Chapter 19: Party for a Princess

Holding the door open and putting his arm out for her to loop hers. They left the room with her carrying the gift and a joy in their step. All thoughts of the horrible nightmare gone for the time being. They walked down the hall and down the stairs to the party. The ball room was filled with people dressed in bright colors and lovely flowers in the ladies hair. Beautiful pink, blue and yellow dresses made of fine cotton and silk. The flowers adorning their hair matched the lovely dresses. They entered the room saying hello and chatting politely with a few of the gentlemen. The ladies bid a fond hello to Atona, and admired how charming she looked with her radiant pregnancy glow, and the beautiful dress. They asked where she got her dress, and the usual small talk.

Soon a new melody was played as the charming birthday girl was brought in by her parents. She was dressed in a lovely pink dress, that was full of ruffles and lace. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a fancy ponytail that could only be Andrianna's handy work. Andrianna often wore her hair that exact way. Her mother proudly put her down, and let her wander to her grandmother and give a warm kiss and hug. The little girl was full of fun and smiles.

Her mother was dressed in a matching pink dress and her dark hair was pulled back in a wispy knot. The little wisps were elegantly curled to match the shape of the knot. Her eyes sparkled with the love of her family and her daughter. She stood tall and proud as her husband cleared his throat getting ready to speak.

"I would like to take this moment to Thank all of you for coming to this wonderful party. Also for making us feel welcome, and a part of the family. Our daughter has enjoyed staying here, just as much as her mother and Aunt did when they were children. I am sorry that I have not gotten the chance to meet all of you. I have been busy making trade arrangements between the King and our country and also making some nice negotiations with the Dwarven community. Thank You everyone for the decorations, gifts, and making us feel at home." He said. Taking his wives hand he led her to the dance floor. His eyes sparkled with love as he looked at her. But there was something else in those eyes that Atona just couldn't put her finger on.

Just like Jaden those eyes held mystery and dark secrets. She was beginning to wander if her helping with the negotiations between the two countries was a good thing after all. It was really beginning to get to her. All this second guessing what she was doing. She was going to be happy when she had the baby and things went back to normal. Even though she knew that her life would never again be normal. Or anywhere near normal, she knew she was going to be happy with her child, and Ambien by her side. Her adventuring might have just come to a halt, but there was something in the back of her mind that kept tickling at her that she just couldn't get rid of.

"Darling, would you like to dance? I know how much you enjoy having me to yourself on the dance floor. " He whispered in her ear.

"I was beginning to think you would never ask." She said grinning. Trying hard to mask her face of the troubling thoughts she was having. She knew it wouldn't work very well. Ambien knew her better than anyone, but it didn't seem he was really paying attention tonight. It would be better if she could just control this shaking.

"Are you cold darling? You seem to be shaking all over." Ambien asked as he held her close.

"No, I'm not sure what is wrong. I must need something to eat. My body just started shaking. I hope nothing is wrong with the baby."

Jaden looked very handsome in the clothes he bought for the dance. His shirt matched her dress exactly. They were both dressed in fine yellow. Her favorite color, cause it reminded her of the sunshine even on cloudy days. He remembered her telling him that one evening during their strolls through the garden. They often snuck down to the garden when everyone else retired for the evening. To stroll through the garden looking at the flowers in the moonlight and talk. She was a beautiful woman, smart and funny too. Everything he had ever wanted in a woman.

She often reminded him of a delicate flower, until she would get angery. He watched her cuss like a sailor at a guard one day and fell in love with her even more. The only thing was the guard didn't know what hit him. He didn't even know what he had done wrong. He had changed shifts with one of the other guards only to find himself right in her way. She was carrying a basketful of bread to the kitchen and ran into him spilling the contents onto the ground. She was so angered that she cussed the guard, and told him just what she thought of his entire family tree in just the matter of a few minutes. Ever since that Jaden was smitten.

She had shown that she could handle herself and she was definitely not some delicate flower. She was a pretty good hand with a sword and magic too. She handled her self with grace and poise that even a cat falling from a roof would have a hard time imitating. The smell of jasmine wafted up to his nose and he realized he had been so deep in thought about her that he didn't hear what it was she was saying to him.

"Would you like to dance my blossom flower?" He asked. He called her that often just to watch her wrinkle her little nose in irritation at the name. Her eyes sparkled like the stars in the sky this evening but they were the color of the sea on a good clear day.

"I would love to. Please, stop calling me that ridiculous name. You know how much it bothers me." She hated being called anything delicate or precious. She was none of the above. She was out to prove to her family that just cause she was a princess didn't necessarily mean she was helpless. They had protected her and guarded her since she was a child. She had to beg her brother to teach her how to handle a sword and they found she was a natural at it. She learned some of the magic she knew from talking her mother into letting her learn some of the basics. Her mother didn't know that she had been sneaking the old spell books out of the library and reading and learning some of the spells within.

She knew it was dangerous to read spells that were beyond her level of casting. She often took the book to her friend Isabella that was learning wizardry from Weklern the Magic teacher at the school. Isabella would then tell her which ones to read and which ones to stay away from. They begun to weave their way onto the dance floor careful to not bump into anyone. They held each other close and looked into each others eyes and lost themselves to each other.

