The Crown

Thirty.

The Crown

"Mama?!" Gabriella's eyes widened in shock as she ran towards her mother and embraced her. The feeling of being in her mother's arms once again will remain forever in her heart. "Mama, I thought you were dead, I never knew I would see you again."Gabriella cried tears of joy.

"I knew it was you, the second I saw your face in the newspaper I knew that it was my beautiful daughter." Manuel was happy to see Gabriella reunite with her mother again. After four years, four long years. Gabriella's patience and faith had earned her this.

After supper, Gabriella and her mother went for a stroll down the garden. The rain had stopped pouring, making places moist and cold. "I am so proud of the person you have become. You are engaged to the prince of Spain! When you were taken from me I never had that idea in my mind. I thought that you would be sold as a mistress, maid or taken to be a slave. But you have really surprised me, Gabriella. I prayed every day, I never stopped searching for you. Until one day the neighbours kept talking about the beautiful black girl that the prince was marrying. I bought the newspaper and came across your face. You were standing next to him with a smile on your face, and I know your smile because you received it from me. Oh, I leapt for joy, I cried and danced because my daughter was alive! I began packing my things. I quit farming and marketing and took a train to Madrid and that is why I am here so amazed because you are not only so beautiful and alive but you have made a great future for yourself, a wealthy future."

Gabriella hugged her mother again, for she missed being in her arms." I was taken to a trading and slaves auction where a beautiful girl bought me as her court maid. I served her for four years. Our relationship became a friendship. She was supposed to marry prince Manuel so I was helping her get closer to him by advising her. I do not know how things miraculously changed that prince Manuel and I started to get closer to each other. And within the month, he had feelings for me instead of Denissa. And because I had feelings for him as well, Denissa's jealousy ruined our friendship and she grew to hate me. The night of the Royal Ball was the most magical night for me. The prince told me that he loved me, he proposed to me and kissed me. It felt like I was floating in the air-

"Or walking on water?" Alba joked as the two laughed together. "But that is my story up to this point. Ooh! And mama, he loves me so much. I never knew I was capable of being loved until I met him, he challenged me and proved me wrong."Alba grabbed her daughter's hand. "And do you love him as much as he loves you?" Alba asked her. "Mama, I love him so much and I do not want to lose him. He changed my life, and whenever I am in his arms it feels like a fairytale."

"The only thing you should know and remember now is to let the love of the righteous King rule in your hearts. If you let him guide your marriage, your relationship. You will never lose him." Alba said. Except for her appearance, Gabriella saw that her mother had not changed one bit. But the same thing did not go for Gabriella. Her mother had seen an improvement in her character, her appearance and herself. Gabriella was barely recognizable in the newspaper, she was beautiful, inside and out.

~*~

Gabriella and Alba decided to follow their old morning routine. They woke up early in the morning and prayed. They did not read the righteous King's book for they did not have one but they recited one of their favourite verses from a chapter they had memorized in His book. "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not become angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always continues strong. Love... never.... fails."
Alba was surprised to see how well Gabriella remembered the verse. Why was she surprised? That was the verse she would recite to her every day, Alba's mother trained her, and now she trained Gabriella.

~*~

While Alba was bathing, Gabriella snuck away to her fiancé, Manuel. "Buenos Dias mi amor." Gabriella quietly spoke as she sneaked up to his bed. He was still sleeping, and even in his sleep, he was madly handsome. She bent her down to kiss his lips when he suddenly pulled her into bed with him. "Ah!" She yelled out of surprise, giggling afterwards. "Good morning my love." He smiled, kissing her cheek that heated from his touch once again."Thank you for letting my mother stay last night. The long journey back to Grenada would be too stressful for her."

"Of course my mother-in-law can stay, I am already making arrangements for her very own room here in the palace," Manuel said, surprising Gabriella once again. "Really? You mean it?" She cupped his face and asked him. "Your family is my family and my family is yours, even though some of them tend to hate you, everything is about to change."

Gabriella hopped off of his bed and ran to open the large drapes, letting the bright morning light shine in his room. "Oh, I am so grateful! When I tell her she is going to be so happy!" Gabriella walked towards the exit of his chamber when he said, "Do not be anxious now, please for me so that we can tell her together on the breakfast table."

~*~

Isabella sat at the end of the table, Rita sat in the middle across from Aaron who was sitting next to Gabriella. Everyone except Gabriella who already knew the plan was surprised to see Manuel with a tray and a kettle of hot, boiled water. He began serving them when Isabella stopped him. "What sort of game are you trying to play Emmanuel? Why do you think we have servants?"

"No mama, today I am serving others because that is what the good prince did, He served His people. He even washed their feet." Manuel refused to listen to his mother. "I am very proud of you, my son. Serving others is a very valuable key in wearing the crown." Rita said. "Gracias Abuela, I could not have learned it from anybody else but my fiancé." Manuel reached forward, taking her hand and giving her hand a soft kiss. Alba was so happy to see this and so was Aaron.

During breakfast, Manuel and Gabriella stood up together, holding hands. "Mama, me and my fiancé would love it if you could live with us in the palace." "Yes, Ms. Williamson, you will soon be my mother in law, I would love nothing more but to get to know you better. You are family, please stay." Manuel agreed, with Gabriella watching as Alba nodded as she stood up, walking over to where they stood and giving both of them a hug.

"You two are blessed, I can already see a great nation ruling under you two," Alba told Manuel. Everyone else at the table clapped and cheered, everyone except Isabella who was furious and confused. She did not understand why her son would choose Gabriella. Out of all the pretty girls in the kingdom, even Denissa, he refused. Had something really happened to him?

~*~

Manuel was sweeping the kitchen floor later in the afternoon when his mother, Isabella, asked to speak with him. "Make me understand my son. What do you see in her that you do not see in anybody else?"

"I see the definition of love mama. Because of her, I am learning every day to be the best King I can be. And just when I needed you, not Aaron, not Abuela but you. That is when you decide to act like a child. I will continue to keep you in my prayers." Manuel answered her before going back to sweeping.

Isabella realized just how much she had failed her son. Maybe if she gave Gabriella a chance, a little conversation will make Isabella see what Manuel saw in the young black girl with a big heart. Isabella sent a letter to the Ilbrando women, calling off the arrangement that they had made. As much as Isabella hated admitting her wrongs. She was completely wrong about Gabriella. She had sent a servant to spy on her but the servant had not said anything new since then. She was going to be Queen-mother, and Gabriella was going to be the Queen. Instead of seeking all the flaws and wrongs about her, she decided to seek the good and promising. And maybe even prepare her for the throne.

The Crown