Page 25 of Luca

“I know,” I assured him, already confident that he had absolutely zero expectations. “That wasn’t the point I was trying to make. I mated with you, content with whatever path my future may take, and I don’t regret a thing. I love it here, in this realm, surrounded by nature and magic, but I’m just saying—badly—that if you don’t feel the same, I understand, and I would do anything to help you get out of it.”

His grateful smile warmed my entire soul. “I appreciate the sentiment, pet. Though there is only one way out, which involves losing, and I am not of that prospect.”

He meant war. If the king and his forces managed to beat him, Cair would be imprisoned for treason. Or worse, depending on his father’s mood that day, which in all honesty never really changed, so there was a high probability that Cair would be tortured every day and made an example of.

The ward protecting the royal line would deprive his father of the satisfaction of killing him outright, but even if he decided to utilize the loophole and hire an outsider to carry out the execution, I doubted the king would be so merciful. He wasn’t known for it, and for those reasons alone, I wholeheartedly understood Cair’s reservations. War was not on my agenda either, regardless of whether the outcome leaned into my mate’s favor. That was a last resort, but knowing Cair wasn’t fully content with his life here made me determined to find another way.

Whatever it took.

“Couldn’t you stand down? Peacefully. I know your father is unreasonable on a good day, but if you made a bargain with him, promised never to change your mind and rise up against him as long as he left us alone, would he not even consider it? It would be in his best interest.”

“Even if, by some divine miracle, that happened, it would force one of my siblings to take my place.” His dark eyes were filled with regret. “I couldn’t, in good conscience, force this life on anyone who was unprepared.”

“Preparation could be worked around.”

“I suppose.” The space between his brows creased minutely before smoothing out again. He shrugged as if casting his warring thoughts away. “But it matters not. This is the hand fate has dealt me. I must see it through.”

“But—”

“I am fine, my heart. Truly.” He cut in before my mouth ran away with me and I demanded to go back to the palace to research ‘how to turn a prince into a commoner’ or something equally ridiculous. He tucked a stray curl of hair behind my ear, his touch feather-light. “With you by my side, I could never be discontented.”

Though I wanted to figure out the answer to every question right here, right now, I would respect his attempts to end the conversation. I’d helped him out of his binds once before, and I’d happily fight to do it again. But we were in public, so I filed it away for later and shoved the last of the apricot cake into my mouth, chewing with an appreciative hum.

The crumbs sticking to my fingers fell away easily with a brush against my pants, but no matter how many times I swallowed, the dryness in my throat wouldn’t budge. I glanced around for a fountain or a bar, even a well would’ve been welcome at that point—shit, have I hadanywater today?—but the brush of Cair’s fingers against my cheek interrupted the search. Ever attuned to my needs, he hooked a hand over my hip and steered me in the direction of a café decorated with beautiful arches of multicolored flowers and hanging rainbow garlands.

“Let’s get you a drink,” he said. “And something more substantial to eat than sweets.” I pouted, but before I could utter a word in my defense, he tacked on, “My dear, you may indulge to your heart’s content, but I fear you’ll turn into a pretty pastry if you don’t break up your streak with something nutritious.”

He had a point. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten a vegetable. “Fine.”

The place was busy, but a table miraculously became available as soon as we made it to the host stand. The pink-haired gnome who guided us through the café to our seats was polite and attentive, and within ten minutes our drinks were on the table, we had Fae bread and butter to snack on, and we were ordering our food.

Or attempting to.

“I’m stuck between thePhoenix Flame Stew and the Nature’s Bounty Burger,” I said, mentally listing the pros and cons of each. Stew had more vegetables, but the burger had fries. It was a tricky decision.

“Get both,” Cair offered, patient as a saint.

“I can’t get both.” I tutted, rolling my eyes, and after another second of chewing my bottom lip and rereading the ingredients, the waiter spoke.

“I can give Your Highnesses a few more?—”

“No, no.” I closed my menu with a slap and handed it over with a smile. “I’ll have the stew. Thank you very much.”

“Excellent choice.” The gnome bowed his head and scribbled my order on his notepad before facing Cair. “And for you, Your Highness?”

Cair handed over his already folded menu. Had he even opened it? “The burger sounds good. Thank you.”

“Of course.” Another bow. “Those will be out shortly. If there’s anything you need in the meantime, do let us know.”

With that, and one last dip of his head, he scurried away, leaving us alone. My brows furrowed suspiciously. “If I’d ordered the burger, would you have ordered stew?”

“Yes.”

I huffed a laugh. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

Cair smirked before taking a slow sip of his drink. “So you keep saying, pet.”

With a fond shake of my head, I leaned back in my seat, stretching out the slight ache in my shoulders from my backpack as I glanced around the café, taking in the colorful art hanging on the walls. “Alex would love this little café,” I mused as my eyes landed on a purple piece that looked oddly familiar. “There’s art, for one thing, and he’s a total foodie. That menu would be right up his alley.”

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