naveen was already sensitive enough about all of this without her adding the burden of his knowing how much it was affecting her.Tonight was their last night together for who knew how long.Naveen had asked her if there was something special she would like to do. He still had some of his earnings so he could take her out dancing. Or perhaps out to eat? But all she wanted to do was spend some time with him, so they opted for a quiet evening on the porch swing. One of many they had spent there, and Tiana tried not to think of it as their last.The night was already melancholy. Eudora had said her goodbye's to Naveen earlier. She couldn't say goodbye at docks anymore. Not after James. So they sat, just the two of them, on the last night, drinking one last glass of iced tea, sharing one last kiss.Tiana knew that they would kiss tomorrow, before he left, but she also knew that she would be too emotional to think straight, to emotional to kiss him the way she wanted to. Tomorrow's kisses would be desperate, but tonight's could be filled with love. She also knew that anyone could walk by and see the two of them necking like teenagers, but Tiana didn't care. She needed to taste him, she needed to feel his lips against hers, she needed to hear his soft gasps and moans. She needed it all, and Tiana wasn't going to let anyone take it away from her. At least for tonight.Naveen seemed to be in agreement as they kissed each other hungrilly, but at the same time not letting things get too far. This was all they could do tonight, no matter how much they wanted to do more.The feelings inside Tiana surprised herself. She wanted more. She wanted much more. But it was impossible with Kedar watching Naveen like a hawk. And where would they even go if they had the chance? Her room? With Eudora just one room over? Ha. Mama might be a heavy sleeper, but even she would wake up if they started doing that.Tiana contented herself with his kisses. She almost laughed, thinking that there had once been a time when she hadn't wanted him or his kisses. His sweet, wonderful kisses. Now she craved them, and by this time tomorrow, she would be trying to live without them.A whimper escaped her lips at that thought."Tiana, are you alright?" Naveen whispered, brushing her cheek with his thumb.Her lips were trembling now. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. But her voice cracked when she answered. "No."Naveen pulled her into a hug, cupped the back of her head while it rested against his chest. "Oh, my love," he whispered. "It will be alright."Tiana sniffed, brushing away tears hastily. Hopefully he didn't see them. But she didn't move from her spot. It was so nice to be in his arms, to feel the rise and fall of his chest, to hear his heartbeat. He was warm too. Safe and comfortable.She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said into his chest. Her tears were making a mess of his shirt, but Tiana figured he wouldn't mind."I'm going to miss you, too," he whispered. "I will write to you, though. Every day. And you will write to me, yes?"Tiana nodded. Of course she would.He kissed her temple. "It won't be forever. I will be back before you know it."One month. That's what he had told her earlier. It took a week to get to Maldonia. Then he would quickly explain everything to his parents, who he was sure would understand once he was there in person. And then he would take the next boat to America, which might not sail for a week or two. But then once he was on the ocean it would only be 7 more days before she was back in his arms. This was the quickest scenario back to her, and Tiana clung to it like a lifeline.It won't be forever, she repeated to herself.Tiana sniffed again, but this time she sat up. "I have something to give you," she said, smoothing down her curls. "Before you go."Naveen gave her a soft smile. "I have something for you, too." He reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I am a little nervous about it, though. So, um… you should go first."Tiana chuckled a little. "Alright," she said, though she was nervous too. "It's not wrapped or anything."She reached into the pocket of her dress. "It's, um… well, here." This was far from her most eloquent moment. Still, Naveen dutifully held out his hand as she put his gift inside it."A pocket watch?" Naveen asked. It gleamed even in the dark. Naveen clicked it open and the second hand ticked steadily around the watchface."It was my Daddy's," Tiana explained."It's beautiful," said Naveen. Then as her words sunk in he seemed to realize just what he was holding in his hand. "Oh. Oh, Tiana, I can't accept this."Naveen tried to hand the watch back to her, but Tiana closed his fingers around it. "I want you to have it." She gave his hand a squeeze."Mama gave it to me after he died," Tiana explained. "She said I could do whatever I wanted with it. It's a man's watch so I never really wore it, but I wind it every day. Here let me show you."Carefully, Tiana showed Naveen the simple mechanism for winding the watch. It was easy enough to do, and only took a few seconds, but Tiana would miss the routine of it. Then again, maybe the routine would give Naveen some comfort while he was away."Are you sure you want me to have it?" Naveen asked. His thumb brushed over the outside of the watch."I do," she said, squeezing his hand again. "I thought it could help you… remember…" Tears were welling in her eyes, but Tiana swallowed hard, fighting it. "Remember the city. Remember me."Naveen smiled softly. "As if I could ever forget you." He kissed her again, lingering on her lips. "Thank you, Tiana. I will take good care of it.""I know you will."He examined the watch again, clicking it open and close. "I know it must be very precious to you.""It is," Tiana said. "But so are you."He kissed her again with such passion and ferocity that Tiana was afraid she would start to weep again. But he pulled back, kissing each of her dimples before pulling her into a hug."You are precious to me, too, princess," he whispered into her hair. "You know that, right? You know how much I love you?"Tiana nodded and clung to him. Of course she knew. That's what made all of this so hard.After a moment Naveen pulled back and reached into his pocket. "Don't laugh, alright?"Tiana didn't think anything would make her laugh just now, but she promised."Hold out your hand, princess."She did as he asked, and inside her palm, Naveen placed a tiny walnut. It was so random, so strange, so like Naveen that Tiana almost broke her promise and laughed.Instead she bit the inside of her cheek, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Um.. Thanks?""Open it," Naveen prompted."I'll have to get a nutcracker from inside." Tiana started to get up, but Naveen held her in place."No, you can just…" he mimed pulling the shells apart. "Pop it open.""Oh." Tiana did, and was surprised to find a pearl? No, it was a bead. A simple white bead. She pulled it out to examine it closer, and found it had some wiring on the bottom that curled in a such a way that it almost looked like a ring. A very very small ring.Tiana looked at Naveen questioningly. "I'm sorry. I don't… what is this?""I made it for you when we were still frogs," Naveen explained. "Do you remember that night on the riverboat?""Of course I remember." How could she forget? That was the first time someone had done something romantic for her. Naveen had bumbled and fumbled around trying to impress her. It was the cutest thing she'd ever seen."I had planned on giving you this ring that night," Naveen explained. "I was going to propose to you that night. Did you know that?"Silent tears were streaming down Tiana's face, but she smiled through it all. She had always wondered about that night. Tiana sniffed and wiped away her tears. "Ray told me after." Tiana laughed softly. "He never could keep a secret."Tiana leaned into him so that her back was resting against his chest. Naveen's arms circled her, holding her tight. From their vantage point, they could see both Ray and Evangeline high in the sky.Ray would watch over Naveen while he was away, Tiana thought suddenly, and that gave her some small comfort."So what happened to this?" Tiana asked, holding the ring carefully in her fingers. "You didn't have it when you proposed for real.""I lost it in the river when the shadows grabbed me."Tiana shivered involuntarily at the mention of the shadows, but Naveen's grip on her was strong and the feeling soon passed. "Is this what Louis has been doing these past few days? Looking for this?""Yes," Naveen said. "I asked him to look for it, but I never expected he would find it." His hand cupped Tiana's and they held the ring together. "It's so small. Can you believe we were once this tiny too?"Tiana chuckled at that. "Even after living it, it's hard to believe." Tomorrow she would give Louis an extra helping of breakfast.Tiana turned to face Naveen, but not enough to move from his embrace, and kissed him. "Thank you.""I know it's not much," Naveen said. "I wanted to buy you a real ring, but they are, ah… out of my price range so to speak.""I don't mind," Tiana said. "It's perfect.""Well, it would be perfect if you could wear it as an actual ring," Naveen pointed out. "Which is why I did buy you this." Once more he reached into his pocket and pulled out a long jewelry box and opened it. Inside was a simple chain."I thought you could wear the ring as a necklace," Naveen explained.Tiana was crying again as she nodded at Naveen's suggestion. This time she didn't wipe away her tears.Together they put the chain through the ring and Naveen fascened it around Tiana's neck. The ring rested right over her heart. Now it was perfect."I love it," Tiana said, leaning back into Naveen's arms once more. "And I love you.""I love you, too, princess," Naveen replied. He kissed her temple, then her cheek, and then her neck. "I will always love you, no matter how many miles separate us."Their lips met again in another kiss. It was a long time before either of them spoke again."I guess this is it, isn't it?" Tiana asked over the noise of the docks, and Naveen's heart broke for the hundredth time that day. It wasn't that he had expected their goodbye would be nice, but he hadn't imagined it to be like this.There were so many people running around the docks, shouting and laughing to one another before they boarded the ship. The crew was calling to each other, making sure everything was ship shape so to speak, before the boat set sail.It wouldn't be long now, and the pit in Naveen's stomach was getting worse. He'd already seen Kedar take Lawrence, who was to go on trial for treason back in Maldonia, on board. Presumably Kedar was taking every measure that the valet was secure before coming back to escort Naveen to the gangplank.Naveen tucked a curl that had escaped from Tiana's bun behind her ear, but it was so windy it didn't stay there for long. Just the way it curled around her face was enough to make him break down and weep.He swallowed hard, fighting it, and offered her a forced smile. "I guess it is." Really? That's all he could say? Where was all of the sonnets and soliloquies he had come up with last night when he was trying to sleep? There was so much that he wanted to tell her, so why was his mind a complete blank?Well, if his words failed him, Naveen could at least count on his body to do something right. His arms wrapped around Tiana and held her tight. Naveen forced himself to remember everything about this moment - the way her head rested on his shoulder, the sweet smell of her hair, the warmth of her embrace.His lips started to tremble, and Naveen tried to push those feelings away again. He kissed her temple, softly. "I'm going to miss you, Tiana.""Me too," Tiana replied, her voice cracking a bit. She seemed to be fighting tears too. "It won't be the same around here without you."The boat horn bellowed loudly. That sick feeling in Naveen's stomach grew. Kedar was coming their way. Oh god. It was time."Here." Naveen's hands were shaking as he fumbled in his coat pocket, but at last he found it. Hurriedly, he put the letter in Tiana's hands. "I… Read this when you need me."Tears were streaming down her face now, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Then Kedar was there, and he said something to Naveen in Maldonian. Tiana didn't even try to understand their conversation. She was too focused on Naveen, on the sound of his voice and the touch of his skin. Tiana had to believe they would see each other again. She had to. But still, it took everything she had not to beg him to stay.{"Kiss your bride goodbye, your highness,"} Kedar said.The last thing Naveen wanted to do was to give Kedar the satisfaction of doing as he was told, but at the same time he couldn't not kiss Tiana goodbye. They were both crying as their lips met in the kiss. Naveen held her firmly, and Tiana clung to him tight as they kissed.{"I said kiss her, don't swallow her."}Naveen could have said any number of horrible things to Kedar, but instead he focused all his energy on Tiana. "I love you, Tiana," he said."I love you, too, Naveen," she replied, holding onto him as long as she could, but Kedar had taken Naveen's elbow and was now guiding him toward the gangplank. Tiana found herself following numbly, their eyes never leaving each other. It wasn't until Kedar placed his foot directly in front of Naveen's, effectively tripping him that their gaze broke, and that was when Tiana found she couldn't take another step.She watched, helpless, as Naveen boarded and found a spot at the railing of the ship. He looked so alone, surrounded by other people who were waving and cheering as the ship began to move.Tiana found herself reaching for him, and Naveen responded in kind, but he was too far, and getting further away. Tears blurred her vision, and when she blinked, Tiana couldn't even make him out anymore as the ship began its perilous trip across the ocean.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

There were many times in Tiana's life that she could easily point to as being foolish. Not changing her work schedule the day that Naveen left was certainly near the top of that list.The idea had been a simple one: if she was too busy working, she wouldn't spend that time thinking about him. How every minute was taking him further and further away from her. How it would be days before she would even receive a letter from him.True she did have the letter Naveen handed to her right before he left, but Tiana had it in her mind to save it to read until she was desperate. The letter was safely stowed away in her dress pocket, and Tiana found herself checking every few minutes just to make sure that it was still there. Its simple presence gave her a small comfort.When her hands weren't in her pockets, they were undoubtedly fiddling with her necklace. Tiana tried to convince herself that this was only because she wasn't used to wearing jewelry, but she knew that wasn't true.Naveen's gifts were like a gift and a curse to her. Yes they were a reminder of how much he cared about her, but they also reinforced the fact that he was gone, and neither knew when he was coming back. Still, Tiana clung to the hope that it would be a swift return."Tiana!"She blinked and looked up at Buford, her hand still wrapped around her necklace. "Sorry, what was that, Buford?""Your head is in the clouds today, Tiana," he said, frowning. "This is the third time I've had to repeat myself.""I know. Sorry."Buford sighed. Tiana hadn't told him that Naveen had left just a few hours ago. It wasn't any of his business, first of all. And even if she did tell him, Buford wouldn't have any sympathy for her. He still hadn't forgiven Naveen for kissing her while she was working.Tears threatened to spill as that memory washed over her. Quickly, Tiana turned, pretending to straighten up dishes and glasses that were all perfectly straight."What was it you needed, Buford?" Tiana asked, once she felt under control."Table twelve has been sitting there for five minutes and you haven't even taken their drink orders.""Oh right. I'll take care of it right now," Tiana said, and rushed to the table before Buford could scold her again. She had to stop thinking of him, and focus on her work. That was the whole point of working today, Tiana reminded herself.After taking table twelve's order, more people came in for the lunch rush. Tiana ran from table to table, from kitchen to dining room, and all the while she just felt empty and numb. She couldn't even smile as she gave people their food, which resulted in rather lackluster tips, and for once Tiana didn't care.As crazy as it seemed, every time the bell above the door rang, she would turn expecting to see him. Because, really, he couldn't possibly be gone. Naveen would smile at her in that charming way that made her heart swell up, and he say something like "My princess! I couldn't bare to be apart from you, so I convinced the captain to turn the ship around. Here I am to stay." Then he would kiss her and everything would be alright.Tiana knew it was foolish. She had seen the boat sail away, and as charismatic as Naveen could be, there was no way he could charm the captain off his route.Still, she looked to the door, and each time it wasn't Naveen her heart broke a little more. 'Stop this, Tiana,' she told herself. 'This is getting ridiculous.' What she needed was to get away from the door. Now that everyone in the dining area had their orders taken, maybe there was something Buford needed help with in the kitchen. Yes that was it. She couldn't possibly think of Naveen when she was busy working with food.When Tiana asked, Buford gave her the side eye. He had always made it clear that he was the one in charge of the kitchen. The only thing he had ever let her make was beignets.Maybe it was the pleading look in Tiana's eyes, or maybe Buford was really strained today. Either way, Tiana was eternally grateful when he sighed and said, "Alright."This was what she needed. To be away from the door and just focused on her food. "What do you need me to do?" Tiana asked."Mince these mushrooms."Try as she might, Tiana could help but burst into tears.Dear NaveenHow are you? I suppose by the time you read this you'll have landed back in Maldonia. How was the trip? Do you get seasick?Yikes. This….isn't a very good letter is it? I've never really had to write a letter like this before, and I don't know what to say. Lottie and I used to leave each other letters in a hollowed out tree, but she could never wait long enough for me to read what she left. We ended up just tell each other whatever we had written.The only time I really wrote real letters was when Daddy left to go fight in the war, but I was so young, that I didn't really understand what was going on. I really only remember letters full of misspelled words and horrible drawings of stick figures.I am a much better speller now, but I'm still at a loss for what to say to offer you the comfort these letters should give. What do you need from me? I should have asked before you left. There are a lot of things I should have asked before you left.I miss you so much it hurts, and it's only been one day.I went to work a few hours after you left, and I can hear you scolding me for it. You're telling me that on such an emotional day as today, that I should take it easy, and not exert myself. As strange as it sounds, it brings a sad smile to my face - to hear your voice even if it is lecturing me about my poor decisions.I wanted to turn off my mind. To try and think of anything else but you being so far away from me, but everything at work reminded me of you. Everything in the entire city reminds me of you. Even now, while I'm writing this I'm reminded of you. I'm in my room and it's evening. I've got the window open and I can hear frogs croaking in the distance.It's almost enough to make me break down and cry again. I won't though. At least while I'm writing. I don't want the ink to get smudged.I still can't get it in my head that you're so far away. In about a week you'll be halfway across the world.I've never even left Louisiana. Did you know that? You probably could have guessed. It's not like we ever had the money or the time to do any traveling.Still, I always knew the world was a big place, but now it seems impossibly big. After work I took out a map and found Maldonia on it. Looking at how far you'll have to travel, and how far away you are from me…. I never felt so small in my life, even when we were frogs.Now I'm crying again, so I'd better stop. This letter took a sad turn, and I apologize. It's hard for me to be anything but sad right now. I'll try and do better in my next letter.I love you, and I miss you.Come home soon.All my love,TianaA few days later, it was a nightmare that woke Tiana. What seemed strange about it, was that it wasn't one of the shadow dreams she had grown used to ever since the Friends had taken the Shadow Man away. It wasn't a nonsense nightmare that she could just shake off after her mind cleared.No, this one was about Naveen.In the light of day she couldn't even remember any of the details. Had she been with him in the dream, or was she just some omnipresent being that watched over him? Regardless, there was one thing that she did remember. In the dream there had been an accident on the ship. Something that caused it to leak, and so in her dream she had watched it sink in the ocean, taking all of the passengers with it.She could still remember hearing the cries for help. Naveen had called her name. That was when she woke up.Ridiculous as it was, Tiana knew she couldn't rest until she knew for sure that the boat was still on it's way to Maldonia. She didn't care that it was taking Naveen away, just as long as it landed safely.She thought she had been doing relatively well with the separation these past few days. Yes she was sad and upset, and was crying a lot more than usual, but she hadn't become hysterical. At least, until now.Tiana clutched her necklace while she paced, waiting to speak to someone at the port authority. She had already combed through the morning newspaper, and though she didn't see anything there, it did little to settle her nerves.If the ship sank last night as it did in her dreams, the news might not reach the newspapers until tomorrow. Or they might not even report on it if the news had reached them already.Tiana needed to know now, and the only thing she could think of was that someone at the port authority would have the answer she so desperately needed. They had to know the status of any ship that had left New Orleans, right? If any distress signals had been sent, wouldn't they somehow make their way here?"Is there something I can help you with, Miss….?"Tiana turned to find a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair. His warm smile and friendly demeanor would normally put Tiana at ease, but right now it only irritated her."Tiana," she said quickly. "My name is Tiana. I need-""Well charmed, Miss Tiana," he said, interrupting her. "Leroy Wilkins is my name. Would you like a cup of coffee? Or tea, perhaps?"She wanted to scream. No, god damn it! There was no time for pleasantries! Tiana squeezed her fist as it clutched her necklace, and forced a smile. "No thank you, Mr. Wilkins. I really just need some information and I'm hoping you can help me.""Alright, well, I'll see what I can do. What is it you need?""A few days ago a ship sailed out of New Orleans. It was going to Maldonia."A blank look appeared on Mr. Wilkins' face. Apparently even the port authority didn't really know where Maldonia was. "And?""I need to know if it's still sailing there. That it hasn't sunk." As soon as she said the words out loud, Tiana felt foolish. What was she doing here? But Naveen's frantic calling of her name as the boat sank in her dream came back to her mind. "Please. Can you tell me?"Mr. Wilkins raised his eyebrows. "This is… an unusual request."But was it really? Surely other wives had come asking about ships their husbands had been on. "But can you find out?""Mmm, well I suppose so." Mr. Wilkins started to look in his filing cabinets. "We haven't gotten word of any kind of SOS lately." He gave Tiana another kind smile. "I would have remembered that."She felt a little relief, but not much. The way he was looking through his files indicated that he wasn't finished."But that doesn't really mean anything," he continued. "The wireless signal for transmitting distress calls only has a radius of about 500 miles. And the ship sailed when, exactly?""Four days ago."Mr. Wilkins nodded. "I'd say it's a traveled a lot further than 500 miles by now."Tiana's knees started shaking. "So you can't find out?"Mr. Wilkins looked a little helpless. "Typically we only get notifications when the ship has docked safely. It's all sent by Morse code. It's very fascinating. I can show you the machine if you like?"The look on Tiana's face dissuaded him from giving a tour. "That's not what you're looking for though, is it?""No," Tiana answered. "It's not."Mr. Wilkins asked, "Why is it that you need to know the status of this ship?"Tiana knew she should have come up with a plausible lie to give before coming here. Anything other than having to explain that she had a dream where the boat sank and was now losing her mind with worry. But she had been too preoccupied to think straight.She struggled for a moment. "There's someone I care for very much on that boat," she explained. "I just wanted to make sure he was alright.""Ah. Young love, is it?"Tiana felt heat rush to her cheeks, but nodded."I understand," Mr. Wilkins said. "Look, I can try to find out for you, but it will take some time. And I can't make any guarantees, either. It's hard enough keeping track of things in New Orleans, but finding something halfway around the world? Well…" he sighed. "I'll do what I can. Come back in a few hours, and I'll see what I have for you.""Thank you."Dear Naveen,I have it on good authority that you landed back in Maldonia today. I hope that you were received well there. I know you said that everyone there thinks poorly of you, but I hope this trip gives you the opportunity to show them the Naveen that I know and love. When they see the real you, they'll be sure to change their minds.I'm sure you've talked with your parents already. Are they angry with you? Are they angry at me? I'm afraid that I've made a poor impression on them, and I haven't even met them yet. Do you think it would help things if I wrote them a letter too? Maybe if they got to know me more, it would make them feel better about our marriage. Tell me what you think would help and I'll do it.I'm enclosing the picture that you took of me before you left. I'm amazed that it turned out so well! Mama likes the picture too, so of course we had to make some duplicate prints. She's handing them out to practically everyone we know! It's embarrassing but also somewhat flattering. She says she misses you, and so do Louis and Lottie.That band that Louis played with at Mardi Gras has finally come around, and now they play together in the neighborhood almost every night. I wish you could hear them play, it's really something. They call themselves The Firefly Five Plus Lou, which I think you'll agree is the perfect name for a band. I can't wait to have them play in my restaurant.I know it's too soon to expect a letter from you, but I'm still checking my mailbox every day. I miss hearing your voice. A letter isn't the same, obviously, but it will help.I still have the one you gave me before you left. I wanted to save it for when I was really desperate to hear from you. I keep it in my pocket, and not reading it is probably the most self disciplined thing I've ever done in my life. I can hear you now, 'Tiana, I gave it to you so that you would read it!' and I know, I know. But this is who I am, and you of all people should know that by now.In the meantime I'm just living with memories of the time we spent together, and that helps me feel less alone. I hope the same is happening with you.I miss you so much. Please write to me soon.Love,TianaShe should have gotten a letter by now. It had been long enough for Naveen to read her letters and to reply, but where were they? Why hadn't she gotten any yet?Tiana almost went down to the post office to talk to someone, but this would have been different than her experiences at the port authority. Besides which, she didn't think they would have any answers for her there. All she could do was wait, and hope that each day would bring a letter.She was developing a new routine. In the mornings before work she would check the mailbox. During her lunch break she would go to the post office to mail her latest letter, and since she was there, ask if they had anything for her. They didn't. She would check again once she was home, before starting a new letter for Naveen. Typically she would check once more before bed, and then in the morning it started all over again.Eudora was growing frustrated with her, Tiana could tell, but for once, her mother kept her mouth shut. Mama knew what it was like to wait for a letter from a man overseas.So she waited, and waited. It made her anxious, but more than that, it made her frustrated. If there was only something she could do, then it wouldn't be so hard.Naveen's original letter still sat unopened in Tiana's pocket, though she was growing more desperate to read it every day. 'One more day,' she would think to herself. 'If I don't hear from him by tomorrow, then I'll read it.' Tomorrow would come with no new letter, and Tiana would convince herself that she could wait one more day.It wasn't until a week later that Tiana had an idea. If she had all this time to wait, she might as well use it to her benefit. There was so much about Maldonia that she didn't know. If Naveen's parents really were on the fence about her, wouldn't it help their situation if Tiana knew more about the country she would be princess of?So she went to the library, hoping they would be able to help her. When Tiana opened the door she immediately felt overwhelmed by it all. There were so many books, how could she ever find what she was looking for?"Can I help you find anything?" the librarian smiled at Tiana.Well that was convenient. "Um…yes. I'm looking for information about Maldonia.""Maldonia?" The librarian furrowed her brows in a way that everyone seemed to when Tiana mentioned it."It's an island country in South Asia," Tiana added, helpfully.The librarian perked right up. "Oh! Okay. Are you looking for history? Cultural information? Traveling there, perhaps?""Well… maybe," Tiana answered. "I'll just take a look at what you have. Anything will be helpful.""Alright. Let's check the card catalog and see what we find." The librarian led Tiana over to the card catalog and she opened up the correct subject drawer."Malaria…. Malaysia… here we go. Maldonia."Tiana's heart skipped a beat. They actually found something? "What is it?""Hmm. Well, I'm afraid we only have one book on Maldonia," the librarian said. "It's about the history of the country, though it looks like it's out of date by about 15 years.""That's okay!" Tiana said. "Can I check it out?""Of course!" The librarian said with a grin. "But let's make sure we can find it first."That night Tiana settled in bed to read her new library book. Her heart was pounding as she opened it to the index. Yes she planned to read it cover to cover, to learn as much Maldonian history as she could. But she needed to check something first.As soon as the librarian mentioned the book was 15 years old, Tiana's mind had started to work. If the book was written 15 years ago, Naveen would have been six years old. Was it possible that this book mentioned the young prince?Tiana scanned through the N's in the index, her heart thumping so loud she could hardly concentrate. But there. She almost wept.Naveen, Prince…. 765, 766 [illus.]Two whole pages! He was mentioned in two whole pages! Well, one was a picture. But a picture! Tiana frantically flipped to the correct page, and now she really did start to cry.The picture in question was a reproduction of what looked like a family portrait. The quality of the portrait in the book was poor, and it was all in black and white, but there was enough detail for her to recognize her husband as a six year old child. It was the smile that gave him away.Naveen's parents, King Sunil and Queen Idhal looked so serious sitting in their regal chairs. Their gazes were straightforward and thoughtful. You could tell weight of the crown rested heavily on them both. Though Tiana thought she could sense a hint of a smile on their faces.But Naveen, oh bless him, he was beaming. Grinning from ear to ear in that way he always did. He looked so happy and carefree, but also full of mischief, like he had stolen a piece of pie from the kitchen, or that he had a frog stuffed in his pocket.Tiana wiped away her tears, laughing to herself. What would Naveen think if he knew this childhood portrait was in this book? Would he laugh about it, or would he be embarrassed?She tore herself away from the picture and began to scan the text on the previous page for his name. Tiana found it relatively quickly, but was disappointed to find that it only mentioned his name a few times. Stating simply when he was born and that he was the new prince. The rest of the book appeared to be policies under the King and Queen.Perhaps this book could be of more advantage to her than she thought. The more she learned about Naveen's parents the better. Tiana would definitely be combing through the text later.But for right now…. Tiana fetched Naveen's picture where she had it proudly displayed on her dresser, and turned her attention back to the portrait in the book. She would spend the rest of the evening going back and forth between the two pictures, comparing the boy and the man he grew into.My Darling,I love you, Naveen. I worry I haven't said it enough in my letters, and also that I didn't say it enough in person, but I do love you. I love you with every fiber of my being. I wish I could express my feelings for you better, but I've never been that great with words. Not like you, anyway. I know your letters probably contain the most beautiful declarations of love ever written. The thing is though, I still haven't received any letters from you.It's been a month. You were supposed to be back by now. I even waited at the docks for you just in case, but obviously you weren't there. I won't lie to you, it makes me feel uneasy. None of this seems like you - the you I know and love.My imagination has started coming up with all sorts of crazy ideas. One minute you're sick on your deathbed, the next your being held prisoner by Kedar, or maybe worst of all, in the arms of another woman.Tiana put her pen down and rested her head on her hands. Had she really written that? But the words stared back at her plain as day. It made her feel sick inside. How would she felt if she got a letter from Naveen that said he was worried she was seeing someone else?Heartbroken, that's for sure. And she would feel like he didn't trust her. Like everything they had been through together had been a lie. Of course she would have to have received a letter from Naveen in the first place to feel that way.Tiana found herself clutching the necklace he had given her as her eyes wandered over to Naveen's picture. Where was he? Why hadn't he written? Was it possible that he really had moved on to someone else? But they loved each other, that couldn't have happened.Tiana's mind started wandering though, as she imagined his parents who disapproved of Naveen's marriage to her so much that they forced him to get married to someone more suitable. Tiana gritted her teeth. Even if this fantasy were true, Naveen would still write to her to tell her. He wasn't like that. He wouldn't string her along that way.She felt tears sting her eyes as her heart broke a little, and Tiana let out a quick sigh. She was just so tired. Tired of waiting, tired of hoping, and tired of being sad. Her hand clenched the necklace tighter as anger washed over her.She hadn't planned for any of this. Ever. She'd never planned to want someone so much, or to wish that her future entwined with his, or to wish to see his face every day for the rest of her life.She'd planned to be happy, yes. To have her restaurant and follow her dreams. Getting married and falling in love had never entered into any of her plans. Of course now when she had done both of those things, it had to be to the one man in the entire world who had to be dragged across the ocean and couldn't even bother returning her letters to her!Harder than she meant to, Tiana flattened Naveen's picture on her desk. She didn't want to look at that stupidly beautiful smile right now. How dare he! Yes, how dare he not return her letters. Didn't he know how upset she was by all of this? Didn't he know how much she missed him? Didn't he know how helpless she felt with an entire ocean between them? Didn't he know that she would do anything if they could be together again? And he hadn't even bothered to do the most effortless thing, which was to write to her. To let her know even the simplest thing, like that he had arrived safely, or that he still loved her! And all the while she had sat and wrung her hands and fretted every single day he had been gone. Writing to him every day like they had promised they would, and a month later, when he had said he would be back, he wasn't, and she hadn't heard anything.Tiana hadn't even realized she was still clutching her necklace tight in her grip. The angrier she got, the more twisted the chain became, until it was too much for the thin chain. With a soft snap the chain broke apart.Tiana gasped and stared helplessly at the two dangling ends."Oh no. Oh please, no no no." But no amount of pleading would fuse the two ends together again.Her lips started to tremble and soon fat heavy tears were streaming down her face. Tiana gasped for air as she sobbed and when she couldn't take it anymore, she buried her face in her arms and let it all out.Tiana tried not to think of it symbolically as she cried, but it was hard not to. Naveen had given her that necklace as a symbol of his love for her, and Tiana had broken it when she began to doubt. Maybe he really didn't love her anymore. This only made Tiana cry harder."Babycakes, what's wrong?" Tiana felt the warm comforting hand of her mother gently rub up and down her back.She took a few more gulping breaths of air as she tried to control her sobs. Unable to form words, Tiana simply held out her hand and showed Eudora the broken necklace."Oh Tiana. That can be fixed." Her tone was so caring that Tiana almost broke down again. She sniffed and wondered how she could even begin to explain what this all meant about her and Naveen.But before Tiana could speak, Eudora kissed her on the temple whispering that she would be right back. A few minutes later, Eudora handed Tiana a hot cup of tea and began working on the necklace with a pair of needle nosed pliers.Tiana watched silently, sniffing occasionally while the warmth of the tea and the comforting presence of her mother brought her back to her old self. Tiana felt all kinds of foolish crying over a broken necklace she could have easily fixed herself. Besides which, none of that meant that Naveen didn't care for her."There." Eudora lifted the newly reformed necklace and helped Tiana fix it back on. "Good as new.""Thanks, Mama," Tiana managed to squeak out. She leaned into her mother's embrace, as once more Eudora rubbed Tiana's back."I miss him, Mama," Tiana whispered"I know, sweetheart." Eudora pressed another kiss to Tiana's temple. "I miss him too. It certainly is dull around here with him gone."Tiana gave a half smile at her mother's words. Dull was putting it mildly. Ever since Naveen had left, it seemed that all Tiana could feel was this gaping sadness all around her. She'd gotten so accustomed to having him around. Naveen had been a part of her routine, and had become such an important part of her life that his absence sparked an unrest deep inside her being."What if he never comes back?" Tiana asked, tentatively, but if anyone could understand what she was going through it was her mother.Eudora tsked. "Of course he will." Tiana's heart instantly felt lighter. "The way he looked at you?" Eudora continued. "That boy is in l-o-v-e love."Tiana felt heat rush to her cheeks and hid it in her cup of tea."Honestly, Tiana, I don't think I've ever seen anyone as much in love as that prince of yours. Besides which," Eudora nudged Tiana's elbow playfully, "you're quite a catch.""Mama!" Now Tiana was full out laughing. It seemed like it had been ages since she last laughed. It felt good."He'll come back. It just might take more time than you thought." Eudora placed a soft hand on Tiana's cheek. "I think things are… more complicated that we realize."Tiana sighed but gave her mother a small smile. "I think you're right." She didn't even know the first thing about what it took to marry into royalty. Despite what the storybooks said, and what Naveen had told her, there must be a lot of hoops to jump through to get to where they wanted to be.It was late, and so with another kiss to the temple, Eudora wished Tiana a goodnight. Tiana was feeling much better than she had in ages, and was left alone with her letter, Tiana stared at the words she had written, holding her necklace again, gently this time.She couldn't send this letter, she knew, and so she tore it up. She would write a new letter tomorrow. A much better letter.With a sigh, Tiana got herself ready for bed. As she tucked herself in, Tiana couldn't escape the nagging feeling inside her. Her eyes glanced towards her dresser where James' picture smiled back at her, and now Naveen's alongside it. Naveen's own letter he had given her was there, safely tucked underneath his picture.Read it when you need me, he had said. Well, she needed him now.Tiana threw back the covers and picked up the letter in her hands. They were trembling slightly, she noticed as she walked back to bed. Before she could change her mind, Tiana broke the seal of the envelope and began to read.A true smile appeared on her face, and Tiana felt love for Naveen wash over her. Why hadn't she read this sooner? She really was a fool. Laughing slightly, Tiana pressed the letter to her heart when she was finished reading. It wasn't a long letter, but it was perfect.Tiana let out a happy sigh and turned off the light, but it was a long time before she was able to fall asleep. Even when she finally drifted off, Tiana still had that smile on her face.To My Beloved,Though I must leave you tomorrow, my thoughts go out to you, and when such wide abysses of space and land are between us, know that my love will go out to you as well. Even though we will be miles apart, that distance cannot separate our hearts which will always beat together as one. I hate to spend my days without you, that I won't be able to feel your warm touch, or see your happy smile. Without you, I only feel like half a man. I won't be complete until I am putting my arms around you once more, because only then do I feel at home.Stay strong, my love and know that I am fighting to get back to you.I love you, Tiana. With all my heart.Yours forever,NaveenTiana still checked the mailbox, but not as obsessively as before. Naveen's letter would come, Tiana was sure of that now, even if it took weeks longer than it should have. Though that ache in her heart never really went away, Tiana started to laugh and smile again when she spent time with Lottie and Louis. Work became enjoyable again, and not just a distraction to her.She was becoming her old self again, Tiana realized, as she walked back home after a long shift. Well, not completely her old self. She was absentmindedly humming the new song that was buzzing around town, and every so often as she walked, Tiana found herself dancing to the beat. She had bough the music score for the song and was going to send it to Naveen in her next letter.Tiana smiled to herself, taking another spin, as she imagined them dancing to the song at The Paradise Club, or even just in her living room. It was a great song to dance to, and Naveen was sure to come up with some innovative dance moves like he always did."Are you Tiana Batiste?"Tiana blinked to find a young man on a bicycle in front of her house. She blushed a little at having been caught dancing by herself, but she pressed on. "Yes. How can I help you?""I've got a telegram for you."Telegram? Tiana's stomach dropped even at the mention of the word. Telegrams always brought back the memory of finding out about James' death. Even before Mama had opened that fateful telegram, they both had known it wasn't good news. Nobody ever received a happy telegram during war times.There was no war going on, Tiana reminded herself, as she numbly signed for it. The young man peddled away and Tiana sank to the porch steps, her legs unable to carry her weight any longer.She stared at the envelope for what seemed like a long time. She could only think of one reason someone would send her a telegram. It obviously had something to do with Naveen.He could be hurt, or even dead. This could be some sort of summons for her from his parents telling her to stop writing him. It could be… well it could be anything. There was only one way to find out.Carefully Tiana opened the telegram and began to read.TIANAOUR LETTERS WERE KEPT FROM EACH OTHER STOP ALL WILL BE EXPLAINED STOP EXPECT MY LETTERS SOON STOP I SHOULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT SOONER STOP PLEASE FORGIVE ME STOP I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOUNAVEENTiana was laughing and crying at the same time. What the hell was he talking about? She didn't understand at all but who cared! He loved her! His letters were coming soon!A week later Tiana arrived home to find two giant bags full of letters had been delivered to her. They were all from Naveen.Giddy at the prospect of reading so many letters, Tiana had to stop herself from tearing open the first one she found. Instead, Tiana brought them all up to her room and began to organize them by the postmarked date. There were so many it took her awhile to get them organized chronologically, and was surprised to see so many letters dated from this past month. She could have been getting his letters this whole time? What had happened?The answer would be in here somewhere, Tiana thought. And then, finally, when they were all in order, Tiana couldn't wait any longer. She opened the first envelope and began to read.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

My Love, My Only, My Tiana,I can honestly say that I have never felt more miserable in my life. I will be the first to admit that I have lived a pampered life, and so do not have much to compare it to. Still, I doubt that you will hold my feelings against me, especially now. I imagine you must feel the same way, and that in turn makes the pain inside grow stronger.I hate that I have brought this suffering to you. I promise that I will fix this mess as quickly as I can so then we can be together once more.I'm watching America disappear as I write this. In a few hours there will be nothing but water to look at for six more days. I wish… there are so many things I wish right now. I wish I could be with you. I wish I didn't have to leave. I wish I could even just speak with you for a moment. It's only been a few hours but I miss the sound of your voice already.I don't know if I ever told you but I have always loved the way you speak. Even on the night we first met when I was a frog and you asked me if I wanted a kiss in that smooth sly way of yours… it was so sexy. I was already attracted to you when I saw you standing on the balcony wearing that blue dress and bathed in moonlight. But then when you spoke to me and I heard your charming American accent… well, can you blame me for wanting to kiss you?They made the announcement that it's time for lunch, but I'm not hungry. Food makes me think of you, and I don't really want to start weeping in front of the other passengers while trying to eat whatever it is they are serving. The Captain of the ship has invited me to sit at his table, and while part of me feels guilty at ignoring his request, Kedar was also invited to dine there. I will surely be tempted to stick a fork right in that big forehead of his.I think I will take all my meals in my cabin.The wind is picking up and it's getting harder to keep the page flat to write on, but I'm not leaving this spot as long as I can still see some part of America. Hopefully you don't mind a few wrinkles on the paper.It is so frustrating to me that I have to wait until landing in Maldonia to send this letter back to you. If there was a way to send you a message right now you would receive it by the end of the day. Then again, all of this is frustrating.I'm so sorry, my love. I wanted this letter to give you hope and comfort, and all I seem to be doing is moping and complaining. I don't know what to write that will make you feel better, other than I miss you and that I will do everything I can to return to you soon.I think I see Kedar snooping about. America has passed over the horizon, so I will retire to my cabin for the evening. I might even write you another letter if my mood becomes less sour. Even though we are apart, writing to you makes me feel close to you once again.I am sending you all my love,NaveenNaveen was surprised to find his parents waiting for him when he finally arrived at the castle. When he was met at the docks with nothing special, Naveen assumed they hadn't cared to announce his arrival to anyone. He assumed he would be met with the same disregard upon arriving home. Yet here they were, practically beaming at him as he stepped down from the carriage.In any other circumstance this would have pleased Naveen to no end. How many times had he wanted nothing more than his parents love and attention? And now that he seemed to have it, Naveen wanted nothing to do with them."Welcome home, son," Idhal said, hugging Naveen tight and kissing his cheeks."Nice to have you back, Naveen," Sunil added smiling, coming in for a hug himself.Naveen offered half hearted hugs back, but said nothing."Good work, Kedar," Sunil said to the guard captain. "We couldn't have managed this without you."Kedar practically beamed at the compliment and Naveen thought he might be sick. "Thank you, Your Majesty," Kedar replied, taking a bow. "It's always a pleasure to serve you, my king."Naveen couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could his father put such trust in this… monster? Couldn't he see it? Naveen clenched his fists and fought the urge to shout, difficult as it was."Is something wrong, Naveen?" Idhal asked. "You haven't said a word. Are you not feeling well?" She pressed a cool hand to his forehead and then continued on, not waiting for an answer from him. "I'll have the servants make you a cup of tea."He didn't want any tea, damn it, and even if he did he wouldn't want it the way the servants made it. Naveen would want it iced and sweet, like how Tiana had taught him to make it. Oh Tiana. His heart longed for her. He was in such pain and all his parents were thinking about was tea!"I don't want any tea," Naveen said. "I want to go back to New Orleans.""Don't start this, Naveen," Idhal said."I didn't start it, you did when you took me away from everything I care about!""Naveen, don't talk to your mother that way," Sunil said, brows furrowed.Once more Naveen's fists clenched tight. Kedar was standing behind his father, smirking, obviously delighted by the scene unfolding before him. He wanted to punch him in the mouth.Before Naveen could do something he really was going to regret, Idhal piped in. "I think we need to have a talk.""Sit down, Naveen." Sunil gestured to the chair in his office. This damn chair, this damn room, this damn everything.The last time Naveen had been in this room was when he had been cut off. He was a much different man now, so how was it that he still felt that same sinking feeling in his stomach he always had when he crossed the threshold?His hand went into his pocket where the watch Tiana had given him ticked steadily onward. If he concentrated closely enough on it, Naveen could even feel the pulsing of the second hand as it wound its way around the clock face.Naveen stayed standing.Idhal raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything while she waited for the servant to finish setting up the tea things. The servant, Paadini, had been working for them for so long she didn't even need to ask how the Queen liked her tea. Cardamom and cinnamon scented the room as Paadini poured the tea (could his mother not even pour her own cup of tea?), and then bowed respectfully before leaving the room, the door closing with a soft but firm click.Sunil was still waiting for Naveen to sit down. Naveen only stared at him.Letting out an exasperated sigh, Sunil massaged the bridge of his nose. "So you have nothing to say for yourself?""I've already explained-""No," Sunil cut him off. "What you did was disappear for seven weeks and not even offer us one word on where you were.""We were so worried about you," Idhal said. "We had half the national guard out looking for you. Why didn't you at least write to us?"Naveen felt that pit in his stomach grow. He had always thought his parents would have been somewhat relieved that he was gone after all the trouble he had caused them. "I couldn't write because-""Because you had been turned into a frog," Sunil deadpanned."Yes.""You're still sticking with that story?" Idhal asked, her hands cupped around her tea."It's not a story," Naveen said. "It's what really happened."Sunil raised an eyebrow. He cupped Naveen's head and looked deep into his son's eyes. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?""My head is fine," Naveen said, pulling back. "I'm telling you the truth. Look!" He held out his hand and showed his parents the scar on his palm. Though it had been some time since he had received the cut, it still looked fresh."Oh my baby!" Idhal cried out and took his hand in hers. She kissed his palm.Sunil looked on in concern, examining Naveen's hand as well as he could while Idhal pressed kisses to it. "Faldi faldonza, Naveen. Does it hurt you?""No," Naveen lied. It did sometimes, like a spark traveling down deep into his bones. But he was angry that his parents were paying this much attention to him now, when he would have adored every second of this as a boy. All he had ever wanted growin up was for them to notice him. Now it was too little too late."We'll call Dr. Sachdev," Idhal stated."I've already seen someone about it," Naveen pipped in. No need to bring up Mama Odie to his parents. If they were having a hard time with the frog part of the story, there was no way they would believe that a 200 year old blind woman who lived in the bayou had helped him."An American doctor," Sunil snickered. "What do they know…." He rang a bell, and Paadini poked her head back in."Your Majesty?""Fetch Dr. Sachdev, please," Sunil said."There is no need," Naveen said, but Paadini had already bowed and taken her leave. Naveen glared at his parents. "Baba, I told you I saw someone already. Besides, Dr. Sachdev won't help. This is… It's magic that caused it. It's-""Naveen, please. Stop with these lies," Idhal said. "I, for one, have had enough of them.""You are a grown man," Sunil added. "It's time you stopped living in a fantasy world.""It's not a fantasy, it's the truth," Naveen said, his hand went to his pocket where his thumb brushed over the watch. "You can write to Tiana. She will tell you."Even just the simple act of saying her name made him feel slightly better, but it went away as soon as he saw the glares his parents were giving him."Yes…Tiana…" Sunil said. His fingers tapped rapidly on his desk. A habit Naveen knew he only did when he was furious. "This is your… the woman you married?""Yes."The king and queen shared a look. Idhal sighed. "How could you do this to us, Naveen?"Naveen's stomach dropped. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. "Do what? You have always wanted me to settle down and get married, and now that I have, you're angry with me?""Getting married was supposed to make you more responsible," Sunil stated."But I am-!""This," Idhal spread her arms out wide, "is not acting responsibly.""You don't understand.""Then tell us, Naveen," Idhal said, her frustration growing.. "Tell us how disappearing for nearly two months is the responsible thing to do. Tell us how marrying some American nobody who just wants your money - that we have not giving back to you, by the way - is the responsible thing to do!""She doesn't want any money from me," Naveen said. His voice was rising higher as they argued."Of course she does," Sunil said, dismissively.Naveen felt like he had been dealt a firm blow. How could his father say that? Of course she wants your money. Why else would anyone want to marry you? Sunil hadn't said it, but he may as well have. Tears stung Naveen's eyes, and he blinked them back, furiously. "Tiana doesn't care about any of that. She loves me for me. You'd know that if you talked to her for just five minutes.""Well, that's not going to happen," Idhal said, contemptuously.It was said in such a simple tone that Naveen almost didn't register it. Now he was afraid to even breathe, but he still managed to say, "What?""For once, luck is on our side," Sunil stated. "Since this marriage isn't technically legal, it will make the divorce much easier to file."Divorce? The room started to spin, and Naveen's knees buckled. He flopped down into the chair, unable to stand anymore. No, no no no. This couldn't be happening. Naveen clutched his stomach. He really was going to be sick."Do we even have to file a divorce for this though?" Idhal asked."I'm not sure," Sunil said. "That's why I sent for our lawyer. He was on holiday in France, but he'll be here in a few days to take care of this.""No!" Naveen cried out. His parents turned to look at him, finally. It was like they had forgotten he was even there. "I don't want a divorce!"Sunil sighed. "Naveen, you know this marriage isn't… ideal.""Why?""You have to think about this politically, darling," Idhal said. She knelt by Naveen's side and stroked his hair away from his forehead. "There are much better matches out there for you, and for Maldonia.""Tiana is the only one for me!""You are fixated with this Tiana," Sunil said. "Fine. I won't pretend to understand. But you and I know that you have a horrible record when it comes to women. You always lose interest after a few days."Naveen started to interject but Sunil held up his palm and continued. "True this Tiana seems to be the longest streak yet, but be honest with yourself, Naveen - you'll forget about her when you aren't seeing her every day. You always did with the other girls. To be honest, it would be much easier if you did forget her. We want to do what's best for you, Naveen, and for Tiana, and most importantly for Maldonia." He sighed and combed his mustache with his fingers. " We need to make sure this all stays quiet while it all gets sorted out. The fire was bad enough, but if word of this got out…. we'll never be able to find you a suitable match."Naveen couldn't stand it anymore. "I don't want anyone else!" he shouted, standing from his seat."Naveen-""No! You're not listening to me. You never listen to me! Tiana and I love each other, and there will never be anyone else for me.""Naveen, I know-" Idhal tried to say, but Naveen cut her off."No, you don't know. You don't know anything about me, and you don't know anything about Tiana, so stop acting like you know what's best for us!"Sunil stepped out from behind his desk. Though his father was only a few inches taller than Naveen, he felt like the king was towering over him. "Stop this right now, Naveen," Sunil said in that booming voice of his. "I am your father, but I am also your king, and you will do as I say."Against his better instincts, Naveen still tried to argue. "But-""But nothing," Sunil said. "This discussion is over." As if to emphasize this, Sunil went back behind his desk and started to sort through his papers.Naveen was breathing heavily. When had that started? He looked pleadingly towards Idhal, but she only shook her head. Now his tears really were threatening to spill. Naveen stormed from the room and slammed the door on the way out. In his fit of rage, he didn't even register that Kedar had been standing outside the door.To my Darling Wife,If you saw me today, I don't think you would be proud of me. I know I am ashamed of myself. There is something about being here that seems to bring out the worst in me, and it doesn't help that my parents don't believe a word I say.The first thing they did when I arrived home was to scold me like a child, which in turn only made me act like one. I shouted my arguments which only seemed to solidify my parents ideas about everything that has happened.Please don't worry though. I know once I talk to them in a calmer manner they will see the error of their ways. I will not give up on you, and on us. The thought of you is the only thing holding me together.I wish you were here. I know it's not possible but I still like to imagine that, at night, instead of resting my head on a pillow, it's your chest, and you are holding me and stroking my hair. I really like it when you do that. Your touch is always so soft and warm - I miss it so much. I miss you so much.I will hurry, my princess, with everything that needs to be done here. Nothing else can be done tonight, though, so I think instead I will hold the pillow to my chest and pretend it is you. When I close my eyes I can almost feel like you are here.Stay strong, my love.Thinking of you, always,NaveenNow that I am away from you,this distance between ussuch a burdensome thing,I find I think of you in colors,the smell of coffee as youteach me to brew a pot,the perfect sunlight spillingin through the window.I miss the way youfeel beside me.I dream of your bodythat you are sleeping in my arms.there are so many way to say I love youand still there are never enough.I suppose we'll have to inventnew ones.To my heart,What I am learning here, is that nothing is as easy as I think it will be. Perhaps you already knew this. Actually I am sure you did - you're the smartest person I have ever met. I can imagine you reading about all of my failed attempts with an exasperated sigh, and though it pains me to disappoint you, what I wouldn't give to hear you sigh at me once more.My parents are the most stubborn people, I believe, in the world. Even more than you! (A joke, darling. You know I love your stubbornness.) With them though, I have never felt so frustrated in my entire life. Nothing I say can convince them that I am a changed man. And perhaps the worst of it is that they do not even attempt to listen to me when I make my points.All they do is steamroll everything.They sent a doctor to see my hand, even after I told them it would amount to nothing. Lo and behold, Dr. Sachdev said there was nothing he could do for it. My mother was shocked, but there is at least some comfort in that she didn't believe Dr. Sachdev either. She has sent for another doctor to get a second opinion.It is all so aggravating, these people they are fetching here. They even sent for a lawyer against my wishes to discuss a divorce. Divorce! Can you imagine? I only mention it now because nothing came of it, and I didn't want you to worry. The lawyer simply stated that with no proper ceremony and no marriage license, nothing needs to be done legally. It tore me up inside to hear that, and I am fighting all the harder to return to you.In the meantime I am trying to wait patiently for your letters. I have it all counted out on my calendar when to expect them from you. Perhaps I counted wrong, as I should have already received them a few days ago. Nevertheless, I know that as soon as I see your letters, and hopefully your picture, that my heart will fill once more.Missing you terribly,NaveenMy Darling,It seems like the only person who is happy that I am back is my brother, Ravi. He clings to me so much, which is in part sweet but it also gets on my nerves sometimes. If I weren't in such a sour mood I would relish this time he wants to spend with me. I am ashamed to admit that I don't know him very well, but that also means that he doesn't know me very well. Perhaps that is one of the reasons he looks up to me so much. Surely he wouldn't if he knew me better.I apologize, princess. I don't mean to be so melancholy in my letters to you. I brought up Ravi so you wouldn't think I was spending all my time moping around here… only most of the time. He wants me to teach him ukulele, which normally I would be delighted to do, if only to annoy my father who hates the ukulele and especially hates jazz, which I cannot even attempt to understand! It is the same argument I give over and over: if he would actually sit down and LISTEN, he would change his mind. But as always, his mind is already made up even before he even gives something a chance.I told Ravi that I would teach him when he is older, though he is a very smart boy, and could probably learn faster than I did. Still, I can't hardly even bare to take out my ukulele to play for myself. It only reminds me of New Orleans and all that I left behind there. Here I am being melancholy again.I know I will bounce back as soon as I read one of your letters. For some reason I am still waiting for them.Please write to meNaveenNaveen hated that whenever he had to go anywhere in the castle, he had to walk past the ballroom. Whoever had designed the palace (and his parents would hate the fact that he didn't know) had decided that, yes, it's a great idea to have the ballroom be the central of everything.At least the door had been closed, and it was now roped off. But when Naveen passed by, he could see scorch marks on the wood, and if he came close enough he could still smell the lingering scent of smoke.He didn't even want to know what it looked like inside. So Naveen usually hurried past the room, completely aware that, if he was noticing the damaged room, everyone else in the castle also did. It filled him with shame. Why hadn't his parents fixed it yet? Was this just another way that they wanted to torture him? Well, Naveen hated to admit it, but it was working.This morning, Naveen hurried past the ballroom, looking once more for his parents. He hoped the early hour would have them in a good mood, and open to listening to his arguments. But they weren't in the morning room where they usually took breakfast. True that it was well past morning - without a job and a reliable schedule, Naveen had taken to his old habits of sleeping late, so they had obviously moved on to the next part of their day.Perhaps they were on the terrace, Naveen thought. Sometimes they liked to look over the gardens before spending the rest of the day in meetings or other important duties. It was as likely as anything else, so Naveen decided to try. When he stepped outside, he was all at once surprised and not at all shocked by who he found waiting there.He should have known. "Ria," Naveen said, flatly. "What are you doing here?"Ria turned and smiled at him. "Hello, Prince Naveen."The way she turned towards him, the way she looked at him, the way she said his name… a few months ago it would have made him want to tease her, flirt with her, play the push and pull game they always did with each other. Now though… now he felt nothing for her."You didn't answer my question," Naveen said."Not even a hello for me?" Ria tsked and took a few steps towards him. "I expected better from you." She was toying with him. Or trying to.Naveen took a step back, but Ria closed the distance between them. "Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked, snaking her arms around his neck.Carefully, Naveen moved out of her embrace. "I think you should leave.""Leave?" Ria playfully pouted, giving him those big puppy dog eyes that were irresistible to almost every man in the world. Almost. "But I rushed over here as soon as I heard you were back. I thought we could… you know. Pick up where we left off before you left."She said it so casually, like the last time they had been together hadn't been when he had almost burned down the entire castle and everyone in it. And then he had been cut off and everything had changed. Even if he hadn't fallen in love with Tiana, the memory of Ria basically ignoring his pleas for help when he thought he had lost everything still stung.Naveen laughed unintentionally bitter. "You must be crazy.""Well you don't have to put it like that," Ria pouted again, all sweet and charming. "You're back, so everything is back to normal. Or it would be if you would just kiss me.""Kiss you?!" Naveen jumped back. "That is.. No that is not happening.""Why not?" she asked, hands firmly on her hips. She cocked her head to one side and looked questioningly at Naveen. "You're not acting like yourself, you know. Everything is back to normal. I mean, you're here so I assume that little punishment you had is over. Isn't it?"Naveen frowned, feeling his patience ebb away. "No, it isn't."Ria blinked a few times, staring at him. "Oh. Oh, I see." Absentmindedly she twirled some of her hair around her finger. "Then you don't have….hmm"Naveen couldn't believe he hadn't seen it sooner. She wasn't here for him, she never had been. She'd only been interested in his money. How could he have been so stupid! Blinded by her charm and beauty, Naveen had almost fallen for it too.He'd had enough of this. "It really is time for you to leave, Ria," Naveen said."But I came to see how you were doing," Ria countered. "We haven't even talked, much less anything else." That gleam in her eyes made Naveen sick. "Besides, maybe I can help you get your inheritance back. Then things would really go back to normal, hmm? Wouldn't you like that?""No." The answer came quick, but it was the truth. Naveen's hand went to the watch in his pocket. "Things are different now, Ria. More than you'll ever know. I neither need, nor do I want you help. Now, I'm asking you again to please leave.""You can't be serious," Ria said. "Think of what we had together, what we could have again if you just got your inheritance back.""Get out, Ria, before I have you escorted out.""Excuse me?""And when you go," Naveen said, ignoring her outburst, "don't come back. I never want to see you again. Ever."TIf I were with you now, I would kiss you. I would hold your hand and look at you with wonder. And then, if you would let me, I would kiss you again.And again.And again.NIt was dinner time, but as usual, Naveen wasn't hungry. Ever since leaving New Orleans, he seemed to have lost his appetite. Food just reminded him too much of Tiana. But it was a good opportunity to talk some more with his parents, so Naveen grinned and bared it as best he could, night after night.At least out in the open, he didn't have to worry about loud arguments - his parents would never fight like that in front of the servants.Naveen straightened his tie, and sat down in his usual seat at the table, but the place-setting was different. There was another seat arranged next to his. "What's all this?" Naveen asked. Was Ravi going to eat with them? Usually he ate in the nursery earlier. He was probably in bed by now, though."Well," Idhal said, taking her seat as the servant pulled out her chair for her. "We were thinking of hiring a new chef.""You know how it is," Sunil added, leaning back slightly so a different servant could place the napkin on his lap. "The chef has been working here for so long, we wanted a change."'But you hate when things change,' was all Naveen could think. He buttoned his lip though, not wanting to start something. "So why the extra plate?"Idhal and Sunil exchanged a glance, before Naveen's mother said, "We decided to call in an expert.""Announcing Lady Lajni, Duchess of Corvale," one of the servants declared, and in walked a young woman in her early twenties with dark olive skin and brown hair elegantly pinned in place."I apologize for my lateness," Lajni said, bowing before the royal family. "There was some trouble with my carriage.""No trouble at all, my dear," Idhal said. "We were just getting started.""Nothing too serious, I hope?" Sunil added. "We can have our stagehands take a look at the carriage for you.""Oh that would be lovely, thank you," Lajni said with a smile."Naveen," Idhal said, "you remember Lajni, don't you? You met once when you were children. Before the war."Naveen put on a grin. "Yes of course," he lied effortlessly. But in truth he couldn't remember her at all, and tried to comb through his memories. If it was before the war, he would have been young, but not too young that he wouldn't have tried kissing her if she had been willing. Naveen really hoped she hadn't been. "It's been a long time.""Yes, it has," Lajni said. The servants had appeared again, pulling out the chair next to Naveen so she could sit down, and then placing her napkin on her lap once she had. "The King and Queen invited me here to try out the offerings from this new chef.""Oh?" Naveen asked, unfolding his own napkin and smoothing it down himself."Lajni has become quite knowledgeable about all things food," Idhal clarified.Naveen's hand froze in place. "Is that so?"Lajni flushed a little. "It is a bit of a hobby.""Hobby nothing," Sunil beamed. "You have one of the largest collections of wine I've ever seen.""My grandfather started collecting it," Lajni explained. "I've just continued with his legacy.""Well, it's very impressive," Idhal said. "You should really see it, Naveen.""I'd be happy to give you a tour, sometime," Lajni said, another blush appearing on her cheeks.Naveen didn't notice as he grinned halfheartedly once more and said he would be happy to visit, though inwardly he was wondering why having so much wine made you an expert on food. True food and wine were always paired together, and they did say that the right pairing helped bring out the flavors of the food.His thoughts drifted, as they so often did, to Tiana, who didn't need wine to help her food shine in the way it did, and she couldn't anyway with the prohibition on alcohol making it illegal in America.Naveen sighed and smoothed down the tablecloth. He missed cooking with her. Creating food together was so intimate. The fact that she trusted him to help her create such wonderful dishes… it was nice to be able to help and feel useful.The first course was served. A soup that smelled delicious and made his stomach growl. Naveen cursed inwardly. It felt like a betrayal to Tiana, but he did need to eat."What do you think, Lajni?" Idhal asked, after taking a spoonful herself."This is the best lentil soup I've ever tasted!" Lajni said. "You can really taste the tamarind. The way it leaves such a tangy flavor in your mouth is exquisite.""Such a refined palate," Sunil observed. "What a remarkable talent for a young lady. And a Duchess, at that."Lajni beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, Your Majesty."Naveen rolled his eyes. It was obviously clear what was going on by now. His parents weren't at all subtle sometimes. Were they really trying to set him up with this woman? Did they really think that Tiana's passion for food was all that had attracted him to her? That finding another woman with the same passion would be enough to make him forget?Naveen felt infuriated, but it wasn't Lajni's fault. He knew it would have been all his parents idea. They would have asked their allies to find someone more suitable and she had been the perfect candidate.He put his spoon down, finding the lentil soup not at all flavorful himself. "So tell me Lajni." All eyes had turned on Naveen. His parents had such hopeful expressions on their faces, happy that he was actually taking part in the conversation with this eligible woman. "If you are so interested in food, what is your favorite dish to cook?"She blinked, and Naveen could sense his parents groaning inwardly. "Cook?""Yes," Naveen continued. "Surely someone with such a sense of good food must enjoy creating it herself.""I…I…" Lajni fumbled with her napkin, glancing to the King and Queen for help."Naveen," Idhal jumped to the rescue, "you know that a Duchess doesn't need to do something as common as that."Lajni relaxed a little. "I have my own dedicated team of chefs back home who can cook any number of dishes I tell them to create. I know how to put all the best flavors together to create the perfect meal.""But you don't do any of the actual work," Naveen said, needing to clarify this.Lajni chuckled a little. "No, of course not."Naveen sighed, and removed his napkin from his lap, folding it and placing it back on the table. He stood and bowed first to his parents, and then to Lajni. "I am afraid there has been a terrible misunderstanding, Lajni," he said to her. "You have been asked here under false pretenses. You're a wonderful person, who will no doubt find the perfect husband, but that man is not me."Naveen bowed again to his parents, glaring intently at them. "If you will excuse me, I seem to have lost my appetite."I sleep with the thought of youwith the silhouetteof a single memory, with the scentof your touch on my skin.If only I could lose myself in the foldsof your dress, the curlof your hair. I long to be consumedIn the soft focus fogof your tenderness.My Dearest Tiana,I started talking to Ray and Evangeline last night. I asked them to watch over you and to give you my love. Did you get their message? It gives me some comfort looking at them in the night sky knowing that you can also see them. If only we could watch them together like we used to. What must Ray think of us now? I am sure he is disappointed in me and sad that we have been separated. But he was also far away from his love for a long time, so perhaps he is more understanding than I first thought.We will be together again, I promise you, my love. Are you worried? Is that why you haven't written? I wanted to call our Postmaster General in to ask if there had been any letters from you, but Baba said that was a waste of time and money."You will get the letters when they arrive," he said, and that was the end of that conversation. Talking with him is like talking with a brick wall sometimes. I feel as if I am making some chips in it though. You must trust me, princess. I know this is hard for you, to wait for me this way with no way to push forward yourself. I promise I am doing everything I can.I still wonder though, where are your letters? This isn't like you, and I am starting to worry.Is everything alright? Are you ill? Are you angry with me? Whatever it is, please just tell me. I miss you so much, and it's tearing me apart inside.Please, please write to me.I love you with all my heart,Naveen"Do you have those statistics, Sire?""Hmm." Sunil looked through the paperwork laid out before him, and then shook his head. "I thought I did. Kedar must still have them in his office. Naveen, would you go fetch him, please?"Naveen perked up. "Gladly." Anything to get a break from another dull meeting, even if it meant dealing with Kedar."And Naveen?" Sunil gave him a stern look as Naveen headed towards the door. "Don't dawdle.""Yes, Baba."Immediately upon leaving the meeting room, Naveen felt his chest loosen and his step grow lighter. It would take about five minutes to reach Kedar's office, another minute to explain what was needed of him, add another minute for some snide remark about Naveen's lack of an office (the fact that he had an office while Naveen didn't was always brought up by the Guard Captain, much to Naveen's displeasure), and then five more minutes back to the meeting room meant that Naveen had at least twelve minutes of relative freedom to his disposal.He didn't know if it was pathetic to be counting his minutes like this, but here he was.Naveen knocked on the door of Kedar's office, but there was no reply from inside. Kedar must have stepped away for a moment. Naveen tried the door, to find it unlocked. What luck! He could deliver the paperwork his father needed, and not have to deal with Kedar in the process. The only problem was that Naveen didn't know where Kedar would keep such a file, but no matter. Just judging from the looks of the office, he was a very well organized man. It wouldn't take long to find.Naveen went to the filing cabinet and opened one drawer, and then the next, moving to the next filing cabinet when he didn't find anything when he stopped. This entire cabinet was new, as was the one next to it, and the one next to that. Naveen didn't make it a habit to visit Kedar's office very much, but all of the offices in this wing of the castle all had the exact same layout - including the number of filing cabinets. It didn't take a genius to see that Kedar had started storing quite a lot of paperwork recently. But what could be in there?The drawers weren't even labeled, which added to Naveen's unease. Everything else that he had seen was meticulously labeled and sorted. What could he be hiding? The thought popped into Naveen's head that maybe he was doing something illegal. Wouldn't that be something. But was Kedar be foolish enough to keep illegal contraband stored in his office? Perhaps. Most everyone was too afraid to come visit him here. Naveen was probably the first person besides Kedar to step into this office in years.Curious, Naveen opened one of the drawers and gasped at what he found inside.It was letters. Addressed, stamped, postmarked letters, all written in Naveen's own handwriting. All addressed to Tiana. "What the hell?" he whispered and started digging through the drawers.They were all here. Letters and letters all from him, just sitting here in Kedar's office! Feeling his anger swell up, Naveen started taking all the letters and pouring them into the floor. And then he opened up the next unmarked cabinet, and he gasped again.With a trembling hand, Naveen reached for one of the letters stored inside. It wasn't one he had written. It was from Tiana. Here was another, and then another. There were so many! Naveen almost wept with joy. She had been writing to him every day, just like she promised.The door opened and Naveen looked up to see Kedar walk in. Kedar immediately paled upon finding Naveen surrounded by hundreds of letters."These are my letters," Naveen said to Kedar coldly. "What are you doing with my letters?"Tiana!Tiana Tiana Tiana! It is such a relief to finally have your letters in hand. The sky is blue again, flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and I am singing too! I haven't sung at all since I left New Orleans, but now I can't seem to stop. For once, no one seems to blame me, which I will confess is such a relief. In fact, it seems that everyone here seems glad that my spirits have lifted.Tiana, when I found your letters, I stared at them in disbelief. All these weeks wanting to hear from you, and the letters had been here the whole time! And then once I tore open the first envelope, it was with much difficulty that I slowed myself enough to read the words. I wanted to know everything at once.But I am getting ahead of myself a bit. I promised I would explain everything.Perhaps it doesn't surprise you that Kedar had taken our letters and hid them from everyone, including my parents - a fact that I am pleased to report they are very angry about.Kedar eventually confessed that he had overheard an argument I had with my parents where they said it would be best if we forget each other and that what they were doing was best for Maldonia (a thousand apologies my love. As if I could ever forget you). Without any sort of approval, Kedar took this to mean that he would do everything he could to make sure we had no contact with each other, because he always does what is best for Maldonia.He would intercept our letters from the post, and he kept them in his office of all places, which is where I found them. I knew something was wrong when I wasn't getting your letters, but I never suspected this kind of sabotage. If I had, I would have gone looking much sooner.My parents are furious with Kedar. I can't tell you how nice it is to have someone else getting lectured for once, and to have it be Kedar is the icing on the cake, as you would say.When I found the letters, Kedar came into his office and we shared a few words that I am not going to repeat here. Needless to say our argument carried through a large portion of the castle, and I am pretty sure things were going to get out of hand when my father came into the room and stopped the fight.Baba saw all of the letters scattered about and I think that is what finally made him listen to me. He knew I had been waiting for your letters. So he had some of his guards watch over Kedar, and my father and I went into his office where for once I was able to make my case without him talking over me.I was able to finally tell him about Kedar's horrible treatment towards you, and how he was willing to hurt you to get what he wanted. Baba was shocked to hear it, and he told me to tell you how sorry he is that you had to go through that. It was then my turn to be shocked. Baba is not one to shy away from his mistakes, but still, it is very rare to hear an apology from him.He also apologized about the letters, but this was less heartfelt. Baba said that while he still wasn't happy about our marriage, it didn't mean that we couldn't write to each other. Despite everything, I am taking this as a good sign.And I still haven't gotten to the best part! Kedar has been dishonorably discharged! He has become a disgrace and a fool, and I won't lie and say it hasn't been delightful to watch because it has. Despite knowing what it feels like to have an entire country disprove of your actions, I feel no sympathy towards him. It is good to see him leave. And who knows, maybe he will meet a mysterious man who turns him into a frog and he will fall in love and finally learn from his mistakes. But something like that probably only happens once in a lifetime.It wasn't until hours after I found your letters that I was finally alone with them, but just as I was about to open the first envelope I realized that you had experienced the same waiting and worrying as I did. I hate thinking of you feeling like that, so I knew I had to send you a telegram right away, though it was terribly difficult to tear myself away from your letters.But now at last I have taken your letters to bed with me. Does it shock you to learn that I know them all by heart now? Foolish romantic that I am, I even kiss them and hold them and kiss them again. It is you, my love, every last word. I swear I can even smell New Orleans on the paper. Your neat orderly handwriting, the thumb smudge at the bottom of one page, make me imagine every small detail of you that I have missed so very much.If I close my eyes I can imagine myself back there with you, holding you close. It is all the more painful, then, when I open my eyes again and remember the great distance that separates us. Still, having your letters here makes the pain lessen, if only a little.I have your picture beside me now, which has also been well kissed. You are so beautiful, Tiana. It's not that I forgot, but imagining your face and seeing it are two very different things. I can only hope it isn't much longer until I can see (and kiss) the real thing again.I love you so much, Tiana.Yours, forever and ever,NaveenThere was a knock on Naveen's door as he signed the letter, and his head sprang up in surprise. Naveen had been much too excited to sleep, and so it was quite late, much too late for anyone to be knocking on his door. "Come in," he said.Sunil opened the door."Oh. Hello, Baba.""Hello, son." Sunil was dressed ready for bed in his pajamas and robe, but it seemed he couldn't sleep either. It had been quite a day.Sunil walked over to the desk where Naveen was writing and gestured to the nearby chair. "Do you mind if I take a seat?""No, no. Of course not."Sunil sighed as he settled in the chair while Naveen fidgeted at the desk. He didn't know what to do with himself. It felt so strange having his father here in his room. Usually they talked in his office, or somewhere more public like the dining areas. Naveen could only remember a handful of times Sunil had sat in that same chair. When Sunil had explained that Naveen's grandmother had passed away, when his parents told him the war was getting too close and he would have to be sent to the country to be safe. When they told him Idhal was expecting and there would be a new prince or princess in a few months.What did Sunil have to say now? Naveen was afraid to break the awkward silence that settled between them. That by saying something he would somehow take away any progress he had made today. And it did feel like he had made some.At last Sunil looked over at Naveen's desk, and nodded towards Tiana's picture that was proudly displayed there. "Is that Tiana?" he asked."Yes."The king held out his hand. "May I see?"Naveen handed his father the picture, and Sunil smiled softly at it. "She's very beautiful."Naveen had to laugh at that. "Yes, I know." Hadn't he been saying that all this time? But still, it felt good to laugh, and to smile. It had been a long time since he had done either of those things.Sunil held Naveen's gaze as he handed back the picture, his own smile growing warmer upon seeing his son's happy face. "Tell me about her.""Really?"Sunil nodded. "Yes. I'll… I'll listen this time."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

