2017, October 10th Ethan tugged on Aria’s arm as she was on her way out that morning. “Where to?” he asked. “Just heading out to join the morning sparring session,” she shrugged, making her way down the stairs. “It’s not for another hour. Dawn’s just breaking.” “I like to get an early start.” “Oh? Are you sure it has nothing to do with the crown prince waiting for you in the courtyard, Adele?” Ethan's question stopped Aria dead in her tracks. Busted. He descended the stairs, grabbed her arms and turned her towards him. “I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t be seeing him anymore,” Ethan sighed. “He’s leaving in three days Ethan. He doesn’t even know who I am. It’s harmless.” “The hell it is! I’ve been watching you with him. You guys are all over each other and don’t think I haven’t seen the way you’ve been looking at him either.
2019, December 20th “You’re just going to stand up here and watch them while your mind implodes?” Troy asked, leaning forward with his clasped hands over the railing as he came to stand next to CC. “What do you want me to say, Troy? It’s not that you spend four hours a day working out and training, it’s that you do it with her? Don’t spend time with your dead best friend’s sister?” CC snapped. Troy chuckled. “Wow, four hours. That’s something. Looks like I missed a few things. When did this start?” he asked, smiling as he watched Aria laugh as she sparred with Bart. CC turned her head to Troy, watching his beautiful brown eyes darken ever so slightly. CC had made herself fluent in even the subtlest changes in Troy’s facial expressions. How long had she spent studying this man to try and outwit him? Back then, he always kept her close and she would go hours at a time just watching him. You wouldn’t know it from the easy smile on his face, but while Troy wasn’t nuclear angry, he was d
2017, October 11th He’d been watching her for ages, but she just wasn't stirring. All the early mornings had probably caught up with her. After kissing her forehead, Aaron took a shower and headed downstairs to kill some time until Adele woke up. He was about to take a stroll through the garden when he saw her. Hearing Adele chastise him in his head, Aaron grinned to himself and followed anyway. The woman led him to Troy’s shooting range. “Put up a gun, Condor,” she said, taking aim. Aaron was always wary of women with guns. They seemed somehow more terrifying than men. Super hot, but terrifying. “I didn’t sleep with you, did I?” he asked, taking up the space next to hers. “Because if I did, I’m really sorry I didn’t call,” he said, turning on the charm and taking her in. Everything she had on was pure black. Black dress, heels, leather jacket and shades. She was so well dressed, even CC would be impressed. She looked
2017, October 11th Aaron got back to Troy's around 8 PM. He wanted to stay, but Adele had insisted she didn't want to upset Ethan again. Seriously that guy was really starting to get on his nerves. It was just as well though. There was only so long he could stay, only so long he could brush her hair and listen to her play without his hands roaming elsewhere. Aaron was walking through the house, looking for signs of life when his eyes fell on the table and his mouth fell open. "I don't think I've ever seen so much cake in my life. What is this?" Aaron asked. "You're telling me," Troy shrugged. "I'm not running the show Aaron, I'm just going along for the ride." "This is what you call getting her to agree to go home?" "Hey manchild, if you have any brilliant ideas-" "You could be a dick like you've been from the start." "Boys, boys, there's plenty to go around," said a voice. She took centre stage like she seemed to whenever she entered a room, eliciting a "Keira" from both men as she c
2019, December 25th When they got to the Arden residence, Aria and Troy spent a considerable amount of time hovering over Ethan, forgetting everything and everyone else. Maybe it was the terror, the danger and adrenaline, but neither of them wanted to leave him or each other. Despite their display of passion at the base however, they were still very much fighting. He could block Aaron and Bart out while he was with Aria and Ethan, but Troy refused to stay the night at either the castle or the Arden mansion. "You're being petty," she said as she watched the road pass them by through the car window. "We should have stayed—" "Where Aria? With which of the men that you've recently spent the night with did you want to stay?" This shut her right up. Aria was angry too, but his thing clearly trumped hers. Troy hadn't acted out of character. She had. It didn't make her any less mad about what he'd done, but her guilt was letting him have more rope than he was giving her. Still, he was
2019, December 21st Aria hadn't been back to see baby Ethan. She just wasn't ready yet. What she was decidedly ready to do was rip into Troy. How long had he known? "Good morning Aria," said Troy. She was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall of Ethan's room, where she had likely been all night. Troy drew his fingers through his hair. She was a wreck. It was always going to be this way, he knew, but his keeping it from her probably didn't help. He couldn't change that now though. He had to focus on what he could do. For her, for them. Troy went over to her and sat down next to her. "When you're ready, he'll be right where you left him and so will I. I'm here to answer any and all of your questions." Troy looked at her. This quiet, silent version of her that he'd never seen before scared him. Even straight off of the battlefield, when he put her on a plane to Terres Somnia, she handled everything like a pro. Honestly he was surprised that she stayed the night. He knew she w
