A.N. I am so sorry about the long wait on the chapter. I just got done with a summer college class and have been pretty busy before now. Well I know this one is probably not much of a action packed chapter, but it's important none the less. I hope you enjoy it.

LadyWriter ;-)

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Part 15:

Ariana couldn’t wait to get to the palace. She was going to take a nice long shower the moment she stepped into the palace. She sat in the vehicle with her mother and Blaize. Ariana couldn’t focus on anything because she was so excited to be home but she noticed that Blaize was acting nervous around her. Ariana eventually sunk deep into her own thoughts only to be yanked roughly out of them a few minutes later.

“Aria, we are going to arrive home in about ten to fifteen minutes and I have yet to hear anything new about Blaize’s homeland,” Queen January said smiling when her daughter jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice.

“Sorry. Blaize’s home is incredible! The land is beautiful and I think I could spend forever just standing out in the sun. The people are nice as well. There are a few that I want to have nothing to do with, but there are other’s that are amazing,” Ariana replied and gave a smile.

“Alright,” Queen January said noncommittally and then shifted her attention to Blaize to talk about politics.

Ariana knew that they would still be considered prince and princess until the coronation that would take place a few weeks from now, but she wanted to have at least a small say in what was happening in her life. She never felt like she did when her mother was involved. Ariana had wanted Blaize to be in love with her and make the first move in the relationship, but neither of them seemed to be moving closer together. Ariana also wished that the threats on her life would stop, but she also knew that as long as she was a princess that threats would continue.

“What are you doing Aria?” Blaize asked while leaning over so he was whispering into her ear.

“Thinking thoughts that make absolutely no sense,” Ariana replied before leaning her head back against his shoulder.

“Aria,” he whispered back softly before leaning his head against hers.

Ariana drifted to sleep only to wake up several hours later in another room surrounded by welcome home gifts and flowers. Ariana sat up on the bed and looked at her old room, noticing that nothing had been changed since the day she left. Ariana missed her room in Blaize’s palace because that place was beginning to become her home. Ariana leaned back into the pillows and closed her eyes. She heard a sigh a few minutes later and felt something begin to poke her in the side.

“What?” Ariana asked before rolling over to get more comfortable.

“Aria, you have to get up now. You need to get ready to go because we have that welcome back dinner that’s in your honor to go to,” the voice said while leaning down so that his breath was hitting her face.

“I’ll get up as soon as you go brush your teeth with something that will take care of that horrible breath!” Ariana groaned out before covering her nose and mouth with her blankets.

“Get up!” the voice said again and then the covers were thrown off of her and the lamp was switched on, drowning the entire room in the bright light.

“Fine!” Ariana yelled and dragged herself unhappily from the bed and moved to the bathroom ignoring the person who dared to wake her up.

“If you continue to ignore me I’ll just have to follow you into the bathroom, dear,” the voice said and Ariana whirled around to come face to face with her husband who was already dressed in a dinner suit for the evening.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Ariana challenged, secretly hoping that he would be bold and actually follow her into the room.

“To be honest probably not, but it did get you to pay some attention to me,” he said before walking over to Ariana and planting a kiss on her lips before walking out of the room.

Ariana let out a sigh and then continued into the bathroom. Once she stepped inside she noticed that some of Blaize’s stuff was thrown across the bathroom counter and that the walk-in closet held several of his outfits on the hangers. Ariana sighed and pulled out a dress from the closet. Even though it was a modern time and women could wear pants without being frowned upon, society still dictated that the royal females should still wear dresses.

Ariana carried the dress with her into the bathroom and set it down before turning on the shower. Ariana didn’t know why it had been decided that there should be a welcome home party, but she knew that she had to be properly dressed and make an appearance with a smile on her face and soon before everyone began to wonder where she was. There were several people who would be in attendance at this party that Ariana didn’t want to see, like her sister’s “friends”. Ariana sighed and stepped into the warm shower.

The shower water beat down on her working out all of her sore bones and the tension that had been building in her body as well. Her body felt completely relaxed and Ariana let out an involuntary sigh of contentment. She leaned her head back against the shower wall and just stood under the continuous rush of water. There was a knock on the door that brought her back to reality. Ariana sighed once more before leaning her head out and asking who was there.

“It’s Melinia, I was wondering if you needed any help,” came the response. Ariana replied with a short no before finishing her shower and stepped out to dry off.