My Dear Dear Naveen,It's only been a few hours since I finished reading all your letters, and I am still feeling a little giddy, so please forgive me if this letter rambles. I can't believe it was Kedar who kept our letters from each other. Except when I think of my few interactions with him, maybe I can. It sounds like he got his comeuppance though, so I can sleep easy tonight knowing there is one less thing to trouble you.I can't put it into words just how happy I am, my darling, to have finally heard from you and to know how you are doing. All your letters came at once and I thought I might burst when I saw they were from you! Your handwriting is beautiful, by the way, but I'm sure you already knew that.It really is so wonderful to finally have your letters. I hope you don't mind, but I shared some of them with Mama. She was anxious to hear about you, too. I know she has plenty of thoughts running around her head about your parents not blessing our marriage, but she's smartly keeping her lips buttoned for once. She knows I'll call her a hypocrite if she starts to complain about how long it's taking them to change their minds!As for me, I'm trying to stay positive. This is a much more difficult situation than getting my Mama's blessing, if only for the fact that I can't even make a case for myself because I'm not there and they haven't met me. Should I write to them? Do you think that would make any difference? And if so… what would I even say? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as, obviously, between the two of us, you know them best.In the meantime, please know that I'm sending you my thoughts, and my love. I'm sure you've also noticed by now that I also sent you some cookies. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with something I can do for you, and this was all I could come up with. I hope you like them and that they aren't stale by the time they get to you. I also don't know what your favorite flavor is (how can I not know this by now?) so I made a few different ones and hoped for the best. Please let me know how they are and which you like best so that I can 1. Make a better care package for you for next time and 2. Learn things I should know by now about my husband.Sometimes I feel like we know each other better than anyone else in the world, and then there are other times when it feels like we hardly know each other at all. And still, even when I'm feeling like that, in my heart I know that there's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. Do you ever feel this way? Does it scare you?I wish you were here so we could talk about it. Life is still going on somehow, but I feel empty without you. Your letters help, but they can never replace the real you.Hurry home, Froggy.I'm waiting for you.All my love,TianaP.S. Another thing I didn't know about you is that you're such a poet. Your letters and poems are so beautiful that they almost make me cry. In a good way though. I started thinking about what I've written to you, and all my letters feel so plain and boring compared to yours. Not that it's a competition, but I guess this is an apology of sorts.I don't know how to write down my feelings for you. I tried to write something for this letter but I had to tear it up. I had an idea in my head of how I wanted it to sound, but somewhere between my brain and the paper everything got muddled. It wasn't at all how I had imagined it in my head.I've come to realize since you left that I tend to show love by doing things for people. I think this is one of the reasons I feel so lost in this situation. More than anything I want to be by your side to help you through this, but since I can't I'm left with not much to do but write to you and wait.This may sound strange but, do you have any advice on writing a romantic letter? Since the letters will be coming to you, you can tell me exactly what you want.While I try and figure this out, please know that when I write I love you, I mean it with all my heart.TTo my Adoring Wife,Imagine my surprise and delight when your letter was delivered to me at breakfast this morning! I admit, even after finding out Kedar had been keeping our letters from each other, there was still a part of me that wondered if this practice would continue. How glad I am to say that it is not!I immediately excused myself from breakfast to read your letter, and upon finishing it I find that my mood has brightened considerably. Not only because I have your letter but because of cookies! So many cookies!You really outdid yourself, my love. They are all so delicious, and to know that it was you who made them just for me has filled my heart with such intense happiness that I almost can't sit still. But I am managing it, if only so I can write you back.As for my favorite flavor, I don't know yours either, so we are even on that. And you can't ask me to choose because I love them all! So I suppose that is my answer, though I can already anticipate you won't be satisfied with it. Cookies in Maldonia are so different than these ones you've made, and the flavors are unlike anything else I've ever had. It must be that magic touch you seem to add to all your dishes.In all honesty though, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite of something that you've made. I know you will think this is me just trying to flatter you, but everything here has tasted so flat and dry, I've hardly had any appetite. Until now.I know it's not fair to ask you what your favorite is when I didn't really answer you, but please tell me. I'm desperate for any new information about you.I am glad that you shared my letters with your mother. I miss her too, and think of her often, especially now that I am spending a lot of time with my own mother.Ammi and Baba seem to have thawed a little towards me, but not enough to let me return to you. After we learned of Kedar's treachery Baba and I talked long into the night, and the next day Ammi and I shared a long conversation in her gardens. I think they feel guilty that our letters were kept from each other for so long, and so they are trying to make it up to me. Whatever the reason, it is nice that they are finally listening to me. They do seem to like to hear about you as well, which is good because I hardly want to talk of anything else!I think writing to them is a wonderful idea! They can get to know you without having to go through me, which I think is part of what makes them so hesitant. It's not that I exaggerate when speaking of you, my love, only that they think I am exaggerating when I tell them how wonderful you are. When it comes right from the source, they will see that I am telling them the truth.The only other big news I can share with you is that the preparations for Lawrence's trial have begun. Everyone seems to be talking about it non-stop, and whenever I think of it I find that my stomach turns in knots. I am going to have to testify.It's not the speaking part that worries me, but I find that I am conflicted in my feelings for my former valet.It was my past behavior that pushed him over the edge. I know that now. So in many ways, it is my own fault that he is being punished. And yet at the same time, I didn't tell him to betray me in the way that he did, so in that vein he brought it all on himself.I also know how easily the Shadow Man could manipulate people, so was it really Lawrence's fault that he fell into the trap he did? Then again, I know that if you hadn't stopped the Shadow Man when you did, my love, that Lawrence would have been a willing accessory to a lot of pain and suffering to the people of New Orleans. Many people would have died, including myself.And then also, I struggle because sometimes I wonder if I owe Lawrence for the simple fact that, if things hadn't worked out the way they did, we might not have met and fallen in love.What should I do, Tiana? As the prince, my testimony will weigh more heavily than anything else presented in trial. Everything that I say, even my tone of voice, will basically decide if Lawrence goes free or is sent to prison for the rest of his life. I don't like having this weight on my shoulders, but there it is. I hate to also put this burden on you, but I am in desperate need of your help. You are the only one who could possibly understand.Despite all my troubles I just wrote about, I just spent the last five minutes laughing because I looked over and saw that all the cookies you sent me are gone. I can't believe I ate them all while writing to you! Ravi will be upset because I promised to give him some after I finished this letter. Please, if you are able, send more so he can taste a cookie made by his loving sister-in-law.I am missing you terribly. Not a moment goes by that I am not thinking of you. I am doing my best to return to your side soon, but I think it will have to wait for awhile. At least until Lawrence's trial is over.Devotedly yours,NaveenP.S. Tiana, you are so wonderful, and I love you so much, but I can practically hear you overthinking everything halfway around the world from you. Did you really ask me what I want in a love letter from you? I don't mean to tease you, love, so here is my advice.The secret to writing a good love letter is that it comes from the heart, and that is what you have already done. Your letters are beautiful because they come from you, so there is no need to write a fancy poem or anything like that if you don't want to. And if you are worried about expressing your feelings on paper, the simple fact that you are still writing to me after everything that has happened tells me everything I need to know.All I want is to keep hearing from you. Well, what I really want is to be by your side and to be kissing you over and over again, but for now your letters will do. But if you do change your mind and decide to send me something like that, I would never stop you. Quite the opposite, my darling. I would enjoy it very much.P.P.S. If you are feeling so anxious about the love letters, should I stop writing them to you?NDearest Naveen,You stinker, you ate all those cookies in one sitting!? For your sake I hope you didn't get a stomach ache, and if you did, I hope you learned your lesson and will share this time. I didn't even think of Ravi when I sent those before (I feel like a terrible sister-in-law. I don't know anything about him either) so I made some cookies specifically for him. I know I'm not being very subtle about making him like me by giving him sweets but I'm not going to take any chances. Plus, my Mama always said the easiest way to a man's heart is through his stomach!Just make sure he doesn't ruin his appetite. I don't want your parents more upset with me than they probably are.I decided I would write a letter to them, and I'm working on it right now. It's taking me longer than I thought it would, but I'm terrified that I'm going to write the wrong thing to them. I'll do my best to make you proud. Wish me luck, I think I'll need it.As for my favorite flavor of cookie, I like anything that has chocolate in it. Or peanut butter. Or fruit. So okay, I can't pick a favorite either. I guess that just means we have one more thing in common, and in a weird way it makes me glad. Lately it feels like we're so different from each other, almost too different. I'm happy to find more common ground with you, even if it's something as silly as this.Judging by how much you wrote in your last letter about Lawrence, I can tell you're feeling very anxious about it all, so I won't stall on that any longer. I've thought long and hard about it, and I asked Mama her thoughts too. I asked Louis and Lottie, and everyone had something different to say.Lottie doesn't think Lawrence should be punished, as she thinks he was more of a pawn than anything. She said that everything worked out alright in the end, so why not let bygones be bygones. But she's always looked at the world through these rose colored glasses, and I didn't have the heart to tell her that her Daddy was going to be one of the first casualties of the Shadow Man's plan. Still after everything, it's remarkable that she doesn't hold a grudge.Louis on the other hand, does. I think he still feels a bit angry about Ray's death, even though he was finally able to join Evangeline. With the Shadow Man gone, Louis seems to lay part of the blame on Lawrence. I've never seen Louis so angry before, and I'll admit to you here that it was scary to see.Mama seems to have faith in the Maldonian justice system, and says that you're putting too much pressure on yourself. She says that it's the judge, and not you, who will decide Lawrence's fate, so you don't have to worry about it.But that doesn't make any sense to me, and not just because I'm a worrier by nature. None of these answers really sit right with me, and while I don't know exactly what you're thinking right now, I don't think you'll be happy with any of them either.I'm sure you're wondering what I eventually decided, and the answer is… I don't know. Please don't be too upset with me, but I keep circling around to all different choices and I can't make up my mind on anything. All I can really offer you is some advice. I think you'll be fine as long as you tell the truth and stay true to yourself, you just have to decide what that means for you.I'll always be here to for you to talk to, and I'll support you whatever it is you chose. I know you'll make the right decision, whatever it is.I love you,TianaP.S. Okay you're right, I was overthinking things a bit. I can't help it though. I'll keep trying to write you something though. Please bare with me, and you have to promise that if I manage to do it, you won't laugh.P.P.S. Please don't stop writing the love notes. I really like them.TTiana,I'm having terribly naughty thoughts about you again today. I try to focus on everything I need to do here, but I keep having these delicious new ideas for what to do to you when we are alone.I will kiss you and hold you close to me. I imagine that I lift your dress a little and then kiss your stomach. It's so warm and soft and perfect. I get hungry for you so I kiss you more and taste you and you're so delicious it only makes me want you more.Sometimes I imagine that we have our own house, and I find you in the kitchen cooking breakfast. So I kiss your neck and your back and the backs of your knees and up your thighs and the eggs burn.NTo Their Royal Majesties the King and Queen of Maldonia,My name is Tiana Batiste, and I am in love with your son. I'm sure you've come to your own conclusions about me after, I assume, Naveen has told you some things. But I still wanted to write to you to explain some things and let you know me a bit more.Firstly, I know Naveen told you the story of how we met, and I wanted to say that despite it's sounding fantastical, it is all true. There is no reason for you to believe either of us, as there is no proof, but it is the truth. If you want to hear my side of the story to compare it to Naveen's I can do that for you. You only have to ask.I also want to emphasize that I really do love Naveen. If he was as popular with women as he said he was, this might not be the first time you've gotten a letter from someone proclaiming their love for him. I only bring it up because I wanted to let you know that, yes I know about the women, yes I know about the fire, yes I know he has been cut off. But I still love him, and I also know that he has changed.Naveen will probably tell you that it was me who changed him, but I like to think that I only inspired him to change. I pushed him to mince mushrooms for the first time, but ever since then, everything he's done has been something he wanted to do. I know I'm supposed to be talking about myself, but from Naveen's letters, it doesn't sound like he's been given much of a chance to show you his new side.He brought out a new side in me, too. I have this dream, you see, that one day I would open up my own restaurant. It may not seem like much to you, but it's been my whole world ever since I was a little girl. My Daddy taught me how to cook and we shared this dream together. He died before he could see it happen though, and I've been trying to make sure that our dream came true. But I let the dream consume me, and it became something else, something not healthy. I was driving people away, and I was working myself to the bone for it. Naveen has helped me come into the light again.Maybe this isn't showing you my best sides, but I wanted to give you a realistic view of who I am. I love Naveen, and I know that there are plenty of things to work out as far as our marriage is concerned, but please know that I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm not naive in thinking that being a princess is just dancing in a ball gown and looking pretty. I may not have the experience and knowledge you are looking for in a princess, but I've worked hard my entire life, and I'm not afraid to continue doing that.I can prove myself to you, if you'll only give me the chance.Sincerely,TianaThere was something off about Lottie today, but Tiana couldn't quite put her finger on it. True that Lottie was always a bit scatterbrained, but today she seemed worse than ever. It didn't help that Tiana's mind was on other things too.It was Tiana's birthday, and even though she had her friends and family to celebrate with her, she knew that it wasn't possible to get what she really wanted. But Lottie had invited her over for cake so Tiana put on a weary smile while she moved the food around on her plate. It was a good cake, but Tiana just wasn't in the mood. Plus she felt like she's overstayed her welcome after being here for so long."Maybe it's time I got going," Tiana said, standing up from her chair."NO!" Lottie practically screamed, then winced. "I mean, can't you stay a bit longer?" She glanced at the clock on the wall and then into the main hallway, before she started to bite her thumbnail.Tiana pursed her lips. "I don't know, Lottie. It's awfully late. And Mama will be worried if I'm not home soon."Lottie waved her hand in the air, dismissively. "It's your birthday, Tia! Your Mama wants you to stay out and have fun and not be cooped up all day."Tiana just raised an eyebrow. Cooped up was exactly what she felt like. Any suggestion Tiana gave to doing something downtown or even in the backyard was quickly shot down by Lottie who seemed determined that they stay in the front room."Okay, wrong turn of phrase," Lottie said. "But you will stay, won't you, Tia? I feel like I hardly ever get to see you. Let's play some cards, or work on a puzzle!"Thrilling, Tiana thought sarcastically. But there wasn't really anything wrong with a quiet night in, even if it was out of character for Lottie. And her friend really did seem to want her to stay. "Alright, but just for a bit."Once they poured the pieces of the puzzle out on the table, Tiana saw her friend glance at the clock and then the main hallway again. "Are you waiting for something, Lottie?""Me? No no no no no," Lottie laughed. "I just uh… like to know what time it is! Aren't clocks just fascinating? And then when you think about the concept of time… just… wow!""Uh huh," Tiana chuckled, shaking her head. "Time flies, as they say.""Right? I knew you'd get it, Tia. You're so smart."The phone that was mounted in the main hallway began to ring. Lottie practically screamed and puzzle pieces went everywhere."Let me help you, Lottie," Tiana said and got down on her knees to gather up the pieces."No no, it's okay really!" Lottie was trying to pick up the mess, but her frantic movements were only scattering them further. "You should answer the phone!""I… what?" Tiana asked."Go answer the phone, that's what will really help!"Tiana shot her another questioning look. "Okay if you say so." The phone rang again and Tiana strolled over to it. It felt strange to her, she'd never really talked on the phone to anyone, not having one herself. Really the only time she had ever done it was soon after the LaBouff's had this phone installed and it was just to talk to Lottie who was calling from another phone because she was so excited about it. That had been a long time ago, and as Tiana neared the machine, she was once again struck by how easily it looked like a face.The two bells could be the eyes, and the mouthpiece could either be a mouth or a nose depending on how you looked at it. It rang again."Tia hurry!" Lottie called from the other room."Okay, okay, hold your horses," Tiana mumbled and picked up the receiver. She held it up to her ear, feeling awkward and unsure of herself. How loud was she supposed to talk? "Um.. Hello? This is the LaBouff residence."The operator spoke in clipped sharp tones. "I have a long distance call on the line, do you accept?"Long distance? "I uh… just a minute." Tiana cupped her hand over the mouthpiece and called out, "Lottie, it's long distance. Should I accept?""YES!"Tiana could practically picture her friend jumping up and down with excitement, and she expected to see Lottie come barreling around the corner ready to pick up the receiver and take over the call, but nothing else happened."Yes, I accept," Tiana said into the phone, unsure of what else to do. Everything went silent for a moment as the operator connected the call. Then Tiana heard a series of clicks. Were they connected now? Who was this mysterious person on the phone calling long distance?"Hello?" Tiana asked tentatively.She could have sworn she heard a soft gasp on the other end, and then a chuckle."Hello, princess."Tears sprang to her eyes as every emotion seemed to flood into her. Tiana clutched the phone, afraid that she might faint or worse, accidentally hang up. "Naveen?! Is that you?""Who else would be calling you long distance?"Who else indeed! She was laughing through her tears and she glanced over to the front room where Lottie was peeking out from behind the door. Lottie gave her a big smile and two thumbs up.Tiana returned the smile with a grateful one of her own and then Lottie closed the door, allowing Tiana as much privacy as she could have when the phone was placed in the hallway."It's so good to hear your voice," Tiana said, sniffing. "Did you and Lottie put this together?"Naveen laughed again and Tiana's heart swelled. Oh such a wonderful laugh he had! How she'd missed it! How could she have ever thought of anything else but the sound of him?"I wrote her a letter saying I would try and make this call happen and to see if she could keep you by the phone. I didn't even know if it was possible it took so long to get the call connected. Even so, my princess, I'm afraid we don't have much time."As happy as she was, fear suddenly took hold in her heart. Couldn't they stay talking on the phone forever? "We don't?""Can you hear how fragile the call is?"Tiana then noticed all the clicks and crackles on the line, and she was once again struck by just how far away he was. "Yes, I hear it.""The call could be disconnected at any time, so I'll talk fast, my love. I just wanted to say I love you, and happy birthday."Now she was crying again. "You remembered.""Of course I did. I remember everything about you.""You're crazy," Tiana said, laughing, not really knowing what she was saying, only trying to take in the sound of his voice and make sure she could carry it with her always. "I love you, too. And I miss you, Naveen. I miss you so much.""I miss you, too, Tiana." The sound of her name on his lips made shivers travel up and down her spine. How was he able to do this to her? "I wish I was there with you.""Me too.""Next year though, my darling. Next year I will be by your side, and for every birthday hereafter, I will be next to you celebrating as we grow older together in love."Tiana closed her eyes when he spoke. It made it easier to picture him there by her side, smiling at her and stroking her cheek. If she concentrated hard enough she could even feel his touch there. "I'd like that very much," she said, wiping away a tear."Please don't cry, Tiana," Naveen said. "I didn't mean to make you sad.""How did you know I was crying?" Tiana asked."I can hear you sniffling."She had to laugh. "Sorry.""Let's talk about happier things," Naveen said. "You're getting all my letters now, yes?""Yes, I am," Tiana said smiling into the phone."All my letters?" Naveen's voice grew lower and a bit softer, but not too soft that she couldn't hear him over the crackle of the phone.Tiana felt her cheeks flush with heat, fully aware of which letters he was talking about. She giggled despite herself."I take that as a yes.""Yes." Tiana was laughing now. "You'd better be careful with those in the future, mister, because I opened one the last one in front of my Mama!"Naveen was laughing too. "What did she say?""You think I told her what was in there?" Tiana said, grinning. "I made up some excuse and hightailed it out of there before she could figure it out.""Do you want me to stop writing them, then?"Tiana twirled the phone cord around her finger. "No," she whispered. "I like them.""What was that, princess?"Tiana rolled her eyes, was he really teasing her now? But she had missed that too. "I said I liked them," she said more firmly.But the only thing that answered was a few clicks and silence. Oh no. Was the line disconnected?"-iana? Are you still there?""Yes! Can you hear me?""Not very well," Naveen replied. He sounded even further away now. There were a lot more clicks and crackles now. "There's not much time. I love you, Tiana. I love you with all my heart.""I love you too, Naveen."There was nothing but silence on the other end of the line.The operator's voice chimed in, startling Tiana. The operator was much louder and clearer than Naveen had been. "I'm sorry, you've been disconnected.""Yes," Tiana said. "I know."To My Evangeline,Talking with you on the phone seems to have invigorated me! I am so sorry that the call was cut short, but I am so glad that we were able to talk, even for a little while.It was morning here when we spoke (I had spent the entire evening before tossing and turning, worrying that they would not be able to put the call through, but miracles of miracles it happened! I am trying to convince my father to give whoever was responsible a large bonus in their paycheck. We will see if this happens.) and even though I hadn't slept well, I couldn't stay still after we spoke!Hearing you say my name, hearing you say I love you! Being able to just speak with you! It was enough to send me over the moon with happiness! Ravi and I danced around the palace, and I think everyone was glad to see me in higher spirits than I have been lately. It was when we finally stopped in front of the ballroom that I had a thought, and I feel so frustrated that I did not think of it before. It must have been you, my darling, who knocked some sense into me, like you always do.You see, while it is true that my parents are listening to me when I speak of you, nothing else is different in their attitude towards me. I don't think they believe that I am a changed man. And really, why should they?Tiana, I hate to admit it, but after I arrived in Maldonia, much of my behavior went back to the way it was before. NOT WITH THE WOMEN THOUGH! I cannot stress that enough. I hope you know that I would never ever do that to you.What I mean is, that there are so many servants here who do everything for you, which only makes it easier to let them. There are a few things that I have subconsciously been doing for myself, but for the most part, the servants have been doing everything.This is stopping now.You should have seen their faces when word got around that I made my own bed this morning! Not very well, mind you, but I still did it! And then after breakfast when I cleared the table and brought the dishes all the way back to the kitchen to begin washing them, you would have thought that my mother had a heart attack.But the dishes are now clean, and I plan on doing the same for lunch, and supper, and so on until we are together again. Except, no that is not quite correct because I will still be washing the dishes when we are together! And I can promise you I will be happy to do so.I don't know if I will be able to go further into the kitchen to actually make the meals you taught me, but perhaps soon I can show off my skills there, limited though they are.This brings me back to my thought I had. While washing the dishes and making beds are all well and good, I don't think they are enough to prove that I am a changed man. So I thought, what better way to do this than by repairing the burnt ballroom? Very smart, yes?I opened the door to the ballroom for the first time since the fire, and it is in very poor condition. There is a lot of work to be done on it, that is for sure.I am sure you can guess my biggest problem, my love. I haven't got the slightest clue as to how to accomplish any of this. Can you help me? I remember you said that you had plans for fixing up the sugar mill into your restaurant. Does this mean you are as talented at carpentry as you are at being a chef? For my sake I hope so because I feel completely lost.While I wait for your reply I will do my best to clean out the rubble and get rid of the smoke damage. I need to keep busy to keep my mind off of the trial. It is set to start in three weeks, and I still haven't decided what to do. Your thoughts are ever helpful, my love, and I hope I didn't burden you too much with these problems of my own making. I will do my best to do right by you.Your Frog Prince,NaveenPS I hope I haven't scared you away with thoughts of love letters and poetry. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, mi sitara lu'seinn.I love you,NDear Tiana,We were quite surprised when our son delivered to us this message from you. Apologies for how long it took us to reply. As I'm am sure you are aware, there is a lot going on here that requires our direct attention.I will say your tone is a bit more informal than we are used to, but it must have taken a lot of courage for you to write to use the way you did. Even before reading your letter, this has given us another clue into the person Naveen tells us he is in love with.Naveen seems to be in high spirits lately, and he is also acting a bit differently as well. It seems we have you to thank for that.Still, you must think us monsters for bringing Naveen back and keeping you separated. While you seem like a lovely woman, from what Naveen has told us, and from your letter, we just don't feel it's in our best interests for you two to be together at this time. Please understand that things are very complicated right now.That's not to say that you shouldn't keep writing. I admire your spirit, and my husband does as well.Regards,Qu. Idhal of MaldoniaPrince of My Heart,After our call was disconnected, I had a long talk with Lottie and she told me how you two had worked everything out so that we could talk. I'm so lucky to have a friend like her, and also to have such a wonderful husband as yourself. It was the best birthday present I've ever received. Talking with you, even just for those few minutes has lifted my spirits as well.I could sleep at all that night, just because I was so happy! Every time I settled down to sleep, my thoughts would turn to you and then I would smile and giggle to myself and hug my pillow tight. I imagined the pillow was you and then I would start giggling all over again.Then, of course, I also got the earrings you sent. They're the most beautiful piece of jewelry I've ever received! Not counting my necklace of course, which I wear everyday. Have I mentioned that to you before? There was a slight mishap with the chain, but it's been fixed, so I don't want you to worry about it.I do wish our call had been longer. There are so many things we didn't get a chance to talk about. I was just so surprised to talk to you I didn't even think of them. I guess that's the good thing about these letters is that I can take my time.But I do want to say that I love your idea of fixing up the ballroom! That's the perfect way to show your parents your true side.I'm not a master carpenter by any means, but I have been studying it for a long time with the idea that I'd be fixing up the sugar mill. I learned everything I know from the book about home repair I sent along with this letter. I guess I don't really need it anymore since somebody else has the sugar mill now, so I'm glad someone will get some use out of it.I went ahead and marked some pages that might be useful to you, but reading the whole thing might be beneficial. You can ignore all my other notes in it, those were obviously for the sugar mill.I wish I could help you more, but as it is, know that I'm thinking of you and wishing you all the best. Also, I know I don't need to say this, but I will - now that you'll be working with tools and things, please be careful.I miss you, Naveen, but it was so good to hear your voice.I just hope it isn't too long before I can hear it again.Yours,TianaPS It's taken long enough for me to finally get down to writing this to you. I didn't want it to be too melodramatic or sappy. It's not a poem but I still wanted to write something nice to tell you how I feel so….here I go. Just bear with me.I never expected to find someone that meant so much to me in such a short period of time. It feels funny, almost like a belly ache, but a good belly ache.This is still all so new to me, but with you everything feels like it's in the right place. You brought fun back into my life, but that doesn't even come close to describing all that you've done for me. I think you know how much my life has changed for the better since I first met you. You are the most beautiful person I have ever known and my affection for you is boundless.When they said distance makes the heart grow fonder, they weren't lying. I am once again reminded never to take anything for granted, especially your love, your patience, and your presence.TTo Her Royal Majesty Queen Idhal of Maldonia,I do understand that things are complicated, believe me. Still, I think I will keep writing to you, if you don't mind. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, as I also understand that you lead a very busy life.I thought though, that you might enjoy playing a little chess with me. I've never played by mail, but I know it's a popular thing to do, and something tells me that you enjoy it. Each of the squares on the game board are assigned a letter and a number, so we can just write what pieces we want to move and where. I'll start.Pawn to E4.Your move,TianaPawn to C5.IdhalMy Dearest Heart,This book you sent me is marvelous! It's so helpful! You are right, it seems to have all the information I need. However, having the knowledge and having the skill are two very different things. Work on the ballroom is going slower than I had thought, but at least I can see some progress is being made.I was right about my parents reaction. They saw me covered in dust and I swear they almost fainted. I think the last time they saw me covered in so much filth was when I was a boy and I had snuck out after a rain shower to play in the mud. At least now I have a good excuse for my mess!We did have another argument, of course, though it wasn't long before they came around to my way of thinking. They are still very skeptical, but I know when I show them the finished ballroom it will make all the difference. I have decided to keep them out of the ballroom until all the work is done so that the transformation will be a complete shock to them. I am also hoping it will make it all the more impressive too, when it is all finished. I know I can do it, though it might take some time. I hate to ask you once more to forgive me for taking so long to get back to you, but here I am again, asking you. I think, though, that this is something I need to do. I know you'll understand.It is nice to have all this work to do to distract me from my testimony in Lawrence's trial yesterday. My stomach was in knots as I took the stand, and was finally forced to make a decision about what to do.I hope I made you proud. I told the truth about everything, and did not shy away from my past behavior and how it lead to Lawrence's decisions. I'm not sure this was common knowledge, but it is all that anyone seems to be talking about today. I don't even think my parents realized how cruel I was.Now the last of my shame is out in the open. Strangely I feel cleaner about it all, as if airing all my faults has at last given me the new chance I desire.All that is left to do now is to wait.In the meantime, as always, I am talking with my parents about you. My mother tells me that you wrote to her. I am so impressed, darling! She still seems dismissive about our marriage, but she tells me that you are a talented chess player. What is all this about? How did you know that she enjoys playing chess? Ammi brags sometimes about how she would play on the national scale when she was younger, though I suppose the fact that she really only plays with other dignitaries means she still is.It also doesn't surprise me at all that you are an accomplished chess player. You do well in all that you do.Sending you all my love,NaveenPS Oh my darling, my love, my heart. I wept tears of joy when I read your note. It was so brave and clear it pierced my heart. I am honored, awed and deeply moved by your love which is both gentle and soft as first snow, and fierce and unshakable as steel.Thank you, for everything.NMy Dear Naveen,I am proud of you. I'm proud of you for everything you're doing now, and for how far you've come! It's astonishing to me that you're the same person/frog who couldn't even mince mushrooms. And now you're fixing up an entire ballroom!I wish I could see all the work you're putting into it, as well as the finished product. I know it'll be beautiful. This really was a great idea, and I hope that you're as pleased with yourself as I am.And too, for doing what you did in the trial. That must have been really difficult for you, but it's one more step to proving to everyone, and to yourself, just how changed you are. And for the better, I'll add.I'm practically bursting with pride. The fist thing I'm going to do when you come back is give you a great big kiss, just to prove it. Well, and also because I'll be very happy to see you again. I think you know that kisses can mean more than one thing.As for the chess games with your mother, well, let me explain my reasonings. When I first wrote to your parents, it took them a long time to finally reply. It probably won't shock you to find out that, while she didn't say I couldn't keep writing to her, it didn't guarantee that she would reply, much less read what I had written. So I decided I would try and make the letters a little more interesting for her.I hope you don't mind, but during the time when I wasn't getting your letters, I went to the library and found a book on Maldonian history. There was the cutest portrait of you when you were a boy in there! But I also learned about your mothers penchant for all things chess.I took a chance that if I introduced the idea of us playing chess, she would have to open my letters, and she would have to reply to me if she wanted to keep playing. So far it's worked, even though she hasn't said much besides what chess pieces she wants to move.I still keep writing to her, though, just on the off chance that she is reading what I have to say. She seems to sometimes. When I told her about how Daddy died in the war she replied with a lengthy letter (for her at least).Now that I know a little more about what you're up against with your parents, you have even more of my sympathy. I hope it makes you feel a little better knowing that I'm fighting for us too, even if it's not much.Love,TianaTianaI had another dream about you last night. It seems that all of my dreams have been about you lately, and they are all very very naughty. This time we were in my bed here. Why you were here in Maldonia, I don't know, and I didn't care. I was obviously preoccupied by other things.Like the way that you looked, naked and spread out before me. And the way your skin tasted as I kissed every inch of you. And then the way your hips moved against mine when we were joined together at last.I woke with the sound of your moans in my ear, and I haven't been able to think of anything else since.I feel like a fool, Tiana. We had the chance to be together and I had those ridiculous notions in my head that we should wait so that I could treat you the way that you deserve. But I would have done that for you anytime we were together, so what was I thinking?I don't know if it would be worse if we had been together so intimately before being separated, but at least we would have memories instead of having to imagine it.And I do imagine it. A lot. You and I, together in a soft bed. We make love and afterwards I watch your breasts rise and fall with your breath, and I wrap my arms around you. I hold you close and tell you what you already know - I love you, over and over again. Even in these dreams and imaginings, I always feel that quiet buzz of rightness that seems to happen whenever you are near.I am missing your kisses and your touch and just you so terribly right now.Longing for you,NaveenPS Do you ever think of me this way?Naveen,This letter is for your eyes only. I don't think you would share it but I can't stress it enough. Writing those love notes was hard enough for me, so this is on a whole other level.I waited until Mama was asleep to write this, and even now I keep glancing at the door, afraid that she knows what I'm thinking and what I'm about to write. I feel kind of dirty writing it, but also kind of excited. Is this normal?I do think about you that way, and I have dreams about you, too.I know I'm hopelessly naive about all that happens between a husband and a wife, but I still think about it. I think about you, and how I feel when we kiss. I think about what we've done together, and I especially think of our time together on the couch on our wedding night.I think about that a lot.And then, sometimes, when I think of us doing…more, I feel… I don't know. Nervous? Anxious? Excited? All of the above? I worry because I don't know what to do, and you're like Casanova. It's not that I think you'll laugh at me but…I still worry.And then what if I'm bad at it? The last thing I want to do is disappoint you, especially when I know how much you enjoy…this kind of thing.Should we even be talking about this?Thinking of you,TianaPrincess,Lawrence has been found guilty of treason. I suppose in retrospect it doesn't surprise me. This doesn't happen very often, and this particular judge is happy to take any chance to appear in the history books.The verdict came earlier this week, and you know what I did right after I found out? I pardoned Lawrence. This was the first time I have ever used my power as the prince, and I hope you will agree that it was for a worthy cause.I have spent a long time, as you know, thinking of my relationship with Lawrence. And then when I saw him when I testified it seemed to bring it all back to me. It was all my fault that he did what he did. I pushed him to it, and though Lawrence was guilty, he didn't deserve to spend the rest of his life in jail for it.After I pardoned him, I snuck Lawrence away, and we were at last able to talk about our past mistakes. We had a long conversation, and we both apologized for everything. It felt good to finally be able to do that, and I think Lawrence felt the same.I told him about you, and all my work on the ballroom. He didn't seem to believe me, so I decided to show him, and you should have seen his face! He was very impressed, if I do say so myself. Part of me hoped that he would wish to help, as I could use another pair of hands, but he didn't. I suppose we're not there yet. But we might never be there, and that is alright too.I asked Lawrence what he wanted to do next, but understandably, he had no ideas, and perhaps worst of all, no funds to do it. It was then that I realized that I had depleted his savings fund to take us to New Orleans, and I no longer felt as happy about all the good work I had done.I then had it in my mind that I would somehow pay him back, but with no job and still no inheritance, I was obviously lacking in the money to do so. I was getting ready to write to you to ask your advice, when I began to look around my room, and I realized that I didn't need half of the things I had in here.So I sold them.It turns out that people will pay an almost alarming amount of money for royal regalia. I was able to earn enough money to pay Lawrence back for the trip and then some. I wanted to give him some help in his new life, wherever it is he goes. I wish him all the best, and I hope that you are still proud of me.It wasn't until after all of this that I realized I had acted without my parents permission and I braced myself waiting for their anger to come. Shockingly, however, it didn't. They seemed altogether pleased, and Baba even said that he had never been more proud to call me his son.It was an emotional evening, that was for sure, and all in all, I think it has moved things forward in our favor. Still, I for one, am glad that I can put this all behind me to focus on more important things.Like you. And me. In bed.Sweetheart, of course it's normal to be nervous and excited when you think of us together. I get excited too, when I think of it. I get very excited. But I don't want you to worry too much, my love. I know it will be your first time, so I'll show you what to do. I will do everything I can to make it perfect for you.Also, it is impossible to be bad at it, so you can stop that thinking right there. And you could never disappoint me. Ever. As much as I adore the thought of us making passionate love to each other, all I really want is for us to be together.I'm very glad that you told me all of this, and we should absolutely talk about it. We are married, despite what everyone else has to say about it. So please, Tiana, tell me if you are still worried, or if you have questions. Or if you have any other dirty thoughts that you wish to share with me. I would love to hear any and all of those.I'll see you in my dreams tonight,NaveenTo my Wonderful, Amazing, Extraordinary Husband Whom I am Extremely Proud of!Naveen, words can't describe just how proud I am of you! I know I've said it before, but I'll say it a thousand more times if I have to, and if I know you, which I think I do, you won't tire of hearing it.And it sounds like your parents are proud of you too! Which only makes me more proud! The only thing that could make this better is if we were together so we could celebrate properly. Since you're the party expert, I'd let you decide, of course, but I have some idea of how you'd like to do that.As to what we were talking about before, I do have questions, but I'm not sure how to ask. Please be patient with me. I do feel a little better about all of it though. And I'm sure you'll like to hear that I'm having more dreams about you than ever.I love you so much. Keep up the good work.Proudly yours,Tiana
Mi sitara lu'seinn,
After all this time can you believe that I actually managed to restore the burnt ballroom? Well, I did!Oh, Tiana, I wish you could see it. I want to share this accomplishment with you so much. I never would have made it this far without your guidance, your patience, your teachings, and your love. Everything that I have managed to do here is in part because of you. That's why I am christening it Tiana's Ballroom. Sounds catchy, yes?Though, perhaps don't get too excited about it, as I might be the only one who calls it that. Still, know that it is all dedicated to you.If only you could see it, though, my darling. Baba and Ammi were shocked to the core when I opened the doors for them to see. They can't stop smiling, and neither can I. Baba even slyly suggested that we have a small party to celebrate the completion of the project.It was then my turn to be shocked because Baba hates parties! He only goes to them if it is absolutely necessary for him to be there. So the fact that he wants to have one at all, is some kind of miracle.And guess what? The party is scheduled for tonight! Normally I would finish my letter to you after the party to tell you how it went, but the mail is scheduled to go out in the morning, and I don't want to miss the deadline. I have a feeling it is going to be a late night.Not because of dancing though, so if you were getting jealous you don't have to. I don't want to dance with anyone except you. No, it is because Baba is planning on giving a speech, and I know he will mention me in it. Perhaps he wants to show me off? Or perhaps just the new room, but either way I know I will be answering a lot of questions.I have to go, princess. It is time to get ready for everything.I miss you. I'll be thinking of you all night. I wish you were here.Love always,NaveenPS. TIANA. TIANA. It it is later. After the party. I can't. I can't think. I'm so happy. My hand is shaking and I am trying to steady it so the ink doesn't smear bUT I AM SO HAPPY. Oh my love I AM COMING BACK TO YOU!Here, I switched to a pencil so maybe that will be better and I can explain what happened. My mind is all a whirl and I can hardly sit still.Let me begin again.Late into the party, Baba and Ammi took me aside to Baba's office. I was ready for another lecture, but then they began to say just how proud they are of me, and how differently I am acting now. Then they started to talk about you, and what a good influence you seem to have been on me. Ammi even mentioned how much she is enjoying your chess games and said that she hasn't enjoyed playing against someone as much in years.And then they said that while they still weren't sure about our marriage, they did want to meet with you to discuss it. IN PERSON!I won't lie. I broke down and wept, and now I am crying again.My parents need to organize their schedules, and we need to look over the boat schedules and get our passports ready, so it will still be a few weeks but it is coming!Soon you will be back in my arms and I can tell you all my thoughts instead of writing them in these horrid letters and I can kiss you again and again and again.I am already counting the hours.N

