“To a new era in advertising!”

“Hear, hear!”

Rachelle blushed as Darian raised a glass of champagne in front of the entire advertising agency. Everyone cheered for Rachelle as they took a sip, and she smiled graciously at the group.

“I can’t thank you all enough for your kindness in accepting me into this firm. Six months ago, if you’d told me I’d be living in Zaradi, launching a new branch of VELO media, all while being the mother of six children, I would have never believed you!”

There was a general chuckle around the room.

“But, being here, helping to rebuild after the terrible events of the past, is a gift beyond measure. So, thank you for letting me be a part of your company and a part of your lives. Cheers!”

More cheers rang out as the office celebrated the opening of an international marketing branch, to be headed up by Rachelle, with some help from Darian. As the celebration wound down, a sense of urgency to get back to work swept over the room, and the area thinned out until Rachelle and Darian were the only two left.

Darian peeked back at the door, aware that they were visible. He leaned against the table next to her, staring out at the office.

“Well done, Chief Executive Officer Smith.”

Rachelle shot him a sideways glance.

“You’re sure I didn’t snag that role just because I’m the mother of your children?”

Darian looked mildly offended at her comment.

“I would never! You are a talent who has risen to the status of shining star in a very short amount of time. Anyone in their right mind would put you in charge of this position, and I’m sure everyone here appreciates your knowledge and candor.”

Rachelle took a breath.

“I hope so. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to really apply myself.”

“You’ve got this. You’re going to do amazing, just like you do at everything else.”

Rachelle smiled up at him then, wishing they were anywhere else but the office so she could kiss him silly. He seemed to have the same line of thinking, because he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room, as he so often had a habit of doing.

“There’s just one more thing I wanted to show you,” he said.

Rachelle chuckled.

“That sounds pretty ominous.”

“When am I ever ominous?”

Rachelle rolled her eyes. They made their way out of the office, and she was surprised to see that a town car was already waiting for them outside his office building.

Before returning to Zaradi, Darian had been informed that the palace had been completely destroyed. Saddened by this, he made quick work of finding a manor house for them to live in and an office building for his employees, who would also be returning from the evacuation. He chartered them a private jet ride home, and the couple spent the first few months setting up their new home to suit a family of eight.

It was one of the happiest times of Rachelle’s life. Darian worked on rebuilding the company infrastructure while taking time off to relax with the children, both of them getting up during the night for feedings and changings. They lived in a general state of exhaustion, though the fact that it was filled with love eased the pain of it.

After a few months, both of them were itching to get back into the full swing of marketing, and Darian offered her a place at his work table as a guest. She quickly became a company favorite, working fast to land another international account they had been toiling over for months, within a week.

“You are amazing! I’ve never seen anyone negotiate like that!”

Rachelle’s new assistant, Nina, was nearly star-struck by her, and Rachelle hoped that they would someday develop the kind of relationship she’d had with Phoebe (who had, in her absence, been promoted within the marketing team). Rachelle had sent her a very large congratulatory bouquet of flowers.

Rachelle reminisced on those wonderful memories even as she tried to puzzle out just what Darian was up to. The town car wound its way through battered streets, the damage still palpable as Zaradi worked to rebuild a new future. The car made its way back to their manor home, and Rachelle lifted an eyebrow at Darian.

“We’re taking a half day at work?” she asked.

Darian nodded.

“Something like that. Come on!”

He was as excited as a little boy on Christmas morning, and Rachelle happily laced her fingers with his as he guided her up their front steps. When he opened the door, Rachelle stepped inside after him. He stepped aside, and when she looked up, she saw an amazing sight.

All six of their babies were circled around the main entrance, each one holding a sign. Well, some of them were holding a sign. Others were chewing on theirs, baby drool dripping down the length of the white paper. In spite of this, the message was presented loud and clear.

Rachelle, will you marry me, please?

