Chapter 408

I look seriously up into my father's green eyes, my stomach tuming over with anxiety.

"Never, ever," my father growls, "let a man raise his voice at you like that again. Do you hear me?" I can hear the anger rolling in him now - anger that I can tell he's been tucking away for my sake.

Tears spring to my eyes suddenly, even as they go even wider with surprise. Because that? I was not expecting that.

"What?" I breathe, totally confused.

Dad continues to look into my eyes as if this is the most serious thing he's ever communicated to me. "Remember who you are, Ariel Sinclair. And it's beyond the fact that you are my daughter, and that you're goddess-bom, and that you're a Princess of this nation - all of which are things that should scare the living daylights out of any man who thinks he can talk to you like that."

My mouth starts to wobble dangerously as my dad continues, his voice growing ever softer and more dangerous.noveldrama

"No, Ariel," he growls, "even if you were the lowest bom girl in this nation, even if you weren't lucky enough to have a whole family to stand behind you in support? You, Ariel? You are magnificent. A creature of grace and light. Brilliant and beautiful, bold and kind-worthy of respect from every person who is lucky enough to cross your path. You have to remember that, daughter, and not accept any less - not from your mate, and certainly not from some angry boy. So don't you ever let him raise his voice to you, ever again."

Dad snarls the last words, and drops my chin, even as two tears start to roll down my cheeks. We take a long moment, just staring at each other, and I have to admit - I'm shocked to my core. Because even though I know that my dad loves me never doubted that, not a moment in my life....I didn't know he saw me like that.

"All right, trouble?" he murmurs, raising his hand again and using his thumb to quickly wipe my tears away. "No more crying over this. Just...remember, okay?"

"Okay," I whisper.

And dad gives me his patented Sinclair smirk, and a nod, turning towards the door. "Ten minutes!" he calls, his powerful voice booming out as his eyes flick over me. "Put on some shoes and meet us down the hall."

I laugh a little, looking down at my stockinged feet, and then over at Daphne as dad leaves. To my surprise, Daphne's just smiling at me, wiping at the tears that slide down her own cheeks. "That was really nice," she squeaks. "He's.....he's really nice to you."

"Aw, Daph!" I cry out, running over to her and wrapping her up in my arms, remembering that she doesn't have a dad - that he died when she was much younger. Hearing my dad say that stuff...well. It probably makes her think of the things her own dad never got to say. "You can share mine, he's big enough for both of us."

"I might take you up on that," she says, laughing and sniffing. But then she pulls away and squares her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Okay, Sinclair. Let's get you some shoes."

I grin at my friend and nod, leading her over to the shoe closet where I keep my trove. Nine minutes later - and I credit Daphne alone with keeping us on time - we scurry out of my room. Our boots click loud on the tiles as I push my braid back over my shoulder, hurrying out of the private Royal suite, down the hall to where the serious conference rooms are. I don't even worry about my crown falling off my head, because I figured out a trick a couple of years ago where if I loop my hair up and over the back of it before I braid it, it effectively holds it in place until I take my hair down. Convenient and chic - but solutions to princess problems I know are mine and Juniper's alone.

I stop beside a nondescript door and push it open, knowing that this antechamber is where my family and friends will gather. It connects to the largest of the conference rooms.