Page 19 of Treylon

In their own apartment in the royal palace she cooked dinner for Trey often, when they had a free evening without a state event. After dinner they usually played games, which always seemed to evolve into the other kind of games in the bedroom.

She rested her hand on her stomach briefly, watching the lights glint off her huge engagement ring and the diamond encrusted wedding band.

Games had consequences but this latest development was one she eagerly welcomed and Trey would be overjoyed when she shared the news with him tonight, after this interminable meeting ended. The new development was what they both wanted very much.

Rosalie realized with relief the meeting had gotten through two of the remaining agenda items and started on the third while she was musing.

I hope you’re going to inherit the teomiku ability, she thought to her tiny baby. I don’t fully understand it myself but it’s important to your father. He’ll love you just as much either way but he’d like to share the experience of being a dragon shifter with his children. She stifled a smile, trying to imagine a toddler dragon shifter—that would be a handful.

“Time to vote, Madam Chairwoman,” her deputy said, breaking into her daydream about the baby.

Rosalie scanned the holo in the center of the table, which set forth the agreement to be voted on. It was word for word what she wanted, so she said, “All in favor say aye,” and the room and the holo participants gave her a resounding chorus of agreement. She slammed her gavel on the special pad on the table and said, “The amendment carries. Thank you, everyone and we stand adjourned.”

There was a bustle as people left their chairs and stood talking in small groups. Rosalie got out of hers and walked with her deputies to the door behind her. “Thank you for all your hard work on this,” she said.

“It’s important, your highness. Thank you for including us and for championing these reforms,” said her chief assistant.

Nodding, Rosalie tapped the door’s portal, which would only open for her and slipped through. Trey waited on the other side, sitting on the edge of a chair, talking on his handheld. He raised one finger to indicate he’d be done shortly. She moved behind the chair to massage his shoulders, which were tight after his afternoon of meetings.

Trey hung up and caught her hands, pulling her in front of him so she could sit on his lap. “How was your day?” he asked, nuzzling her neck.

“Long but satisfying.”

“Well we’re clear to go to our quarters now,” he said. “Nothing on our agenda tonight. You said you wanted to talk.”

She’d planned to wait until after the dinner she was going to cook but happiness welled up inside her along with impatience. Taking his hand, she rested it on her stomach. “Do you think baby dragon shifters spout flame or cry when they’re born?”

He stared at her, eyes wide and then at their joined hands. “We—we’re having a baby?”

“I just found out for sure today. I went out incognito yesterday and bought a few of those instant pregnancy tests and yup, there’s a new prince or princess on the way.” She smiled with satisfaction at his awed reaction to her news. Trey was going to be an excellent father and she was sure from all her time as a daycare worker she’d be a good mother. Babies were not a new frontier to her. Of course having her own child would be different but she knew the basics already and she’d have a loving partner in Trey. She could foresee more battles ahead with the royal family and the courtiers when it came to child raising issues but they‘d probably never met a human mother. She’d be a mama bear for her child. Fiercer than any teomiku, even if she couldn’t spit flames.

“Life isn’t going to be boring,” she said out loud.

“It never is with you,” Trey said, kissing her cheek. “Ready to get out of here and go somewhere private? We have reasons to celebrate tonight for sure.”

“Lead the way, your highness,” she replied with a wink. ”Feel free to be high handed tonight.”

He bent to kiss her lips. “Always.”