by Holly Rayner
Darian nodded, hesitating at the doorway.
“Rachelle…” he began, but Mani arrived at the door, interrupting him.
“Your Highness, your cousin is on the line. He has some news.”
Darian nodded, waving to Rachelle before making his exit. Her world had been so full for just a moment, and now Rachelle sat in an empty space. She still felt more full of love and life than she had since getting the news that she was pregnant. Even though she was alone physically, her children and Darian would be there when she awoke.
Her heart sank a little, then.
Darian could return back to Zaradi. They had just found each other, and he had just realized that he would be a father, before being the most amazing partner she could ask for to be with her during labor. He was outstanding in every way, but they hadn’t had the time or ability to consider what they would do now that he was free to go home.
Would he want to go back? Would he want her to come with him? Perhaps they would have to stay in the States for a while longer. Could she bear to be separated from him after just finding him again? And how safe was Zaradi, moments after the end of a military invasion?
Her mind overloaded with questions and, exhausted and overwhelmed, Rachelle sank back into her hospital bed, falling into a medicated sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
A few days later, the new family was given the green light to head home.
Darian was cradling three of their children—Logan, Tawil, and Zyla—while Rachelle was strapping the other two boys and girl—Riyad, Connor, and Sara—into one of the triplet strollers. Over the past couple of days, they hadn’t had much time to chat about things other than immediate needs. They had six surprise children and nothing to clothe them in, no cribs for them to sleep in, none of it. Darian had made quick work of securing all of their needed items, including a very large SUV that could fit them all.
Rachelle had tried to bring up what they would do after their hospital stay ended, but something always seemed to interrupt. They never seemed to have enough time.
“All right, everyone’s ready. Why don’t I go grab us a quick lunch before we head out? We’re going to need our strength if we’re going to survive this without the nurses!”
Rachelle laughed.
“You’ve got that right. Lunch sounds perfect; thank you.”
Darian nodded with a smile as he nearly skipped out the door. Rachelle had never realized how much he had always wanted children. He had brought it up during one of the many feedings, though he hadn’t had time to elaborate, as an emergency diaper change situation presented itself.
The babies slept peacefully in their strollers as Rachelle straightened the area around her, making sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. Not that she had arrived with much. Mani came in, then, with a box in his hands and a mournful expression.
“Mani? What’s the matter?” she asked.
He handed her the box without a word, and she took it, her expression deeply confused. Sitting on the bed, she opened the lid to find a series of unopened letters.
“You must understand, I had to protect him and uphold my duty. Any correspondence would have put him in danger. When he gave them to me to deliver, I simply kept them in the trunk of the car and let him believe that the embassy was holding them.”
Rachelle stared. There had to be at least a hundred letters stacked away that Darian had written to her. Her eyes were watery when she looked back up at Mani.
“But he was able to send something to the embassy. That’s how I found him.”
Mani nodded.
“That was the only permitted communication. You finding us was an accident that frankly shouldn’t have happened. We were meant to be totally locked down until further notice. Your tenacity, however, circumvented all of it.”
Rachelle wasn’t sure if he was more annoyed or impressed. He took a step back.
“You have my apologies for the deception, though I will never apologize for doing whatever it took to protect Sheikh Darian. I have known him all his life, you see, and I would give mine for him in a heartbeat.”
Rachelle processed his words. As angry as she wanted to be, knowing that they could have been communicating the entire time that she had felt so lost and alone, Mani’s motives were pure. She knew that he had been doing his job and what he had to do to ensure Darian’s safety.
“I forgive you,” she said.
Mani nodded, leaving her alone with the envelopes and her children. After he left, she made short work of tearing the first one open. At least Mani had been organized. She could tell they were arranged by date, the first one dated not long after the siege. Rachelle unfolded the paper and began to read.
My Dear Rachelle,
I am trapped in a safe house now, far away from Zaradi. I can’t tell you where I am, because that would endanger you as well as myself. Please do know that I am safe and well cared for, and that I made it out alive. I desperately hope that you did, too. I was told you were brought to the American embassy, but other than that, I have no knowledge of what happened to you.
How could this have happened? I’ve thought about our last moment together so many times, thinking of how much better I could have handled it. I should have held you and kissed you and taken you with me. I should have told the guards that you were under my protection. Instead, I let them take you from me, and now I don’t know if you are dead or alive.
This is pure agony.
You must know, if you get this, that I love you. I know it’s crazy, and I know our time together was so short, but you are the most amazing woman I have ever met in my entire life. There is no one like you, Rachelle. I would give anything to have you here with me, as I stare out at this blank wall of nothingness.
Please know that I am safe, that I love you, and when this is all over I will come find you. I hope you feel the same. The other night, I dreamed we were back on my balcony watching the stars together. Perhaps we will do so again, someday soon.
