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An Unroyal Alliance 34.
"Who were you talking to?""Dimitri," Ayesha replied as she put her phone away. She showed Joseph the package of cabbage she spotted earlier. "Dimitri works in agriculture. This is his company's product. I don't know why I have not noticed them before.""I am surprised you still remember who he is.""What's that supposed to mean?""Ever since Carol showed you the picture of his ex and gave you a rundown of their relationship, you seemed to have taken a back seat when it came to him.""And if so, then?""Seriously?" Joseph took over pushing the cart while she scanned the aisle for yoghurts. "I never thought you the type to be intimidated by another woman.""It's not intimidation. It's me trying to save myself any troubles or heartaches in the future.""Like how?""They dated since college, Jo. College. And since then, it's been on and off. That's over ten years of his life going back to the same woman over and over and ov
Last Updated : 2023-04-28An Unroyal Alliance 35.
Ayesha squinted from discomfort as the light in the room suddenly made her head spin. Strangely, she had felt a little better after a good night's rest and a morning at class, but when she started working, the soreness and the headaches started up again. Her throat felt raw, and her tongue heavy. Soon it felt like a pulse was drumming behind her eyes, and working became impossible.As soon as she finished sorting the clothes into the carts, she mustered the strength to wash them, then dried them before she went looking for their manager. Thankfully, she looked as bad as she felt, so he permitted her to leave. Without wasting any time, she emptied her locker, wrapped her earpiece around her phone and stuffed it in her purse, grabbed her bike from its parking space and started wal
Last Updated : 2023-04-29An Unroyal Alliance 36.
Dimitri stood and listened as the call went through, but no onereplied. It was the second time he had called that morning, and he didn't feel confident to try a third time. When they ran into each other the previous evening, he was alarmed to hear that she had fallen ill. So, when it looked like a reasonable time to call, he called to see how she was doing.It was unsettling that she didn't answer, but he decided to wait for her to call back. If she was sleeping, the constant ringing would bother her. So, he continued down the trail.His phone rang much later, and he slowed to a walk. He assumed Ayesha was calling back, hopeful that it meant she was alright, but it was his mother."Mom. Good morning.""Good morning, Dimitri. How are you?""Good.""And how is your morning going?""Also good. I am hiking.""Hiking?" She repeated in disbelief. "In this weather.""What's wrong with the weather?""It's quite ho
Last Updated : 2023-05-04An Unroyal Alliance 37.
Dimitri arrived at the hospital in a state of measured panic. He was worried about Ayesha's health but kept a level head so he could provide any information the doctors required. Dimitri carried her to the emergency room, calling for help as he laid her on the nearest available stretcher. With his hand in her own, he waited impatiently for the nurse to rush to their side. Before she started, she encouraged him to leave, and he moved to, but Ayesha squeezed his fingers before he could pull them free. "Don't leave me." She whimpered, her hand clutching his. It was the first thing she had said since he found her, and it clawed at his heart, the panic and fear he heard in her voice. The nurses didn't let him stay, so he had to let go of her hand, promising under his breath that he would be there for her until she woke up. Dimitri paced back and forth in the lobby, wondering what his next step should be. He wanted to phone Joseph, her roommate, to inform him of Ayesha's situation, but h
Last Updated : 2023-05-05An Unroyal Alliance 38.
Parched, Ayesha swallowed. She twisted on the bed, her muscles feeling unfamiliar as she slowly came to herself. Her eyes followed the encroaching light. She looked down at herself to see the blue blanket resting on her. The strange bed and several other items, like the simple single wardrobe and bedside table were enough to tell her she was in the hospital. Her eyes fell on a figure folded on the couch with a pitiful excuse for cover over his body. Recognition took some time to creep in. Her eyes took in his wavy hair, the thick, rich black, highlighted by the light. Most of his face was tucked underneath the blanket, but Ayesha had a good idea who it was. Fondly, she watched him sleep, her mind taking in the sight of him nestled on the chair. It was a few sizes too small for him, and he was forcing his body to fit. When the sun hit his eyes, he scowled in his sleep, squeezing his lids tighter and tucking his head father into the blanket, making her chuckle. The sound roused Dim
Last Updated : 2023-05-06An Unroyal Alliance 39.
