people want my power
&& they want my station

       

but they couldn't take it

Samantha herself was hardly stunned by the look of surprise across Dorian's features at the mention that Dorian knew, at least in some capacity, the family in which Samantha was forever aligning herself with. Samantha only nodded at Dorian's words, hardly disagreeing with the notion of Troy's character. Troy was, after all, one of her most trusted companions. That Dorian considered him a good man wasn't surprising to the young woman either. Still, Samantha hardly voiced her own thoughts on the matter at hand, at least not until Dorian insisted that he would talk to Kit about it. God, the very idea made Samantha cringe! Between the two of them, they'd have her in a wedding dress before the end of the day! The commanding tone that escaped her lips was hardly appropriate when addressing a King, and yet in that single moment Samantha forgot entirely that there was protocol to follow, at least until she caught Dorian's expression at her words. Sheepishly, Samantha shrugged slightly, giving a small chuckle. "I suppose... I shouldn't... technically you can do whatever you would like, though I do say that I wish you wouldn't talk to him about it." How quickly that commanding tone waned in the light of the realization that this was a King she spoke to.

Still, Samantha could hardly fault Dorian for the concern. After all, how could you be angry when his thoughts on the very matter were out of protection to the girl herself? "Your judgements are completely understandable, and I know it is because you care for me that you feel so strongly. I can assure you, no one is judging my situation, at least not for the reasons you think," She said patiently. "People are more concerned with the fact that I appear to be a teenager, despite that I'm well old enough to have a child." Her appearance, after all, certainly made her appear to be barely eighteen, and she was certain that was the reason for the disgust that lingered upon the faces of those that observed her as she traveled. Not, of course, that Samantha was terribly bothered by their opinions. At his insistence that she seemed terribly happy, a broad smile spread across her features as she nodded. "I am, Dorian," She mused. "Perhaps in a way that I never thought possible, not after I was turned. I thought that I'd lost this opportunity to have a family and be this happy, and yet I am grateful that it is right here."

Those three things that the young fae requested of her companion seemed simple enough, the final request that she offered to him being the true reason she was here, even if she did desire to reignite the friendship that she had once held so dear with the Italian King. The empath could so readily feel that joy that radiated from her companion at the question, and in turn, her own smile grew as she confirmed that she was, in fact, expecting a daughter. She didn't consider, though perhaps she should have, that Dorian might have been curious as to how she or the doctor knew this, given his time. Samantha herself had hardly needed the doctor to know the gender of her own child. She could feel her, perhaps easier than she could feel Dorian himself. It was a special feeling, and for a moment Samantha allowed herself to drift in thought, her mind focused on those easy feelings of her child, at least until Dorian spoke once more, this time inquiring of a name. "I'm not sure," Samantha said honestly, her fingertips drifting over her stomach as she thought. "Kit and I haven't decided on anything concrete yet, and I really don't have that many ideas..." Samantha raised her shoulders in a small shrug. "I'm sure we'll come up with something soon, and you will be one of the first to know."

And how could she not, if their easy friendship was to continue? The young woman was relieved that conversing with Dorian seemed to continue as if no time had passed between them. That initial awkwardness had melted away, settling into the ease that Samantha had always enjoyed about their friendship. That Dorian himself was so willing to agree that their friendship would remain caused joy to swell once more in the young woman. She was silly, perhaps, to think that a few years apart would have shattered things between them. After all, they were immortal. They had an eternity of time and it would be likely that their paths would drift apart and together again many times in their future. Even then, it was such a relief to hear the reassurance that they would be friends for a long time, even if Samantha had hardly expected him to turn her away.

Even if Samantha didn't truly need a job, she couldn't deny the slight way that her face fell at the suggestion that the only job that would exist for her within his staff was in Italy. Italy was, without a doubt, the opposite of what she was trying to accomplish. It was with a sheepish smile that she explained just that, that her goal was to have an excuse to spend more time with him. The shake of Dorian's head made her stomach very nearly drop, but that warm smile on his features forced her to keep her gaze on him. Those pleasant words made her laugh, the young girl reaching up to tuck a lock of her red hair behind her ear. "I figured you were far too busy to watch bad television with me, given that you have a country to run these days." Samantha had figured the days of them lounging and watching movies together were long gone, and yet if Dorian had the time for it, she would happily come over any time he wanted her to.