2017, October 12th Aaron had sneaked onto the castle grounds the way Adele had taught him to and then into the castle itself. Diane and Ethan's wedding had just ended and he was meeting Adele in her room like they'd planned. This last second wedding meant that they had even less time together today, so he wanted to get to her quickly. Things back in Terres Somnia were moving fast. Henry was being even more persistent now, so they were leaving tonight instead of tomorrow. The wedding was very low key. Aside from the king, queen, Troy, Caroline, Keira and Adele, there were no other guests allowed, not even Aaron. He wanted to go to spend more time with Adele, but Troy was still being overly cautious with Dean at large. As Aaron made his way to the room he'd spent yesterday in with Adele, he stumbled upon Keira and Ethan making out in the hallway. Sensing someone's presence, Ethan's eyes went to Aaron. He pulled away from Keira. "Please, don't stop the party on my account," Aaron grinn
2019, December 22nd "So which one was it? Boyfriend A or Boyfriend B?" Aria smiled, taking her place next to Troy by the piano. "You know, A for Aaron, B for Bart," he said, handing Aria her violin. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you? I suppose you really are the jealous type." Only when she held her violin up to her shoulder and started playing did Troy's fingers find the keys of the piano. Was it silly how she liked that he just assumed she would play with him now? Aria was so angry over the last two nights that she didn't see how intertwined they'd become, how he gave her little bits of himself everyday. They hadn't played together in two nights, which meant that neither of them had played at all because they almost never played alone anymore. "Which one?" he persisted. "So I can know how jealous I should be." "If you must know, Barry came by to see the baby." She still couldn't say it, couldn't call him Ethan. Troy brushed off his concern. He was watching her, waiting fo
2019, December 22nd When CC got home that morning, the sun was already high up in the sky. Bart was waiting for her on the porch of the Arden Mansion. This was home now. They'd started living together because CC wanted to be with Bart so that she could hold him at night when the loss of Ethan overwhelmed him. How things had changed. They'd been at each other's throats for the last few days and it always ended the same way. It needed to stop. They had to actually talk. "I'm sorry Caroline. I don't know what else to say. Aria called and said-" CC sighed. "Can her name not be part of the first sentences that come out of your mouth right now? I'm super wasted and I just want to go to bed." Bart turned around and squatted in front of her, offering her a piggyback ride. She smiled. It was a start. She could be mad and still want to touch him. CC wouldn't look at him, but she'd gotten onto his back. Her hands had slipped up his shirt, onto his bare chest and she was snuggling up to his bac
2020, February 14th (Warlanda) She walked through the doors of the softly lit restaurant and Aaron's fear that he'd made a mistake was confirmed. Of course Troy wasn't letting Aria show up tonight. What kind of dumbass would he have to be to let this happen? What kind of dumbass was Aaron for letting her talk him into this? For still wanting to see an engaged woman whose wedding had to happen by the end of March? "Troy sends his regards," said Emily, taking the seat across from him. Emily put the ring box down in front of him. Aaron just looked at it. The bloody thing was obviously cursed. "She really did want to come Ron, but Troy's just not-" "Since when are you two such besties?" Aaron asked, draining the glass in front of him. "I guess things are better now that you're not in the picture. I'm even allowed to come to the wedding now." "Well whoop de doo for you." He got up, threw a few bills down onto the table and was about to walk out when she took his hand and stopped h
2020, February, 14th Had she noticed that he went a little nuts when she left the bed without him? That his mind went right back to the night that she and Ethan were taken from him? Because he knew she was already awake, had been for a while, but she didn't try to move, stayed perfectly still in his arms. Troy appreciated these little kindnesses, but how long could they live like this? She didn't look unhappy. In fact Aria had told him a million times now that her home was with him and Ethan, not in a castle, not in Sartis Est or Warlanda, not anywhere but in his arms. He wasn't the same though. Troy didn't know if he could make the woman he loved happy anymore. They hadn't laughed together since Dean died. Her ministers were finally falling in line since his coronation and the official announcement of their engagement, but the deadline for them presenting themselves in Sartis Est as husband and wife was coming up. Her rigid country still demanded he be her official king consort by th
2020, January 11th “You know it’s not that simple, Troy. The House of Dormer worked really hard to give you this shot to take Warlanda. You know Madz won’t just let you leave,” said Nathan, backing Emily and Troy back into the chapel. He had neither the patience nor the time for this shit. Troy walked right up to Nathan, took his hand and the gun he held in it and pressed the muzzle up to his forehead. “Are you ready to kill me Nathan? Are you ready to die? Because one of those two things is going to happen tonight if you don’t get the fuck out of my way.” He’d made promises, told her he would come for her and Troy would be damned if he wasn’t doing at least this much for her. There was no point to any of it without her anyway. He didn’t care if he lived or died as long as he could save her, as long as Dean died. Emily lifted her dress and pulled the gun strapped to her thigh. Nathan’s eyes travelled up her silky smooth leg all the way up her thigh and he let out a forced breath, gri
