Page 29 of Princess Seeks Dragon

Stacks of pregnancy books.

Beautiful photos of a dark-haired man and woman on their wedding day and what I assume is a tropical honeymoon.

A giant silver coat of arms hangs over the fireplace, with a framed parchment sheet beside it. I read it, murmuring aloud as I try to block out worried questions I don’t have the answers to, anyway. “The Kane Coat of Arms. The son of the warrior, anglicized from the names of Ó Catháin or Mac Catháin. The name Kane is mainly found in Irish ancestry, but has several Scottish associations and branches, especially around the Cairngorms, where many dragon clans currently reside. After the dragons more closely allied themselves with the Orc clans and the gargoyles of Tulloch—”

Wait, dragons? Orcs and gargoyles? Like the statue things and those guys from Lord of the Rings?Dragons?

I blink and try to find that section again, but I can’t seem to. It’s like it was never there, and my eyes keep going back to the Kane family genealogy and a long, boring section about how different branches have slight variations on the crest.

“Maybe I need to lie down. Or have a panic attack,” I whisper. I grab my bags from the kitchen and run upstairs. “First door, he said.”

***

“HOLY HUGENESS,” I WHISPERwhen I open the door at the top of the stairs. The hall is long and has five doors, including one at the very end that stands open. I don’t even have to go in to know that’s the future nursery. It’s so sweet and sunny, some enchanted place. I was almost tempted to pass the guest suite Graham offered and explore the other rooms, but manners kicked in at the last second.

I’m glad they did.

This place is beautiful, done in whites and light blues. Dark violet accents, watercolors of purple irises, and soaring gray and green dragons done in oils give the room just the right balance between masculine and feminine. And the bed! The bed must be two queen-sized beds shoved together. There’s a fireplace and a minibar...

“Luxury,” I whisper, feeling guilty for noticing it. Feeling guilty that I like the memories it brings up. I put my stuff on the bed and turn to face the large mirror over the dresser—and wince.

My hair looks like I styled it with a weedwacker. My skin is starting to breakout on my forehead where my hairline meets my face.Wonderful, stress acne, here we come.

Good. Maybe Vincenzo will say I’m too ugly and tell his dad to throw me back and pick a new one.

I know I’m supposed to worry about things like life and death, but I have a momentary pity party where I think about all the gorgeous stuff I left behind. The little black dress. The flowy pink one. The new strappy sandals. The first set of real pearls I ever owned. Ronnie gave them to me for my 23rd birthday, right after he and Mom met.

With a little miserable cry, I sit down on the bed—and find my hand on a pendant that looks just like Graham’s. It looks like the big silver art piece over the mantle downstairs.

“Oh, it’s the Kane family crest. I wonder if this is like some rich, royal people thing? Instead of fruit baskets, do they give you these family coat of arms necklaces to wear when you’re a guest?” I undo my hair and slide the necklace over my head. “Most people just have a guestbook, but no, they give out jewelry. Nice touch.”

I lay back on the bed and clutch the wide silver pendant in my palm. It’s warm from lying in the sun that streams through the blinds and sheer, soft blue curtains. It makes me feel safe for the moment.

“You really are a fucking princess. You don’t want to cuddle a teddy bear. You cuddle a piece of jewelry. Be better,” I mumble to myself, and feel slumber grab me. I don’t even try to fight it.

Chapter Nine: Oops

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