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Tiana could see the ship in the distance, coming up the Mississippi River. It was coming, which meant he was coming. Her heart leapt in anticipation as her stomach swirled with anxiety. It felt foolish to be so happy and so nervous at the same time, yet here she was.Tiana had hardly been able to sleep since Naveen had written to tell her the news of his return. They had been apart for six whole months, and once Tiana fully realized that was about to end, the wave of happiness that had washed over her had been almost too much to bear. She had laughed and cried and danced around her room, and then Tiana ran to find Eudora to share the news, and then there was more laughing and crying and dancing. Then of course, Tiana just had to tell Lottie and Louis, and that started it all over again.It wasn't until late that evening when snuggled in bed rereading the letter for umpteenth time, that it dawned on her just what this meant. Yes Naveen would be back, and Tiana felt her insides jump at the thought, but he was also bringing his family. She would meet his parents for the first time.Everything about their marriage depends on how well they liked her, Tiana foolishly convinced herself. And then she couldn't stop thinking: what if they didn't like her? What if she said something wrong? What if they came all this way and took one look at her and decided she wasn't fit to marry Naveen? That she wasn't fit to be a princess? Was she fit to be a princess?Tiana clutched at her stomach and groaned. She knew this type of thinking wouldn't do her any good, but she also knew that there was no way to stop it. But Tiana's eyes went back to Naveen's letter and she saw his excited scribbles telling her how much he loved her and that he couldn't wait to be by her side once more. At that, Tiana had to smile again. Despite all her worries, it made her feel so much better that she wouldn't have to go through this alone. And if things worked out the way they hoped, she'd never be alone again.Now, waiting on the rivershore, Tiana hugged herself, laughing a little as she watched the ship get closer. It wasn't close enough for her to see any of the people sailing, but it wouldn't be long before they could. The crowd around her was starting to be more animated, calling out and waving to passengers despite the fact that there was no way they could hear them.Tiana shifted and decided that this wasn't a good spot to wait, and so she waded through the crowd once more. Admittedly, Tiana had already tried many different waiting spots this morning, and she also had no idea where would be the best place to make sure Naveen found her, but now that her nerves were flaring up again it felt good to move around.She adjusted her dress as she nudged past a large group of people, wishing she had picked something different to wear. Tiana had wanted to look nice for Naveen, and also make a good impression on his parents. In doing so, she had picked out her best dress, which even though wasn't something outlandish or elegant, it did leave her feeling very overdressed compared to all those around her in their everyday wear.Tiana wanted to explain to the crowd that she was meeting royalty and that's why she was dressed this way, but she guessed they either wouldn't believe her or they wouldn't care. Or, worst of all, they would get excited and try and take pictures or talk with the King and Queen, ruining any chance Tiana had of making a good impression. So she kept her mouth shut as she smoothed down her skirt.Two loud blasts of the ship's horn blared out, and the crowd around Tiana burst into cheers and whistles as the passengers on the ship were finally close enough to see. At least it would be, if Tiana's eyes weren't flooded with tears.Naveen was there! He was on that ship! And in less than an hour he would be here, with her. She would be in his arms and she could tell him just how much she loved him. Scratch that, she could show him. They would hold each other close and, knowing Naveen, they would kiss over and over. But she wanted that too, oh god how she wanted to kiss him!Tiana wiped her tears away, not wanting Naveen to see her with tear stained eyes, and started to scan the happy faces all along the ship's railing. Unfortunately, this spot was terrible for that. Damn it! The last place she had stood was much better.Now she wiggled through the crowd again, all the while looking up at the ship, but it was difficult to do that and not step on anyone's toes."Oops! Sorry!" Tiana apologized after bumping into someone. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea, and this spot seemed as good as any. So she settled herself in and resumed her search.He had to be there along the railing, didn't he? Now that the boat was anchoring and readying the gangplank it struck Tiana just how big it was, and how many people were on it. Suddenly it seemed the most important thing in the world to be able to find Naveen. But just where was he?"Please please please…." Tiana whispered to herself."Well, son, do you see her?"Sunil rested a hand on Naveen's shoulder as they looked out over the ship's railing to the sea of people cheering and waving."No, Baba. Not yet."'Tiana my love, where are you?' Naveen had naively thought that once the ship was close enough their eyes would be drawn to each other. It seemed only natural. She was the one thing he had been thinking of these past six months, and surely that thought power alone would draw her to him. But there were just too many people.Naveen straightened his tie for the hundredth time today, feeling fidgety and nervous, and also angrily jealous at the people standing by him who had spotted their loved ones waiting for them down below.What if she wasn't here? No, that was nonsense. Of course she was here. But still, Naveen worried. He straightened his tie again, then wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. Six months was a long time to be away from each other, and so much had happened. What if things were different between them now? What if that amazingly strong connection they had built hadn't survived this time apart?If only he could just see her. Naveen knew the instant they saw each other again it would all be okay. It just had to be.Naveen straightened his tie."Stop worrying, Naveen. You look wonderful," Idhal told him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have you spotted her yet?""Not yet," Naveen said, looking over the crowd again. Where could she be?Was that… could it be? At first Tiana wasn't sure, and not for the first time that day, she wished she had brought binoculars. She thought she saw someone who could be Naveen, and there were two people standing by him that seemed like they could also be his parents. But though Tiana's heart wanted it to be him more than anything, she wanted to be sure.Then she saw this man straighten his tie and take off his hat and run his hand through his hair in such a casual yet elegant way that Tiana instantly recognized. And then his face turned towards her direction as he put his hat back on. He didn't see her yet, but by god, there he was. He was so beautiful, it was enough to make Tiana start to cry again."Naveen!" she called out through her tears. She waved her arms and jumped like the lovesick fool she was. "Naveen, over here!"But there were too many people around her, there was no way he could hear her. Suddenly it seemed like the most important thing in the world was that he should find her. That they should lock eyes after six long months apart.Tiana stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a blaring whistle, louder than any she'd ever done before. But was it loud enough to carry to Naveen?She started calling his name again, all the while repeating her manta. Please please please.Naveen was growing panicky. He couldn't find her! What if he never found her? Sunil seemed to sense Naveen's growing unease, and had his arm around his son's shoulders."Is that someone whistling?" Idhal asked, shielding the sun from her eyes and looking deeper into the crowd."It does sound like it," Sunil said, giving Naveen's shoulder a squeeze. "Impressive."It was at that, but how did it help him find Tiana? Naveen's stomach was so tied up in knots he thought he might die if he didn't see her soon. Still, he couldn't help but turn towards the sound, and then Naveen blinked. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be?Even from here he could recognize those beautiful bright eyes and wide smile, and Naveen just knew that surrounding that smile were two dimples on her cheeks. It was her. His wife. His Tiana."Tiana!" Naveen called out, finding his eyes were now stinging with tears, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting close to her, but the ship was still readying the gangplank. Naveen was tired of waiting, and the part of his brain that made stupid decisions decided it would be a great idea to just jump off the boat and swim to her.Naveen called her name again and started to climb over the railing."Faldi faldonza, Naveen! Da li descende!" Sunil grabbed the back of Naveen's shirt and pulled him back to safety."What do you think you're doing?!" Idhal scolded him.Naveen ignored them both, having eyes and ears only for the love of his life. "There she is!" Naveen said happily and pointed her out to his parents. "Tiana! Tiana!"He took off his hat and waved it high in the air. Tiana waved back and Naveen thought he would burst with happiness. Setting his hat back on his head, Naveen started to blow her kisses as he edged his way closer to the gangplank. He wanted to make sure he was the first one off."Stay there!" He shouted to Tiana. "I'll come find you!""What?" Tiana shouted back, but she was laughing through it all. This goof of a man she had married had almost jumped off the ship to get to her, and she loved him for it.Naveen was shouting more things and pointing but Tiana had no idea what he was saying and she was too excited to try and rationally figure it out. All she knew was that she needed to get closer.Naveen was losing his patience with this man. All he needed to do was look over his tickets and make sure it was all in order and then he could be off the boat and holding and kissing his wife. But damn it if this wasn't the slowest person to be doing this job.Naveen wanted nothing more than to shout at this man to hurry up and get on with it, but he had a feeling if he did anything to upset the man, Naveen would be moved to the back of the line.So instead Naveen gave him his most charming attentive smile, all the while glancing furtively in the crowd making sure he knew exactly where Tiana was at all times. For a brief moment he panicked when he couldn't find her again, but then he found her inching her way closer to the gangplank.The crowd was too thick for her to go much further. No matter. Naveen knew he could ease his way through, if only he could get off this damned ship!"Well now, Prince Naveen, is it?""Yes, that's right," Naveen said with a smile, though behind that smile he was shooting daggers at this man."It says here this is your second time in New Orleans. Isn't that something?"And just how was Naveen supposed to respond to that? GET ON WITH IT MAN! "Yes, it certainly is," Naveen replied as calmly as he could. He looked out and saw Tiana in the crowd. She was closer now. Almost close enough to kiss. He winked at her, and her smile grew wider."Any particular reason for the return trip?""Love," Naveen said, not taking his eyes off of Tiana."I beg your pardon?""I fell in love with someone and she is waiting for me." Naveen pointed Tiana out, and then continued. "So if you could please…. We've been apart for so long.""Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" He stamped Naveen's papers with a flourish and then handed them back. "There you are. Enjoy.""Thank you!" Naveen could practically kiss the man, but he wanted to save those for Tiana.Naveen sprinted down the gangplank, grinning from ear to ear, as he called out. "Tiana!""Naveen!"He could hear her! And then he could see her! They were both wading through the crowd, arms outstretched towards each other."Tiana!""Naveen!"Finally the crowds parted and there she was. He ran to her, and then she was in his arms, and then as they held each other tight, they kissed.Naveen could taste the salt of her tears on her lips (or were they his tears?) but he couldn't stop kissing her.He pressed kiss after hurried kiss everywhere he could, whispering her name all the while. He kissed those sweet dimples, he kissed her tears away, he kissed her nose, her forehead, and most of all her lips. He had missed it all so much, and now that he was here with her again, Naveen knew he would never ever leave her again.They shared another kiss, longer this time, and Naveen felt his happiness bubble up. He laughed and held her tight and spun them both around. Tiana squealed in delight, clutching him, feeling like she was flying.Naveen set her down gently and then cupped her face, bringing her in for another kiss. "I missed you," he said between kisses."I missed you too, Froggy," Tiana said, giggling when he kissed her cheek and then down her neck.He gave squeezed her tight and then pulled back a little, breathless but so happy. "Let me get a good look at you," he said, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear.It was then that in all the commotion, she would hardly be as presentable to him as she had been when she left the house that morning."Oh no," Tiana laughed and playfully covered his eyes. "My hair is a mess now, and my dress is all wrinkles, and I'm sure my eyes are all red from crying. I must look like a disaster."Naveen took the hand that was covering his eyes and kissed it. "I didn't come all this way to not look at you. Besides," he stroked her cheek, "you are the most beautiful disaster I have ever seen."Tiana snorted, despite herself, but she couldn't stop smiling. It was so lovely to have him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Naveen. I do love you so."Naveen grinned wide at that, and scooped down to pick her up in his arms. "She loves me!" He declared to all those around them as he spun them around in circles again.There were more kisses when he set her back on her feet, but Tiana didn't loosen her tight grip on him."I love you too, Tiana," Naveen told her, and brought their foreheads together. "I love you more than anything else in the whole world, and I promise I will never ever leave you again."Naveen sealed his promise with another kiss, and soon their arms were wrapped around each other once more. He couldn't get enough of her. Her taste, her smell, the way she was giggling into their kisses. She was just so perfect, and kissing her this way was perfect. Or it would be if they weren't interrupted."Looks like you found her alright, Naveen," Idhal said.Naveen groaned inwardly. 'Not now, Ammi!' But it was too late. Idhal had effectively ruined the mood. Plus Tiana had already pulled away and had her face covered with her hands. God but she was cute when she was embarrassed.Naveen put an arm around Tiana's waist, needing to keep touching her in anyway possible, and finally took his eyes off of her to find Idhal with an eyebrow raised, and Sunil spotting a sly smirk. Well, it could be worse."Ammi. Baba." Naveen pulled Tiana closer to his side. "I'd like you to meet Tiana. Tiana, these are… my parents."Tiana could not have been more mortified Naveen's parents, the King and Queen of Maldonia, had caught her necking with their son. This was not the first impression she wanted to give them.Naveen gave her a squeeze around the waist, and Tiana put on her best 'please ignore what you just saw I swear I'm not like that all the time' smile and curtsied respectfully. "Your Majesties. I'm so happy to finally meet you.""It is very lovely to meet you, my dear," Idhal said, and surprised Tiana by giving her three kisses on the cheek.Sunil stayed back and gave a more formal bow, but he still smiled.Naveen grinned through it all. This was going well!"Now, there's no need to be so formal while we're here, is there?" Idhal continued. "After all, we're not in Maldonia anymore, and isn't this what America is all about?"Tiana shared a furtive glance with Naveen before replying. "Um-""You can call me Idhal," she said, not waiting for Tiana's answer. "And my husband is Sunni, but you already knew that."Tiana blinked. No she didn't. "Sunni?" Oh no. That wasn't what she thought his name was. That wasn't what it said in that Maldonian history book either! Oh no, oh no. Had she used the wrong name in her letters to him?"It's a nickname," Sunil explained, perhaps sensing Tiana's distress. "Used only by close friends and relatives.""Oh!" Tiana's heart felt a million times lighter. This had to be a good sign. Did this mean he already considered her part of the family?Naveen squeezed her waist again. "It's because of Baba's shining personality and his great sense of humor," he teased."Hey now," Sunil playfully put his hands on his hips. "I'll have you know I do have a great sense of humor, and I know plenty of great jokes""Darling please, don't-" Idhal begged, but Sunil persisted."How many apples grow on a tree?" he asked.Tiana glanced again at Naveen who was rolling his eyes. She laughed and shook her head. "I don't know.""All of them!" Sunil said, and then bent over with laughter.Tiana snorted and laughed into her hand."Don't laugh at that, Tiana," Idhal said in good humor. "That was terrible."Tiana turned to Naveen, and playfully bumped his hips with hers. "Now I know where you get your sense of humor from."Now it was Naveen's turn to look embarrassed, but he deflected easily. "Ravi, come here and say hello."The young prince was standing a few feet away holding hands with his governess, watching the other people leave the boat and the cranes beginning to unload the heavier items. Naveen still couldn't believe they had brought over so many of their servants, including the governess to watch over Ravi, but here they were.At Naveen's call Ravi glanced up at the governess who nodded in approval. He let go of her hand and shuffled over.Tiana knelt down and held out her hand to the young prince. "Hello, Ravi. I'm Tiana. It's so nice to finally meet you."Ravi shifted on his feet and limply took Tiana's hand."What do you say, Ravi?" Naveen prompted.Ravi scrunched up his face. "Please?""No, try again," Naveen said."Thank you?" Ravi tried after a moment."How about, it's nice to meet you, too," Naveen said."Yeah, what he said!" Ravi smiled at last, and then took his chance to run back to the governess.Naveen just shook his head and helped Tiana to stand up. "I'm sorry about that.""It's fine," Tiana said, and kissed Naveen's cheek. She felt so happy. Nothing could ruin her mood.One of the servants came up to their circle and bowed. "Your Majesties, the car is ready to take you to your hotel."Except that.Sunil clapped his hands. "Splendid, splendid. I just hope the ride is an improvement over the last time I rode in a car.""I doubt it will break down," Idhal said. "We don't have that far to go." She turned to Tiana and smiled again. "We're still on for dinner tonight, yes?"When Naveen had written to say he was coming back, Tiana had replied saying she wanted to host a dinner party for them all on the night of their arrival. She and Eudora had been cleaning constantly for the past week to get everything ready.Tiana confirmed that, yes, the dinner would still take place, and Sunil nodded in approval."Naveen has told us about your passion for cooking," he said. "I am very interested to finally try it for myself.""Yes, me too," Idhal said. "What is on the menu?""Gumbo," Tiana said, glancing at Naveen. "With plenty of mushrooms."Naveen thought he would burst with joy, but instead he just took Tiana's hand in his and kissed it."Well, sounds like we should leave you to prepare," Sunil said. "Let's go, Naveen.""Go? But…" Naveen looked from his parents to Tiana and then back again with a pleading look. He had only been with Tiana for a such a short time, and to leave her again so soon would be torture. {"Please, Baba?"}, Naveen asked in Maldonian."The car is waiting, Naveen," Sunil answered, but he softened slightly. "You have five minutes."They turned and left Tiana and Naveen alone at last. At least as alone as they could be on the still crowded pier. That didn't stop Naveen from kissing her once more.Tiana laughed and held him tight. "Did I do okay?""You were amazing!" Naveen told her. "I just knew they would love you as soon as they met you, and that went so well!""Did it?" Tiana covered her face again. "I can't believe they caught us kissing like that.""They understand," Naveen assured her. "They know how much I've missed you." And then he kissed her again, slower this time, lingering happily on her lips. "I wish I didn't have to go so soon.""I know. But I'll see you tonight for dinner," Tiana said. Her arms had wrapped around his neck again and she was playing with his collar. "We'll have beignets for dessert," she added in a sing-song voice.Naveen brightened at that. "I can't wait to taste your sweet beignets again." He pecked her lips. "Though nothing can be as sweet as you.""You charmer," Tiana laughed."I do my best." And then he kissed her again, until Sunil came and dragged Naveen away to the car."You nervous, babycakes?" Eudora asked.Tiana stopped chewing on her thumbnail. "Is it that obvious?"Eudora gave her a soft smile. "A little bit."Tiana took a shaky breath willing herself to be calm. It didn't work. "I know I met them this morning, but this feels different." She wrapped her arms around herself, and said softly. "So much could go wrong."Eudora took Tiana by the shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "So much can go right, too."Tiana had to smile at that. Trust her mother to look on the bright side of things."You've wanted a chance to prove yourself to them, and now you've got it," Eudora said. "I know you'll do great.""Thanks Mama," Tiana said and hugged her mother tight. "I know I've asked a lot of you lately, but can I ask one more favor?""Of course, babycakes.""Can you not tell any embarrassing stories tonight?" Tiana asked. "Please?"Eudora feigned innocence. "Me? Tell embarrassing stories?""Mama please," Tiana begged. "Just for tonight?""Alright fine," Eudora said. "I'll wait until tomorrow.""And please no embarrassing stories," Naveen begged to his parents as they and Ravi walked up the porch steps to Tiana's house."We never tell embarrassing stories," Idhal chided."Yes you do! You do it all the time," Naveen said, his hand once more going to his stomach. He wondered if he was going to be sick from nerves. He just wanted this night to be over.On the one hand, he would get to see Tiana again and taste her delicious food. All of which he had been dreaming about for the past six months. But whenever those delightful fantasies had entered his head, Naveen had never included his family in them.Naveen felt like he had been lecturing his parents the whole way here. It was a strange role reversal for all of them but Naveen wanted tonight to be perfect and he knew his parents could cause a lot of problems.When had they ever eaten a meal with no servants? Had they ever done that before? When was the last time they had even spoken to anyone who wasn't part of high society? Would they judge Tiana by the plain simple house she lived in?It struck Naveen that these worries were all ones Tiana had had that very first night they had returned to New Orleans from the bayou on the eve of their wedding. Naveen had immediately loved everything about Tiana's life because it was a part of her. He hoped that his family would be able to see that as well."No embarrassing stories tonight," Sunil promised. "We'll save them for later.""Thank you," Naveen said, ignoring this last part. He looked down at Ravi who was holding his hand. "That goes for you too, Ravi.""Okay," Ravi promised, though Naveen doubted he was listening.Naveen knelt down to look at Ravi in the eyes. "Can you promise me you'll be on your best behavior tonight?"Ravi shrugged. "I guess.""Please, Ravi. Tiana is very special to me, and this night needs to go well." Ravi was generally a well behaved boy, but sometimes he did have wild tantrums. If that happened tonight, his parents wouldn't blame Tiana for it, but it surely would leave a sour impression on them, and Naveen couldn't afford any slip ups tonight.Ravi shrugged again. "Okay."Deciding that was the best he was going to get from a five year old, Naveen sighed and kissed his brother on the forehead. "Thank you.""Anything else, Naveen?" Idhal asked, eyebrow raised.Anything else? He had a million more things to tell them, but they were outside Tiana's door now, and couldn't dawdle any longer. "Just, please go easy on Tiana."He knew how ruthless his parents could be sometimes. Naveen would try to protect Tiana as much as he could but there was only so much he could do."All we want is to get to know her," Sunil said, knocking firmly on the door. "We'll just ask some questions.""Sensible questions, please," Naveen begged. His parents could also be completely tactless."As if we ever ask anything else," Idhal said, furthering Naveen's fear.Naveen clutched his stomach once more, and he sent out prayers to anyone who was listening that the evening would go well.And then the door opened and Tiana was there, and everything else melted away."Hello, everyone," Tiana said, grinning.Naveen grinned back, especially when he noticed she was smiling more in his direction."Hello, beautiful," Naveen said and kissed her cheek once he was close enough to her."You're not so bad, yourself," Tiana said, squeezing his arm. It was so nice to have him here again. The house seemed full of life again, and not just because they were hosting a dinner party."There he is! Hello Naveen!" Eudora said gleefully, and pulled Naveen into a tight hug. "We missed you around here.""I missed you too, Mrs. Batiste," Naveen said, squeezing her tight. He quickly introduced Eudora to his parents, but she was more interested in Ravi."And who is this?" Eudora asked, kneeling down to Ravi's eye level."This is my brother, Ravi," Naveen said, and rested his hand on the boy's head. "Ravi, say hello.""Hello," Ravi mumbled, and half heartedly took Eudora's hand when she offered it to him."Hello there, Ravi," Eudora said. "I'm Eudora. How old are you?""I'm five and three-quarters.""Oh my goodness," Eudora said and shared a smile with Idhal and Sunil who looked both proud and amused. "Well, I heard you were coming so I got out all of Tiana's old toys for you to play with."At this Ravi perked up. "Really?""You come with me," Eudora said. She held out her hand once more, but this time Ravi eagerly took it, and they went over to the corner with all of Tiana's old toys.Tiana had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Eudora had always loved children, hence why she was always pestering Tiana for grandchildren. It didn't surprise Tiana one bit that her mother had taken to Ravi.She turned to Naveen's parents. "Can I offer you some iced tea to drink?""You must try it, Ammi," Naveen pipped in, wrapping his arm around Tiana's waist. "It's so refreshing. Unlike anything in Maldonia.""Well, with that winning endorsement, I think I'll have to," Idhal replied. "Any for you, Sunni?"Sunil smoothed down his mustache and grinned. "With all that Naveen has told us, I think I would be a fool not to."Naveen gave Tiana a squeeze and her heart skipped a beat. It was hard to concentrate on being a good hostess with him being so near, but his presence was so lovely, she couldn't ask him to stop, nor did she want him to."Great," Tiana said, unconsciously leaning into Naveen. "Please take a seat, and I'll be back with your drinks.""I'll help you," Naveen said quickly. Almost too quickly.But Tiana's heart skipped another beat. He knew there wasn't much he could do to help pour some iced tea, but his parents didn't know that. This could give them a few blessed moments alone."Thank you, I'd appreciate that," Tiana said.The swinging door to the kitchen hadn't even fully closed before they were in each other's arms and kissing deeply. Tiana sighed into the kiss, feeling herself relax into Naveen's embrace. She hadn't realized just how tense she had been, or had just forgotten how good Naveen was at kissing….That seemed impossible, but as he teased her with his tongue, Tiana found her knees were weak and her head was light and everything else seemed to disappear.Though the sounds from the next room brought them both back.Reluctantly, they broke the kiss, though neither stepped out of their embrace. Naveen's arms were steady around Tiana's waist, and she was clutching his shirt like she might collapse any second.Panting hard, Naveen laughed softly and rubbed his nose against Tiana's. "I've been wanting to do that since I walked in.""Me too," Tiana replied. She grinned when he kissed her again. They couldn't keep this up for much longer, but gosh it was nice.Someone was laughing in the other room, Ravi it sounded like, and Tiana remembered why Naveen's family was here in the first place."How am I doing so far?" Tiana asked, feeling her nerves bubble up again slightly.Naveen gave a low appreciative hum as he started kissing her neck. She giggled which only spurred him on. Everything about her was so wonderful. Naveen wished they could spend the rest of the evening here, and not worry about anything else. They had been apart for so long, didn't they deserve time to be alone together?"I meant, how am I doing with your parents," Tiana clarified, but she cradled the back of his head, inviting him to keep kissing her as he pleased.So he did. "I think they already love you," Naveen said between kisses. He pressed his forehead to hers and smiled. "Though not as much as I do.""You really think so?""What's not to love?" Naveen asked. "You're smart, capable, beautiful." He lowered his eyes at that last one, and Tiana felt herself flush. Nobody else gave her compliments quite like Naveen did. She hadn't realized how much she had missed them.Tiana gave him a quick peck on the lips, and said, "They won't love me if they never get their drinks." She put a finger against his nose playfully. "Help me bring them out, hmm?""Alright," Naveen said. "On one condition.""What's that?""One more kiss before we go back out there.""Gladly."Naveen felt like he was falling in love with Tiana all over again. It was so wonderful to finally be here by her side again. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she talked with his parents. She was charming, and animated as she listened to them tell stories Naveen had heard hundreds of times before. Luckily they were just stories about Maldonia, nothing embarrassing. Though he could tell his mother desperately wanted to share the many unflattering stories of his childhood.But it was Tiana's smile and laughter that drew him in. How had he lasted six months without her? How had he possibly survived without hearing her voice? Without touching her skin? Without kissing her?He wanted to kiss her right then and there, but even Naveen knew that wouldn't be a good idea. This dinner was supposed to be about impressing his parents, and he doubted they would be impressed if he started passionately kissing Tiana in front of everyone.That didn't stop him from taking every opportunity to touch her. He made sure their fingers would brush when he handed Tiana her drink. When they sat next to each other, his elbow would nudge against hers. His arm would find its way around her shoulders, her waist. His hand would find hers, holding it tenderly, stroking it with his thumb.It was electrifying to touch her, and even more so when she touched him back. The way she squeezed his hand, or leaned into him made it difficult to think of anything other than taking another trip to the kitchen. And then there were those many shared mutual looks of longing whenever it seemed his parents attention was on something else.How many trips to the kitchen could they make before everyone got suspicious? Maybe a few times, if they were careful.So when Tiana announced it was time for dinner to be served, Naveen couldn't help the excitement that burst through him. She would need help serving the gumbo, wouldn't she?Just like with the tea, she didn't need any help, but she still welcomed it from Naveen's. This time though, there wasn't time to kiss as much as Naveen wanted to. They were only able to manage one kiss. Just one! But the looks in both of their eyes hinted at the promise of many future kisses to come.Naveen wanted to hold Tiana's hand while they ate, so he sat on her right side once the gumbo was served. His mouth watered just looking at it. It felt like he hadn't had a decent meal in… well, six months. It almost made him weep knowing Tiana's food was in front of him."It smells delicious, darling," Naveen said, giving her hand a squeeze under the table. Everything was going so well! Naveen was almost positive that his parents would approve of their marriage by the end of the evening. Or maybe even after the meal! How could they not love Tiana, especially after eating her wonderful food?"Thanks," Tiana said, squeezing his hand back. "Dig in, everyone."She couldn't help but feel nervous as everyone ate her food. Tiana knew, of course, that it was good. She'd never made a bad batch of gumbo in her life, but that didn't mean Naveen's family would like it. She told herself that if they didn't like it, that didn't mean they liked her any less. And they did like her, didn't they?Tiana's fork was poised by her mouth, as she anxiously watched everyone eat. Naveen hummed in approval as he ate, even going so far as to lean back and close his eyes with a blissful smile on his face. He turned towards her and gave her a satisfied grin."Good?" Tiana asked."Amazing," Naveen replied, squeezing her hand.Then the choruses of compliments started around the table, and Tiana felt a wave of relief wash over her."Achidanza," Sunil whispered after taking a bite. "This is…" He looked at Tiana with wonder and awe. "You made this?""Yes, I did," Tiana said, pride welling up inside as Naveen gave her hand another squeeze."I told you it was good," Naveen said."Good?" Idhal pipped in. "This is better than good. This is the best meal I've ever eaten." She took another bite, before continuing. "You should count yourself lucky, Tiana, because I don't give out compliments lightly.""That certainly is true," Naveen said, teasingly."Tiana has been making gumbo like this since she was about five years old," Eudora said, proudly.Tiana felt herself flush with the attention, and turned her focus to her own meal. It was a good batch. "What do you think, Ravi? Do you like it?"The young boy had been so intent on eating his meal, he turned to look at Tiana and grinned. "Can you make this for us every day?"Everyone at the table laughed good naturedly."Tiana has to stay here so that she can open her dream restaurant," Naveen explained. "But I'm sure she will be happy to make some whenever you come to visit."Sunil cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Tiana was given a hint of the kind of power and respect Sunil radiated as king, as all murmurs around the table ceased, even from Ravi, and all attention went to him."Perhaps it is time we discussed the elephant in the room," Sunil said.Ravi's eyes widened. "You have an elephant?!"Sunil frowned at his youngest son, not in the mood for games. Ravi paled and sunk down in his chair."Apologize to your father, Ravi," Idhal said, "and then you can be excused to play.""Sorry, Baba," Ravi said.Sunil nodded, and Ravi took his chance and escaped from the table.Part of Tiana wished she could escape with him. With Sunil's full attention on her and Naveen, Tiana felt her stomach drop and she clutched Naveen's hand like a lifeline, feeling herself start to tremble and shake. She could feel her mother's encouragement from across the table, but Tiana didn't dare take her eyes off of Sunil."Now then, Naveen. Tiana." He looked at each of them in turn. "You two wish to be married, yes?""Yes, sir," Naveen replied.Tiana's mouth was suddenly too dry to speak. She nodded instead."Quite a noble aspiration," Sunil said with a small but warm smile."It's very clear that you two are in love," Idhal said. "Even in this short amount of time since arriving here it is plain to see how much you care for each other."Was this a good sign? Naveen gave her hand another squeeze."But Naveen is the crown prince," Sunil said, "and will one day be king. There is a lot for us to consider for anyone he wishes to marry.""Please don't think that we are treating you any differently because you're not royalty, dear," Idhal said. "But it does make things more difficult. You understand."Tiana supposed she did understand, but that didn't make her feel any better about it. She and Eudora shared a quick glance at each other. Neither of them could guess where this was going."If we do approve of the marriage," Sunil continued, "that means you will effectively become a Maldonian princess." He looked at Tiana directly. "It is a lot of responsibility.""Yes, sir," Tiana said, finding her voice at last. "I'm not afraid of that.""No, I don't suppose you are," Sunil said."And you will, of course, have to live in Maldonia," Idhal said, smoothing down her napkin.It seemed that Tiana, Naveen, and Eudora all exclaimed at once. "What?"Idhal took it smoothly. "Well of course. A princesses job is to provide for her people. You can't do that from halfway around the world."It seemed like everything was crumbling around Tiana, and at the same time how could she not have seen this coming? Of course she couldn't be princess of Maldonia while living in New Orleans! But the thought of leaving everything she had ever known behind was unthinkable. Yes she would be with Naveen, but what about Mama? What about Lottie and Louis? What about…."What about my restaurant?" Tiana asked bluntly terrified of the response.Sunil shifted in his seat and cleared his throat again. Just that reaction told her everything. 'No. No this couldn't be happening,' she thought. 'Not again.'"Well, you see Tiana," Sunil said, "if you are a princess you'll effectively be one of the top tiers of the government. As such, you… well, I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to own a restaurant.""That's crazy!" Naveen shouted. Tiana could feel his indignation radiating off of him, but everything seemed to be getting further away. Her breath was quickening and it seemed to be getting darker. Was she going to faint? Oh god."It's the law," Idhal said with a frown. "It's a conflict of interest, you see. Without the law anyone could just funnel government funds into their own pockets."Tiana was feeling light headed now. Oh god, she really was going to faint wasn't she? She concentrated on her breathing, holding Naveen's hand tightly."Tiana would never do that," Eudora said, when Tiana didn't speak up."I understand," Sunil said, "but it's still the law.""So change it," Naveen said firmly. "We have that power.""We can't just change whatever law is inconvenient for us at the time," Idhal said. "It doesn't work like that.""Well then what's the point!?" Naveen practically shouted."Don't raise your voice that way," Sunil said. "I thought we had moved past arguing like this.""Not when it means Tiana has to give up her dream!" Naveen said. He turned to Tiana and said, "Don't worry, I… are you alright?""Babycakes, you don't look so good," Eudora said, sitting up straighter in her chair.Naveen couldn't believe he hadn't noticed how heavily she was breathing, how the blood seemed to have drained from her face, how tightly she was clutching his hand."Tiana?" Naveen asked softly."I-" Tiana swallowed and tried again. "I think I need some air."Eudora immediately stood up and lead Tiana outside.Naveen turned towards his parents. He too had thought that they were finished arguing like this, that his anger towards them would have subsided now that he was here with Tiana. But apparently he'd been wrong.{"How could you say that to her?"} Naveen asked in Maldonian. {"I asked you to go easy on her."}{"This is easy,"} Idhal said. {"Do you want to see hard?}"Naveen frowned. He knew what hard looked like. {"Why did you have to go and say that to her?"}{"We simply told her the truth,"} Sunil stated, and spooned up the rest of his gumbo.{"And you didn't think to mention it sooner?"} Naveen asked.{"You think it's up to us to tell you all of Maldonia's laws?"} Idhal asked.{"This is something you should have known anyway, Naveen,"} Sunil said. {"By now you should be well versed in all the laws and customs of Maldonia. I can see now just how seriously you are taking this responsibility…."}Naveen felt his anger rise. It was just like them to turn this around on him, even if it was partly his own fault. {"Look. I'm sorry I'm not your perfect prince, okay? I'm trying to be better, I really am. But you have to understand. You just told Tiana that she can't have the dream she's been working for her whole life."}{"Naveen…"}{"No, listen,"} Naveen cut off his father. {"You don't know how hard she has worked for it. How many obstacles she has faced to get it, or how many times she has heard that she can't do it. But she can and she will."}{"More than anyone I have ever met, Tiana deserves for her dream to come true,"} Naveen continued. {"You tasted her food. You can see how gifted she is with it. Don't you think she should be able to share that gift with the world?"}{"Naveen, of course we see that,"} Idhal said.{"But it's still the law, and Tiana has the right to know what will happen if we decide to bless your marriage."}{"Which we haven't done by the way,"} Sunil clarified.{"Yes. I know,"} Naveen said softly. He sighed and stood from his seat. {"If you'll excuse me. I need to check on Tiana."}He left without waiting for their approval."Deep breaths, babycakes. That's it."Tiana sat on the porch swing with her head between her knees while Eudora gently rubbed her back. She tried to concentrate on the steady in and out of her breathing, but her mind inevitably drifted to the conversation at the dinner table. Was this really what was happening? Did this really mean that if she married Naveen she wouldn't be able to have her restaurant?The words Sunil had said kept repeating themselves in Tiana's mind, and the unfairness of it all struck her hard. She wanted to kick the door open and storm back inside and give Naveen's parents a piece of her mind. How dare they ask her to choose between her dream and the love of her life? Because that's what they were basically saying, you can have one or the other, but you can't have both.Tiana concentrated on her breathing instead, trying not to let her anger over the situation make her more light headed than she already was. How could they not have mentioned this to her before? Did Naveen know about this law? Tiana dismissed that idea immediately. If he had known, he would have told her. He hated keeping secrets from her, and of course Naveen knew how important her restaurant was.So then it was just something his parents knew. Even though Tiana didn't know Naveen's family very well, this still surprised her that they would spring it on them all this way. After so many letters written to Idhal, the queen would have had plenty of opportunities to let Tiana know about the law. Maybe they thought she and Naveen already knew about it? Whatever the reason, Tiana wasn't going to spend a lot of time thinking about it.They could all laugh about this later, when everything was solved and they were all sitting around her restaurant and Naveen, as her husband was by her side.Because there was no way in hell that Tiana was going to lose either of those things, law be damned. The Shadow Man had shown her what her restaurant would be like without Naveen, and these past six months had given her a taste of what life without him would be like. Tiana never wanted to experience either again.Tiana took a deep breath and sat up, holding a hand to her forehead as the dizziness faded."Are you feeling better?" Eudora asked."A little," Tiana said.The front door opened and Naveen poked his head out. "You're looking better," he said, stepping out to join them on the porch. "I brought you some water.""Thank you," Tiana said, taking the cup from him. The water tasted cold and refreshing, and it helped clear her head, what little good that did at the moment."I'll leave you two alone," Eudora said and stepped back inside.Tiana had a feeling her mother was going to give Naveen's parents some sort of lecture about how they couldn't talk to Tiana that way, royalty or not. Part of Tiana wanted to see it, but she wasn't ready to go inside yet.Naveen sat down next to her on the porch swing and took the empty cup from Tiana's hands, setting it aside. "Come here," he said gently and opened his arms to her.Tiana gladly rested her head on his shoulder as his arms circled around her, holding her tight. It felt so nice to be in his arms like this. Naveen was very good at hugging, and she'd missed that so much when he had been gone. Now all Tiana had to do was make sure he never left like that again.He peppered her with kisses as he rubbed her back softly. "Are you alright, my love?" he asked quietly after a moment.Tiana sighed and nestled herself further into his embrace. "I'm alright now.""Good." He kissed her temple again. "I'm so sorry about all of that," Naveen said, resting his head on top of hers. "I didn't know about the law, and I should have. Even so, my parents shouldn't have brought it up like that. They can be very forthright, sometimes in the worst possible ways. I'm sure you've noticed by now.""Yes, I've noticed," she said.Naveen kissed her again, moving to her forehead and then her cheek. Kissing her helped keep his anger at bay, and he was angry. He was angry at his parents, angry at Maldonia, angry about this whole situation. But still, even beyond all those other feelings, Naveen was also growing afraid.Even though his parents still hadn't approved of their marriage, they had effectively given Tiana a choice - him, or her restaurant. Every scenario that ran through his head only made him tremble more with fear.Could he really live with himself if Tiana gave up her dream for him? Every day he would have to face the knowledge that such an important part of her hopes and dreams would be gone. Yes they would be together, but at what cost?Then on the other hand, after knowing what it was like to live without her, Naveen felt like he might die if he had to do that for the rest of his life. Of course he would be happy that her dream was fulfilled, but there would always be a part of him that would wish he could have helped her get there.It was a horrible feeling of deja vu. He had felt this way when they were still frogs. That night on the riverboat when he had wanted to propose to her. Their circumstances were much different now than they had been, and yet the promise Naveen had made to her that night echoed in his head. 'I promise, I will do whatever it takes to make your dream come true.'He couldn't break that promise. Much as it pained him, he knew he had to let her go. Even the thought was heartbreaking, and he felt his breath grow shaky as he breathed in to speak. But breathing in this close to her meant breathing her in as well. The scent of her drove him crazy, and Naveen shivered with longing.He had dreamt of her for so long, how was he supposed to say goodbye? This was even worse than when he had left before, as he knew for sure that this was the end. Naveen kissed her cheek again, letting his lips linger longer that he probably should have. But he needed to savor every moment.At last he drew another breath. "Tiana, I love you so much," he said softly and stroking her hair. "But I could never ask you to give up your dream."Tiana tried to pull back, but Naveen held her firm against his chest. Much as he wanted to look at her beautiful face, he was afraid of what he would find there. It seemed easier to talk without looking at her."And with this law…" Naveen cleared his throat and swallowed hard. He was getting choked up. Taking another shaky breath he continued. "I don't know if there is a way around it.""Naveen." Tiana successfully pulled back this time, but Naveen avoided her gaze, still unable to look at her."Please Tiana, don't talk me out of this. It's hard enough as it is." His voice was shaky now too.Tiana clutched his hands. "Naveen, no!"He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them sweetly. "I don't know how we can be together and for you to have your dream," he said. A tear escaped and Naveen brushed it away quickly. "I couldn't live with myself knowing I'd taken it away from you."Tiana cupped his face and turned him towards her, but when his eyes still wouldn't meet hers, she brought their lips together instead.If the kiss surprised Naveen he didn't show it, and soon their hands were clutching each other as the kiss intensified, full of the desire they had held at bay for so long. It felt so wonderful to be kissing her this way. Naveen wanted to go on kissing her forever, he wanted to pull her into his lap and hold her tight, he wanted to lie her down and make love to her right then and there.He wanted to do many things, but none of them involved Tiana breaking their kiss. When she did just that Naveen cried out and tried to pull her back, but she only came close enough to touch her forehead to his.Breathing hard, Naveen finally met Tiana's gaze."Do you remember," she said, breathless, "what I said to you before midnight on Mardi Gras?"Naveen tried to catch his breath as he combed through his memories. Mardi Gras seemed like years ago, but then it started to come back. Mardi Gras was when the night they tried to break the spell, and he had been going to kiss Charlotte to do it."You told me you loved me," Naveen whispered, trembling at the memory of that first time she had said those words to him. Of all the times she had said it since.Tiana nodded and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I also said that my dream isn't complete without you in it," she said. "I meant it then, and I mean it now.""Oh, Tiana."She kissed him again, loving the way he kissed her back. "I think we can both agree that these past six months have been torture."Naveen huffed out a short laugh. "That's putting it mildly.""I can't go through that again."He nuzzled against her softly. "Me either."I can't give up my dream though.""I told you, I would never-"Tiana placed a finger over his lips. "I know."Naveen kissed her finger, her palm, her wrist, making her shiver despite the hot humid air. "So what do you propose we do then?""I don't know exactly," Tiana said, giggling as Naveen started kissing up her arm. "I don't know enough about Maldonia to say for certain. But I think we'll have to fight for it. For us, and for the restaurant. If you're willing, that is."Naveen had kissed his way up to her neck now, and had wrapped his arms around her again. "Always, my love," he whispered against her skin, making her shiver again. "I've lied awake so many nights, thinking of you and imagining our future. Building your dream together has always seemed to magical to me." He kissed her neck again. "I want that so much. I want it so much more than I can possibly say, but," he pulled back to look her in the eyes, "do you really think we can do it?"Tiana smiled and cupped his cheek. "We've survived everything else the world has thrown at is.""The Shadow Man," Naveen offered."A curse," Tiana replied."Kedar.""So I think we can survive this too," Tiana said.Naveen smiled at her. God he loved this woman."Ever since we got that first letter from your parents and through these past six months I've felt so frustrated because I didn't know how to go forward," Tiana said. "All this stuff with your parents and Maldonia…. There's so much about it that I don't know."Naveen laughed to himself. She wasn't the only one here who didn't know much about Maldonia."But now we know what's in our way," Tiana continued. "It's not abstract anymore, and we can figure a way around it." She laughed softly. "I haven't the slightest idea how, but for the first time in a long time I'm feeling confident, and I don't know about you, but I'm going to hold onto that feeling."He brushed his lips with hers in a soft kiss. "You're right," Naveen said. "You're absolutely right." He kissed her again, he couldn't stop himself. "We can do anything as long as we are together. I know we can get my parents on our side, and then they'll have to see how ridiculous that law is."Once more he brought their lips together. And then once more, and then once more after that.Tiana giggled into his kisses, smiling all the while. It was so good to have him back. "I love you, Naveen.""I love you, too."She had wrapped her arms around his neck and was now twirling his curls around her finger. "Do you think it's time we headed back inside?""I suppose," he said with a sigh. "Though I would much rather stay out here."Tiana giggled again. "Me too."They sat in silence for a moment, then Tiana said, "My Mama's probably gonna kill us if we stay out here much longer though.""Oh." Naveen reluctantly stood and held out his hand to Tiana. "Sounds like we'd better go inside, then."When they walked back inside, the air was tense, though Tiana was glad to see her prediction about Eudora's lecture to Naveen's parents seemed to have come true. They both had sheepish looks on their faces, while Eudora gave her a sly smile. If Tiana had to guess, she would say that this was the first time the king and queen had ever been scolded in such a way. Tiana was definitely going to ask her mother what she had said to them later.Sunil cleared his throat after they sat back down. "Tiana, let me begin -"But Tiana held up her hand to stop him. "I would like to say something."Sunil gestured for her to continue.Under the table, Naveen took Tiana's hand and gave her a squeeze."Naveen and I are very much in love, and we want to be married" she said simply. "But you knew that already. The whole reason you came all this way is to see if I'll be a good match for Naveen and a good princess for Maldonia, and I understand that."I may not know what it takes to be a good princess, but I want you to know that I'm willing to learn. I told you before that I'm not afraid of the responsibility, and I meant that. I'm also not afraid to work hard and fight for what I believe in."Tiana took a deep breath. She wasn't used to this much attention from so many people. But the looks from her mother and Naveen were encouraging so she continued. "I've been working hard for my restaurant my whole life. One of the reasons I love Naveen so much is that he understands just how important my dream is to me."Naveen brought Tiana's hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "Ammi, Baba…. I could never ask Tiana to give up her dream.""But we need each other," Tiana said."So what are you saying?" Idhal asked."We want to be married," Tiana started."And have Tiana's restaurant," Naveen finished.Sunil sighed. "Son, the law-""I know, Baba," Naveen interrupted. "But you've said it yourself that laws must be updated to stay relevant. Maybe it's time this one changed.""Hmm," Sunil stroked his mustache. "Of all the things I've said over the years about laws, I never expected you to actually listen.""We're not saying that the solution has to be found tonight," Tiana offered. "But this is what Naveen and I have decided we want.""It's what we need," Naveen clarified.Tiana caught Eudora's eye, and was pleased to find her mother beaming with pride.Idhal gave a soft sigh as she sat back in her chair. "Well, this certainly makes things more interesting."Sunil was smoothing down his mustache again. "I think…." he paused, and all their eyes turned to him. "I think it is an admirable goal."Tiana could have jumped for joy but she didn't want to let go of Naveen's hand, which was now gripping hers tighter than ever."But I warn you," Sunil continued, "changing a Maldonian law is a complicated process, and nothing passes without my approval." He gave Tiana and Naveen each a long look. "I wish you the best of luck, but my mind is not easily swayed.""Would some dessert help?" Tiana asked before she could think that maybe it wasn't a good idea to joke about this kind of thing.Luckily Sunil laughed heartily. "It certainly doesn't hurt," he said, and smiled at her with a twinkle in his eyes.The rest of the dinner went by smoothly much to Tiana's pleasant surprise. Everyone seemed to enjoy her beignets, especially Naveen of course. He snuck her back into the kitchen to kiss her with his lips covered in sugar. Man catching beignets, indeed.It wasn't long after dessert that Ravi curled up on the easy chair and fell asleep. This seemed to signal the end of the party. The royal family said their thanks and wished Tiana and Eudora goodnight. Then Sunil gathered his youngest son in his arms and carried him to the car that was idling outside."Wait are we really leaving?" Naveen asked, glancing from his family to Tiana. He certainly didn't want to leave just yet."Ravi is asleep, darling," Idhal said, as she went through the door, "and we don't want to wake him. Say your goodnights, but don't dawdle please.""But-""Naveen," Sunil whispered. "Five minutes. And I'm counting."Ugh. This was so embarrassing. He felt like a child. But five minutes was five minutes, and after his parents stepped off the porch, Naveen took Tiana back in his arms and kissed her tenderly. It was so lovely to kiss her like this."Tonight wasn't too terrible, was it?" he asked."Well, you're here and that's all that mattered to me," Tiana replied.He had to kiss her for that."I wish I didn't have to go," Naveen whispered, holding her close. "Even with this dinner party I feel like I hardly got to spend time with you." There was still so much he wanted to do and to say with her."I know what you mean." Her fingers twirled his hair again, and it made Naveen's insides squirm in the best possible way. "I have a feeling it's going to be harder to spend time together like we used to. At least for a little while."Naveen gave her a soft smile, happily remembering all those times spent together, nights on the porch where they kissed, or dancing at the Paradise where they would kiss, or cooking lessons where he would sneak in some kisses too. Surely not all of that would be put on hold with his parents here, right? But Naveen could hear the engine idling outside and he could easily picture his father looking at his watch counting down the seconds before he would come and drag Naveen away.It seemed Tiana had a point, and yet Naveen wondered."I do have an idea," he said, lowering his voice and giving her a wicked grin."Uh oh," she said with a smile on her face. "What is it?""What would you think if I came to see you tonight?""What?!" Tiana exclaimed, then immediately covered her mouth with her hand. She glanced around to make sure no one heard her, but Eudora was in the kitchen washing the dishes, and everyone else was still outside. She came in closer to Naveen and whispered, "Are you crazy?""Crazy for you," Naveen whispered back and kissed her nose.Tiana shivered. "But … how? I can't let you in the front door!""There is still the trellis below your window, yes? I can climb up that way," Naveen said. "I'll throw some pebbles at your window to let you know I am there, and you can let me in.""You really are crazy," Tiana said with a laugh, but the idea of it was so tempting. To be alone with Naveen in her room after all this time… how many times had she imagined just this exact scenario? And yet now that it was here in front of her it felt incredibly naughty. Not naughty enough to say no, though.Still, she couldn't resist teasing him.Tiana leaned into his embrace and raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought we weren't going to do this type of thing, hmm? What happened to not sneaking around and doing things properly?""I was a fool when I said that," Naveen whispered to her. "I want you, Tiana. I've hardly been able to sleep for want of you. But we don't have to do anything like that if you are feeling unsure." He kissed her again, lightly this time. "I just want to spend some time with you where we can be alone and not have to worry about anyone else. I've missed you so much.""I've missed you too," Tiana said. She cupped his cheek and kissed him softly on the mouth. "You know, Mama is a heavy sleeper."Naveen perked up. "Is that a yes?"Tiana bit her lip and glanced around again. "What time can you be here?"Naveen grinned widely. He wanted to kiss her again and again, but the five minutes were almost up. Besides, there would be plenty of time for that later. "I don't know exactly," he said. "I have to wait until my parents go to bed, and then I'll need to wait longer to make sure they are asleep. That, unfortunately, can take some time. Ammi, well, she gets restless, especially after long journeys."Tiana's face fell, but Naveen kissed her. The headlights on the car flashed. It was time for him to go."Look, I don't want you waiting up for me all night," Naveen said quickly."I would though," Tiana said.Naveen kissed her again. "I know." He tucked a curl behind her ear. "If I'm not here by one o'clock then I wasn't able to come. Not for lack of trying, mind you."The lights flashed again, and Naveen kissed Tiana once more. "I love you, Tiana. I'll see you tonight.""I'll be waiting."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Of course the one night that Tiana didn't want to have a long lengthy chat with her mother was the same night Eudora didn't want to leave her side. Normally Tiana loved talking with Eudora, and she did need to pick apart the evening with her - had she done okay with Naveen's parents? What did she think of them? What exactly did Eudora tell them when Tiana was out of the room?But the clock kept ticking and Naveen's promise that he would return to her this evening was making Tiana antsy. She wished they had come up with more exact time frame for his arrival. Yes she knew what the deadline was (one o'clock seemed stamped upon her brain), but she didn't know what time it was possible he could start to arrive.Just when was the king and queen's normal bedtime? It wasn't long after nine thirty, but that wasn't an unreasonable time to go to bed especially after a long day like today. What if they had already fallen asleep and Naveen was on his way over right now, and she and Eudora were still awake in the living room?Eudora would, of course, hear Naveen's pebbles on her window and their private plans for the evening would be out in the open. Would Eudora understand, or would she take away their blessing? Tiana took a deep breath and reminded herself that none of that had actually happened. Yet. Just to be on the safe side, though, Tiana figured she might as well hurry her mother along to bed.Stretching her arms over her head, Tiana let out a long yawn."I don't know about you, Mama, but I'm exhausted.""You poor thing," Eudora said with a soft smile. "It's been a long day for you, hasn't it?" She kissed her daughter's cheek. "Why don't you head on upstairs and get some sleep.""You're not tired?" Tiana asked, feeling her heart rate spike."I'm beat," Eudora replied, "but I wanted to finish up a few of these hemlines before turning in."Oh no. Knowing her mother, Eudora could be up for hours then. Whenever she said she just wanted to work on hemlines it always turned into something bigger."Are you sure you want to do that?" Tiana asked. "Didn't you just tell me last week how working this late hurts your eyes?"Eudora dismissed Tiana's concerns with a wave of her hand. "It's only a few hems. I could do them blindfolded if I had to." She gave Tiana a kiss on the cheek, and scooted her towards the stairs. "Don't you worry about me. But you need your rest."Tiana spent the next forty five minutes in a constant state of panic. She had quickly gotten ready for bed, lest her mother figure out Tiana's real plans for the evening, and then she lay frantic in bed listening for any sound of Naveen outside, and hoping that Eudora would finish up soon.At last Tiana heard the tell tale signs of Eudora coming upstairs and getting ready for bed herself. It wasn't soon after that, if Tiana listened carefully, she could hear the gentle rhythmic sound of her mother snoring softly in the next room.Tiana could at last relax. They would be safe from her mother. Unless they made too much noise, but Tiana wasn't worried about that. Eudora could fall asleep within seconds anywhere and not wake for anything. It was a trait she had passed along to Tiana, who had on multiple occasions found herself sleeping standing up at Cal's on those slow night shifts.Only tonight, Tiana definitely didn't want to accidentally fall asleep and miss Naveen somehow. But she didn't think she'd be falling asleep anytime soon. As exhausted as she felt, underneath it all was the growing buzz of desire for Naveen's touch and his kisses.Her mind wandered, as it so often did, towards the more intimate letters he had sent to her. A shiver went down Tiana's spine as she recalled the words she had memorized long ago. She clutched absently at her bedsheets, wondering. Just how intimate were they going to be tonight? How many of Naveen's letters were finally going to come true?She felt ready for anything that would (or wouldn't) happen that evening. No matter which scenario went through her mind - from just holding each other and talking to full on making love (the latter was a little hazy in her mind, as Tiana still didn't know all the particulars) - there was one constant thread that tied them all together. She wanted him.Yes she wanted to kiss him and hold him and...so on, but Naveen was right earlier. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and today hadn't been what she had imagined. It would be nice to just be with him, no matter what happened.If only he would get here.Tiana sighed and glanced over at her bedside clock for what felt like the millionth time. Time seemed to be moving altogether too fast, and yet dragging on at the same time. It felt like she had been waiting in this room for months (though Tiana supposed in a few ways she had been), and still it wasn't even midnight yet.She reached over to the window next to her bed and tapped her fingernails on the glass, as if recreating the sound of pebbles on her window could make him appear faster. Anything to keep her mind from wandering back to Naveen's letters.Except trying to not think of them only made her think of them, and then her stomach flipped imagining Naveen's touch on her skin. His fingers slipping underneath her nightgown…Her nightgown. Tiana sighed fingering the plain fabric between her own fingers. She wished she had something different to wear than her boring old practical nightgown. Tiana had never given it a second thought until tonight.It had always seemed perfectly fine to Tiana, but when she changed into it earlier she realized just how shapeless it was, and how it covered everything. It was hardly the nightgown to inspire the night of unbridled passion that Tiana was growing so desperately to want.She imagined what it would be like to wear more revealing negligee in front of Naveen, and what kind of reaction that would get from him. Then she'd be the one seducing him for a change. The blush that flooded her cheeks came hard and fast, but still, Tiana shivered in delight at the thought.If only he would come.Another glance at the clock, but Tiana's heart sank. Only five minutes until one o'clock. What could have kept him away? Surely he would be trying his hardest to come to her. He wanted to be together as much as she did, right? 'If I'm not there by one o'clock I wasn't able to come. Not for lack of trying, mind you.'The clock ticked steadily on until it finally hit one. Tiana felt like she might weep. Damn that clock and damn the rest of the world too. None of this was fair! All they wanted was to be together, so then why was everything trying to pull them apart?Tiana turned to her side in a huff, feeling her anger and sadness mix in with her ongoing desire. The whole idea of this one o'clock deadline was so that Tiana wouldn't stay up all night, but how was she supposed to sleep with everything so pent up inside her?She wanted to throw that damn clock out the window. The stupid thing wasn't even ticking right anymore. There were extra ticks in there now, and they weren't even regular.Wait. Tiana sat up with a gasp and scooted over to the windowsill and threw open the curtains. There, down below was Naveen, ready to throw another pebble at her window. When he saw her at the window, he grinned up at her.Tiana quickly opened up the window. "What are you doing here?" she whispered as loud as she dared."I told you I would come."Tiana shivered, either from the fresh night air or the sound of his voice, she didn't know. She didn't care either. "You're late, you know. It's past one o'clock."Naveen tossed the handful of pebbles to the side and brushed his hands together. "You almost sound disappointed," he teased. "I thought you might still be awake, so I took the chance. But if you are too tired, I can always go back to the hotel."He took a playful step in the opposite direction and Tiana had to stop herself from shouting."Don't you dare," she whispered loudly.Much to her relief, Naveen immediately turned and came back below her window, laughing softly as he did so."Hurry up and get in here, mister. I've missed you too much to wait any longer.""As you wish, princess."Naveen climbed up the trellis carefully pulling himself up. When he was just about level with the windowsill, Tiana surprised herself by grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss.Naveen moaned and happily returned the kiss, climbing clumsily the rest of the way through the window, giggling softly as he fell gracelessly inside and onto Tiana's bed. Once safely inside though, they quickly lost themselves in each other as their kisses grew frantic and deeper.Naveen moved himself on top of Tiana and his hands and his kisses were suddenly everywhere. Chills of delight traveled over her body, all heading toward the bundle of throbbing sensation between her thighs.He kissed her cheeks and her neck while his hands cupped and kneaded her breasts. When he moved down and kissed her breasts over the thin fabric of her nightgown, Tiana had to stop herself from crying out. It was all escalating so fast, faster than even her imagination had taken her, but it felt so good that she was never going to stop him.He kissed his way back up to her lips, but his hands moved lower, down the plane of her abdomen as if her desire was calling out to him. Though maybe in a way it was.When his hand slipped under her nightgown, Tiana gasped, and then moaned as he cupped her mound and then push her undies aside as his fingers pressed and parted the folds where she wanted him most, exploring in delicious strokes and slides.Tiana had taken hold of his shirt again, pulling him in close as they kissed, lost to the sensation of it all. There was nothing else but this moment, these feelings of his touch and his kiss. She couldn't part with any of it, not for anything, not even to breathe.His fingers curled inside her, and his thumb brushed against her sensitive nub, and that's when the pleasure that had been building so swiftly burst in her, pure and bright and sweeter than anything she'd ever felt before. There was nothing else in that moment, just the pleasure of it all. Just Naveen.It was then that Tiana remembered to breathe, and she unwillingly broke the kiss, still holding tight to Naveen shirt as she panted and felt a marvelous throbbing between her legs . He eased his hand from her and moved to the side, bringing her with him and holding her tight to his body, pressing light kisses along her chin and neck as he did so."Are you alright, Tiana?" he whispered, once her breathing had somewhat returned to normal. He chuckled softly as he pressed another kiss to her neck. "That was pretty fast."Panting, and still out of breath Tiana flushed even as his kisses sent more waves of pleasure through her. She was trembling slightly, and her mind was all a glow, and maybe that's why she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind."It's because I've been fantasizing about you for the past six months," she said, then blushed again. Had she really said that? She hid her face in Naveen's chest, too embarrassed to look at him, and yet she felt giddy for saying it. Or was that the aftershocks that were still coursing through her body? Either way, it was true, so why should she hide it from him?Tiana also had no doubt that Naveen would appreciate hearing how much she had thought about him, and when he moaned against her neck, low and soft, it only confirmed it for her. The sound he made was familiar, but somehow obscene and inviting at the same time. It was the groan of a man who had tasted something delicious and that something was her.He pulled back to look at her with those bedroom eyes of his and gave her a lopsided grin. "So what kind of things did this Fantasy Naveen do, hmm?"Tiana felt another blush rush up to her cheeks. Her skin was dark enough that it could hide her blushes most of the time, and so she was thankful now that they were in the dark so it would be completely hidden from him. She shouldn't have said anything, but now it was too late. Despite how much she loved and trusted Naveen, and even after everything they had just done, Tiana felt embarrassed to share her fantasies with him.She lowered her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know," Tiana said softly.Naveen inched closer to her, and playfully nudged his nose against hers, turning her face back towards him. "It's alright, Tiana," he whispered. "You can tell me. It'll be our secret." He pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. "Tell me. Please."Tiana bit her lip as Naveen held her against his body while he kissed her, waiting for her answer. She could feel him pressed against her, especially that stiffness between his legs. It felt bigger than she would have thought, but then again the only thing close to a naked man Tiana had ever seen were those greek statues that Lottie had on her lawn. She and Lottie had giggled plenty over those statues as girls, but now Tiana was beginning to think those weren't the most accurate depictions of men, especially below the belt.Or maybe it was. What did she know, after all? She shivered though, at what she did know, wondering what it would be like to have Naveen hard inside her, where his fingers had been. If his fingers could work such magic on her, she was almost afraid of what else he could wring from her.There her thoughts went again. She had never ever had such dirty thoughts before Naveen, and lately she couldn't seem to stop. Maybe it would be good to share them with him. After all, hadn't he shared his with her in all of those letters? It was only fair... right?Tiana pulled back from the kiss and pressed their foreheads together. She whispered so softly, even as close as Naveen was he had to strain to hear her. "I imagined you and me...together. Alone.""Where?" Naveen breathed. "Where were we?""Here.""In bed?""Yes."Naveen kissed her, his tongue running across her lip encouragingly. "And did this Fantasy Naveen pleasure you?"She nodded against him. "Yes.""How?"Tiana closed her eyes, but didn't pull away. How to describe it? "By...doing what we just did," she eventually settled on. "And the things you wrote about in your letters."Now it was Naveen's turn to shiver. He pulled her closer and whispered, "Did this Fantasy Naveen pleasure you with his mouth? Because Real Naveen wants to do that very much."Tiana gasped softly and opened her eyes. The expression on Naveen's face was full of earnestness and need, and Tiana knew her own face mirrored his, even as her knowledge on the subject at hand was nil.Naveen had written to her many times about using his mouth, but it had been hard enough to write to him explaining that she didn't know what to do in the main act of making love, so how could she also tell him that she was just as naive about this?It must be more kisses, she supposed, which were always okay in her book, especially right now when they were pressed so close together. The echoes of her earlier pleasure still flooded through her veins, and Tiana would welcome anything he wanted to do to her.She nodded and Naveen grinned before planting a swift kiss on her lips."I think you'll like this, Tiana," he whispered, moving his body so it was once again covered her. He nuzzled against her jaw and ear, pressing soft kisses to her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her lips. "But if you don't like it, that is okay too.""Okay," Tiana breathed. His lips were hitting every sensitive part of her neck, and then as he began to kiss lower along her nightgown, her pulse quickened. This was already going differently than she expected but it was nice and she wanted more."You just have to tell me and I'll stop," Naveen said, kissing over her breasts now, and then lower to her quivering stomach. "You can say 'Naveen, I don't like this, please stop', or 'Naveen let's do something else', or just 'stop', and I will.""Okay," she said again. He had now moved more fully between her thighs and was kissing his way to up to her knee. The stubble of his beard scraped against her sensitive skin, making her tremble with desire.Naveen smiled softly as he kissed one knee and then the other. "You look confused and slightly terrified," he said calmly. "Are you alright? Do you wish for me to stop?""No, I…." Tiana licked her lips and struggled for the right thing to say. "When you say that you're going to use your mouth," she blushed again but continued, "what exactly do you mean?"Naveen gave her that naughty smile that made her insides squirm. "I mean that I want to kiss and lick you, until you cry out with pleasure," he said, lowering his voice so it was nice and husky. To emphasize his point, he moved his hand back between her legs and cupped her once more, making Tiana gasp."Wait. There?!" Now this was all making sense, and Tiana couldn't believe how naive she had been. But the thought of kissing someone there had never even occurred to her, so how was she supposed to know?Naveen let out a low chuckle and bent over her, slowly rubbing her all the while which had her squirming with anticipation and nerves. "Mhmm." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "What did you think I meant?""I don't know," Tiana admitted, with a slight laugh. Any other thought she had on the subject had vanished with this new and exciting possibility in front of her."Does this change your mind about things?" He asked, kissing her dimple.Tiana gasped again. His kisses and his touches were amping her up again, hardly leaving her in a state to think rationally, but when it came to matters like this, maybe she didn't need to. She shivered, thinking of all the ways he made her feel when he kissed her normally. How much better would it feel when he kissed her there."No, it doesn't," Tiana answered after a moment.Naveen pulled back. "You still want to?" he asked, a hint of a smile on his face.Tiana cupped his cheek. "Yes. If you do.""Oh, Tiana." Naveen let out a shaky breath and rubbed their noses together. "I'm desperate to taste you."She kissed him. "What do I need to do?""You don't have to do anything, love," he answered. "I'll take care of everything. Just lie back and relax." Naveen kissed her forehead, her nose, and then finally her lips. "Though you should make sure that you are quiet. Much as I want to make you scream in ecstasy, now doesn't seem like the best time for that."Tiana giggled as he kissed his way down her body again. "Okay. I can be quiet.""But still talk to me, okay?" Naveen stopped his kisses and waited until she looked directly at him. "I want to know what you like, or don't like. I want to know everything. Will you promise me that?""Yes, I promise.""Alright, then." He was back between her legs again, kissing one thigh and then the other. This time he was kissing down towards her center. "Are you feeling relaxed? Are you…. comfortable?"The way he said that word sent Tiana down a rabbit hole of memories. Lord, the first time he had talked that way to her, they had been frogs and she had kicked him away. Now she felt like she might die if he didn't keep touching her."Very comfortable," she told him, and reached for his head and stroked his cheek, partly wishing he would just get on with it. She was feeling relaxed but the longer he took, the more nervous she was getting."Good," he said, giving her another kiss. "Though perhaps we can make you more comfortable?"Tiana raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant, but it all became clear as his hands slid further under her nightgown and he fiddled with the waist of her underwear."How about we lose these, hmm?"Tiana didn't know what to think. Taking off her undergarments was a whole new level of naughtiness compared to everything else they had done, or everything else they were about to do. Though, was it really naughtier than having Naveen's face between her thighs? Would it really be so terrible to do something like this with her own husband? Because yes, they were married after all, even if no one else seemed to think so."Okay," Tiana said, even as her cheeks burned.She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side as Naveen began to slide her underwear down and off. She was much too embarrassed to look Naveen in the eyes, though she did lift her hips a little to help with their removal. Then she heard the soft thump of her underwear hitting the floor, and Tiana knew the deed was done. At least she wasn't completely naked, she told herself. She still wore her nightgown, though it was feeling thinner than usual. So much for being the one to seduce him for a change.Naveen started kissing his way down her thighs again, switching between them as he got lower and lower. Even though this was the same skin he had been kissing before, the fact that she no longer had her underwear on made everything feel different, and more intimate."You're so beautiful, Tiana," Naveen said softly against her skin.Tiana let out a soft whimper as she felt his hot breath against her skin. His fingers touched her lightly. She knew now that he was teasing her, and it was torture."Naveen. Please," she begged, trembling as she did so.He set his mouth to her at last.Tiana gasped loud, too loud, and sprang forward sitting up straight."What is it?" Naveen asked, coming up for air. Tiana immediately covered her mouth with her hands and Naveen gathered her to his chest. They both stared at the door breathing hard while trying to be quiet. Had they been too loud? Where they going to get caught?Naveen counted to twenty, and then fifty, but still no sound could be heard other than their frantic breathing. He let out a shaky breath and nuzzled against her hair. "What was that you said about being quiet?"She giggled softly into his chest. "Sorry."He kissed her, open mouthed, gently teasing. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?""No," she said with a smile. "It was nice. Really really nice."He pressed her back down onto the bed, kissing her again. "Do you want me to continue?""Yes please.""Then you must be quiet, my love. We musn't be heard."Tiana nodded. She could do it. She could be quiet. She could do anything so long as he touched her like that again.Naveen wasted no time. His mouth consumed her like fire, his tongue stroking in long, slow licks, curling in a slick promise at the hard center of her pleasure. His touch was lewd, and lascivious, and lovely all at once, and Tiana found she couldn't get enough of it.Her hands searched for him. Finding his soft hair, her fingers curled against him, and she gasped his name.He lifted his mouth from her. "Do you like it?""Oh god yes," she panted. "Don't stop. Please."He laughed, low and soft in the dark. "As you demand, my princess." And he set his mouth to her again.Tiana bit her lip to keep from crying out, as he licked, long and slow and devastating. She lifted her hips to meet his remarkable mouth, not caring that the action could be called nothing but wanton. She did want.She needed.And he gave without purchase. He set his tongue to the hard bud at the top of her, working until she gasped his name again."Shh." He spoke directly to the core of her, the rush of air making her wild. "Be careful."The words did nothing but excite her further, and it grew worse as he teased and tempted with his tongue. When he set his mouth to her, she widened her thighs and lifted herself to him. Biting back the cries that came again and again as he pressed more firmly, giving her everything she desired.She rocked against him, and then the tension inside of her released, in a glorious, wicked sensation, and she forgot everything but him, and his strong grip, and his wonderful mouth.When the pleasure crested, breaking over her, breaking her, it was Naveen who held her together, letting her explore all the corners of pleasure without hesitation. Any embarrassment she had felt earlier was gone. Now there was only the pleasure, and Naveen. Always Naveen.He kissed his way back up her trembling body and settled by her side once more. He wrapped his arms around her tight, and Tiana curled into his heat. He cupped her head and held it to his chest and kissed her temple softly. As she lay in his arms and breathed him in, Tiana didn't think she had ever felt more loved in her life.It was all too much for her, and she sniffed as tears sprang from her eyes."Tiana, are you alright?" Naveen pulled back and brushed away her tears with his thumb."Yes," she sniffed and smiled. "I've never felt better in my life.""Then why are you crying, love?""Because I'm happy." She cupped his cheek, stroking along his chin. "Naveen, I'm just so glad you're back." She sniffed again, even as she smiled. "I missed you so much."He pressed a light kiss to her lips. ""I missed you too." Naveen pulled her back to his chest and gently stroked her hair. "I thought of you so often, when I was away. You were always in my mind, and my heart." He kissed her temple and whispered softly into her hair. "Can you forgive me for taking so long to come back to you?""There's nothing to forgive," Tiana said. "Even though it was hard, I think you needed to go back. There were a lot of loose ends that needed tying up." Tiana sighed softly. "There still are."Then it was Naveen's turn to sigh. Pressed up against Tiana like this, the last thing he wanted to do was to talk about all that stood in the way of their happily ever after. But they had to figure it all out if they wanted future nights like this one, and Naveen wanted that very much.Still, maybe they could postpone it for just a little longer. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and nuzzled against her. "Are you sure you want to talk about this now?""No," she whispered, nuzzling back. Then she laughed a little under her breath. "But I think I need a break from… well… you know."Naveen chuckled as he kissed her. Oh, he knew.Her fingers traced along his neck and down to his tie. Even knowing little about men's fashion, Tiana could tell it was an expensive tie just by the way the fabric felt between her fingers. The tie wasn't as interesting as the man wearing it, though.Now she could really feel him, pressed up against each other as they were. She pressed her hand flat to his chest, marveling at the heat she could feel even through his shirt. What would it be like to kiss his bare skin there? Would he like it? Judging by the way he murmured softly as she ran her hands there, he would like it very much. Tiana thought she would rather enjoy it herself.Tiana bit her lip, giving him fleeting glances as her hands went back to his tie. "Unless you want to…." She didn't know how to finish that sentence. Instead, she pulled at his tie, loosening it just enough to get to the top button of his shirt.Naveen's breathing was getting shallower now. He pressed against her again, and Tiana could have sworn she felt him twitch."That's you, isn't it?" Tiana asked. There was no need to clarify what she was asking about. She popped open the top button, making him gasp softly.Naveen licked his lips. "Yes," he breathed. "As I said before, I am… very happy to see you again."Tiana pressed a kiss to his lovely collar bone, and she knew he was trying to stifle his moan. It was wonderful to hear, and slightly alluring knowing just a simple kiss could make him act like this.She pressed her hand against his chest again, but this time she ran it slowly downward, towards his quivering stomach."Do you want me to….?" She didn't know exactly what she was asking, but she was willing, and she trusted Naveen to show her what to do."Oh god yes," he whispered. But he covered her hand with his own and stopped her in her tracks. Holding it tightly, he brought it up to his lips where he kissed it hungrily. "I've dreamt of it so often, you have no idea."If it was anything like how often her fantasies drifted that way, she did have some idea."But we can't, love," he finished."Huh?""I'm starting to remember why I wanted to wait in the first place," he said, kissing her hand once more. "It's already going to be hard to leave you and go back to the hotel, but if we start doing that, I'll never be able to tear myself away."Leave? Oh no. He would have to leave sometime, wouldn't he? Of course he would. Tiana knew that all along, and still there was some small part of her that had hoped he would be able to stay all night. Now she worried that this was his way of saying he needed to go.She stroked his cheek softly and whispered, "I'm not asking you to leave.""I know." Naveen pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I don't have to leave just yet, but it might be safer if we… avoid temptation."Naveen almost had to laugh. If he had told himself a year ago that he would be in bed with a beautiful woman trying not to make love to her… well, he wouldn't have believed it.Tiana smoothed back her hair, and gave him a shy smile. "You're right, you're right.""It's not going to be easy though, with you looking at me like that," Naveen said with a smirk."Like what?" Tiana giggled and propped herself up on her elbow. She raised an eyebrow at him, challengingly.Naveen gave an appreciative hum and reached up to her, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "You have this smile that makes you look very… satisfied." He let the last word linger on his lips, lowering his pitch and making it as husky as he could.Tiana bit her lip but didn't deny it. She playfully tugged at his tie. "What else?""Mmm, your nightgown is all wrinkled." He licked his lips, knowing there was nothing underneath. "And your hair is coming loose."It was still mostly tied back, but there were more strands loose than he had ever seen before. Oh how he wanted to untie her hair and run his fingers through every strand. He wanted to bury himself in it, and see it spread out on the pillow while he lay on top of her naked body and…This was not avoiding temptation.He needed to change the subject or he wasn't going to be able to stop himself from kissing her senseless and rolling her over on her back again."Can I ask you a question, Tiana?""Of course.""Why do you always have your hair tied back?""Oh. Um… what do you mean?" But she sat up completely and pulled all the strands that had come loose back and tied them all up again."In all this time I've known you, I've never seen your hair down," Naveen explained."Well, it's just… it's just easier to keep it out of the way when I'm cooking," Tiana said, matter of factly."But you still have it pulled back even when you aren't cooking," Naveen countered."It's.. Well…" Tiana fiddled with the hem of her nightgown, struggling with how to put it into words. But Naveen deserved to know. "With hair like mine, it gets… complicated."Naveen was sitting up now, too.Tiana took a deep breath. "I used to wear it down sometimes when I was younger. But when your hair isn't seen as the status quo…" She took another breath. "You find that there's a lot of nasty comments thrown your way, and that people don't take you as seriously, or people just try to touch it without permission."She didn't elaborate on just how bad it would get sometimes. The memories were painful, and Tiana didn't like to remember kids putting things in her hair, or forcefully pulling on it. And then of course that one time her teacher had cut her hair…Tiana glanced up to find Naveen had gone slightly pale, even in the moonlight. "Tiana, I didn't know, I-"And she realized that he must be thinking of all the times he had touched her hair. Tiana gently silenced him. "I don't mean you," she said. "I like it when you touch my hair." She gave him a shy smile. "It feels nice."Naveen sighed. "Okay.""These would be complete strangers who would just…anyway." Tiana smoothed down her nightgown and continued. "A lot of other women straighten their hair, or relax it, but I didn't want to do that. Pulling my hair back lets me keep it natural while nullifying everyone's reaction to it."She glanced anxiously at Naveen. "Bet you didn't expect such a complicated answer, huh?"He let out a nervous chuckle. "I confess, I did not. Thank you for telling me, though." Naveen kissed her cheek and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Did people really say such horrible things to you?""Yes."Naveen grunted. "Well, they are very rude, and very very wrong." He kissed her cheek again. "I hope you didn't listen to them. You know you are beautiful, yes? Every part of you.""Naveen…""It is not just me saying this, you know," he said with a grin. "This is a fact. And you know I would never lie to you.""I do know that," Tiana replied. "Thank you." She kissed him and settled back into his embrace.After a moment, Naveen tentatively asked, "Will you show me sometime?""Really?""Yes," he whispered. "It doesn't have to be now, or next week, or even after we are married, but… I would like to see. If you want to, that is. If you feel comfortable."Tiana stroked his cheek. "I will, but not now." She kissed his chin. "Gotta save something for the honeymoon, right?"Naveen chuckled. "Right.""Speaking of…" Tiana playfully tugged at his tie again. "We still haven't talked about what we're going to do about your parents and that law. We need to figure it out if we're ever going to have an actual honeymoon."Naveen sighed. "Yes, you're right." He laid down on his back on the bed and opened his arms, gesturing for Tiana to join him.He didn't have to ask twice. She happily settled down next to him and rested her head on his chest.Naveen pressed a kiss to her temple and asked, "So do you have any ideas?""Not really," Tiana admitted. "The only thing I can think of is to somehow make your parents like me enough that they'll want to change the law. But that seems unlikely.""Not necessarily," Naveen said. His fingers lightly danced over her back as he held her. "They already like you."Tiana snickered. "Even after tonight?""Oh yes, definitely," Naveen said. "There's nothing more that Baba respects than someone who speaks their mind. And it took a lot of courage to stand up to them the way you did." He kissed her temple again. "I don't think anyone has done that in years."Tiana pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You did.""I don't think that counts.""You wouldn't be here if you hadn't," Tiana pointed out."Mmm. I suppose." But he had to smile at that. He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her again."Nevertheless," Tiana said, "I don't think we can rely on this plan, if you want to call it that. We should have some other ideas. What do you know about changing Maldonian laws?""Not much, unfortunately," Naveen admitted. "I know it had to go through a council, maybe two. Then I think a chamber has to vote on it, and of course Baba has the final say.""Oh gosh," Tiana whispered. "This might be harder than we thought."Naveen hummed in agreement, and then sighed. "I'm sorry this is all so complicated.""It's not your fault.""Yes it is," he said. "If I was just plain old Naveen Mahajan instead of Crown Prince Naveen of the Royal Mahajan's of Maldonia we wouldn't have to worry about any of this. We'd probably already be married and halfway to building your perfect restaurant.""I know," Tiana said, tracing invisible patterns across his chest. She'd be lying if she hadn't thought that too. "But we have to focus on the reality of the situation, and the truth is that we don't live in that reality."He knew it, but it didn't make him feel any better. Despite their united front, and how hard he was willing to fight for the future they wanted, Naveen knew there was still a chance they couldn't change that law. But the wheels were starting to fall into place as an idea formed in his head. And then he had it.Naveen sat up abruptly with a gasp."What is it?" Tiana asked. "Did you think of something?""Yes, I-" He put his hand on his forehead and had to stop himself from breaking out into roaring laughter. That didn't stop a few chuckles from escaping anyway. "It's so simple! I can't believe I didn't think of it before!""What is it?" Tiana repeated.Naveen turned to Tiana and grabbed her shoulders in excitement. "I'll abdicate!""What?!" she gasped, a little too loudly, then covered her mouth with her hands. She turned towards the door, but it stayed safely shut. "Are you crazy?" she whispered to Naveen after a moment."No," Naveen laughed. "I've never felt more sure about anything. Except you, of course.""You can't do this," Tiana said."Why not? It will solve all of our problems.""And create about a million more," Tiana countered.Naveen tsked and waved that argument away. "No it won't.""Do you even know what it takes to abdicate? What if you need your parents permission? You know they won't let you.""It is not their decision," Naveen said. "It is mine.""So is getting married, and we've seen how that's worked out so far," Tiana said.Naveen grumbled. "Why are you fighting me on this? It is a good idea. Listen to me." He grabbed her shoulders again and looked her square in the eyes."There is a real possibility that we won't be able to change the law, and that we will have to go our separate ways, and I don't want that. I can't go through that again. I want to stay close to you, no, I need to stay close to you, no matter what, and if that means I have to give up the throne I'll do it. Because I love you."Tiana was shaking her head as her eyes glistened with tears. "Naveen, I can't ask you to do this.""You don't have to," Naveen replied. "It was my idea. I want to.""It's too much," Tiana said."It's not.""Yes it is!" Tiana wiped a stray tear away. "People have killed for that kind of power, and you just want to throw it away?"Naveen ran a hand through his hair. "Well… yes.""You can't do this," Tiana repeated."I don't understand why you're against this," Naveen argued. "This is it. This is the answer."Tiana placed her hands on his shoulders and let out a big breath. "Okay, let's take a step back. Please.""Fine.""When you say that you'll abdicate, that means you'll give up the throne, the crown, everything having to do with royalty, right?" Tiana asked."Yes, that's right," Naveen replied."That's everything you've grown up with, though," Tiana countered. "It's your whole world."Naveen cupped Tiana's chin. "You are my whole world. I never cared about any of that, and everyone knows I would be a horrible king.""I don't think that," Tiana said, truthfully. Maybe the old Naveen would have been a bad fit, but the Naveen she knew and loved would be a good and decent king. It might take a bit for him to learn all he needed to, but Tiana knew he could get there."You're sweet," Naveen smiled softly at her. "But Maldonia already doesn't care for me much. Having me on the throne would only make it worse. There will be riots in the street, the economy will crumble, and I wouldn't be surprised if the entire country collapsed. They will be much better off without me."Tiana thought that seemed extreme, even for Naveen, but she didn't know enough to argue her point. "What about your family?" she asked."What about them?""We don't know if you need your parents approval to do this. I suppose we can find that out later," Tiana added as an aside to herself. They would have to do a lot of research on this.Naveen brightened a little, thinking she was starting to go along with the idea."But you yourself have admitted your relationship with them is pretty rocky," Tiana continued. "They've already cut you off financially, what if this they cut you out completely? I don't want to be the reason you never see them again."Naveen fidgeted a little. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but there was a small part of him that didn't seem to mind that outcome. His parents always seemed to bring out the worst in him, would it really be so terrible to never have that part of himself come out again?But then he realized that he wouldn't just be cut off from his parents, he would also have cut ties with Ravi. Now that thought was heartbreaking. Lately he had begun to envision himself as a proper older brother. He wanted to help guide Ravi through life, making sure he didn't follow the same path that Naveen had. He wanted to teach Ravi to play the ukulele, and to mince, and most importantly, Naveen wanted to make sure Ravi never felt alone.Could his parents be cruel enough to take all of that away if they disapproved of Naveen abdicating? Naveen didn't even have to think about it. The answer was obviously yes.Naveen shifted again. "I'll make sure it will all work out peacefully.""But you can't guarantee that, can you?""No. I can't." Naveen sighed, and took Tiana's hands in his. "I can't guess how they'll react. I don't know if they'll be angry or, of they'll understand…. But what I do know is that it's the right decision.""How can you know that?" Tiana whispered."Because we'll have the life that we've always planned," Naveen said. "Even back in the bayou, when we were too afraid to think much of the future, we always wanted two things: to be together, and to have your restaurant. If I abdicate, we can have that life.""I know, but it still feels like too much," Tiana said. "Why should you have to give up the crown, the throne, and anything else that might come up, and I still get to keep my restaurant." She took her hands away from his and rubbed her arms.The gesture was so familiar to Naveen, and yet at the same time it broke his heart to see it again."It feels like I'm being too selfish," Tiana continued."You're not being selfish," Naveen said. He opened his arms, inviting her to come into his embrace.Tiana hesitated for a moment, but then, to Naveen's relief, she relented and settled into his arms."Is that really how you feel?" Naveen asked softly.Tiana nodded after a moment."It's not true, love," Naveen assured her. "You're not selfish at all. The two things are completely different."She stayed silent, fiddling a bit with his tie, but Naveen knew she was listening intently."Growing up, I never really wanted to be a prince," Naveen said. "Oh sure, I enjoyed all the attention it gave me, but anytime I thought about what it meant… that I would one day take my father's place and be King of Maldonia…""It's like a pit, deep inside my core." Absently, Naveen made a fist and brought it to his stomach."Sometimes if I thought about it too much, it would make me sick," Naveen admitted. "I think… I think that's why I always ran away from those types of responsibilities.""My whole life, it's been like a great shadow looming over me. To give it up… to be able to cast it aside, would almost be like a blessing. Not that I'm using our situation as a reason to do so, mind you," Naveen added quickly. "If we wanted that life, I would be doing everything I could to make myself into a better prince. You know that, yes?""Yes, I know," Tiana whispered."But I think we can both agree that it is not the path for us," Naveen said. "Why would we when you have the most beautiful dream to have ever existed?"Tiana snorted at that, and Naveen broke into a smile. "I'm serious!"She laughed again, and this time Naveen leaned down to kiss her cheek."You want to share your passion for food with the world." Naveen cupped her cheek and tilted her head towards him. "You deserve to have your dream come true."Tiana reached and cupped Naveen's cheek in turn. "You won't resent me, if you do end up abdicating?""Never.""And you wouldn't hold it over my head when we argue?""When would we ever argue?" Naveen asked."We just did," Tiana pointed out."That was not an argument. It was a spirited discussion," Naveen said, grinning when she laughed again. "But no, I won't use it in arguments. I think I can be a little more creative than that, no?"Tiana was smiling widely now. It made her eyes shine even in the moonlight. She kissed him sweetly on the lips. "I love you, Naveen.""I love you, too."They kissed again, and Naveen leaned back, taking Tiana with him until they were lying side by side on the bed once more."I'd still like to try and win your parents over," Tiana said. She was stroking his cheek now, looking deep into those lovely hazel eyes of his."If anyone can do it, you can," Naveen said, rubbing his hands along her back. "Just teach them to mince and they'll fall head over heels for you.""I did have something similar in mind," Tiana admitted."Oh really?" Naveen laughed. "What are you going to make them do?"She tapped his nose playfully. "You'll see."He kissed her in response.When they parted, Tiana smiled softly at him and smoothed back those curls that always seemed to fall into his eyes. It was so lovely to touch him like this, to be back in his arms where she belonged."If it doesn't work though," Tiana said, "or if you still want to abdicate… I'll support you with whatever it is you want to do." She smoothed back those curls again. "Lets just learn more about it first, okay?""Alright," Naveen agreed. "While you are wooing my parents, I will study up on Maldonian law." He wrinkled his nose in faux disgust. "I never thought I would say that.""It won't be so bad, will it?""I hope not," Naveen said with a sigh. "But I'll do it anyway." He stroked her cheek softly. "Anything for you."Tiana pressed a kiss to his lips, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world.Naveen gave a pleasant sigh this time, and shifted onto his back, letting Tiana rest her head on his chest again."I missed this," he said when they had settled into each other."We've never done this before," Tiana pointed out."I mean just being with you," Naveen said, stroking her hair. "Holding you like this. Talking to you. You're the only one I don't have to use a filter with. I can tell you exactly what's on my mind and in my heart."Tiana kissed his cheek. "What's in your heart now?""My heart is very, very, very, very happy.""Mine too," Tiana said, and nestled further into Naveen's chest. She closed her eyes, with no intention of falling asleep, but she must have, lulled as she was by the steady rise and fall of his chest. It could have been a few minutes or a few hours later when Naveen shook her gently."Tiana, I have to go.""What? No," she said, blinking quickly from her sleep muddled brain. It seemed like he had just gotten here. "Can't you stay a little longer?""The sun will be coming up soon," Naveen said. "Much as it pains me to leave you, I don't think I should risk it."Tiana glanced out the window, and sure enough the sky had that gray tint to it that meant the day would soon begin. She'd never been so disappointed to see the sun in her life.Now faced with this reality, Tiana knew what Naveen had meant earlier about it being too difficult to be apart after being intimate with each other. She felt tears spring to her eyes but was determined not to shed them."I don't want you to go," she said, her tears betraying her as they fell onto her cheeks."Hey now," Naveen said gently, pulling her into another embrace. "I'm just across town, remember? I'll see you again in a few hours." He kissed her cheek. "There's no need to cry.""I know, I know," Tiana said, dashing the moisture from her cheeks. "I never cried so much before I met you, you know."Naveen shifted slightly, but Tiana hugged him close. "I never laughed so much either," she finished.He brought their lips together for one last kiss. And then one more. And then another. It would be so easy to just fall back onto the bed and kiss her until eternity, and it took all of Naveen's will to tear himself away from her."I love you, mi sitara lu'seinn," he whispered."I love you too, Froggy," Tiana whispered back.Naveen snorted. "That's your pet nickname for me? You couldn't think of anything better?""What do you mean?" she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think it fits you perfectly." Tiana kissed him, even as she was giggling."I don't know what you're talking about." And then Naveen did his best to imitate a frog's ribbit, which sounded more realistic than he would have thought. Still, it had the desired effect of making Tiana laugh.She muffled her giggles into his chest, and Naveen held her, muffling his own laughter into her neck."I'm so glad you're back," Tiana said, once her giggling was under control. "Did I already tell you that?""You may have mentioned it once or twice."She pressed another kiss to his lips. "Well it's true.""I never doubted you."He kissed her again, but the sound of birdsong outside brought him back. Time was running out. "I really need to get going.""Okay," Tiana said, tracing a finger along his chin. "I'll see you later though, right?""Nothing in this world could keep me away." He kissed her quickly. "I love you.""I love you, too."Another quick kiss and Naveen climbed out the window."Please don't break your neck," Tiana whispered to him as he climbed down."I'll be careful." When he was close enough to the ground, Naveen let go of the trellis and jumped landing firmly on his feet. He then took an exaggerated bow, making Tiana laugh again.She leaned on her windowsill and blew him a kiss, which Naveen caught in another exaggerated gesture. With a contented sigh, she watched him walk down the block with that confidant step of his, hands in his pockets, whistling a jaunty tune.Just before he turned the corner, she saw him jump and click his heels together.