Page 153 of The Wild Prince’s Favorite (The Dragon Empire Saga #3)
“ 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.
He prepared 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.
Bundled in her blanket, the little girl clung to him without fully waking, her tiny fist gripping the fabric. Getting up too, Alezya glanced up at him, her expression conflicted. Kassein leaned down and pressed a reassuring kiss to her lips.
“I’ve got her,” he said gently. “Let’s eat.”
He guided her through the Onyx Castle, first stopping by his siblings’ rooms to gather extra layers of clothing for Alezya.
Then, they raided the kitchen for fruits and worked together to coax Lumie awake and make sure she ate something.
Neither of them spoke much, as it felt too early for this, but Kassein noted how Alezya stood close enough that their bodies were constantly touching in some capacity.
She would keep her arm against his, let their fingers brush, and keep her body attuned continuously to his, like a flower around the sun, always naturally seeking his warmth and presence.
There were tender looks, faint smiles, and a light kiss now and then.
It felt natural, like a family life they could easily grow accustomed to, and he loved that between them.
Kassein savored this fleeting sense of domesticity.
He wanted that for them, for Lumie. But he knew the days ahead wouldn’t allow it yet.
The skies outside remained unnervingly dark as they left the kitchen and roamed through the castle, heading outside.
Though dawn had broken, the heavy clouds cloaked the sky in an ominous shade, blurring the line between night and day.
Thanks to being tightly wrapped in the blanket, Lumie was safe from the chill when Kassein stepped out, cradled securely in his arms. Given how dark it was, she might even have been safe from the sunlight.
Alezya followed close behind, and he was sure she shared the ominous feeling as she also kept glancing at the dark clouds ahead with a frown.
Lorey was already awake, wrapped in a similar thick cloak and tossing chickens across the yard.
The triplet dragons, unbothered by the weather, were pouncing on the prey, squabbling as they scrambled to claim their share.
Niiru had learned better than to compete with the rowdy bunch and was careful to stay away from the rabble, dragging its meal closer to Kein for safekeeping.
The scene might have been amusing if not for the oppressive weight in the air.
“Morning,” Lorey greeted them politely. “I hope you’re ready for a busy morning. Did that little sweetheart sleep well?”
She had been kind enough to direct her question to Alezya, who shyly smiled back as Lorey gently rubbed Lumie’s back, peeking at the little girl under the cover.
“We go?” Alezya asked Kassein. “To the mountain?”
He gave her a nod.
“Kiera is waiting for us, with our people. Hopefully, the Munsa Tribe will be too. They should have found our army by now.”
Alezya reacted to the mention of the Munsa Tribe and gave him a little nod, but her eyes were filled with sadness when she redirected them to Lumie. Kassein’s heart sank when he saw her immediately tear up a bit, and she leaned over to press a long kiss on her little girl’s forehead.
She whispered some words in their language, and right there and then, he decided that he was definitely going to learn their tongue.
No matter how long it took, even if it took him years, he would understand them.
He let Alezya take Lumie from him to hug her little girl, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing his lips to the crown of her head.
When she handed Lumie to Lorey with a tearful smile, he tightened his hold on her, letting her lean into him a bit more.
“Kiera will have already collected Tievin,” Lorey gently said. “You guys should get going before the storm comes.”
Kassein agreed with a quiet nod. He wished he could have given Alezya more time with her child, but if they were to reunite with his army, they had to get going. He was fairly certain his sister would already be getting impatient.
“Alezya,” he gently whispered her name, steering her toward his dragon.
She swallowed and turned her head toward him, giving him a nod and a brave smile that made his heart ache. Kassein let out a faint sigh, and just as she was about to get in step with him, he stopped himself and took a second to press his forehead to hers.
“I promise I’ll bring you back to her soon,” he whispered.
Whether she understood or not, Alezya nodded and pressed a quick, shy kiss to his lips. Then, she was the first one to turn away from Lumie and take the first determined step toward Kein.