Still, the idea that she might do anything possible to ensure the success of her companion as Italy's King seemed to please him, the girl pausing as he seemed lost in thought, as if considering what exactly he might need from her. The words presented with, however, stopped the girl in her tracks as she stared at him, wide eyed. "Dori-" She began, unsure of exactly what the rest of that sentence would look like before she was cut off by the sound of his laughter. For a moment, Samantha merely stared at him. "Oh, so you've got jokes now?" Samantha said, her own laugh following. "How about you babysit my firstborn daughter, and we'll go from there," She teased once more, allowing one more chuckle to leave her lips before she once more allowed the conversation to once more drift towards the serious nature that the request she'd asked of Dorian required.

That request to become her daughter's godparent was hardly one she took lightly. While her own spiritual well-being might have lapsed, as she confessed sheepishly to Dorian, there was an importance to the fae that her daughter might find comfort in the beliefs and traditions that she'd experienced as a child. And of course, that symbolic role could only be fulfilled by the man she so entrusted with her own life. If something were to happen to her and to Kit, she wanted to insure that their daughter would be safe and well cared for. At the mention of a baptism, Samantha nodded. "I'd like to, yes." How she could imagine that joy! To have her daughter, her Kit, and her best friend there for such a joyous day. "And I'm sure you could help me to plan a splendid affair for the whole thing." After all, wasn't such an important moment worthy of such a party?

Samantha hesitated slightly, looking up at the Monarch as she suggested that she hoped his husband would step into the role as well. Samantha's introduction to Sebastian - well, technically her second introduction to Sebastian - had hardly gone according to plan. And yet, wasn't Samantha a very different girl now? She was hardly that terrified girl in the forest that Sebastian had (unwillingly, she knew now) bitten, just as she was sure that Sebastian was not the man she had thought him to be. "There is, of course," Samantha said slowly in an attempt to explain, the woman suddenly nervous that Dorian might withdraw his acceptance of such an important role in her daughter's life. "The more... modern, perhaps, idea with godparents. That if something were to happen to Kit and I, you'd care for her. I... hopefully it would never come to that, but with what we are and Dark Hunters, I can't risk the idea that she wouldn't always be safe. And if I can't raise her, I'd want her to be with you and your husband."

That reassurance that Dorian would speak to Sebastian caused the weight to fall from Samantha's shoulders, the young woman letting out an audible sigh of relief, a breath she hadn't even realized that she had been holding. "I appreciate that. I'm sorry, again, for the way I treated him. I hope that he'll be willing to let me try to fix things, but I understand if he isn't interested." After all, wasn't Samantha awful to him? Who could blame him if he chose to hold a grudge? It wasn't as if she didn't deserve it. And yet, Samantha held faith in her friend that he would relay her wishes to Sebastian, and the choice would be his alone.

Samantha was more than willing to allow the conversation to shift away from Sebastian, the girl shifting in her chair in some attempt to get the child within her to stop kicking her ribcage. Being pregnant, as joyous as it might have been, was something Samantha was sure she would do but once. "It means a lot for you to say that," Samantha said with a smile. "And I'm happy for you. I've seen you on the news, you are a wonderful King, Dorian." The words sincere as they brought that wide simper to her lips. "But enough about me, I want to hear about what is going on in your life! How is married life? How is your family? How is..." She let her voice trail off, her eyes flicking across the room to a photo of that dark haired Were that she barely spoke about. Samantha cleared her throat, resisting the urge to pry for information about Aiden. Even if she was happy with Kit, she couldn't deny that desire for Aiden to be equally safe and happy. "How is Italy? I'm sure the pandemic has been... stressful."

       

try to pull my status but they couldn't fake it

       

Samantha Cassidy