#Chapter 494 – People’s Princess Ella
The crowds go absolutely wild as we walk into the sunlight and a huge smile bursts onto my face. Honestly, it was a little touch-and-go for a few months there, with the media continually debating if I was a good or a bad Queen after the murder on the front steps. But I laid low, and continued doing my best, and things have continually turned towards the people seeing that I only have their best interests at heart, and that I really do want to fight for the little guy.
Plus, I don’t think it hurts that I’m the mother of a super adorable little Prince, and that I’ve just given our nation its first Princess.
The crowd calls her name and I smile out at them, pleased and baffled about how they already know it. I look up at Sinclair, confused, but he just shrugs and smiles down at me.
Together, my little family and I step forward to the edge of the terrace and I boost the baby a little in my arms so that the crowd can see her. They go mad the moment their Princess’s face comes into sight, shouting that she’s beautiful and how glad they are to meet her.
I can’t help but laugh, a few tears coming to my eyes as I see my entire nation feeling precisely the way I do about my little girl. Just so, so thrilled that she’s finally here.
“And you thought Ariel wasn’t going to get as much as a fuss as Rafe,” Cora murmurs with a smirk, coming to my side. The crowd shouts when they see Jesse come forward too – the Little Duke is also a favorite.
“I know,” I laugh, turning to smile at my sister. “Poor Rafe got none of this.”
“But look at him now,” Cora says, leaning forward and pointing to my son. I turn to see my mate smiling down at Rafe, who is actually waving out at the people. I burst into laughter, because it’s so very Rafe. He loves to wave and say hello – he just has no idea that he’s saying hello to the thousands of people gathered on the streets.
Sinclair raise his hand and waves too, but I just smile and hold my baby close, peering down into her face. She scrunches and frowns for a moment before opening her eyes just a little bit, turning towards the noise of her people.
I laugh in delight, because even though I know she can’t see anything, it looks for all things like she’s trying to look and catch sight of them as much as they are of her. I hold her a little higher, murmuring into her ear all the things she could see if her eye were a little bit more developed, but she just gives a little baby sigh and closes her eyes again, pressing her face against me.
I grin but look up at my husband, because I know baby needs to get inside now. Her Princess duties are done and she’s hungry and needs some sleep. Sinclair nods to me, leaning forward to kiss me on the forehead, and then we give one last wave to the people before we turn inside.
“Come on, Roger,” Cora laughs, and I look over my shoulder to see her tugging him inside.
“No, this is fun,” he replies, his voice cheerful. “Give Jesse to me, we’re staying out – ”
“Ridiculous,” she sighs, but I can tell she thinks he’s funny. “Did you not get enough attention as a child?”
“Not nearly,” Roger sighs dramatically, “Dominic took it all from me when he was born it was very traumatic – ”
I grin and look up into Sinclair’s face in time to see him roll his eyes, but he doesn’t retort, and Henry just laughs behind us.
“You got plenty of attention, Roger,” Henry sighs as we head back to our living quarters. “Your mother couldn’t get enough of you – thought you were very funny.”
“Just like I can’t get enough of you,” I murmur to our sweet little Ariel, “Or you!” I say, reaching out to ruffle Rafe’s hair.
“What about me?” Sinclair asks as we reach our door, smiling at me as he pushes it open.
“Oh, now that you’ve given me two children, I’m totally done with you,” I say, looking up at him with wide earnest eyes, but not completely able to keep a straight face.
“Liar,” he laughs, tugging me close to his side with his free hand.
“All right, Ells,” Cora says, coming to my side and pressing a kiss to my cheek. “We’ll be just down the hall, yes? In case you need me?”
“Thank you, Cora,” I say, stepping away from Sinclair’s side as he says goodnight to his brother and father. While I don’t anticipate that I’ll need Cora tonight, it’s good to know I’ve got a doctor and a sister nearby.
