Dimitri excused himself from the party when he received a call. He kissed Ayesha's knuckles and winked at her as he left her in the care of his mother. He walked deep into the garden to answer the call. He didn't notice the person seated on the bench.When he finished the call, he noticed movement in the bushes. Dimitri cocked his head, trying to see who it was when he heard shaky breathing and noticed the dress as he drew closer."Sofia?" He called.The figure gasped, and he saw her turn to wipe her face. As he drew closer, the dress she wore became more noticeable. It was Sofia."Hey. Hey. Hey. Are you okay?""Yeah." She laughed breathily, turning to face him when her face was dry. "What are you doing out here? Why aren't you inside?""I got a call.""Oh. Work?""No. Not really. It was Bolin.""Oh! How is he?""Fine, and you? What brought you out here?"She shook her head and pressed a finger in the crook
True to her word, Ayesha had surprised him with her dress for his mother's party. He knew next to nothing about gowns like that. Still, the soft peach colour and layers underneath that shimmered when she moved with the flowers sewn into the fabric made her look angelic. The arms of the dress hung low on her arms, exposing to show off the necklace he had gifted her. The satin gloves she had on reached past her elbow, and she worried the bands every now and then when she spoke.Her outfit had captured his mother's heart when she set her eyes on it. She hadn't stopped gushing over it since. He had worried about her spending so much for the party, but she had proudly assured him that the dress cost her nothing. Her friend's mother was a seamstress, and Ayesha had offered to buy one of her dresses for the night when she lucked out and got it free as long as she advertised the store. And with how many people flocked to ask questions about the gown, Dimitri was sure things were work
"So... you are a... you are a... princ... princess?""Yes."Joseph covered his mouth with his hand and nodded. Ayesha sat on the floor, watching him as he tried to understand her story. It wasn't an easy decision, but she wanted to start some reconciliation with her past. Joseph had been with her since she ran away years ago, and she never got around to telling him the truth about where she escaped from. She allowed him to think whatever he wanted, but since Dimitri knew the truth, she wanted to share it with him, too.He was family to her. He had become a brother to her, and she wanted their relationship to be complete."How old are you?"She chortled. "I am twenty-six.""You escaped around ten years ago. How did you get your new name and everything.""My sister-in-law took care of that. She has been like a mother to me since my brother died, and she couldn't watch what my parents were doing to me. They locked me up, and she decided
The rains were more forgiving in the morning. It didn't fall with a vengeance like it had all night. Now, there was only a slight drumming on the rooves and floor. Ayesha slipped out of bed quietly to avoid waking Dimitri. She left the room and went around the house, opening the curtains to let in what little sunlight was present. As she waited for some water to boil, she stood in front of the window and watched the rain flirt with the plants in the garden. She intended to start making breakfast but wanted to enjoy the peaceful morning first."Good morning."She turned with a smile to greet Sofia. "Morning. How did you sleep?""Fine.""Tea?""Ach. Sorry, I am a coffee girl through and through. And I am guessing Dimitri still has none of those lying around.""Unfortunately, no.""Don't worry about me. I have caused enough trouble." Sofia laughed and seated herself on one of the stools. Before Ayesha could assure her there was no troubl
“Do you intend on buying the store?” Dimitri muttered, not looking up from his phone as he looked through his assistant’s messages.“No,” Ayesha replied.“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the cart will soon overflow.”“Your fridge and practically your house is empty.”“And?” He chuckled.“We’ll stock you up, and you won’t have to worry about grocery runs for the rest of the month. Maybe even two months.”“But you’ve gotten everything you wanted to use to cook today?”“Yes. Indeed.”He dropped his phone into his jacket and leaned on the hand of the cart to watch her. She intently read the ingredients on the back of a large can. She was crouched at the bottom of the shelf; her dress blanketed her legs, and her purse hung to her side.She had come over to spend the day with him and enjoy the
Dimitri noticed Ayesha’s car pulling into his parent’s lot before he got in the house. He smiled as he watched her quickly check herself in the mirror and run her hands through her hair. She waved at him when she was done, then grabbed her purse to get out of the car.He walked to her and took her hand, and she kissed him. “Good evening.”“Evening, sweetheart.” He looked her over, taking in her dress and heels. “You look stunning.”“Thank you.” She patted her hair and adjusted the band. “Did you just get in?”“Yeah. We are early.”“Your mom said six.”“Yes, and dinner is usually six thirty. You’d be hanging around in the parlour with us till then.”“Oh.”“Come on. It's tradition. You'll love it.”His sisters were waiting when he got into the house. Vienna was the first to step forward