Chapter 33

"Do you need help?" Some one whispers, making me want to find the mute button.

"No. You'll be surprised to know how much of a normal thing this is for us." A deep voice replies equally as quiet as the first whisper. Something wraps around my body, scooping me close to some one warm and the scent of pine wraps around me.

"Sky." I mumble out with a yawn, opening my eyes to see Sky looking down at me.

"Hey sleeping beauty. We're home." He greets, giving me his easy going smile. Home. For so long I thought I would have to keep stealing, conning and lying until I saved up enough to buy my own place. That I would build a place of my own deep in the country wilderness far away from Zalaris, the Capitol city that I lived my whole life in. But here I am, in the arms of someone I am pretty sure I am falling in love with being carried up the steps of the Royal Palace.

"I can walk." I yawn out, hoping Sky doesn't see the slight blush tinging my face.

"I know." Although he says that, Sky doesn't put me down one bit. Instead he holds me tighter.

"I have a question." My grandfather chimes in from beside Sky. Lifting my head to look at him, I see an amused smile on his face as he watches Sky and I.

"For me or Sky?"

"For you Little Sara." Nodding, we pass through the large doors into the entry way of the Palace. Maids and Butler bustle about, smiles on their faces as the watch Sky and I pass by.

"Is it true you broke up with Demitrias?" He asks, Sky letting out a chuckle.

"She did. Did it while I held my sword to his throat." He carries me to a small sitting room on the left, one that would house visiting dignitaries for me to entertain for the day. My grandfather stops just inside the room as Sky sets me on the couch, pressing a kiss on my forehead that causes us to both pause for a moment.

"A sword?! Like a bloody stab it through your enemies, sharper than a kitchen blade sort of sword?" My grandfather shouts, shuffling to the nearest chair and plopping down on it. I laugh, thinking back to when I took back my throne. Of arresting Juden Trilavantas and kicking his son out from my Palace.

"Pretty sure if Demitrias had tried anything, it would have been stabbed through his neck." I shrug, thanking the Maid as she hands me a mug of tea.

"Pretty sure had you even indicated to Sky to do anything, Demitrias would have ended up as a shish-ka-bob" My grandmama states, coming to sit beside me and thanking the Maid as she places another mug of tea in front of her with snacks between us.

"So that makes you single." My grandmama mused, looking at me from over the rim of her mug as she sips on her tea. Looking over to Sky who sits on the armchair beside my grandfather, part of me wants to say 'For now' but instead I nod and reach for a cookie.

'The first girl I fell in love with and the only one I stayed in love with...' Those words echo around my mind. He is in love with someone, probably waiting for her. No mater how many times I bring it up, he gives me a small smile before changing the subject.

"Maybe you and Sky should go on a date. He's always kept us in the loop of things when that bastard and his son were in charge. I trust him with you." Nearly choking on my team, I look to my grandfather and see him staring at me with an unwavering gaze. He is serious.

"I mean, you do need a date for your debutant ball."

"I don't need a ball." I cut in, looking to my grandmama as Sky tries to hold back his chuckles.

"Hush Little Sara. The moment we learned it was really you, I started planning a ball at the Blanchard estate. Your Aunts and Uncles are already helping me." Looking to Sky for help, he gives me a helpless shrug which causes me to groan in defeat. We had talked about this just days ago, how I did not want a ball until after my memories returned. But it seems like any protesting I may have will be ignored by my grandparents.

"When?" I ask, giving in and watching as my grandmama beams, her smile growing wide as child-like excitements twinkles in her eyes.

"Three days from now. I already talked to Sky about people to invite and he gave me a list. I will have outfits sent to these Ron and Liz. To thank them for caring for you. After the ball, we will need to plan the Spring Parade as that will be your first appearance to your citizens." She continues to prattle on about social events that I will need to attend, a head ache forming from the thought of having to dress up like a doll and fake a smile for all to see. The thought of being judged by people who do not know me makes me frown, but my grandmama seems so happy.

"I will do the ball and the parade." I cut in on her rambling, watching my grandmama take a breath ready to continue. Holding my hand up, I take a breath of my own. She spent fourteen years thinking I was dead. I know she is excited to throw me into the Noble's spotlight, but she needs to wait. I need to do things my way.

"After those two events, I need to plan for my coronation and focus on fixing my Kingdom. Social events can come after I am sure my people have a stable life. I am not a doll grandmama; I am a Queen and I need to make sure my people are taken care of." The excitement in her eyes dim and her straight as a pin posture deflates a little. It hurts me to have to tell her no.

"She is right Lillian. Our Little Sara is no longer a child and we need to respect her wishes." Grandfather agrees, giving me a proud nod.

