Page 24 of His Siren Prince

“I missed you,” I said as I smiled softly down at them before squeezing Seriphine again. “I missed you all so terribly.”

“I want to see the horse!” Seriphine said as she grabbed my hand and forced me to put her down. The second her feet touched the soft silver-veined marble of the palace steps, she was off, the frills of her dress waving behind her as she made a beeline for my exhausted horse.

A guard had already detached my saddlebags, and I knew my daughter would go rifling, so I left her to it.

“You’d better not leave me again. I still have enough soldiers to drag you back from wherever you run to.”

I shook my head as I chuckled. “No, Your Majesty. That is it for me. It’s been three years, and I can finally dedicate myself wholly to you - and to my family.”

Azul smiled as he nodded, arching his head in the way he did whenever he took on the role of the royal of the Sapphire Shores.

“Then it is a royal decree. I, king of the Sapphire Shores, hereby proclaim that Carrion, commander of the Sun Nation, shall no longer leave my bedchambers,northe palace, until I am fully satisfied.”

“Do you intend to trap me here forever, Your Majesty?”

“Absolutely, you’re never allowed to leave us again. Or I’ll chain you up and the only thing you’ll be able to eat is my-” He cut himself off, his eyes widening as they dropped to Kyros before he smirked at me.

“Then so it shall be.” I bowed my head, and he placed his hand on my shoulder like the true king he was.

“You may rise, commander. And I swear if you don’t get yourself washed up and in bed by the time the maids have whisked the babies away I’m going to hunt you down.”

“Is that a promise, Azul?” I hummed, and his eyes sparked.

The tension hung between us, the air practically vibrating with our need.

The only reason there was such a gap between Seriphine and Kyros's birth years was because of the demon wars, but now that they were over, Azul would not rest until his womb waved the white flag. Though I was most likely to cry for mercy from our childbearing first.

Our heated gazes were broken by the high cry of our daughter. “Papa!” she cried out, and I choked as she waved my dagger in the air. “Is this my present?”

The guard danced around her looking panicked.

“If she’s already gripping a blade, she’s got a bright future ahead of her,” I said, pride filling me as Azul laughed.

“Only if you stay and teach her how to use that thing.”

I stole another kiss from him as I rose, jogging towards my enthusiastic princess. Now that I was free from my duties to my nation, I could spend the rest of my life raising my children.

I snuck behind them as Seraphina loudly swung away with her birthday dagger while chatting to the guard.

“Now!” I said in my most commanding voice, shocking them both. “Let’s start the celebration for my princess!”

She screamed, laughing as I scooped her up again, rubbing my cheek against her. Love overflowed in my heart as Azul rocked Kyros, watching us with a grin, and I fully returned to my family again.