The Isle (Chronicles of the Irish Princess Book 1)

I heard the laughter of children before I even entered the Great Hall. Sarah and I had been going to visit with Liz and her family every other week since our outing. We had found out shortly after that first visit that the children's father, Samuel, had passed away about a year ago from a heart attack. He was only 30 at the time. Knowing what it was like to lose a father so young I had reached out to Liz and asked to spend time with Finn and Anabelle. She was so overwhelmed with joy that she invited us over every other Wednesday for tea. When Liz mentioned not being able to find a sitter for today, I immediately insisted that they come along.

Turning the corner into the Hall, Finn had caught sight of me and made a mad dash from where he was standing next to Liz to me. "Princess!!!"

"Hi Finn," I smiled scooping him up into a big hug. "You've grown again. How are you?"

"Good. This is where you live?"

"Mhmm."

"It's soooo big! How do you not get lost?"

"Lots of practice," I said setting him down. We walked hand in hand over to Liz who was talking with Kai's mother. My hope was that the two of them could become friends also, or at the very least, they could talk about their dead husbands.

Liz smiled at me and greeted me with a warm hug. "Hello your Highness. I was just talking to Lady Siobhan about the arrangements for the wedding. This space is beautiful. Will both dinner and the ceremony be taking place in here?"

"Yes. We will be placing chairs up front more and tables will be in the back. Once the ceremony is over the staff is going to come in and remove the chairs and that space will become the dance floor."

"Okay, so do you want me to come up with some decorations for that? Or maybe just pull some petals for the aisle?"

I picked up Anabelle and walked up through the aisle space. "What do you think Ana?"

She smiled at me and began to fake throw flower petals.

"Liz I think Ana may have a knack for flowers also," I laughed.

Just then Alex came waltzing in with a big smile on his face. With him was one of the guards, Corbin, he was in uniform but I knew he was off duty. I had asked them both to come in. While I wanted to spend time with the children, but there was business to take care of. So, I had planned something special for them both.

"Finn, come here a minute please."

He looked over at me and came up smiling. "Lady Sarah said you have a surprise for me?"

"I do. Finn, I'd like you to meet Sir Corbin. He is one of our top warriors."

Corbin held his hand out for Finn to shake. "Hello Master Finn, it's a pleasure to meet you. Princess Leah has told me a lot about you."

"Really? Like what?"

"She mentioned that you wanted to become a warrior like me, is that true?"

He nodded. "I do Sir Corbin."

"Well, come along then, we'll get you all trained up and I'll give you a personal tour of the whole castle."

Finn's eyes widened as he turned to me and his mother. "Momma can I?"

"Run along, you wouldn't want to miss out on this would you?"

"No ma'am." He ran up and hugged her then came back to me. "Thank you so much Princess."

I smiled, "You are most welcome."

I felt a gentle tug on my sash and turned to Ana who was still in my arms. She glanced over at Alex and hid herself in my shoulder. With a big smile, I walked up to Alex. He had a lollypop in his hand.

"Ana, I have a special treat for you too. This is Alex, he is my personal stylist. When he heard that you were coming today, he wanted to meet you."

She looked at him and waived.

"Hello, Anabelle. I brought you a lollypop. Would you like it?" he held it out for her.

With a smile she took it and signed thank you to him.

"Do you like Princess Leah?"

Ana nodded at him and smiled more. She handed me the lolly to unwrap for her.

"Ana, do you want to be a princess?" Alex asked her.

Her eyes widened and she pointed to my crown. Then she looked at Alex and nodded again.

"I think I can help with that."

"Ana, do you want to go with Alex and get all Princessy? He's promised to take really good care of you, just like he does with me."

I set her down and Alex extended his hand. She took it and off they went. Just before they left the hall she looked back at me. I nodded to her and waived. With one last smile she and Alex took off. When I turned back around to the other ladies, Liz was sitting at a table with Siobhan drying her eyes with a tissue. I sat with them and gave Liz a comforting touch.

"Princess, thank you. You are so kind to me and my children. I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for us. I hope that I can repay you with the bouquets and table arrangements for your wedding."

"Liz, you don't need to repay me. It is a blessing to spend time with your family and to encourage your kids to dream big. It may be a small start for me, but I hope one day that my generosity is known throughout the Isle and that my people are never afraid to turn to me for help."

She sniffled once more, "Believe me, you are off to a glorious start. Now, no more crying for me. Time for business. I know we talked about having a color other than the blue."

"Right. So, I was thinking that maybe some blue thistle and baby eucalyptus for the accents. Then white ranunculus and either a peach or cream roses in there too."

"Wait, blue? That is the main wedding color," Siobhan interjected.

"Yeah, its actually pulling from ancient Celtic traditions. It was common then for brides to wear blue dresses instead of white, that was later commissioned by Queen Victoria of England, and the Catholic church. Seems as I was raised in a more spiritual rather than religious manner, I want to follow both sides of things. I plan on wearing white or ivory, but I want my something blue to uphold the Celtic traditions that run through my blood."

Kai's mother smiled. "I just was surprised that you were including it. I think that it will be great and that both the cream and peach roses would complement them well. Maybe instead of picking one, just have both."

"I was going to suggest that also. Maybe not even include the ranunculus, however that will depend on your dress color." Liz pulled up an app on her tablet that let her envision what the arrangements would look like.

