Page 47 of Finding Closure

“Got it.” I shrugged it off and went back to teaching the kids how to dab, and then we did a conga line around the terrace while food was being brought out. I saw Neldor was still a bit salty, so I tossed Elasha towards him.

No one could be upset holding the goofy, giggly ball of love.

“Why is Prince Neldor upset, Tamsin?” she asked, quick to catch on like always.

“Because I was bad and was a jerk to him,” I confessed. “He made a small joke and I overreacted, so he needs extra hugs and happy.”

“Because we don’t bully,” Darfin said firmly. “And we can’t throw tantrums if we are guests at the castle.”

“Exactly,” I agreed, going over to him and twirling him around. “So what should be my punishment for being mean?”

“It depends what you did, Princess,” one of the other kids called over.

“I threw him in the ocean when he was still asleep, but I forgot it was winter and the ocean was super cold. So I’m a really big jerk,” I accepted, biting back a smile when Neldor snorted.

“Bring him treats,” someone suggested.

“He gets a day off work,” another kiddo called out.

“Kisses! Momma gives me kisses when she snaps at me. It makes me feel better,” the last one said.

“I’ll take kisses,” Neldor chuckled. He shrugged when I shot a look at him. He shrugged. “You’re the one who involved the kids.”

“You can kiss my assets,” I purred. “I think treats are a good apology. Who wants to help me think of which ones?”

“You can while eating because a lot of this is hot and with purpose, shorty,” Hudson called over. “And you need to recharge.”

Darby grabbed my arm when I walked by and pulled me onto his lap, peppering my face with kisses. “Agra, you love me,right? Tell me you love me and will give me whatever I want. I’ll beg, plead, and—”

“That’s enough from you,” Irma chuckled and smacked him. “It was a simple oversight.”

“What? What’s going on?” I worried.

She sighed. “Coffee like on Earth isn’t normal for Faerie. We didn’t think of that and prepare it. He’s being a cheeky brat—”

“Oh my gods, will you be okay?” I asked Darby as I held his face in my hands and studied him. “Are you going to wither right before my eyes?” I gasped and turned to look at Julian. “And you—”

“Don’t drag me into these antics, my darling wife,” Julian chuckled. “Irma feeds me and she’s getting upset. I can go get coffee later and bring some back with a French press. We were more than able to bring it with our belongings.”

“Sorry, Irma, I was just teasing,” Darby immediately said when he saw the hobgoblin was a bit red. “Really, I was. You know I’m useless before coffee, and—I apologize.”

“Fine, fine, just—everyone worked hard to prepare this for the princess,” she grumbled.

I slid off his lap and knelt in front of her, hating when the hobgoblins were upset, but this was more than that. I grabbed her arms and made her face me, studying her closely. “You need a break, my friend. A vacation, and—you’re burning out. Can I hire more people to help? Is that what you need?”

Irma looked ready to brush me off but sighed when I cleared my throat in warning. “Yes, more help would be welcome. We planned for—I went off of the normal outline of what the previous—how the castle used to run. You are doing things differently.”

I gently flicked her forehead as I sat back on my feet. “I’m not killing myself to make the lives of everyone in Faerie better only to shit on the people I love. I want your life to be the bestest ofthe best, my friend. You’re the boss. Hire all the people you need and lounge around eating bonbons while bossing them around, okay? That’s the job.”

“Oh, enough of you,” she chuckled and swatted my arm. “You would never do anything like that as the boss. Don’t even tease me like that.”

“Fine, Saturdays, we both rest and eat bonbons, deal?” I purred, covering my head with a laugh when she swatted me again. “Sundays? Friday nights?” I gasped when she really hit me that time. “I’m going to force you to take a vacation if you keep abusing me.”

That broke her. She burst out into peals of laughter and hugged me.

“I love you too. I know the wedding and getting everything ready was too much. I need you to do this, Irma,” I told her as I kissed her hair. “I can’t get over the finish line without you when you are the one who pushed me to start all of this. So please don’t break yourself. I’m kinda rich, so hire whoever we need. I—do what you need?”

She let me go and studied my face. “What were you going to say?” She shook her head when I told her it was nothing. “No, if you’re pushing me to be honest, you cannot fib to me now, Tamsin Vale.”

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