Page 43 of To Catch a Prince

“I’m old. Very old. And tired, too. I imagined these next few years would be mylast.”

If anyone had asked Vincent whether he liked the elder, he might have shrugged. Hearing him say that, though, he wanted to roar and jump out of his skin in protest. Nathos wasn’t goinganywhere.

“What this woman represents…” he sighed. “I’ve never felt this way. I want her.” He practically growled. “I want to keep her safe and care for her. She insinuated herself into my worldovernight.”

Aleria. He talked ofAleria.

Vincent winced on his behalf. He had his work cut out for himthere.

“Welcome to theclub.”

That was exactly what had occurred with Talia - he didn’t quite comprehend it. By gods, she’d only been in the Kingdom three weeks, and now, his world began and ended withher.

“One thousand years, and I find myself not knowing what todo.”

To make things simple for him, Vincent asked, “Do you have achoice?”

* * *

He spentmost of his day reading, although he did it in Talia’s company. When he’d expressed his wish to read, and offered to arrange for her to visit low-town, or anything she pleased to amuse herself, she dismissed hisidea.

“I’d love to get my hands on the books you talkedof.”

So, he returned to Nathos’ office, to steal a book this time. And yes, perhaps he could have asked, but that would just have removed the fun out ofit.

Immersed in tales of old dragons and Riders as he was, he might have forgotten to eat or order a drink, if Talia hadn’t been with him. She was, though, so occasionally his dragon growled to demand his attention and he knew it was time to see to herneeds.

Ringing a bell, he orderedtea.

How comfortable they were, just insilence.

During one of their little breaks, he shared, “You know, I believed you might have bespelled me when you first came. Turns out, I wasright.”

Talia lifted abrow.

“Instant bonds. Dragons and Riders form them two ways - the sisterly bond that linked Xandrie to Demelza, and the bond she formed with Rhey from the very beginning. As you’re of the same blood, you have the same latent ability to formboth.”

“Something Nimue said made me think all of us - Xandrie, Aleria, and I - might not be so very different, despite our different skills. She said I descended from what they called Dragonlords in the past. That got me thinking that perhaps it was another word forRiders.”

Vincent inclined his head. “No doubt. If I could pin down that woman, I’d have her write a damn history book,” hegrumbled.

Talia laughed, and there was nothing in his mind, save for peace. Now, he had to tell herthat.

“I’m grateful. Grateful you walked into my life. I was lost for a long time. My dragon and I would never have mended our differences without you. I believed him to be a monster, I gave up on him, and, in doing so, he was lost to me. I owe you everything for making me see that.” He had to smile. “He adores you, youknow.”

Taliabeamed.

“As I adore you. It’s not normal, it’s not logical, but from the very first moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. I’ll know it when I draw my lastbreath.”

How awkward he was, with words such as these. “What I meant tosay-”

“I know perfectly well what you meant to say. And I love you, too, PrettyMan.”

* * *

Miles away.

If he’d ever spareda thought on how death would come at him, Ash would have imagined dragonfire, blood, surrounded by a thousand enemies. Not this. Not this slow, agonizing decline, tainted by the taste of betrayal. He wasn’t dying here, alone, because of his sworn enemy; no one even knew he’d left his castleyet.

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