14

Nallu was treating Liga when Thelia entered the room, asking for Otreg's time. Otreg gave Liga a reassuring smile and went to his friend, who took him to a far corner. Otreg glanced at Liga to see her watching him. "Now that she's here, what do you plan to do?"

"I plan to keep her."

Thelia raised a brow. "Is that so?"

Otreg gave her a smirk. "I have been able to admit my feelings for her. You, on the other hand, continued to give Zargis the cold shoulder."

"I had good reason!" she snapped.

Otreg chuckled. "True, but even after what Cam and I told you, you decided to wait to even trust him."

Thelia scowled. "I trusted him when I needed it most!"

"Oh yes!" Otreg nodded. "Zargis, don't leave me! Please, don't leave me!" Thelia slapped his arm and scowled while he laughed. "Come on, Thelia! You have to admit that the only time you ever trusted him was when you were sick!"

She ignored him. Otreg hugged her, chuckling. "You two are embarrassing!" Cam said from the doorway.

"That's why we're friends, Cam!" Otreg announced.

"No. We're friends because I was forced to get along with you. I'm friends with Thelia because she hated both you and the King."

Thelia grinned. "But if we weren't friends, you would be all alone with these inconsiderate male dragons!"

"Inconsiderate?" Otreg scoffed, a hand to his chest. "Rude!"

"Otreg?" They all turned to look at the healer and Liga watching them. Otreg saw Liga's blush at being caught, then her blatant stare at his smiling lips. "Will you come over here and stop causing chaos with the Queen, please?"

Otreg squeezed Thelia in a tight hug, then went over to the healer. He sat in a chair beside Liga's bed, and sprawled out, arms behind his head. To Thelia, he looked like the friend she first met. To Liga, he was a completely different person.

"I have given Ms. Liga a dose of medicine to help with pain and swelling. I have also given her a salve that should speed up her healing process. With the salve, she should be able to start moving within the week."

"That's great!" Otreg said, sitting up.

Nallu narrowed her eyes. "That does not mean she gets to do anything strenuous."

Otreg frowned. "For how long?"

"A couple of weeks."

Liga was confused by Otreg's disappointed look. Why was he looking so sad when it was she who couldn't do anything? And why was he so different now: laughing, teasing, casual? He wasn't this laid back when they first met.

"Oh, don't give Nallu that look, Otreg!" Thelia giggled as she walked over. "It isn't like it's forever!"

Forever for what? Liga was confused.

Otreg scowled. "I'm not growing because of that, Thelia!"

Thelia giggled again. "Are you sure?"

"She won't be able to make the wedding feast."

Cam waved off the comment. "Jose and Kesar has already given Liga a few months to adapt to living here before they want to have their wedding."

"But they had wanted to get married months ago."

Liga reached over. "It's okay, Otreg. It is my fault they aren't married yet. Not yours."

"It's my fault," he whispered. "And we aren't going to argue about it. Discussion closed."

Liga blushed but nodded.

Cam made a gagging sound. "You are worse than Zargis and Thelia!"

Thelia giggled. Otreg grinned. "What about Kesar?"

"Much worse!" Cam confirmed.

Nallu rolled her eyes. "Just keep the excitement to a minimum, Otreg. We all know you love the excitement." With that she left them all to go somewhere else.

Some time later, after Cam and Thelia had thoroughly teased Otreg and given Liga details of when Thelia first met them did she sit in bed alone, waiting for Otreg to return so she could ask him what all that was. He said he wanted to go check on Rumbarth, and she agreed: partly for the baby's sake, partly for her own. She needed to think. She needed to come to terms with what she had seen.

She liked Cam and Thelia. They were sweet, caring, fun, and smart. And, even though Thelia had Zargis as a husband, she still felt jealousy over her relationship with Otreg. She felt jealousy over Cam's relationship with Otreg. He seemed to be himself around them. But with her, he was all seriousness and stiff body. Even when he was teasing her, he wasn't the same as he was with the other women. Liga knew she should squash the feeling because she had no right to it, but it felt impossible.