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"I still can't believe it," Naveen laughed."You doubted me?" Tiana crossed her arms and gave him a challenging smirk."No, never, but you don't know my parents like I do," Naveen continued, still laughing.It was a few days after their night together and Tiana had been hard at work on Naveen's parents. The process had been… interesting to say the least.Naveen hadn't been far off Tiana's idea when he suggested she teach them how to mince mushrooms. She wanted to get to know them in more casual settings, and also show off a little of her fun side. So when she found out Ravi's sixth birthday was coming up, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have Sunil bake the birthday cake with his young son."Do what now?" Sunil had asked, sounding so much like Naveen that it almost made Tiana laugh."Bake a cake," Tiana repeated. "I'm thinking chocolate." She turned to Ravi and smiled. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? If you help us, you can even lick the spoon."Ravi beamed. "Please Baba! Please please!" He started pulling on Sunil's shirt and falling on his knees exaggeratedly as he begged. It was impossible to say no to him.Sunil shared a tentative glance with Tiana while he helped Ravi tie an apron on. "It might not surprise you that I have never baked a cake before," he admitted.Tiana hadn't known him very long, but even she could see how difficult it was for such a powerful man to admit he didn't know how to do something. "That's alright," Tiana said. "I'll teach you."Between father and son, Tiana couldn't tell who enjoyed making the cake more, and also who made the bigger mess. She had never seen her kitchen look like such a disaster, but in the end it was worth it when Ravi got to blow out his birthday candles and they all ate the delicious cake they had made.Ravi said he had never eaten anything better, and Sunil had to agree. The king even went so far as to suggest making this an annual tradition, which made Tiana's heart jump for joy. She tried not to get ahead of herself, and wondered if this meant he wanted Tiana to be included in this as well, or if this was just something between father and son, but still, this seemed like a very good sign."First you have my father and brother to make a cake," Naveen said, still laughing. "Which was delicious by the way.""Of course it was," Tiana said. "You should have more faith in your family.""It's not that," Naveen replied. "It's just…. My father has never set foot in a kitchen in his entire life! How did you do it?"Now it was Tiana's turn to laugh. "I think it was more Ravi than me. He really wanted that cake.""Of course he did." Naveen sat back in his chair, watching Tiana fiddle with the seasonings of the lunch they were making. She really was incredible. He had tasted the red beans and rice and thought it was wonderful, but Tiana kept finding ways to make it better."Alright, fine. You can give Ravi partial credit for the cake, but you deserve the full credit for my mother," Naveen said. "Never in a million years would I have thought to see her covered in mud with a smile on her face."The idea had been to simply introduce Idhal to Tiana's vegetable garden. Well, really it was Eudora's garden, as Tiana's plants usually ended up dying, but Idhal didn't need to know that.The garden was nothing compared to what Idhal was used to in Maldonia, of course. Naveen had told Tiana just how large and majestic the gardens were around the royal castle, so small one in their backyard had to be mediocre at best. Still, Idhal was knowledgeable about plants, and had many compliments on their small garden, especially their tomatoes and okra.Tiana spotted a small weed, and casually asked if Idhal would mind pulling it. The next thing she knew, both women were kneeling in the dirt happily pulling up weeds and laughing like they had known each other for years.This good rapport she was developing with Naveen's family was exactly what Tiana had been hoping for. Now if only his parents would approve of their marriage and change the law everything would be perfect.Naveen, for his part, had immediately written to their lawyer asking about abdicating, and was expecting a response any day now."I hardly did anything," Tiana said, but she had a small smile on her face. "Your mother really seemed to enjoy herself.""I'll say.""But I think the important thing to think about is if it's working or not," Tiana said. She turned to Naveen and gave him a worried look. "What do you think?""You are certainly having an impact on them." Naveen stood from his chair and took Tiana's hands in his. "And they enjoy your company very much.""You think so?""I know so." He gave her a quick kiss, and then another. And, well, why not one more? Tiana giggled into his kisses and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was so nice to be alone like this, especially since they hardly got any of it anymore."So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Tiana asked, smoothing down his tie. She had to work the night shift so Naveen was on his own for the evening."I thought I'd take my family around town more," he said, swaying her gently in his arms. "I think Louis is going to play tonight, so we definitely don't want to miss that.""I should think not."Introducing Louis to Naveen's family was something he would never forget. Ammi's wide frightened eyes, Baba's fierce determined look, ready to jump in and rescue his family if need be. And of course Ravi's delighted face, for he had immediately fallen in love with the gator, and the feeling was adorably mutual.Louis did remarkably well with children.Watching them get along so well, inevitably led Naveen to imagine his own children playing with the gator. Immediately a warm pleasant feeling filled his heart, something he'd never really felt before meeting Tiana. Maybe it was that their future seemed easier to picture than it had ever been, but Naveen had been thinking a lot about children lately. It excited him as much as it terrified him, and he knew he needed to talk about it with Tiana.Naveen cleared his throat. No time like the present, as they say. "Tiana, could I talk to you about something?""Of course.""It is only that we haven't talked about this yet, and it's important that we do," Naveen said. He could feel his nerves start to bubble up. This wasn't good. He tried to stop himself from rambling, but the words just kept pouring out."It's nothing bad, but just important, as I said, and I think we should be on the same page, especially before we get married, and I know my parents haven't approved of anything yet but I still think we should talk about it and-""Naveen? Tiana? Are you in here?" Sunil's voice carried out from the front door.They both shared a sigh, wishing their time alone could have been a little longer. Tiana pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "We'll talk later, okay?""Alright." Naveen smiled softly. "In here, Baba," he called out."Ah, there you are," Sunil grinned coming in the door.Ravi rushed in after him. "Naveen, Naveen, look! I found a rock that looks just like Baba!""No it doesn't," Sunil fumed. "It really doesn't.""Yes it does," Idhal said, laughing as she glided into the room at last. She gave Naveen and Tiana each a kiss on the cheek. "Tiana, what do you think?"Tiana took a look, and to her delight, found it looked exactly like Sunil."Sit down, my love. I have something to tell you."Tiana's stomach dropped and she felt herself start to panic. Naveen sounded uncharacteristically sour. He could only have bad news. "What is it?" she asked. "What happened?""Nothing happened, princess," Naveen said in a calm way that immediately irritated her. "I just think you should sit down.""Did your parents decide against our marriage?" Tiana asked, trying not to become hysterical. "I thought everything was going so well!"She started to pace around the kitchen, easily avoiding Naveen's attempts to corner her and force her to sit. "They didn't even give me a chance! It's only been a few weeks! I can do better, I know I can. I can prove myself to them.""Tiana.""Now you'll have to back to Maldonia." She stopped her pacing and looked Naveen in the eyes. "I can't go through that again.""You don't have to, mi sitara lu'seinn." Naveen was finally able to place his hands on her shoulders, and he gave them a gentle squeeze. "It's nothing to do with us, or my parents or any of that.""What is it then?"Naveen could feel the tension in her shoulders as he held her. This was the first time they had to themselves in awhile and Naveen had wanted to bring up the discussion of children again, but this was more pressing. Not that it made it any easier to share with her. At least she would be able to hear it from him, instead of someone else. At least he could try to tell her gently."It's about the sugar mill.""The sugar mill?" Tiana felt herself go numb even as her anxiety started to grow again. All these months she'd tried to push aside thoughts of the sugar mill, but it was hard to pretend that the perfect building for her restaurant had never existed. The thought that someone else owned that building still didn't sit right with her. No one else could ever EVER appreciate it in the way that she could.She blindly let Naveen guide her to a seat, and he scooted his chair next to hers. Their knees touched and he took her hands gently in his."The other day, I took my family around the city, yes?" Naveen began. "I thought… I thought that even though someone else bought the sugar mill, that perhaps seeing it would help them understand your dream better. That maybe they could see just how much you've lost and how much we have to gain by pursuing it together."Tiana took a shaky breath. "So you saw it?""Yes.""Oh god." She covered her face with her hands and braced herself. "What did they do to it?"Naveen paused. Licked his lips. Wondering how best to break the news, but maybe straightforward was the best way. "Nothing," he said at last.Tiana lowered her hands and raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean, nothing?""I mean, that it's still for sale," he said, taking her hands again. "The Fenner brothers…. They lied to you."Tiana stood so abruptly, the chair she had been sitting in scooted across the room. She turned to face the window, not saying anything. Naveen had expected anger, frustration, tears, all of them equally heartbreaking, but this silence was worse than anything he had imagined.He waited, painful as it was to do so. More than anything he wanted to sweep her up in his arms and whisper comforting words in her ear. But that wasn't what she needed now, Naveen knew that. Besides, what comforting words could he offer when she had been deliberately lied to, and they had both believed that lie for months. Nothing he could say would make it better, but Naveen still watched and waited for the moment she would let him in again, where he could remind her that she wasn't in this situation alone.But she still wasn't saying anything. Her fists clenched and she was starting to shake. Naveen couldn't stand it any more. "Tiana?" he asked tentatively.This seemed to ignite her fuse. "Those lying bastards!" she screamed. "How could they do this to me? After all that hard work I did!""I know." He'd never seen her so angry before, and Naveen hated that he had brought this news to her. When he had seen the for sale sign at the sugar mill, Naveen had wanted to march straight to the Fenner brother's office and punch them both right in the noses. He didn't though. He would leave that for Tiana. Though maybe she would let him have second crack at them once she was finished."I had everything they asked for," Tiana continued, fuming. "I had the down payment. I made sure they knew that I would pay the rest on time. Do you know how many beignets I made them to soften them up to me? To make sure that they liked me and trusted me?"She didn't wait for Naveen to answer. "A lot that's how many! And they gobbled them up each time, those sons of bitches!" Tiana paced again around the kitchen, each step emphasizing her anger."And even after all that they still lied to me! They don't even have the guts to tell me the truth!" Tiana stomped. "Oh, they tried to soften the blow. Telling me a 'little woman of my background would have had my hands full running a big business like that'." Her voice changed to an unflattering imitation of Mr. Fenner's accent."Bull. Shit," she continued. "My background? My background?"Tiana was practically shrieking now. "If they'd rather lose money on an empty building, they should have the nerve to say to my face that they don't want to sell to someone like me." Angry tears were building up in her eyes."They should have said that they didn't want to sell to a woman, or to someone who is poor, or black, or…." She sniffed and covered her face with her hands. "Christ."All the anger seemed to flow out of her, and was replaced by the unfamiliar appearance of defeat. Naveen couldn't take it anymore. He stood from his seat and gathered Tiana up in his arms. "Darling, I'm so sorry.""It's not your fault," Tiana whispered, resting her head on his shoulder."It still shouldn't have happened to you." More than anything, Tiana deserved to have her dream come true. "Shall I beat them up for you?" With one arm still holding her close, Naveen punched an imaginary figure, showing off more than was probably necessary.She huffed out a small laugh, rewarding him with a sad smile. It wasn't much but he would take it. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't think that will help them change their minds about selling me the building.""You still want to buy it from them?""Lord help me, but I do." Tiana sighed and melted back into Naveen's embrace. "It's the perfect place for a restaurant, the building is just the right size, and," she sighed again. "It's what Daddy wanted too."Naveen kissed her forehead softly as the pieces fell into place. He should have guessed that James had a hand in picking this place if Tiana was fighting so hard for it."All our hopes and dreams were centered around the sugar mill for our restaurant," Tiana explained. "I've got notebooks full of detailed plans that Daddy worked out for how to fix it up and turn it into a gourmet restaurant." She sighed again. "Not that it makes any difference now.""What do you mean?""Even though the building is still for sale, I'm still in the same situation I was when I first tried to buy it," Tiana said. "Sure I've managed to save a little more than the down payment, but that won't make much of a difference to the Fenner brothers. If there's any hope for me to buy it, I'll have to offer as close to a full payment as possible."Naveen kissed her again, thinking forlornly of his inheritance. It would have paid for the sugar mill ten times over, but there was no hope of getting it back if he abdicated. And if he didn't abdicate and stayed a prince, Tiana couldn't have her restaurant.A very fine mess they were in.But then an idea popped into Naveen's head. "Oh!" he exclaimed, making Tiana jump slightly. "Let's get married!"She had to laugh. "Isn't that what we've been trying to do this whole time?""No, no, I mean…" Naveen pursed his lips in thought as he worked out how to explain his idea. "When we get married," he started, encouraged by the smile she gave him as he said 'when', not 'if', "we can have a big ceremony, yes? Invite all our family and friends?""That sounds lovely," Tiana said, cupping his cheek. "But what does that have to do with the restaurant?""When a couple gets married, they usually are given gifts, yes?" Naveen asked, grinning."I suppose so.""So…." Naveen motioned with his hands, but Tiana only shook her head. She still wasn't following."So, when we get married, we ask that people give us money for the restaurant instead of gifts," he finally explained."We can't do that," Tiana replied immediately."Why not?""Because we can't just ask people for money!" Accepting money from Naveen when he wanted to give it to her was one thing, but this was much different. This really was taking the easy way."People are going to want to give us gifts for the wedding," Naveen countered. "What is so wrong in asking for something that we can actually use and will make our lives better?"Tiana bit her lip. It was hard to argue with his logic. She thought of all the people she would invite to the wedding, and knew that they would give gifts despite any protests Tiana made.She wasn't ready to agree to it yet though, and decided to try and distract him instead."Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" she asked in a teasing way. Tiana wrapped her arms around his neck and began twirling his curls around her finger. "We still don't have your parents blessing yet, and they haven't said anything about changing that law either.""We'll get their blessing soon," Naveen said, pulling her close. "I can feel it."She could feel something alright, but this was a little more solid. Ever since their night together, Tiana seemed to notice that part of him more often. Or maybe he was doing it to her on purpose. Either way it was difficult to ignore as their bodies pressed against each other.Tiana found herself giggling when Naveen kissed her sweetly on the lips. As the kiss lingered, she sighed into it, and once more melted into his touch. This distraction seemed to turn out well for both of them.Naveen kissed along her chin and down her neck. "Can I come see you again tonight?"Tiana shivered at his touch and at the memories that flooded her mind. "Are you sure?" she asked, wondering just who it was that had said that. Because of course the answer would be yes. She desperately wanted him back in her bed."Mhmm," he murmured against her skin. "I can't stop thinking about that night.""Me either," Tiana whispered.He drew his tongue up her neck and gently nibbled on her ear. "I want to taste you again. Please?"Tiana gasped. At his touch or at his words, she didn't know. But how could she deny him that request, especially when he asked so nicely? "Yes. Okay. Tonight," she whispered."Tonight," he whispered back, before kissing her again.The hours seemed to go by even slower than last time, and Naveen almost screamed in frustration. How could his parents still be awake? Where they always such night owls?It's quite possible that they were and he just never noticed. The castle back in Maldonia was so large and had so many corridors it was very easy for Naveen to sneak out for a midnight rendezvous or two.But now when it actually mattered they were all crammed into this hotel and he couldn't escape! Well, crammed wasn't the right word. They did have the largest suite in the entire hotel, which took up practically the entire top floor. Still, though, all the separate rooms lead into the main room which lead to the door.If someone was still awake, it was impossible to leave without them knowing. This was what had taken Naveen so long to get to Tiana last time, and it's what was taking him so long now. Naveen hadn't heard anything in a long time though, so he thought he might be safe.Carefully, he eased open his door and tiptoed into the hallway and then into the main room. Only to find Idhal casually sitting on the couch."Oh, hello Naveen," she said."Ammi!" Naveen startled. "What are you still doing up?""I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd sit out here and read awhile." Idhal carefully placed a bookmark in her book and closed it, setting it aside. "I'm glad you're here though. I'd like to talk to you, if that's alright."Naveen groaned inwardly, his thoughts going out to Tiana who was waiting for him to come to her. But there was no escaping his mother. It wasn't like he could tell her he was just on his way out."Of course," Naveen said and took a seat next to her on the couch. "What is it you'd like to talk about?" Perhaps if he went along with this conversation he could be on his way sooner rather than later."Would you like some tea, first?" Idhal asked, and gestured toward the tea set laid out on the table.It was then that Naveen smelled the spicy aroma of his mother's favorite kind of tea. There was a small kitchen in their suite and it had become a common occurrence for Idhal to have some tea periodically throughout the day."Are the servants still awake?" Naveen asked, expecting her to call them to serve the tea."Heavens no," Idhal replied. "I made this myself."Naveen must have gawked at her because she laughed and poured him a cup of tea herself."Tiana taught me," she explained. "That girl is quite a wonder.""That she is," Naveen agreed, taking a sip. The tea was quite delicious if he said so himself."She seems to be changing the entire Maldonian royal family for the better," Idhal said with a smile. "Never in a million years did I think I would be making my own tea, and enjoying it too.""I'm glad, Ammi.""Yes me too." Idhal took a sip as well, then said, "I really am proud of you, you know."This caught Naveen off guard. "Oh? For what?""For how much you've grown over these past few months," she said. "And for… well, for fighting so hard to be with the person you love."He hadn't been expecting that. Tiana was the light of his life, she was his Evangeline, of course he would fight to be with her. "I love her," Naveen said. "We belong together. It is as simple as that."Idhal gave him a half smile. "Sometimes it isn't always so simple." She paused, and fiddled with her teacup. "Did you know that I was arranged to be married?""You and Baba? No, I didn't know that.""Well, no. Not exactly. You see," Idhal replied, "I was arranged to be married to someone else."Naveen gaped. How had he not known this? "So what happened?""I met your father, of course," Idhal replied with a smirk. "We fell in love very quickly, but because of my betrothal we felt it best to keep everything a secret."Naveen raised his eyebrows in shock. "A secret love affair?" he asked, not quite believing it all. His parents? Really? "How romantic."Idhal poured herself some more tea. "Well, it didn't seem like it at the time." Her eyes were twinkling though. "I was so afraid we would get caught, but was too much in love to break it off. And still, we were both frightened to have it all out in the open, knowing we would get into a lot of trouble.""It obviously worked out alright in the end," Idhal continued, "but we kept our romance a secret for many many years. I've been thinking of that a lot lately." She put her tea down and caught Naveen's eye. "And it makes me wish that we had fought for each other like you and Tiana are doing. If we had, we probably would have gotten married much sooner, and had more happy years together.""Is this…." Naveen paused for a moment. "Are you giving me your blessing for Tiana and I to be married then?""In matters like this, I think it's best that your Baba and I are on a united front," she said, but she was smiling as she did so. "But I will talk to him on your behalf.""Really?" Naveen beamed. "Thank you, Ammi.""Of course, darling." Idhal glanced at the clock, and Naveen followed her gaze.Damn it. It was well past his deadline for meeting with Tiana, and it would be at least another thirty minutes before Ammi went to bed. Then another thirty minutes to wait and make sure she was actually asleep, and then all the additional time it would take for him to make it across town… there was no way he would make it there tonight.Naveen could only hope that Tiana was asleep by now, and he wouldn't be too angry or disappointed in him tomorrow. Though, when he told her about this conversation with his mother, he expected she would forgive him."I think it's time for bed, hmm?" Idhal said. She kissed Naveen on the cheek and wished him goodnight, then she began to gather the tea set up."Would you like some help cleaning up?""No, it's alright," Idhal said, another smile on her face. Tiana really was changing the entire royal family. "I'll see you in the morning, beta.""Goodnight, Ammi.""So all you have to do is sign this document in front of your parents and then you've abdicated the throne?" Tiana asked, still not quite believing it herself.The lawyer Naveen had written to replied with all the necessary information he would need to abdicate, and compared to everything Tiana had learned about Maldonian law, it was remarkably simple. Even the document making it all official was only one page long."As long as they are a witness to the signing, it becomes official," Naveen said, taking his usual seat next to her on the porch swing. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Have you changed your mind about it?"Tiana leaned into his touch while she went over all the paperwork again. "Have you?""No," Naveen replied immediately. In fact, the more he thought about abdicating, the more he knew it was the right thing to do. Even if his parents decided they would change the law so that Tiana could marry him and have her restaurant, Naveen would still want to abdicate.He kissed her cheek. "Don't think I didn't notice you not answering my question."She smirked and settled against him further, tucking her legs underneath her as she did so. "No, I haven't changed my mind," Tiana said. "As long as you're fine with it, then I am.""Oh, I'm very fine with it."She snickered, and rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying this rare moment where it could just be the two of them. Even now they weren't completely alone. Sunil, Idhal, and Eudora were all inside playing cards. Tiana and Naveen had both managed to escape by offering to keep an eye on Ravi who was playing with some of the neighborhood kids in the street.It made Naveen think, once more, about the conversation he'd been trying to have with Tiana over the past week. Was now the right time? If not now, then when?Naveen cleared his throat. "Tiana, I wonder… I wonder if…"She turned and gave him an encouraging smile. By now she was used to his fumbling words when he was nervous.He tried again. "A few days ago, I wanted to talk about something?""Oh!" Tiana sat up straighter. "So much has happened, I completely forgot. I'm sorry, sweetheart." She placed a warm hand on his arm and gave him a squeeze. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"Now that he had her undivided attention, Naveen felt his nerves really bubble up. He took a deep breath, determined to slow his mind (and his mouth) so he wouldn't say the wrong thing."I've been thinking a lot about us, and our future together. Obviously," he started. That's practically all he'd been thinking about since he first fell in love with her. "And we've talked about so much, and it all sounds amazing and wonderful and I can't wait to actually start this life with you.""But there's something we haven't talked about yet." Naveen took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "And I was wondering…. I wanted to know what your thoughts, and feelings are on… children. What I mean is, do you picture us building a family together?"Tiana cupped his cheek and gave him a smile that made her dimples show. "You've been thinking about this for awhile, haven't you?""Is it that obvious?""When you said you wanted to talk about something, I wondered if it was this," Tiana said warmly.Naveen took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. "So you have been thinking of it also?""I've been thinking about it a lot, actually," Tiana said. "Before we met and fell in love, the idea of children… well, it wasn't ever something I spent much time on, you know?"Oh he knew. Before meeting Tiana, the thought of children had always terrified him. Naveen always had two fantasies when it came to children. In one he hadn't been careful with one of the woman he had dated, and so he would be forced to marry someone to make the heir legitimate. The other was very much the same, except the marriage came first.In both of these imaginings, Naveen always felt trapped and miserable. Now though, as with many other things since Tiana came into his life, the idea of children, their children, made him happy and hopeful."I always thought of the restaurant first, everything else was on the back burner," Tiana continued. She turned and leaned into Naveen. He settled his arm around her, holding her close, and gently started moving the swing back and forth."Sometimes I would picture it, though," Tiana said. "A little boy named James, after my daddy, and teaching him to cook. Having him work alongside me in the restaurant. Maybe even taking over one day."She covered his hand with her own, and Naveen pressed a kiss to her temple. "And now? Do you still picture it?" he asked."Yes, I do," Tiana replied. "Except now, that little boy looks a lot like you."Naveen squeezed her tight and kissed her cheek. He felt excitement grow just imagining it. Teaching their child to dance, and playing duets together. And then he also thought all of the things he had wished his own parents had done - tucking him in at night, reading bedtime stories. Just being there. Naveen wanted all of that."I can picture it too," he said, stroking her cheek. "But I am picturing a little girl who looks just like you.""Oh gosh, I hope not!" Tiana's dismissive laughter soon turned into squeals as Naveen playfully squeezed her tight and peppered her with more kisses, telling her she was the most beautiful woman in the world so what was she going on about hoping their child shouldn't look like her?She soon gave up fighting him, and soon they settled back into a comfortable embrace. They sat, silent for awhile, both watching Ravi play with his new friends. It was good to see him running around with kids his own age, playing and having fun."You know we have to wait awhile before we can have one, right?" Tiana asked."Hmm?""We have to wait until the restaurant is up and running," she clarified. "It's going to be a lot of hard work getting that building up to code. And then actually running the restaurant isn't going to be any easier. If we add a baby into that mix, it's going to be chaos. Not to mention the money.""It might be a long time before we're in a comfortable place to have a baby," Tiana continued. "Is that okay?""Darling," Naveen said, "I want to have children with you, but I am not ready to be a father yet." Even just saying the word father and applying it to himself was a little scary. "Besides, after all we've gone through, I want to have you all for myself first."Tiana giggled as he kissed her cheek again. She wanted that too. She'd wanted it for a long time but ever since their one night together her desire for him had been increasing exponentially. It was even more frustrating and disheartening when they decided to stop sneaking around like that. Each time they tried something happened that would make them almost get caught. It was just too dangerous, and neither of them wanted to jeopardize all that they had done to get to this point.Maybe because of this, Tiana found that her mind drifted to those private, dirty thoughts much more than usual. Even now she found that her cheeks were heating up, imagining just what would happen when they finally had time to themselves. When they wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted, and they could stay together in bed for hours on end.She now knew that there was a lot of interesting things that could be done in bed, but there was still something nagging in her mind about it all. Was it possible to do everything they wanted to do and not have a baby?She wished there was a way for her to find out everything by herself, but it was such a taboo topic, that the only way to really know was to either experience it or ask someone. Since the first option wasn't a possibility at the moment, Tiana knew she would have to pluck up her courage and ask Naveen.He wouldn't tease her for it, she knew that, and he wanted her to ask questions, but none of that made it any easier.She took a deep breath. "Naveen, I have a question.""What is it, princess?"Tiana glanced around making sure there was no one within hearing range. They seemed safe for now with Ravi and his new friends still occupied, and all of their parents inside. Every once in awhile laughter would spill out, and Tiana wondered if Eudora was finally telling embarrassing stories about her. Well, Tiana was willing to make that sacrifice if this meant that they would all be too captivated to overhear what she had to say.Even so, Tiana turned and beckoned for Naveen to bend down so she could whisper in his ear.Her cheeks burned as she whispered , "Will that change anything when we… on our wedding night?"Maybe it was presumptuous to use the term 'wedding night' when everything was still up in the air, but after everything they had been through, Tiana knew that no one would ever stop her from marrying this man.Naveen gave her a lopsided smile that at once made her want to kiss him but also melt into the floor of embarrassment. "Been thinking about that, have you?"Tiana tucked a nonexistent curl behind her ear, and tried to shrug nonchalantly. All she managed to say was "Well..."That seemed to be enough, as Naveen grinned again and kissed her burning cheeks. "I've been thinking of it, too," he whispered.She shivered at the feel of his touch, and raised an eyebrow in his direction. "So? Does it change things?""No. It doesn't," Naveen said, giving her another lopsided smile. "I know how to make love and not have a baby. Trust me."As soon as he said it, Tiana felt her mood sour. It had never been a secret that Naveen had been with so many women, but as they spent more time together he brought it up less and less. This was understandable, as Tiana didn't really want to hear about it anyway, but regardless of whether or not they spoke about it, the fact was that it was there, between them.Maybe subconsciously, that was why Tiana had brought up this topic. Because obviously there was only one reason he knew so much about what to do in bed."Yeah, I bet you do," she mumbled, and turned from him, groaning inwardly. It wasn't like her to be so petty but she'd never been in a situation like this before. It was a terrible excuse, but she still clung to it like a lifeline.Naveen flinched at her response, immediately regretting everything he had said. Stupid, stupid! He knew better than to being up his past conquests with Tiana."I shouldn't have said it that way," Naveen apologized. "I'm sorry. What I meant was-""I know what you meant," Tiana interrupted him. She scooted over to the other side of the porch swing, and Naveen felt himself sinking fast.But he didn't know what to say or what to do to make it better. There was no changing what he had done, and he'd been trying ever since he fell in love with her to make up for his past behavior. Evidently he hadn't done enough in this regard.If only he could know what she was thinking. "Are you angry with me?" he asked.Tiana shifted in her seat, and she rubbed her arms absently. The sight made Naveen's heart break."I understand if you are," he said. He had made so many mistakes in his life, and miraculously Tiana had forgiven him for all of them, even when he felt he didn't deserve it."I was a foolish boy who liked the attention," Naveen explained. "That was all. None of them meant anything to me."It sounded heartless but it was true. Naveen had always craved attention, and when he learned that his good looks and charming personality could win him any woman he wanted, it was almost like a drug. He wanted more and more, but it was void of any real meaning for all parties involved.Any woman he slept with only wanted the prestige from being associated with him, or the chance to have a good lay. Because word quickly got around that the young prince was good for something, and that's when things got out of control.At least Naveen had always used protection. He hadn't been that stupid. But he had been foolish enough to let his lower half dictate so many years of his life, and now he was paying the price."I wish I had done things differently," Naveen continued. "If I had known I would find you, I would have waited.""I know."Well that was something. And she wasn't yelling at him, which Naveen was glad of, but her silence unnerved him. He waited, unsure of what else to say to make things better.At last she spoke softly. "I'm not angry with you.""You're not?""No," she said, then shrugged. "I can't really be angry at you for things you did before we met.""You're disappointed, then?""No." She tucked another curl behind her ear. "I guess it's more that I feel... well, jealous.""Jealous?"Tiana shifted in her seat again and smoothed down her skirt. She couldn't believe they were having this conversation, but maybe it would help her get past some of her anxieties about their wedding night. For as much as it excited her, the whole thing scared her a little. If only it could be Naveen's first time too, then she wouldn't be putting so many expectations on herself to do it perfectly."It'll be my first time," she explained in a lowered voice. "And I'm so happy that I get to share that with you." This was the truth. Tiana couldn't imagine being with anyone else in this way.Naveen took her hand and squeezed it gently. "But?""But I'll never get to share your first time because you had it with someone else."Naveen felt like his heart might break. How many ways had his past self inadvertently hurt the woman he loved more than anything else in the world? And had any of it even been worth it?Without meaning to, his mind went back to his very first time. He and Ria were both sixteen, and had snuck off with some wine in tow. One thing had led to another and then... All things considered it had been terrible, but that hadn't stopped them from doing it again whenever the temptation arose.Just the thought of doing it like that with Tiana made him sick. She deserved so much more than that.He brought her hands up to his lips for a kiss. "Tiana, I..." He paused. "It is true that it won't be my first time. But it will be our first time, my love, and to me that makes all the difference.""It does?""I love you, Tiana," Naveen said. "And whenever we're together, whether it's sitting here talking like this, or upstairs in your bed-"Tiana shushed him quickly, but luckily there wasn't anyone close enough to hear. Still, Naveen lowered his voice to a whisper."Whenever we're together, all I'm thinking about is you, and how I can make you happy.""I think that, too," she whispered back.Naveen brought his forehead to hers and nuzzled against her softly. "You're the most important person in the world to me. You know that, yes?"Tiana nodded, and Naveen leaned down to kiss her."Eww gross!" Ravi pipped in.They sprang apart, and Tiana covered her mouth as she began to giggle. They had completely forgotten the whole reason they were out here was to watch Ravi."Hey now," Naveen mock frowned at his brother. "I thought you were playing with your new friends.""Everyone had to go home," Ravi said. He plopped down on the swing right between Naveen and Tiana."I bet you're thirsty, huh?" Tiana asked. "How about a nice glass of iced tea?""Yes," Ravi said enthusiastically.Naveen cleared his throat."I mean, yes please," he added quickly and smiled wide at his older brother. He turned to Tiana, and asked, "Can I have a beignet, too? Please?""Well, since you asked so nicely." Tiana dimpled at the brothers and held out her hand for Ravi, who took it enthusiastically.Naveen took his other hand and together they all walked back inside."Take a seat, won't you?" Sunil said to Tiana and Naveen. Idhal was busying herself with the tea-set. Normally Tiana would have offered to help or at the very least given a compliment (Idhal seemed to enjoy setting out the tea almost as much as she enjoyed drinking it) but she was too nervous to say anything.Sunil and Idhal had asked her over to their hotel room to talk, and had even sent Ravi out with his governess, so they had the place to themselves. There could only be one thing that they wanted to talk about.Tiana sat down next to Naveen and immediately grabbed for his hand. She felt a little better holding onto his strong grip. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, though truthfully he felt as nervous as she did.It felt strange talking to his parents in so friendly an environment. Usually there was a desk between him and Sunil, and his father would have a very angry look on his face. Now though, Sunil looked happy as they all gathered comfortably around the coffee table. Naveen chose to take that as a good sign."Thank you, mia floresca," Sunil said when Idhal handed him a teacup. He took what seemed like a painfully long sip before turning to Tiana and Naveen, who were both too nervous to drink their own cups of tea."Well, then," Sunil said. "Have either of you seen any good movies lately?"Tiana blinked. "Movies?" He really wanted to talk to them about movies? She glanced at Naveen who shared the same incredulous look on his face. He only shrugged at her."Um, no," Tiana said. "Not really." She hadn't seen any movies in awhile, it just wasn't in her budget."You know we don't have movies in Maldonia so we try to go now that we are here," Sunil continued. "We saw one the other day with that funny comedian-""Oh stop it, Sunni," Idhal said, interrupting him. "You know we didn't ask them here to talk about movies.""Alright, alright." Sunil gave them all an apologetic smile. "Perhaps we should get down to business, yes?""We asked you here to talk about your marriage," Idhal said simply.Both Tiana and Naveen's grip grew harder."It's been wonderful getting to know you, Tiana," Idhal said."Yes, I agree," Sunil said. "You're quite different from what we always pictured for Naveen."Tiana wasn't sure if that was an attempt at a compliment or not, but she would take it that way. "Thank you," she said. "It's been nice getting to know you, too." And it had. Even though Naveen and his family had their problems, they were still nice people."And so?" Naveen asked. "Have you reached a decision then?""We have," Sunil said, and he took his wife's hand, and smiled. "You have our blessing to be married."Tiana was so happy she burst into tears. Even after everything that had happened, there was still a part of her that wondered if she and Naveen would ever actually be officially married.She kissed and hugged Naveen who was smiling so wide his cheeks hurt, and then they hugged Idhal and Sunil, and then both of them at once, and she went back to Naveen and the whole cycle started over again."Thank you, Ammi. Baba, " Naveen said once things had calmed down a bit. "This means so much to us.""We're so happy for you both," Idhal said.Naveen handed Tiana a handkerchief and she blew her nose. "And the law?" she asked, wiping away her tears. "Have you thought about that as well?"Sunil's beaming face fell a little and he coughed. Tiana felt a pit grow in her stomach."That is a bit more difficult, I am afraid," he explained. "I'm sorry, Tiana, but it is impossible for us to change the law."Idhal came behind Sunil and rested her hands on his shoulders. "We have some alternative solutions for you, though.""You can help run the Food Financing Comity, or the Department of Agriculture.""Or we can help you start a foundation to do all sorts of projects."Tiana tried to imagine herself running a government program instead of a restaurant. While doing these types of things would let her help a lot of people, sitting behind a desk and doing paperwork wasn't the type of life she wanted."I'm sorry," Tiana said. "I just can't do it.""Oh dear," Idhal said. "We thought that you might change your mind once we gave our blessing."Sunil nodded glumly. "We had hoped... But if this is how you feel, we understand." He sighed and smoothed down his mustache. "Though that does seem to leave us in quite the pickle. I'm not sure what else we can do." He turned to Idhal. "Is there anything we've missed?""We've thought of everything," Idhal said, and turned her sad eyes towards Tiana."Not everything," Naveen piped in.His parents looked at him questioningly. "Oh really?" Sunil asked. "You had something in mind?"Naveen glanced over at Tiana."Are you sure?" she asked softly.He was. "Yes. I'm sure."Naveen took Tiana's hand again and took a deep breath. "Ammi. Baba. I... I want to abdicate the throne."Sunil and Idhal stared at him as if they couldn't quite believe what he had said."I asked our lawyer for all the information," Naveen added quickly. "He gave me all the information, and it is really quite simple." He reached into his coat pocket and handed the paperwork to Sunil, who began to look it over in silence."I know this seems sudden," Naveen said, "but I have been thinking about it for a long time, and I think it is the right thing to do. Not just for Tiana and myself, but for Maldonia as well."Tiana scooted closer to him and rested a reassuring hand on his arm as he continued."I know I've made a lot of mistakes, and that I haven't always made you proud-"Sunil held up his hand. "Stop."Naveen stayed silent."I have always been proud to call you my son," Sunil said.How many times had Naveen hoped to hear those exact words from his father? It brought sudden tears to his eyes, and Naveen hastily blinked them away."Thank you, Baba," he whispered.Sunil handed the paperwork over to Idhal."This is a big decision, Naveen," Sunil said. "Are you sure you've thought about it enough?""Yes, I am," Naveen replied. "Tiana and I have discussed it at length as well."Sunil raised an eyebrow and turned to Tiana. "And you agree?""It's Naveen's choice to make," Tiana replied. "But I stand by him."Sunil nodded in approval."You understand, darling," Idhal said, "that if you do this, your inheritance will be gone. It's meant for you as a prince.""You won't be able to ask us for money, either," Sunil added. "You'll be completely on your own."In the back of his mind, Naveen felt a small pang of loss for all that money, but it quickly went away. He had lived this long without it, and really, he was so much happier now than he ever had been with it."Yes, I understand," Naveen said. "It doesn't change my mind."Sunil shared a glance with Idhal, who nodded. "It sounds like you've made your decision.""You mean you'll sign the papers?" Naveen asked, shocked. This was probably the most controversial decision he had ever made in his life and his parents weren't even going to argue with him?"Well, not right now," Sunil countered. "I'd like to confirm with the lawyer as well before we make anything official, but I think right now I think we can make a gentleman's agreement, hmm?"Sunil held out his hand, and Naveen shook it immediately.Idhal clasped her hands and gave a soft sigh. "Oh, how romantic. Giving up the throne for someone you love.""You always did have a flair for the sentimental, son."Naveen felt his cheeks flush as he smiled at his parents and then at Tiana. She looked so beautiful, he couldn't help but kiss her dimpled cheek. Giving up the throne was the easiest thing he had ever done, and seeing her smile like that made it all worthwhile. They were going to be married! It was really happening! Finally!"Well then," Idhal said, rubbing her hands together, delighted. "It sounds like we have a wedding to plan."Tiana and Naveen shared a glance. "We?" Naveen asked. "Didn't you just say that you wouldn't be giving us any money?"Idhal waved a hand in the air, dismissing him. "Even if you're no longer a prince, you're still my son, and if you think I'm going to let my son have a cheap wedding you have another thing coming."Sunil just gave them a look that said 'Better let her do what she wants. It's easier that way.'"Now, let's start planning," Idhal said with a slight giggle. "I already have some ideas for the flowers."Tiana raised an eyebrow at Naveen, who in turn gave her a sheepish smile. This was going to be interesting.Naveen had no idea that a wedding required so much planning. It had only been a few days since receiving his parents blessing, but already things were in a whirlwind, and he knew that if he didn't try wrestling control from his mother they would have no say in any part of the ceremony at all.The first step in that direction had been choosing the date for the wedding.Idhal argued to wait at least a year, but both Naveen and Tiana were tired of waiting. Besides, the perfect date was coming up soon."But that's only in a few months!" Idhal gasped when they all gathered to begin discussions of the wedding. Well, all except Sunil and Ravi who had managed to escape for the afternoon."It's impossible! We won't be able to invite half of the important people in Maldonia!"He thought of all the people he knew in Maldonia, all the people who had turned their backs on him when he needed them most. They had proven to be nothing but shallow and heartless, and he didn't want them at his wedding."Good," Naveen said, bitterly."But beta-""But nothing, Ammi," Naveen argued. "I will have signed the abdication documents by then so it technically won't be a royal wedding, which means it won't start any hostility if they aren't invited." He crossed his arms firmly. "That is all I have to say on the subject."Idhal looked like she wasn't finished, but Eudora tactfully cleared her throat. "The date you suggested," she said, bringing the topic back around, "is also on a Tuesday." She gave Tiana and Naveen an exasperated look. "Does it have to be that day? Nobody gets married on a Tuesday.""I'm sorry, Mama," Tiana said, though she sounded anything but sorry. She looped her arm through Naveen's and gave him a squeeze. "It has to be that day."No other day would do for them. The date had been edged in Naveen's brain ever since he had first set foot in Tiana's home and had helped carry a fainted Eudora to the couch to rest. When he had helped clear up all the discarded newspapers, Naveen had taken extra care to memorize that date. The date they had said their vows in the bayou and had broken the spell, effectively changing their lives forever.And now the anniversary of that day was coming up.In the bayou they hadn't thought about what day of the week it was, or what flowers would look nice in an arrangement. All that had mattered was that they loved each other, and that love had only become stronger as time had gone by. What better way to celebrate that love than by having their wedding on their anniversary?"It's just not practical, darlings," Idhal said again. "There isn't enough time to have everything finished. Why, Tiana won't even have a dress!""I don't really need all of that," Tiana said. "A simple wedding is more than enough." She shared a small smile with Naveen, who was no doubt remembering how simple their last wedding had been."I can just wear one of my best Sunday dresses," Tiana offered.Eudora cleared her throat again. "You won't have to do that.""Oh?" Tiana asked. Idhal crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, obviously feeling annoyed that they seemed to be going ahead on everything despite her protests."I may have already started making you a wedding dress," Eudora said. "A few months ago."Tiana gasped. "Oh Mama! Really?""Well, I didn't want to be caught off guard like last time," Eudora said, laughing. "Looks like I was right to forge ahead.""What does it look like?""I'll show you. It's right upstairs."Tiana squealed in delight. Idhal had to smile at that. "Let me see it, too.""Of course. Come on!"Eudora led the women to the stairs and Naveen tried to follow, but Tiana playfully poked him in the chest, making him stop in his tracks."You have to stay here," she said with a smirk. "You can't see the dress until the wedding."Naveen huffed at that, but then Tiana kissed him so it was alright.After that he quickly learned that the groom had little to say when it came to wedding planning. Once they had convinced Idhal to go along with their wedding date, everything started moving very fast. It was all a dream come true, and it felt so perfect, except...Well there was one last thing Naveen wanted to do before things went too far.By some miracle he had managed to take Tiana out alone. It was the first proper date they had enjoyed since before Naveen had left for Maldonia, and he wanted to do it right. He still had some money saved from his earnings as a street sweeper, and he had also managed to save some from when he sold off his belongings. Most of it he was saving for something special he had in mind, but that didn't mean he couldn't take Tiana out on the town.Dinner and dancing had proven to be just what they both needed to take their minds off the stress of wedding planning. Even so, Naveen was still a bundle of nerves the whole night.The ring he had in his pocket seemed to be burning a hole in it. Every step he took he could feel the box bump against his thigh. He had managed to spoil every proposal to Tiana - first on the riverboat when he had gotten tongue tied and hadn't even managed to ask her, and then later he had STILL gotten tongue tied, and to top it all off he hadn't even had a ring.Now though, he wanted to do it right. But what was the right moment? When they were eating their dessert? But the waiter had given him the check right when he was about to ask. When they were out dancing? The band was too loud, and it was too crowded it get down on one knee.Every time Naveen thought he had the perfect opportunity something stopped him, and now the evening was almost over! He was walking Tiana home now. There wasn't much of a chance for romance out here on the street, was there?Maybe he could make it work. He had to do it tonight, who knew when he would be able to get her alone again?Tiana took his arm as they walked. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You've been kind of quiet and jumpy tonight."True to form, Naveen jumped at her question. "Oh, have I?" He brought her hand up to his lips for a kiss. "Apologies, princess. I have just been thinking.""About what?"Was now the right time? Naveen glanced up and saw Ray and Evangeline twinkling down on both of them and he knew that it was.. He just had to bring the conversation to a good place."About us," he said with a smile. He stopped walking and turned to Tiana. He took one of her hands in his and the other rested comfortably on her waist, then moved slowly in an easy dance. Tiana followed along effortlessly. A marked improvement from the first time he asked her to dance, when she had practically run away from him."Are you happy, my darling?" he asked."Very happy," Tiana replied. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. Her arms found their way around his neck and she gave a happy sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I feel like the luckiest person in the world.""Me too," Naveen said, holding her close."It's still almost hard to believe," Tiana said. "After all this time, everyone will know we're married. We won't have to hide it anymore. It's really official!""Well, almost official."Tiana stepped back with a worried look in her eyes. "What do you mean?""There's one last thing to do."This was it. With a deep breath and his stomach in knots, Naveen took Tiana's hands and bent down on one knee."Tiana."She gasped even as her eyes glistened with happy tears. "Naveen, you don't have to do this.""Yes I do." He kissed her hands again and tried to remember the speech he had written down, but now that he was in the moment he couldn't remember a word. Well, what was a proposal if not a chance to speak from the heart?"If this past year has taught me anything, it's that love can conquer anything," he said. "We have been through so much together, and even through those darkest of times it was love that pulled us through."Tiana sniffed and hastily wiped away a tear that had escaped."When we first met, I had all the wrong ideas about what I needed in my life. Then you changed me for the better, and I've never been happier."He kissed her hands once more. "I know our fairy tale has been a bit unconventional, and this first year that we have been together hasn't been much of a marriage, but this story of our love is really only the beginning. Now we have a chance to write our own happily ever after. Together.""What I mean to say is, will you marry me?" Naveen asked. "Again?""Oh, Naveen." Tiana was crying steadily now. "Yes, yes. A thousand times yes." She came onto her knees and fell into his arms. "I'd marry you a hundred times if I had to.""Let's make it just once more, alright?""Deal."They kissed, and it was the sweetest kiss they had ever had."Oh!" Naveen jumped back. "I almost forgot. Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box and opened it. "For you."Tiana gasped. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen! It was a pearl ensconced in gold with an elegant floral design etched into the band."Where did you get this?" she asked, breathless."It's a family heirloom. It belonged to my great grandmother," Naveen explained. "Will you wear it?"She held out a trembling hand, and Naveen slipped the ring onto her finger."I've been wanting to do that for a long while," he said, and kissed her again. "Do you like it?""I love it," Tiana replied through her tears. She was crying again. "And I love you."They kissed once more, and then moved to a nearby bench to kiss some more. At last they settled into a quiet embrace, admiring the ring on Tiana's finger."Is this why you were acting funny all night?" Tiana asked."I was a little nervous," Naveen admitted."Really?" Tiana asked. "Did you really think I'd say no?"Naveen bristled a little. "You try asking someone to marry you and you'll see how nerve wracking it is. Wait." He paused, thinking about what he just said. "On second thought, don't do that."She laughed and brought him in for another kiss. "Naveen?" Tiana asked softly against his lips."Hmm?""Will you marry me?" Tiana had meant it as a joke, but in that small moment, she felt it. Even after this proposal and wearing his ring on her finger, Tiana felt her stomach bubble with nerves.Naveen smiled and kissed her. "Yes."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"So how do you feel?" Tiana asked."I don't know," Naveen admitted. "The same, but also… different. It's hard to explain."Not even an hour ago, Naveen had signed the document needed to abdicate the throne. With his parents, Tiana, and their lawyer (brought all the way from Maldonia by Sunil) as witnesses, Naveen signed his name to the paper and then the deed was done. He was no longer the crown prince of Maldonia. He wasn't really anything anymore. He was just Naveen.Even though he had been thinking about this for weeks, it was still a little weird.Tiana had offered to cook him up anything that he wanted to.. Celebrate? To make him feel better? She didn't really know, but she needed to do something for him, and this was all she could think of. Naveen had, of course, requested beignets, so now she was making a batch for him in her kitchen.Naveen sat slumped in the kitchen chair, tapping his fingers absentmindedly."You haven't changed your mind, have you?" Tiana couldn't help but ask the question, even though she and everyone else had bombarded him with it when he was signing the document. Their lawyer had stressed quite a few times that there was no going back. Ever."No. It was the right thing to do," Naveen replied. He would never regret it, and in many ways he wished he had done it sooner, though he suspected if he had told his parents a few years ago, he wouldn't have received the calm and supportive response he got now."Can you explain what it is that feels so different for you?" Tiana asked. She pulled the beignets out of the oil and began sprinkling them with sugar."It's nothing bad," Naveen said. He pursed his lips, thinking. How could he put this into words? "It is only that, I didn't realize that it would feel like a part of me is gone. I still don't regret doing it, though," he quickly reiterated.Tiana set the plate full of beignets in front of him and gently rubbed his back. "So you feel like something is missing?""In a way," Naveen said. He paused, thinking again, though his mouth watered from the delicious treats in front of him. "Being a prince… well, you know it was never something I wanted to be. But even so, there was a part of me that enjoyed it because… because it was the one thing I could count on to make me special.""Oh, sweetheart. You feel like you're not special anymore?" Tiana thought her heart might break."It's not that, it's just.. I'm not Prince Naveen anymore. I'm just Naveen," he said. "Is that enough for you?""For me? Sweetheart, you have always been more than enough," Tiana said, stroking his cheek. "You know I've never cared about you being a prince. I love you for you, even when you were a frog."Naveen smiled at that. He knew all of this, of course, but it was still nice to hear it."I love you too, princess. Oh no!" Naveen frowned and looked truly upset for the first time that day. "If I'm not a prince anymore, then I can't really call you princess anymore, can I?""I think we can make a few exceptions," Tiana said."I didn't even think that this would mean you weren't a princess anymore," Naveen said, almost to himself. "What if we get cursed again? How will we break the spell?"Tiana smoothed the curls from his forehead and gave him a soft smile. "I don't think we have to worry about that. I know I don't plan on kissing any more frogs. Do you?"Naveen chuckled. "No.""Then we're fine." She playfully straightened his tie. "Besides, you may not be the Prince of Maldonia anymore, but you're still the prince of my heart. And that makes me the princess of yours, right?""Right." God he loved this woman. "Come here, princess." He gently tugged Tiana so she was sitting in his lap. "Give me some sugar.""If you want more sugar on your beignets, then I have to get up.""That's not what I meant, and you know it.""Prove it, then."So he did.Now that Naveen had abdicated, and the invitations had been sent, the whirlwind of wedding planning was really coming to the forefront. Before she met Naveen, whenever Tiana pictured her wedding she imagined something simple. She'd probably have the ceremony in her living room with a few of her closest friends and family, and she would hold a simple bouquet, and there would be a cake. That was it.Then her first wedding had been so spur of the moment, and modest, that Tiana had it in her head that all weddings would be that easy to put together.She was wrong.Idhal wanted the best of everything for her son's wedding, and she meant everything. Lottie wanted to host the reception, and once Idhal got that news, she completely took over. From table linens to place cards to flowers to decor, Idhal had her hands in it all, and Tiana couldn't help but feel it was much too much."Do we really need all of this?" Tiana had pulled Naveen away from Idhal who was talking with Lottie about where to place the flower canopies she had ordered. The way she was describing them made it sound like it was going to transform the backyard into something of an enchanted garden.While Tiana was sure it would be beautiful, it also seemed highly unnecessary. But Idhal seemed oblivious to Tiana's discomfort, and of course Lottie was too fully enraptured by the idea of her yard turning into a fairy tale to be of any help."You're not happy?" Naveen asked."I'm happy we're finally getting married, but this all seems a little ridiculous, don't you think?" Tiana replied. "I mean, she even wants us to come in on horseback and then bring in trained birds to fly in a synchronized pattern at the beginning of the party.""That sounds like her," Naveen said with a chuckle. "But if you're not happy with it, then just tell her no.""But she'll hate me.""No she won't.""Well, she won't be happy with me," Tiana countered. "She's doing all of this for you, you know. If I tell her no, it'll be like I don't want our wedding to be special.""But I don't want any of it either," Naveen said. "So I'll just tell her it's too much. She can blame me.""She'll know it was my idea.""There's no pleasing you, is there?" Naveen asked, with a teasing smirk."I just don't want her to be upset, is all." Tiana glanced over at Idhal talking with Lottie. With Lottie's big gestures, Tiana had a feeling they were planning something big. Hopefully it wasn't more animals."You think she'll take away her blessing?" Naveen's tone had grown soft, and Tiana wanted to melt into his arms. They hadn't had much time to themselves lately. "She wouldn't do that, princess."At the sound of the nickname, Tiana had to smile. "You don't know that.""She's not that cruel," Naveen said. "We'll just remind her that she is not the one getting married. She'll understand."Tiana pursed her lips. While she didn't doubt Naveen's ability to charm his mother into letting them have more control of their wedding, she also knew that he shouldn't be the one to say it. It was Tiana who was having the problems with it, and she didn't want start her relationship with Idhal on the wrong foot, even if it meant straining their already delicate friendship.Giving into temptation, Tiana sighed into Naveen's warm embrace. "Maybe we should just elope," she joked."Isn't that what got us into trouble last time?" he laughed, giving her a squeeze. It felt so wonderful to finally talk about their wedding instead of imagining it. Soon he would be able to call Tiana his wife in front of anyone, anywhere! He was getting married! He was so happy he wanted to shout it from the rooftops."I guess you're right," Tiana sighed."That does happen occasionally," Naveen quipped.Tiana playfully stuck her tongue out at him, and he went in for a quick kiss, which made her laugh. Mission accomplished."So, I had an idea about something," Naveen said. He let his arms rest on her waist in a casual embrace. He would tell his mother to stop all her shenanigans in a moment, but he also didn't want to waste this opportunity to have Tiana to himself."About the wedding?" she asked."About after the wedding."Tiana gave him such a smirk, Naveen just had to kiss her again."So what's your idea, Froggy?""I know we can't really go anywhere on a proper honeymoon," Naveen started. This was true. They both wanted to get started on the restaurant after the wedding, so there wasn't time to go anywhere. Besides which, they didn't have the money."But going back to the boarding house after the wedding seems so...anticlimactic, no?" Naveen finished. Realizing that they would need somewhere to live once they were married, they had scoured around New Orleans looking for a place that was in their price range.Eventually they had found a boarding house, run by an elderly widow named Mrs. Proulx. Despite needing tenants, she seemed less than thrilled at the idea of housing two newlyweds, but at last she gave in, warning them that if they broke any of the house rules they would be out of there faster than they could say their names.It hardly seemed like the best place to spend their wedding night."What's your idea?" Tiana reiterated."What would you say if we spent the night on the river?" Naveen asked, then at Tiana's horrified look, quickly clarified, "A riverboat, I mean.""That sounds romantic," Tiana said, straightening his tie. "But aren't the tickets out of our price range?""Well, what would you say if I already bought the tickets with the money I saved from street sweeping," Naveen said. He reached into his jacket pocket and presented Tiana with an envelope containing two tickets on an overnight riverboat cruise."Happy anniversary," he said."Oh my gosh, Naveen." Tiana's heart felt so full it made her eyes well up with tears, making it so she couldn't even read the name of the boat listed on the ticket. But even as she ran her thumb over it, she knew, without a doubt, that it was the very same boat Naveen had once tried to propose to her all those many months ago. He just did things that way, and it was perfect."You stinker," Tiana laughed through her tears. "You were supposed to spend that money on yourself. For something you wanted.""What makes you think I don't want to spend a romantic night alone on the river with my bride?" Naveen traced his thumb down Tiana's cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "Are you upset?""No," Tiana said with a warm smile. "It's wonderful. You're wonderful." She took a step closer and kissed him. "I love you.""I love you, too."She placed a teasing finger on his nose. "Is this going to be a regular thing then? Celebrating both weddings?"Naveen grinned as he shrugged happily. "I don't see why not.""You just want more presents," Tiana joked."Not true!" Naveen replied, though the thought had crossed his mind. "We don't even have to exchange gifts at all. But the thought of not remembering our first wedding... It just breaks my heart."Tiana gave him a soft smile and straightened his tie. "Me too."They shared a sweet kiss, but they broke apart when they heard Idhal starting to tell Lottie of her plans for hiring someone to personally tailor outfits for all the guests in the wedding."Oh dear," Tiana said."Perhaps we should talk to her now, yes? Before she decides to bring in elephants and edible gold."Tiana bit her lip. "Actually...""No!""Yes.""Faldi faldonza, we'd better hurry then."Idhal had taken the news better than either of them thought. Though it had still been a difficult discussion to have, and the way Idhal looked over both of them in that cool manner of hers left things feeling a little tense, the wedding planning seemed to be back on a more normal track. And soon enough it was Tiana that everyone was trying to reign in.Tiana wanted to make all of the food for the wedding, including the wedding cake, and it took a full on intervention to finally convince her it was a bad idea.She finally relented, once everyone agreed that she could make the food for the engagement party that Lottie wanted to throw them.Why they needed an engagement party a week before the wedding was to take place, Tiana didn't know. But as Tiana's maid of honor, Lottie wanted to do everything she could to make her friend's wedding a memorable one. And who was Tiana to say no to something like that?Besides, it also seemed like a good opportunity to meet Naveen's extended family and friends who were arriving in New Orleans in droves. While there were still a few people that Naveen wasn't particularly pleased had been invited, he had assured Tiana that there were at least a few Maldonian's and royal dignitaries that could make a nice match for Lottie if she was interested.Then it was Tiana's turn to assure Naveen. Lottie would be interested.In the meantime, there was still so much that needed to be done. Everyone seemed to be working overtime to get everything finished on time. Luckily, even with all the chaos going on, they hadn't really run into any snags. Everyone they were working with seemed not only delighted to help but often they went the extra mile to make everything as easy as possible.Tiana wondered if it was because the papers were labeling this as the royal wedding of the century, despite the fact that Naveen was no longer a prince. The people of New Orleans certainly considered it a royal spectacle, and Tiana found herself more often than not surrounded by curious onlookers who gawked at her with raised eyebrows. This was the woman the prince had abdicated for? Really?She tried not to let it bother her, and when Naveen was by her side it was a lot easier to deal with the crowds and the press who were hounding them for interviews.Whenever that happened it was Tiana's turn to get tongue tied. Over the years she had occasionally imagined herself being interviewed, but it was always for her restaurant. In her imagination she was always confident and charming to the journalists, inspiring them to continue to write about how good her food was.The reality she was faced with was much different. But then again, these reporters were asking very personal questions. How did you meet? When did you fall in love? Did you really give up the throne so you could live as a commoner and bus tables at a restaurant?These were questions they had no right to ask, and yet here they were. Luckily Naveen was an expert at dealing with the press, and would get them quickly on their way with that charm of his. Though they always seemed to come back, and Tiana could have heard one of them say that there would even be newsreel cameras at their wedding.She hoped not. That day would be nerve wracking enough as it was! She was worried enough about looking like a fool for everyone that was attending, she didn't want to worry about the entire country, hell, or even the world seeing it.But there almost wasn't time to worry about it. Now that half the country of Maldonia was here (or it seemed like that to Tiana), they had already started trying to give them presents. Naveen had to tell them many times that what they really needed was money for the restaurant.And so the checks started to come in.Tiana was surprised that they didn't even wait until the wedding ceremony, or even the engagement party, but this didn't surprise Naveen at all. In Maldonia it was common to give multiple presents to someone getting married, and so they could expect many more checks to come.With so many already in their little pile, neither could resist opening at least a few to see how much they had. Tiana gasped when she opened them.Quite a few had given $101, but there were also a few who had given $1001! One thousand dollars! Tiana had never seen so much money all in one place in her entire life. She thought she might cry of happiness, she wanted to jump for joy, and she also thought she might faint from it all.But she just kissed Naveen and leaned into his warm embrace instead. "Why do all of these checks have one extra dollar?" she asked."In Maldonia, a zero can be seen as an end, while the number one is the beginning," Naveen explained, kissing her on the cheek. "So it is in effect a blessing. A token of love and luck."Tiana loved these little Maldonian traditions. Sometimes she felt a little sad that they weren't doing a full on Maldonian wedding ceremony because it sounded so magical. They had both agreed it would be easier to do an American style ceremony. But they would perform a few Maldonian traditions at the reception so it all worked out.Idhal seemed to love the American wedding traditions as well. They had invited her to one of the final fittings for Tiana's wedding dress and they were going over the good luck charms needed."Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," Eudora explained."Oh how charming," Idhal replied. Her hands clasped in delight. "So what do you have so far?""Well, I'm going to tuck one of Daddy's mixing spoons in my bouquet," Tiana said. "That's something old.""The dress is something new," Eudora said. "And I've outlined these green ribbons with blue thread.""So I just need something borrowed," Tiana said."I think I have just the thing," Idhal said. She pulled out an elegant velvet box and handed it to Tiana. "I wore this on my wedding day, and I've been meaning to share this with you for some time now. I hope you'll accept it as your 'something borrowed'."Tiana gasped as she opened it. An emerald tiara. Simple yet elegant. It was exactly right."It's beautiful," Tiana whispered. She was afraid to touch it. "Are you sure? This looks like it's only fit for a princess to wear.""Tiana. Despite my son's abdication, you are a princess," Idhal said firmly.Tiana's eyes glistened with tears. "Thank you." Carefully, Tiana took the tiara out of the box and placed it on her head."Oh Babycakes," Eudora gasped in awe. "It's perfect." Then she started to cry, which lead to Tiana crying, and then Idhal. They all wept until they started to laugh."Your mother said I might find you here," Naveen said with a soft smile. "Can I join you? Or would you rather be alone?""No please. Sit." Tiana patted the ground next to her. Naveen sat down, carefully placing his ukulele down as well."I should have brought you here a long time ago," Tiana said apologetically. "I wanted to, but... It's hard.""It's alright. I understand."In front of them was a simple grave marker. Smaller than the others around it, but freshly cleaned of dirt and leaves and new flowers had been placed in the pot nearby.James BatisteLoving Father and Husband1888-1918"I come here every year on his birthday. To clean the... Grave and to, well, talk," Tiana explained. She felt her voice start to crack from emotion so she cleared her throat. Even after all this time she still missed her Daddy terribly. Pain like this never really went away.Naveen wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her close."I don't even know if it matters," Tiana continued. "He's not really... That is his..." She cleared her throat again. "He died in the war, you know. And none of him came back."That was when Naveen understood. They hadn't sent his body back to be buried here. He was still overseas. In France, probably. In an unmarked grave? A mass grave for all the other soldiers who had died with him?Whatever the situation, it was clearly unfitting for any man, but especially for Tiana's father.Naveen squeezed her shoulder and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "I know he hears you.""That's why I'm glad you're here," Tiana said. She turned to the gravestone. "Daddy, I want you to meet Naveen. I love him, and we're getting married.""It is my pleasure, sir," Naveen said, without hesitation. "I can assure you that I love Tiana with all my heart, and I will do everything I can to be a good husband to her. I will take care of her always, and make sure she has everything she wants. And needs."Tiana smiled and kissed his cheek. "He would have liked you.""You think so?""I know so."Naveen took up his ukulele and turned to Tiana. "Would it be alright if I... In Maldonia, we often sing songs to those we've lost. May I?""Please," Tiana said, giving his hand a quick squeeze. "He'd like that."Naveen nodded, tuned his ukulele and began to strum. It was different than any music she'd heard him play, different than any type of music she'd ever heard anywhere.The melody rose and ripped, and occasionally Naveen added depth by strumming full chord progressions. It was another reminder of just how talented Naveen was with music. New Orleans was thick with ukulele players, but none could play with such a warm and rich sound. And then when he started to sing softly, it brought tears to her eyes.Tiana couldn't understand the Maldonian lyrics, but it didn't matter. The meaning couldn't be more clear. Yes there was sadness to the melody, but circling around and underneath was another layer. Hope and love. Forgiveness and remembrance. Strength and endurance.It had such a hold over her, that it took Tiana a few seconds to realize that the song had ended."That was beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you."She took his hand and threaded their fingers together."What do the lyrics mean?" Tiana asked."It is difficult to directly translate," Naveen said, "but essentially it is about how we are all connected, even if our loved ones are gone. It is a reminder that we will find them again, but in the meantime they are watching over us."Tiana tilted his face towards hers and kissed him."Tiana," Naveen mock scolded her. "Not in front of your father."She laughed too, and kissed him again.It seemed impossible that the wedding was only one week away. It was finally here! Everything seemed to be making Tiana cry with tears of joy. From Eudora giving them the family quilt as a wedding present, to her finished wedding dress, to walking into the engagement party and having everyone cheer.It was quite a large crowd, full of people Tiana had never met before, and if Naveen was honest, he didn't know many of them all that well. They were friends of his parents, who would be most displeased if they hadn't been invited. Naveen spent most of the beginning of the party introducing them all to Tiana.She could only hope that she was making a good impression on them, but after awhile all the faces and names started to blend together. There was no way she would be able to remember them all.True to his word, Naveen also introduced a few eligible bachelors to Lottie, and Tiana had to laugh at some of the selections. Though there was one in particular that seemed to stand out.His name was Prajit, and he did have a title, though Tiana couldn't remember the Maldonian word for it. It roughly translated to a duke or a count.He was very handsome, with his dark olive skin and neatly trimmed beard. Lottie was clearly smitten, and Tiana knew exactly why. It was his outfit. From his shoes all the way up to his turban, Prajit was dressed entirely in pink.They would certainly have a lot to talk about.But first there were speeches to be made, cake to be cut, dances to be danced. It all whirled around Tiana's head in a delightful dizzy way. She wondered if she could be drunk. It wouldn't surprise her at all if someone had spiked the drinks, or was even drinking openly. Despite the Prohibition on alcohol, New Orleans tended to ignore it on the best of days, and at parties it was completely forgotten. The police seemed to turn a blind eye as well, and there was no way that they were going to arrest all these royal dignitaries anyway.The party had been going on for a few hours now, and even though Naveen had been by her side for most of the night, Tiana still felt like they had hardly spent any time together. Naveen seemed to feel the same way.They shared an exasperated look, and then Naveen leaned in to whisper in her ear."Will you sneak away with me? Just for a few minutes?"There was nothing she wanted more. So about ten minutes later they were giggling as they ran away from the party towards the gazebo."Hurry princess!" Naveen called softly as he ran ahead."I'm coming. My shoes got stuck in the grass.""Shall I come back and carry you, then?" he chuckled."Don't you dare," she replied, but she was laughing too.He was waiting for her on the footbridge, his hand held out to her. When she finally placed her hand in his, Naveen playfully pulled her further into the gazebo, and into his arms.He looked so handsome in the moonlight, wearing his tailcoat and bowtie. Tiana was once again struck by just how remarkable it was that they were in love. He smiled at her in that way that made her insides squirm with delight. When he kissed her, it took a lot of concentration not to completely throw herself at him.Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed contentedly into his kiss."I wish we were getting married tonight," Naveen whispered when they parted."Me too," Tiana replied, stroking his cheek. "But it's only one more week.""But that's seven whole days!" Naveen countered. "One hundred and sixty eight hours! Not that I'm counting.""Right," Tiana laughed and kissed him again. "It'll go by fast. Just think, this time next week we'll be married."Naveen made an appreciative hum as he held her close. He glanced up at the sky and saw Ray and Evangeline together. He could almost hear Ray's voice just then."It's about time, Cap'! What took you so long?"Naveen chuckled to himself."What's so funny?" Tiana asked."Nothing." He kissed her again, softly and sweetly on the lips. Now it was Tiana's turn to happily hum."Do you think they'll miss us at the party?" Tiana asked. As fun as it was to there, this was where she really wanted to be."I think we can stay out here for a little longer," Naveen told her. He didn't want to go back to the party either.It was a lot longer than either of them had planned before they snuck their way back to the party. If anyone noticed them being gone, nobody brought it up, thankfully. But they were surrounded by people from almost the minute they got back, tearing them apart from each other.Tiana glanced longingly at Naveen as she was dragged by Lottie to taste some of the Maldonian dishes available, and Naveen was taken by some of his friends from back home - no doubt looking to tease him about finally settling down.It was some time later that Tiana finally found herself alone again. She wasn't hiding, exactly, but she certainly wasn't going to come out of this little isolated spot against the wall until she had had a nice long breather. Talking with so many people was leaving her exhausted, and she was already thinking longingly of climbing into bed."Do you come here often?"Tiana looked up to find Naveen, leaning against the wall, a flirtatious grin on his face. Her heart fluttered at the sight of her husband/fiancee."Sometimes," Tiana replied. It felt like they were playing a game together, but she wasn't sure of the exact rules."Such a beautiful creature as yourself shouldn't be here all alone," Naveen said. From behind his back he produced a single flower and handed it to her."Well, I'm not alone, am I?" she asked, taking the flower from his hand. "You're here.""So I am."Whatever this game was, it was fun. It was fun to flirt with him like it was the first time they had met, especially considering how disastrous their real first encounter had been. "And who exactly are you?" she teased."I am Naveen," he said with a slight bow and a grin. "Prince… I mean, just Naveen.""Well, Just Naveen," Tiana replied with a giggle. "I'm Tiana. The waitress.""Tiana."The way he said her name, so low, and breathless, and husky, it made her weak in the knees. How could he do that to her just by saying her name? He hadn't even touched her! She knew that it was coming though, as he took one step towards her, and then another, until she could practically feel the heat radiating off of him.Naveen held out his hand to her. "Would you dance with me, Tiana, the waitress?"She playfully booped the flower against his chin. "I don't dance with strangers.""We're hardly strangers," Naveen said. "We've been introduced and everything.""That we have." Tiana tucked the flower into his lapel. "I suppose I can make an exception. Just this once."Their hands melded together, and they found themselves swaying gently, not at all matching the more upbeat tempo coming from the band. Neither cared.Naveen kissed her neck softly."Fresh," Tiana mock scolded him, and they both giggled."What are you doing on Tuesday?"Now that made her laugh. It was their wedding day. "I think I'm a little busy that day."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I'm getting married today.The thought popped into Tiana's head even before her eyes opened. It seemed unbelievable. Finally, after all this time, she and Naveen would officially be married!Inevitably, she thought back to their first wedding in the bayou, and marveled at how far they had come since then. So much had happened in one year.For a brief moment Tiana panicked. What if they missed something and even after the ceremony they still weren't legally married? They'd have to go through this whole process again! She didn't want to wait another year to get married!But no. They had gotten their blood tests and applied for the marriage license. It was waiting for them to sign it after the ceremony. It would all be taken care of. After today she would probably frame that marriage license for all to see, or better yet, make a copy to carry around everywhere. Just in case.In the few minutes before her alarm went off, Tiana looked around her room, realizing this was the last night she would ever sleep in here. It looked so empty with all of her things packed away. She had already moved most of her things over to the boarding house, and packed a small bag for that evening on the riverboat. Everything else she would either get later, or leave it here.She and Naveen were going to start living together. That thought sent a delightful jump through her stomach. No more sneaking around. No more sideways glances to see if they were really alone or not. No more leaving each other at night.Tiana laughed to herself. It seemed they really had gotten a bad start with the landlady, Mrs. Proulx. While they were unpacking some of their belongings this past week, she had insisted that they keep the door open, as it wasn't proper for a young couple to be alone together without a chaperone.One time she had even weaseled her way into their room and lectured them for what felt like an hour after Naveen had accidentally bumped into the door, closing it just an inch too far for her liking.After today, they could happily shut the door in her face. Though Tiana knew that would only make things between them more awkward than they were.The boarding house was already looking to be somewhat of a poor choice for living arrangements, but it wouldn't be forever. And it was cheap, with meals provided, which was really all they needed for now. Once they got the restaurant started they could find somewhere better.The restaurant.Tiana's stomach jumped again. Today she was getting married. Tomorrow, she'd be getting her restaurant. For real this time.Naveen had counted out all the checks they had gotten, plus Tiana's savings, and all together it almost covered buying the entire sugar mill in full. It was better than she could possibly have imagined.That meant they still needed to get a loan from the bank, but it would be much more manageable than she had originally written out in her plans. Only the small bit to cover the building payment, rent of course, and then the rest for the tools they would need to fix it up the sugar mill and turn it into a Michelin star restaurant.Because, yes, she would get a Michelin star. Or two. Or three. Three was good."Why wait?" Naveen had said, when Tiana had asked if he was sure he wanted to get started on this project right after their wedding. "I know you've wanted this for a long time, and I've wanted this for you ever since we first fell in love. There is absolutely no reason not to get started."She had kissed him long and hard after he said that. It still amazed her that she had been able to find someone like him to share her life with. Someone who could understand her dream so well to put aside their honeymoon in favor of working on a construction project.She loved him so much. And now they were going to get married!The alarm went off, and then Tiana heard a soft knocking at her door. Eudora poked her head in and smiled."You ready for today, Babycakes?""I've been ready for this day for a long time," Tiana said.Sunil had warned her that the press might be a problem today, and judging by how much they had bothered her before the wedding Tiana had been anticipating a little trouble coming into the church this morning.What she hadn't expected was this mob of reporters and cameras all screaming to get her attention."Oh dear, look at them all!" Lottie gasped. She and Big Daddy LaBouff were giving Tiana and Eudora a lift to the church in their car, but now Tiana was wishing she had just walked. She might have been able to sneak inside without anyone noticing.But as it was, there was no way anyone could miss Mr. LaBouff's Rolls Royce."I think I'm gonna be sick," Tiana mumbled."Not on the dress!" Eudora cried out."Not in my car!" Big Daddy shouted."Deep breaths, Tia," Lottie said softly. "You'll be fine. Just ignore them!""Easier said than done," Tiana replied."You just gotta get in the church," Lottie continued. "Remember, they're not allowed inside. That's the rule."Thank goodness for that. Somehow Naveen's parents had set up that rule, but it obviously hadn't done anything to stop them from camping out in front of the church, waiting to catch a glimpse of anyone coming inside. Which obviously included the bride."I don't know why they even want to talk to me in the first place," Tiana groaned. "Naveen is the one who is good at all of this. They should just talk to him and leave me out of it.""Just think of this as practice for when your restaurant opens, Babycakes," Eudora said, straightening Tiana's dress a little. If her daughter was going to be photographed and in the paper wearing her wedding dress, she might as well make sure it looked perfect before they stepped out of the car."Yeah Tia!" Lottie squealed. "You know everyone in town is going to want to talk to you about your restaurant when it opens.""But that's different," Tiana said. "I'll be talking to them about something I want people to know about. Our wedding should be private. Just for friends and family, you know?"Eudora gave her daughter a small smile and took another bobby pin out of her bag to fix a curl that had managed to escape from Tiana's bun. By Tiana's count she must have had at least 100 bobby pins in place by now, and could expect to have 100 more by the time the ceremony started."That's what you get for marrying royalty," Eudora teased.Tiana was about to protest, saying that Naveen wasn't technically royalty anymore, but Eudora cut her off. "You know what I mean."She did, but that didn't make any of this any easier. Tiana was nervous enough as it was, she didn't need these reporters to make a fool of her in front of the entire country.She wished Naveen were here. Then again, if he was here, that would mean they would see each other which would be bad luck before the ceremony.'Just get inside those doors, Miss Tiana. Just get inside, and then it'll all be fine. You'll probably lose your breakfast once you're there, but that's okay. As long as you don't do it on camera you'll be fine. And there'll be plenty of time to fix yourself up again. You made sure of that.'Making schedules was a habit Tiana had had as long as she could remember, so of course she had planned everything out to the minute. Even so she had scheduled in some extra time in case something went wrong. Of course she hadn't imagined that the something wrong would be her too afraid to face all the reporters outside the church.'You can do this, Miss Tiana. It's just a couple of cameras. No big deal.'Tiana took a deep breath. "I think it's about time, right Mama?"She could tell that her mother was fighting the urge to tell her that the proper time was 10 minutes ago, but Eudora wouldn't dare say something like that to Tiana on her wedding day."I'm ready when you are, Babycakes."Tiana opened the car door, and was immediately surrounded by the press."Princess Tiana!""Princess, over here!""A word, princess?""Would you like to share a few words with our readers?"Sure she would, Tiana thought to herself. But none of them were fit to be printed. And why were they still calling her princess? Didn't any of them do their research?She wanted to shout that she wasn't a princess, she was a waitress, but even though all these reporters were clamoring for her attention, Tiana doubted they would pay attention to anything she had to say.Instead of answering them, she smiled and waved and pushed her way through to the church. Just as she was about to enter, a newsreel camera was practically shoved into her face."Well, Princess Tiana, my cameraman and I caught up with you." The man smiled wide as the cameraman kept cranking the camera on his tripod."I'm Leslie Thompson, with the Movie Tone news." He took out a small notepad and a pencil. "How are you feeling on this, your wedding day? How does it feel to be marrying into such a distinguished royal family?"Tiana surreptitiously glanced behind her looking for her mother or Lottie to help, but each of them had gotten caught up in the horde of press. She was on her own.Tiana had seen this man interview people before. The newsreels that were shown before movies always seemed to have one interview with Leslie Thompson, even though Tiana hardly saw the point. Each interview lasted about five minutes, and most of the time was spent on showing the intertile that had all the words everyone said spelled out for the audience to read.Still, Tiana knew that if she walked away there would be trouble.PRINCESS TIANA REFUSES TO SPEAK WITH CHARMING NEWSREEL JOURNALIST LESLIE THOMPSON.So she put on her best smile for the man, trying to ignore the camera with all her might, through the lense seemed to be burning a deeper hole in her by the second. She really didn't need this right now."Well, Naveen isn't really... He abdicated.""Yes, and how did you manage to convince him to do that?""It was his idea."Leslie Thompson laughed even as he wrote everything she said on his little notepad. "Nice to know you have a good sense of humor."Nice to know? Why was he suddenly acting like they were going to be friends? Tiana really just wanted to get out of here."Anything you'd like to share with the American public, princess?" He smiled at her again, his pencil poised on the paper.So many thoughts clouded her mind that she could share: it's probably not a good idea to kiss strange frogs, but if you do it might lead you to the love of your life; if you do decide to get married in the bayou by a 200 year old voodoo priestess, make sure she signs a marriage license first; and don't ever take directions from an alligator.Of course she wouldn't say any of those things. Instead she simply smiled and said, "Follow your heart. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go inside."Eudora and Lottie had finally caught up with her, and together the three women shut the door in the reporter's face."Prince Naveen! A few words for the Movie Tone news?"Naveen grinned at the press surrounding him. It he didn't know better, he would have said he was back in Maldonia, with his title and his inheritance and everything being the heir to the throne gave him.Except he didn't have any of those things, and he had never felt happier for it. He was getting married to Tiana at last, and nothing was going to sour his mood."Of course, my friend!" Naveen replied, shaking the reporter's hand heartily. "I am always happy to talk to you.""I just wish your bride would say the same," Leslie smirked. "When she walked through here earlier we could hardly get a word out of her."Tiana was here! She was inside, waiting for him! Naveen felt his heart jump at the thought, and he had to fight the urge to shove the reporter and the cameraman out of the way and run to her."She is just shy, and probably nervous," Naveen said. "It is our wedding day, and everyone gets the butterflies in their stomachs, yes?""Does that mean you're getting cold feet, Your Highness?""No, of course not," Naveen replied, somewhat appalled that he could even ask this question. "I have been ready for this day for a long time."Naveen glanced over to Sunil who glanced down at his watch and raised an eyebrow at his son. It was time."If you will excuse me, it is time for me to get married," Naveen said with a grin. He shook the reporter's hand once."Congratulations," Leslie said. "And good luck!""Thank you, my friend," Naveen replied, and followed his father inside.Tiana did lose her breakfast when she got inside the church. There was still plenty of time, despite the delays outside, but then Lottie came barreling in saying that she saw Naveen and his family come into the church and Tiana almost emptied her stomach again.She thought she'd been nervous because of the reporters, but then why was her stomach being so jumpy now when they were very much the afterthought?Was she afraid to marry Naveen? No, it couldn't be. She loved him so much and wanted this more than anything. Besides, they had already gotten married once before. This was practically old hat to her.So why, why was she feeling so nervous?"Everyone gets nervous on their wedding day, Babycakes," Eudora explained as she switched between rubbing Tiana's back and making sure her veil was secured.Tiana was just focussing on her breathing. "You were nervous when you married Daddy?" she asked, looking for any kind of distraction."Lord, yes," Eudora said, laughing. "We just had a small ceremony in your grandparents living room, but it was still shaking like a leaf in my shoes."Tiana had to laugh at that. Eudora was always so confidant, it was hard to imagine her being nervous."Though as soon as I came down those stairs and saw your Daddy waiting there, all those nerves just melted away," Eudora said. "He looked so handsome in his Sunday clothes, I almost tripped over my dress trying to get to him."Tiana smiled at her mother, and both women had tears in their eyes. Eudora took another bobby pin to Tiana's hair, pinning it in place before gently cupping Tiana's cheek. "He'd be real proud of you, Babycakes.""I wish he was here," Tiana whispered, her voice cracking slightly."Me too.""Oh Tia! It's almost time! EEEEEE!" Lottie burst into the room again, barely able to contain herself. "Are you excited?""I'm just trying not to faint," Tiana laughed."Maybe this'll help." Lottie handed her a folded piece of paper. "I was just wishing Naveen good luck (and he looks so handsome Tia, wait until you see him!) and I told him how nervous you were and so he wrote something down here for me to give to you. Isn't that romantic?"It was romantic at that, though Tiana wished Lottie hadn't said anything to Naveen about how nervous she was. He didn't need to know that. Not now anyway. They could laugh about it later when this was all over and it was just the two of them.The thought of that sent a bubble of excitement through her, and Tiana held onto it. That was what she needed to focus on. She opened the note and smiled.
T

