Long May She Reign, page 1
Dedication
To those who never saw themselves as the main character. I hope you wear your crown proudly.
To me.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Content Warning
Official Playlist
01: Love for Lies
02: One another
03: Nonsense
04: Give Me a Reason
05: Missing in Action
06: Astrid Marie Devereux
07: Yearning
08: Story of Her Life
09: His True Heir
10: Expectations
11: Running Away
12: Embracing Change
13: Inherited Glory
14: Given and Received
15: Now She Reigns
Content Warning
This book contains themes relating to alcohol consumption, anxiety and panic disorders, brief mentions of domestic violence and abuse, depressive disorders, and past traumas.
Official Playlist
01: Love for Lies
The sweet chemical aroma spiraled out in mahogany spurts of the second bottle of cheap hair coloring. Staining even the darkest of hair strands with its rich color as the applicator went in back-and-forth motions over Astrid’s scalp.
Her cheap plastic gloves did little to protect her wrists and arms from the hair dye. While the towel she used exclusively to dye her hair had shifted allowing the color to stain the back of her neck.
But if a stain was the only price she would have to pay in order to never seeing her natural hair color again, she would pay it without question or hesitation.
“Thirty minutes,” she muttered in a faint English accent that she had nearly been able to rid herself of in the near four years she had been in America.
But she had also created a foolproof system when it came to refreshing her new persona.
Touch up her hair every six weeks, without fail. Always using the same color that was on the middle shelf, third from the bottom, of the drug store where she also bought the fake nails she was rarely without.
Cheap and effective. Just how she liked it.
It wasn’t as if she was trying to appear like her hair had a natural red-brown hue, but she had never been allowed to dye her hair or have false nails. Or have more than one piercing per ear or wear whatever makeup she wanted.
Damn palace regulations.
And when in the relatively busy city of New York, she was free. She could walk down the street, and no one would blink an eye at the royal in their presence.
Not that they would recognize her.
Almost four years had taken the eighteen-year-old princess with an eating disorder, severe lack of confidence, no style, and crippling anxiety into a twenty-one-year-old woman with enough confidence for two, manageable anxiety, and a body that was well loved.
Astrid walked out of her bathroom, out of her bedroom, and into the open concept apartment making a beeline for the kitchen. Her three-year-old, three-legged, orange tabby cat, Kuna, was perched on the island countertop, staring out at the bustling street.
“Bebé,” his head turned in the direction of his owner and he released a series of happy chirps, “are you hungry?”
More meowing filled the air as Kuna began rubbing his head on every surface while Astrid put soft cat food into a small dish. Hastening the cat to hobble over and enjoy his dinner. The woman smiled softly at the animal she considered a child.
The week she had moved into her apartment, she was going to the dumpsters and heard a pitifully weak cry and found a tiny, maybe three-week-old, kitten. Since then, he acted as both a companion and emotional support animal.
With a gentle rub on his back and head, Astrid went into her fridge and produced a bottle of chilled alcohol and cider she had purchased earlier that day. Before also turning to her upper cabinet and grabbed five wine glasses.
Her thoughts were uncharacteristically quiet as she began setting up snacks from the pantry on the island countertop. Making sure everything was in order before she took the seal off of one of the wine bottles.
The sun had begun to dip closer to the horizon line of the city, bathing the buildings in hues of brilliant orange and deep pink. A chill had recently taken over the east coast of the country. Transforming the weather from brutal summer heat to a comfortable fall complete with turning leaves and hot beverages.
And an excessive amount of holiday decorations despite it being the middle of August.
But the more the seasons changed and faded from one to the other, Astrid was reminded of one, singularly heartbreaking thought.
She would have to return sooner or later.
A series of sharp chimes broke the peaceful silence of her sanctuary, causing her to flinch in surprise.
“It hasn’t even been fifteen minutes,” she grumbled glancing over at the wide screen where a series of text message notifications were staring back at her.
Hey babe, Aisha and I are on the way!
Class let out so fucking late!!
Prof whoredian is driving me nuts!
Prob ten min away jsyk
All of Ishani Singh’s text messages came in a second apart. While the constant chime made Astrid want to throw away her phone. Until it fully registered what the last text said.
They’ll be here in ten minutes.
“Oh, for fucks sake!” Astrid bolted from the kitchen and back into her bedroom.
She threw out the first clothes she saw in her stand-alone wardrobe and prayed they would match, along with fresh underwear. Her rushed feet carried her into the bathroom as she undressed along the way, tossing clothes in every direction. She didn’t even give the shower time to heat up before leaping under the freezing spray.
A plethora of curses left her mouth as she valiantly fought for the world record title of quickest shower. Flipping over her hair and roughly scrubbing the semi-hardened color out of the strands, allowing it to swirl with the water as it went down the drain. She scrubbed her body clean, although the areas that held more scar tissue were treated more delicately before she got out of the shower in the same rushed manner that she entered it.
