Page 87 of Iron Hearts

“The head, body, and the rest of your mighty foe, my princess. Your dragon has been slayed!” I tossed it in the sink. “I’m taking that fucker with me, too – I earned its ass.”

She laughed and said, “My hero,” before rolling her eyes.

“I’m not going to be able to put this back in tonight. I wanna get a new wax ring and make sure it gets a good seal. If I was a less stable man, I’d smash the fuckin’ thing on principle it was that big of a pain in my ass – but a penny saved is a penny earned and not worth the price of a new john.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did smash it,” she said, crossing her arms and leaning her hip against the sink top – “or if you ran screaming from the chaos that is my life with these three little bridge trolls.”

“Nah,” I said, shaking my head, and turning to wash my hands thoroughly with soap and water at the boys’ sink. “Why would you even say that?” I asked.

She didn’t say anything for such a long time I had to look over my shoulder to make sure she was still there at the other end of the counter. She wouldn’t look at me, and gave a sort of shrug, which was a total non-answer.

I shut off the water, shook off my hands in the bowl of the sink, and grabbed the hand towel out of the ring, turning to square up with her and try and get it out of her what was eating her.

“Just feeling insecure, I guess,” she said and I pulled her to me.

“How can I help?” I asked and she rested her forehead against my chest, letting her hands slip from beneath her arms and go around my waist. She melted into me, and I took the weight she carried and hefted it like it was nothing – knowing that to her, she carried the weight of her family’s world on those delicate slim shoulders.

“I love you, Rarity Mitchell,” I said finally, into her hair. “You’re sweet. You’re kind. Your brothers are a handful, sure – but today was just a real bad day and tomorrow will be better.”

“What if it’s not?” she asked piteously.

“Then the day after that will be better,” I told her with a chuckle.

“How can you know?” she asked petulantly.

“Because the bad days like today? They don’t last forever,” I reassured her.

“I’m scared my mom isn’t going to get the chance to know you and love you as much as I do before my grandmother ruins it all.”

It was one of the rawest things I’d ever heard come out of her mouth and it made me freeze.

“What do you mean?” I asked innocently, but I already knew and my heart cracked right down the middle for the soft and fearful tone she’d used to make her initial confession.

“My mom’s mom is nothing like me or my mom,” she said. “She’s very… particular… gossipy and judgy. Like I don’t tellanyoneat the craft storeanythingabout my home life or life outside of work because I know those old biddies would narc me out to gran in a heartbeat.”

“Okay,” I said carefully.

“Theonlyreason I waved the white flag today was because they’re out of town,” she said. “I’m just not ready for World War Three to break out in the house because granwillpitch a fit and I don’t want any fighting… but mostly I’m scared my mom’s opinion about you will be colored by what Grandma is going to have to say about us and I’m just not ready for the peace I feel with you to be disturbed or for you to rightfully say ‘fuck this shit’ and walk away because of all the drama.”

I chuckled then, and held her tighter and said, “I like a little chaos. Thrive on it, actually – I wouldn’t be a Royal Bastard if I didn’t.”

“I’m afraid we’re going to be too much chaos for even the Royal Bastards,” she said miserably and I had to fight not to have a fit of laughter loud enough to wake anyone in the house.

“We’ll cross all of those bridges when we come to ‘em baby girl,” I promised, stroking a hand down her long, smooth, blonde hair.

“Promise, Daddy?” she whispered so quietly I barely heard her.

“I promise,” I assured her out loud since she hadn’t caught the promise in my voice alone.

“I love you too much to want to let go,” she said and she sounded on the verge of tears. “You make my life so much better.”

I smiled at that, and held her tight, “Who else you gonna find to come slay your toilet dragons at a moment’s notice?” I asked, and she snorted and buried her face in my chest to keep from laughing too loud.

Of all the dragons I had to possibly slay for my fair princess, I hadn’t expected her grandmother to be the one. She’d seemed nice enough at the Iron Horse on the family day for all the exchange was pretty brief.

I wondered about some things now.

It was definitely some food for thought.

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