Last night I couldn't sleep because all I could think about was how happy I am to finally start our life together. Today is our wedding, and tomorrow we will get your dream. I am the luckiest man in the world to be able to share it all with you.

I love you with all my heart.

See you soon. Breathe.

N
She breathed, even as her eyes stung with happy tears. She loved him so much she just wanted to find him right that minute and throw her arms around him and give him a great big kiss. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. What she really wanted, was to marry him."Well, Babycakes?" Eudora asked. "It's almost time. How are you feeling?""Good," Tiana replied, and found that it was the truth. Even though she still felt nervous, her stomach had settled and the happiness inside her was finally outweighing everything else. "I'm ready."Eudora hugged her daughter tight. Then she put another bobby pin in Tiana's hair."Are you nervous?" Sunil asked.He was waiting with Naveen at the altar. Tiana would walk through the doors any moment now, and everyone in attendance was murmuring quietly.There were so many people here, but Naveen only had one person on his mind."Nervous? Why would I be nervous?" Naveen replied, but the way his voice cracked slightly betrayed him. Alright, so he was a little nervous. He cleared his throat and pulled a little at his collar.Sunil chuckled and straightened Naveen's sash. "I'm very proud of you, you know."Naveen glanced up. He hadn't expected that. "Thank you, Baba.""I mean it," Sunil said. "Everything you've done, everything you've been through to get here…. You've really come into your own, and your mother and I are just so happy for you."The music started and Naveen almost jumped out of his skin. The people in the pews must have noticed as there was a low rumble of laughter throughout the church. Naveen smoothed his hair back, embarrassed.Sunil squeezed his arm. "Good luck, beta.""Thank you, Baba. For everything."Sunil gave his son one more smile and then went to sit next to Idhal, who was already crying.Alone at the altar, Naveen felt his nerves start to bubble up, and for the first time he wished he had asked someone to be his best man. None of the people he had grown up with in Maldonia seemed like a good fit, though. In reality he would have liked to have asked Louis, but having the gator in the church seemed like a bad idea.Right now he was probably with his band getting ready for the reception later that evening.Naveen took a deep breath as he imagined dancing with Tiana later when they would truly be husband and wife. Finally after all this time! They wouldn't have to pretend anymore! As long as they made it through this ceremony it would all be ok.And what could go wrong, really? Tiana had planned everything out to a tee, there was no way anything could go wrong.A thought popped into Naveen's head, and then he began to worry. It wasn't possible, surely. No. It couldn't happen. It made no sense! But it was magic, and magic didn't have to follow the rules, did it?Marrying Tiana again after he had abdicated and kissing her wouldn't cause the spell to come back. It just wouldn't!The doors opened and the procession began. Naveen's heart jumped. Even if this did turn them back into frogs, he was willing to take that chance.First Eudora walked down the aisle, then Charlotte. Naveen gave them both a small wave. Then Ravi as the ring bearer came. The pep talk Naveen had given him seemed to have stuck, as Ravi took extra care to not trip or fall and lose the rings.It did take him longer to reach the altar, but when he did, Ravi grinned triumphantly up at his brother."Good job, Ravi," Naveen whispered to him.Ravi beamed once more, and took a seat next to his parents to wait until he was needed once more.All at once, the congregation stood and turned. A collective gasp sounded as the door opened once more to reveal the bride in all her glory.There she was. The love of his life. His bride. His wife. Dressed in her wedding gown, Naveen thought that there never had been a more beautiful bride than Tiana.Everything else melted away. As Tiana walked up the aisle, Naveen was reminded of where they had been a year ago, and everything they had gone through to get to this moment. The love he felt for Tiana had only grown in the past year, and even now Naveen felt that love swell up inside him, bringing happy tears to his eyes.She smiled at him from halfway up the aisle, and even from that distance, Naveen could see her dimples. It was those dimples that seemed to push him over the edge. Or maybe it was everything about her: her smile, the way she looked in her bridal gown, just her. Even though she was about five seconds away from reaching the altar, it was too long for Naveen. He needed to be by her side now.Without thinking, Naveen took one tentative step, and then another. Before he knew it, he was running towards her, and then he had wrapped her up in his arms in the most wonderful embrace he had ever experienced.For a brief moment, when he first started to move, Tiana was worried. The gasp of shock that went around the congregation didn't help matters either, but then she saw he was smiling, even through his tears, and when he hugged her tight, she hugged him back just as hard."Naveen, is everything okay?" Tiana asked, pulling back from the embrace. She reached up to cup his cheek with her hand, ignoring the whispers all around them.He simply smiled and wiped away a tear that had managed to escape. "Tiana, you look so beautiful.""Oh, Froggy," Tiana laughed, not unkindly. If she wasn't careful she'd start to cry herself. "You're not so bad yourself.""I love you," he said."I love you, too."Her smile was so sweet, it took his breath away. Everything about her was so sweet. Sweet enough to kiss. But as he leaned down to do just that, Tiana placed a playful finger over his lips."Let's get married first.""Yes, good idea, princess." Naveen laughed to cover up his burning cheeks. It wasn't that he had forgotten, far from it, but Tiana did have that mesmerizing effect on him sometimes.He offered Tiana his arm and together they walked the rest of the way up the aisle, and when the finally arrived at the altar, everyone in the church let out a round of applause."Well, that was unusual," the minister said with a twinkle in his eye, once everything was quiet again.This spurred laughter from the congregation, and Naveen felt his cheeks burn again."Sorry," he mouthed to Tiana. Had he ruined everything?But Tiana only smiled and shook her head. She had handed off her bouquet to Lottie and now took both of Naveen's hands in hers. "I love you," she mouthed back and gave his hands a squeeze."I love you, too.""Dearly beloved," the minister began. "We are gathered here today to witness this man and this woman join together in holy matrimony."And so it went through the ceremony. They promised to love each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for the rest of their lives. The rings were exchanged, and then before they knew it, there was only one thing left.Naveen was beaming. Tiana was too. It was finally here."I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister said. "You may now kiss the bride."Naveen didn't hesitate. He cupped Tiana's cheek and brought her in for a kiss. This time there was no transformation, no curse being broken, but that magic that existed between them was still there. They could both feel it as they smiled knowingly underneath their kiss.At last they were married! No one could deny it now. Tiana started to laugh as they kissed again, and again. Of course Naveen started to laugh too, and soon they were holding each other again, smiling and laughing as the unfiltered joy they felt spilled out.Tiana had never felt such happiness before. Well, maybe at her last wedding she had, but even so this was different. Naveen kissed her again, and as applause from the congregation filled the church, he took her in his arms and spun them both around.She laughed again, and held onto him tight, letting the dizziness envelop her in a way she never would have before meeting Naveen. As he carefully set her back down, he kissed her again in such a way that her knees started to buckle, but Naveen's strong arms around her kept her from falling."Are you alright?" Naveen whispered.Tiana nodded, holding onto his waist. "Never better."And it was true. She felt radiant, and glowing, and so happy that she might burst. It was true that when they faced the congregation, Tiana was met with a sea of faces, many of whom Tiana only barely recognized from the engagement party. But there near the front was Eudora, Lottie, and Big Daddy LaBouff.Her family. This, this is what she had missed at their last wedding. Grateful that they were here, Tiana blew them all a kiss and waved.Naveen, in turn, showed off his new wife to his own parents, and Tiana bowed her head to them, and they beamed back. Tiana had to giggle at her in-laws. Had she really been afraid of them a few months ago? Now with Idhal crying, and Sunni raising his fist in triumph, the thought seemed impossible.Naveen smiled down at her, and gave her waist a squeeze. Tiana looked up at her husband and smiled in return. Her husband. He really was her husband now, and no one could deny it now.Never in a million years would she have predicted that someone like Naveen would be the love of her life, but now she couldn't picture marrying anyone else.True that they were very different people, and had grown up in completely different worlds, but they'd already proven that together they could do anything they set their minds to. With Naveen by her side, Tiana knew this was going to be the beginning of a wonderful life together."If you don't stop that giggling, princess, we are sure to get caught.""It wasn't my idea to sneak away before the reception and hide in a coat closet to neck," Tiana teased, but she was smiling through it all. She hadn't stopped smiling since that morning.Not when they had run out of the church together, hand in hand, successfully avoiding the press, not when Tiana had jumped the gun by throwing the bouquet right then and there instead of waiting for the reception, and certainly not when they signed their marriage license not thirty minutes ago."Well, I didn't exactly hear you object to the idea when I suggested it," Naveen quipped as he pressed her further in the closet. He continued kissing along her neck and nibbling along her ear."In fact, I would say that you seemed rather excited by the prospect of being alone in a closet with your new husband."Tiana's sigh of pleasure turned into another giggle. "Oh, I'm not denying that I'm enjoying myself.""Then what, my dearest wife, is making you laugh so much." Naveen came up and nuzzled her nose with his.She couldn't help herself, as she giggled once again. "All this time you never wanted to sneak around, and now we've only been married, truly married since this morning and we're already holed up in a closet."Naveen chuckled even as he kissed her. "Better late than never, no?""You got that right," Tiana said. She cupped his chin and brought him in for another kiss. Truthfully, she wouldn't have minded this kind of activity at all during the past year, but he was right - it was better late than never, though best of all was right now.She shivered as their kiss grew deeper, imagining all the things they could do in this closet. It was hardly romantic, but that bit of naughtiness just made it all the more exciting. For once Tiana didn't push those thoughts away, either. They were married, it was only natural to think of her husband in this way.Though try as she might, she couldn't exactly turn off the practical side of her brain. They couldn't stay in here much longer, could they? The reception was waiting for them, and they would have to cut the cake, not to mention the little Maldonian wedding traditions they were going to do.Everyone would be waiting for them."How much time do we have?" Tiana asked, breathlessly."Mmm. All the time in the world," Naveen replied, bringing their lips together again.Tiana giggled again. "With everyone waiting for us?"Naveen shrugged. "Let them wait.""They'll come looking for us," Tiana replied. She smoothed her hand along the sash on his chest, smoothing it out. Even this simple gesture was clearly getting him all hot and bothered, and it delighted Tiana, so she did it again."That's why we have to be quiet," Naveen whispered, but they both started to laugh again. It really wouldn't be much longer before they were found out."Much as I hate to say it, dear husband," Tiana said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "but I think it's time to go."Naveen sighed and rested his forehead on hers. "I know. I would just much rather stay in here with you."Tiana traced a finger along his chin. "Me too. But like you said, we have all the time in the world, right?" She kissed him slowly and softly on the lips. "We can pick this up later.""Tonight.""Yes."Naveen shivered. Tonight. They had their bags packed and ready to go on the riverboat, which was conveniently going to wait for them to board before it cast off. Well, not quite conveniently. Naveen did have to convince the captain it was a good idea first, and he may have forgotten to mention that he was no longer royalty when doing so.Giving up the throne was easy, but losing those perks that royalty gave him would take a little getting used to. But, it was his wedding day, so he deserved a little slack, and he had to do everything he could to make sure his first night with Tiana went as smoothly as possible.Just the thought of spending all night with Tiana made him shiver again. He had wanted her for so long, and now it seemed like torture to wait even a few more hours. Part of him was tempted to throw her over his shoulders and find any empty bedroom in the house. But he wouldn't.She wouldn't want it that way, and truthfully, he didn't either. They needed to take it slow tonight. After tonight though... Well, as Tiana said, they had all the time in the world.Naveen returned her soft kiss with one of his own. He brushed against her lips lightly with his tongue, teasing her, and giving her a taste of what was to come."My wife is a very smart woman," Naveen whispered against her lips. Tiana giggled again. "I'm the luckiest man in the world to be married to you."They kissed again, and then once more, marveling in the love they shared."You know," Tiana said, taking one of his curls and twirling it around her finger, "I think we have at least five minutes before people start looking for us."Naveen raised a knowing eyebrow and smirked. "Why Mrs. Mahajan, are you suggesting we shirk our responsibilities in favor of more ...pleasurable activities?""Yes," Tiana said, making Naveen snort with laughter."I have been a bad influence on you.""Yes you have," Tiana replied and beckoned him with her finger. "Now get over here, Froggy, before someone catches us."When the idea for a short Maldonian wedding ceremony at the reception had come up, Tiana had of course said yes. And it really would be short for Maldonian standards. Naveen explained to her later that traditional weddings in Maldonian could last up to three days, though something like a royal wedding could go for a week or longer.This ceremony would be rather simple. She and Naveen would exchange flower garlands, and then they would hold hands while Sunil tied them together with a cotton thread wound several times followed by a few vows in Maldonian.Tiana had taken it upon herself to learn the Maldonian perfectly, and had spent countless hours practicing and memorizing her vows. Her pronunciation wasn't perfect, but even Sunil said it was good for a beginner.Now though, as the ceremony was reaching its end, Tiana couldn't remember a single word.Normally in a situation like this, Tiana would be panicking, worried that she would make a fool of herself in front of all of these people, including of course, her mother and her in-laws.But it was hard to feel anything other than happy with Naveen looking at her the way he was - like she was the only woman in the world. It made her heart quicken, and it seemed like her whole body was getting a warm glow all around it. Though maybe that's because they were now standing in front of a small fire lit for the ceremony.Naveen had her hands sandwiched in his, and Sunil began to wrap the fabric around them. As Sunil spoke, all in Maldonian of course, Tiana's brain was too fluffy to try and piece out the meanings of the words. She knew tt was something about unity, and vowing to create a happy relationship with each other, but she couldn't remember the exact phrasing, despite her exact translations she had painstakingly done.Naveen caught her eye again, and he winked. Tiana had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He was such a flirt, and she loved him for it.Sunil tied the knot, and turned toward Tiana with an expectant look. She blinked for a few seconds before realizing this was the moment she was supposed to speak her vows."I'm sorry," she grimaced slightly at her father-in-law, and then at Naveen. "I don't remember what to say."Naveen gave her an understanding smile and squeezed her hands. "It's alright, princess. Just repeat after me."Naveen's voice was clear and calm, easy enough for Tiana to follow along. As she spoke, the words started coming back to her. How silly of her to have forgotten them!When they had finished, Sunil said a few more words as he unwound the cloth. Tiana remembered what those words meant - roughly translated, they meant 'you may now kiss the bride'.For once, Naveen happily did as his father told him, and they smiled under their kiss. Everything was finally as it should be."I love you," he whispered against her lips."I love you, too," Tiana replied. Then they were kissing again.The applause and cheering from their friends and family quickly died down. Tiana pulled away from Naveen and gave him a confused look. Wasn't this the end? Was there more?He shrugged. He didn't know either, but then they realized that everyone's attention was on King Sunil, who hadn't even had to say a single word to get the crowd to settle down.Damn if that wasn't impressive.Sunil raised a glass. "A toast to the happy couple," he said. "I know we are all anxious to party, so I will keep this short."Everyone laughed politely. Naveen's hand found its way around Tiana's waist, and he held her close."I just want to say that I'm very happy for the both of you, and I wish you the best of luck." He raised his glass higher. "To love, and laughter, and to happily ever after.""Here here!"Glasses clinked all around, and Sunil smiled once more. "I think that is enough talking for one day, yes? Let's party!"The whole day had been one long blur, but it was even more so during the wedding party. Tiana thought part of it was due to all the alcohol that was being consumed (which in itself wasn't much of a shock despite the law. Prohibition had never been enforced much in New Orleans, and it seemed that the mere presence of royalty made everyone loosen up), but she was being careful not to drink too much.She wanted to make sure she didn't get sick or drunk so that she couldn't properly enjoy her wedding night.Her stomach jumped again at the thought. It had been jumping all night, and for the past few days. And, well, for the past year.Though she was having a lovely time at the party, there was another part of her that just wanted to leave. But how could she when so many people wanted to talk to her or dance with her, or both.Everyone who she hadn't met at the engagement party wanted to say hello and congratulations, and even the people she had met and talked to at the engagement party also wanted to offer their congratulations. Tiana was grateful, of course. It was all very nice, but each time she was dragged into another conversation or pulled onto the dance floor again, she would look for Naveen who more often than not shared a look of sympathy with her, because he was getting the same treatment.Though Tiana did feel like he had it slightly worse. While everyone was still grilling him about his abdication of the throne, Tiana was treated as more of a curiosity, and to double check the rumors flying around about them.Surprisingly most of those rumors were true, but when asked about them Tiana could see how they would seem outlandish. Prince Naveen had really given up his title and his life of riches to move into a single room in a boarding house where everyone had to share a bathroom? And he was going to willingly do hard labor on a dilapidated old sugar mill to turn it into a restaurant where he would also work at?Yes, yes and providing they ended up with the sugar mill tomorrow, yes.Another jump of her stomach at that thought. Getting married and her dream restaurant all in one week, was it really possible?Tiana looked once more over the crowd at Naveen talking to some other people and laughing as he did so. He smiled when their eyes met.Yes, Tiana thought. It was possible. Anything was possible at this point.Except for maybe escaping this dull conversation she was stuck in.She thought that the man was Naveen's second cousin or something along those lines. Whatever the relation was, he clearly hadn't inherited the wit and charm that seemed to be prevalent in Naveen's family.This was the most boring conversation she had ever had, and truthfully she had stopped listening to him a long time ago. But the man left no room in the conversation for her to make an escape!She nodded politely, saying 'Yes' and 'mhmm' whenever it seemed appropriate, while all the while thinking how to get out of this. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wincing slightly. Tiana was used to being on her feet all day, but these were new shoes and it felt like a few blisters were forming.And he was still talking! He seemed to have circled back to his original topic, again. Was this just going to be her life now? Stuck in a never ending conversation?"Pardon me, Baadal, but I must steal my wife from you." Naveen placed his warm hands on Tiana's shoulders. She had never been more grateful to see him. "You see they are playing our song, and we must dance to it."Without another word he whisked her away to the dance floor."We don't have a song," Tiana said once they were alone."That is true," Naveen said, "but I could hardly stand by and watch my wife get sucked into what I'm sure was a tediously dull and never ending conversation.""How did you guess?""Baadal is very nice, but he has a reputation for that," Naveen explained, as he lead them in a dance. "I couldn't let my wife wallow in misery on her wedding day."Tiana smiled and pecked him quickly on the lips. "Well, thank you for being my knight in shining armor.""I think your knight deserves a little more than that no?" Naveen teased. "Especially from his wife?""You sure like saying that, don't you?" Tiana asked. "That I'm your wife.""I have been denied saying it for the past year," Naveen said, bringing their foreheads together with a slight bump. "No more.""Well, in that case..." Tiana leaned in to kiss him again, lingering longer this time."Better?" she asked."Much better. Thank you, princess." He brought her in closer as they danced cheek to cheek. He lowered his voice and whispered, "But you know what would be even better?"Tiana knew the answer but she still played along. "What?" she whispered back."If we left and went to the riverboat where we can finally be alone together."Tiana shivered in anticipation. More than anything she wanted that. "But this is our party. We can't just leave.""Of course we can," Naveen countered. "Besides, it is tradition in Maldonia for the bride and groom to sneak away."Tiana smirked. "Is it really, or are you just telling me that to get us out of here sooner?"Naveen gasped in an exaggerated way. "I would never lie about my culture to you.""You would if it lead to us making love," Tiana laughed, even as she blushed at her words.Naveen gave her that bedroom smile of his, and said, "Well, can you blame me?" He kissed her again on the mouth, and then lowered his voice so only she could hear. "I want you."Tiana took in a shaky breath, clinging to him tight, lest her knees get any weaker than they already were. "I want you, too.""Then we should go," he whispered against her neck. "It's been long enough, no?"She didn't know if he meant that they had stayed long enough at the party, or if he was talking about the last year (a whole year!) that they had basically fought temptation. She didn't want to fight anymore.But there was still one more thing they needed to do before they left."We need to say goodbye before we go," Tiana said. "At least to our parents and Lottie, to thank them for everything they did."Naveen sighed and once more pressed his forehead to hers. Talking to everyone would add at the minimum another half hour before they could go, but Tiana wouldn't be Tiana if she had just agreed to sneak away with him. "My wife is a very considerate woman."Tiana smiled and kissed him again, before taking his hand in hers. "Come on. Let's go."It did take a long time to say goodbye to everyone, but at last they were able to the carriage which was waiting to drive them to the riverboat. After meeting the captain with a hearty handshake, they were shown their suite where their things had already been dropped off.A crew member explained that there was staff on call if they needed anything, and their ticket also included a complimentary breakfast in the morning. He handed Naveen the key to the room, and with a tip of his hat was gone, leaving the two of them alone at last.Naveen jingled the keys playfully and grinned. "Well then.""Well then," Tiana agreed."Perhaps we should go inside, yes?""That sounds like a good idea."Naveen put the key in the lock and opened the door. Even from the entryway Tiana could see the suite was immaculately decorated. There was even a tray set out full of cheeses, crackers and fruits.And then when you looked further into the room, well, there was another doorway that lead to the bedroom.The bedroom.Tiana felt another jump in her stomach as she stepped forward, but Naveen stopped her gently."Wait.""What's wrong?""Nothing," Naveen said quickly. "It's just... A husband should carry his wife over the threshold, no?"Tiana pressed a playful finger on his nose. "My husband is very romantic.""You knew that when you married me.""Yes I did," Tiana said. "And I love you for it."Naveen kissed her then, and took her firmly in his arms as he stepped over the threshold of their suite. He kicked the door behind them and said, "Would you be so kind as to lock the door, Mrs. Mahajan? My hands are a bit full, as they say."Tiana giggled at the usage of her new last name and reached for the door. With a firm click, she locked the door of their honeymoon suite.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Would you be so kind as to lock the door, Mrs. Mahajan? My hands are a bit full, as they say.”

“Tiana giggled at the usage of her new last name and reached for the door. With a firm click, she locked the door of their honeymoon suite.