Most of her curl products were already scattered around the counter, although some had fallen in the sink. Astrid sprayed in a leave in conditioner, running it through with her fingers. After she was satisfied with how the conditioner settled, she squeezed a reasonably sized dollop of gel into her hand before flipping her hair over and applied it. Alternating between running her hands over the strands and scrunching from the ends up. The last step was using a towel and the same scrunching motion to absorb any of the excess moisture.
Less than five minutes.
Astrid hurriedly dried off her body before speeding back to her room and wrestled into her clothes. Hating the semi-damp feeling of her skin against her clothing which consisted of a pair of light camel-colored dungarees and a simple white top underneath.
Shit, where is my deodorant?
She had just managed to get to her front door after applying the antiperspirant and fight her hair into a claw clip when the intercom buzzed, signaling that Ishani and Aishwarya were there.
Astrid answered with an upbeat, “come on up,” into the speaker while she tried to catch her breath.
It only took another few minutes before the two North Indian women were standing at the front door. Each holding their respective contribution for tonight’s gathering.
Aishwarya Singh was the complete vision of tall, dark, and stunning. Standing at the average height of five foot five inches, her toned physique was one that was gained through years of dancing and undeniably incredible genetics.
Her dark, deep-set eyes were the color of the Earth right after rain. While her skin was a few shades lighter than her sister’s, a blend of both warm and cool tones with faint dark spots and freckles. Deep chestnut hair had been straightened from its usual fusion of curls and waves into a sleek hairstyle that fell to the tops of her shoulders.
She always seemed to have a smile in her eyes making her appear warm and approachable. While the interior matched the exterior so even if someone wanted to hate Aishwarya, they couldn’t. She was funny, kind, obscenely smart, and knew her way around virtually any situation.
And her younger sister, Ishani, was…
Heaven sent.
Eyes that reminded Astrid of burning coal. Eyes that held your gaze like magnets and refused to back down.
She was taller than Aishwarya, but still shorter than Astrid, at around five foot eight inches. Her physique was fuller and curvier and while her skin was a few shades darker, it held the same mixture of warm, cool, and neutral tones. Ishani normally kept her hair in its naturally curly state that had tones of copper that added dimension to the long length.
Her skin was smooth of blemishes, although there was the faint presence of acne scars as well as a few others.
The small vertical one on the side of her nose was courtesy of her brother Rohan when he tried to teach her soccer. And he had a matching one from when she got him back for trying to teach her soccer. Another thin, diagonal one that stretched through the beginning of her left eyebrow to the highest point of the eyebrow. Which she received from tripping over an untied shoelace and face planting into a brick wall when she and Astrid were walking from a class.
But the most painful for her, however, was the one on peak of her left cheekbone, narrowly missing the corner of her eye.
One that left her in the hospital for a week.
The moment Is
“Hey,” Astrid smiled as she leaned against the open-door frame to let the women into the apartment.
Ishani took in the woman in front of her as subtly as possible, which wasn’t very.
Her deep mahogany hair was darker than normal, and the smell of her lavender body wash wafted forward, indicating a recent shower. A light smile was on her lips, lighting up the rest of her unmade-up face. The freckles that were usually covered on her nose and cheeks shone brightly like stars. Her eyes were the color of a stormy sea brushing against the coast of a forest. A beautiful blend of blue and green that had become Ishani’s favorite color the moment she first laid eyes on it.
“We couldn’t find those French crackers Carter brought last time so we just got brie and plain old crackers,” Aishwarya walked in after removing her shoes and made herself instantly at home as she sifted through the bags she had placed on the counter.
“Here,” Astrid held out a hand to take the two bags from Ishani’s grip, but the Indian woman was having none of it.
“I got it,” she swatted off the outstretched hand with a smile and made her way into the kitchen as well.
“My baby!” Ishani threw the bags onto the kitchen island and rushed over to the orange fur ball that was currently sitting on the back of Astrid’s vintage green velvet couch and grooming himself.
“Hey Marie! Where do you want me to stash these,” Aishwarya held up two boxes of assorted chocolates that would be devoured by the end of the evening.
In America, she was Marie Alvarez. A combination of her second name and her mother’s maiden last name. But the false name was a constant reminder of the ever-present lie the princess was living in.
When she left the consulate, Astrid made the decision that she would be completely herself. Which meant no longer living in the light that she had been forced to stand in. She recreated herself, allowing her true self to shine, without bearing the burden of her family name.
Devereux.
“Um,” Astrid contemplated, “you can put them on the bottom shelf of the pantry where Carter won’t look. Or better yet behind those protein bars Shani has on the third shelf.”
Aishwarya laughed and completed the task before moving onto the next as Astrid moved over to Ishani. Who was currently sitting on the couch with a very happy cat in her lap purring up a storm.
“I swear he loves you more than me,” Astrid pouts as she watches Kuna rub his head on Ishani’s knuckles and leg.
“It’s just because he doesn’t see me that often anymore,” Ishani defends, “he sees you every day.”