Atona walked over to where her mother sat holding her niece. A proud smile on her face and the shivers were gone. Ambien followed her worry etched across his face. He knew the baby should be coming any time now. Everything was in place he knew but he was both excited and scared. "Little one I had this made special for you." She said. Handing the girl the gift. Justine took the blade and let out a squeal of joy. She pulled the blade out very slowly looking at the runes and etchings. At the girls squeal her parents came running across the room. Her father took the blade from his daughter anger etched all over his face.

"How dare you give my daughter a blade for her birthday. She is three years old. She should be getting dolls and toys, not blades and knives. I can see that you are going to be some mother. You will probably abandon that baby just as soon as you can and run off. Just like you did to your sister." Jeremiah said angrily.

"Jeremiah, don't! You don't understand." Rozelle said, pleading with her eyes and voice.

"I beg your pardon. Young man I have no idea what it is that you think you are doing but this not the time or the place to be having a discussion such as this." Ambien said holding his temper tightly in control. He looked to Atona and seen the look he had seen so many times in those eyes. She was about to give this man a lesson he would never forget in polite company or not. He was about to open his mouth to say something when he noticed Jaden coming across the room shaking his head. Jaden was willing to let Atona have at his brother Ambien was willing to let it happen.

"It's like your wife is trying to tell you Jeremiah. You don't understand. It is our family tradition to give a blade for a birthday. It was my father who started this tradition with me and my loving sister. We both received a dagger on our third birthday and training on how to use it. Our father being the kind and just king he was thought his daughters needed to be able to defend themselves rather then be raped and pillaged by the kind society that we have. There are worse things out there in the world than murderers and thieves you see. There are monsters who rather eat a beautiful woman as to spit on them. And the sooner you wake up and see this the sooner you will be doing my niece a favor and teach her to protect herself. Her magic isn't always going to be able to protect her. There are not so savory characters out there that are immune to magic. And a magical blade is the only thing that will save her life. So please don't lecture me on being a proper parent to my child when you cannot even see the right thing to do with yours." At the mention of his daughters magical prowess his face went white. That told Atona that he didn't know his daughter could cast magic. Of course why would he know. Rozelle and her only found out a few months ago. But surely Rozelle had mentioned it to him. He took a step forward very menacingly and thrust the blade back into her hands.

"If my daughter can cast magic, then she will learn to use that as defense rather than a silly blade from her silly Aunt. We have traditions in our family to and one of them is not to let a lady talk so to a gentleman of the royal court." Jaden was shaking his head and looking at the floor. He knew his brother was way over his head now. There was no way that Jaden could save him from what was about to happen. Ambien was also powerless, they knew the consequences of stepping into this battle would be bad all around. They just stood back and watched. Atona pulled the dagger out of the sheath with one swift motion, and had him by the throat the next. The glistening steal was next to his delicate throat and pressed firmly enough to cause discomfort but not draw blood.

"You sir may be a member of a royal court, but however you were never taught any manners, or etiquette. With words like that it makes me think that you have a way with dealing with my sister that I would not approve of. If I should find out that I am right sir. I will run you through. I am very fond of your brother. I consider him close and a personal friend. But make no mistakes, family is a much stronger bond than friendship. I know my place in the court. You forget fine sir that I am older than you." She said. She then let him go and pulled the blade away from him. Put it back in its sheath, and handed it to her sister. "You make sure she gets this." She then stormed across the room, upstairs and to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. Ambien, and Jaden both followed her.

Rozelle looked at her husband with a great deal of sadness in her eyes. Her mother could see that she was being torn in two, between the man she loved and the sister she loved. "Rozelle give me the blade. I will take it to my house. You both can decide what to do then." Her mother said standing and pulling on her cover.

"No mamma. She is going to have the blade. It is what father would have wanted and Atona is right. She needs this blade just as much as she does her magic." Rozelle said picking up the little girl, the blade, and kissing her mother good night.

"Good Night darling. Hope you had a good birthday." Her mother told the girl as she kissed her goodnight.

"I did Grandma. But I'm awfully sleepy. Good Night." The little girl said waving as her mother carried her to the stairs.

"I believe I'm in trouble with my wife." Jeremiah said watching his wife and daughter leave.

"I believe you are. You should probably go and think on matters. You need to come to terms with some of your issues son. My girls are both strong willed just like their parents. They will not back down lightly. Rozelle will stand behind Atona with all she has. You have to remember son that they are all they have. Those girls have no other family to turn to. Other than the people in this very room. They have relied on each other for so long that they don't know how to not look after one another. And as for Atona leaving her sister. You have that backwards. Rozelle was the first to leave the valley. She went off to school, and met you. Atona left home to find adventure, and see the world. I knew that they wouldn't want to stay here forever. You must come to terms with the fact that your daughter won't want to either."

"I think I will go to the garden and think." He said.

"That sounds like a good idea, I'm going up to my room." She said heading across the room.