Until then, I remain yours truly,
Darian
Rachelle cried as she read through a few more letters, and when Darian entered the room, his eyes darkened with concern as he saw her crying.
“Rachelle? What is it?”
He walked over, and she gestured to the pile of letters in her lap. Wiping her eyes with a tissue, she gave him a watery smile.
“Mani kept your letters to protect you. He just delivered them to me, with an apology.”
Darian approached her, taking one of the letters in his hand and staring down at it.
“That stinker. We could have saved so much heartache if he’d delivered these.”
“You know why he couldn’t,” Rachelle said, though she shared his sentiment.
Darian shrugged, sitting on the bed next to her.
“I guess.”
“I love you, Darian.”
His eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at her.
“You do?”
Rachelle laughed.
“Are you seriously asking me that? I just drove halfway across the country while eight months pregnant to track you down.”
“Well, yes, but I assumed a big part of that might have just been for the sake of the babies…”
He glanced down, then back up at her.
“I wasn’t sure if you really felt the same way I did. I mean, we spent such a short amount of time together.”
“And yet, here we are,” she replied with a smile.
He ran his fingers through her hair, his eyes filled with adoration as he glanced back to the letters.
“You’ve done a bit of reading, so now you know just how much I desperately love you, too. I promise you, Rachelle, I promise that I will be here for you and our children for the rest of our lives. Forever.”
He leaned down and kissed her then, deeply. Months of fear and stress and heartache poured out from them, transforming into nothing but warm, heartfelt love.
One of the babies began to fuss, and Dari
an pulled back.
“Looks like it’s time to go. Are you ready for our next adventure?”
She gazed up at him with adoration in her eyes, her heart filled to the brim.
“With you by my side, I’m ready for anything.”
Epilogue
“To a new era in advertising!”
“Hear, hear!”
Rachelle blushed as Darian raised a glass of champagne in front of the entire advertising agency. Everyone cheered for Rachelle as they took a sip, and she smiled graciously at the group.
“I can’t thank you all enough for your kindness in accepting me into this firm. Six months ago, if you’d told me I’d be living in Zaradi, launching a new branch of VELO media, all while being the mother of six children, I would have never believed you!”
There was a general chuckle around the room.
“But, being here, helping to rebuild after the terrible events of the past, is a gift beyond measure. So, thank you for letting me be a part of your company and a part of your lives. Cheers!”
More cheers rang out as the office celebrated the opening of an international marketing branch, to be headed up by Rachelle, with some help from Darian. As the celebration wound down, a sense of urgency to get back to work swept over the room, and the area thinned out until Rachelle and Darian were the only two left.
Darian peeked back at the door, aware that they were visible. He leaned against the table next to her, staring out at the office.
“Well done, Chief Executive Officer Smith.”
Rachelle shot him a sideways glance.
“You’re sure I didn’t snag that role just because I’m the mother of your children?”
Darian looked mildly offended at her comment.
“I would never! You are a talent who has risen to the status of shining star in a very short amount of time. Anyone in their right mind would put you in charge of this position, and I’m sure everyone here appreciates your knowledge and candor.”
Rachelle took a breath.
“I hope so. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to really apply myself.”
“You’ve got this. You’re going to do amazing, just like you do at everything else.”
Rachelle smiled up at him then, wishing they were anywhere else but the office so she could kiss him silly. He seemed to have the same line of thinking, because he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room, as he so often had a habit of doing.
“There’s just one more thing I wanted to show you,” he said.
Rachelle chuckled.
“That sounds pretty ominous.”
“When am I ever ominous?”
Rachelle rolled her eyes. They made their way out of the office, and she was surprised to see that a town car was already waiting for them outside his office building.
Before returning to Zaradi, Darian had been informed that the palace had been completely destroyed. Saddened by this, he made quick work of finding a manor house for them to live in and an office building for his employees, who would also be returning from the evacuation. He chartered them a private jet ride home, and the couple spent the first few months setting up their new home to suit a family of eight.
It was one of the happiest times of Rachelle’s life. Darian worked on rebuilding the company infrastructure while taking time off to relax with the children, both of them getting up during the night for feedings and changings. They lived in a general state of exhaustion, though the fact that it was filled with love eased the pain of it.
After a few months, both of them were itching to get back into the full swing of marketing, and Darian offered her a place at his work table as a guest. She quickly became a company favorite, working fast to land another international account they had been toiling over for months, within a week.
“You are amazing! I’ve never seen anyone negotiate like that!”
Rachelle’s new assistant, Nina, was nearly star-struck by her, and Rachelle hoped that they would someday develop the kind of relationship she’d had with Phoebe (who had, in her absence, been promoted within the marketing team). Rachelle had sent her a very large congratulatory bouquet of flowers.
