Page 134 of Clash of Kingdoms

“You still give me your blessing?” I asked quietly.

His hand gave me a squeeze before he dropped his embrace. “I’ve dreaded this day since the moment she was born. And as she got older and I saw that she’d inherited my fierceness and her mother’s no-nonsense attitude, I knew that she didn’t need my blessing. I married my wife against my mother’s wishes. She was the enemy to my people, and I did it anyway. Would do it all over again. So, while I appreciate that you asked, it’s unnecessary. I trust her judgment. She knows what’s best for her. And look who she’s chosen.” He gestured to me. “The hero who saved our Kingdoms from annihilation. She knows what she’s doing. So, if you want to marry my daughter, go ahead and ask.”

THIRTY-TWO

HARLOW

Aurelias walked in the door in his heavy armor, sweat on his forehead with his sword over his back. He’d just trained with my father, and whenever he returned, he was always starving like a bear.

He unclasped every piece of his armor and left it by the door, revealing his uniform underneath. It was still his old one, with the golden serpent on his chest, even though he was no longer an Original vampire. But it seemed to be important to him because he continued to wear it.

“How’d it go?”

He walked to me and gave me a quick kiss. “Your father doesn’t go easy on me.”

“Would you want him to?”

He gave me a smile and walked toward the stairs. “What’s for dinner?”

“Why do you ask me?” I asked. “Do I look like a maid?”

His grin widened. “Want to have dinner at the pub?”

“Will we have sex in the alleyway afterward?”

“Of course.”

“Then that sounds great.”

He walked up the stairs and disappeared.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the door. I opened it to reveal my father on the other side, showered and cleaned up. “Hey, Father.”

His eyes lit up when he saw me. “Sweetheart.” He circled my body with a single arm and pressed a kiss to my temple before he let himself inside. “I haven’t seen you in a while, so I thought I would stop by.”

Time had flown by since Aurelias had returned. It’d been two weeks since I’d seen anyone else but him. “Sorry, ever since Aurelias has been back, I’ve just lost track of time.” I used to have breakfast with my parents every morning and usually dinner. Now, I didn’t see them at all.

“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “I’m happy for you.” For the first time, he didn’t look uncomfortable at the prospect of my having a man in my life. Didn’t seem to care that I was basically living with a man who wasn’t my husband. “I wanted to invite you to return to the castle. You don’t have to stay out here in this little cottage. And we miss you.”

My arms folded over my chest in discomfort. “I miss you too. But…I think I’d rather stay here with Aurelias.” I didn’t want to sneak back and forth. I didn’t want us to be separated in two different buildings.

“This invitation extends to him as well.”

“It does?” I asked in surprise.

“Of course. You’re part of the royal family. You deserve all the amenities that your mother and I have at the castle.” He glanced at the kitchen. “Instead of cooking your own meals and doing your laundry…and all those other things.”

“I’ll ask him what he thinks.”

“Alright,” he said, taking a look around at the small cottage, which contained old furniture and dusty rugs. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”

“I think Aurelias and I were going to have dinner at the pub tonight. But how about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow it is,” he said happily. “I’ll see you then, sweetheart.” He kissed me goodbye then left.

Aurelias came down the stairs moments later, dressed in trousers and a shirt, his muscular body stretching the fabric in the sexiest ways. His hair was still slightly damp, and his jawline had been smoothed with a good shave. He smirked as he looked at me, as if he knew I was about to drool all over him. “Ready?” His arm snaked around my back, and he kissed me.

“I’m not going to be ready if you kiss me like that again.”

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