“She is?” Raza frowned and glanced back at the pouting parfait fairy.
“She is,” Tiernan confirmed as he came up beside me. “And you're welcome to her. Please, by all means, dive right into the... what did you call her; a sundae?” I nodded and he chuckled. “Dive right into the sundae.”
“I've never been so happy to see you,” I smiled at Tiernan and slipped my arm around his waist. “Or to see you clothed. There's a place for naked men and it's not in public. At least not this kind of public.”
“I agree,” Tiernan nuzzled my face and then glanced at Raza. “Seriously, put that thing away, it's going to give me nightmares.”
I gave thethingin question another glance and silently agreed with Tiernan. I hadn't given Raza's privates much thought (well maybe a little) but I never would have guessed that the sinful sable length of it would be crowned with a scarlet tip. It looked almost alien, like it might rise up and roar just like the dragon it was attached to.
“Nightmares?” Sundae Slut had caught up with us. “Dreams, more like. Or perhaps daydreams.”
“Well, if we cared enough, your smutty flirting might shock us,” I smiled at her. “But as it stands, neither Tiernan nor I give one little pixie poop what you think. So you can go have your daydreams somewhere else.”
“Oh my, I think I've somehow offended the Princess,” she gave a gasp and held one limp hand to her breast.
“You're mere presence offends me,” I growled and stepped towards her.
“Seren,” Tiernan set a hand to my arm but I shrugged him off.
“Yourfaceoffends me,” I went on. “The fact that I have to breathe the same air as you,offends me.”
“Seren,” Tiernan growled but I continued to ignore him. I was on a roll.
“In fact, I'm so bloody offended right now that if you don't get out of my sight within the next five seconds, I'm going to kick your offensive ass all over this courtyard!”
“Princess Seren, I'd like to know what my daughter has done to upset you,” a calm voice interrupted and I nearly groaned.
“I tried to tell you,” Tiernan whispered as he came up beside me.
“And Lord Raza,” Councilman Lorcan said gently. “Perhaps you could clothe yourself and then return to this discussion?”
Raza nodded curtly, giving me one last confused look before he stalked away.
“Chief High Councilman,” Tiernan bowed.
“Tiernan, please,” Lorcan came forward and hugged my boyfriend. “I've missed you, Son.”
Son?
“Daddy,” the parfait pouted deeper. “I don't know why the Princess is so angry with me.”
“Oh, I think you do,” I growled.
“Princess Seren?” Lorcan stood back from Tiernan and gave me a confused look.
“You do know about your daughter abandoning Tiernan when he was cast from court, right?” I narrowed my eyes on the councilman.
“I wouldn't put it that way,” Lorcan sighed. “To ask her to follow him into exile would have been dishonorable and we both know that Count Tiernan is nothing if not honorable.”
“I feel that it was dishonorable to not follow him on her own,” I said tersely. “But I'm not going to stand here and argue with you over your daughter. Obviously, you must remain loyal to family. Well done on your part. Your daughter could learn a lot from you.”
“My daughter has behaved as is expected of any seelie noblewoman,” Lorcan defended her. “Count Tiernan was named traitor, there was nothing she could do about that.”
“And apparently there was nothing you could do either,” I narrowed my eyes on him.
“Excuse me?” He straightened in shock.
“Seren, no,” Tiernan took my hand. “You don't have to do this.”
