His Little Heir

Golden Hellos and Goodbyes

      Before sunrise, Daya awoke to a packed suitcase and a started car. Austin had somehow fallen asleep, but giggling, she recalled that was how he dealt with most of his problems. Of course, he would address them, but not without his "essential problem solving rest." As she passed Austin's bedroom door, she felt compelled to linger there, to say something meaningful. No words would come. Daya twisted the knob, but a hand rested on her shoulder, and the head from the same being went left to right. Don hurried her along. Queen of Aspin, Laura, and its king, Benard, stood at the door. Mid embrace, her father snapped his fingers. The words "Hurry up" grinded from his clenched teeth.
    
     "Tell Austin, that I-I said goodbye." Daya's voice was weak from crying, and her body exhausted.
    
      Laura sighed, "Sweetie, no matter what happens, you are always, always welcome here. Anything you need.."
    
      Tears began to trickle down her face again, and all she could do was mouth "Thank you" before Don took her hand, and whisked her away. To heaven or hell, she didn't know.

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     He handed her a pillow and blanket, stroked her hair, and insisted that she got some rest. The airport was almost two hours away. They both knew what the day entailed, but even with the lulling pur of the car's engine, neither could sleep. Daya busied herself with low spirits dancing in and out of her brain, and swiftly dreaming up their rebuttals.
    
     Don filled his time with prayers: both for Quishea' and his daughter, but nothing seemed to net any hope. He had reduced himself to this... this despicable practice of trading another's security for his own. He despised himself, and it had begun to be a challenge to look into Daya's eyes. He had to be strict, he had to be strong. Her life depended on it.

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     After groggily walking to the door of the private jet, Daya awarded herself with some breakfast. A peice of toast would be enough to keep her going, or at least, she thought it was. Stress and nausea had got the best of her. And there she knelt, in the back of the plane, losing the only thing she had eaten that morning.

     "Daya, you should go lay down in the back." Her father stood above her, and held back the strands of hair sticking to her face.
    
     Upon the sickness leaving her, she leaned up against the cabin wall.
    
     "No dad, I'm fine, really."
    
     He raised an eyebrow.
    
     "Dad, I'm okay. Does mom know?"
   
     "I called her a few minutes ago."
    
     "And?"
    
     "She isn't very happy."
     
     Daya snorted, taking in the small victory: "That makes two of us."
    
      "I'm not happy about this either, but it has to be done, sweetheart. Just think about all the pain you will be saving Quishea' from, everyone from."
    
     "And I'll be taking all of it."
     "No... no. I'm sorry about last night, I had just gotten off the phone with King Leon, I was agitated-"
    
     "You treated me like trash, Dad," Daya's word seeped into his skin like daggers.
 
       "I... I know. I'm sorry, Daya. I really am."
    
      "Then why do you keep to using me as a bargaining chip? First Aspin, and now Fashad!"
 
         "Aspin, I did for you. I wanted you and Austin to have a marriage where you didn't have to worry about stand ins stabbing you in the back. Where you could have a normal relationship!"
    
      "Normal? In our lives?"
Both shined flashing smiles for only a minute, as animosity returned.
    
    "But, Fashad, Dad, how could you?" Her eyes flooded, but Daya bit her lip, standing her ground."
    
    "I did what I had to do!" Don bit back.
    
    "Using your daughter to save yourself, is that what needed to be done?"
    
      "Daya... I know what it looks like. And if it were just me and your mom in trouble here, we would send you off to Aspin so fast if it meant you were safe and happy. But it's not just us. It's all of Quishea', and as much as I love you, your subjects-"
 
        "Always come before you."
    
      Don smiled, and extended his hand to stabilize his daughter. "That's my girl."
    
     "Hey Dad?"
    
     "Yeah?"
    
      "Why do the Fayes hate us?"
    
      He opened his mouth, and shut it, "I-I don't know, sweetie."

     Daya yawned as she sank into the twin bed. "I guess, I'll find out."

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     After a three day flight ( the first nine of those hours being a well deserved nap), three hours of preparing, and two missed calls from Austin, Daya and her father stood on the inside of Faye castle's gates. Guards immediately surrounded the pair and it's entourage, and wordlessly led them inside of the structure. Fashad was much colder than Quishea' and Aspin, but what it lacked in temperature, it made up for in style. The interior was vastly decorated in shining gold and white, with the occasional black, grey, or silver piece of decor peeking through. Her golden dress, uncoincidentally, joined the castle in shimmering. It hugged Daya's curves, dipped slightly in the bust and, most importantly,  multiple layers gave the skirt shape, but just enough to allow ample movement. Her father, in turn, sported a suit with matching golden cuffs and tie.
   
       As they rounded the corner, the guards enclosing the party scattered, moving towards the walls. All took inventory on where they were left: the throne room.
    
    And sitting on the golden chair, was the man who would make or break the rest of her life.
    
     Leon Faye.

     And all she could so was curtsey.

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NINE HUNDRED FOURTY ONE WORDS LATER! I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I put so much work into it. I know, my writing isn't that great, but I like what I've 'attempted' to do with this so far. Thank you for reading! 💜