With that click came the firm realization of this moment - they were finally married, they were alone, no one would bother them, and Naveen was going to take her to bed.

In fact he already was. With Tiana safely in his arms, he took confident steps through the living room of their suite and into the bedroom which had the biggest bed Tiana had ever seen, complete with fluffy pillows and silk sheets.

Her attention was soon diverted elsewhere as Naveen kissed her again, making her toes curl in delight. As he lowered her onto the bed, Tiana felt her nerves and excitement boil over.

This was it. Was this it? Oh god, this was it. Was she ready? Yes. She loved him, she wanted him, and she wanted to be with him that way. Of course she was ready. She'd been ready for a long time. It just seemed like it was going so fast, and...

Naveen broke the kiss and smiled down at her as he sat next to her on the edge of the bed. "Are you alright, my Evangeline?" he asked, stroking her cheek.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied.

"You have that terrified look on your face," Naveen explained, and Tiana grimaced.

It wasn't that she was afraid, but she was a little scared. It was hard to explain. "Sorry."

"I'm not going to just throw myself at you, you know," Naveen said calmly. His hand had moved down to rub her arms and Tiana could feel some of her tension slip away.

"We'll take it slow, yes?" Naveen continued. "And we'll talk through everything." He cupped her hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "I want to know everything that you are thinking and feeling. And you know you are free to tell me if there is something that you do not enjoy or don't want to do."

He'd said that before, the night he came back from Maldonia, and Tiana felt herself flush remembering the things they had done that night and just how good it had felt, and that she only had to ask and he would do it again.

"Yes, I know," Tiana said.

"Good." Naveen leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips. "So...what are you thinking now?"

Tiana smiled softly and ran a hand down his arm. There were so many thoughts going through her head right now, it was hard to pick just one.

"I'm thinking how nice it feels to lie down," she laughed, and he did too. "My feet have been killing me."

"My poor bride," Naveen said, and gave her another quick peck. "Why don't you let your husband take care of that for you, hmm?"

He scooted down the bed and sat with her feet in his lap. Carefully he undid the shoe straps and slid each of the heels off of her feet, setting them on the floor. Naveen took one of her feet in his hands and began to rub the foot with his thumbs, starting at the tip of her toe and moving slowly to her ankle.

Tiana let out a groan of satisfaction, the likes of which she'd never uttered before. She felt her cheeks flush again, but she'd never had a foot massage before, and it felt too good to stop voicing her pleasure.

"And how is this, princess?" Naveen asked, massaging the arch of her foot.

She moaned and laughed at herself. "Mmm. That's heaven."

Naveen smiled, applying a little more pressure, delighting in the way it made Tiana sigh and relax onto the bed. Maybe this could even become a routine for them. He wouldn't mind helping her relax after a long day of working on the sugar mill, and then even after that when they had turned it into the restaurant of her dreams.

They could have routines like that now and Naveen was looking forward to making them. Right now though, he had other things on his mind.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, switching to her other foot.

They shared a look and Tiana knew he wasn't asking her about the massage anymore. She hesitated, but decided it would be best to say exactly how she was feeling.

"Good. And...excited." She flushed again.

Naveen smiled warmly and squeezed her foot.

"But...I guess I'm feeling a little nervous, too."

"That's normal," Naveen said.

"It is?"

"Of course," he said. "It can be scary, especially the first time." He squeezed her foot again. "But you know I'm going to take care of you, yes?"

"I know," Tiana told him.

He went back to the massage, and after a moment said, "If it makes you feel any better, you are not the only person in this room who is feeling nervous."

Tiana blinked. "You? Really?"

As if to prove it, Naveen holds out his hand out straight. At first it's still, but then Naveen started shaking it in an exaggerated manner. Tiana couldn't help but laugh, and the way he smiled at her, she could see that was his goal.

With her foot, Tiana poked him in the stomach. "Come on, stop teasing me."

"I am not teasing," Naveen countered. "I really am nervous."

"But you've done this before."

"Not with you," Naveen said quickly before they could both dwell on the fact that he had slept with a lot of other women. "This is our first time together and I want it to be perfect for you."

"Oh, Naveen," Tiana said with a smile. "It's already perfect. We're here together, aren't we?"

He chuckled softly. "That we are, princess."

"That's all that matters to me," Tiana said.

"I married a very wise woman," Naveen said and she laughed.

"Well, I try."

They shared a shy smile, but it was full of love and promise too.

Naveen switched back to the other foot.

"How'd you get so good at giving foot massages?" Tiana asked after a moment. "If I had to guess, I'd say you've never given one before."

"You would be correct, princess," Naveen said, chuckling again. He had received many massages over the years, but he wasn't taking from those experiences now.

"I am simply listening to your body," he explained.

That had to be one of the sexiest things Naveen had ever said to her, and that was saying something, as the man could make anything sound sexy.

Tiana had the sudden urge to say something equally as sexy back. Could she though? Of course she could. It was just flirting, after all, and Tiana had a naughty idea of what to say.

She sat up and scooted herself closer to him, making more of her legs drape over his lap. She tried to look as sexy as she could, but Tiana suspected the effect might be hampered by the heavy blush that was spreading around her cheeks.

"What do you think my body is telling you now?" Tiana asked.

Naveen met her gaze, and their eye contact was so intense it took everything Tiana had not to look away. She bit her lip instead, and Naveen's eyes were drawn to them, then down the rest of her body and back up again to her lips and at last to her eyes.

One of his warm hands moved up her leg and rested comfortably on her thigh.

"Well," Naveen said at last. His voice was a little husky and it made Tiana shiver. "It sounds to me like you want a kiss."

She had to say it. She couldn't

not

say it. "Kissing would be nice, yes?" she teased.

Naveen snorted and they both laughed an easy laugh of people who had come so far together.

"Come here, you," Naveen said and brought her in for a kiss.

They had kissed so many times since they had fallen in love, and even with so many kisses between them, there was always those elements that were there that made each kiss a delight.

When Naveen had been away in Maldonia and feeling particularly lonely he liked to torture himself by imagining he could count them. Her taste, her smell, the way she touched him, the way she made him feel.

But the things that made Tiana so wonderful were impossible to count. She was full of an infinite amount of possibilities, each one more marvelous than the next, and Naveen would happily spend the rest of his life discovering all there was to know about her.

He was about to deepen the kiss when Tiana pulled back.

"Wait," she whispered.

"What is it?" he whispered back, panting. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes it's fine." Tiana cupped his worried face and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's just...before we go any further, would you mind if I changed?"

Naveen blinked, his mind coming back from the fog that their kiss had turned it into. "You mean your clothes?"

"Yeah."

"Of course I wouldn't mind," he said, and dashed aside all thoughts of him taking her wedding gown off her. No matter. He would still take something off of her, and that's all that mattered.

And maybe she wanted to change into something more risque. Just the thought made his pants tighter than they already were.

He ran his hands up and down her arms gently. "Whatever makes you comfortable," Naveen added.

She gave him a shy smile, said, "Thanks," and kissed him briefly on the lips. "I'll um....be right back."

"Okay. Take your time."

When the bathroom door closed behind her, Naveen let out a happy sigh and flopped backwards onto the bed with his arms behind his head he smiled wide to himself.

He just felt so happy! Surely no one else in the history of the world had ever felt as happy as he did in this moment. He had finally married the woman of his dreams, they were going to make love, and soon she would come out in sexy lingerie.

Yes, life was good.

Though if she was changing clothes, perhaps he should as well. Yes that seemed like a good idea. He was about ready to bust the seams of his dress pants. It would be a relief to change into looser pajama pants.

It would be even better when he could take them off completely. And it would be even better when....

Just calm down, Naveen. Don't get too excited. Not yet anyway.

He took a few deep breaths as he changed into his pajamas and robe, and thought of jazz chord progressions - his old standby for times when he needed to calm down a bit. Not that he had needed to use it much before.

Back then he had always had a steady rotation of partners, and as such had gotten quite a lot of practice in the art of making love and lasting long in bed.

Now though... Well, the fact was he hadn't had sex with anyone since he met Tiana a little over a year ago. It was the longest he had ever gone before, and thinking about it too much made his nerves bubble up.

Naveen hadn't been lying earlier when he told Tiana he was nervous, and he really was worried he wouldn't make tonight perfect for her. But part of making it perfect included making sure he didn't climax too soon.

Tiana wasn't the type of woman to laugh at him for doing so, but it was not how he wanted her to experience making love the first time. If he could just make it through this first time, he knew it would be okay.

Any other time he might be embarrassed, but it wouldn't be anything he couldn't laugh off. Their first time though...

Naveen ran a hand through his hair, exhaling loudly. Why was he worrying about himself when there were so many other things to worry about?

Because of course this would be their first time together, but it was also Tiana's very very first time, and he didn't want to hurt her.

"That's why we're taking it slow," Naveen told the reflection of himself in the vanity mirror. "And we'll be talking through everything. I know how to do this."

He had bedded virgins before, but again, it had been a long time. He felt himself get harder again just thinking of taking Tiana to bed.

Just calm down Naveen. C major 7 to A minor 7 to D minor 7 to

"Where you talking to someone?"

Naveen spun away from the vanity to find Tiana in her nightgown and robe on the other side of the room. He could weep at how beautiful she looked.

"What was that, princess?"

"I asked if you were talking to someone," Tiana repeated, coming over to his side. "I thought I heard you saying something."

He realized at that moment that he must have been saying those chord progressions out loud to himself. Sometime in the future he would explain why, but for now Naveen only gestured to the window and the stars that were shining down at them from the night sky.

"Just talking to Ray and Evangeline," he explained.

Tiana leaned into his embrace as they looked at the stars together. “And what did they have to say?”

“They say congratulations,” he said and kissed her cheek, “and that it took long enough.”

Tiana laughed. “Well, they’re not wrong.” She tilted her head up to his. “It is nice to finally be married.”

“Yes it is,” Naveen agreed, and kissed her cheek again. “This means you are enjoying yourself so far? Yes?”

“Oh I’m having a great time,” Tiana said.

“Me too,” Naveen said, and kissed her on the lips this time.

“Hey, so, I have something for you.”

“Oh really?” Naveen asked. “What is it?”

“Well, don’t get too excited,” Tiana said. She went over to her things and ruffled through them a little. “It’s not much, and it’s really not very good.”

“Tiana, whatever it is, I love it already.”

She smirked. He would say that. “I thought maybe it could be an anniversary present? Or a wedding gift? Or something… Except it’s nothing compared to this.” She gestured all around them, indicating the river boat.

“It’s not a competition, darling,” Naveen said. “Besides, you know as well as I do that we won’t be able to do anything like this for awhile.” Not until they had the restaurant up and running, and making a profit.

“But if you are so worried,” he continued, “next time you can pay for everything.”

Tiana laughed but she pointed firmly at him. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“I know you will.”

At last, Tiana pulled out a single piece of paper. "So, I...wrote you a love letter."

Naveen couldn't stop the smile on his face. "You did?" He remembered how worried she had been writing him love letters when they had been apart. No wonder she was acting so self-conscious. There was no need, though. Just the fact that she had done this was better than anything money could buy.

"I wanted to try writing a poem, but it was too hard," Tiana explained. "So I thought a letter would be easier, but it's still not anything like yours and-"

"Tiana," he gently interrupted. "Will you read it to me? Please?"

"Okay," she said quietly. "But you can't laugh."

"I would never."

Tiana took a deep breath and began to read. "To my husband."

Naveen let out a sob.

"You said you wouldn't tease me," Tiana scolded.

"I'm not teasing," Naveen sobbed, though he tried to hold it back, as he wiped away his tears. "It's so beautiful."

"Oh Froggy." Tiana found a tissue for him and kissed his cheek when he finished blowing his nose. "May I continue?"

"Please."

"To my husband," she said again. "I never imagined that I would find someone that I love as much as I love you. Whatever the circumstances that brought us together, be it fate or luck, choice or chance, I give thanks because it gave me you.

With you I've found everything that I needed. And even more than that, when I see you, I see my future. No matter what happens with the restaurant, I know it's going to be okay because you'll be there by my side.

You've touched my life in so many ways, Naveen. Ways that I might not ever be able to put into words, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to tell you, but for now I'll just say I love you, and hope you know I mean it with all my heart.

You are my everything, and I promise that I will always love and cherish you wherever the future takes us together."

Tiana put the letter down and saw Naveen was crying again. But he was smiling, even through his tears.

"

Mi sitara lu'seinn."

Naveen cupped her cheeks and kissed her, softly and tenderly on the lips.

"Does that mean you liked it?" she asked. Their arms had slipped around each other, and they stood in a gentle embrace.

"I love it," Naveen said. "And I love you." He kissed her again, then once more, each time lingering slightly longer on her lips.

"I don't know where you got the idea that you can't write a good love letter," Naveen continued. He kissed her again and smiled. "That was the most beautiful letter I've ever heard."

"You're sweet," Tiana said and kissed him back.

They began to sway in their gentle embrace, and soon they were dancing very slowly around the room. There was no music, but Naveen hummed a soft tune to match the mood, and that was enough.

Tiana let out a happy sigh as he kissed his way down her neck. She rested her head on his shoulder, inviting him to kiss her more there, and when he took the hint, Tiana sighed again, happy and content.

Her mind drifted back to their first wedding night. In retrospect they had probably done everything wrong in the way they told their families they were in love and married. But it wasn't like they made manuals for how to tell your loved ones that you had fallen in love with someone while under a spell.

That first night they were human again, Tiana had been so afraid things wouldn't work out with Naveen. It was true that once the spell had broken their lives had gotten immensely more complicated, but here they were one year later. Still together, still very much in love, and falling more in love every day.

Sometimes it was hard to believe how little they had known each other when they first decided to get married. Tiana had felt such a deep connection to Naveen when they first married, and then when the spell broke she was able to learn about a whole new side to him.

Even now there was still a lot to learn. There would be plenty to learn tonight, obviously, but even beyond those more intimate matters, there were even simple things that delighted her. Like the fact that she now knew he wore a silk robe over silk pajamas.

It was such a simple thing, and yet Tiana couldn't believe she hadn't learned this until now. Naveen had seen her twice in her old nightgown, while the only time she had seen him in sleepwear was in that borrowed sleep shirt one year ago today.

The silk was a nice improvement.

She ran her hand along his chest, feeling the fabric smooth at her touch. Underneath it she could feel the heat of Naveen's body, warm and inviting. He moaned softly even as he continued to kiss her neck, and Tiana shivered at the sound as much as from his touch.

"I like your PJs," she whispered playfully.

Naveen chuckled softly and moved his kisses back up to her lips. "This might be a stupid question," he whispered along the side of her mouth. "But what are PJs?"

Tiana giggled and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "It means pajamas," she whispered.

"Oh." Naveen chuckled again. "I should have been able to figure that out." He was giving her that bedroom smile when he pulled back just enough to thoroughly look her up and down.

"I like yours, too, from what I can see," Naveen said. His fingers began trailing along the lapel of her robe which covered most of her nightgown. "It looks different than what I've seen before."

"It's new," Tiana explained, though she left out that Lottie had gotten her the négligée as a present. She couldn't believe Lottie had given her such a risque garment (though Lottie had assured her it really wasn't that bad), and she couldn't believe she was wearing it now.

She shivered again as Naveen's gaze met hers.

"Will you show me?"

"Okay," Tiana said with more confidence than she felt. It wasn't that she didn't want to (she very much did), but her nerves were coming back in full force.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that those feelings were normal, and that this was Naveen who wouldn't do anything that she didn't want to do. With shaky fingers she untied the sash of her robe, pulled it aside and let it fall to the floor.

Naveen's jaw dropped, and the tent in his pants stiffened considerably. Tiana could wear anything, but this... This was a whole different level. With fine lace embroidery around the bust, a hemline that came above her knees, and shoulder straps so thin it looked like he could just tug at them and the négligée would fall apart, it was the most revealing thing he had ever seen Tiana wear.

God damn it was sexy.

"

Achidanza..."

He whispered under his breath.

Tiana giggled nervously as she fiddled with the hemline. "You like it?"

"Like it? It's..." His brain had blown a fuse, and he couldn't think of the right words. There weren't enough words to describe her. Beautiful, of course. Radiant, stunning, glamorous.

His. She was all his.

"It's perfect," he settled on. Naveen reached for her and cupped her cheek, stroking her dimple with his thumb. "You're perfect."

Naveen leaned down to kiss her, but Tiana placed a finger over his lips.

"You too," she whispered shyly, then tugged a little on his robe when he furrowed his brows in confusion.

Oh of course. It wasn't fair that she be the only one not wearing their robe.

Quickly, Naveen tore his own robe open and tossed it aside. Tiana didn't even get to look before he was kissing her again, furiously, and passionately. There was a hunger to his kisses, but Tiana was hungry too, and she kissed him back just as hard.

Without breaking the kiss, he picked her up and carried her back to the bed. He laid her back down and this time climbed on top of her, perhaps a little more forcefully than he would have liked, as she cried out softly in pain when her head hit the pillow.

Naveen sprang away to the other side of the bed. “Sorry! Sorry!” he exclaimed, trying to catch his breath, all the while silently berating himself.

He had told himself he was going to take things slow and be gentle with her, and yet here he was practically throwing her on the bed and… squishing her? What exactly had he done?

“It’s alright,” Tiana said, out of breath herself. “It’s just all the bobby pins in my hair.” She reached for him. “Kiss me.”

How could he resist such a request? Naveen let himself be pulled into another kiss, and his hands tentatively touched her hair. His hand almost sprang back there were so many pins in there.

“

Faldi faldonza,

you’re like a pin cushion”

“Mama must have put at least a hundred in there,” Tiana laughed. She took Naveen’s face in her hands and brought him in for another kiss.

He wanted to move things along, he really did, and Tiana seemed to want that as well, but Naveen found himself holding back. He couldn’t stop thinking about those bobby pins, and the hair they were pinning up.

Could he ask her to take the pins out? After learning all about her hair and why she always kept it up, Naveen felt hesitant to do so. Maybe it was asking too much of her on top of everything else. Still, maybe he could try to convince her that it was her idea…

“You weren’t planning on sleeping with those pins in, were you?” he asked softly, letting his lips brush against hers as he spoke.

“Right now, sleeping is the last thing on my mind,” she whispered back, and kissed him again, providing the perfect distraction from his thoughts of her hair. Even going so far as to suck on his bottom lip, making him let out a guttural moan into their kiss.

Oh yes, she knew exactly what she was doing. It was a nice to make him lose himself that way for once. It was almost… powerful. What kind of power would she have over him if she took out all those bobby pins? Because she knew that’s what he wanted, she wasn’t that naive.

Could she do it, though? Just the thought made her nervous, but so had showing him her négligée, and look at how nice that had turned out.

Alright. She would do it. Just as soon as she made Naveen moan one more time. She bit his lip, softly, but it was enough to reward her with that primal sound once more.

“Do you want me to take the pins out?” she whispered.

“God yes.” Naveen exhaled heavily and buried his head in her neck where he planted kiss after kiss. “But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I know,” Tiana said. She tilted his face up to hers, and smiled. “I do want to.”

Naveen raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yes.” Tiana kissed him once more, chastity this time, and sat up in bed. Naveen followed her example and sat up too, watching her eagerly.

“Hold out your hand,” Tiana instructed him.

“What for?” he asked, but did as she asked.

“For the pins, silly,” Tiana explained. She reached up to her hair, pulled out a single pin, and placed it in his outstretched hand. “I told you there’s a lot, and I don’t want to lose them in the sheets.”

One by one, Tiana took the pins out of her hair. The more pins she pulled out, the more she thought that this was a bad idea. Her hair was going to be a mess, not the sexy sophisticated look it should be the first time her husband saw it down.

She should have taken it down earlier when she changed. That way she could have taken her time and at least have had access to a mirror.

There was no going back now, though, and Tiana kept putting each pin carefully in Naveen’s hand. The pile was growing, and she could feel the curls coming loose. Some, no doubt, would still stick close to her head, while others would spring in any direction they choose. It was sure to be unflattering, but the lustful look in Naveen’s eyes kept her going.

At last, she placed the last pin in his hand. Avoiding his gaze, Tiana did everything she could to stop herself from smoothing down her hair. This meant that her hands went to her arms, and she began to rub, absentmindedly.

“Well?” Tiana said at last.

“Tiana…”

Tears immediately stung her eyes. She blinked and looked up to find tears in his eyes too, but also smiling the sweetest smile. She smiled back.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

They melted into another kiss. Naveen forgot he was holding all of the pins, and they all spilled out of his hand when he cupped her cheek.

“Oh no,” he said, but he was laughing.

Tiana started to laugh

One by one they picked up all the pins and placed them safely on the bedside table. Now that they were finally out of the way, Naveen could focus all his attention on his wife.

With a tentative hand, he reached out and gently stroked her loose hair. It was big and wild and everything he had imagined it to be.

“So beautiful, Tiana.”

She dimpled shyly, and he did too. They both leaned in and soon they were kissing once more. It was gentle and slow at first, but it didn’t take long before things started to heat up. Tiana kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him again. She kissed him like he was oxygen and she was short on air.

Naveen guided them so they were lying side by side as they kissed. He ran his hands down her back to her hips, cupped her sweet ass making her gasp, and then pulled her into his hardness making her gasp again.

Wet kisses landed on her neck, interspersed with teasing nips and greedy licks. He moved down, kissing her shoulder, her collar bone, and then at last her chest, the part that wasn’t covered up by her nightgown anyway.

It was enough, though, and when his hands moved up to cup her breasts and his thumbs grazed over her stiff nipples, Tiana let out a moan like she’d never uttered before.

“Is this alright?” Naveen rasped against her skin, kissing along the fabric that covered her breasts.

“Yes,” she whispered. Tiana threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him close.

His hands moved away from her breasts and moved aside the thin strap of her nightgown. He kissed her bare shoulder and then nuzzled against her jaw and ear, pressing soft kisses to her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her lips.

“Can I take this off?” he asked, rubbing the fabric sensually between his fingers.

Tiana breathed, thinking, and hesitated just long enough for Naveen to take his hand away. She held back a whimper in her throat. She wanted those hands back where they were!

“Is it too fast for you?” Naveen asked, cupping her cheek instead.

“No, it’s not that,” Tiana said. “I want to do it, but I’m…” She bit her lip, thinking how to best explain. She loved what they had been doing, and wanted to continue, but she still felt a little afraid to expose herself so fully, even to Naveen.

“I guess I’m feeling a little shy,” she settled on. “Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for, princess. It’s completely normal to feel that way,” Naveen said, giving her a warm smile. “What can I do to make it better?”

“I don’t know,” Tiana admitted.

Naveen thought for a moment, then locked eyes with her. He smiled a naughty smile that made Tiana’s insides squirm in the best possible way. “Would it help if if I went first?”

Tiana’s toes curled as a shiver passed through her body. This sounded like an excellent idea. “It just might at that,” she said.

Naveen grinned and gave her a quick peck on the lips. He started to pull his pajama shirt over his head when Tiana stopped him.

“Can I…?” She blushed.

He gave her another peck and smiled. “How do you want me?”

Tiana guided him so they were on their knees facing each other on the bed. She ran her hands over his chest, feeling his warmth behind the fabric. The fact that soon she would be able to see and touch his bare skin made her shiver in anticipation.

Rather than simply pulling the shirt off, Tiana opted to unbutton the shirt. She smiled at her husband and popped open the top button. Then the next button, and the next. Each one showing more and more skin.

When Tiana got to the bottom of the shirt, her hand brushed against the tent in Naveen’s pants, making him gasp. She wanted to touch it again, but not before she took off Naveen’s shirt.

His skin peeking through the fabric was so inviting, she just had to touch it.

She wiggled her hands under the fabric and touched his quivering belly, then moved them up his chest. When she got to his shoulders she moved her hands down his arms, pushing the shirt aside as she did so.

The shirt came off, and was tossed to the floor, leaving Naveen naked from the waist up.

Tiana thought she had never seen anything so beautiful as her husband bare in front of her like this. His skin was like a magnet and she found herself touching him again.

He was more muscular than Tiana had expected. His muscles weren’t defined, but as she ran her hands over his arms again she could feel just how strong he was. This explained how he was able to lift her up so easily when they danced, and when he carried her to bed.

“For somebody who once said he didn’t know how to do anything, you sure have a lot of muscles,” Tiana said playfully.

Naveen huffed out a small laugh and smiled. “I think you will find me much changed since I said that.”

He cupped her face and kissed her. He pulled Tiana into his lap, those strong arms of his held her tight. Tiana had always enjoyed kissing Naveen. It was true what he boasted about when they first met - he was an excellent kisser. But kissing Naveen without his shirt on? This was a whole new level of kissing, and Tiana couldn’t get enough.

He was so warm and his skin so delectable. Greedily Tiana ran her hands over his arms, chest, and back. Touching it wasn’t enough though. She kissed along his jaw and neck, shivering when he whispered her name into her hair. Her breath was a ragged sigh against his throat before her teeth scraped at his skin.

Naveen moaned softly as he slipped his hands under her nightgown to trace his fingers over her back, her quivering stomach, and then her breasts. Whenever his hands weren’t on her breasts, they seemed to move to her waist, bringing her closer to him, so she could feel exactly what she did to him.

And yet it still wasn’t enough. They still weren’t close enough. Touching him like this, and having him touch her was wonderful, but she wanted to feel his skin on hers. Tiana knew all she had to do was lift her arms and Naveen would remove her nightgown. It was easy as that.

She still felt shy about it, but her desire was too strong to fight. She kissed him hard on the lips, and lifted her arms.

Naveen immediately took her queue. Their kiss was broken only long enough for Naveen to lift the nightgown up and off. Tiana knew she was blushing hotly by this point, but the sensation of it all was too good to stop.

Naveen’s hands went back to cupping her breasts. He tweaked at the pebbled flesh with his fingers, making Tiana gasp again and again.

She felt his mouth on her neck. He dipped his head, running his tongue downward, tracing a path to her breasts. Tiana threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head close while he nuzzled and kissed. He grazed her nipples with his teeth, drawing from her another startled gasp of delight.

Naveen guided them to the bed again, letting Tiana lie safely on her back.

“How are you doing so far, my darling?” Naveen asked.

Tiana giggled. “I’m doing wonderful,” she said, as if he couldn’t tell.

“Good. Me too.”

Tiana took in a breath, ready to say something, but then she stopped. A moment later she did it again.

Naveen raised an eyebrow at her. “Something you’d like to say, love?”

“I don’t want to ruin the mood.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Naveen said. He laid down next to her and cupped her cheek. “What is it?”

Tiana bit her lip, and glanced over at his beautiful body. Despite how nervous she had been to take off her clothes, it felt completely normal to lie nearly naked with him now.

“It’s been on my mind for awhile, and I guess I should have asked before, but it never seemed like the right time.” Tiana took another deep breath. “I guess what I want to know is… will it hurt?”

Naveen paused and propped himself up on his elbow. He traced along her skin lightly with his fingers. “It can, if you go too fast,” he said at last. Naveen gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “That is why we are going slow.”

“Okay,” she said, though there was still a tinge of fear behind her words.

“Tiana, I promise that I will do everything I can to make it as painless as possible. And if it is too much, we can always try again another time.” He took her hand in his, his finger brushing over her wedding ring, and pressed a kiss to her palm. “I love you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I know,” she said and scooted closer to him. “So… what kinds of things were you planning to do?”

Naveen gave her a naughty grin and inched toward her. “Well,” he said, easing his hand along her side, “the first thing to do is to make sure you are very relaxed.” He leaned in and kissed her. “How am I doing with that so far?”

“I think you can cross that off your list,” Tiana giggled, and kissed him back. “What else?”

“Perhaps I should do a hands on demonstration, hmm?” Naveen’s hand was flat on her stomach, and he started to inch in downward.

Tiana gasped in anticipation. “Yes please.”

“Mmm so polite. How could I deny my princess after that?” His hand moved into her underwear and he rubbed.

Tiana gasped and clung to him as he traced her folds, dipped inside briefly and began circling the part of her that wanted his attention most.

“You’re such a tease,” she laughed.

Naveen chuckled, and licked at her neck. “You’re so wet.”

“Naveen, please.”

He circled her clit again. “Is this where you want me?”

Tiana surprised herself by moving her hips, trying to catch his fingers, but he was quick and kept them just out of reach. “Yes,” she whimpered.

“Mmm I want to touch you there too. To see you squirm and wriggle in pleasure.”

“What’s stopping you?” Tiana asked. She could feel something building up inside her, something that seemed to say that if he didn’t touch her there soon she might die.

“I was just thinking…” Naveen said, continuing his circling, driving Tiana mad, “that I could use my mouth as well. And wouldn’t that be-”

“Yes!” Tiana cried out, surprising herself again. “Please Naveen. I want your hands, I want your mouth, I want… you.” She was blushing hotley again, but she couldn’t help the way her body felt.

“Then you shall have me.” He kissed her hard, and then with no ceremony at all, took off her underwear and tossed them aside.

Tiana didn’t even have time to realize she was naked before Naveen put his mouth between her legs.

He kissed her there, and she cried out as she felt the heat blooming inside her. Another kiss, followed by a slow tasting. He hummed his approval and covered her with his mouth, sucking with slight pressure as his tongue lavished her.

Tiana huffed and squirmed as the pleasure grew. Somehow she found her hands tangled in his short hair, holding onto his curls for dear life. Maybe too hard, because Naveen pulled back a little, grimacing.

“Can you loosen your grip, princess?”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Tiana panted, springing her hands away from his head. “I didn’t realize.”

Naveen chuckled and took one of her hands and kissed her palm. “It’s alright. It’s just felt like you were pulling my hair out.” He laughed again and kissed her other palm, then guided her hands back to his hair.

Gently she threaded her hands through his hair again, but she whimpered softly. “I’m so close,” she whispered when their eyes met.

“Let me take care of that for you,” he said, kissing down her thighs. “This should help with that.”

Two fingers worked into her, and her eyes rolled back into her head. He began a steady rhythm as his tongue flickered over her and she couldn’t prevent her hips from rising to meet his thrusts. Her body was coiling tighter, grasping at his fingers as he drove them in and out.

“

Naveen

.”

He inserted a third finger and she came apart with strong, wrenching convulsions. He rode out the orgasm with her, dragging out the pleasure with soothing flicks of his tongue. As the aftershocks spaced out, he pressed a parting kiss to her sex and rose over her to blanket her with his body.

She held onto him tight and buried her face against his chest, breathing him in as he kissed her temple softly.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

“I love you,” Tiana whispered when she had breath enough to speak.

“I love you, too.” Naveen kissed her dimples, the corners of her mouth, and at last her lips.

Tiana cupped his face sweetly as they kissed slowly and tenderly. It was one of the best kisses they had ever had, and Tiana couldn’t imagine how it could be more perfect.

Except for one thing.

“I want to see you,” she whispered against his lips. “All of you.”

Naveen smiled and kissed her once more. How could he deny his princess such a request after she had waited so long? Besides, he felt like he really might bust a seam any moment now.

He gave her a few quick pecks before sliding off the bed and standing next to it. Tiana rolled over to her side and propped herself up on her elbow, the better to watch him undress.

“God, you are so sexy,” he said as he untied the drawstring of his pajama pants.

Tiana giggled a little. “I’m not even doing anything.” But she did feel sexy lying here like this in the afterglow of her climax.

“Let me tell you a secret, my love,” Naveen said. “You are always sexy.”

He pushed down his pajama pants, leaving only his underwear. Tiana gasped softly seeing just how firmly he was tenting the fabric.

“So are you,” she said, and surprised herself by reaching for his hardness.

He was unprepared when she stroked over the fly of his underwear. Pleasure coursed through him in a heated wave. His cock jumped, and a hoarse groan tore from his throat. His stomach muscles flexed as he tried to catch his breath.

“

Tiana

…”

“Is this alright?” she asked, blushing hotly. This was the first time she had ever touched him there and he was warm and firm in her grasp even through the thin fabric.

“

Oh diame mi. Eo’nado dispange,”

he whispered as he trembled.

“Naveen?”

He blinked awake and smiled breathing heavily. “Yes,” he said at last. “It is alright. It is so so good.” He knew he was being less than eloquent with his choice of words, but it was hard to think of anything other than the pleasure of her touch on his cock.

Naveen moaned again. “You have no idea how long I have waited for you to touch me like this.”

Tiana gave him a smirk. As if he wasn’t the one who had stopped her from doing this time and time again. But now wasn’t the time to argue over semantics.

“I have some idea,” she said. Tiana moved so she was sitting on her knees and kissed him. “I want to touch you more. Without these.” she whispered, letting her fingers dip into the waistband of his underwear, making him shiver and shake. “Can I take them off?”

“Oh god. Please.”

So she pulled them down and they landed on the floor with a soft thump.

She had seen the tent  he had made, had touched it as well, but that hadn’t prepared her to see him naked in all his glory. God he was beautiful. Beautiful and very, very large. Tiana’s eyes opened wide as she took him in, but she didn’t get to look for long.

Naveen kissed her again, hard, knocking them both back down to the bed and onto their sides. Their limbs tangled up in each other as their hands excitedly explored the other’s body. And Tiana did explore him, along his side and thigh, she gave his rear a squeeze, and along his stomach and back. Everywhere it seemed, except where he most wanted her to touch.

Despite her confidence just a few minutes ago, Tiana felt her nerves return full force. She wanted to touch him and pleasure him like he had done to her. Lord knows he deserved it. But she didn’t have the faintest idea of how to pleasure a man.

What was she supposed to do? He had seemed to like it when she just held him earlier, but that couldn’t be it, could it?

“Please, Tiana,” Naveen begged. “Touch me.”

She could feel herself start to panic. “I… I don’t know what to do.”

“You can do whatever you want.”

“I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You couldn’t.”

“Please just… show me what to do. Show me how to make you feel good.”

“Like this.” He wrapped her fingers around himself with a groan and taught her the rhythm he prefered, the pressure that drove him out of his mind. Things he’d never shown any other woman he had slept with. They’d only ever cared about themselves.

Tiana was different. She was really worried about disappointing him? How could she? Even when she simply smiled at him, it made Naveen feel like the most important man in the world because she had smiled

at him,

when she could have smiled at anyone. And now here in bed, it seemed like her entire being was focused on pleasuring him and it was almost too much for him.

No, really. It was almost too much.

“Ah, wait… I…” Naveen gently pushed her hand away, breathing heavily.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry,” Tiana said out of habit. “What did I do?” Inwardly she was cursing herself. Of course,

of course,

she would mess this up. Even when he showed her exactly what to do she couldn’t do it right.

“Hush now, love,” Naveen said and kissed her softly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then why did we stop?”

“Because you’re good. Too good.” Naveen kissed her again, but Tiana’s mind was whirling with unanswered questions.

“I don’t understand,” she confessed when they broke apart.

“You almost made me climax,” he said with a soft chuckle and rubbed his nose against hers.

Now she was really confused. “I thought you wanted to,” she said, pressing her forehead to his and scooting closer, running her fingers along his chest. “

I

want you to, too.” Oh how she wanted to watch him climax. She wanted to see, to hear, to feel, to just experience it with him.

“I do want to, but…” Naveen pursed his lips. Oh dear. How to explain? “When a man climaxes it can take awhile before he is ready again.” Naveen took her hand and kissed it. “And I don’t want to wait longer than I have to to make love to you.”

“Well, then,” Tiana said, feeling her cheeks burn even as she tried to sound seductive. “It sounds like there’s only one thing to do, hmm?”

Naveen’s eyes brightened. “You’re sure? You’re ready?”

Tiana cupped his cheek and smiled. “Yes.”

He kissed her and rolled them over so she was on her back. “You have to talk to me, okay? If something hurts, if you don’t like it, if you want something more, if it’s perfect. Say everything.”

“Okay. I will.”

Naveen kissed her again, then reached over to the nearby nightstand and started rummaging in the drawer. He pulled out a small tin and popped it open to reveal three … well it looked like something made out of rubber.

“What’s that?” Tiana asked when Naveen took one out and removed the paper wrapping.

“Remember we talked about waiting to have children until we are ready?” Naveen held up the condom. “This will make sure that actually happens.”

Children! In all the excitement over actually spending the night with Naveen, Tiana had completely forgotten that this could result in making a baby.

“Oh,” she said with blush as she watched him slip the condom on. “Wait.. that’s it? That’s all that it takes? I thought it would be… I don’t know, more complicated than that.”

Naveen smiled and leaned down to kiss her. “You will find that when it comes to making love, things are not as complicated as they seem.”

His hands glided up and down her body as they kissed. He slid a hand down her inner thigh, and sank his fingers deep, working her until her hips were rocking. Withdrawing, he teased her clitoris with gentle touches.

“Naveen…”

“Tiana,” he replied, breathing heavily in her ear.

Something hard prodded at the entrance of her body and pushed inside slowly. Tiana gasped out loud as he entered her.

“W-w-wait,” Tiana stuttered, and pushed on his chest a little.

“Does it hurt?” Naveen asked, his voice rising slightly. “Should I-” He started to pull out, but Tiana shook her head and held him to her.

“No, no, it’s…” She licked her lips, breathing hard. It did hurt a little, but it wasn’t so much pain as her muscles stretching to accommodate him. Still, she didn’t think she could take him all at once. “Just…just give me a minute.”

A minute. Yes. He could do that. He could last for a minute. It would be difficult though. Already he felt himself ready to go over the edge, and he was only about halfway inside her. He concentrated on his breathing. Anything to anchor him.

“Yes. Okay.” He exhaled loudly, and kissed her cheek. “Okay, okay, okay.”

Tiana held onto him tight as he continued to kiss her cheek, down her neck, and then to her breasts. It all felt so new, so exciting. Every touch, every caress felt electrified now, and Tiana couldn’t help but gasp at each one. And yet even through it all Tiana thought back to what Naveen had said earlier, about how he had been ready to climax. What must this be doing to him? He was breathing really hard even as he kissed and nuzzled her.

She brushed the sweat off his brow. “Sorry if this isn’t what you-”

Naveen shushed her gently and kissed her lips. “Don’t worry about me. I’m alright,” he whispered. “Are you?”

He twitched just a little and Tiana gasped. “Getting there,” she replied, breathless.

Naveen kissed her again. All her little noises were charging him up again. He needed to calm down if he had a chance of lasting. He needed to calm

her

down. Naveen could feel how tense she was (oh god how he could feel it). Maybe there was a way he could help them both at the same time.

“Have I ever told you about when I first realized I was in love with you?”

Tiana let out a breathless laugh and stroked his hair. “No, I don’t think you ever have.”

“Do you remember back in the bayou, when we first danced together?” Naveen asked. His hands ran up and down the side of her body, and settled on her breasts.

Tiana laughed again, even as she sighed at his touch. “Don’t tell me you fell in love with me when I was stumbling around and stepping on your toes! I must have been the worst dance partner you’ve ever had.”

“Well, our feet had grown in size, so I wasn’t going to hold it against you,” Naveen teased. Then he started laughing too and he shifted into her a little more.

They both gasped and Naveen looked down at Tiana with a raised eyebrow.

Is this okay?

Tiana nodded and smiled.

Yes. Keep going.

“But you picked it up very fast,” Naveen continued. He kissed her again and pushed in slowly. “And it was remarkable to watch you open yourself up to me the more we danced. I remember you laughed at one point and it was the most glorious thing I had ever heard. I knew I wanted to make you laugh again.”

Tiana was breathing hard by this point. All she felt was the sensuous stretching that went on and on until Naveen seated himself fully inside her with a loud exhale.

“Y-you do make me laugh,” Tiana stammered.

Naveen kissed her neck sloppily, holding himself inside. “You had shown me a different side of myself when we made the gumbo together. And… and it felt so good helping you do the same.” A raw groan escaped his throat as she squeezed on him. “It wasn’t long before I k-knew that you were everything I needed.”

Naveen finally began to move. He withdrew, thrust back into her, retreated, returned, picking up a driving rhythm. Tiana arched her back and rocked against him, moaning as the motion pushed him in even deeper.

“Tiana,” he said with a groan. “You feel so good. Sweet Tiana, my Tiana.”

His words excited her further. She tried to speak as he’d asked her to, but all that came out were gasps and sighs of pleasure. Instead, she communicated how she felt with her body, remembering that he would be listening for that as well. She moved with him, matching him thrust for thrust.

“Just like that,” he whispered. “Perfect. You’re perfect.”

Their bodies picked up the tempo. Hips surged and retreated. And he was close. He was so close. But he didn’t want to come without her.

He searched between their bodies until he could touch her right where she needed it. She burned and wound tighter and tighter. Their eyes locked and Tiana would have been embarrassed if it weren’t for his smile, the tender way he brushed the hair from her face before his free hand tangled with hers. It was such an incredible feeling of being loved.

Release seized her. Hard wrenching spasms stole her ability to move, speak, and think. The hand interlaced with hers tightened. His motions sped up. With one last deep thrust, he joined her in falling apart.

The world was silent but for their hearts trying to synchronize their crashing.

Naveen kissed her and rolled onto his side, taking her with him. She tucked her head under his chin as they held each other tight. Her kinky curls pressed into his arm, and her breath tickled his chest.

As Naveen embraced a boneless, contented Tiana, Naveen couldn’t ever remember feeling so happy, so content, so loved. He knew making love to Tiana would be different than all those other times he had slept with a woman, but he hadn’t realized just how different it would be. He’d never been so in tune with someone before. He’d never been so desperate to please or so elated when she climaxed. But that was love, he supposed, and thinking about that sent a thrill right through him.

He disposed of the condom and pressed kiss after kiss to the top of her head.

“I love you,” he whispered as he kissed her and held her tight. “Are you alright?”

Alright? Her tongue felt heavy, and her brain felt muddled, and she couldn’t form the words she wanted to say. But what exactly could she say that would describe the way she felt? Were there even words for it? She shivered again as an aftershock went through her, and wondered if they even needed words. She hugged him tighter, and pressed sloppy kisses to his shoulder and neck, then nodded smiling into his chest. Was she alright? Never better.

“So what did you think?” he asked after a moment. “Was it like you thought it would be?”

She hugged him tighter and grinned shyly up at him as she took a moment to process everything. She felt radiant in the afterglow of it all, but her thoughts were all jumbled.

“I…” Tiana licked her lips and laughed softly. “Now that it’s over, I can’t really remember what I thought it would be like.” Tiana smiled at him again. “But I do know that I liked it.”

Naveen grinned back. “I liked it, too.” He kissed her sweet lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

They kissed again and settled back into a casual embrace. Naveen sighed happily and stroked her hair. The silence was broken by the rumble of his stomach.

Naveen looked embarrassed as he placed a hand over his tummy. “Sorry,” he laughed.

“You can’t possibly be hungry after all that food we ate at the reception,” Tiana mock scolded him.

Naveen laughed. “Hey, I can’t help it, I used up a lot of energy just now. Plus I need sustenance to keep up my strength.”

Tiana giggled. “When you’re right, you’re right.” She kissed him. “And a snack does sound good right about now.”

Naveen sighed and looked at her a little forlornly. “Too bad the kitchen won’t be open until morning or we could call for room service.”

Tiana twirled one of his curls around her fingers. “You know, there is that cheese tray in the other room.”

“Ah! You are right, my darling!” Naveen kissed her hard and rolled over on top of her again. “I married the smartest woman in the world.”

It didn’t take a genius to remember a cheese tray, but Tiana wasn’t going to tell him that. Not when his kisses were so nice.

He pinned her arms above her head and kissed her again. “You stay right here, and don’t move,” he told her, rubbing her nose with his. “I will be right back.”

From her vantage point on the bed, Tiana watched her husband wander completely nude into the next room. How did that saying go? I hate to see you go but I love to watch you leave. Mmmm. Yes. That certainly applied here. Tiana’s toes curled thinking of the view she would have when he came back.

She shivered slightly and she pulled the covers over herself, wondering how he was even able to walk. Tiana’s own limbs felt like gelatin. Her entire body felt like gelatin. It was a delicious feeling, one she didn’t think she’d ever get tired of.

Before she could start to miss Naveen too much he came back in carrying the tray of carefully laid out snacks.

“Hey, you moved,” he fake pouted.

“I was cold without you,” Tiana replied, trying not to stare too much, but her eyes kept being drawn there. Though judging by the smile he gave her, he didn’t seem to mind her looking.

“Let me warm you back up, then,” Naveen said. He handed her the tray and climbed under the covers with her, pulling her to his side, but not before giving her another long kiss.

Tiana took a grape off the stem and popped it in Naveen’s mouth. He spread a little of the cheese on a cracker and fed it to his wife, letting his thumb brush against her lips as she ate. They giggled softly and then with a sigh Tiana rested her head on his chest, tracing her fingers across his skin.

Naveen kissed her temple and took some cheese for himself. “Happy?” he asked.

“Mmm very.” Everything seemed so perfect in this moment. Tiana pressed a kiss to his chest. “Are you?”

“Oh yes,” he said in a husky voice. Tiana looked up to see him giving her that wicked grin of his and popped another cracker in his mouth.

“You’re really okay with trying to get the restaurant tomorrow?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied as he chewed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just… you know we won’t have a normal honeymoon. We’ll have to start working on fixing up the sugar mill right away.” Not that they could afford a normal honeymoon anyway. But Naveen was from royalty and was used to luxurious trips around the world. Royal honeymoons probably lasted for months at a time, and they would only get this one night.

“We talked about this, remember?” Naveen said. “You’ve wanted this restaurant your whole life, and I’ve wanted to help you with it for as long as I’ve known you.” He covered her hand with his own and pressed it over his heart. “We can finally get started on making your dream come true. Nothing could make me happier.”

Tiana smiled at him, but Naveen could still see a twinge of doubt there.

“In fact,” Naveen said, “I have something for you.”

He kissed her quickly and reluctantly left the bed to rummage through his things.

“Another present?” Tiana asked, taking the opportunity to move the nearly empty cheese tray to the nightstand. “You’ve already given me too much.”

“That is where you are wrong, sweetheart,” Naveen said. “Nothing is too much for you.” He winked and she felt a blush form on her cheeks from his words as much as his nakedness once more fully on display. Was it her imagination or was he getting hard again? “But do not get too excited about this surprise,” he continued. “It, ah… is not my best. In fact I wasn’t even sure I was going to give it to you, but…”

He brightened having found what he was looking for. “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

“Alright,” Tiana said with a laugh, and made a show of covering her eyes with one hand and holding out the other.

She felt Naveen place something heavy in her hand, and when she opened her eyes was surprised to find...

“A hammer?” Tiana asked.

“I know it is not a traditional wedding present,” Naveen said, giving her a sheepish smile. “But I know it will be useful when we work on the sugar mill as well as…” He ran a hand through his curls and smiled again. “Well, I thought it could also be a bit symbolic for us. As we, you know, build our lives together? I wanted to prepare a proper speech about it but-”

Tiana cut him off by grabbing him and pulling him in for a kiss. “It’s perfect,” she whispered. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The hammer was safely placed aside and Tiana pulled his mouth her hers again, and when their lips me, her hunger exploded. She kissed him like he was her very air, her food, and water. She kissed him with everything she felt inside. And he returned it all with equal passion.

Breathing hard, Naveen asked, “Do you want to-”

“Yes,” Tiana said. Yes, yes, yes. The sudden urge to have him inside her again was almost too much. She didn’t think she could wait another second. “Hurry.”

Naveen quickly fumbled for another condom before resettling himself on top of her and between her legs. He pushed his way in, and her muscles clenched at him immediately, and the squeeze of her against his cock was excruciating.

“Tiana,” he whispered, as he began to thrust his hips.

“Naveen,” Tiana whimpered in reply, holding onto him tight.

“I’m not going to last very long,” he panted. His thrusts were already speeding up.

Tiana moaned and gasped. “M-me either.”

This spurred him on, and he kissed her as he thrust like a madman, performing acrobatics with his hips that most certainly could only have been the result of possession. He put every ounce of his musculature to work with the single goal of giving her pleasure.

Tiana broke the kiss as she let out a short, sharp cry as the orgasm crashed into her, but he’d already felt it coming from deep within. Her inner walls squeezed him tightly, again and again, and he let go a hoarse cry of his own as his senses shorted out from pleasure.

He collapsed on top of her and he used the last ounce of his strength to roll onto his side, taking her with him. Their lips met in another kiss as their breathing slowed, but even as they kissed Tiana could feel herself slipping away into sleep.

“Naveen I… I don’t think I can stay awake much longer,” she whispered.

He smiled against her lips. “It’s alright my love. It’s been a long day, and you need your rest for tomorrow,” he said with a kiss. “Sleep, and know that I will be here when you wake.”

Tiana was asleep before he finished his sentence.
Tiana awoke a few hours later to the soft sound of Naveen’s voice as he stroked her hair. For a brief moment she thought they were back in the bayou. Normally she was a heavy sleeper and it was unusual for her to wake up in the middle of the night at all, but maybe there had been something about sleeping in a place where so many things could eat you that had kept her from sleeping too deeply then. Or maybe it was just that Naveen’s voice was so lovely to hear that she never wanted to miss a word.
Because she would often wake to find him whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Usually it was about how he would always love her and keep her safe.

Tiana smiled at the memory and at the realization that they were not in the bayou any longer, but in a comfortable bed on their wedding night. It took her sleep addled brain a few moments more to realize that Naveen wasn’t even whispering to her in English. It must be Maldonian, she decided.

“

Seitu mi deamata, Tiana. Mé adimora aza tuito mi coeraz.”

Even without knowing what any of that meant, Tiana could easily argue that it was one of the sexiest things she’d ever heard. She stirred unconsciously, and Naveen pulled his hand away from her hair.

“Sorry, princess,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

She stretched and turned to face him, nestling in his open arms with a happy sigh. “I don’t mind,” she whispered and kissed his chest. “What’s that you were saying?

“Oh just some Maldonian,” he whispered back. He had resumed stroking her hair as he held her close, giving a happy sigh of his own.

“Well I gathered that,” she teased, but kissed him on the chest again. “Will you teach me sometime?”

“You want to learn Maldonian?”

“Of course I do, silly. It’s a part of you.”

He smiled and kissed her nose. “You’re sweet.”

“Does that mean you’ll teach me?” Tiana asked.

Naveen sighed and gave her a lopsided grin, stroking her cheek softly. “I don’t know if I am the best person to teach you, but I will try.”

Tiana reached up and booped his nose. “What are you talking about, you’re a great teacher. You taught me how to dance, among other things….”

She grinned slyly at him and he had to laugh. And kiss her.

“Dancing is one thing, a language is quite another,” Naveen said. “But as I said, I will try.” He did like the idea of hearing Tiana speak Maldonian. Just the thought of it made his cock jump.

Tiana traced a finger along his arm. “So how do you say-”

“Wait, you want a lesson now?”

“Well, not a full lesson,” Tiana said. “I just want to know one thing.”

“And that is?”

“How do you say I love you?”

Naveen chuckled and let his hand stroke up and down her bare back. “Ah, princess. It is such a simple question, yet the answer is rather complicated.”

Tiana arched an eyebrow at him. “Seriously?”

“Maldonian has many different words for love,” Naveen explained. “For example, the way you love to watch sunsets is different than the love you feel for your family, no? Or the way you love someone when they are far away is different than when they are near.”

“That’s true,” Tiana said and scooted closer to him. “So how many different words are there for love?”

Naveen pursed his lips. “You know, I’ve never really counted. But I would say at least fifty.”

“Fifty?” Tiana laughed. What was supposed to be a fun flirty thing had quickly backfired on her. “Sounds like I have a lot of work ahead of me.”

“We can make it fun,” Naveen said, bringing their foreheads together. How much fun would it be to teach her all the dirty words and sayings that Maldonian had to offer? But that could be for later. “But I will tell you what it is that you were probably looking for in the first place, which is how a husband and wife say I love you.”

“That was the idea, yes.”

Naveen stroked her cheek and said, “

M’passionaza.”

“M’passionaza,”

Tiana tried and could feel the shiver pass over Naveen. “I like that.”

“I like it when you say it.” Naveen kissed her and then kissed her again. “There is also a very special way for couples to say I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

Tiana smiled and curled her toes. She could feel his hardness pressing against her again. “Oh?”

“But it is not to be taken lightly,” he explained. “It is only used by those who share the bonds of true love.”

Tiana looked deep into his eyes. “How do you say it?”

“

Mé adimora.”

It took Tiana a moment to recognize the words, those very same words he had whispered to her in her sleep. “Oh Naveen.” She pulled him in for another kiss. Another condom was put on and he entered her while they lay side by side.

Slowly they began to rock against each other. She felt so close to him, as they held each other, reaching for the other’s bodies as well as their soul. Tiana felt herself get lost in his eyes, his smile, his touch. His hands trembled as they ran over her side, resting on her hips as he thrust.

She hooked a leg over his side and they both moaned as he slipped deeper inside.

That feeling was building up inside her again, that race towards the precipice, but she was nowhere near as lost as Naveen was, at least not before he adjusted his position and sucked on one of her breasts.

She held his head and cried out at the shock of it. His touch felt so good. When his fingers began to tease her other breast, she felt it between her legs and she began to quiver and clench. With a sudden piercing jolt she came apart.

“Oh God,” Naveen was grunting. “Oh God oh God oh God.” His movements grew, and then he seemed to go almost still, caught in one last thrust before moaning her name and trembling beside her.

“Tiana,” he said again, his voice barely a whisper. “Tiana.”

“I’m right here.” She stroked his hair, smoothing back his soft soft curls.

“Tiana.” And then again. “Tiana.”

She liked that he couldn’t seem to say anything besides her name. Heaven knew she wasn’t thinking much beyond his.

“I never want to stop touching you,” he said. Then softer, “I love you.” He sounded incredibly drowsy.

His eyes were closed and if he had not fallen asleep, he would very soon. Already his breath had begun to even out, and his eyelashes - so thick and dark - lay lazily against his cheeks.

She stroked his hair again and kissed him softly on the lips. He smiled, even in his sleep.

