Page 12 of The Dragon King's Bride
He looks about as disappointed as I feel. I let out a sigh of my own as I lean over and give him a short peck on the lips. “Sorry, but we can’t do this here. It will have to wait until we get back to the castle.”
“Tomorrow night, then?”
“Tomorrow night,” I confirm, nodding my head.
It takes a little bit to calm myself down. But eventually I’m tired enough that I don’t even notice myself falling asleep.
Chapter seven
Kaiser
“Your Highness! Your Highness, where are you?”
A voice yelling in the distance is what wakes me from my sleep. I open my eyes with a groan, wincing at the body aches that arise when I try to sit up. Clearly, I’m not used to sleeping anywhere besides a soft bed. It feels like there’s a bruise on every square inch of my body.
“Your Highness!”
“For heaven’s sake, Wilcox,” I groan out. “It’s first thing in the morning. Mind your volume.”
There’s a thundering of footsteps at the sound of my voice, and I realize that Wilcox isn’t alone. It sounds as if he’s brought the entire royal army with him. Groaning, I force myself to sit up. I want to get out there before Ava is disturbed. I don’t want my men spying on her as she sleeps.
Wilcox pokes his head into the waterfall just as I manage to stand. Damn. Too late. My advisor’s eyes widen as he takes in Ava’s slumbering form.
“At ease,” Wilcox shouts over his shoulder. “His Highness is unharmed. You may return to your posts.”
I heave out a sigh of relief as I hear the retreating footsteps. Thank goodness Wilcox understands my need for privacy in this instance. I’ll be able to explain myself properly as long as he’s the only one I’m speaking to.
“Your Highness, coming here was very irresponsible. You could have been killed by one of your potential assassins.”
“I’m sorry, Wilcox,” I apologize sincerely. “I didn’t realize such a thing would happen when I entered the forest. Is it over? Have you rounded up all the men?”
“We have, Your Highness.” Wilcox nods. “Twenty of them in total. We spent all night searching for you and rounding them up.”
“Have you found out the reason for their assassination attempt? Was it just revenge or is it possible the Fae are behind this?” Eagerness bleeds into my voice. If the Fae are behind this, I’ll have a reason to launch a violent attack as soon as possible.
“Unfortunately, it’s only revenge, sire. The families all had family members who died or disappeared on the way to the competition.”
“Too bad,” I comment as my shoulders slump. “I would have loved an excuse to lop off some fairy heads.”
I realize Ava is now awake when she flinches at these words. Perhaps this is too violent of a conversation to be having right in front of her. I send Wilcox away, telling him it won’t be long until I’m back in the castle. If there’s no more danger, I can shift and fly back. I lean down to stroke Ava’s hair.
“Good morning,” I murmur. “Did you sleep well?”
“Better than you, judging by the sounds you were making as you stood up,” Ava says, smiling. It seems a bit forced compared to usual, and I’m wondering if my conversation with Wilcox really made her feel ill.
“So you heard everything, then? Good. That saves me the trouble of having to tell you. It’s time to go. I’ll fly you back.”
Ava shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. I can walk back.”
“Are you sure?” I ask gently. “You’re not able to fly on your own, right? But you’re a dragon shifter, so surely you must have the urge to do so. I think it will be a fun experience for you if you let me fly you back.”
Ava bites her lip, clearly unsure. “Won’t I get in trouble? I thought I was supposed to head back on my own.”
I shake my head. “No. You passed the second round the second you got the final piece. Once you piece it together, the location for the final round will be revealed. But that’s not for another couple of days, so you have time.”
“Well, in that case…,” Ava trails off, a smile beginning to tug at her lips. “I’d love for you to fly me back. Thank you.”
I go outside to shift as I wait for Ava to get out of bed. The clearing around the river should be wide enough for me to shift. A familiar shot of pain echoes through my body as it grows into its full size. I crouch down just in time. Ava exits the cavern a moment later.
