Page 46 of Obsessively Yours (Fae Kings of Eden #2)
TEN YEARS LATER
Babs strutted around Violet’s feet, tangling the leash around her legs. The old girl was getting up in age, not moving as fast as she used to, and ornerier than ever. Today she wore a black and white skirt with a matching bow to match Roman’s legendary mask, even though he no longer wore it.
“Can you untangle me?” Violet asked Slayton, who held a four-year-old little girl with fair, freckled skin, almost a spitting image of Violet’s mother, save for her light brown eyes and sandy blonde hair.
Slayton handed Diana to Violet and worked on untangling Babs’ leash. “Is Reyna coming?” Violet asked after Slayton’s wife. They had no kids because Reyna claimed children derived straight from Orcus himself, and Slayton said Di was more than enough.
“She’ll be here, but she’s running late.”
Reyna had become a close friend of Violet’s after she and Slayton started seeing each other eight years ago. She was a hyper little thing with dark, hooded eyes, sleek black hair, and light brown skin. She practically bounced around everywhere and talked non-stop, the exact opposite of Slayton. She fit in with their group perfectly.
Ares and Griff stood not far behind with their wives. Violet wasn’t as close with them as she was Reyna, but she still considered them friends.
“Is he nervous?” Amos, the Desert King, asked Violet from behind. He’d shown up that morning to surprise Roman for his big competition. Amos and Clover had visited the Tropical Kingdom a week after Violet’s coronation and stayed a couple of weeks. In that time, Roman and Amos became close, often travelling to see the other a few times a year.
“I think so, but he won’t admit it,” Violet answered honestly and pointed at a young man of about twenty sitting a few rows in front of Roman. “That guy won the last three competitions, beating both Roman and Kelty. They hate him.”
Amos moved to stand beside her and glared at the poor kid. “I could scare him.”
Violet laughed. “Don’t you dare.” Diana reached for Amos, calling his name in her half-baked toddler speech, and his eyes twinkled as he scooped her into his arms. “How’s Rose?” Violet asked. Rose was Amos and Clover’s seven-year-old daughter.
“She has an attitude,” he grumbled. “Like her mother.”
Violet huffed out a laugh. “You’re one to talk, Brutal King .” Amos shrugged and bopped Diana on the nose.
“I’m not holding this chicken all day,” Slayton said from Violet’s other side. Babs pecked him on the leg, and he glared at her.
Reyna appeared next to him and held out her hand. “I’ll take her, you big baby.”
Slayton gladly passed the hen off and gave Reyna a quick kiss. “How was work?”
Reyna launched into an animated monologue about the staff gossip she’d heard that week at the palace, where she worked as a healer.
The announcer lifted his amplifying cone and announced the beginning of the tournament, and a hush fell over the crowd. Since seeing Roman in his first competition a decade ago, Violet preferred to stand in front of the stands instead of the box with their parents.
She no longer had to glamour herself because the people who ran the competition insisted they give her and her guests her own area on the arena floor. At first Violet had refused because Roman wanted to be like every other contestant, but he insisted she accept the offer so he could see her better.
She’d agreed, and now the royals had two boxes; one at the top and one on the floor in front of the stands.
The announcer introduced each contestant, and of course when they announced Roman, everyone went crazy. He hated it, but what did he expect? He’s their king, and they adored him. They’re also terrified of him, and that might have had more to do with it, but Violet wouldn’t tell him that.
War padded over to Violet, and Diana squealed, wiggling until Amos let her down so she could run to her best friend. From the moment Violet found out she was pregnant, War had refused to be apart from the baby longer than necessary.
Diana tried to hug the tigon’s neck, but her little arms weren’t near long enough. War laid down on his stomach until Diana climbed on his back, then stood.
“ Begin ,” the announcer bellowed, his words ricocheting around the arena.
Violet’s eyes ticked between Roman, Kelty, and the new kid. They’d not announced it, but this would be the king’s last competition, and she knew winning meant a lot to him. He’d stayed up all hours of the night practicing over the last month.
“Go, Daddy!” Diana yelled and clapped her little hands.
The minutes passed and then it happened. Roman moved on to his last puzzle before anyone else, his elation and hope flowing freely down their bond.
“He’s going to do it,” Slayton whispered to himself, but Violet heard him. He knew how much this meant to Roman, too, and despite what Roman claimed, the two were like brothers. “Come on, Rome.”
Diana tapped the top of War’s head, and he lowered to the ground to let her off. Before Violet could stop her, she took off running toward Roman. Violet and War shot after her just as screams went up around the arena. Roman pumped his fists in the air with a victory yell and spun around toward his family.
His eyes brightened when he saw bouncing blonde curls hurdling toward him, and he ran full speed, snatching Diana into his arms mid run. Violet readied herself and wrapped her legs around him when he picked her up too, careful not to smoosh their daughter.
Diana covered her ears but smiled wide, showing her tiny teeth to her father. “Daddy won.”
“That’s right, tiger,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Daddy won.”