Rachelle’s hand darted to her mouth as she held back a joyful sob. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at Darian, but he wasn’t there. Glancing down, she found him on one knee, his eyes filled with hope.

“Rachelle, you have given me the greatest blessings a man can hope for in his life. You have given me love and a family to call my own, and you are the business partner I couldn’t have even dreamed of, on top of it all. I love you, and if you are willing, I would love to call you my wife.”

Rachelle stared at the enormous sapphire ring he held out to her as tears streaked down her cheeks.

“Yes, of course!” she cried, and Darian stood, swinging her around in his arms as they kissed and laughed.

Darian’s parents entered the room then, both of them smiling broadly as they congratulated the happy couple. The babies crawled over to the happy group, demanding to be picked up, which they all did, saddling as many babies as they could each hold.

“I can’t believe this!” Rachelle gushed.

“Believe it, my dear, and welcome to our family. We are indebted to you already for providing us with so many grandchildren at once! We never thought we’d be lucky enough to see one, much less six!”

Rachelle laughed as Darian protested.

“Come on now, I wasn’t that hopeless!”

Darian’s mother rolled her eyes, giving Rachelle a meaningful glance.

“In any case, you may continue with your proposal, my son. The babies are well cared for tonight.”

Rachelle glanced up curiously at her fiancé, who grinned down at her.

“Thank you, Mother. We will plan on seeing you all in the morning.”

“Enjoy yourselves,” she said, waving them off as Darian and Rachelle kissed their babies before Darian whisked her right out the door once again.

“Where are you taking me now?” Rachelle asked, breathless.

She was skipping through Tara with her new fiancé, and their children would be taken care of for the entire afternoon and into the night! It was so rare when they got time alone together outside of work, that Rachelle was giddy at the sensation of not having to worry about being a parent for a moment.

“You’ll see,” he said, maintaining his mystery no matter how many times she asked.

They hopped back into the car, which drove into the heart of the city once again. As they approached the area of the convention center, Rachelle glanced out the window.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been this way,” she said.

Darian nodded.

“Luckily, this part of town remained largely undamaged. Especially the important part.”

The car pulled over along the side of the road, and Darian opened the door, the two of them stepping out to face the Ferris wheel they had ridden so long ago. Rachelle laughed.

“You’re recreating our first date, aren’t you?”

“Was it a date?” he asked, mischief in his eyes.

Rachelle chuckled, lacing her fingers with his as they approached the amusement ride. Seeing Darian, the attendant nodded to them as they sat in the open-air booth once again.

“Scared?” Darian asked, looking down at her.

Snuggling into him and holding him tight, she shook her head.

“With you here? Never.”

The booth began to rock as the wheel made its turn, the city presenting itself to them as they reached the top. There was much work left to be done, repairs were underway, and many changes had taken place since the royal family had returned.

Rachelle sighed, resting her head against Darian’s shoulder.

“What is it? Missing the babies?”

“A little,” Rachelle admitted.

She could feel Darian’s smile against the crown of her head.

“Me, too.”

They went around a few times, enjoying the peace and quiet of being together without having to jump up to keep a baby from harm’s way. Once they had all started crawling, all of the couple’s resting time had disappeared, and the babies would be walking soon, which would be even more of a workout.

As the wheel lowered once again, Darian opened the door.

“Time to move on,” he said.

Rachelle placed a finger on her bottom lip, remembering.

“Okay, so now we get to see if the fountain park is still functioning?”

“You think I didn’t do my homework before our engagement day?”

Rachelle laughed.

“Are engagements typically a daylong celebration in Zaradi?”

“They are when they involve me,” Darian replied, placing her hand on his forearm as he escorted them both to the fountains, which were spouting up in the late afternoon sun.

Rachelle had taken a bit of time to adapt to the desert heat, but she enjoyed the sun on her skin, the desert breeze easing the sting of its rays ever so slightly. She splashed Darian before running off, and squealed when she felt his hands around her waist, pulling her back to him. Turning in the circle of his arms, she barely had a moment to take a breath before he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, rocking her gently in the sunlight.

