Nyle sat at the head of the long counsel table with Daisy and the staff handling the arrangements for the wedding and crowning ceremony. Most of the details completely bored him, and he wasn’t quite sure why they were running them by him when he didn’t have much of a say with the ceremony being so rooted in tradition. They sat there for hours, Demian and the others listing things to him while he nodded in approval.

Daisy was especially quiet. When someone ask for her feedback, it took multiple tries to grab her attention. A lot had happened the past few days, so Nyle didn’t take her silence as not caring, but instead assumed her mind was elsewhere. Ever since visiting her mother, Daisy had been quieter and almost distant. If something was bothering her, he wanted her to talk to him about it.

When the meeting was finally over, Nyle stayed at the table, watching Daisy. Everyone else filtered out of the room, but she was completely immersed in her thoughts. It didn’t even seem like she noticed that everyone else had left, her gaze fixated on a painting on the wall. He waited patiently, just studying her as she remained in her own world. After a few minutes, her eyes finally fell on him. It surprised her to find him looking at her. Daisy’s gaze drifted to where the others had been sitting, and her eyes widened when she noticed the empty chairs.

“So, what’s on your mind?” Nyle finally spoke, watching as she looked around in confusion.

“What?” she asked, looking back to him. “Nothing,” she lied.

Nyle thought about pressing some more, wanting to know why she was so distracted, but he decided against it. He didn’t want to force her to talk when she wasn’t ready.

“All right. Let’s get going,” he said, standing from his chair.

They walked side-by-side down the hall. He noticed how she didn’t take his hand or put an arm around him. Not that she had to, but they had been inseparable since they met. Nyle wondered how long it would take her to notice. Would she even pay attention to where they were walking? He decided to test it. They walked down several corridors until they reached the door to the courtyard. He walked along the stone path, heading into the garden. She loved gardens; surely it would grab her attention

Nyle looked about to the rose bushes and beds of tulips just blossoming. Daisy would love the spot once it was in full bloom.

“Nyle?” Daisy finally spoke.

“Yes?” he replied with a slight smirk, figuring her question would be wondering what they were doing in the garden.

“Did your family start all of the companies they own?” she asked.

Nyle was utterly bewildered by the seemingly random question. Why was she thinking about his family’s businesses?

“Not all of them, but most. We’ve purchased companies. Also, some were taken over from within.”

“What do you mean taken over?” she asked.

“As in Royals were working there, climbed their way up through promotions, and then bought or inherited the companies once they made their way to the top.”

“Inherited how?”

Nyle’s face scrunched, not entirely sure what she was insinuating. “Why does it matter?”

“Did they earn them honestly?”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “I don’t know, but I suppose not. Business isn’t always conducted honestly. I don’t know the details about every company, but I do know that under-the-table transactions, and even bribes, have taken place.”

“So, no one was ever hurt?” she asked, her tone becoming urgent.

Suddenly, it all connected in Nyle’s mind. Her father must have filled her head with nonsense about the Royals. He didn’t think she would have been so trusting of him considering she just met him for the first time.

“What did he tell you?” he asked bluntly, no need to clarify who he was referring to.

Daisy’s eyes fell to the ground. She was nervous, and it made his heart ache. That man better not have convinced Daisy to fear him by telling her lies.

“He told me that Royals have killed people to get control of large corporations. That the Royals are cold-blooded murderers when it comes to humans… None of that’s true, is it?” she asked, her eyes finally lifting to meet his.

Nyle’s heart thudded in his chest. He knew he couldn’t lie to her, but he didn’t want to scare her either. Stepping into her slowly, he put his arms around her.

“He told you a half-truth… Yes, Royals have killed humans before for business and political reasons, but that was centuries ago. We haven’t had anyone killed, other than Elementals in battles, since then. The world was a different place back then. I promise you, none of that has happened in my lifetime. If you’re worried about it going on in the future, then put that out of your mind. You’ll be my queen, Daisy. We will set the rules.”

Her body relaxed. “I’m sorry. I know I probably look stupid for letting him get in my head like that.”

Nyle shook his head, cupping her cheek. “Don’t be sorry. Your father knew exactly what he was doing. He was aware that you’ve been waiting all your life to meet him and that he could use that longing to get you to trust him. Your only fault is having too much compassion.”

“I told myself I wasn’t going to let him get to me, and somehow he weaseled into my head anyways. You know, he basically said he just hoped you were just using me.”

He put an arm around her shoulders and continued their walk through the garden. “It’s nice that your father has such high goals for you,” Nyle said sarcastically.

“I can’t believe my mom was so comfortable with him. She always tried to hide her bitterness toward him from me, but I knew she was mad about him abandoning her with a kid to raise on her own. Anytime she couldn’t pay a bill, or she couldn’t afford to buy me something, or one of those father-daughter events would come up, I would hear her on the phone venting to one of her friends about it.” Daisy shook her head. “And he claims to love her. He described it as not a soulmate bond, but a ‘strange love.’ Said he couldn’t shake her and gave into temptation.”