“

M’passionaza,”

she whispered, feeling herself succumbing to sleep as well. “

Mé adimora, Naveen.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Even in the fuzz of her dreams, Tiana knew what he was doing. Or rather, what his tongue was doing. She gave a contented sigh and rolled over on her back, opening herself up to him, giving him all the room he needed. Naveen took the hint and continued licking between her thighs, but still he kept his pace slow and tantalizing.Tiana was fully awake now, and reached down under the blankets, finding his curls with the tips of her fingertips. He took her hand in his, threading their fingers and rubbing along her thumb with his own. She laughed a little even as her breathing grew heavy.It didn't take long before the pleasure washed over her.What a way to start the day.Naveen kissed along her thighs and then up her stomach. He poked his head out from under the blankets and gave her a wicked grin."Good morning," he said.Tiana giggled softly and ran her fingers through his curls again. "A very good morning," she replied.Naveen kissed and nuzzled at her breasts. "And did you sleep well, my love?"She laughed again and dimpled when he glanced up at her. "No," she teased. "Did you?"His hands had taken to touching her breasts, and he shook his head, grinning, coming further up her body. "No," he said and kissed her.Tiana sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, happily kissing him back. He was so warm, and it felt so nice to wake with him like this. If this was what their married life would bring them, Tiana could very easily get used to it."I love you," Naveen said, rubbing her nose with his."M'passionaza," Tiana replied.He sighed happily and kissed along her neck and jaw. If he had known just how sexy it was to hear Tiana speak his native tongue he would have taught her a long time ago. "Say it again," he pleaded as he buried himself in her hair."M'passionaza, Naveen."He shivered happily. "I love hearing you speak Maldonian."Tiana played softly with his curls. "You said you'd teach me more.""Does this mean you want another lesson?" Naveen rolled over to his side and propped himself up on his elbow.Tiana nodded and brought him in for another kiss. "How do you say that?""Hmm? Say what?" He was too lost in her eyes to think properly."Kiss, silly.""Oh!" He grinned and tucked a curl behind her ear. "To kiss is beiso.""Mmm beiso." Tiana kissed him again, then held a finger against his mouth. "And lips?"He smiled under her touch. "Lappre.""And… this?" She traced her fingers down along his chest and stomach until she reached his hardness, making him gasp."Exhausted," he laughed, though he didn't push her away."Does that mean you want me to stop?" she asked, stroking him slowly.Naveen gave her a lazy smile and shook his head. "No."So she kept her slow pace. It was lovely to hold him like this, lovely to watch his smile growing like the dawn, and even lovelier still to have him shiver and shake as a climax took hold of him.Naveen kissed her and then cuddled close to her side, resting his head on her chest while Tiana smoothed his hair back. She sighed happily, content to just hold her husband, and had to hold back a laugh at how much difference a day could make.This morning she could happily wake up with Naveen beside her, but yesterday at this time she wouldn't have been able to. Tiana thought back to those other times they had been intimate with each other, or tried to be, because Naveen inevitably stopped it. What had he said was his reasoning?Oh right - that they could take their time and not rush at it, so they didn't have to worry about someone catching them, so they could make love again and again, so that he wouldn't have to leave.Tiana kissed his forehead. He could certainly check all of those off the list. It retrospect, though it had been hard, it had been the right decision for them. If they had been distracted, if they had been caught…. If he had had to leave….Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes, and Tiana blinked them away, holding Naveen tighter. If he hadn't been able to stay with her all night, if he hadn't held her after, and woken with her in the morning… god she didn't think she could take it.But it hadn't happened that way, Tiana reminded herself. And it wouldn't. She kissed his forehead again and he murmured sleepily against her chest. They could spend every morning like this, holding each other and snuggling. If they weren't in a hurry to get to the restaurant that is.The restaurant. Tiana's stomach jumped with excitement, and then again with nerves. In just a few hours they would either have her dream restaurant or they would have to look for another building. This wait was torture. She just wanted to know what would happen.Of course she hoped that they could purchase the sugar mill. They had so much more money than she had had last time, the Fenner brothers couldn't say no to it. Then again, they had said no to her last time and there hadn't even been another offer on the building.Well, whatever happens, Tiana won't leave the Fenner brother's office without saying a few choice words to them. Once she got to the office, that is.There was a lot to do before then, and Tiana cringed inwardly because it was so SO nice laying here with Naveen like this. So what was she doing thinking of work?She shifted a little. "Naveen?""Hmm?""What time does the boat dock?"He chuckled and kissed along her breasts. "You're thinking about getting your restaurant, aren't you?""It's not that I'm not enjoying myself," she said, curling his hair around her fingers, "I just… I guess I can't help it. Sorry.""Nothing to be sorry about, princess," Naveen said. He kissed his way up her body, grinning as their lips met once more. "You've been working towards this your whole life. Of course you're anxious to get started."He kissed her and rolled them over so he was on top of her again."There is time enough for breakfast," he said, kissing and nuzzling her neck. "Unless you had something else in mind?"Naveen wiggled his eyebrows and Tiana snorted pushing him playfully away. "Oh my god, I can't. I need a break."His smile softened and he reached out to stroke her cheek. "Sore?"Tiana blushed. "A bit.""I wasn't too rough on you, was I?"She shook her head and smiled. "You were perfect. Besides, it's uh.." she blushed again. "It's the good kind of sore."He kissed her again, softly and slowly. "How about breakfast then?""Breakfast sounds great," Tiana said.Naveen got out of bed and pulled on his underwear and pajama pants, fully aware of his audience's appreciative gaze. He deliberately slowed his pace, and found himself flexing as he dressed. Because, really, putting on pants required a lot of muscle."Aren't you going to get ready, love?" Naveen asked, looking for his shirt. "It's not like you to lounge about.""I know. Just give me a minute," Tiana answered with a laugh as she stretched. "I don't think I can get up just yet."Naveen couldn't help but look at his beautiful wife stretched out on the bed like that. It wasn't often that he saw her so relaxed, and it was lovely to see. The fact that it was him who had affected her like that wasn't lost on him either. He came back to sit on the bed and gave her another kiss."Let's order room service then," he said. "I'll serve you breakfast in bed.""That's really not necessary," Tiana said. Flinching a little, she sat up at last, clutching the sheets around her. "See? I'm up."Naveen frowned and shelved the idea of serving Tiana in bed for another time. "Let's at least get room service," he tried again. It seemed a little silly, but he wasn't ready to share her with people quite yet. Eating breakfast in their room would give them a little extra time before they had to go out into the real world again."It's fine, really," Tiana said. "I don't want to bother anyone.""It's not bothering anyone, it's their job," Naveen countered. He tilted Tiana's chin to meet his gaze, where he gave her the best puppy dog eyes he could. "Let me spoil you. Please?"He could see her resistance fading as she bit her lip. "Well, I don't know…"Naveen had to laugh. Only his wife could act like this over something like room service. He kissed her once more and trailed his fingers down her neck, her bare shoulder and arm, then taking her hand in his."I know you are often ….disinclined to accept people doing things for you."Tiana frowned, and Naveen raised an eyebrow. Alright, maybe he had a point.He kissed her palm and held her hand in both of his. "But you know I like to do little things for you, and now that you're stuck with me, I'm afraid you're going to have to get used that."Naveen grinned, and Tiana laughed. "I'm happy to be stuck with you," she teased, and squeezed his hand.His thumb grazed along her wedding ring. "It's okay to take it easy, you know. And not fighting with me on these things makes my job a lot easier.""And what exactly is your job?" Tiana asked."Being your husband," Naveen said, and reached up to stroke her cheek. "Taking care of you. Though I know you are thinking that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself," he added with a smirk."No I wasn't.""Liar," Naveen laughed.Tiana frowned again, caught in her own lie.He kissed her and brushed the curls from her face. "I love how much pride you take in your work, and I know you will have a lot on your shoulders when we get the restaurant up and running. I know I won't be much help running the restaurant, but I can help take some of the burden by watching over you."Tiana felt tears sting her eyes. She did sometimes feel like the world was on her shoulders. Even after knowing and loving Naveen for over a year now, she had been reluctant to share that burden with him. She had been so used to carrying it all by herself.The thought of sharing it was a little terrifying, but as she let out a shaky breath, Tiana also found it freeing."And part of that includes room service?" Tiana asked."For right now, yes."She squeezed Naveen's hand again. "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?""Only a little," Naveen said warmly.Tiana kissed him quickly, and said, "In that case I'll take an omelette and some coffee, please.""With pleasure.""Are you ready, princess?""As ready as I'll ever be," Tiana said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.After the boat had docked, she and Naveen had quickly gone to the bank to cash their wedding gift checks, and then to the boarding house where they dropped off their things and picked up all the money Tiana had stored in coffee cans over the years. Yes they could have converted the pennies, nickels, and dimes into cash or deposited it as well, but Tiana had worked hard for every single one of those pennies, and dammit, she wanted to shove it into the Fenner brother's faces.Mrs. Proulx, their landlady, seemed both excited and annoyed to see them. She wanted to sit down with both of them to fully explain the house rules. It was supposed to happen before they moved it, but with getting ready for the wedding, they hadn't had time, and now they were really on the clock.Tiana apologized profusely to Mrs. Proulx while stifling her laughter at the same time, because Naveen was trying to simultaneously open the door for her while carrying the heavy box full of coffee cans.He twisted and turned every which way, almost falling flat on his face one second, and the next almost dropping everything he was holding."Now we still have to go over the house rules," Mrs. Proulx said. "Oh please don't scuff the door!""Naveen, let me-""No, no. I've got it…. Just a little more.. Yes! Ah ha!" He grinned triumphantly as he pressed himself against the door, holding it open for his wife. "Ready to go, princess?""Yes, alright." Tiana said."The rules!" Mrs. Proulx practically screeched. "I haven't told you the house rules!""I know, I'm sorry, Mrs. Proulx." Tiana inched her way through the door, feeling extremely guilty. Normally she would have happily sit and listen to the older woman's rules and anything else she had to say (it was the polite thing to do, afterall) but Tiana's restaurant was calling to her, and it was hard not to run to it after working so hard for so long."We'll be back tonight," Tiana had said on her way out. "And you can tell us all about it then."Mrs. Proulx only stared at them, clearly furious about being brushed off like that, but Tiana didn't worry about her for long, as the realization hit her that when they came back that evening, Tiana would have the building that would become her restaurant. Whether it would be the sugar mill or not, the next few hours would decide.Sitting next to Naveen (who was still struggling with the box full of coffee cans) while they took the streetcar to Fenner Bros. Realty, Tiana found herself switching between hopeful and optimistic to cynical and despondent.Of course she would get the sugar mill. She had worked too hard to not get it now! And she had never once doubted that she would get it in all those years of working for it! But that was all before it had been taken away from her, and so easily too. What would stop the Fenner brothers from doing it again?Then again, things were different now. Tiana was a completely different person than she had been a year ago, and was determined not to let them get under her skin. Besides, as Naveen was happy to remind her, she wasn't alone in this anymore.He would be there, and Louis said he would come too. There was no way the Fenner brothers would be able to say no with a ferocious alligator smiling down at them.How wonderful it felt to have love like this in her life."Princess?"Tiana blinked, coming back to the present. She, Naveen, and Louis were outside Fenner Bros. Realty, and it seemed they were just waiting for her to give the go ahead."Yes," Tiana said with a firm nod. "Yes, let's go in."Once more Naveen struggled to open the door for Tiana while carrying the box of coffee cans. Louis rolled his eyes, but Naveen ignored him. He was Tiana's husband, and dammit if he wasn't going to be chivalrous and do every nicety that he could for her.She smiled at him when he finally got the door open and that made everything worthwhile."Hello Mr. Fenner," Tiana said cooly as she stepped inside. "And Mr. Fenner."The taller of the brothers blinked and adjusted his pince-nez. "Oh! Why, Miss Tiana! What a surprise to see you this fine morning."Naveen bit back a number of insults he could have said to him and his brother who appeared out of the back room. But he held his tongue. This was Tiana's moment, and he was going to let her have it."You didn't happen to bring any of your beignets did you?" the shorter brother asked, looking hopeful, as if he hadn't destroyed Tiana's dream in one fell swoop. Naveen wanted to punch him in the mouth."No, I didn't," Tiana said, and both brother's eyes opened wide as they saw what she did bring with her. Louis walked in, completely blocking out the sunlight as he entered the door.Nice touch, Naveen thought, and fully entered the building himself. Standing beside Tiana he, at last, set down all the coffee cans, exhaling softly with relief. They were getting heavy."I'm here for my sugar mill," Tiana said, and Naveen began to take the coffee cans out of the box to set them on the desk in front of them.Louis crawled along to the side of their desk and watched the brothers with his arms crossed. A soft growl emanating from his throat.Naveen bit back a laugh as the brothers scooted away from the alligator."Oh, the sugar mill?" the taller of the brothers said. He glanced at his brother and tugged at his bowtie. "Um.. about that….""It's um… well, it's not….""Don't you dare tell me that it's not available," Tiana said firmly. "You lied to me about it a year ago, and I will not be lied to again."The brothers quickly glanced at each other. "We didn't… that is, we haven't…""I'm gonna stop you right there," Tiana said. "I know that the sugar mill is still for sale. Now, I have enough money for the down payment right here," she pushed the coffee cans full of money towards them. "And I have more to cover the rest of the expenses. It's not enough to cover everything, admittedly, but you and I can agree that it's more than enough."When the brothers didn't reply, Naveen felt his fists clench. How could they still want to refuse her? These men were truly the scum of the earth."You will go get the paperwork for my wife to sign, yes?" he said at last. "Unless you want to make our friend angry…"They looked at Louis once more who growled and bared his teeth. Naveen had only known these men for less than five minutes, but it was still a delight to see them cower in fear."Get the paperwork," the taller one said, nudging his brother with his elbow."You get the paperwork," the shorter one replied, nudging back."You can both get it," Tiana said. "We'll wait."It felt like an eternity, but at last they returned the the papers for Tiana to sign and initial. It felt surreal, like a dream, but here she was signing the papers to own the sugar mill. Yes she would have to pay the rest of what she owed, but Tiana had always planned on that. And it wouldn't be a problem once the restaurant was up and running.And now it could be! She really was almost there!"Just sign here and you're all set."Feeling giddy with excitement, Tiana signed her new name with a flourish. Done. It was finally done. All the hardship she had taken just to get to this point had been worth it. She felt like she could cry, but there was still one last thing she wanted to do."Wait," Tiana said. She turned to Naveen who was smiling so proudly at her. It took all her focus to not jump into his arms and kiss him full on the lips. "Here," she said, holding out the pen to him."Hmm? What's that for?""For you, silly. I want you to be my business partner."Naveen was speechless as he took the pen from her. He had always thought of it as her restaurant, and her dream. There had been that brief moment when they were frogs on the riverboat when he had thought it could be theirs, but then Tiana had quickly explained that it was a dream she and her father had shared.Even after they had both fallen in love Naveen had been afraid to hope that he could share her dream in that way. He knew that he was a part of her dream, and he was happy to be just that. Helping her get her dream and simply being there was more than enough for him."Tiana I… I don't know what to say.""Say yes.""Are you sure?" Naveen asked after a moment. "I don't know anything about running a restaurant.""Naveen, I love you and I trust you," Tiana said. "There's no one else I'd rather be partners with."His cheeks turned a light pink as he smiled at her. One of the Fenner brothers cleared their throats, ruining the moment."If you don't mind… We don't have all day."Still smiling, he signed the paper right below Tiana's name. Then at last they gave Tiana the key to the sugar mill.She grinned triumphantly at Naveen and he put his arm around her and held her close. It wasn't until they were all outside that he picked her up and spun her around while they shrieked for joy."This is real, right? It's not a dream?" Tiana asked as they stood in front of the sugar mill. Their sugar mill. "Maybe you should pinch me.""I can do much more than that," Naveen said in a husky voice.Tiana laughed and playfully slapped him.He put his arm around her waist and squeezed tight. "I can promise you, princess, this is very very real." Naveen kissed her cheek. "So are you going to show me the inside, or are we going to stand here all day?"Tiana smiled and wiggled the hammer Naveen had given her. "You know I came here ready to work!"Naveen rolled up his sleeves. "Let's begin then, yes?""Yes."Tiana inserted the key, turned the lock and opened the door.Judging from the outside of the building, Naveen had expected the inside to be rotting and falling apart. Still, he hadn't thought it would be this bad. Cobwebs and dust were everywhere, not to mention all the rotting wood and the gaping holes in the ceiling.But then Naveen glanced at Tiana and all his worries melted away. She looked so happy, it was hard not to share in the excitement.She was about to walk into the building when Naveen took her hand in his."Wait I…" he found himself blushing again. "Let me carry you. Over the threshold, I mean."Tiana turned and smiled sweetly at him. "You did that last night. Don't you remember?""I remember everything about last night."It was Tiana's turn to blush then. She remembered everything too, and as they looked in each other's eyes, those memories (and desires) came flooding back. A shiver went down her spine. But no. They couldn't. Not now! There wasn't even anything they could lay on that wasn't rotting or covered in mildew.That didn't make her want him any less though."Don't tell me this means you're going to want to carry me over the threshold every time we go through a doorway," Tiana teased.Naveen gave her a half smile, and her heart melted. "It is tempting, but I was thinking more along the lines of...special occasions.""Well," Tiana said. She took a step closer to him and walked her hand up his chest. The idea was silly to be sure, but at the same time it was tempting. And she had married a romantic man, so things like were to be expected. "This certainly counts as a special occasion."Their arms were around each other now, and Tiana was glad for it. Naveen kissed her so hard her knees grew weak, but then she was swooped up in his arms and carried into the beginning of her dream. Their dream.Tiana had always spoken passionately about her dream restaurant, but Naveen had never seen her shine so brightly as now. And despite all of the dirt and decay that surrounded them, he felt that he could see it too. This sugar mill really was the perfect building for a restaurant.He could picture it all - the kitchen, the slick floors and beautiful table settings, the lighting and the chandelier. It would all be exactly as Tiana had always pictured it."We'll have a grand piano over here," Tiana said excitedly, "and this is where you and Louis can play for the guests."Naveen grinned. "The acoustics will be perfect, too. Listen." He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Hello!""Hello?"Tiana and Naveen both turned towards the front door. Eudora was peeking her head inside."Mama!" Tiana ran to embrace her mother. "We really got it this time! We signed the paperwork and everything!""I had a feeling you would," Eudora smiled. "I just came by to see it for myself.""Let me give you the grand tour," Tiana said, even though she had done this once before.Eudora and Naveen just grinned and shrugged at each other. There was no stopping Tiana, not that either of them wanted to.Eudora wasn't the only person to stop by the sugar mill that day. It seemed like almost everyone who came to the wedding wanted to see just what their prince had given up his title for. The looks on their faces said it plainly enough. This? Really? Yikes…But Tiana and Naveen just ignored them. Tiana was too caught up in the euphoria of finally owning the building she had worked so hard to get, and Naveen was too enamored by his wife's excitement.More than anything, Naveen wanted everyone to just leave them alone so he could have Tiana to himself. He wanted to kiss her, he wanted to press her against the wall and make love to her. He wanted any number of things, but any time he had the opportunity someone else inevitably stopped by to say hello and congratulations.Even when his own family came in Naveen was tempted to push them out the door. But Tiana welcomed them in, just like she had with everyone else, and there was a part of Naveen that wanted to show off the building to them too. To prove to them that it had all been worth it."Ravi, do you want to see a giant spider web?" Tiana asked, seeing just how bored the young prince was.He perked right up. "Yeah!"Tiana took his hand and led him off, leaving Naveen alone with his parents."This building certainly has a lot of… potential," Idhal said, rubbing some dust between her thumb and forefinger and wrinkling her nose. "I'm sure it will turn into a wonderful restaurant, darling.""Yes, once you patch up the ceiling, and whatnot," Sunil added, glancing up at all the sun peaking through the wood slats."I know it looks like a lot," Naveen said, "but I have no doubt that Tiana and I can turn this into a palace fit for a princess."Sunil laughed and patted his son on the shoulder. "I am sure you can.""I can't wait to see all that you've done after we come back from our trip," Idhal added."Trip? Are you going back to Maldonia already?" Naveen frowned, though his heart skipped a beat at the thought. He would miss his family when they were gone (mostly Ravi) but with them across the ocean it would finally feel like he and Tiana were on their own."You're leaving?" Tiana called down from the balcony while Ravi stuck his head through the bannister."We're gonna take the train!" Ravi declared, excited by the prospect of travel and adventure.Idhal nodded. "It seemed like a good opportunity to see more of America while we are already here.""And there are a few things I'd like to discuss with Mr. Coolidge, as well," Sunil added.Tiana blinked, while she made sure Ravi hadn't gotten his head stuck. "Calvin Coolidge? You mean the president?"Sunil looked up at her as if to say 'who else?' Tiana mentally slapped herself. Once more she had forgotten just what kind of a family her husband came from."That should be exciting," Naveen said. "How long will you be traveling?""A few months," Idhal said. "But our last stop will be here in New Orleans before going back to Maldonia. So we'll be able to say a proper goodbye.""Well, I'm sure you must be busy, making sure the servants pack everything for you," Naveen said, guiding his parents towards the door. "Be sure to send us some postcards."But just as he was saying goodbye to his family, thinking he would finally have Tiana to himself, Naveen groaned. Charlotte and her father were coming up the walkway."Tia, Tia, Tia! You have to show me EVERYTHING! " Lottie squealed. "Every single detail! I don't wanna miss a thing!"Naveen sighed. This was going to be a long day.Tiana sighed contentedly as she and Naveen walked hand in hand the last few blocks back to the boarding house. It had been a long day, but she had never felt so alive! She had the sugar mill! She was married to the love of her life! She took another deep breath and sighed again as the twilight breeze cooled her skin. Life couldn't be more perfect.Naveen squeezed her hand. "Happy?" he asked."Yes," Tiana replied. "So very happy.""Good. Me too." He stopped her in front of the boarding house and brought her in for a kiss. "I love you.""I love y-"The door opened behind them and an angry Mrs. Proulx glared at them. "There you are! You're late!"Tiana glanced at Naveen who shrugged. "Late?" she asked. "Late for what?""If you had listened to the house rules this morning, you would have known that dinner is served promptly at five o'clock and that anyone who is late misses out on their meal."Naveen glanced at the pocket watch Tiana had given him those many months ago and grimaced. They were over two hours late.Tiana could feel her anger rising. Meals were a part of the rent they were paying. It wasn't fair that they were being charged for something that they hadn't even eaten! Still, she knew she was powerless in this situation and was prepared to grovel at their landlady's feet (she was hungry after all), but Naveen spoke first."I understand that you are upset," Naveen said. "Such a busy woman as yourself must have her house in order. It is not unreasonable to expect everyone to follow the rules."Mrs. Proulx nodded along."My wife is also a woman who appreciates order and logic," he continued, placing his arm around her shoulder. Tiana smiled good naturedly as he patiently explained Tiana's dream of owning her restaurant and all the trouble she had had getting it while following the rules laid out for her.Mrs. Proulx didn't seem to care one way or another, but perhaps she had a little sympathy when he mentioned that building the restaurant would be their honeymoon and that they were very tired and hungry after working all day."Perhaps you can make an exception for us, just this one time, yes?" Naveen said and flashed his most charming smile.To Tiana's surprise, Mrs. Proulx softened a little. "One. Time," she said firmly. "And don't go bragging about this to the other tenants either. They'll think I've gone soft."Naveen grinned triumphantly at Tiana and held the chair out for her once they were at the table. He sat on her right side as they were served a cold chicken with collard greens and the driest cornbread Naveen had ever eaten. The entire meal was a disaster, and he didn't think it was just because it was cold.He made a face at Tiana when Mrs. Proulx wasn't looking and she shushed him. But she seemed to feel the same way he did because she asked if there was any hot sauce to put on the food. Naveen nudged her foot with his under the table. She nudged him back."Was it just me," he asked softly when they were going up the stairs to their room, "or was that the worst meal you've ever tasted?""It was pretty terrible," Tiana whispered back, glancing down the hallway to make sure none of the other tenants could hear them badmouth their landlady. If every meal was like that one, she was sure it was a common occurrence, but she still didn't want to take any chances. "Maybe she was just having an off night."Naveen laughed. "I doubt it. She seemed pretty pleased with herself."And certainly pleased that she was finally able to explain all the house rules to the new residents. Rent was due first of the month. NO EXCEPTIONS. The front door was locked at 9pm and don't bother ringing the door after that because Mrs. Proulx would not let you in. Dinner was served at five and if you were late you missed the meal. Breakfast would also be served in the morning at 6:30, but lunch is on your own unless you made a request for it. There was a schedule for the shared bathroom where you could put your name down for the shower, and you must abide by the time frame allotted to you. NO EXCEPTIONS.Then Mrs. Proulx almost gleefully explained that breaking any of the following rules would result in immediate eviction: no loud noises, no pets, no children, the common area must remain clean at all times, and most importantly the kitchen is off limits to everyone except Mrs. Proulx, which means no food in the rooms.Tiana had grimaced at the last rule, tossing aside any idea she had of helping Mrs. Proulx cook for the 20 tenants staying in the house. She sighed turning the key to their room, reminding herself that even though it was a lot of rules to follow, it was also the only place to stay in their price range.The only other option was to move back in with her mother, and as much as they both loved Eudora, they wanted to be out on their own. And really it wasn't so bad. Sure their room was a little more than a bed, a dresser, a vanity, and a nightstand, but what else did they need apart from each other?Naveen closed and locked the door behind them, and immediately pulled his wife into his arms. Tiana hummed contentedly as he began to kiss and nuzzle along her jaw."You know this is the first time we've been properly alone all day." His words were deep and velvety the sound of temptation. "I've been dying to kiss you like this. To have you and lie with you again." His warm hands caressed her back and he began to pop open the buttons of her dress, one by one."I noticed," Tiana whispered, giggling softly."Am I that obvious?""Yes you are." She kissed along his collarbone and began to unbutton his shirt. "Especially when you want something."He nudged her with his nose, bringing her lips to his. "I do want something." His lips were nearly on hers, she could feel their movement as he spoke, barely brushing against her. "I want you."He pushed her dress off her shoulders and down her arms, where it landed in a heap by her feet, leaving her only in her shift. Naveen kissed her, claiming her mouth with his, and she moaned, pressing herself against him while she wrapped her arms around his neck.Naveen looped his arms around her bottom and lifted her, her legs wrapped around his waist. It only took a few staggering steps before they fell into bed. But as soon as they hit the mattress it let out a squeak and creak, louder than either of them had ever heard before."Faldi faldonza," Naveen cursed under his breath. He tested the mattress by pushing on it with his hand. No matter how fast or slow, or what kind of pressure he used, each little movement made the mattress squeak loudly in protest."Seriously?!" Naveen cried out. "This can't be happening."Tiana kissed him, but even that brought out a creak from the bed. "I have an idea. Help me get the mattress off the bedspring.""We're going to make love on the floor?" he asked, climbing off her and pulling the mattress off the bed frame. He wasn't opposed to the idea. In fact, he was up for anything as long as they made love somewhere."No," Tiana answered and knelt by the bed frame. "Not yet anyway."As she suspected, it was a terribly made bed frame. The only support it offered the mattress was a series of fifteen or so springs string from one end to the other. She tested them one by one, and confirmed the source of the noise."It's the joints," Tiana explained. "The springs are rubbing against the metal frame of the bed.""Okay. So what do we do?"Tiana glanced over at Naveen. He looked so disheveled with his hair mussed up and his shirt wrinkled and unbuttoned to the waist, exposing his undershirt. But he had such a look of longing and lust on his face that it was hard not to just throw herself at him, bed be damned."Go look in my toolkit," Tiana said, bringing herself back to the task at hand. "There should be a can of oil in there."She'd never seen Naveen move so fast, and Tiana had to laugh at that. But she grew serious as she began to apply the oil to the spring joints. Naveen watched in awe as Tiana worked in the oil first on one side of the spring, then the other. When Tiana tested the spring, it was silent."You're amazing," Naveen whispered. He came around behind her and hugged her tightly, kissing along her neck again.Tiana shivered at his touch. "Hold your horses, mister. There's still the rest of these to take care of."Naveen only hummed in response, and she became caught in a web of long, slow dragging kisses along her neck. It was hard to think, even harder to finish fixing the bed, especially with his hands on a path to her breasts, cupping her and running his thumbs over the sensitive skin."You're terrible," she whispered moving onto the next spring."And you're stubborn," he whispered back. But she knew he was smiling as he dove his fingers into her hair, taking out all the pins that had kept it securely in place, sending her curls tumbling around them.Only a few more springs to go. Tiana was trembling now at his touch, but he was right - she was much too stubborn to give in now. No matter how good his hands felt on her body, no matter how much it was making her gasp when he slipped one of those hands between her legs, no matter how much she wanted to turn into his arms and let him take her right there on the floor.It was the principle of the thing, damn it. Though she couldn't help thinking that life would be so much easier if she wasn't so hardheaded.Finally she finished oiling the last spring, and she leaned back into him, reaching back to hold his head while he kissed her neck. "Now we just need to get the mattress back on, and we can test it out," she gasped, blushing hotly as she did so.That was all Naveen needed to hear. The mattress was quickly moved back onto the bed frame. Naveen wasted no time and pressed her into it, delighted that the only sound he could hear was Tiana's gasps of pleasure.They didn't even bother undressing. He slipped a condom on and they both moaned when he entered her. They kissed hungrily and moved against each other. Tiana cried out his name and arched underneath him.He captured her wild gaze with his own. "I want to see you come undone, princess. I want to watch you go over the edge with me.""Y-you've seen it before," she panted."And I'll never grow tired of it."The coiled tension in her was suddenly set free and she convulsed around him, her muscles tightening around him in a sweet unbearable rhythm. Then, and only then, once she had found her pleasure, did he take his own. He called out her name as he followed her over the edge.He collapsed onto her, his chest heaving in unison with her own. He kissed her lazily along her lips, making her dimple. All things considered, Naveen thought this had been a very very successful test.Later they had cleaned themselves up, completely washing away all the dirt and grime of the day, and now they were getting ready for bed. Naveen was lying naked under the covers, his hands behind his head watching Tiana at the vanity.She was wrapping her hair in a headscarf. All the better to keep her hair moisturized, she had explained. It was mesmerizing to watch. The way her hands skillfully held up her hair and worked the fabric just so... It was one of the sexiest things he had ever seen.Then again everything she did was sexy."What's that look for?" Tiana asked, glancing at him in the vanity mirror."Hmm?""You just have a look, that's all."Naveen laughed. "It must be my, 'I'm so happy and in love' face. My 'I can't believe we're finally married' face." He turned to his side and patted the space next to him. "My 'I wish my wife would hurry up and come back to bed' face.""So impatient," Tiana tsked, but she was finished anyway. She turned off the lights and slid under the covers, then kissed him on the lips. "You know patience is a virtue.""I am plenty patient," Naveen countered, his hands already running over her nightgown. "Or have you forgotten that we didn't make love for a whole year.""You're right, I'm sorry. You are a very patient man." She kissed him again, long and slow. "Hey, so I was thinking…"Naveen hitched her leg over his waist and pushed her nightgown up, exposing her thigh. "About what?" he asked, and nuzzled against her chest. If she wanted to talk, that was fine. Naveen could multitask."What do you think about trying to finish building the restaurant by the time your family gets back from their trip?""Oh. That's…" He thought about the sugar mill as he had seen it today, practically falling in on itself. He had no doubt that he and Tiana could turn it into an award winning restaurant, but to do that in only a few months? "That's a lot of work.""It's just that… it would mean a lot to have them there when we open.""Of course they would want to come," Naveen said."But what I mean is, after they go back to Maldonia, would they even be able to come back? Traveling halfway around the world isn't easy, even for royalty." Tiana twirled her fingers in his hair. "And they've already been away for a long time. I don't know much about running a country, but I know you it can't run by itself.""Well… hmm." She was right. His family usually didn't stay away from Maldonia too long. Already they had been away longer than he could ever remember. After they went back, who knew how long it would be before they could get away again?"I know it'll be a lot of work," Tiana said, "but if we make a schedule and stick to it, I think we can do it."Naveen smiled and kissed her. "If you think we can do it, then that's what we'll do."He kissed her again, breaking it only long enough to slip her nightgown over her head.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As they quickly settled into a new routine, Naveen found that he had never been happier in his life. He had also never worked as hard, or felt so exhausted and achey - faldi faldonza did his muscles ache.But as soon as he looked at Tiana, everything else would melt away.Naveen had known that she was a hard working woman, but this was the first time he'd ever really seen her in her element. It was awe inspiring to say the least, and Naveen did his best to keep up with her but everyday was a challenge.Even on the first day after working on the sugar mill it must have been obvious to Tiana. She had rubbed his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek."You must be sore," Tiana had said.Naveen had given her a grin and quipped, "It's the good kind of sore."He had gotten a big kiss for that.With the goal to complete the restaurant by the time Naveen's family returned from their trip, Tiana had made a tentative schedule for them to follow. She adjusted it every evening to reflect on the work they had done during the day. Even though the list of tasks to do never seemed to get any smaller (Tiana always seemed to think of something else that needed to be done) Naveen was happy to let her be in charge of it all. After all, what did he know about fixing up a sugar mill?True he had repaired the burnt ballroom back in Maldonia, but at least there the foundation had been strong, and compared to the sugar mill it had been a piece of cake to work with.Here it seemed like every piece of wood was rotten to the core, even the floor. After Naveen had fallen through one to many times, it was decided that ripping out the floorboards and replacing them with plywood was the first task that needed to be accomplished.Naveen had gotten quite a few splinters in his hand doing that, but thankfully Tiana was always there to kiss it and make it better.Yes, even with Tiana so focused on the task at hand, there was still plenty of time for stolen kisses. And then on the day they finished putting the plywood in place, Naveen was at last able to lie with his wife and make love to her in their restaurant.Afterward, Tiana giggled as they caught their breath, tangled up in each other still lying on the floor."What's so funny?" Naveen asked, tracing her skin with his fingers. The sun was warming them both, beaming as it did from the holes in the ceiling, but even so goosebumps trailed in the wake of his touch on her skin."I was just thinking," Tiana hummed in satisfaction, then started giggling again. "I've spent my whole life imagining I would do in here once I bought the sugar mill. Making a meal for the mayor, or the president… Getting the key to the city…."She turned to face him. "Some things were more unrealistic than others.""Not true," he said and kissed her nose. Tiana most definitely deserved the key to the city. Whatever that meant."You're sweet." Tiana cupped his cheek, then giggled again. "Anyway, I was just thinking how in all my years of imagining things, I never once pictured doing… that."Her giggling was contagious, and Naveen chuckled low and soft as he began to kiss and nuzzle along her neck. "What about doing it again?" he purred. "Can you picture that?""Now that I can picture just fine."Yes it certainly was a happy time for both of them. Despite the long hours they worked every day, they often went early and eagerly to bed, remaining in the common room of the boarding house just long enough to make the reason for their exit too obvious.Tiana doubted they were being inconspicuous though. The way he always found a way to touch her, and hold her hand, his foot nudging hers under the table, those longing glances he gave her from across the room.They made love nearly every night, and slept curled together, their bodies touching, loath to be apart despite the summer heat. They woke in each other's arms, and then if the mood was right (which if often was) Naveen would pleasure her again.If he had to be honest, Naveen had never been happier in his life. Except… well, not everything could be perfect."We have to do something about this." Naveen flopped himself down on their bed, his stomach grumbling."And what do you propose we do?" Tiana plopped down next to him, her arms and legs crossed. Her fingers tapped furiously on her arm, and her foot bobbed rapidly up and down."I don't know," Naveen replied, dragging his hands down his face. "I'm too hungry to think.""She cannot do that to us," Tiana fumed. "I know it's in her rules but we paid for that meal! So what if we're a few hours late!"Was it really their fault that it was so easy to lose track of the time while working on the sugar mill? Was it really their fault that it was on the other side of town and that the streetcars didn't always run on time? Well… some of that was, but it was beside the point. How could Mrs. Proulx just deny them their dinner after they had worked so hard all day?"If an empty stomach is what it takes for you to learn your lesson then so be it," Mrs. Proulx had told them after they had rushed through the door, only to find the dining room empty and the food put away."I've never gone hungry in my life," Naveen whined and clutched his empty stomach. "Even as frogs we ate better than this."Tiana gave a sympathetic smile to her husband and smoothed the hair back from his brow. "Should we go into the bayou and make some swamp gumbo then?"Naveen grinned. "With mushrooms?""Lots.""Mmm. That sounds so good right now." Naveen sighed contentedly at Tiana's touch. Ever since moving to the boarding house, Tiana hadn't had anywhere to cook, so it had been a long time since he had tasted her food. Even so, he could almost taste the spices and flavors of the gumbo and….Naveen groaned. "Just thinking about it is torture.""I'm sorry, Froggy. It's my fault we were late tonight," Tiana said. "I just get so caught up in everything when we're working on the sugar mill…"He reached up to stroke her cheek. "It's fine, princess. I'm not blaming you. Mrs. Proulx is what Maldonians call a sutzka."Tiana raised an eyebrow. "Should I even ask what that means?""No," Naveen laughed. "It's not for polite company. So make sure not to say it in front of my parents. Or Ravi.""Noted." Tiana sighed and laid down next to him, propping herself up on her elbow. Her own stomach was growling now. "I guess this means we'll have to change the schedule and work a little less each day to make it back on time for dinner." She sighed again, thinking of their looming deadline.They still had wiggle room to finish everything before Naveen's family got back, but it wouldn't take long to get behind schedule."Or we could just work harder during the day," Tiana said, thinking out loud. "We might not have to change anything if we didn't take as many breaks."Naveen pouted. Breaks usually lead to kissing and making love. She couldn't mean stopping that. Could she? "But I like our breaks.""I know. I do, too." She scooted closer to him and trailed a finger down his chest. "But it's not like we'd be stopping all together. We'd still have evenings, and," she blushed, "mornings."Saying it out loud like that made her wonder: did they really do it that much? Tiana had wanted him a lot before their wedding, but now that they were married it seemed to unleash something inside her she hadn't even known existed.It had always been fun teasing and flirting with Naveen, but now it took on a whole new level. It was exciting and exhilarating and… she didn't want to stop their breaks either. But if it meant staying on schedule she could make that sacrifice. And it wasn't like they couldn't make up for it later…Lord, what was Naveen turning her into."Or how about this," Naveen said, with a twinkle in his eyes. "We wait until everyone goes to sleep, and then I'll sneak down to the kitchen and get us something to eat.""You can't do that," Tiana hissed, though she was smiling. "Mrs. Proulx has eyes in the back of her head. She'll catch you and then she'll kick us out! You know how protective she is of her kitchen."After suffering through a few more of their landlady's meals, Tiana had tentatively offered to help cook, but Mrs. Proulx did not appreciate the gesture.Naveen waved a hand, dismissively. "I won't get caught. I used to sneak around the castle at home all the time."'Sneak around with other women, you mean?' she thought, but didn't say anything. Instead she just glared at him.Naveen seemed to follow her train of thought and quickly backpedaled. "Sneaking around to the kitchen! For snacks!"Though he had done the other kind of sneaking as well (sometimes sneaking to the kitchen with other women), but he wasn't about to say that to Tiana. Whether or not she believed him, at least her gaze softened."I know I can do it without getting caught," Naveen continued. "And I don't know about you, but I really don't want to go hungry tonight.""No, I don't. But we can't." Her voice was soft as she pleaded with him. "I don't want us to get into any more trouble than we already are." She took his hand and kissed his wedding ring. "Please? For me."Naveen sighed and smiled wearily. "Alright. For you." He put his arm around her and pulled her close. It was so nice to hold her this way. Even with their empty stomachs, it wouldn't be so bad because they had each other.Still, that didn't mean he couldn't complain about it.Naveen tried so hard to never ever complain about how hard it was working in the sugar mill in front of Tiana. Of course it was amazing helping her make her dream come true, and Naveen loved doing that, but that didn't mean it wasn't hard for him.But he also knew that if he voiced any word of complaint that Tiana would think he regretted his decision to abdicate, which he most definitely did not. At least with Mrs. Proulx they had a common enemy that they could both complain about - and did, frequently.Naveen sighed and nuzzled into her hair. "I just wish there was a way we could cook in here. Then we wouldn't bother Mrs. Proulx and her precious kitchen.""Well, you know food in the rooms is also against the rules," Tiana pointed out. "Besides, there's nothing to cook with in here. We'd need a hot plate or something.""What's a hot plate?""It's exactly like it sounds. A plate that gets hot when you plug it in," Tiana explained."Oh," Naveen laughed. "I should have been able to figure that out.""Mama has one," Tiana said. "She'll show you how it works.""Oh really? Hmm…." He trailed a finger down her back, thinking. If he was able to borrow the hot plate from Eudora then maybe-"Don't even think about it," Tiana said."What?""You know we can't have food in the rooms," Tiana said, poking his chest to emphasize her point. "Even if it is a good idea, we can't-"Naveen grinned and rolled over so he was lying on top of Tiana. "Ah, so you think it's a good idea?"Tiana rolled her eyes, but smiled and held him close as he began to pepper her with kisses. "I didn't say that.""Yes you did! You think it's a good idea!" He unbuttoned the front of her dress and began to kiss her chest and the top of her breasts. His hands cupped her breasts, kneading them the way he knew she liked, making her moan ever so softly. "Admit it. I'm right.""It's no use distracting me and buttering me up like this," Tiana said, pulling off his tie and tossing it to the floor. "Because it doesn't matter if you're right or not, we still can't have food in the rooms.""But don't you miss cooking? Creating delicious things to eat?" Naveen asked, pressing his weight to her. Judging by the way she smiled at him, she could feel his hardness even through their clothes."I do miss it," Tiana said. Her breath was quickening at his touch, and she kissed him slowly along his jawline. "But we'd be breaking the rules.""All we have to do, is wait until Mrs. Proulx isn't here." Naveen's breath was hot on her skin, and Tiana shivered when he lightly bit on her ear. "She always goes out on Sunday's. It's like clockwork.""I know, but-" she moaned at Naveen's kisses, "you don't really want to spend the evening talking about Mrs. Proulx, do you?"Her hands moved down to the crease in his pants, and he laughed even through his moaned. She was turning the tables on him, distracting him when he was so close to changing her mind.Oh well. Naveen was happy to be distracted, especially by his sexy wife."Mmm, no not particularly." He gasped when she cupped him and started unbuttoning his fly. "I think there are better ways we can use our mouths right now."Naveen kissed her deeply on the lips.It was a few days later when Naveen told Tiana that he had an idea."Oh really?" Tiana replied teasingly as she looked up from her notebook. Dinner was long over and they were back in their room where Tiana was recording what they had accomplished during the day and figuring out what they would do tomorrow.She had inherited the notebook from James, and it was full of his ideas on how to turn the sugar mill into an award winning restaurant. Tiana consulted it every day, and was very pleased to see the list of things they had done growing longer, while the to do list growing smaller. Though there was still a lot to do (they hadn't even patched the holes in the roof yet), they had ramped up the pace during the day and Tiana was still confident they would stay on schedule."What's your idea, Froggy?" she practically purred, thinking it was something naughty, because knowing Naveen there was a good chance that it was. And Tiana felt herself growing excited at the possibility.Good lord, what had she turned into? But was it a crime to want her husband that way? And Naveen was so handsome and so… well, good, it was hard to not get intoxicated by it all.She still felt shy sometimes, but Naveen was always patient with her and helped guide her through it. He always seemed to know just how to touch her to make her shiver with pleasure. It was like she was as fine tuned as his ukulele."I was thinking about the band," Naveen said.Well this was unexpected, but alright. "The Firefly Five?""Yes. Um… well…"It was then that Tiana saw he was fiddling with a well worn piece of paper. He had drawn something on it, but kept folding and refolding it too much for her to make out what it was."What is it?" she asked calmly, recognizing how nervous he was. She smiled softly at him, hoping that would help relax him.Naveen cleared his throat. "Well, I was thinking about where they will play in the restaurant, once we have finished it." He fiddled a little more with the paper, before continuing. "I know you have the spot all picked out, but I am not sure it is the best place for them to be."Tiana tensed. "What do you mean?""It is just that there are five of them, plus Louis, and me sometimes, and the grand piano…. All of us tucked in that back corner? It is not much room, especially for Louis. Not to mention the sound will be quite lost.""Okay. So what's your idea?"Naveen brightened. "I thought we could… I thought we could add in a stage." He came by her side and showed her the paper he had been fiddling with. "Look, I drew up plans for it. See? We could put it here in the back and have lights all along the edge. It would be plenty of room for all of the band members and we could also put a dance floor here too!"Tiana looked at his carefully drawn up plans. Naveen must have spent a long time on it, judging by how straight the lines were and how everything seemed to be drawn to scale. Any other time she would have kissed him and praised him over it, because it really was perfect, except…."Oh." Was all she managed to say.Naveen frowned. "You don't like it?""No, no, it's not that sweetheart," Tiana said, trying to sound upbeat. "You did a great job.""But?"Tiana bit her lip. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she couldn't help thinking of her notebook and all the plans in it. Those were already perfect, so why change anything?"If we put in a stage and a dance floor, we're gonna lose a lot of tables," Tiana explained gently. "And we can't have a restaurant without tables.""Oh. Right. Of course." Naveen smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes like it normally did. "I should have figured that out." He took the drawing back from her and tossed it aside. "It was just an idea anyway."Naveen mumbled something about getting a glass of water, and briskly left the room, leaving Tiana alone with her thoughts. Was he mad at her? Surely he understood her point of view, right?She glanced over at the discarded paper on the floor and picked it up. He really had spent a lot of time and effort on it. Even if they weren't going to use the design, it would be a shame to throw it away.Without knowing why, or what she would do with it, Tiana tucked it into her dress pocket for safe keeping.Even while riding the streetcar on the way to the sugar mill, Naveen knew it was going to be unbearably hot that day. They had the windows rolled all the way down, but the small breeze that was afforded them when the streetcar was moving hadn't helped the sweat that was already slicking his skin.For the first time, Naveen wasn't happy to be going to the sugar mill. Not that Tiana seemed to notice. She was busy going over her notebook again, finalizing their plans for the day, which she would then tell him once they were there and settled.Naveen crossed his arms, unable to think about anything except for how much he hated that damned notebook of hers. What was so important in there anyway? She hadn't ever bothered to share it with him, either, which only seemed to further his irritation.How had he never realized it? She practically kept it under lock and key! It just wasn't fair. Didn't he deserve to know what was in it? And didn't he deserve to have some say in what they did every day instead of having Tiana decide everything?Naveen pulled at his shirt, fanning himself with it. Even though it was early, his shirt was already sticking to him from sweat and the humidity. He sighed. Just great. Another shirt ruined.The bell clang, signaling their stop, and they both exited the streetcar and headed to the sugar mill. Naveen couldn't help but notice that the usually busy streets were practically empty. Everyone must be inside in front of their fans, or in the movie theater - the only place in town with air conditioning.Jealous hatred surged through Naveen at anyone lucky enough to escape working in this stifling building with the sun bearing down on them from those stupid holes in the roof that hadn't been fixed yet. Never mind that if either of them went up on the roof it would probably collapse under them, and so they were reinforcing everything supporting the roof first, but Naveen was hardly thinking rationally that morning.Tiana used her key to open the door and when she opened it, an intense wave of heat rolled over them. It seemed that even in this early hour, the sun shining down into the building had created a bit of an oven inside the sugar mill.Naveen swore to himself as they stepped inside. More sweat beading up on his forehead. He wiped it away hastily with his handkerchief, knowing it too would be ruined by the end of the day."So the plan for today is to finish reinforcing the stairs," Tiana said, oblivious to the heat. Or maybe she had noticed, but was too busy paying attention to marking things off in her notebook. Of course."We should be able to finish that by lunch, and then we can get started on the upper railings." Tiana turned to smile at Naveen. "Sound good?"Naveen shrugged and kicked absentmindedly at their pile of tools and wood, stacked neatly in the corner. The corner that should be a stage."Doesn't matter to me, you're just going to do what you want anyway…" he mumbled.Tiana lowered her notebook and stared at Naveen. "Excuse me?"Naveen thought ever so briefly about ignoring her, or changing the subject, but he wasn't in the mood to step aside. "I said why are you even bothering to ask me? We both know you're just going to do whatever is in your precious notebook."Tiana blinked, then frowned. She felt her fists clench around her notebook, but not too hard. She didn't want to rip the paper. Because this notebook was precious to her. Its pages marked all the stages of her dream from the very beginning. It was history. It was her history, and Naveen of all people should know that it was important."Excuse me?" Tiana asked again, cooly.Naveen turned to her, his arms crossed. "You heard me.""If you have a problem with the way we're doing things," Tiana said, "go ahead and say it.""Oh, so you actually care what I have to say now?""Excuse me?!" Tiana's voice went high with exasperation. "I have always cared what you have to say!""But you don't consult with me about the plans," Naveen pointed out, bitterly. "You don't consult with me about anything! You keep everything hidden away from me, and anytime I have an idea you shoot it down!""Is that what this is about? The stage?" Tiana huffed. "I told you we can't because we'd lose too many tables. This is a restaurant and in case you didn't realize it we will serve food and we can't do that without tables!"Naveen groaned and threw up his hands. "Faldi faldonza, you're not even listening!" He stomped over to the back corner. "This," he gestured wildly, "is a bad place to have the band play. There isn't enough room! And the sound will be absorbed by the walls and the curtains!" He raised his voice to prove his point. Even in the emptiness of the sugar mill, his voice was sucked up by the walls."If the layout isn't changed," Naveen continued, "you'd be better off with no band at all! Is that what you want?"Tiana clenched her jaw. "We're not changing the layout.""You're still not listening to me!" Naveen shouted. "I thought we were business partners!""We are!""Then why aren't you treating me like one?""You don't understand," Tiana said. "We can't change it!"Naveen looked at Tiana once more, then threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine," he said firmly. "If you don't want me here, then I'll leave.""Fine, then go!" Tiana said."Fine, I will!""Fine!""Fine!"Naveen stormed off leaving Tiana alone in the sugar mill.Later, Naveen would look back and wonder how it was that he hadn't created some sort of path from all the pacing he had done behind the sugar mill. Because that's where he went after fighting with Tiana. Where else was he going to go?Well, it was New Orleans, so there were plenty of places he could go, but there wasn't anywhere else he wanted to be.He just needed to cool off, that's all. Figuratively and literally, because god it was hot.At least there was a water pump in the back, and as Naveen filled bucket after bucket of water, he could hear Tiana moving things around inside and banging on nails with her hammer. He could practically hear her say that they needed to stay on schedule, which only annoyed him further.Why did she have to be so stubborn? Couldn't she see that he was right? Naveen had learned a lot about construction from repairing the ballroom in Maldonia, but he would still be the first to admit his knowledge paled in comparison to Tiana's. But this wasn't just about construction, or restaurants, or food, it was about music.If only she would just listen to him! True that he had gone about everything completely wrong today, but even when he first brought the idea to her she hadn't listened. If they could just talk about it they could find a solution.Was it that she didn't trust him? No, that couldn't be it… could it? No. She wouldn't have asked him to be her business partner if she didn't trust him, hell she wouldn't have married him.Naveen finished drinking one of the buckets of water and began to pump another one.None of this seemed like the Tiana he knew and loved. She was always so practical, and nice, and considerate. She wouldn't want to send the band away just for the sake of what was written in her notebook. It would break Louis' heart.Then again, when it came to her restaurant, sometimes Tiana could get blinders on very quickly.He sighed, dipping his handkerchief in the cool water and running it all over his face and neck. It wasn't enough, so he wet his hair, but when even that wasn't enough he just dunked his entire head in the bucket of water. Damn it, it was so hot out!But it did help clear his head, and he thought he was ready to go back inside and talk things through. He didn't hear any noise coming from inside anymore, and thought that Tiana would be ready to talk as well.She was probably thirsty, too. He had basically camped out by the water pump, and he hadn't seen her come down to get any water. So Naveen pumped another bucket full and carried it inside."Tiana?" he called out, but there was no reply. "Are you still mad at me?"Naveen walked over to the stairs, remembering that was what Tiana had wanted to finish that day. To his surprise he found that they had been fully reinforced. His wife was nothing if not efficient.He started to take the steps up to the second landing. "I'm really sorry about earlier," Naveen continued. Was it his imagination or did it seem to be getting hotter the higher he went? Oh right, heat rises."I want to stay here and help you with everything, you know that. I was just upset, so let's talk about things, yes? We can find a - Tiana?"Naveen stepped onto the landing and saw Tiana sprawled in a heap on the floor. He dropped the bucket and ran to her.Tiana opened her eyes feeling very disoriented. She was lying on her back near one of the windows they hadn't replaced yet. Not long after buying the sugar mill, they had discovered that this was the coolest place in the building. Even on the stillest days, there seemed to be a breeze coming through the window.Breathing hard, she turned her head to that breeze and closed her eyes in bliss. It felt good.It took her a few moments to realize that there was something on her head, and she reached up to pull it off. It was Naveen's handkerchief, wet with water. No wonder the breeze felt so cool and nice on her skin. She put it back with a sigh.It was then that she realized she was wearing only her slip. Her dress was discarded a few feet away, and she was covered in more wet pieces of fabric, though her sluggish mind couldn't quite figure out what they were."You're awake! Oh thank god."Tiana turned to see Naveen coming through the backdoor carrying two more buckets of water. He had a worried look on his face as he quickly came over to her side, and as for the rest of him… Tiana blinked. He was only wearing his undershirt and undershorts.Any other time she would have laughed to see him running around in his underthings with his shoes on and socks still rolled up his calves. It could be something from a Buster Keaton movie.Now didn't seem the right time to laugh, though, and Tiana wasn't sure she could anyway. And then it hit her. He had soaked his clothes in water to help cool her down. That's what the wet fabric on her was."Na-veen," she choked out."Shh shh shh. I'm here." He carefully set down the buckets and the cupped her face in his hands, then kissed her in quick succession on her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. His kisses were warm, but she didn't mind."Are you alright? No, don't answer that, save your strength. But can you drink some water?" He paused for just a moment. "Do answer that. Just nod yes or no."She swallowed and nodded."Alright. Here, let me help you." Gently, he lifted her head as he brought the bucket ladle to her lips. "Nice and slow, yes?"The water was so cool and refreshing, it almost made her cry. But she also wanted more. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was, and it took every ounce of control she had to not gulp down that entire bucket."What happened?" she asked when she had finished.He took the handkerchief from her head and dipped it in the other bucket of water. "You fainted," Naveen explained, placing it back. His hands were shaking, she noticed. "From the heat, I think."She sighed. Heat stroke. She should have known better.It was all coming back to her now. Naveen had stormed out after their fight and Tiana had put her anger into her work, determined not to fall behind schedule. She had pushed to finish the tasks herself, but then her vision became blurry and then everything went black."I found you and brought you down here to cool off."It sounded so simple when he said it that way, but in truth he had been so scared to find her like that. Her body temperature was so hot to the touch, and her breathing was so fast, it took all he had not to panic, though that idea was very tempting.Naveen had quickly run through his options. Should he call a doctor? There was no electricity in the sugar mill yet, so of course they had no phone. The nearest one was in the drug store maybe a mile away, and Naveen wasn't about to leave Tiana alone.He had picked her up in his arms, going on instinct. Remembering how nice it felt to cool himself off with water, he decided he would do that for Tiana. He had brought her to the coolest spot in the building, and used his wet handkerchief to lower her body temperature.It quickly became clear that this wasn't enough, so he took off her heavy dress and in lieu of towels, used his own clothes to do the job."It was the best idea I had at the time," Naveen said, somewhat sheepishly.Tiana reached out a shaky hand to him. He took it and pressed it to his lips, before bringing it to his cheek. "You did the right thing," she whispered.Tears sprang to his eyes and he kissed her palm again. "I have the wash tub filled if you still need to cool down."The wash tub was something they had started using to clean themselves just enough to ride the streetcar to the boarding house where they could clean up properly. It was nice to have but with the water from the pump being so cold it took a lot of mental preparedness to actually get in.So it was really saying something when Tiana said that the tub sounded like a good idea.Naveen gently helped her off with her shift and carried her over to the tub."Brace yourself," Naveen said and lowered her into the cold water.Tiana gasped from the cold but exhaled in relief. This was exactly what she needed. Once she was properly settled, Naveen slowly poured water through her hair and down her back."Thank you," she breathed.Naveen squeezed her shoulder. "Are you feeling alright now?" he asked. "Or, better at least?""Much better." She turned to give him a reassuring smile, and found he still had that worried look on his face. So she reached for his hand and squeezed. "I'm sorry I scared you like that."He took her hand in both of his, holding it gently, brushing over her wedding ring with his thumb."I'm sorry I failed you," he whispered."Huh?" Maybe she was still out of it, but she had no idea what he was talking about."I promised to watch over you and keep you safe," Naveen explained. "But because we got in that stupid fight I wasn't even here to take care of you.""You're taking care of me now," Tiana pointed out, but he kept on."I was acting like a spoiled brat and because of that you could have… I thought…" his lips were trembling now."Oh honey. Come here."Naveen let out a sob and fell into Tiana's open arms. She was soaking wet from her bath, but he didn't care. As he held her tight, all he could think about was that he never ever wanted to let go of her."I'm so sorry," he whispered."I'm sorry, too." Tiana kissed his cheek. "I love you.""I love you, too." Naveen brought their lips together in a sweet kiss. He wanted to kiss her deeper, harder… he never wanted to stop kissing her, but of course he didn't want to overwhelm her either.He would settle for anything as long as she was alright."Tiana," he said at last, "let's go home.""Yeah, okay," she replied after a moment. "I think we're done here for today."Needless to say, they got quite a few looks on the streetcar ride back to the boarding house, what with their clothes being so disheveled and well… wet. Naveen didn't care though. He was too busy holding Tiana's hand and making sure she was alright.She had drunk a lot of water before leaving, but was it enough? What if she collapsed again on the streetcar?Every time the streetcar made a stop he would ask "Are you alright? Do we need to get off here?"But she would just smile and say she was fine. Eventually she curled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'll let you know if I'm feeling faint, okay?"Naveen kissed her on her temple, but kept an eye on her for the rest of the trip.At least for once they didn't have to worry about missing dinner, and Naveen made sure Tiana ate her entire helping of the (once again) flavorless food Mrs. Proulx offered.Back in their room Naveen found himself hovering over Tiana's every move. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and keep her close. Anything to reassure him that she was alright. The image of finding her lying on the sugar mill floor kept replaying itself over in his mind. Only holding her in his arms seemed to keep it at bay.Luckily Tiana didn't seem to mind, and she willingly nestled into him as they rested quietly in bed."I think I owe you an explanation," Tiana said, breaking their silence."You don't owe me anything," Naveen replied, kissing her cheek."Yes I do." Tiana stroked his cheek softly, and kissed his lips. "You deserve to know, and… well…."Reluctantly, she pulled herself from his embrace and retrieved her notebook from the other side of the room.Holding it carefully in her hands, she said, "You were right when you said I haven't been treating you like a business partner, and I'm sorry.""Tiana-"She held up her hand to gently silence him. "Please just… let me say this."Naveen paused, then nodded his assent. "Alright."Tiana smoothed down the battered notebook cover. "The restaurant has been my dream for so long… mine and my daddy's… I think I'm still not used to sharing it." She looked up at Naveen. "I'm sorry for that, too."He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.Tiana continued. "I found this notebook after he died. It's full of his plans and ideas for making the perfect restaurant." She opened the pages and flipped through them slowly. "I studied it like crazy, poured over every page, and memorized every detail, determined that I would bring the restaurant to life exactly like he would have wanted it.""Eventually I didn't need to read it anymore, but I still analyzed everything, even going down to the way he wrote every letter on the page." She smiled softly. "He was left handed, just like me.""And then it got to a point where if anyone said or suggested any changes, it felt like they were almost disrespecting everything he had done."Naveen cringed inwardly. "Oh.""That all happened before we even met," Tiana said. "And then after we turned back human, I…" she tucked a curl behind her ear. "Promise you won't laugh?""I promise," Naveen said immediately."Somehow I got it in my head that… because now I knew that magic was real…. I thought that if I made the restaurant exactly as it was in Daddy's notebook, then maybe…" Tiana swallowed. "Maybe he could come back.""Oh darling." Naveen gently pulled her back into his arms and kissed her temple."Pretty silly, huh?" Tiana said, sniffing. When had she started crying?"Not silly at all," he whispered, kissing her again, and again, and once more for good measure. "Like you said, we know that magic is real better than anyone, so of course it's possible. Is there a spell on the restaurant? Or on the notebook, perhaps?"Tiana shifted. "No. Not that I know of.""Oh," he said again. "We could ask Mama Odie? She would know. Or she might even be able to cast-""No," Tiana interrupted with a sigh. "She wouldn't cast any spell like that. And you know she would just tell me to dig a little deeper and I would figure out that even though he's gone, his spirit still lives on in me and in the restaurant.""You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?""Mostly since this morning," Tiana said. There was something about getting in a fight with your husband and then collapsing from heat stroke that made you examine your thinking in a way that nothing else did. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before.""I wish you would have." Naveen kissed her dimple. "Of course I understand that you want it to be everything your father planned.""But the thing is… Yes, Daddy and I shared this dream to begin with, but you and I share it now." Tiana handed Naveen the notebook. "Turn to the last page."Naveen raised an eyebrow at her, but did as he was told. He grinned when he saw his own drawing of the restaurant with the stage placed carefully inside. "Really?""Yeah." Tiana kissed him and settled back into his arms. "And I want to hear any other ideas you have, too. Partner."Naveen laughed and kissed her back. "I did have an idea for what to do with those tables we would lose.""I'm all ears."They talked about it all night. Naveen really had some wonderful ideas, (have tables in the upper landing for a VIP area. Of course!) and Tiana couldn't believe they hadn't talked like this before. It was different than what she was used to - which of course was telling people her ideas and plans. This discussing, brainstorming, and just truly sharing the dream with him felt so nice.Sometime around dawn it started to rain, with flecks of lightning sprinkled in for good measure. The wind picked up and then the thunder boomed louder and louder as the storm raged on.Tiana got out of bed and looked out the window."Is it bad out there?" Naveen asked.She could hear the unspoken words behind his question. How bad would it be working in this weather? Even just getting to the sugar mill would leave them soaked, and this looked like a storm that would last all day. With all those holes still in the roof, there was no way they could stay dry, and not to mention it was dangerous working on construction with lightning in the air.One health scare was enough for the both of them."It looks pretty bad," Tiana said, and turned back to him. Gosh he looked so cute stretched out in their bed, his pajamas all wrinkled even though they hadn't slept. "What would you say if we took the day off?"There was no denying the hopeful look in his eyes, but Naveen still put a hand on Tiana's forehead once she climbed back into bed. "Who are you and what have you done with my wife? Did you hit your head yesterday? Are you sick?"She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "I'm fine. I just think we deserve a break, is all.""What about the schedule?" Naveen asked, trailing his fingers along her arm. "Won't this make us behind?""Let's not worry about the schedule anymore," Tiana said. She pressed a slow, lingering kiss on his cheek. "It'll get done when it gets done."Naveen was certainly never one to turn down a day off, and he smiled at his wife and pulled her close. "I do have a few ideas for what we can do to amuse ourselves."Tiana giggled and kissed his nose. "You mean, something like this?" Blushing, she rolled them both over until she was on top, straddling him. It was still new to her, being on top like this, even though Naveen had guided her through it some time ago. She liked it, that much was true, but she still felt shy about it, especially when she was the one starting things. Which made her next move all the more terrifying, and exciting.Naveen hummed happily and kissed her tenderly on the lips."So I was thinking..." Tiana murmured against his lips, then paused, as she tried to figure out how to phrase it. She did want to ask him before trying it, just in case."Hmm?" Naveen rubbed her nose with his, letting his hands run over her body. "What is it, princess? You can tell me.""Well… umm… when you use your mouth…" she was blushing hotly now.Naveen smiled against her lips. "Go on.""Is that something you would like? From me, I mean?""Wha- I mean, yes- but you don't hav-only if you want-," Naveen stuttered incoherently.But the way his pants suddenly creased gave her a better answer.She kissed him and then slid down the bed, moving aside the sheets and helping him off with his pajamas, leaving him bare.This was a lot more intimidating now, but Tiana wasn't about to back down.She kissed his stomach, and he let out a breath. "You'll tell me if you don't like it, won't you?" Another kiss on this stomach, lower this time. "Cause I don't really know what I'm doing.""Tiana…" He reached for her and stroked her cheek softly with his thumb. "Just…" he was blushing now too, "watch the teeth, yes?""Noted," she said with a laugh, and then kissed his tip.Naveen let out an earthy groan, and that spurred Tiana on. She kissed all along his length, marveling at his enjoyment of her simple touches. He was like putty in her hands, and she could see why he liked doing this to her so much.She wrapped her tongue around him, licking his stiffness. "Is this okay?"He moaned and muttered something in Maldonian."What was that?"He licked his lips. "Don't stop."So she didn't.It was by mutual agreement that they would change the way they worked on the sugar mill from then on out. Rising earlier in the day to take advantage of the cooler weather was a challenge, but taking a nap during the hot afternoon hours helped a lot. This meant that they were working later into the evenings, which of course, resulted in their being late for dinner night after night after night.After another angry spat with Mrs. Proulx about the missed meals, Tiana, unprompted by Naveen, borrowed the hot plate from Eudora. Now the question remained: when could they cook with it?It became somewhat of a covert operation to learn more about Mrs. Proulx's schedule without being obvious about their plan. Some of the other tenants had been living there for years, and could tell them exactly what they wanted to know.On Sunday's, Mrs. Proulx always went out to visit her sister, and could be counted on to be gone until 4:30 when she returned with ingredients to make the evening meal.She was nothing if not systematic.So they began to plan, and little by little brought in their own ingredients to make a pot of gumbo. Just a handful of ingredients at a time, enough to fit in their pockets and not cause any suspicions. Once they had brought the contraband in their room, they carefully hid everything in the backs of their dresser drawers.Then they just had to wait."She's gone." Naveen whispered, quickly closing their door behind him."Are you sure?" Tiana asked. She was kneeling on the floor by the hot plate with James' gumbo pot resting on top. All the ingredients to make gumbo were prepped and ready to go, but only when they knew for sure Mrs. Proulx was gone."Yes, I just watched her leave.""Okay. Here we go." Quickly, she began to make the roux. "I've never broken the rules like this before," Tiana giggled. "This is kind of fun.""Ah, I knew you'd enjoy it, princess," Naveen said with a wink, then sighed with pleasure as the aroma of the roux hit him. It was nothing more than flour, butter, and a few spices, but it was more flavor than either of them had smelled in weeks. Naveen's mouth was already watering. Then when she added the rest of the ingredients, he was practically drooling."Just a couple more minutes," Tiana said, stirring the pot. "This is the quick version, so it's not gonna be perfect." She lifted the spoon to her lips for a taste test. "Mmm. Still pretty good, though.""Let me have a taste," Naveen said. When he tasted the gumbo, his knees buckled and he had to sit down. "Achidanza, Tiana," he laughed. "Eating that makes me want to get married to you all over again."Tiana laughed. "I'll settle for a kiss instead."Naveen was just about to oblige when someone knocked on their door.They stiffened and locked eyes. Tiana's were wide with panic. It was hours before Mrs. Proulx was due to be back!'They couldn't get caught now,' Naveen thought. 'Not when we haven't eaten the gumbo!'The knock sounded again, more urgently this time."What do we do?" Tiana whispered in alarm."Hide the gumbo," Naveen whispered back. "I'll take care of the door."It quickly became apparent that there was nowhere to properly hide a simmering gumbo pot, not to mention a hot plate that was too hot to be moved.Naveen just hoped that if he didn't open the door all the way, Mrs. Proulx wouldn't notice. Except when he opened the door, it wasn't Mrs. Proulx on the other side. It was Henry, their neighbor from across the hall."Hello, Henry," Naveen said, loud enough for Tiana's benefit. "What can I do for you today?""Hey Naveen. Miss Tiana." Henry nodded politely to Tiana when she appeared next to Naveen. "I was… well, gosh I don't know how to say it. I guess I was wondering… are y'all cooking gumbo in there?""What? No of course not," Naveen lied confidently."Why would you say that?" Tiana added, laughing nervously."You can smell it in the whole building," Henry replied. "And I saw you sneak in that hot plate a few days ago."Tiana blanched. "You won't tell Mrs. Proulx, will you?" she asked before Naveen could even cover for them."Of course not," Henry said. "I'd hate to see a nice couple like you get kicked out of here on account of that silly rule. Especially when the gumbo smells so good…."Tiana smiled. "Henry," she said sweetly, "would you like some gumbo?""Yes please.""Well come on in," she said. "There's plenty to share."Henry practically barged in and Naveen helped serve him up a meal. Tiana poked her head out in the hallway and shouted, "Hey everybody. I made gumbo!"All the tenants swarmed into the hallway, grinning widely."I thought I smelled something good in this house for once!""Let me at that gumbo!""Hoo-ee that's gonna be good!"It wasn't long before everyone in the boarding house was packed into their tiny room eating gumbo. Tiana's heart was so full looking around at everyone enjoying her food. It had been so long since she had cooked something, and even longer since she had been able to share it like this with a crowd. Gosh she missed it."I'm gonna be first in line when that restaurant of yours opens up, Miss Tiana," Henry said."Not if I get there first," Lucy, another tenant said."You'll have to reserve your tables now," Naveen said, proudly. "Everyone in New Orleans is going to want to be there."Everyone started to hound Tiana and Naveen, begging to have a table reserved, when suddenly everything went quiet.Mrs. Proulx was standing in the doorway."What in the Sam Hill is going on in here?" she asked."Uh oh," Naveen whispered."Don't you dare say that it could be worse," Tiana said. "It's already raining, and I don't want a hurricane to come blowing through here.""I wasn't going to say it," Naveen said, even though he was.They were huddled together in the driest spot they could find in the sugar mill, but there was still a lot of water dripping down on them. They both had their hats on and were wrapped in coats and blankets (and each other). Anything to try and keep the rain off them."And you cannot say anything to Mama about this," Tiana continued. "She'll kill us if she found out we got kicked out of the boarding house for using her hot plate."Mrs. Proulx practically had steam coming out of her ears she was so angry when she caught them with food in their room. She went wild scolding all of the tenants for simply eating the food, but then when she turned on Tiana and Naveen it was brutal.They had broken the rules, and so Mrs. Proulx had booted them out the door.Rather than go through Eudora's wrath in addition to Mrs. Proulx's, they had decided to move into the sugar mill. It wouldn't be so bad, they had reasoned. Until they put plumbing and electricity in they would have to live a little rough, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.Then it started to rain and the reality of their situation set in."I don't blame you if you're mad at me," Tiana said."Why would I be mad at you?" Naveen asked. He tucked the quilt around her tighter."Because it's my fault we got kicked out of our nice warm room," Tiana pointed out."Well, it was warm, but I don't know about nice." Naveen kissed her cheek. "Mrs. Proulx hardly made the environment welcoming.""I know, I know," Tiana sighed. "I guess the nicest thing about this is not having to deal with her rules anymore.""And her food." Naveen made a face. "If I never have to taste her food again, it will be too soon."Tiana wholeheartedly agreed. "I guess we'd also be saving money on rent. And we can work longer in the evenings now that we're not rushing home to get to dinner.""And we'll also know exactly where the roof is leaking," Naveen said, with a laugh.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"How much longer will this take, princess?""It takes as long as it takes, hun."Naveen huffed. He really didn't like having Tiana up on that ladder, even if he was holding it securely for her. She was laying down some bricks in front of the building, a little too low for the scaffolding they planned on making later, but just high enough to make Naveen's heart race at the thought of her falling."I may as well finish what I came up here for," Tiana continued, smiling down on him. Gosh he looked cute when he was worried. "Or else all of this effort will have been for nothing.""Fine." He tilted his head. "But as penalty, know I'll be looking up your skirt the entire time.""As if you weren't already," she snickered.She got him there. He couldn't see all that much, unfortunately - just a pair of slim legs disappearing into the fabric of her skirt. Though if the wind blew just right he was granted a glimpse of her slip. The sight stirred him all the same."There," Tiana declared, finished at last, and began to descend the ladder.When she neared the last run, Naveen placed a hand on the small of her back to steady her. He extended his fingers as far as they would stretch, claiming as much of her as he could. Once she was safely on the ground again he pulled her in for a quick kiss."Wonderful job, as always, princess.""Why thank you, sweetheart." Tiana kissed him briefly, then settled happily in his arms as they looked over the job well done. "It does look pretty good, doesn't it?"No surprise there. Tiana was amazingly talented at almost everything needed to work on the sugar mill. Plus now that they were also living there, things were progressing quicker than expected.Well, when it came to the sugar mill at least. Their living situation was less than desirable. It wasn't as bad as it had been when they first moved in, having now patched up the roof and any spot where it would leak, they still were lacking many basic things that usually made a spot a home.Things like, plumbing, a stove, electricity, and a bed.True they had found a spare room on the top floor of the sugar mill that would make a perfect apartment, but they both agreed that finishing the restaurant should be a priority. So what if this meant that they had to cook all their food outdoors over a fire? And did it really matter if their baths were filled with ice cold water from the water pump because it was too inefficient to heat single buckets over that outdoor fire before pouring them into the wash basin?Hardly. They were young and in love. Besides, in a weird way, roughing it like this reminded them of the bayou. And okay, even when they were in the bayou they still dreamed of things like stoves and water heaters, they knew it wouldn't be like this forever. Though sleeping on the floor was getting old very quickly.Naveen hardly minded being a pillow for his wife, but lying on that hard floor wasn't doing his back any favors. Soon, they told each other. Soon they would have a proper apartment. Once they had a proper restaurant, that is.Tiana worried sometimes that he would resent her or resent their life. Considering all he had given up to be with her and then end up sleeping on the ground, she wouldn't blame him at all. But as always, Naveen was full of high spirits and charm. Every day she would think that she couldn't love him anymore than she did, and then he would always surprise her."Can you feel it?" Naveen had asked, one afternoon as they finished up work on the stage."Feel what?" Tiana asked.Naveen simple smiled at her and said, "We're making something magical."She cried happy tears as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him. It really was magical this thing they were doing together. Even more magical was making it with Naveen, who really did understand just what all of this meant to her.Needless to say, they didn't get much work done that day.The schedule wasn't as important anymore. As Tiana was now fond of saying 'it takes as long as it takes'. That didn't stop her from feeling anxious whenever they got a postcard from Naveen's family though.Ravi in particular seemed to enjoy sending them."What does he say this time?" Tiana asked, hugging Naveen from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder.Naveen couldn't hold back his laughter. "He misses your cookies," he said, his shoulders shaking from laughing."Let me see." Tiana took the postcard. It squiggly misspelled letters it read:
      Dear Naveen + Tiana

Send cookys. Im being nice and saying pleas. Baba sayz I cant have any. Pleas!