She gives me an extra squeeze as I call goodbye to the rest of the Sinclairs and step into the room with my mate and my children. My children. Plural! I laugh in wonder for the joy of it.
“Happy?” Sinclair asks, smiling at me as he presses the door shut.
“Ecstatic,” I sigh, grinning at him before looking to the kids. “But also exhausted. And busy. Do you think you can get Rafe down, or at least distracted, while I get ready to feed Ariel?”
My mate smiles at me, taking a step closer and cupping my chin in his hand. “Did you hear that?” he asks.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“You just said the most beautiful sentence in the world,” he laughs, shaking his head down at me. “Asking me to take care of our son while you got ready to feed our daughter. Our family, Ella – not that it wasn’t before. But it’s growing – which is what we’ve always wanted.”
“I know,” I coo, pressing closer to him and biting my lip as I look up into his gorgeous face, my eyes shining. ” You’re right. It’s perfect.”
And my perfect mate smiles at me before dipping down and pressing a kiss to my mouth – so long that I sink into it, losing myself a little. So long that Rafe squeaks in protest, giving Sinclair’s chest a playful smack because he’s bored.
I burst into laughter again and pull away, murmuring my apologies to Rafe as I snatch the crown off his head. “So sorry, prince,” I say, wrinkling my nose at him as he giggles and reaches for the little circlet. “But you’re going to have to get used to sharing mommy and daddy.”
I move into the closet, pulling out a set of newborn pajamas and a sleep sack for Ariel, who I know is going to want a snooze very soon. She gives a few little fussy cries now, clearly hungry and not yet knowing how to communicate that desire down the bond.
“Poor daughter,” I sigh, changing her as fast as I can and then laying her down into Rafe’s old wheeled bassinet as I quickly change into something a little more comfortable and convenient for breastfeeding. “Just a minute, then we’ll get you settled.”
I do my very best to keep my word, making my way out of the closet in record time. I grin when I see that Sinclair is thanking one of the kitchen workers as they make their way out the door, having just delivered a cart full of food.
“Ah, Rafe’s favorite distraction,” I say, smiling at my mate and my son as I move to my nest and settle down in it, Ariel bundled cozily in my arms. ” Food!”
“He’s a hungry boy,” Sinclair says, smiling as Rafe does indeed reach for the tray, almost wiggling out of his dad’s arms as he does. “But half of this is for you!”
“Oh!” I say, genuinely surprised, and then I laugh and shake my head at myself, because of course I would forget to eat, so distracted am I by my love for my family. But I lean back against the pillows and tug my shirt up, getting a fussy Ariel ready for her second feeding before I think about feeding myself.
“Yes,” Sinclair murmurs, handing Rafe his favorite a slice of apple and wheeling the cart over to me. “I figured you would forget to eat.”
“I’m going to be forgetting a lot of stuff over the next week or so,” I murmur, relaxing back as Ariel latches and smiling down at her. “You’re going to be on overdrive, monitoring the nation as well as me.”
“Best duty I ever had,” he sighs, getting Rafe set up in the little pop-up highchair that we keep in the corner of the room, moving it close to me and setting some snacks out before him. I turn my head to smile at my son, glad that he’s close too.
“Do you think Ariel’s going to keep Rafe up all night?” I ask, suddenly curious. “She’s going to be up every couple of hours – ”
“Ella,” Sinclair says, interrupting my train of thought as he sits on the side of the bed and places a hand on my knee. ” I want to talk about all of that, of course. But you really, really need to tell me more about what happened when you were visited by the Dark God.”
“Oh,” I say, looking up at him with a little sadness in my face. Because it’s not that it’s left my mind precisely – I just…was really enjoying ignoring that and basking in the happiness of this moment.
“I know,” he sighs, leaning forward to stroke my face with his palm. “But it’s been killing me, my love. Please.”
“All right,” I reply, nodding, knowing that he needs to hear it all. And so I take a deep breath and launch into the tale.
