The Royal Romance - The Valtoria Diaries

A fine specimen

"Okay... just keep going... a few more steps..." Jen was leading a blindfolded Maxwell into the entrance hall of Valtoria, and it was proving to be an amusing but satisfactory experience so far.

"This is so annoying! Now I know why you always want to peek..."

"There will be no peeking! Right, I just need you to wait here for a couple more minutes while I.. prepare something..." She laughed with the anticipation of his reaction. "Christopher will make sure you don't look while I'm gone, won't you, Christopher?"

Christopher had just appeared. "Your Graces. I trust you had an enjoyable Christmas break in Lythikos."

"We did, Christopher, and as you can see, it's time for Maxwell to see his Christmas present from me! So if you wouldn't mind supervising him for a moment while I... deal with the final touches.." She looked at Christopher enquiringly.

"Ah. Something else came for you....."

"Where is it?"

"Just in the first room on the left."

"I'm on it," said Jen, and dashed off in the direction Christopher had pointed, chuckling to herself. Sure enough, on arriving in the small room that Christopher used as an office type base, she spotted a parcel addressed to her. She ripped it open and let out a little shriek of glee. Closing the door of the room for a moment, she quickly changed outfits; the tights took a little while to negotiate, but her costume change was soon complete. There was no mirror in here, but she took a quick (s)elfie... yes, that was perfect.

She trotted out, making sure her hat was on straight, and tried not to giggle at Christopher's reaction to her attire.

"Very good, Your Grace."

"It is, isn't it?" she said, doing a spin.

"Quite. Should I.. ah.. leave the two of you to it?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Christopher. I think Chance could do with a quick walk after being cooped up in the car all the way from Lythikos, if you don't mind."

"Of course," said Christopher, bowing to them both and making himself scarce.

Jen giggled. "I love that he still bowed to you even though you can't see him."

"Wait, what's that jingling sound?" Maxwell asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased.

"Yes, actually, I would, because I'm now getting a teensy bit impatient.."

"Babe, you were a teensy bit impatient ten minutes ago. You're now at the stage where you probably can't remember what patience feels like." She leant in for a cheeky kiss. "Okay. Ready?"

"Uh, I could go for another one of those kisses first, if I'm completely honest.."

She obliged, allowing his hands to explore her a little as they kissed again.

"Hang on, what are you wearing?"

She laughed. "Go on. Have a look."

He threw off the blindfold. "Oh my god, Jen. You actually.."

"Yup, I was straight on to Amazon after our picnic conversation," she giggled. "Ta-dah. You now have your very own little Christmas elf!"

His face was a picture. "And somehow this prospect is even better than I imagined..."

She kissed him again, playfully, and laughed as he jingled the bell on the end of her hat. "Reminds me of the jester hat."

She giggled, reminded of that day. "Aw. My court jester."

"My Apple Queen," he sighed. "I still don't know how I got so lucky."

"By being you," she smiled.

"Well, this is a great present," he said, his gaze on her costume still.

She laughed again. "I feel like we've had this exchange before, but this is not your present.."

"It's not?"

"Nope. I just thought I'd dress up for the occasion. That is your present." She pointed triumphantly to the massive fish tank on the back wall of the entrance hall which she had no idea how he hadn't noticed yet.

He stared ahead for a few seconds. "You got me... a squid?"

"Yup! I know Chance is cute and all that, and Lenny and Lucy are fun, as are the peacocks.... But I just thought you should have one of these fellas to add to our menagerie. After all, this hallway has quite a House Beaumont theme to it already, don't you think, with the statue, and the sword.."

He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up, spinning her around furiously. "You. Are. The. Best. And. I. Love. You. So. Much!"

Giggling as he released her from the lift, she ended up collapsing into him as she reconnected with the ground, and they kissed again. She got the impression that he liked it.

When they finally drew back apart, he rushed over to the tank. "He's a fine specimen!"

"He comes with very strict care instructions. But Christopher and his team have got all that covered. Obviously, it's up to you if you want to help out with it all!"

"Has he got a name?"

"Nope, I thought you might like to do the honours there."

"Can I put my squid statue that you got me from Lythikos in his tank to keep him company?"

"Uh... I guess so?"

"Can you imagine the look on everyone's faces when they see him when they come to the party?"

"I'm sure you will have lots of fun showing him off to everyone.."

"You do realise that you've now completely upstaged my Christmas gifts to you, don't you..?"

"Being married to you is the best gift any girl could ever have, Maxwell. I really mean that."

He looked as if he was welling up. "This is..."

"Come here," she said, dragging him into a warm and comforting hug. "Anyway, Christmas isn't over yet... I'm sure you can show me just how grateful you are in other ways..."

"I'm suddenly really glad to be home," he said. "Don't get me wrong, I know we had some fun in Lythikos.."

She raised her eyebrows, memories of the fun they'd had on the vanity table in their guest room still refreshingly fresh in her mind.

"But I like having you all to myself."

"Well, now we're home, I thought we could have a couple of days just hanging out together upstairs in our new Christmas pyjamas, watching some Christmas movies..." She drew herself into him.

He looked at her as if in a trance. "Sounds... inviting...."

"And then I'm guessing you'll want to get on with planning the New Year's Eve party?"

"Oh! Yes! We need to make sure everything is perfect for that..." His revived expression soon transformed into a smirk. "But that can wait a few more days."

"You know, I never used to know what to do with myself on these funny nothing days between Christmas and New Year," Jen said. "But, this year, I'm full of ideas."