Nyle was thrown off by the notion of a strange love for a human. It made him curious, wondering if maybe dragons could find happiness with humans as well. So many dragons didn’t have their mates because of the division of the clans, but maybe some of them were destined to be with humans. It would explain why Cassie would be so open to welcoming him back after twenty years—even after he left her to be a single mother with absolutely no help.

“I was thrown off by it, too. Your mom has always come off as feisty. I figured if he ever popped up, she would chase him down the street with a baseball bat.”

Daisy laughed lightly. “I thought the same thing.” There was a brief silence, and then Daisy asked, “What are we doing in the garden?”

Nyle laughed heartily. “Took you long enough,” he said. “You’ve been trapped in your thoughts, haven’t you?”

“Sadly,” she muttered.

He rubbed her arm, “It’s okay. Just remember to take everything he says with a grain of salt if you talk to him again. Now, let’s go see my mother,” he sighed.

Nyle had forced his feelings about his father’s death to the back of his mind, knowing he needed to focus on becoming king since it was such a pressing matter. However, his mother only had one thing on her mind: the death of her soulmate. Nyle knew she was living in misery since Thalydias’s passing, and he had promised his father he would look after her.

They made their way back to the palace and found their way to his parents’ room. Giving a knock on the door, he pushed it open and stepped in with Daisy. Asalei was lying in bed, clutching her late husband’s pillow, weeping into it. Nyle’s middle sister, Maylei, was next to her and rubbing her back. He walked over to them, sitting down in the same chairs they had sat in just a couple days ago, having the last conversation they ever had with Thalydias.

“Hello, Mother,” Nyle started softly.

Asalei turned her cheek to face him, though she still clutched the pillow tightly. Her face was wet with tears, her hair still done in the curls she had for the funeral. She had climbed into bed after the pyre burning and hadn’t moved.

“My son, I’m not well,” Asalei whispered, her voice hoarse from days of crying.

“I know, Mother, I know,” he said, reaching to take her hand. “You need to eat sometime soon. I’m not going to force you, but you need to keep your strength.”

“How can I eat when half of my heart is missing?” she asked him, a new wave of tears flowing down her cheeks. “I should have jumped on the pyre to be with him.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Nyle scorned. “I can’t imagine the pain you are feeling, but you know you need to get better. Father wouldn’t want you talking like this. He would beg you never to utter such words again.”

Asalei squeezed his hand. “I pray you never know the pain I am feeling right now. It’s as though my entire being has lost its will to go on. Your father is my only thought. He was my one love. I would give my life for his.”

“You cannot dwell on that Mother; he’s already gone. You need to think about moving forward—to honor his memory, to make him proud.”

Asalei didn’t reply, but looked at him in a way that told him he was right. Her eyes went to Daisy.

“Maybe you should just leave him now so that neither of you have to feel this. Having a soulmate is a blessing, but also a dreadful, dreadful curse.”

Daisy frowned deeply. “Isn’t it better to have known and cherish him for as long as you did, than never to have experienced it at all?”

Maylei chimed in. “What a naïve thing to say. I think you should listen to Mother.”

Both Daisy and Nyle were taken aback by his sister’s sudden, harsh comment.

“Who asked for your opinion?” Nyle questioned his sister, his eyes narrowing at her.

“No one; I’m just saying I agree. You know people are just playing nice right now because father just passed. But once things settle, and the wedding is over, people are going to hate her. Either you’ll die trying to protect her, or they’ll get their hands on her and kill her just to get rid of the problem. I just think it’s better to save everyone the heartache and just end it already,” Maylei stated matter-of-factly.

“I think you need to watch what you say, Maylei. You are speaking about my mate, your future queen.”

“What are you trying to say?” Maylei asked, crossing her arms.

“Seriously? Do you really feel like your words are appropriate in this moment?” he scolded, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

Asalei had her face completely buried in the pillow, once again unable to suppress her wails as her children fought in front of her.

“Why don’t you and your human just get out of here? I had it under control before you showed up.”

“Oh, clearly,” Nyle retorted. “She needs to eat, and she needs to get outside and get some fresh air. That’s what you consider having things under control?”

“I’m letting her mourn, you asshole,” Maylei barked. “You can’t just come in here and demand for her to get over it and get out of bed. I mean really, you’re not going to allow her to mourn her mate’s death for more than two days? Does it interfere with your wedding plans, brother?”

“You act as though we have any sort of say in the matter. We have to get married. Do you think I want to so soon after father’s death? No, I don’t. I’m doing what’s necessary for the kingdom.”

“You’re doing what’s necessary for your agenda. Our people don’t want her and would love to see you cast her aside and pick a suitable bride.”

“Are you really going to go against our father’s dying wish?” Nyle snapped, jerking up from his chair.

Then the bedroom door closed. Nyle looked beside himself to spot Daisy, but she was gone.

Nyle glared at his sister. “This isn’t over.”