"I am about to leave the hospital. The doctor discharged me, and I feel a hundred times better now.""How will you get back?""Dimitri offered to take me home. He should be here any minute.""Okay. We are settling into a hotel for the night. We will get some rest and be home early tomorrow morning.""That's good. It's not always safe to drive at night. Is Carol asleep already?""No, she is in the shower.""How was your trip?""Fine. Great, actually. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. Right now, I am crashing for the night.""I'll let you sleep. Take care of yourself.""And you. Don't rush into anything. Eat something filling and take any drugs you have been asked to take. Try to get some sleep as well.""I will. I will. I love you.""And I love you too. See you tomorrow."Ayesha sunk down to the sofa, leaning over to knot the lace of her sneakers. She pulled the tilt chords on the blinds and
Last Updated : 2023-05-12An Unroyal Alliance 40.
Dimitri walked up to the front door of his house, staring down at the wrapped package sitting at the foot of the door. The box was covered with brown paper. A rose made from a gold ribbon was plastered on top. Confused, he looked around the compound, wondering how long it had been there and who put it there. When he left for the hospital earlier, there had been nothing.He picked the card, tucked into the ribbon, first and read the message."Dimitri. Thanks for inviting me to the party last weekend. I had a lot of fun." He sighed, looking down at the box. "Sofia."Dimitri took the box inside and placed it on the coffee table. Diligently, he ripped away the ribbon before tearing the wrapping away. Inside was a wooden docking station made of dark, burnished wood. His initials were carved into the bottom and traced with golden paint. He turned the package around, looking it over.Sofia was one to show her gratitude with gifts. When they were kids, she'd buy them icecreams or tickets to t
Last Updated : 2023-05-13An Unroyal Alliance 41.
Dimitri turned in bed, half asleep. He listened for the sound of the doorbell. It came again, and he groaned, muttering in frustration as he snuggled his head deeper into the pillow and tried to block out the rest of the awakening day. It had been a long night at the office, signing documents, revising contracts and scheduling meetings. He intended to sleep into the morning until he was sufficiently rested, but whoever was at the door had other plans. The ringing stopped. Two rings and everything fell silent. Ordinarily, he would have continued sleeping, but he groggily sat up, looking at the clock and searching for his phone. If anyone of his family was at the door, they would have called when he didn’t answer after the third ring. When nothing happened, he sluggishly dragged himself out of bed and into the living room. Still hazy from his interrupted sleep, Dimitri padded to the door. He looked at the security monitor but only saw a woven basket filled with clear p
Last Updated : 2023-06-08
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An Unroyal Alliance 94.
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
An Unroyal Alliance 93
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
An Unroyal Alliance 92.
"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
An Unroyal Alliance 91.
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
An Unroyal Alliance 90.
“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
An Unroyal Alliance 89.
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
An Unroyal Alliance 88.
Ayesha rushed out of the forest, scrambling to a stop by a gleaming Dimitri to catch her breath. “Fair and square, huh?”“Your legs are much longer than mine.”“All I hear are excuses.”He handed her
An Unroyal Alliance 87.
Dimitri opened the door but used his body to block his mother’s view of the house. He was going to let her in, but he wanted to give Ayesha time to prepare herself. It was the first time she would meet his mother. With how they broke up, he knew she could feel nervous. But, as surprising as the coincidence was, it was also a good opportunity for his mother to finally meet her without throwing a dinner.Ayesha may not know it, but this was saving her the awkwardness.“Morning, Mom.”“Hello, sweetie.”“What brings you by?”“I went to the store today to oversee the newcomers. Some good things are going on the shelf today. I just stopped by to say hello since I was going through your area.”He nodded and stepped back. He knew when her eyes fell on Ayesha, but he casually said, “Come on in.”His mother looked at him, but she didn’t stare for long. She slipped past him
An Unroyal Alliance 86.
Ayesha wiped her cheeks as she reached the end of her story. She tried her best not to make it sound like an excuse because she still bore the responsibility for her actions. She wanted him to understand, not excuse her. So she chose her words wisely but did her best to speak on every truth he needed. “I can still feel their hand on mine sometimes when I sleep. They dragged me across the palace while I screamed and stuck my foot on the rug. Once my dad was tired, he had the guards carry me the rest of the way. I was spoiled, they said. I would learn, they said.”“You will not leave this room until your wedding day.”She shivered at the memory of the words. “I stayed in that room for two weeks, maybe three, but it felt like months. There was just a single window. They gave me a bed to sleep on, so they weren’t total savages. The guards kept me company, and the maids brought me…more like snuck me some good food here and there. They couldn’t disobey my parents but could do what they cou
