I had my time with him. I had my time with elan. And I had my time with both of them.

Chris chose his times to partic.i.p.ate in the last part.

Although things were progressing slowly with Christophe, they were not with elan. As with our last ride, and even before we left Karsvall, she wanted me around all the time.

She wanted me.

She had me.

I'd fallen in love with her father.

It took far less time to fall in love with her.

Things did not progress slowly with Apollo either. For Chris's sake, we had to go back to his nights at the dower house with me, up early to breakfast with his children, and he stayed even later to dine with them and didn't leave until they were in bed.

But Apollo found times to visit me, me to visit him, and we made it work.

No.

It was more than making it work.

It was making both of us happy.

Absolutely, Apollo worried about his son. This was true. We discussed it often.

But I found he told no lies when he said having my heart was enough.

He was just happy to be with me.

Me. As I was.

It was awesome.

After him telling me he loved me, me returning that gesture, and getting all that c.r.a.p out, with nothing eating at me, things changed.

No strings. No doubts. Nothing plaguing me.

Nothing broken.

All healthy, real.

Strong.

Living the life I'd led, it was hard as h.e.l.l to get used to.

I had known happiness, Apollo gave it to me.

I'd known contentedness, Apollo gave me that too.

But both of them together with a settled feeling and elan thrown in to sweeten the pot?

Bliss.

These were my thoughts and I was lost in them, so I jumped when suddenly Tunahn was no longer in my arms.

He was in his father's, a father who was walking away, murmuring to his son in Korwahkian.

I had no clue what he was saying.

Circe did and I knew this when she snapped, "Lahn!"

He sent her a look that was so severe it made me give an "eek" face to Finnie.

Finnie witnessed the look too and thus returned my "eek" face.

Circe didn't see this. She was concentrating on her husband. And she did not have an "eek" face.

She was snapping something else to him, but in Korwahk.

His reply was, "Rayloo, kah rahna fauna."

"Don't tell me rayloo, kah Dax," she retorted.

Suddenly, he grinned at her and at that, I made no "eek" face.

Neither did Finnie.

Neither did Circe. She turned away from her husband on a "humph."

He moved away with his son.

When he did, she groused, "It really sucks he's so hot. He gets away with a lot of s.h.i.t being that hot. Add him calling me his rahna fauna, he can get away with practically anything. Even doing idiot dad things." Her eyes went to Finnie. "Do you get me?"

"I so totally do," Finnie replied and Circe looked to me.

"Beware of that," she advised.

I nodded my head, unable to speak at the idea of having the opportunity to experience Apollo doing idiot dad things with a child we shared (even though I knew that was something he wouldn't do). At the same time I was thinking my future held a lot of him getting away with a lot of things, being so beautiful and also utilizing that "my dove" business.

"What did he say to Tunahn?" Finnie asked, taking me out of my thoughts.

Circe leaned in. Finnie and I leaned in. Meeta did not lean in.

When we were in position, on a hissed whisper, Circe shared, "He told his son he was not to tear at a woman's clothes until he'd learned to use his c.o.c.k."

I felt my eyes get huge.

"See what I'm saying?" Circe asked, taking in my wide eyes. "Idiot dad things and he walks away with me not verbally kicking his a.s.s because he's hot."

I looked to Finnie. "Does Frey do idiot dad things?"

"I don't know," she replied. "When Viktor couldn't sleep, does Frey taking him to the wheel of his ship in the middle of the night and keeping him there for hours as he navigated the waters count as an idiot dad thing? And just to note, it was cold as h.e.l.l outside and Viktor was so excited to be with his dad out in the sea air, he didn't sleep a wink so he was grouchy all the next day and had a runny nose. Is that an idiot dad thing?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Right," Finnie began. "Then I'll tell you that after he did that, I had words with him. Frey accepted about four of them before he grabbed me, kissed me and said, 'He's healthy and strong, strong enough to survive a nip in the air, my wee one. Leave it alone.' Then he let me go and walked away. But he didn't have to call me his wee one or even speak. I was stuck back at the kiss."

