Page 47 of Their Princess

I placed a quick kiss on his cheek as I walked by. “Thank you for being understanding.”

“I’m just glad it wasn’t me this time,” he whispered so softly I was certain he hadn’t meant for me to hear it.

ChapterSeventeen

After finishing my shower in the incredible bathroom, I was surprised to find some beautiful dresses already hanging in my closet.

The material was unlike anything I had seen, let alone worn before, soft and buttery, yet warm. Was it a type of material they made here in the demon world? I picked out a black dress with silver designs that reminded me of snake scales, brushed out my hair, and headed to the living room, where I could feel Mason and Kayden.

As I expected, Trey was seated with them as well, my inability to sense him due to the walls I’d erected around our bond.

He immediately stood when I entered, eyes tracing over me before dropping to the ground. Thick, dark bags hung beneath his eyes and his shoulders hunched forward. “Lily –” he whispered.

“We have a lot to discuss today,” I announced. “Starting with my desire to live in the demon world, here in this castle that they built for me … for us.”

Trey’s head whipped up and his eyes widened in surprise. “What?” he whispered.

I sat in a highbacked chair that was at the end of the living room, just before a fireplace that had a roaring fire going. On the mantle above the fireplace, I noticed protection charms had been placed there. Was it one of the builders or one of my friends who’d put the charms there? Even in my foul mood, they made me feel a little lighter. The highbacked chair seemed to mold around me and I relaxed into the comfort of it, letting it help bolster my determination.

Was Trey really so surprised by my desire to live here? Did he not realize how much better I was here? Kayden and Mason noticed. They both understood. Perhaps his hesitation was more to do with the duties he was bound to as royalty.

“I know you will need to travel to the other world to help the dragons and attend to your duties as a dragon prince,” I went on. “However, I have a lot that I still want to do here and that world’s only appeal to me is the people I love who live there. People I can visit. This world … this is where I belong. I feel ten times better after just one night here. I justfeelright here. Plus, I’m so much safer here. Elrith is so much safer here. And, I won’t ever have to deal with anincidentlike yesterday while I’m here.” Mainly because she would never receive clearance to enter this world. The last sentence came out a little harsher and angrier than I intended, but I wasn’t going to apologize for that.

Trey dropped to his knees before me, taking my hands from my lap and holding them in his. Pain rippled across his face as he looked up at me. Pain and regret. “I’m sorry. I should have known better than to listen to her and take what she said at face value, but she called me crying and showed me the red mark on her face and gave me a sob story. I was dealing with some stupidity among my cousins, so I was already upset and I didn’t think before reacting.” Squeezing my hands, he looked deep into my eyes and said, “I’m sorry, Lily. Truly. I’ve completely cut her off, and even my father has decided this stunt was the last straw and is discussing separation. I’ll do anything you want to prove my sincerity.”

I didn’t doubt his sincerity. I didn’t doubt he felt bad for his mother causing issues between us. That wasn’t the point.

“Do you have any argument against living here?” I asked, ignoring his apologies … for now.

His hands flexed around mine, some emotion I couldn’t place flitting across his face before he shook his head. “No, I am agreeable to living here as long as you understand there might be nights that I have to stay over to deal with dragon drama.”

“I’d also like Elrith to go to school here until at least middle school. Once he’s in middle school, we can then discuss having him attend school at the one we attended, as well as our high school. I agree with you all that he needs to become accustomed to that world and the people there, and the people of that world need to become accustomed to demons as well, but I don’t want his first school experiences to be marred by the inevitable harassment he will receive.” It wasn’t so much the kids I was worried about, but the parents.

“You’ve really thought this through, huh?” Kayden asked with a proud smirk.

I didn’t need to answer him, since he knew the answer already.

“I fully agree,” Mason said and Trey nodded his agreement as well.

“I have a favor to ask of you,” I said to Trey. Truthfully, what I wanted could be handled by Grandpa Rhys, but I knew it would help heal the rift between Trey and I if I asked him to handle it instead.

“Anything for you,” he whispered and rubbed his thumb over my knuckles.

“I want you to find a teacher from the dragons, someone who can teach Elrith about dragon history and about fighting like a dragon shifter. I know he isn’t a dragon, but his scales and wings remind me of you when you were his age.” And his spirit.

Trey frowned. “And why can’t I be that teacher?”

“Because you don’t remember shit about dragon history,” Mason said. When Trey shot him a dirty look, Mason shrugged a shoulder and asked, “Am I wrong?”

Trey sighed softly and shook his head. “No, you’re right.” He looked up at me again and nodded. “I’ll find a suitable teacher, one who is willing to travel here.”

I smiled and squeezed his hands. “Great.”

“Anything else we need to discuss?” Mason asked.

All of my other topics weren’t ones we needed agreement on, just brainstorming, so I shook my head. Plus, I was exhausted again and ready to relax.

Mason stood, walked over, picked me up, and carried me out of the room.

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