Rachelle reminisced on those wonderful memories even as she tried to puzzle out just what Darian was up to. The town car wound its way through battered streets, the damage still palpable as Zaradi worked to rebuild a new future. The car made its way back to their manor home, and Rachelle lifted an eyebrow at Darian.
“We’re taking a half day at work?” she asked.
Darian nodded.
“Something like that. Come on!”
He was as excited as a little boy on Christmas morning, and Rachelle happily laced her fingers with his as he guided her up their front steps. When he opened the door, Rachelle stepped inside after him. He stepped aside, and when she looked up, she saw an amazing sight.
All six of their babies were circled around the main entrance, each one holding a sign. Well, some of them were holding a sign. Others were chewing on theirs, baby drool dripping down the length of the white paper. In spite of this, the message was presented loud and clear.
Rachelle, will you marry me, please?
Rachelle’s hand darted to her mouth as she held back a joyful sob. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at Darian, but he wasn’t there. Glancing down, she found him on one knee, his eyes filled with hope.
“Rachelle, you have given me the greatest blessings a man can hope for in his life. You have given me love and a family to call my own, and you are the business partner I couldn’t have even dreamed of, on top of it all. I love you, and if you are willing, I would love to call you my wife.”
Rachelle stared at the enormous sapphire ring he held out to her as tears streaked down her cheeks.
“Yes, of course!” she cried, and Darian stood, swinging her around in his arms as they kissed and laughed.
Darian’s parents entered the room then, both of them smiling broadly as they congratulated the happy couple. The babies crawled over to the happy group, demanding to be picked up, which they all did, saddling as many babies as they could each hold.
“I can’t believe this!” Rachelle gushed.
“Believe it, my dear, and welcome to our family. We are indebted to you already for providing us with so many grandchildren at once! We never thought we’d be lucky enough to see one, much less six!”
Rachelle laughed as Darian protested.
“Come on now, I wasn’t that hopeless!”
Darian’s mother rolled her eyes, giving Rachelle a meaningful glance.
“In any case, you may continue with your proposal, my son. The babies are well cared for tonight.”
Rachelle glanced up curiously at her fiancé, who grinned down at her.
“Thank you, Mother. We will plan on seeing you all in the morning.”
“Enjoy yourselves,” she said, waving them off as Darian and Rachelle kissed their babies before Darian whisked her right out the door once again.
“Where are you taking me now?” Rachelle asked, breathless.
She was skipping through Tara with her new fiancé, and their children would be taken care of for the entire afternoon and into the night! It was so rare when they got time alone together outside of work, that Rachelle was giddy at the sensation of not having to worry about being a parent for a moment.
“You’ll see,” he said, maintaining his mystery no matter how many times she asked.
They hopped back into the car, which drove into the heart of the city once again. As they approached the area of the convention center, Rachelle glanced out the window.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been this way,” she said.
Darian nodded.
“Luckily, this part of town remained largely undamaged. Especially the important part.”
The car pulled over along the side of the road, and Darian opened the door, the two of them stepping out to face the Ferris wheel they had ridden so long ago. Rachelle laughed.
“Y
ou’re recreating our first date, aren’t you?”
“Was it a date?” he asked, mischief in his eyes.
Rachelle chuckled, lacing her fingers with his as they approached the amusement ride. Seeing Darian, the attendant nodded to them as they sat in the open-air booth once again.
“Scared?” Darian asked, looking down at her.
Snuggling into him and holding him tight, she shook her head.
“With you here? Never.”
The booth began to rock as the wheel made its turn, the city presenting itself to them as they reached the top. There was much work left to be done, repairs were underway, and many changes had taken place since the royal family had returned.
Rachelle sighed, resting her head against Darian’s shoulder.
“What is it? Missing the babies?”
“A little,” Rachelle admitted.
She could feel Darian’s smile against the crown of her head.
“Me, too.”
They went around a few times, enjoying the peace and quiet of being together without having to jump up to keep a baby from harm’s way. Once they had all started crawling, all of the couple’s resting time had disappeared, and the babies would be walking soon, which would be even more of a workout.
As the wheel lowered once again, Darian opened the door.
“Time to move on,” he said.
Rachelle placed a finger on her bottom lip, remembering.
“Okay, so now we get to see if the fountain park is still functioning?”
“You think I didn’t do my homework before our engagement day?”
Rachelle laughed.
“Are engagements typically a daylong celebration in Zaradi?”
“They are when they involve me,” Darian replied, placing her hand on his forearm as he escorted them both to the fountains, which were spouting up in the late afternoon sun.
Rachelle had taken a bit of time to adapt to the desert heat, but she enjoyed the sun on her skin, the desert breeze easing the sting of its rays ever so slightly. She splashed Darian before running off, and squealed when she felt his hands around her waist, pulling her back to him. Turning in the circle of his arms, she barely had a moment to take a breath before he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, rocking her gently in the sunlight.