All Things Narry

The King's Princess

"Daddy, can we get ice cream on our way home?" The soft voice of Niall's almost five-year-old daughter was quiet but completely audible to his trained ear. He glances over at her, trying to not smile at her eyes doing the best puppy dog pout.

He searches those big blue eyes for a moment. A giant, dramatic sigh comes from him. "How can I say no to such a face?" He smiles and pulls his young daughter into his arms, rubbing her back. "Daddy only has a bit left to do and we can get going." He smiles at her, kissing her forehead. "Finish your coloring so we can hang it before I go." He murmurs and kisses her head again before letting her go to color. He turns back to the files and finds himself hurrying through them to get out of the office more quickly.

He was lucky that his boss let him come in on Saturdays to make up what he missed when leaving early because of Lily. He sets them in the outbox file and sighs. He turns in his chair to look at his brunette, pudgy child. This little girl was the light of his life, the reason for a lot of his happiness. He was lucky to have her.

Regardless of what happened with her mother.

He smiles as she focuses on her scribbling. He clears his throat, "You all done, princess?"

Her head snaps up and she looks at her father. "Yes daddy! Let's hang it up!" She brings it to him. Niall chuckles and he pins it next to the others she's drawn him and by her first school photo. "Daddy, daddy! Ice cream now, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes." He chuckles and tickles her, enjoying the sounds of her squealing and giggling.

She grabs his hand as they leave the office and that turns into her hugging his leg as he locks up before taking her hand again. Niall lets her skip as he walks next to her. How could her mum walk out on the two of them, he would never know. She was only a few months old and Niall was crushed... but he was more stressed out about how this would affect the tiny baby that now only relied on one person to care for her. Lily was the sweetest little girl and honestly, a perfect daughter.

Her mother was missing out and wouldn't have the privilege to be in Lily's life.

"Daddy! Here it is!" She claps her other small hand around the larger, calloused hand that was holding hers.

Her excited voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Yes darling. It is." He grins at his daughter who was squealing and bouncing in place, hand gripping his more tightly. Niall chuckles and sees the ice cream trolley at the entrance of Hyde Park. "What do you want?" He asks as he leads her closer.

She thinks, head resting against Niall's hip. "I think I want a drumstick, daddy." She nods and turns to press her face into his thigh before standing straight.

Niall nods and order the drumstick and orders himself a magnum. He lets go of Lily's hand just for a moment to get his wallet out and try to find the notes that are shoved behind the picture of Lily. Niall thanks the gentlemen and takes the ice creams from him. "All right, Lil-"

Every parent's nightmare... his brunette daughter is not at his side. His heart pounds so hard he can keep count of how many beats are happening. His stomach sinks, he feels sick. "Lily!" He yells out, glancing around quickly. He chucks the ice creams down and looks around again.

Niall tries to ignore the looks the other parents and children that are in line. He yells for her again before looking at the parents that are now holding their children closer to their sides. "Have ya seen her?" He can barely understand himself. His accent is coming out thick with the fear that is taking over his mind. "Smol, brown hair. Long. Blu' eyes. Wearing jean trousers and a pink jumper with a kit'en on it." He spits out as he walks backwards. All the parents shake their heads and Niall's starts a jog through the park, shouting Lily's name.