The door to her room opened and she looked over to see the male on her mind enter with a bundle in his arms. Her heart melted all over again. He would be a good father – has been a good father. But he was not hers to dream about. He was only around to make sure she adapted, as he promised. Once that happened, they would go their separate ways. She would be the cook, he would be the soldier, and they would never see each other except in passing.

"Jose said he fell asleep next to his girlfriend," Otreg whispered, breaking Liga out of her thoughts. He had stopped beside her bed, gazing down at Rumbarth with an amused smile.

Liga finally processed his words. "Girlfriend?"

He nodded. "Aire was with you, Thelia, and Rumbarth when you decided to go downstairs."

Liga blushed at remembering that event. "Aire is safe and healthy, then? I didn't get her into danger?"

Otreg laughed. "No. Thelia kept her safe." He put Rumbarth in her arms and sat beside her on the bed. Liga only glanced at him before keeping her gaze on her cub. She didn't want to see him and feel those weird feelings again. It just might break her. "Liga, I had a thought while we were talking earlier."

"What kind?"

He didn't answer right away, and she thought he wouldn't until his finger appeared under her chin, raising it so she could look at him. Only when her eyes met his, did he speak. "Do you remember when we stayed at the little cottage and you told me to follow your orders in the kitchen?"

She nodded, enjoying that memory.

"Well, since you can't do anything strenuous, and since it is my fault for Kesar and Jose delaying their wedding, I had hoped to surprise them. We could make a menu. I'll let the King know and he'll announce it to the people, making sure they stay quiet about it. Then, you can order me about the kitchens, telling me how to make the food you want."

Liga blinked. She was so surprised by his offer, that she wished she had thought of it herself. Instead, she had been sulking. "What about helping Kesar with the eggs?"

Otreg laughed. "He's back."

"He is?"

"Remember Cam went with him? You have already seen Cam."

"Oh," she breathed. Then frowned. "But the girls…"

"Since Cam and Kesar are back, they can help, as well as Jose and Thelia." Otreg cupped a cheek with one hand. "Please, Liga. I want to do this right. Don't do to me what Kesar did to Jose. Don't do to me what Thelia did to Zargis. Don't do what I did."

"But you promised to help me adapt. You said nothing about-"

"About wanting to court you?" he finished. He smiled. "Liga, I hinted at it with my sorry excuse of a speech. I hinted at it when I said I would never leave you."

She looked away. "But you're a soldier. You'll be going off to help Zargis with whatever he needs. You'll find another girl, maybe one we brought here already, and like them. You'll-"

"I'm afraid Otreg has never shown an interest in any girl except you."

Liga snapped her eyes to the door where an older man had entered. He seemed familiar, harsh in a fatherly way, but with kind eyes. "Who are you?"

"Juskah, my dear. I am Zargis's father."

Liga stared at him. He was the king before Zargis, which meant he was powerful. While he seemed like a nice male, she was instantly afraid.

Juskah sensed the change in Liga's manner and smiled. "Otreg is like a son to me. I've known him since he hatched. He and Zargis have been friends that long, and not once has he looked at another female with such intensity."

"But he flirts," she whispered.

Otreg chuckled. "I flirt, but have you noticed that I don't give anyone else a nickname?"

Liga thought. He hadn't. Just her. From the moment they met, he called her Gorgeous and made her feel special. "No one? Not even before we met?"

Juskah strolled closer. "My dear, Otreg may be flirtatious, easygoing, rambunctious, and lude at times, but never disloyal."

Liga crossed her arms. "You still avoided me."

"And I said there's a reason," Otreg said simply. "But I want to share it with you when I'm ready. I don't want anyone else sharing it, in case it is misinterpreted. I want to make sure you know the truth."

"When will you be ready?"

Otreg shook his head. "I don't know, Gorgeous. But I'm asking you to give me a chance. I'm asking you to let me prove to you that I am a good male with good morals."

Well, when he sounded so sincere and gave her that puppy-dog eyed look, Liga didn't know how to refuse. "I don't want to be hurt again, Otreg."

Otreg smiled. "You won't. Not by me!"

She finally gave a shy smile back. "Okay."