They were soaked and happy by the end of it all, and Darian shook droplets of water from his hair.

“Now on to dinner then, I suppose?”

He shook his head.

“Not this time. We’re going to have to blend things a little bit. This way.”

He pulled her down the street, Rachelle happily catching up to him as they walked, until he stopped and pressed the hidden buzzer of the boutique again.

“I would never be able to find this place,” Rachelle said.

“Nonsense. I imagine we’ll get plenty of use out of this, especially now that I’ve had it stocked with baby clothing as well.”

“Smart move.”

“They don’t call me the master of planning at work for nothing,” Darian replied as the buzzer went off, and they stepped inside.

When the door opened, Chantilly greeted them both with a warm hug.

“It’s good to be home,” she declared. “Now, what can I get you this time?”

She looked them over, her eyes looking over then snapping right back to Rachelle’s ring. She squealed in delight.

“Congratulations, my dears! You are going to make the most beautiful couple. I have just the thing already; come right this way.”

Rachelle cast a glance back at Darian, who shrugged as the door was closed behind her. Chantilly dressed her in an emerald halter-neck gown that glittered ever so slightly in the light. After doing her hair and makeup once more, Rachelle really didn’t recognize herself when she looked in the mirror, as she was so used to barely having time to hide the circles beneath her eyes before darting out the door.

“It’s fantastic,” Rachelle breathed. “Thank you!”

“Anything for my future Sheikha. Have fun tonight; you deserve it!”

Rachelle gave Chantilly another hug before stepping out of the room. Darian was dressed already, looking more handsome than ever, if that were even possible. They stared warmly at one another, meeting in the middle of the foyer as Darian planted a delicate kiss along the base of her neck.

“A new dress to make up for the ones that were lost.”

“It’s lovely,” she whispered.

“So are you.”

They thanked Chantilly before heading back out, where the car was already waiting for them. As they stepped inside, the sun sank beyond the horizon, stars appearing in the sky as they reached their final destination.

The rubble of the palace was a painful reminder of what was lost. Rachelle wondered at Darian bringing her there, but he grabbed a bottle of champagne, two flutes, and a blanket, saying nothing as he exited the car, waiting for her to join him.

The mood was a little somber as they walked through rock piles that had once been beautiful hallways. Finally, they reached the back area, and Darian laid the blanket down and sat on it, looking up at the stars.

“This should be about right,” he said.

“The balcony?”

He nodded, patting the ground next to him for her to join him. He popped open the bottle, pouring them each a glass.

“We’re going to rebuild, Rachelle, and we will raise our family right here in this spot.”

“Of course we will,” she agreed.

They stared up at the night sky, once again enjoying a moment of peace and quiet. Darian chuckled.

“What are you laughing at?” Rachelle asked.

He pointed up at the sky.

“Remember that star constellation I was telling you about?” he asked.

“How could I forget? It was the most romantic story I’d ever heard.”

Darian gazed down at her with a gleam in his eye.

“I made the whole thing up to seduce you. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and all I could think about was making love to you, so I conjured up the best tale I could to try to get you to fall for me, since I had so quickly fallen for you.”

Rachelle grinned as she stared up at the sky, his story echoing across the annals of her mind.

“You really think I didn’t know that?” she asked, and he glanced down at her in surprise.

Rachelle laughed.

“Men. You really have no idea how clever we women really are, do you?”

Before he could reply, she tugged on his shirt, pulling him down to her in a passionate, loving embrace. He kissed her deeply, their lips perfectly melding together, as though they had been made to link as one.

Rachelle felt a rush of gratitude that she had found him and that their love had won out in the end. Now they had the promise of forever ahead, and she couldn’t wait to live out the rest of their lives, one adventure at a time.