Bye

Ravi
Tiana burst out laughing. "I'm saving this to embarrass him when he's older.""Poor Ravi," Naveen chuckled. "He misses your baking as much as I do.""Mmm, well, you're both gonna have to wait." She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Kinda hard to bake without an oven.""But we'll have one soon, yes?" Naveen asked. "The contractors are coming next week to put in the electricity and gas, aren't they?""And the plumbing," Tiana said with a sigh. She was still a little bitter that they were hiring other people to do work on their restaurant. But Naveen was terrified that if they installed it all themselves the restaurant would flood from loose pipework, or there would be a gas leak and one spark from a match would make the entire building explode, or they would cross the wrong wires and get electrocuted, or or or….He had sat Tiana down and practically begged her not to install those herself. They had done amazingly well so far, it was true, but at the end of the day they were still amateurs.Tiana wanted to fight back, she really did. She thought they could do it. How hard could it really be? And there was some part of her that didn't want anyone else to touch their restaurant. Fixing it up was supposed to be their thing that they did together.But then she had looked at Naveen's eyes. He asked for so little, so of course she said yes. That didn't mean she wasn't salty about it though.Naveen pulled her into his lap and kissed her. "Everyday we're getting closer to calling this old sugar mill Tiana's Palace, eh? I mean, Place. Tiana's Place.""Tiana's Palace? Where did you get that from?" she asked and smoothed back his hair. She never could resist touching his curls.He gave her a lopsided smile and shrugged. "Well, I was thinking one day that every princess deserves her own palace. And that's what this restaurant is to you, no?" He kissed her again. "So I started thinking of it that way.""You're sweet." Tiana rested her head on his shoulder, and together they both looked over the empty sugar mill. He was right, it wasn't much of a sugar mill anymore. Looking at it now It was hard to even imagine the building as it used to be. All the rotten wood was gone, the roof was patched up, the broken windows repaired. They really should stop calling it the sugar mill."Tiana's Palace, huh?" she said after a moment. "I like the sound of that."Naveen walked into the piano warehouse and almost started drooling at the sight. There were so many piano's arranged in the store! Even from the entryway he recognized some of the different brands. Was that a Steinway in the middle of the floor?His fingers itched to play it, and he started towards it, but then stopped, reminding himself of the mission at hand."I need you to find us a piano," Tiana had told him. "For us to have on the stage.""Are you sure you want me to do it?" Naveen asked."Absolutely," Tiana replied. "You know music better than anyone. There's no one else I trust to find the perfect piano. Just as long as it fits in our budget."When she gave him the number to stay under, he flinched. He had never actively sought out pianos to purchase before, but he had a feeling they cost more than that."I won't let you down, princess!" he promised, determined to get the best one possible.He walked forlornly past the Steinway. The tag declaring the price seemed to be mocking him. It was much too expensive. But then again, who knew when he would get the chance to play on a Steinway again?Naveen had grown up with multiple pianos in Maldonia, one of which included a Steinway, but it would probably be years before he could get his hands on it again. Besides, Baba had never liked jazz to be played on those pianos. The music was too casual for such a sophisticated instrument, in his mind.But Baba wasn't here now, was he?Naveen cracked his knuckles and sat down and began to play. Oh the sound was so warm, and the keys so nimble under his fingers! It was perfect! It was everything they could want in a piano at Tiana's Palace.Yes, she had decided to change the name of the restaurant, based off of a silly idea he had had, but the thought still left a warm glow inside him."Are you looking to buy, or have you just come to serenade me?"Naveen looked up to find a man in a well pressed suit glancing down at him.He immediately stopped playing. "Oh, my apologies. Do you work here?""No, I just thought it would be fun to wear this name tag and stand around."Oh a wise guy, eh? Naveen just put on his best smile. "I'd like to buy a piano.""Shall I wrap it up, or will you play it here?"Naveen's smile faltered. "Look, perhaps you can help me. My wife sent me here to buy a piano, but we are on a tight budget and only have so much to spend."Naveen told the salesman how much he had."We have a nice piano stool in that price range," the salesman said with a laugh.This is what Naveen had been afraid of. "There's nothing? Not even an upright piano?" Tiana might be disappointed with an upright, as they weren't as elegant as a grand, but it was certainly better than nothing.The salesman shook his head. "Sorry, sir."Naveen groaned. A year ago he would have had this guy wrapped around his little finger. He would be practically begging to sell a piano to the Prince of Maldonia. Now of course, he had no title and very little money. Even his charm and powers of persuasion wouldn't budge a salesman to lower their price to an average person like him."What am I going to tell Tiana?" Naveen said quietly to himself."Tiana?" The salesman perked up. "Tiana Batiste?""Tiana Mahajan, now. She is my wife," Naveen explained. "Why, do you know her?""Why sure!" He was beaming now, and Naveen felt himself bristle with unwarranted jealousy. Was this annoying salesman an old boyfriend? "I used to go to Duke's all the time to get her beignets!"Naveen relaxed. Of course. His wife's food was famous around the city, he knew that. How foolish to get so jealous over nothing."Duke's hasn't been the same ever since she left," the salesman continued, oblivious to Naveen's inner turmoil. "Is it true she's gonna finally start that restaurant of hers?""You are correct, my friend," Naveen said with a smile. "We are calling it Tiana's Palace, and we're hoping to open in a few weeks. In fact that is why I came in today, you see we will need a piano for the band and-""Well why didn't you say so in the first place!" The salesman led Naveen over to the section with the upright pianos. "I can't get you a deal on those grands, but why don't you try this upright for size?""Really?" Naveen played it a little and found the sound to be just as good as the Steinway. It would be perfect for The Palace. "What's the catch?""No catch," the salesman said. "For Tiana, anything. That is…. As long as you can save me a table for the grand opening."Naveen grinned and shook his hand heartily. "You've got yourself a deal.""Are you sure you don't want to come?" Tiana asked."You know I don't really know anything about all this," Naveen said. "I think I'd just be dead weight."She was going to meet with some potential vendors to figure out who to buy the food supplies from. It all seemed to be going very fast now that they had electricity and running water. They were ready to get to the nitty gritty work of construction, and soon enough they'd even be able to bring in tables and chairs and everything else needed to really make this place a restaurant."Well, if you're sure." Tiana smoothed down his collar. "I might take all day. What'll you do with yourself?""Oh, I will probably work on the apartment some." His hands were around her waist, holding her casually. Gosh she looked so cute all dressed up to impress the venders. It was almost enough to make him abandon his plans and just take her upstairs, but no. He had a surprise to take care of, and that came first. Plus, if he actually managed to pull it off, he was certain there would be plenty of fun to be had in their bedroom later."Well don't work too hard on it," Tiana said. "There's no rush on that, you know.""I know." Oh yes, he sure knew. Despite having all sorts of amenities in the restaurant, upstairs in their apartment, they were still sleeping on the floor.Tiana stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Naveen pulled her in close and kissed her back. He held her tightly while they kissed, and smiled when someone in the street whistled at them.She was blushing when they broke the kiss. "I'd better get going or I'm gonna be late," Tiana said. "Unless that was your plan all along…"Naveen laughed. "You know me too well, princess."Tiana dimpled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "I really do have to get going. Will um… will there be more of this when I get home?"She was blushing again. Naveen bit his lip and grinned wickedly "Mhmm.""Well then. I'd better hurry up so I can get back.""I'll see you later," Naveen purred, and straightened her hat.He leaned against the doorframe watching her leave, and was delighted when she turned back to glance at him once more. He waved his fingers at her playfully. Even from a block away, he knew she was blushing once again.Once she turned the corner, Naveen clapped his hands together. Time to get to work.Tiana's feet felt swollen in her shoes, and seeing her palace at the end of the block had never felt so welcoming before.Food vendors were a tricky bunch of people. Every restaurant in New Orleans was competing for the best produce, meat, and seafood, which left the vendors in a very powerful position.They practically had free range to charge people whatever they wanted, and those restaurants who wanted first pick of the day for anything always paid extra. Tiana had no money to spare, but she wasn't naive enough to believe that even she could make quality meals with piss poor produce.So that's what the goal had been for today. Convince the vendors that she was worthy of their better produce despite the fact that she was just starting out. All of the ones she talked to today were skeptical, but a few had still given her a chance. As for the others, well, maybe she could bribe them with beignets or something.With a sigh Tiana opened the front door of her restaurant and was all at once enveloped with the warm delicate sound of her husband playing the piano and singing about love.Tiana immediately relaxed and walked toward the stage where the piano was now settled comfortably. Naveen had been right about the sound. It really was the perfect place for it."Princess, you're home!" Naveen grinned, and started to rise from his seat.Tiana gestured for him to stay seated. "Don't stop on account of me." She climbed on the stage and settled next to him on the piano bench. "I didn't know you could play the piano this well."Naveen smiled softly. "I am much better on the ukulele, but I can get by on the piano.""Are you feeling alright? You're not usually so modest," she teased."Ha ha." Naveen kissed her cheek. "So how did it go today?""Good," Tiana said with a sigh. She rested her head on Naveen's shoulder. "Not great, but good. There's still a couple stragglers, but I think we can get them on our side.""If anyone can do it, you can." Naveen kissed her forehead, softly this time. "You must be tired.""Mhmm.""Don't fall asleep on me yet, princess. I have a surprise for you."Tiana perked up at this. "Really? What is it?""You'll have to come upstairs and see."Naveen took her hand and led her up the stairs to their apartment. The door was closed but he still insisted on covering her eyes with his hands. Little by little he nudged her into the room."Ready?" he asked. When she nodded, Naveen took his hands away. "Ta-da!"Tiana gasped. "Oh Naveen! A bed!"Nestled comfortably against the wall was a new mattress, their sheets and pillows neatly made and arranged. All topped off with the quilt Eudora had given them as a wedding present. It was so beautiful, Tiana almost felt like crying.He grinned and hugged her from behind. "I figured it was about time, no?"Tiana turned in his arms, cupped his cheeks and kissed him. "You're wonderful!" She kissed him again. "You're amazing!" Another kiss. "You're marvelous!""Mmm, please continue, my darling."She laughed and gave him one more kiss, then enveloped him in a big hug. "This is what you've been up to all day? Looks like you had your work cut out for you."Not only had he put in the new bed, but there was also new wallpaper on the walls, the furniture they had picked out was placed carefully around the room, a lamp shone brightly on the bedside table."It finally looks like a real apartment," Tiana said. She sat down on the bed and lovingly stroked her hands over the sheets. Then with a happy sigh she flopped down on her back. "I didn't realize how much I missed sleeping on a mattress. This is heaven."Tiana turned to Naveen with a grateful smile and said, "Thank you.""Don't thank me just yet.""What do you mean?""There's more."She sat up. "More?"Naveen held out his hand. "Come with me."She obliged, even going so far as to let him cover her eyes again. Even with her eyes closed, Tiana could tell he was leading her into the little side room they had decided would be the bathroom.'What have you got cooking, Mister?' Tiana thought to herself.When he uncovered her eyes, and she saw what he had done, you could have knocked her over with a feather."Oh my god, a bath!" She turned to him, eyes wide open. "You did this?!""I did!" he grinned. "Louis helped me bring it up."Saying it like that made it sound easy. Much later Naveen would somewhat fondly remember how much trouble it had been to bring the heavy clawfoot tub up all those stairs. It was a shame there had been no movie cameras around, as he was positive it would have made an excellent screwball comedy."It's all hooked up to the plumbing and everything," Naveen said, proudly.Tiana looked at him again, her mouth gaping. "You mean….?""I can have a hot bath ready for you in five minutes."Tiana cupped his cheeks. "I love you," she said sweetly, and kissed him softly on the lips. "This is just what I needed."She kissed him again, and Naveen's arms found their way around her waist, holding her close as his heart swelled with love for his wife. He loved surprising her with gifts and trinkets, but this was his favorite kind of thing to do for her. Something to help her relax, something to take her mind off things, something to help take care of her. It was all the things she would forget to do for herself if her loving husband wasn't around."Shall I draw a bath for you, princess?" he murmured against her lips."Please," she whispered back. "And I was thinking….""Hmm?""Well, there's room for two isn't there?" Tiana asked, blushing hotly.Naveen raised his eyebrows, smiling. "Really?"She kissed him once more, quickly this time. "You deserve a hot bath as much as I do. Come on." Tiana tugged on his shirt, untucking it from his pants and pulling him in close again. "I'll wash your back."Naveen chuckled. "How could I say no to that?"The initial goal for this surprise had been to recreate a bath he would have had back in Maldonia, with scented oils, candles, and basically any amenity one could think of. It was always quite the production when drawing a bath for the prince. Unfortunately, the only thing he could find was some lavender scented soap flakes to make some bubbles in the water.Tiana seemed delighted at the simple thing, and Naveen had to remind himself that she was probably only used to a more utilitarian style of baths. He made a mental note to someday make that luxury royal bath a reality for her.Still, the water was warm as he filled the tub, and the bubbles were big and bright. Naveen decided it wasn't too bad afterall."Is it ready?"He looked up to find his wife with her hair undone in all its glory, wearing only her bathrobe. The tent in his pants stiffened. God she was beautiful."All set," Naveen said. He stood up and kissed her. "All it needs is you." He started to fiddle with the sash of her robe. "Let me help you with this."Tiana shook her head playfully and smiled. "First things first, Mister. You are wearing too many clothes."Meticulously, she began popping open the buttons of his shirt one by one. Naveen just hummed appreciatively, not so subtly trying to sneak a peek down her robe. At last his shirt was tossed aside, then his pants and underthings."Your turn," he said between soft drugging kisses, his fingers working at the sash of her robe, his lips on the soft skin of her neck.Tiana shivered at his touch, and shivered again when her robe was pushed aside and the cold air hit her exposed skin. She leaned into Naveen's warm embrace, but even that wasn't enough. The bath was calling to them."We'd better get in while the water is still warm," Tiana whispered."Ladies first."Naveen held out his hand and helped Tiana step over the side of the bathtub. He quickly followed suit and together they settled in, with Tiana in front. With a satisfied sigh she leaned back into him. He wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her neck again. It felt so good to be in his arms with the warm water surrounding them both. Somehow that made everything seem more intimate than usual."Happy?" Naveen asked."Very."Naveen took the soap and began to wash her, paying special attention to her breasts. Tiana giggled at that. As he touched her, all of the tension stored in her body seemed to wash away, and she wondered if she might melt right into the bath water.She hummed appreciatively as he began to massage and rub her sore muscles. He seemed to know exactly where she needed to feel him the most. And while she could easily stay here forever feeling his touch, she wanted to touch him back. But her limbs were like a ragdoll's - heavy and limp. He had relaxed her too much. She would just have to wash him another time. Yes, they would have to have many more of these types of baths.Tiana shivered. It was then that she realized just how cold the water was getting. Had they really been in here that long? She looked at her fingers to find them very wrinkled."Shall I take you to bed, my love?" Naveen whispered.She shivered again and nodded. "Yes please."Naveen helped her stand on her wobbly legs, then wrapped her in a warm towel to dry her off. She looked at him with grateful eyes and pulled him into a kiss.He kissed her back, this time accompanying it with his hands stroking down her back, pulling her tightly against him and lifting her high off the ground, encouraging her to wrap her legs around him.He carried her to the bed, following her down, pressing her into the soft mattress. This was so much better than lying on the floor. Naveen had slipped on a condom, and the weight of him was welcome between her thighs. She gasped at the sensation, the pleasure of him here, exactly where she wanted him. He rained kisses over her face and neck, speaking as he went."You're so beautiful, Tiana."She moaned and clutched at him, her pleasure almost at a peak already. Though their foreplay had basically started the moment she had walked in the door, so she couldn't be blamed for that.She kissed along his jaw, hoping he was as close as she was. Judging by the way he picked up the pace, she guessed he was."You're any man's dream, you know," he whispered as he thrusted. "Intelligent, brave, and so damn beautiful I can't ever take my eyes from you. That's why I want you."She moaned and gasped as he took her over the edge. The pleasure burst through her and she whispered his name as she climaxed. "I-I'm yours," she managed to say as she convulsed.Naveen thrust a few more times and then he whispered her name as his own pleasure consumed him.He pulled her to the side and began to give her slow lazy kisses. She smiled against his lips, and Naveen wondered - not for the first time - how he had ever lived without her. Had there really been a time in his life when he hadn't known this wonderful woman even existed? And then even after they had met, there was still some time when they hadn't been in love.True, it hadn't taken long, especially for him, to fall head over heels in love. But there was still that time in the bayou when they hadn't been. Naveen's mind wandered as it often did, to speculating about that time. What if the spell hadn't been broken when they had first gotten married? What kind of things would they be up to if they had stayed frogs?Naveen chuckled a little into his kisses. Probably the same thing they were doing now. He chuckled again, a little harder this time, remembering…. God had he really done that then? How embarrassing. But now that the memory was back in full force, he couldn't move past it, laughing even harder now."What's so funny?" Tiana asked. She traced a loving finger down his cheek, swirling around his own dimple that formed when he smiled."It is nothing," Naveen said, though he was still laughing."Come on, what is it?" Tiana asked. "You can tell me.""Okay, but you have to promise not to laugh.""I promise," Tiana said. "So what is it?""I was thinking about our time in the bayou," Naveen began. He was absentmindedly twirling some of her curls around his finger as he spoke. "And what kind of things we would be up to if the spell hadn't been broken.""I think about that, too," Tiana admitted. She giggled a little. "We'd probably be doing the same things we do now.""That's what I thought!" Naveen grinned. He really had married the right woman. He kissed her, and they both laughed softly into the kiss."Is that what was making you laugh?" Tiana asked."Well, not quite," Naveen said. "I was thinking about the bayou and the things we do and…." He was blushing a little. "You remember that we never made love in the bayou...?"Remember? It had only been on her mind almost constantly during that time. Wondering if and when it would happen, especially after he had properly proposed. But they hadn't, of course, and then the spell had broken and a lot of things changed (though her desire for him had only increased)."I remember," Tiana said, then surprised herself by asking so boldly, "Why didn't we?" She blushed but continued. "None of the concerns you had about it when we were human applied then."Tiana counted on her fingers. "We spent every night together, so you wouldn't have had to leave afterwards. We had our little house so we had privacy. We were alone all the time, so we wouldn't have had to worry about getting caught."Naveen gasped theatrically. "We weren't married yet, Tiana!"She playfully threw one of their pillows at him. He threw up his arms to defend himself, but she was laughing so he knew she wasn't mad."Come on, you know nobody would have cared," Tiana said with a smirk. It was true. Most animals didn't bother with weddings, which was one of the reasons theirs had been such a spectacle."What's the real reason?" Tiana asked.Naveen was blushing red hot by now. "Well, I… the truth is I…" he coughed. "I didn't…. I didn't know how frogs make love."Tiana gave him a sympathetic smile and scooted closer to him. "I didn't know either." Hell, she hadn't known how humans did it either, but that was a completely different conversation for another time. She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "We would have figured it out together.""Well, yes, I'm sure we would have, and the thing is… well…."She hadn't thought his blush could grow any redder, and yet here it was. Tiana squeezed his hand, encouragingly. He squeezed back."We were engaged, and going to get married, and have… you know, a honeymoon…. I wanted to make sure you had a good time. That I wasn't fumbling around. So I….""You… found out how frogs make love?" Tiana offered.Naveen nodded, laughing again.His laughter was contagious, but Tiana remembered her promise not to laugh. She dimpled, trying to contain her laughter. "How?""I asked."Laughter burst from her lips, and she covered her mouth with her hand, but it wasn't good enough. It bubbled up inside her and she couldn't hold it in anymore. The idea of Naveen, Mr. Suave Ladies Man himself asking how to make love was too funny to keep it all in."I'm sorry, I know I promised," Tiana said, her stomach hurting from laughing so much, but Naveen was smiling too. His blush hadn't faded, though. "Who did you ask? Louis?" Tiana doubled over again. "Or Mama Odie?""God no!" Naveen exclaimed with good humor. "There were plenty of other frogs around. Do you remember there was that frog choir that would croak almost every night? And there was that one baritone soloist…?""Oh. My. God." Tiana couldn't stop laughing. "Him? You asked him?""Well he had his own wife, and all those tadpoles!" Naveen said with a giggle. "I figured he knew what he was doing.""So what did he say?""He thought I was pulling a prank at first," Naveen said. "Then he thought I was the stupidest frog in the entire bayou.""No I mean…" Now it was Tiana's turn to blush. "What did he say?" She bit her lip.Naveen raised an eyebrow and gave her a half smile. "You want to know how frogs make love?""You've got me curious now."He gave her those bedroom eyes of his and Tiana's stomach flipped. "Shall I show you?"She giggled again, with excitement as much as nerves. "Okay."Naveen, startled perhaps by her quick response, or even her acceptance at all, kissed her quickly. "Turn around.""Huh?"Unexpectedly, he flipped her around so she was lying prone on her stomach. "Like this.""Oh!" Another giggling fit took over Tiana when he slipped on another condom. His hands glided down her back and massaged her, much more enthusiastically than only an hour before. Then his firm chest brushed against her shoulder blades as he propped an arm on the bed next to her.He slid a hand between her and the bed, reaching down between her thighs and sank his fingers deep, working her slowly until she moaned."Alright?" he asked her."Uh huh," Tiana nodded, drunk with pleasure.Naveen kissed her shoulder, and took his fingers away. She would have protested if not for the feeling of his stiffness quickly replacing them.She moaned loudly as he pushed inside her. How many times had they made love now? He had never felt so… so deep. It felt impossibly good. "Naveen...""Tiana," he replied, breathing heavily in her ear. He began to thrust, making a steady rhythm. He kissed along her shoulder and neck, as he picked up the pace.She gasped and sighed with pleasure as he thrust. She wanted to tell him how good it all felt, but as often happened when they made love, her mind and her tongue grew too heavy to speak. Instead she communicated it with her body, something she knew he liked. She spread her thighs wider and writhed to match him thrust for thrust.The hand propped against the mattress captured hers, and he interlaced their fingers."Oh my god, Tiana," he whimpered, and drove into her relentlessly. Then she felt him twitch, and moan, shivering and shaking as he climaxed. It rippled through her, making her own orgasm crash over her.On wobbly limbs, Naveen collapsed next to her, and she nestled into his side, resting her head on his chest. They giggled, even as they panted, trying to get their breaths back. The giggling went back and forth, each provoking the other into a new session of laughter.At last though, Tiana seemed to be the only one giggling."Is it really that funny?" Naveen asked, at last, a giant grin still on his face."It's not that," Tiana said, clearly trying to stifle her laughter once more. "I was thinking of something else.""Oh? And what would that be?""I can't tell you," she said simply. "It's too embarrassing.""Hey I told you my embarrassing story," Naveen countered. "You have to tell me. Fair is fair, as they say.""Okay, fine," Tiana said in a slight huff. She reached up and twirled his curls lazily. "I was just thinking that…. Well, it's a shame that you don't still have…. I mean, there's something about you when you were a frog…. That it wouldn't be terrible if you still had it.""Now that is interesting," Naveen said with a wicked grin. "Shall I guess what it is?" He rolled over on top of her and pressed some rapid kisses along her chest. "You really have a thing for the color green?"Tiana laughed and squirmed under him. "No, that's not it."He kneaded her breasts and kissed her neck. "You miss my webbed feet?"She snorted. "No.""You have a secret fetish for secreting mucus?""Ew no!" she laughed.Naveen gasped and looked her straight in the eye. "I know what it is, you naughty thing you.""Oh you do, huh?"Naveen stuck out his tongue. Tiana bit her lip as she another wave of giggles washed over her. He scooted down her body, pressing kisses along the way."Perhaps I can make it up to you, hmm?" he asked, his breath hot against her thigh. He didn't wait for her answer.
Wanted: Talented chefs with a passion for sharing their love of food with others. Tiana's Palace is a new restaurant that can seat up to 100 guests, and will have a live jazz band play every night. Tiana's Palace will serve lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday and include breakfast on Sunday. It will be closed on Monday. Duties include assisting the head Chef/Owner in daily restaurant operations; assumes duties of the Chef in her absence. Implements and maintains standards of quality; follows recipes to maintain consistency. Responsible for maintaining a clean kitchen.
Naveen looked up from the carefully typewritten notice. "Is this really going to be in the newspaper tomorrow?"Tiana nodded, excitedly. "We're getting really close now. Depending on how many responses we get, we can start interviews next week.""Next week?" Naveen asked. "Isn't that a little fast?"Fast? Hardly! They had been working on Tiana's Palace for months now, and it was finally beginning to look like a real restaurant. The kitchen was in place, the stage fully complete, even the tables and chairs had been delivered yesterday. All that seemed to be missing was the crystal chandelier Tiana had always dreamed about.Now that they were getting closer to opening, it looked like the chandelier would be out of reach as far as their budget would allow. At least for now it was. Naveen had reminded a disappointed Tiana that just because they wouldn't have the chandelier for opening night didn't mean they couldn't add it in later."I think we're right on schedule," Tiana said, glancing over to her new list of things that needed to be done.Naveen hadn't been too happy to see a new schedule, but there was no way around it, especially with so many things that needed to be done. Tiana had at least promised that she would be more flexible with it than before."I don't know," Naveen said. "There is still so much to do…. Perhaps we should wait until we check off more things on the list, yes?"Tiana looked up and saw the apprehension on her husband's face. She came over and sat on his lap. "What's wrong, babe?" Tiana kissed his cheek. "Are you worried someone is going to replace you? You'll always be my number one mincer. You know that, right?""I know," Naveen said, though it was good to hear it again. Naveen would be wearing many different hats in the restaurant - band member, maître d, waiter, mincer, bus boy. Basically the idea was that if anyone needed help in any station, they could ask Naveen.The idea of having all of these talented and amazing chefs around did make him a little nervous. How would they feel having someone like him mincing next to them? But Tiana had assured him many times that his mincing skills were good enough to rival any chef."It's not that," he said."Then what is it?" Tiana asked. She smoothed back his curls.Naveen leaned into her touch. "Maybe it is a little silly but… well, I'm not sure I'm ready to share our restaurant with anyone yet.""Aww, Froggy." Tiana dimpled."I like that the restaurant is just ours." He rested his cheek against hers. "Sometimes it feels like our baby, you know?"Tiana felt her heart bloom with love for him. She kissed the side of his mouth. "Every baby has to grow up and leave the nest sometime."Naveen chuckled softly. "Alright, perhaps not the best analogy.""I know what you mean, though," Tiana said, smoothing his curls again. "But you don't have to worry. The restaurant will always be ours, even with we have lots of people working here." She kissed him again then took his hand. "Come on, I have an idea."She lead him over to the front door and paused thinking. "Where would be a good spot…" Tiana whispered to herself, then smiled. "Here, I think. Yes, this is perfect.""Perfect for what?" Naveen asked.Tiana took out their well used tool box and found a carving knife. "Every great artist signs their work, right? So we should too." On the wall near the door, Tiana began to carefully carve a line."You're crazy," Naveen said with a laugh."Everyone who walks through that door is going to have to pass by this spot. If they didn't know before coming in, they'll certainly know by the time they sit down who this restaurant belongs to." Tiana blew away the wood shavings and grinned.Naveen grinned too. On the wall was a cleanly carved letter N.She handed him the carving knife. Above it, he carved the letter T, then added a plus sign. Tiana found a second carving knife, and without a word, both of them began to carve around their initials.Tiana was right. There was no way anyone would be able to miss seeing their initials carved on the wall like this, and with the heart shape around it, everyone would know that this place was theirs, and that it had been made with love.One by one, Tiana flipped each of the master light switches. Each one making a satisfying click, quickly followed by the humm of a light shining somewhere in the restaurant. It was just a test to make sure all of the lights were working, and that when they had everything lit up a fuse wouldn't blow, but it also felt terribly exciting. This was the first time they would have all the lights on, including the sign at the top of the building declaring it Tiana's Palace for all of New Orleans to see."Well?" Tiana shouted to Naveen, who was on look out duty. "How does it look?""Achidanza, Tiana! You must come out and see!"Tiana hurried outside where he was standing on the street. "What is it? Is there something wrong with…. Oh!"Her eyes filled with tears as she took in her dream, lit up like the Fourth of July. It was brighter and more beautiful than she had ever hoped to imagine."Take a look at that, princess," Naveen whispered in awe. He slid an arm around her waist. "You did it.""We did it," Tiana corrected him. She wiped away her tears and put her arm around his waist too."Nevertheless, I am so very proud of you, my dear.""Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, for everything. I couldn't have-"A car drove behind them and honked loudly. "Hey!" the driver shouted. "When are y'all opening?""In three weeks, my friend!" Naveen answered back."Can I make a reservation for opening night?""Sorry," Tiana said. "We're fully booked that night." And the next night, and the night after that. It filled Tiana with a warm glow. It seemed like everyone in New Orleans wanted to eat at her restaurant.The driver frowned."Tell you what." Tiana handed him her business card (she had business cards now! Real business cards!) "Call me tomorrow and I'll see if I can't squeeze you in."The driver thanked Tiana heartily as he drove away."You can't do that with everyone," Naveen reminded her."I know." She came back to his side and wrapped both arms around his neck. "I just want everyone to be as happy as I am in this very moment."Well, he could hardly argue with that.

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"It really is amazing, everything that you two have done," Sunil said.Naveen's family had arrived back in New Orleans from their trip and had been given the grand tour of Tiana's Palace. Sunil had insisted on taking Tiana and Naveen out to celebrate. Tiana had diplomatically tried to back out, insisting that there was still a lot to do before the restaurant opened, but with everyone against her, she eventually gave in.Now Naveen was practically beaming at all of their compliments. Never in his life could he remember hearing so much praise from his parents. He held Tiana's hand under the table and squeezed."I never would have even believed it was the same building if I hadn't seen the sugar mill for myself!" Idhal declared.Tiana was grinning too. It felt so good to show off all their hard work! And with the restaurant opening in a few days, they would be able to show it off to all of New Orleans."Well it took a lot of work," Tiana said, turning to smile at her husband, "but I think it turned out rather nice.""Nice?" Naveen laughed. "It's the most beautiful restaurant in all of New Orleans! Perhaps even the world!""Oh you," Tiana chuckled dismissively, but accepted his compliment and the kiss on her cheek."Oh they're playing that song I like," Idhal said. "Come dance with me, Naveen. You said you would show me that dance step.""Alright, Ammi."Naveen kissed Tiana's cheek once more and followed his mother to the dance floor. She quickly got the hang of the step, once Naveen showed it to her. They both laughed when they glanced up and saw Tiana trying to show the same step to Sunil, and failing spectacularly. Naveen certainly hadn't inherited his dancing skills from his father."You look happy, beta," Idhal said, as they eased back into the dance."I am happy," he answered, looking up at Tiana again. This time he caught her eye from across the room and they smiled at each other. "I don't think I've ever been happier.""We really are proud of you, your Baba and I.""Thank you," Naveen said. "That means a lot.""It is going to be strange though, going back to Maldonia without you," Idhal said. "We're going to miss you. Ravi, especially."Yes, he knew the feeling. It was going to be bittersweet once his family crossed the ocean, and traveled back to Maldonia. He would write, and they would still visit each other, but those visits would hardly be a regular occurrence. Tiana and he had their restaurant to run, and of course his parents could hardly drop everything at a moments notice.Even now Sunil was receiving daily telegrams and notices from Maldonia. Much as the king seemed to be enjoying himself abroad, Naveen knew he was itching to get back.And then once they did go back…. He and Tiana would finally be on their own. Naveen could at last feel like any ties he had to being royalty would be officially cut. Just the thought made him nervous, and sad, but also excited.Then his thoughts would turn to Ravi and everything grew more complicated. He would miss Ravi too. The thought of missing his brother growing up caused an ache deep inside. He very much wanted to be there, watching over him, making sure Ravi didn't make the same mistakes Naveen had.And yet, Ravi was already on a much better path than Naveen had been at that age. Hell, according to Tiana, he was already on his way to becoming very talented in the kitchen. Though he was still a few years away from developing his mincing skills, he already understood how to combine flavors and textures to create something magical.No, Ravi wouldn't be the kind of prince who never even bothered to learn how to shave until he was twenty one.Perhaps, also, it would be good for him to grow up away from his older brother's shadow. No doubt he would grow up hearing about Naveen's escapades, but he would also be able to grow into his own identity as a prince, and eventually, king.That didn't mean Naveen wouldn't miss him, though."I have been thinking about Ravi," Naveen said. "I would have to check with Tiana first but, what if he spent the summers with us? Here, in New Orleans.""Now that's an interesting idea," Idhal said. "It might be good for him to get away from…. Everything."He knew exactly what she meant. As pampering as royal life could be, sometimes it was too much. This was exactly why he wanted his brother to come visit. Ravi could spend time as a normal boy here, without the pressure of becoming a future king."We will have to discuss this with your Baba, but I do like that idea," Idhal said. "Speaking of Ravi, perhaps it's time we picked him up from Eudora."Eudora had happily offered to babysit, making a not so subtle hint about how she was also available to babysit some grandkids in the future.Sunil and Idhal had their driver take them all back to Tiana's Palace before picking Ravi up. A contented Tiana leaned against Naveen as they watched the city roll past. It had been nice to go out like this. Admittedly it had been a long time since she and Naveen had done anything like this. They certainly hadn't in all the time they had been married, what with working on the sugar mill this whole time. Not to mention being short on funds.They would start doing it more once the restaurant was open, though. Afterall, Tiana had to keep an eye on her competition, didn't she?The car rolled up to the Palace at last, and Sunil and Idhal shared a smile."Apologies for keeping you both out for so long," Sunil said, "but we have a surprise for you, and wanted to make sure it was finished."Naveen perked up. "Surprise? What are you talking about, Baba?""Let's go inside the restaurant," Idhal suggested with a twinkle in her eye.Tiana looked questioningly at Naveen, who only shrugged. He had no idea what his parents were up to.They both found out very quickly when the doors were opened.Hanging from the ceiling, was a beautiful crystal chandelier. It had a glow that warmed the entire restaurant."Oh!" Tiana couldn't hold in her tears and turned to cry into Naveen's chest. "It's so beautiful!" she wept.Naveen held her close and rubbed her back, all the while marveling at the wonderful addition to their dream. "Achidanza! Baba, Ammi…. I can't believe you did this!"Sunil preened, obviously pleased with himself. "When you wrote to tell us you wouldn't be able to have the chandelier, well…""We wanted to help make your dream everything you always wanted," Idhal finished."Thank you! Thank you!" A still weeping Tiana hugged her in-laws tightly, still not quite believing it herself. It had been so disappointing when she realized the chandelier, something she had always imagined in her restaurant, even from the very beginning, wouldn't be there on opening night.Naveen hugged his parents, thanking them in turn, then brought Tiana back to his side. He handed her his handkerchief. "It is wonderful!" he agreed, and it really was. It really did complete the room.{"But wait,"} he said in Maldonian, {"Isn't this a conflict of interest for you? Spending money on the restaurant?"}Wasn't this written in that Maldonian law that had caused so much trouble for them?{"A chandelier is different than funding the restaurant directly,"} Sunil countered.{"Besides,"} Idhal piped in, {"It's more of a wedding present. We can't be faulted for giving a gift to our son and daughter-in-law. Right Sunni?"}The king nodded, still grinning wide at Tiana's astonished expression. Naveen smiled too. Now wasn't the time to point out his parents' hypocrisy when it came to spending their money. Instead, he simply pulled Tiana closer and kissed her tear stained cheek.Naveen turned over in his sleep and reached for his wife. But his hand felt nothing more than the sheets, and they were cool to the touch. He woke with a start, and blinked sleepily at the empty side of the bed, then glanced at the clock. Three in the morning.He sighed and rubbed his face, then slipped on his robe and headed downstairs.Tiana was sitting at one of the tables in the restaurant, a lone candle lit her work. The lack of light was giving her a slight headache, but there was no need for her to turn on all the overhead lights. Besides, she didn't want to disturb Naveen who was no doubt still sleeping upstairs.She was going over everything she could this late at night. Or was it considered early at this point? It hardly mattered, because she didn't think she would be getting any sleep. Tiana's Palace was officially opening tomorrow.Her mind was whirling, and everything else…. Well, she seemed to be constantly shifting between excitement and downright terror. Both states made her feel like she might be sick at a moments notice.Her dream was finally coming true! Everything she had worked for her entire life was finally happening! And so many things could go wrong.What if the staff they hired decided not to come? They had painstakingly combed through the applications, and picked the people that seemed best for the jobs. Tiana had a special fondness for her sous chef, Camíla. Women chefs were rare, and even though they hadn't spent much time together, Tiana felt they had a wonderful rapport.Even so, Tiana couldn't shake the image of a staffless restaurant full of angry customers. Or worse, no customers at all! What if they blew a fuse and the electricity went out? What if the food they got from the venders was rotten and made everyone sick? What if Louis lost his trumpet and couldn't play? What if Naveen tripped and broke his ankle? What if everyone hated the food they served and they had to close?What if…. What if… what if….Tiana hugged herself tight, feeling herself start to spiral out of control. Of all the dreams she had to have, right now a restaurant seemed like the worst possible one. It would be so much easier if she could just do everything herself. Then she wouldn't be so nervous.Well, okay. She would still be nervous, but it would be different. Relying on so many different people and outside forces ….. So many things could go wrong.The stairs creaked and Tiana glanced up. A sleepy Naveen was coming down to fetch her. Inwardly she groaned. This wasn't the first time this had happened.All week she hadn't been able to sleep, and rather than toss and turn in bed, she had come down to the restaurant. The idea had been to let Naveen get a full nights sleep, but each time he would inevitably wake and come find her.She thought she had finally gotten it right tonight.Inevitably not, though.He gave her a worried look as he saw her hunched over the table, clutching her arms tightly. "Looks like I got here just in time."His voice was raspy with sleep, and guilt surged through Tiana. "You should be in bed.""I can say the same about you." He scooted a chair next to her and carefully unhooked her hands from her arms, guiding them towards him instead. Then he took the opportunity to pull her into his lap."Come back to bed with me," he whispered.Tiana clutched at his pajamas, and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I can't," she whispered back. "I can't sleep. I'm too worried.""You should have just woken me up, instead of coming all the way down here," Naveen said. At least in bed they would be nice and warm and cozy."I didn't have the heart to wake you up. You're so cute when you're sleeping," Tiana said. "Did you know you smile in your sleep? Especially if I stroke your hair." She took the opportunity to brush back his curls. "I wonder why that is.""Did it ever occur to you that it is probably because I am happy?" He kissed her forehead and pulled her in closer. "What has you so worried, love? Tell me what is on your mind.""It's nothing and…. Well everything," Tiana sighed. "But it's stupid, and no reason for you to stay up.""You know I can't sleep without you next to me," Naveen said. "Besides, if your worries are keeping you awake, then they are far from stupid." He kissed her again. "Please tell me, princess. Tell me so I can help you."Tiana rested her head on his shoulder and didn't say anything for a long while. Long enough for Naveen to wonder if she had actually fallen asleep and he would be able to carry her up to bed after all.But then she started to tell him all the things that were keeping her awake and Naveen knew this was much bigger than he had expected. He rubbed her back as she listed worry after worry, and he could feel her growing tenser the more she spoke.If he hadn't stopped her, she might have gone on all night. Naveen tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eye. "None of those things are going to happen, my darling.""But they could."Naveen wanted to roll his eyes, but he kept still. "Alright, yes they could happen, but none of those would be the end of the world.""But-""Okay, for example. We blow a fuse." He shrugged. "We just have to reset the circuit breaker. You showed me how to do that. It's very easy. We would have it fixed in two minutes.""Fine, but then-""Then we would have a good story to tell our grandchildren," Naveen said with a sly grin. He made his voice sound old and shaky as he said, "When your Ajji first opened her restaurant, we lost power during the dinner service! But Ajji acted very calm and had it fixed in no time!"He laughed, and said in his normal voice, "Alright, perhaps not the best story to tell."Tiana groaned softly and buried her head in his chest. She wasn't in the mood to laugh."Alright, I'm sorry," Naveen said, and kissed her once more. In a softened tone he continued. "We can't predict what will happen, this is true. But you've worked so hard to get to this point, princess."He lifted her chin again. "You are ready, Tiana, for whatever happens tomorrow. And I will be right there by your side. Whatever happens, we'll handle it together, yes?""I know." And that was the truth. Her dream had grown to include him in a way that she had never imagined was possible, and it was all the better for it. And yet, even though sharing her dream like this with him was incredible, it was also one of the sources for her anxiety.There were so many people now that were depending on this restaurant, and so many people who had doubted her over the years. More than anything Tiana wanted to prove them wrong, but the closer they got to opening the doors, the more Tiana felt like an impostor.She tried to let the rise and fall of Naveen's chest comfort her, but it only made her insides squirm with nerves. Naveen had grown so much since she had first met him, and Tiana knew that a lot of that was motivated by his love for her and for her dream. So what would it do to him if the restaurant wasn't a success?Unexpectedly, her lips began to tremble and a quiet sob managed to escape.Naveen held her tighter and kissed her tear stained cheeks which only made her cry harder."Darling, what is it?" he asked frantically and kissed her again, wishing that was enough to take away whatever was troubling her."I don't-" Tiana hiccuped and sobbed again. "Who am I even kidding? I don't know what I'm doing!"This was a bit of a surprise for Naveen. Tiana was the smartest person he knew. "What are you talking about, sweetheart?" he asked gently, brushing away a stray curl."I've never run a kitchen in my life, much less a restaurant," Tiana said between sobs. "How can I call myself a head chef when the only thing I've ever cooked professionally is beignets? All I've ever done in a restaurant is be a waitress, and that's not enough!"She wanted to run and hide, but Naveen's grip on her was too strong. Instead she covered her face with her hands, too ashamed to look at him. "All this time I've just been working on getting the money I needed when I should have been focusing on everything else I need to know to run a restaurant.""I'm going to let everyone who believed in me down," Tiana sniffed again. "Lottie, Mama…. Daddy…. You.""Whoa." This really had come out of nowhere. Surely she had to know that wasn't true, but the way Tiana was once again sobbing seemed to prove that she, at least somewhat, believed what she had said.Naveen gently shushed her and rubbed her back, kissing her temple every so often. Once she was quiet again, Naveen began."My princess, my love, mi sitara lu'seinn. There is nothing you could do that would ever let me down, and I know the same is true for everyone else. We all love you, Tiana.""I know but-"He silenced her with a kiss on the lips. "Yes this is all new for you, but you are an intelligent woman, Tiana. And I know you." Naveen gave her a half smile. "You may have never run a restaurant before, but I'm sure you've watched and learned from working at Duke's and Cal's, and come up with a million ways that they could have been run better."Tiana shifted a little. She had done that.Naveen's smile grew wider. "Probably even down to the kind of salt to use, yes?"Tiana dimpled ever so slightly. "Well…."He kissed her again, longer this time. "But darling, you have to remember that as much as you love to plan for everything, life has a way of making things unpredictable. But you are smart and talented enough to know how to overcome any obstacle that comes in your way.""There is no way to know what will happen tomorrow," he continued, "but everyone here - the staff, the band, me - we will all be working together to make your dream come true."Tiana wrapped her arms around him and nestled further into his embrace. It was remarkable how he always made her feel better about everything. She really should have talked to him about all of this earlier."You're right," she said at last. "I'm sorry, I-""Hush. There's nothing to be sorry about. You've worked your whole life for this, it is only natural for you to be nervous." He kissed her once more. "You just have to trust me when I say that everything will be alright.""I do," she whispered. "And I love you.""I love you, too," he replied. Naveen held her close and rested his head on top of hers.They sat together in silence, and though Tiana's thoughts were still whirling, her nerves had been moved to the back burner, at least for the moment. It was a welcome relief, though she had a feeling it wouldn't fully go away until this time tomorrow, when the grand opening would long be over. Only then would she be able to finally get some well deserved rest.Naveen on the other hand was well on his way to falling asleep. His breathing was slowing down, and Tiana could feel the weight of his head on hers getting heavier and heavier, though his grip around her remained strong. This was hardly unusual though, and Tiana rather enjoyed the comforting hold of her husband all night.She knew she should send him back up to bed, but the selfish part of her didn't want to lose the comfort of his embrace, and the warmth of his presence. But then Tiana bit back a laugh. There was no way Naveen would let her send him away. She knew her husband better than that.No, wherever Tiana went he would stay by her side.She stifled another laugh when she thought she heard a soft snore."Naveen," she whispered. "Naveen, honey. Wake up.""Hmm?" He shifted and yawned. "I wasn't asleep.""Yes you were," she said gently and kissed his cheek. "Let's go to bed."He ran his fingers through his hair and yawned again. "Are you sure?" Naveen asked. "You think you can get some sleep now?"She didn't, but that was no reason to make him have a stiff neck from sleeping down here all night. And even if she didn't sleep, she would at least be in his arms, and that didn't sound bad at all."Yeah, I think so," she lied, then stood up and tugged on his pajamas. "Come on. Or do I have to carry you?""Ha, I should be the one carrying you.""Not half asleep, you're not.""I'm not half asleep," Naveen countered as he stretched and finally stood. "I'm two-thirds asleep. Wait." He stopped and blinked, his brows furrowed while Tiana pinched herself to keep from laughing. Naveen beat her to it and smiled sleepily. "That's worse, isn't it?""It is." She wrapped her arm around his waist and guided him upstairs. "Let's get you to bed before you hurt yourself."Tiana stood on one of the chairs, Naveen holding her hand to keep her steady, and she looked out over her restaurant and the entire staff gathered before them."Before we open those doors, I just wanted to say a few words," Tiana said. Her heart was pounding furiously, and she was trying her best to keep her voice steady, but even so she could hear it pitching higher from nerves.She cleared her throat and continued. "I just wanted to say thank you for all the hard work you've put in so far. Already today has been nothing short of chaotic -" A rumble of laughter spread through the restaurant and Tiana smiled. "-but you've all proven to me that you can handle anything else that happens tonight."And it had been a chaotic morning. Everything seemed to go wrong. The food venders mixed up Tiana's order, Louis had lost his trumpet, one of the waiters was too sick to come in, and so on and so on.Instead of panicking, Tiana had taken a big breath and tackled each of those problems head on. She and Camíla had worked together to create new specials for the evening with the food they had, she had lead a wide search to find Louis' trumpet (which they found in a gumbo pot), and Naveen had offered to take the waiters place."Someone told me that the most successful people are the ones who work together to overcome whatever comes in their way."Naveen grinned to himself and squeezed her hand."And everyone here has shown to be the most dedicated, hardworking team in all of New Orleans. I couldn't ask for a better staff." Tiana dimpled. "Now, let's make some magic!"Everyone cheered and headed to their stations. Naveen helped Tiana back down."That was wonderful, princess," he said."Thanks," Tiana said a little breathless. "I'm surprised I was able to say anything, to be honest.""You're nervous?""Terrified." She held out her trembling hands. "Look how shaky I am.""It's going to be alright, my love." He took her hands in his own and kissed them."I know. And thank you.""Oh. Well, you're welcome.""I mean it, Naveen." She lead him closer to the front door where they could hear the crowd outside waiting to come in. But at least they had a little more privacy from their staff. "Before we open those doors, I wanted to thank you. For last night and well, for everything. I never would have gotten this far without you.""You would have," he countered."No." She shook her head. Though it was true that she probably would have eventually gotten the restaurant of her dreams. Still… "It wouldn't be the same without you. It means so much to me that you're here, and that I get to share this with you."Naveen stroked her cheek and smiled softly. "It means a lot to me, too. It's been amazing being by your side through all of this, and I want to thank you for letting me be a part of your dream."He kissed her cheek softly. "I'm so so proud of you, princess," he whispered. "I know your father would be as well."Tiana could feel tears spring to her eyes and quickly wiped them away. They certainly weren't the first tears of the day, and they wouldn't be the last either."Thank you," she said. "I love you.""I love you, too," Naveen answered with a soft chuckle. He brushed away another tear from her cheek. "Are we going to spend the whole night thanking each other, or are we going to open the doors?"Tiana laughed too, then cupped his face and brought him in for a kiss. She really meant what she had said earlier. Tiana's Palace wouldn't be the same without him. She would spend the rest of her life thanking him for that. In the meantime though, he was right. It was time.She took a deep breath and gave Naveen a nervous smile. Tiana sent up a quick prayer to James, and pushed open the doors."Come on in, y'all. Tiana's Palace is officially open for business."Hours later, Tiana closed the door with a happy, but exhausted sigh. She turned the lock and leaned against the door, feeling more alive and also bone-tired than she'd ever felt before.It was exhilarating, but she knew this buzz of adrenaline wouldn't last much longer. In maybe about fifteen minutes she would collapse and have a well deserved rest, but she still wanted to do one last walk around the restaurant to make sure everything had been cleaned up and put away properly.It was strange to have the restaurant be so quiet after all the people that had come in that evening. It seemed like all of New Orleans had come, and when they all started pouring in Tiana almost had to laugh. Had she really been worried that no one would come?Of course then there were a million other things to worry about once the customers were seated and the tickets started piling up in the kitchen. But Tiana guided her team through the night. While she worked her own station in the kitchen she called out the orders and insured that each part was hot when it arrived on the plate for Naveen and the other waiters to take to the tables.Naveen for his part, had done remarkably well considering he had never waited tables before. He learned quickly that if he was charming enough, the customers would forgive any mistakes he made. It also didn't hurt when it came time for the tips either.Tiana had been so focused on getting the tickets out that she couldn't believe when the first wave had all been filled. It was then that Naveen coaxed her out of the kitchen to say hello to all the guests. As soon as she walked out of the kitchen, a big round of applause filled the space and Tiana burst into happy tears.There were so many familiar faces smiling at her, it made her heart sing."Go ahead," Naveen said, and gently pushed her out. "Go make the rounds. The kitchen can survive without you for a little while."And so she did. Being sure to take off her apron to proudly show off the dress Eudora had made for her. Idhal had even surprised her with a tiara fit for a princess, which was enough to make her start to cry again.It was almost in a hypnotic state that she walked through her restaurant, greeting her friends and family while they gushed over their food and marveled at how the sugar mill had been transformed.How many times had she imagined this exact scenario?Despite all the work she and Naveen had put into the restaurant, all the training they had done with the staff, actually opening the doors and letting people in, it was this moment when she finally realized 'I'm there.'She had done it. Her dream had finally come true!She saw Eudora sitting with Naveen's family and burst into another round of tears as she embraced them all."Your daddy would be so proud of you," Eudora whispered. "I know he's smiling down on you."She could feel it too. James' spirit had always been present in the sugar mill, but tonight it seemed to be everywhere she looked.The backdoor closed with a heavy clang, and Tiana glanced up to see Naveen return from taking out the last of the trash, clearly exhausted but still smiling."That's everything, then?" he asked. "We're all locked up?""Yes," she replied. "That's everything."He opened his arms to her, and she gratefully fell into them."You were spectacular tonight," Naveen whispered, kissing her temple. "You lit up the whole restaurant. I couldn't take my eyes off of you."She'd noticed. Tiana had looked his way, Naveen seemed to be looking at her with a mixture of awe, pride, love, and occasionally lust. Maybe that's why it had been so easy to let him whisk her away from the action for a private dance on the roof, and a kiss."You weren't so bad yourself," Tiana said, truthfully.Naveen had his own radiance that seemed to shine no matter what task he was doing, though when he proudly served food that he had minced himself to his parents was certainly a highlight of the evening. Sunil and Idhal looked like they were going to burst with pride, and Tiana felt it too.Then later when Louis invited him up on stage to play with the band…. well, he was hypnotic. Up there, in his element, Naveen played with such pure joy the entire restaurant seemed to feel it.Everyone wanted his attention, but Tiana's heart skipped a beat when he brightened as he spotted her, and then held out his hand to her. Of course she had taken his hand, and they laughed together as they danced happily to the beat of the band.Tiana almost felt drunk from the whole thing, and maybe that's why she had slipped and almost fell. But Naveen quickly caught her, as he always did, as she knew he always would.Now in the quiet of the evening as they held each other close, Tiana sighed contentedly as her head rested on his shoulder. Her energy was fading fast, and if they didn't go to bed soon she might end up falling asleep standing in his arms.But it felt so nice holding him like this, and as tired as she was, Tiana was reluctant for the evening to end. Everything had just been so magical.Naveen seemed to share the same thought, as he began to hum a soft slow tune, swaying her gently in the empty restaurant. It took her a few beats to recognize it as the song Ray had sung to Evangeline those many months ago.She smiled and kissed him softly, then hummed along as they danced slowly together."Love always finds a way, it's true," Naveen sang softly. "And I love you, Evangeline."All her life, the dream had always been to open her own restaurant. In a way, it had felt like the end of something. Yet here with her husband, it now felt like a beginning. The start of everything they had fought so hard to get to, the start of their lives together.The start of their happily ever after.The End.