"But Everette -"

"There are no buts. There will be plenty of balls and functions but Allisara just returned to us. She did not grow up in the Palace nor in the Noble circle. We need to ease her into it and help her along the way." Grandmama huffs out a breath, stating she just wanted to help me while turning her body away with a pout, and I reassure her that she will help me, just at my own pace. This seems to placate her and she agrees that she will go at my pace. With this settled, we finish our tea before my grandparents retire to bed. Tomorrow they will return to their estate.

Sky and I decide that bed is a great idea and make our way to our wing. He informs me that Mika and Alec took the horses to the stables with the carriage driver, promising to make sure all four animals are taken care of before they too retire for the night.

"So a date to your ball?" He asks, nudging my shoulder. Blushing, I look down at the floor, not sure what to say.

"Maybe after that we can plan a date that's a little more intimate." I sheepishly suggest. It takes a few seconds for me to realize that Sky has stopped walking. Turning to face him, I feel my blush grow with how hot my face feels as he stares at me wide eyed, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"I mean, if that's-" Before I can finish trying to salvage my embarrassment, Sky marches towards me pulling me into his arms. His lips crash down onto mine, and I find myself kissing him back.

"Yes." He states as he pulls away, leaving me breathless.

"What?" A little disoriented from the kiss, I try to catch my breath and focus on what he is saying.

"Yes. After the ball we can do something intimate for our second date." His lips are back on mine before I can say anything, this kiss both strong and gentle. He doesn't force anything, doesn't try for more, and I am thankful for that. Cheers cause us to break away as we realize we are still in view of all the Palace staff. Two maids scurry away with giggles, and for the umpteenth time today, I groan in frustration and burry my face into Sky's chest. Come tomorrow morning, every one will know Sky and I made out like a bunch of teenagers in the hall-way.

"Why don't we keep walking. I have a surprise for you." Taking my hand in his, Sky leads me away from public eye and to the safety of the Princess wing. In a few months it will be renamed to the Royal Wing.

"Um, this isn't mine or your room." Rounding the corner, Sky and I by pass our rooms and continues down the hallway until we pause at the second to last set of double doors.

"I know. But its your surprise." He shrugs, motioning me to open the doors. Sceptical, I slowly turn the handle and push open one of the two doors.

"Surprise!" Jumping back, I see Mika, Alec, Max, Lia, Mia, Alice, Adam and Ellisia standing just inside the door, their smiling faces holding in their laughter. Sky places his hand against the small of my back, encouraging me to continue into the room. To the right is a high-end kitchen with state of the art appliances the black marble countertop on dark oak wood cupboards excite me the most. It is a dream kitchen if I ever saw one.

In the middle of the room sat a long dining table with enough seats to sit twelve people. At either end were regular soft cushioned seats and long benches on either side of the table. All of it was made of the same dark oak wood.

Finally, to the left of the room, a wall had been taken down connecting to the room next door to this one and in it was a sectional shaped into a large rectangle in front of a large flat screen television built into the wall. Shelves were also places on either side of the television also built into the wall. I could see some older equipment like a Nintendo Sixty-Four and a blue-ray-DVD combo sitting on the right shelf while movies and games filled the left shelf.

On the left side of the sectional along the wall between two of the large windows sat a popcorn machine and a cotton candy machine. Behind the section were a few desks, places people could work at if need be while the rest of us enjoyed the room. What made me smile were the two tables, a billiards table set and ready with all the needed equipment and an old air hockey table that someone must have gotten from an antique store. Suddenly, a memory flashes in my mind of my father teaching me, Demitrias and that faceless boy how to play on both tables. Before I could see anything else, it is gone just as quickly as it came. These tables must have been my father's.

"Sky mentioned to us a few days ago you wanted a room for us to relax in. A place to get to know one another and where you can be you, Alli." Ellisia states as I walk further into the room, doing my best to hold back tears.

"When did he mention this?" I ask, accepting the hug from my Head Maid and smiling at my friends.

"The day after the meeting with the Generals. I came to you asking if I could renovate a few rooms and you signed the paperwork while half asleep." She answers laughing, making me roll my eyes. Note to self, don't sign anything on rest days when trying to sleep.

"I have all the paper work for budget and materials. Most of the items came from storage though." I nod, finally letting the tears fall while I thank everyone, asking them to wait for me to take a shower and get out of this gown before we decide on what to do for the night. Alice takes my hand leading my emotional ass out of the room and to my own. She tells me that the group decided on a movie night with dinner and while Sky and I shower and change into a set of pajamas to match the rest of them, the twins will cook us something simple to eat.