31st November, 2019 Eyes on me, just me, he seemed to be telling her as he watched her official coronation happen. Aria kept flashing back to the moment Troy had taken the crown, her crown and put it on her head while they were still on the battlefield. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty" and in that moment she understood that this was bigger than her, than her vendetta against Dean. How had he done it? Troy had gotten her to take back her order to crush Warlanda with a few simple actions and two words. And a look. It was the eyes that had sealed the deal, been her undoing. When he looked at her Aria was sure he could get her to do just about anything no matter how much it hurt, no matter how angry she was. She'd been nervous about dressing up and attending a formal coronation and rightfully so. Even as he watched her now, as they watched her now, there were people in that very throne room who wanted her dead. They'd have to go through him before they got to her though. Just like he'
2019, July 1st Dear Diary He came to see me today, was right in front of me and then he just wasn’t. Why did I run from him like I bloody always do? So what if I was a bloody mess? He wanted to see me or at least I thought he did and I wanted to see him. What did it matter how I looked? The way he watched me, seeked me out as he followed me up to my room, he looked absolutely desperate. Should I have gone after him? I did try to find him as soon as the shock of him having left just as abruptly as he showed up wore off, but he was already gone. He’d returned home to Terres Somnia almost immediately after departing from Sartis Est. He is on a plane even as I write this. Maybe it was just as well we didn’t meet after all. What if he only came to break my heart? What if he only came to tell me that he’d moved on after all? Even if that was what he came to say though, my stupid heart wants to hear it, wants to hear him. Should I call? Is there enough of me left to call? But he chose to lea
2017, October 12th They had already boarded the plane and were preparing for take off when Aaron turned to Emily and said, "Make sure she gets home in one piece! I'm sorry, I just can't leave yet." CC was in a daze and he probably wouldn't have left if Emily wasn't on the plane too. It was the way Adele said goodbye, the look on her face, like she didn't expect to see him again, that sent him running back the way they'd come, right back to her. Henry would survive one more night without him. His lips were on hers before she could register that he had picked her up, that he was holding her again. "What do you think you're doing?!" she yelled. "I just didn't like how sad you looked. Couldn't help myself. It's not like there's anything I can do in Terres Somnia tonight," he said, pulling her mouth to his and kissing her again. He felt her body relax, grow comfortable and then she kissed him like he was used to, like nothing else mattered, including that they were still in the middle of a
(Terres Somnia) “Come on. It’s been a while and with the rain cloud you have over both of our heads now, we could both use the distraction,” Troy said, taking her hand and walking her out of Ethan’s nursery. Aria gave him an apologetic look and a quick kiss, before sitting down across from him to the chess board he had laid out. “Want to make things a little interesting?” she asked. Troy gave her a suspicious look. “Interesting how?” When Troy sat down with her that first time to teach her how to play, he never could have imagined the situation that he was in now. That prim and proper Queen Aria Maine would strip him bare in a strip chess tournament. “So you haven’t played in a while huh?” "I can't help it if you're slipping, Troy," she grinned. She walked circles around his naked form in her bra and skirt, surveying him the way he had her that night in the hotel. Troy returned her grin, liked how happy she looked. He grabbed her when she came around again. “Peep show’s over, my queen
2019, August 7th (Sartis Est) With the arrival of Prince Troy Pierce in Sartis Est, its castle and its queen seemed to slowly, cautiously, come back to life. Aria was a quick study. She became a worthy chess opponent almost overnight and ended up winning as many games as Troy did. "Checkmate," she said proudly. Troy raised an eyebrow to her well deserved grin. "It's the jet lag," he assured her. "Sure it is.” The constant smiling Troy was still getting used to. It was restricted to them playing chess though, which was starting to get to him because it turned out he needed to see it as much as she needed a reason to do it. So even though chess was their ultimate favorite and he was annoyed at how good she'd gotten seemingly overnight, he allowed her to drag him into simpler board games like Conquest and Battleship, just so he could see her smile a little longer. They were living in a fantasy world of sorts. Almost as soon as Troy got to Sartis Est the war came to a grinding halt. There
2019, December 27th He wanted to be that guy for her tonight. The one who waited patiently for her, like he always did. But waiting had always been his problem as it turned out. Bart was done waiting. "The wedding's off," said CC the moment he entered the room. He was watching her pack furiously methodically, like she did everything. Bart was a fool. She was threatening to leave him and he was just as in love with watching her as always anyway. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her. She yanked them away from her waist and went back to packing. He took her hands in his, pressed his front up her back, put his lips up to her ear and whispered, "You should get angry more. You're absolutely beautiful when you're mad." She whipped around, hurt, sad, mad eyes glaring back at him. "You like this?" she asked, her tone accusing. "Maybe you should tell more women you're in love with them! That's sure to get you more responses like this out of me!" Those eyes were like daggers to the hea