Page 292 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
And once they had been gone, they’d enjoyed simply being a family of four. Kassein had made sure to keep Lumie involved in everything regarding her younger brother, and yet still saved time just for her. Kassein had become a better father for both children, and he had made it seem effortless. Sometimes, Alezya almost forgot that Lumie wasn’t biologically his, because Kassein never acted like she wasn’t, not once. If anything, she suspected that as the children grew older, he might end up taking Lumie’s side more often than not. He had a special fondness for her, and she loved him all the more for it.
“You guys snuck away again,” she sighed, leaning against his shoulder.
“Lumie wanted to see the stars.”
“It is a nice night,” she smiled, looking up.
Since they’d worked out a schedule to spend more time outside with Lumie, sleeping late into the day and staying uppast midnight, Kassein and the children had fallen into the habit of going out into the garden whenever the weather allowed to watch the stars. It had become their favorite thing to do together. It had started one night when Shuryo wouldn’t settle, and he’d taken both children outside to look at the stars so Alezya could get some rest. After that, it had just become their thing, something the three of them did when Alezya needed sleep, and sometimes, she would come out and join them. Even though his work often took him away from the Onyx Castle during the day, Kassein always made sure to be home before it got too late, just so he wouldn’t miss putting the kids to bed.
The North Camp was now shaping up to become a proper village, built by his army and those who had come from the town to mix with them. If Alezya hadn’t flown there often, she wouldn’t have recognized the place, which was now full of little houses, growing families, and a popular stop for trade between the mountains and the rest of the continent.
When Kassein had taken her to see how large his clan’s land was, Alezya had needed a few hours to recover. Their first trip had been to his grandmother’s house, which was one of the most beautiful places she’d ever seen, but knowing that the journey to the tip of his country took three or four times as long had made her dizzy. Once she had been alright with traveling again, they had gone farther, to the east to meet his older sister’s family, and to the south, in their country’s capital, to meet his oldest brother, whom she had learned was the current, actual leader of their Empire and some of his other siblings. By now, Alezya had seen more land than she would have ever imagined and met all of Kassein’s family.
Yet, it had actually made her realize the north was her home. Lumie had been born in the mountains and Shuryo in the Onyx Castle. The nights were long enough here for her daughter toenjoy them, and Alezya could spend time with all the clans, shaping the future of the north alongside Kassein.
Now, together, they ruled the Northern Kingdom. Kassein hated the title of King, and aside from residing in the Onyx Castle, they lived like most families up here. However, the country’s border had been set, the Empire no longer disposed of convicts here, and they were making new decisions weekly that would shape many people’s futures. Tievin was still Kassein’s advisor and was still doing a lot of his beloved paperwork, although now, and thanks to Alezya’s suggestion, he had taken on a handful of assistants to have time with his wife, who had just given him a son. Dajan had also found love, with a young woman from a northern clan. It was new, as he had met her after the war while he had helped establish a route between the mountains and the camp, but now, he spent more time in the heights than not, and was learning the northern language at remarkable speed.
Much to Alezya’s sadness, Lorey and Kiera still spent a lot of time travelling and exploring the west. The pair always came back whenever they felt like it, but at least, it still looked like they made a point to come back fairly regularly. The Onyx Castle had become the place they called “home” whenever they returned, in need of a break from their travels and dying to spend time with their nieces and nephews.
The pair had found traces of the Lumiata Clan during their journeys, but they weren’t sure what had happened to them. Kiera suspected many clans like their mother’s before had been attacked by slave traders. More optimistic, Lorey thought they might have sailed away to explore the sea west of the continent. Alezya sometimes wondered if she would ever meet them. But even if she didn’t, a part of her was satisfied enough knowing they lived. She had her own family here, and she didn’t feel the need to seek out more.
“How are you feeling?” Kassein gently asked.
She let out a faint sigh.
“A bit better. I can’t wait for this one to be born, though. I keep falling asleep in every room of the castle I sit in…”
“It’s fine,” he smiled. “That’s why we have pillows everywhere.”
“You promised you didn’t mind the new pillows,” she pouted.
“I don’t.”
The Onyx Castle had never felt more like a home than it did today. When Kassein was a child, his mother had been more interested in the gardens and too busy raising eight children to make many changes inside. Alezya, however, was different. After spending years confined in a tight cave with Lumie, she had been determined to turn the castle into a proper home. Every room had been renovated with the blessing of his siblings and parents, including some he had nearly forgotten existed. Alezya had a knack for trade and made every trip to the villages worthwhile. She loved learning about new techniques, fabrics, and materials, always eager to explore the expanding trade hubs in the mountains.
Kassein had fallen into a habit of going on long hunts in the days leading up to their trips, knowing how much she loved returning home with new goods in exchange for the pelts and meat he procured. She had a map from Tievin, carefully marked with every trading hub, ensuring she always knew where their next stop would be. When she had been too pregnant to travel, she had been just as involved, making detailed lists of what she wanted and sending Dajan to gather everything for Kassein to collect later.
“...I heard something interesting today,” he smiled.
“What? At the Dragon’s Haven?” she asked, using the new name for the North Camp, which honored Kein for some reason.
“In the mountains,” Kassein shook his head. “They were talking about the Onyx Princess.”
“Who?”
But Alezya’s jaw dropped when he smiled.
“Me?” she exclaimed. “They’re calling me the Onyx Princess?”
“I think the Onyx Queen would be more accurate,” he frowned.
“You’re one to talk! You won’t even let anyone call you King.”
“That’s different,” Kassein rolled his eyes.
“How? You’re more of a king than I am a queen. Or a princess.”
“You work with the clan chiefs to expand trade, you manage an entire castle, you had a school built for the clans’ children, and you’re an incredible mother to ours. Meanwhile, I go out to hunt, settle a few disputes, and come home to nap with our kids.”