“Uh huh,” Astrid grumbled again and crossed her arms over her chest, turning her attention to seeing what was on the television. For some reason, the news was the first channel to pop up, and what was being reported nearly gave Astrid a heart attack.
“Countless dignitaries, allies, and members of parliament have gathered this morning in the bustling capital city of Miryn in the European nation of Varune, along with members of the press, in search of long-awaited answers! As many know, King Henrick Devereux has yet to confirm his choice for heir-”
“No way,” Aishwarya laughed in a mixture of shock and amazement, “why is this such a big deal?”
Astrid immediately turned the channel and switched to a random show that ended up being one about the lives of a forensic anthropologist and FBI agent that all three women enjoyed.
“Hey!” Aishwarya objected.
“Owner rules the remote,” Astrid shrugged, “and if I remember correctly, we agreed to not watch the news anymore after the Friends-giving ingredient.”
Ishani cringed at the memory of the poor; innocent pumpkin pie being thrown to the floor after Dion had to wrestle the phone out of his partner’s hand before they called their congress representative.
“Both of you literally studying politics,” Aishwarya released a boisterous laugh leading to Kuna jumping off of her lap and running at full pelt up the stairs into the loft.
“Exactly! I don’t want to hear about it when I’m at home,” Astrid retorted, making her tone lean more to the joking side so what she said was taken lightly.
“Ditto,” Ishani echoed the other woman’s grumble from earlier and laid her head on Astrid’s shoulder just as the intercom buzzed again.
“Coming!” Aishwarya switching between sliding across the floor in her socks and jumping from foot to foot all the way to the front door.
Astrid snorted at the resemblance between Aishwarya and a hockey player.
“The party has arrived,” Carter burst through the door minutes later, arms opened wide. They hugged Aishwarya tightly before jumping horizontally onto Ishani and Astrid.
Carter was roughly five foot eleven with hair that was rarely a “normal” color due to constant experimentation with their cosmetology students. Although their latest dye job was the most vibrant it had been in a long time, with an incredible blend of fiery red, glowing orange, and blinding yellow. While the mesh black top they were wearing and the black faux-leather trousers that were snug against their long legs did little to hide their muscle tone.
Their narrow almond eyes were always emphasized by thick black eyeliner and tonight was no different.
Dion was dressed in perfect opposition of Carter. Wearing a button-down shirt that was only kept together by three buttons in the middle and slacks that were ironed to perfection. While his hair was braided neatly against his scalp and tied into a small bun. His shoes were discarded at the door, along with Carter’s four-inch heels. Based on what he was wearing, Astrid guessed that Dion had just gotten off of work at the clinic.
Dion bent down to kiss both Astrid and Ishani on the cheek as they stood from the couch and made their way into the kitchen.
“Are you ready for graduation?” Ishani giggled with Dion as Carter continued playing bartender.
“Beyond,” Dion groaned out as he took a sip from the ginger ale that Carter handed him.
“Oh, I’ve missed you,” Ishani moved behind Dion and hugged him, muttering into his back.
“I’ve missed you too,” Carter gave an exaggerated pout at the two affectionate friends before rushing over and giving the same treatment to Astrid.
“My Mimi,” Carter showed no struggle in lifting the larger woman into a hug and planting a kiss on her forehead when they placed her back down, “we have so much to catch up on. But I think it would be wrong to start with anything except for this…”
Carter trailed off as they held up their left hand, revealing a stunning gold ring with diamond inlay around the entire band and an emerald proudly resting in the center.
All three women released a shriek of excitement as they embraced the couple, gushing over how it was about time. Dion had a proud smile on his face as he watched his partner interact with Ishani and Aishwarya.
Astrid noticed the far away look in Dion’s eyes and made her way over to him.
“DiDi,” the use of his nickname caused him to snap out of his thoughts and make into his body.
“Hiya gorgeous,” he extended his long arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, taking advantage of his six-foot two height.
“I’m proud of you,” she muttered, keeping her voice as low as possible to prevent from being overheard by the trio that was still giggling and talking over each other.
“For what?” He was genuinely confused as to what Marie was talking about, and his words only made her grin grow into a smile.
“Because you took a chance and it paid off,” Astrid wrapped both of her arms around Dion’s tapered waist and hugged him closer.
With that one sentence, Dion understood what she was talking about.
Two and a half years ago, Marie and Ishani introduced Carter and Dion.
Despite being in the relatively the same social circle and friend groups, they had never had a one-on-one conversation outside of the group. Of course, Dion had noticed Carter, but he always felt too insecure to make the first move. Carter was proudly out and open despite the push back they received from… well everybody. While Dion had been forcing himself to go out with girls so the “improper thoughts” would go away.
The group, Marie, Ishani, Dion, and Carter made plans to go out for dinner. Only Marie and Ishani didn’t show up because of “assignments.” And instead of leaving, Dion asked Carter if they felt comfortable having dinner with just him, leading the duo to stay together all night and well into the next morning.