She dried her hair and placed a clip to hold it up. She put on her undergarments which consisted of a strapless bra and a simple pair of underwear. She grabbed the red strapless dress and stepping into the confining garment. She reached behind her to zip it up, but couldn’t because the zipper was stuck. Ariana sighed and opened the door to the bathroom hoping that someone was waiting in the room. There on the balcony someone stood and so Ariana approached while holding her dress up so it covered her chest.

“Could you please zip this up?” Ariana asked and turned around, baring her back to the person.

“Sure,” a masculine voice said before two hands began to get the zipper unstuck and then slowing moved it up her back to zip it up.

“Thank you,” Ariana muttered when he removed his hands. She turned around to face him and gave a smile to Blaize.

She looked up into Blaize’s eyes and allowed him to look over her body curiously. Ariana smiled when his eyes reached her face and then she stepped towards him in a rare show of affection to kiss him on the cheek. He gave a small blush when she pulled away, and Ariana smiled once more before moving to finish getting dressed. Once she was done she went over to him and stood next to him on the balcony. Ariana felt his hand wrap around her waist and pull her closer to him.

“This is going to be our first welcome party in your country, and then a couple days from now your brother will be married. Then we will go home and be crowned King and Queen. I hate to admit this Aria, but I’m scared that everything is happening more than a little bit too fast,” Blaize whispered while leaning his head down on top of hers.

“I’m scared too Blaize and I would give anything to skip into the future and know that everything was going to be alright, but we are going into this together. You and I will be able to make it if we just believe in each other, right?” Ariana whispered and then turned so she could look him in the eyes.

“I want you to know something,” Blaize whispered while leaning towards her.

“What is that?” Ariana asked with a small smile.

“That even though we will probably never be safe from any possible danger and we will be living our lives based on moment to moment that I will do everything I can to make you happy and safe,” Blaize whispered and then leaned down to brush a light kiss on her lips.

They stayed in the embrace for several minutes before there was a knock on the door signaling that it was time for them to proceed downstairs and face the crowd. Ariana remembered what Blaize had said about there being people who would want to kill them and knew that anytime in the weeks she was at home would be a perfect time for an attack. This would be a time when someone would most likely not have their guards up. Ariana looked down at her hand and made sure that “Angel’s Breath” was still attached on her arm.

“I’m scared Blaize,” Ariana whispered and felt Blaize squeeze her hand rubbing his thumb lightly across her hand.

“I am as well, but I know that we’ll be able to put up a good fight. I really do wonder who wants to attack us, but I figure they would have attacked us by now if they were going too,” Blaize replied before leading her out of the room and down the hallway.

They walked hand in hand down the steps towards the ballroom. Ariana watched several guards salute and then they went back to guarding their post. Ariana allowed herself to relax slightly because Blaize was next to her. They came to a stop in front of the large double door that led into the ballroom and stood there waiting for the others who were going to enter with them to arrive. Ariana slipped into her own thoughts while trying to calm her rushing heart. Ariana wasn’t aware of anything until she heard a soft voice and felt two arms wrap around me.

“Aria!” Maggie said excitedly while grasping Ariana in a tight hug.

“Maggie, I haven’t seen you in forever. You are getting married soon how does it feel?” Ariana told her before hugging her again.

“You were the one that told me when we were younger that one day I should marry your brother so we could be sisters,” Maggie replied with a laugh.

“I know and I couldn’t be happier that it ended up that way,” Ariana said with a smile.

They stood there for a few more minutes chatting about everything that had happened while Ariana had been living with Blaize. Ariana let out a laugh when Maggie told her some of the strange stunts Josh had pulled recently. Ariana couldn’t help but feel secure and safe in the presence of her friends and family.

“Announcing her Royal Highness Queen January!” an announcer called out and Ariana watch as her mother entered the ballroom with a graceful motion, sweeping past everyone else.

Ariana listened as the announcer called them into the ballroom as well. When Blaize and Ariana were called she slowly wrapped her arm around Blaize’s and then allowed him to lead her slowly into the brightly lit room. Ready for anything this night could possibly bring.

BrownEyedBeauty- Thank you so much. I'm glad you like my writing and the plot. I hope you continue to enjoy the characters and that the moods continue to help make it wonder. Thanks again:-)

Ck90- I'm glad you think that it has some real aspects to it. I'm glad you like it and I'm sorry about the long delay. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. :-)

Brandi Marie- Sorry about the long wait in what happens next. I can tell you that it has a little bit of some of the comments you made, but I won't tell you which ones. ;-) I hope you enjoyed this chapter though. Thanks :-)

The Masked Marauder- I'll agree with you he does seem to have some violent friends. ;-) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks! Sorry about the long wait:-D