I was thinking I should find some way to sh.o.r.e myself against Apollo's awesomeness should it happen that he gave me something I'd treasure just as much as his love-a baby-when Isis scampered across the rug between the two couches the women were sitting on.

She was being chased by Viktor, who had an unfair advantage. He was steady on his feet.

Therefore he caught her by falling on her, rolling her, and giving her a sloppy wet kiss on her giggling rosy lips.

"Dear G.o.d," Finnie muttered and flopped back on the couch across from mine.

I couldn't help but grin but did it turning my eyes to Meeta when she spoke.

She was looking to Finnie.

"Your son is healthy and strong and can survive a nip in the air. I know this because he did." After delivering that, she then looked to Circe and pointed out logically. "And it is true. Your son shouldn't tear at a woman's clothes until he knows how to use his c.o.c.k."

"He's barely a year old," Circe replied.

Meeta arched her brows and inquired, "Does this make your king's statement any less true?"

Circe shut her mouth.

At this juncture, Loretta threw herself on the couch on my other side me and asked, "You're all laughing. What'd I miss?"

Everyone looked at her but no one said a word.

Then we looked to the ground for Isis was squealing and this was because Viktor was up and appeared to be attempting to lift her in his arms in order to do G.o.d knew what with her.

This meant Loretta still didn't get an answer because before Circe or Finnie could make the move they were preparing to make to separate the young lovebirds, Lahn swooped in. He scooped up his daughter, and without a glance at anyone, sauntered away with both of his offspring held close to his ma.s.sive chest.

Tunahn was squirming.

Isis immediately began snuggling into her daddy.

Loretta took this opportunity to change her question, this one uttered after tearing her eyes from Lahn and directing them to Circe.

"You say both Bain and Zahnin are taken?"

Again, she got no answer.

This time she didn't because we were all too busy again laughing.

"And... at that...Princess Arianna stepped onto...the...cloud..."

No.

At that, elan, who was reading to me, fell dead asleep in the middle of doing it.

When she did, (after grinning) I carefully tugged the book from her hands and set it on the nightstand. Then I leaned into her and kissed the top of her shining dark hair. Finally, I disengaged from her body leaning against my side.

I found my feet at the side of the bed and bent in to pull the covers high and tuck her in. After that, she snuggled deeper into them and turned to her side. Afforded a new opportunity, I slid the hair from her face and bent deeper to touch my lips to her cheek.

When I pulled away, I took the time to enjoy watching her little girl beauty in sleep. After long moments of doing this, I blew out the lamp by her bed, moved to the fire, pulled away the screen, threw a few logs on and moved to the other side of the bed. I blew out that lamp and left the room.

In the hall, I saw Gaston patrolling close to elan's room.

He saw me as well and, on a smile, asked, "Is she down?"

"After reading her book to me three times, yes, she's finally down."

Gaston approached, still smiling, and noted, "Lo reads to her."

I tipped my head to the side. "Sorry?"

"Lo reads to her when he's around in the evenings. I know this because she likes it when he does so she mentions it after he does. Often. But it is she who reads to you." His smile got bigger. "Trying to impress you."

Warmth swept through me at his words, though I figured something else was at play.

"And she has her father wrapped around her finger," I returned.

His eyes lit and he murmured, "There is that."

That sent more warmth through me as I looked down the hall and saw Frey's man, Lund, standing sentry at the top of the stairs.

Weirdly, this didn't feel like protection which would then be a reminder of danger.

Weirdly, it just felt like family.

And not weirdly, more warmth moved through me.

"All's safe, Maddie, you can seek your bed," Gaston told me.

I looked beyond him to the other end of the hall then back to him.

"Do you know where Lo is?" I asked.

"Still in with Christophe," he answered.

"If he leaves Chris and heads to my room, can you tell him I'm in with Loretta?"

Gaston nodded.