Page 239 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
Kassein watched them in silent awe, feeling his heart warm up at the sight of those two and their dazzling smiles. This was exactly what he’d envisioned when he’d dreamt of reuniting daughter and mother, and he felt privileged to get to witness this adorable scene.
Moments later, Lorey returned with a tray piled high with food, and he stood to take it from her. She gave him a little smile, and quietly bid them good night before stepping out, closing the bedroom door behind her.
“Ama! Ama!” Lumie kept chanting in her mom’s arms, too excited to go back to sleep.
Alezya kept chatting with her child in their language while eating, and Kassein couldn’t stop listening and staring. Heprepared them plates of food and brought them to the bed, letting Alezya settle Lumie on her lap and feed her daughter patiently. He ate his own quietly, unable to stop watching the duo interact.
Every now and then, Alezya would gaze at him, smile shyly, and then go back to her daughter. Lumie also smiled at him, like everything in this room could make her sparkle with joy.
Kassein ended up wolfing down his own meal in minutes, and then, he positioned himself next to Alezya and started drying and combing her half-wet curls, enjoying his front row seat to the most adorable scene.
Alezya was sitting cross-legged next to him and leaning over her baby, giving her bits of her soup and exchanging in their language with delighted smiles and excited sounds. He wasn’t sure if Lumie could understand or speak more than a few words, but Alezya was having a full-on conversation with her child, it seemed, and seeing her smile so brightly was all he wanted. Lumie seemed to be having the time of her life too. The baby girl was seated facing her mother, and she kept bouncing and clapping her hands with the force of excited giggles between each spoonful.
After a while, Niiru also popped into the room and climbed on the bed, making little circles around the humans present. It didn’t take long before they finished everything on the tray and laid down, their voices going from excited to gentle whispers, and the bedroom went quiet. Lumie was curled up in a small but thick blanket between her mom and the wall.
Alezya was on her flank, her head resting on Kassein’s bicep and his arm around her waist, her hand gently petting Lumie’s tummy. The little girl had exhausted herself after a good meal and so much excitement, and she was already dozing off. Niiru had made its way next to Lumie too, and had its body curled around her.
The trio made for an adorable sight, the little girl holding the dragon’s tail in one fist and a strand of her mother’s hair in the other. Lying behind Alezya, Kassein had a perfect view of this little family when he glanced down, and he could see Lumie’s long white eyelashes, her mouth in a cute O, her breathing slow. Next to her, Niiru let out a little grunt, rolled onto its back, and then started snoring faintly. Alezya chuckled against him, and he couldn’t resist pressing yet another kiss against her hair, perhaps the hundredth since they’d been reunited. He loved her hair, and now, her curls were smooth and smelled heavenly.
When he felt her let out a little sigh, he worried, rubbing his thumb against her belly.
“Alezya?”
She remained silent for a few seconds, but then, she turned around in his arms until he could see her eyes and the unshed tears in them.
He frowned, but she smiled and pressed a hand to his cheek, followed by a long kiss. This time, it was a chaste kiss, but strangely, it felt more meaningful than most.
“...You’re happy?” he whispered, a guess and a hope.
“Kiitso,”she replied quietly.
It took him a few seconds to remember what that word meant, but when he did, he relaxed and leaned over to kiss her deeply.
After a while, Alezya pressed a hand against his chest, pushing him away. Kassein groaned, but he finally leaned back, making her chuckle.
“No more?” he whispered.
“No more,” she smiled. “Sleep?”
“Really? No more meat?” he whispered against her ear.
“Kassein!” She slapped his bicep, making him chuckle in her neck. “No. Sleep.”
“Alright,” he smiled, relaxing against her and holding her closer. “Alright, my moonlight. Good night.”
The next morning, Kassein woke before sunrise to an irritating sensation on his toes. He wiggled them in protest, earning a gruff grunt. Lifting his head groggily, he squinted at the foot of the bed, where his long legs hung over the frame. A small, brown dragon was happily gnawing on his toes.
“Leni,” he groaned, voice heavy with sleep. “Off.”
The young dragon snorted and resumed chewing, undeterred. Kassein sighed, grimacing at how his feet were already slick with saliva and dusted with faint bronze where his dragon blood had started healing the skin. Leni had been at this for a while. With a firm shake of his foot, he dislodged the persistent dragon and sat up, rubbing his face. Niiru was gone, but Lumie and Alezya were still deep asleep next to him. Smiling, Kassein leaned over and kissed Alezya’s cheek, soft and deliberate, until she stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she let out a contented sigh, her hand reaching up to touch his face.
“Good morning, my moonlight,” he whispered.
She stretched languidly, sitting up just as Kassein shifted to rub Lumie’s belly. The little girl frowned adorably in her sleep, squirming under his touch. Alezya’s brows knitted as she leaned toward the curtains, pulling them shut to shield Lumie from the faint light of dawn.
“Kassein…” Her voice was quiet, tinged with unease. “The sky…”
“I know,” he murmured, gently lifting Lumie.
