Page 89 of The War God’s Favorite

“No, Concubine Mother. I’m more used to eating fish…In small quantities, though.”

“Hmpf. That explains your good skin, thin build, and character. It is said eating fish helps with all those. Too much meat makes children stubborn. Just look at these two.”

Right as she said that, both Kairen and Shareen, who happened to have meat in their hand or mouth, sent glares back to their mother.

Kareen sighed. “Anyhow, just let me know what you want to eat, I’ll have servants go fetch it for you.”

“Actually…could I go buy it myself?” asked Cassandra, a bit embarrassed.

The Concubine Mother looked at her, confused.

“Why?”

“I just…I like going to the markets. Looking at the stalls, and all.”

After a few seconds of contemplation, Kareen chuckled.

“You really are a new kind of concubine, aren’t you? Fine, we’ll go later. A little outing will do me some good as well. But first, dessert!”

Cassandra wondered exactly how much she was expected to eat! More delicious food was brought out - so many fruits, nuts and cakes that she had to drink some tea to help it all go down. She would definitely get plump if she spent her pregnancy in the Diamond Castle!

After she was done eating, Concubine Kareen stood up, elegantly wiped her lips, and turned to her children.

“I’m going to take a walk in my garden. Don’t any of you even think of leaving. And anyway, I’ll be taking Krai with me.”

Under Cassandra’s surprised eyes, Kareen walked over to Krai’s head, caressing its snout. The dragon closed its eyes, growling softly like it usually did with Cassandra. It really seemed to like the Concubine Mother. She walked out of the Garden, using an opening between the stones to meet with the Dragon behind the wall. Though she couldn’t see Kareen anymore, Cassandra watched Krai as it bounded down from the wall, its big back turning around to follow her.

“This place is so boring,” sighed Shareen. “I’m going to take a nap in my room until Mother comes back.”

They watched as Shareen retired, leaving Cassandra alone with her Prince. So they couldn’t take the egg and leave while she was away, Kareen had locked it in the chest and had the servants take it back inside while they were dining.

Cassandra walked up to Kairen, who pulled her down to sit on his leg.

“We will get it back soon,” said the Prince, holding her by her waist.

“It’s okay. As long as it’s safe with Concubine Mother.”

Kairen nodded, caressing her long hair down her back.

“Do you want to stay here?” he asked softly.

“I’m not sure. I want to stay here, for our baby’s safety, but… I also want to take care of the hospital, and I know I’ll miss the girls at the Onyx Castle.”

He didn’t reply to that and instead gently kissed her shoulder, lost in his own thoughts. Since his mother had insisted that they stay a while, they could always decide later. She wouldn’t be able to keep Kairen here much longer and Cassandra would have to make her decision before then.

They stayed like this for a while, gently caressing and holding each other, lost in their own little world. Kairen seemed gentler and more caring since her pregnancy had been announced, and Cassandra was feeling a bit more confident too. She even wondered if she could find people to teach medicine to here.

“Were you here often?” she asked, looking at the garden around them.

“When I was younger… My father gifted it to my mother after my birth. “

“This castle?”

“This city. It’s the place where she was born.”

The Imperial Family’s standards were truly too extravagant for her to grasp! Cassandra was once again speechless. So not just a castle, but a whole city was their mother’s? Shareen and Kairen had probably spent most of their childhoods here in that case.

“How did your mother become a concubine?”

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