She spent a few moments moving the flower choices around.

"So for tables, since the wedding is like a couple days after my birthday. Since that is going to be one big party in itself. I was thinking about having long and round tables. Maybe leaving the food and drinks out in the hallway. What do you think?"

"That's a smart idea. You'll need to have space up front here anyway." Kai's mom guided me towards the stairs. "See here in the floor, the moon shapes? You and Luca will each stand on one to receive your powers. So if we were to reserve what? A hundred and fifty chair spaces back starting here. That would start tables about where we are sitting now."

I nodded. "Okay. That is still a lot of space. I know we won't have that many people, well, maybe. Depending on guests, some may still be sitting at tables during the ceremony."

"That wont matter to them. Would the long tables be inside or out?"

"They'd be on the outside. With a three foot gap between them and the walls and maybe six or seven round ones in the middle."

Liz waved us over from. "Ok so that's how many tables? How long are the long tables, depending on that you may want more than one at a table."

"Our longest are about 10 feet. If we were to tally it all up there's probably going to be about thirty tables. We'll need two bouquets, four corsages and at least five boutonnieres, but to be safe I would make six. Do you think you can handle all that on your own?"

"If not I couldn't be cut out for this job. Besides I have a couple of helpers at home," she smiled.

"If you need more help, you let me know. I can send some people to you for help."

"Thank you Princess."

I looked at the design she came up with for the centerpieces. "Liz, those are going to be beautiful. And you're right, I do like having both roses in there. It makes the blue pop for sure. You certainly have a Goddess given talent."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like them. As for your big birthday are we just doing tall vases with orange marigolds and black roses?"

"Yes please Liz, however you can make it work."

"Don't worry Princess, my helpers and I can take care of it."

"MOMMA, MOMMA," Finn came running in, Corbin wasn't far behind him. He had little Finn all suited up in his own little leather armour with a helmet. He looked every bit a warrior as he could.

"Wow, don't you look tough, did you have fun?" Liz asked.

He nodded and turned to Corbin and myself. "Thank you for showing me around Sir Corbin and for the training and cool gear."

"It was my pleasure Sir Finn. Princess Leah, may I present Sir Finn the courageous, our newest member."

I curtsied to him. "It's a pleasure, Sir Finn."

His eyes widened as he looked past me. "Woah Anabelle, she looks like a Princess."

I turned to see little Anabelle strolling in. Alex had found a cute little dress at the shop his boyfriend works at and a little tiara, it was made of steel, but he had embellished it with some rhinestones for her. From the moment I had told him about little Ana he was so excited to meet her and play dress up.

"Introducing Princess Anabelle," Alex announced throwing a little glitter over her as she made her way to us.

"Ana, you look beautiful." I smiled.

She walked up to her mother and pointed to her crown.

"Alex made you look like a Princess, it's beautiful sweetie."

"Princess." She smiled.

All of us stared at her in shock. Liz broke down in tears. "Yes, you're my princess."

"Pretty princess," Ana squeaked.

She turned to me and I bent down to her level. She pointed then to me.

"Princess."

I scooped her up in a big hug. Liz joined me in hugging her. "I can't believe she's talking."

"I don't know what the Goddess is planning, but I am so thankful to have met you Leah. I never thought my baby girl would ever talk. Thank you." She wiped her eyes again and gave me another hug.

When they had left, I found myself standing by the table in the Hall. I heard someone come up behind me. I stood in my place staring up at the thrones that sat at the top of the stairs.

"One day one of those will be for you and Malakai. But you still have time my dear. Try not to worry about any of that right now," Kai's mother's voice said from be hind me.

"Why do I still feel like when that day comes I still won't be ready?"

"You're young, and you didn't grow up knowing about this like the rest of us. That's okay you know. I honestly think it will make you a better leader. Because you'll bring in more for the humans who live here and you'll have a perspective that the rest of us have always dreamed of. Sure we have had experiences that don't involve the supernatural race, but we were born and raised knowing what we were and where we came from. You for the most part were raised human. I envy you for that, a little. Growing up here, and in Ireland my whole life, living it all as a part of one pack or another, I felt very confined. Those years after Kai's father died and we stayed in America for you, it was the freest I'd ever felt."

I turned to her. "I can't say the same for myself, but I was being raised by a witch, so there's that. Since coming here, knowing who I really am, I've never felt so free. I feel like I have more self-confidence and I'm happier. I don't have to be afraid of showing who I am. I love it."

"I know you do. This is who you were meant to be. I only wish that I knew what Jackson was doing all those years ago when he left us all behind. I guess even then the Great Mother showed him the path that was to be." She sighed, "My concern is with both you and Luca being mated to wolves, we are all asking the same questions, at least some of the pack members I spoke with were. What does it all mean for us, for the packs?"

"I'm not sure, but the Great Mother will make her plan known in time. This is a time to practice patience and faith."

She smiled at me. "I couldn't agree more. I'll let you get back to Emilia for the day, if you so choose. Your father asked me to come read to him."

Just then Huck came running into the Hall. I smiled at him when he stopped at my feet. I bent down and pet him gently. "Take this one with you. I'm sure he'll cheer father up some."

"Leah," She said turning back to me. "You're going to make a great Queen."

"Thank you."