Page 157 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
Dragons were stubborn, and Lorey had taught her that they were quite willful too. Kein didn’t care for her father and wouldn’t respond to a stranger’s call. The little doubt she’d had was lifted, confirming how much power she held thanks to her connection to the dragon.
Her father looked passably furious, and he had failed to prove her wrong in front of some of his men, which added to the humiliation.
Alezya almost expected another slap, but he was standing a bit too far and didn’t move toward her, only pinning her down with his infuriated eyes.
“...Make sure she doesn’t leave until the council gathering tonight,” he hissed. “Keep her and her bastard under watch.”
Alezya’s cousin, who had followed, gave her a nervous glance, but Alezya ignored everyone, only following when pulled back inside the mountain by her father’s men. She was just glad he was letting her be with Lumie for a few hours. Perhaps it wasbecause it would be easier to watch them both, but Alezya didn’t care.
They would have until tonight, and then, she would be able to take Lumie out after nightfall, which was all she needed. Once she got her baby out of there, everything would be fine. Kein was staying nearby, she was sure of it. She silently prayed it wouldn’t change its mind and go back to Kassein, but the orange dragon had more often followed her than been interested in staying by its owner’s side, so she hoped it would be patient until the evening at least.
She and Lumie were taken to one of the clan’s main caves, where many of her father’s men could watch her. Apparently, since her first escape, nobody trusted her to be alone in a narrow cave... She probably knew that mountain better than most of them, but Alezya didn’t have any intention of disappearing into one of the crevices this time.
Instead, she ignored all the curious stares, settling herself against the familiar stone, and took off the fur coat to cover herself while she fed Lumie for the first time in a while. The relief of seeing her baby girl fine and healthy was worth absolutely everything. Alezya’s heart still ached for Kassein, but at least it was full thanks to Lumie’s warmth against her chest. Her necklace was a bit too long for her tiny neck, and her little girl had grabbed the pendant, her chubby little fingers holding onto it.
For a while, the two of them stayed like this in their little bubble while heavily guarded by half a dozen men. People passed by, more of her clan finding excuses to come and see the madwoman who had truly returned, allegedly pregnant with a dragon’s child. Alezya ignored them all; she only had eyes for the babe getting milk drunk against her skin.
She wished it had been safe enough to tell her about Kassein. About Kein the orange dragon, about the kind Lorey and the fierce Kiera. About that skinny man who was always funnily wrapped up in absurd layers of fur coats.
She wished she could have let her taste the things she had tasted and the herbs she had smelled. She wished Lumie had experienced the luxury of Kassein’s home, his bed full of comfy furs, the meat in his food, the warmth that always came with his embrace...
Instead, she just took in the sight of her baby girl, unbothered by the political plots at play around her and slowly dozing in her mom’s arms.
Alezya wished that Lumie could always remain this happy and unafraid.
She leaned over, pressing a long kiss on the baby girl’s forehead between her white locks of wispy hair.
“Everything will be alright, my snowflake,” she whispered.
She would make sure of it, no matter what. Lumie deserved everything and more. To grow up safe, happy, and loved. It shouldn’t have been something they had to fight for, but life just wasn’t fair like that.
Thankfully, Alezya had hopes, high hopes, that Kassein could and would provide it for her. Perhaps it was a grand delusion she had been feeding herself over the past few weeks, but after everything that had happened, it seemed like the most plausible of all of her crazy hopes. And she was still hoping she would make it out of this mountain and survive so she could be a part of Lumie’s future. At least she would get Lumie outside, but what about her? How long would it take for her father to realize she wasn’t pregnant, and what would happen then?
Alezya bit her lip, a cold shiver running down her spine. In the worst-case scenario, he would kill her. Or would he possibly send her back to try again?
This time, she wouldn’t be so foolish to come back, and with Lumie gone, there would be no more bargaining chip... so it was unlikely. If there was one thing her maker wouldn’t forgive, it was to have been tricked and humiliated in front of the other clans.
Alezya took in a shallow breath; yes, her chances of survival were slim. She could hardly see a future for herself after tonight, but she could still dream of it for a bit.
“You’re going to be alright,” she whispered to Lumie.
A hard knot formed in Alezya’s throat as more and more of her clan passed by, all assessing her with the same mix of surprise, disgust, curiosity, and hatred at different levels. The worst was the looks they were giving her child.
All of them looked at Lumie like she was some aberration, a gross creature they could hardly look at, and Alezya couldn’t help but worry again. What if Kassein reacted like the man she had been wedded to did? Her own father had rejected Lumie; what if Kassein found her just as repulsive?
Alezya forced herself to breathe slowly and remember every time Kassein had shown her patience, kindness, and compassion. His own men feared him, and yet, he had been nothing but tender with Alezya.
She pressed her eyes shut. She had to believe Kassein would be the same man she had learned to love. Otherwise, she might have given up on everything. Getting her heart broken by the same man who had healed it once would hurt far too much...
For several hours, Alezya waited while her clan got ready for the gathering. She was watched by many, but no one bothered to ask if she needed anything.
She and Lumie were escorted once when she reminded them they had basic needs, and her cousin’s husband broughther some food, clearly the only one who had thought that she might need to eat at some point.
The meal felt quite lacking compared to the lavish meat chunks Kassein had been feeding her, but Alezya was now quite hungry, and she needed the strength.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have come back,” Suolk muttered, still kneeling in front of her while she ate.
“I couldn’t abandon my child.”
