Prince of Dragons

Chapter Ten

The days in the castle either zoomed by in a flash or dragged on and this week definitely was the latter.

Chatter about Davian's return traveled all throughout the castle and within a day—if even that—Davian was welcomed home by just about everyone in the castle. Of course, the poor thing—so unused to all the attention—was awkward, yet he politely thanked each and every person that approached him—even asking them for their names. It was incredibly sweet of him, and it brought smiles to everyone's faces every time he asked their name.

Cayden, on the other hand, wasn't as welcomed as Davian had been. He was still being watched by the protective gaze of my father, and even the staff seemed weary of him. Which, again, I get, considering Cayden was the son of the man who took Davian from us in the first place. So their reactions were...well, rational. However, there was no doubt in my mind they would warm up to him eventually.

Besides Davian being the talk of the castle, news of a celebratory ball also spread and brought quite a bit of excitement to the staff. Days were hectic as decorations and menus were brought in, and it was a lot to take in after spending a couple months at sea.

Even with it being as hectic as it was, Davian still managed to find solitude in our library. It seemed as if Davian wanted to learn all he could about our kind and our history—which made mother and father proud. So, he would bunker down in there for hours reading as many books as he could.

And with his attention so diverted from Cayden, Cayden would find me and join me in my workout room where I would teach him the basics of self-defense—so he could better protect the man he loved. Which I didn't mind, as it was a welcomed distraction from my thoughts and gave me something to do.

Speaking of which, I was knocked out of my thoughts by a steady punch against my cheek. Reeling back, I blinked as Cayden winced and withdrew his hand. "Gods, I'm so sorry. Are you ok?"

I wiped at my nose when I felt a warm trickle, and when I looked at my fingers, I saw blood. I waved him off and wiped the rest of the blood from my face. "You're fine, really. I'm fine...I was just a little lost in my thoughts. I'm sorry for being distracted."

Cayden frowned and handed me a cloth to better clean up the blood. "Care to talk about it? What's distracting you, I mean?"

I tossed the dirty rag to the side and poured me a glass of water. After taking a sip, I turned and regarded him. "I don't know...I guess I'm just thinking about how busy it's been sine we got back. Sure, we've hosted grand parties before...but this is different. It's...hectic, and the busiest it's been in a long, long while. It's stupid, I know, but my thoughts have always wandered around."

Cayden and frowned and poured himself a glass. "I don't think it's stupid. I think you just have a lot going on, between Davian, your father, returning home...and you're just trying to process everything all at once. It's ok for you to be a little bit distracted." His frown deepened. "I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"

I shook my head. "No, but it was a pretty solid punch, though. I'm impressed, considering your status, and all."

Cayden's cheeks darkened and he scoffed. "You're a prince too, you know. Yet you've been kicking my butt for days." He tilted his head. "Where did you learn how to fight, anyway?"

My chest grew tight and I frowned, averting my gaze to look at the glass in my hands. "Ah, Cyrus taught me."

Cayden's brows furrowed. "Cyrus?"

It was then that I realized...Davian hadn't said anything to him about that past trauma of mine, and I felt a blossom of warmth in my chest at the thought of him keeping my secrets.