so why'd you have to rain on my parade?

       

I'm shaking my head. I'm locking the gates.

The appearance of the Italian King snapped all of Samantha's attention out of her own thoughts, though the anxiety certainly did not dissipate that easily. In fact, it wasn't until Dorian's gesture to her feet made her notice the thick black curls that wrapped their way around her limbs. Samantha jolted, the shadows disappearing in a blink as though they were never there in the first place. Sheepishly, Samantha rubbed her arm where the shadow had begun to wrap around her limb, rubbing away the goosebumps it had left behind. Ah, another instance of her powers running away from her! What a change it was from the girl she'd been just months prior who could wield her affinities with none of these embarrassing hiccups. Now, they had the nasty habit of doing whatever they wanted, which was quite troublesome.

Still, Samantha offered no explanation for the smokey darkness she had accidentally allowed into the home of the Italian Monarch, lest Dorian feel the need to call guards to guarantee the safety of his home. Instead, the young woman dropped into a clumsy curtsy as she greeted him in some attempt to break the ice that had developed between them from years of estrangement. Her own actions had led to this rocky, awkward relationship. Dorian's amused expression forced a mirrored one on her own features as she straightened, her fingers playing with the fabric of her skirt. "You're the one that taught me that you curtsy to royalty," She mused, her own chuckle matching the soft-hearted one from her companion.

Samantha straightened for a moment, standing quietly as Dorian observed her. There was no hiding her pregnancy, nor the lack of the metal band on a certain finger. Still, Samantha allowed the man to take in the full extent of her, her heart sinking when the small frown crossed his features. The question she so expected crossed his lips then, and Samantha couldn't help the guilty smile that spread across her flushed cheeks. Ah, exactly as she had expected. Though Samantha herself grew up in the twenty-first century, Dorian was very much a product of his time and a girl like Samantha... Samantha could only imagine the way that Dorian would panic if she knew the amount of times the red-headed fae woman had sought out the company of a man she was certainly not married to. The Italian King would so likely drop dead of a heart attack.

Quietly, Samantha confirmed that she was certainly not married, just the way that her left hand gave away. "If it makes you feel better," Samantha said as she moved to settle onto a couch opposite Dorian's chair. "The father and I are together, and quite happily. I imagine he'll make an honest woman out of me someday." Samantha's tone was meant to be joking, and yet the adoration that she felt for the father of her child certainly was present on her features. She hadn't expected to have such a connection to Kit, and yet Samantha felt as though the room was brighter and the world lighter when he entered the room. For a moment, Samantha let her mind wander to the handsome, dark haired fae as she scanned the room, only one face jerking her from her daydreams. In fact, Samantha had entirely forgotten the relation between Dorian and the green-eyed man that stared back at her. The tiniest hint of an ache settled in her chest, and yet it wasn't nearly as much as she would have expected. Aiden's image hardly sparked the sadness it had this time last year. What a change a year could make.

Dorian's voice snapped Samantha's attention back to the real reason she was here, followed by the flurry of emotion she felt coming from her own womb. Being able to sense her own child would likely be a dream when the child was a newborn, but for now it seemed odd. Still, it focused Samantha on the real reason she was here. "I'm... I'm really good," Samantha replied, lifting her gaze away from the photos and up to meet the gaze of her formerly closest friend. "I... I moved back to Sacrosanct." Samantha reached up, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I... I mean I'm obviously..." She gestured a hand over her stomach. "I'm pregnant, and it's a very, very good thing. I'm..." She offered him a small smile, one that quickly spread across her features. "I'm happy for the first time since I left. I feel safe and comfortable and..."

Samantha trailed off, temporarily lost in her train of thoughts. "But I'm here for two reasons. Err... well, three. I guess. One..." Samantha's smile faded just a tiny bit. "Is because I can't apologize enough for leaving and continuing to stay away. Your friendship is so important to me. And I hope that you'll be willing to allow me the chance to salvage it." Samantha paused for a moment, giving herself enough time to consider her next words. "Two," Samantha continued, her fingers picking at the hem of her dress. Her next two proposals were both ones that would crush her if he rejected them, and yet Samantha wouldn't blame him one bit if he pushed her away. "I was hoping that perhaps you had a job available. I'd... I'd make a good personal assistant or planner or... whatever you needed, really." Truly, Samantha knew she would be fine without a job. But her request this time was purely for selfish reasons. She wanted to be closer to Dorian, to have an excuse to see him every day and to build up the friendship that she had shattered years ago. She needed to have Dorian in her life, in her child's life. She was certain that the absence of it would break her heart.

"Third," Samantha said finally, her gaze locking on the eyes of the Italian King. "Third, I was hoping that you would do me the honor of being her godfather."

this is why we can't have nice things

       

Samantha Cassidy