Chapter 19

Nineteen

The two days of business meetings at the Summit were more boring than I had anticipated. Mainly because there weren't any true disputes or arguments, just trade agreements, discussions of potential new business deals, and a few of the elders just glaring at Caleb and I.

Riddick was our guard for the two days while Triston and Branson stayed back to take care of Lily. Those three got to stay home and play together, something I was very jealous of.

As we exited the room on the second day, Jolie stretched her arms up over her head with a squeal and said, "Finally, sunshine!"

Emrys shook his head. "She speaks as though we'd locked her away for a month."

"Might as well have been," Jolie muttered. "The Summit meetings are somewhat useless now that we all actually communicate outside of it."

"True," Emrys acknowledged with a dip of his head. "These business meetings were really only necessary back when we were still at war with each other."

"Perhaps we can convince Amos, or whoever runs it next time, to have a single business day and the rest can be the tournament or we can just shorten how long the Summit is," Nico said.

"Let's head to the arena for the beginning of the tournament," Katar said. "I'm curious to see how many participants we will have this year since none of the royal family will be participating."

"Depends on what the prize is," Dan commented behind us.

"Well, thankfully Ember is mated or she might have ended up the prize this year," Nico said.

"Over my dead body," Jolie growled.

I patted her shoulder. "There, there. No need to growl."

The closer to the arena we walked, the louder the sound of the crowd grew. We stepped out of the tunnel and I had to close my eyes a second from the intense light difference from dark tunnel to bright sunshine.

Lily screeched and when I opened my eyes, I barely had time to get my arms out to catch her as she jumped at me.

Chuckling, I patted her back. "Miss me?"

She nodded. Looking over her shoulder, she gave Riddick a glare. "They made me learn."

Jolie laughed, but quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Learn?" I asked.

"Maths," she said and hissed.

Dan stepped closer and patted her head. "Math is important, Lily."

She huffed and turned away. "No like."

I patted her back. "Well, no more math today, okay?"

She smiled wide as she looked up at me and nodded. "'Kay!"

Raising my head, my mouth dropped when I saw the stadium before us. The stands were full of thousands of people and we were headed to a terrace with a group of chairs that overlooked the oval-shaped sand arena and the stands. In front of the seats, the terrace was completely open all the way to the edge that dropped down sharply, allowing us an unobstructed view of everything. And for those in the stands to see us.

"Let's take our seats," Dan said and headed to his seat. When he stepped into the open, he raised his hand and waved and the stands erupted in cheers.

"Everyone loves Dan," Jolie said with a smile. "Even those not werewolves."

"He's always been very charismatic," Kara said with a nod.

Katar growled and she rolled her eyes at him.

"You two are in the middle again," Emrys informed us. "Lily can sit on one of your laps or in front of you."

"Sit with Em!" she shouted and put her arms up over her head.

He nodded and headed to his seats.

"We'll be standing behind you," Branson informed us. "So, just raise your voice or hand if you need us."

"Could you get me water?" I asked.

"Juice!" Lily exclaimed and raised a single hand.

Branson gave her a soft smile, put a fist over his chest, and bowed. "As my queens wish."

She giggled. "Princess, not queen, silly Bran Bran."

I tickled her side and laughed with her. "He is silly."

Our turn to walk out arrived and Caleb walked out first, raising his hand and smiling to the crowd. Many cheered for him, a lot of women squealed, and when I walked out, I had Lily raise her hand and wave. Her eyes widened when she saw all the people, but when they cheered and clapped for her, she jumped out of my arms and did a spin, making her pale pink day dress spin around her.

The cheering increased, and I was completely ignored. Outshone by a child. Had I not been as enamored with her as well I might have had my feelings hurt.

I sat between Caleb and Emrys, watching the little girl and knowing that although we could never replace her family, this found family seated together on the terrace would destroy the world to protect her and give her the best life possible.

She skipped over to me and put her arms up. I picked her up and set her on my lap sideways so she could see the arena. "It's fun here!"

I nodded and pet her hair. "Yes, you're definitely very popular. That's a good thing for a princess."

Once everyone was seated, Branson returned with my water and Lily's juice. He knelt on one knee as he held them out for us, making Lily giggle again.

Caleb rolled his eyes. "Show off."

Amos walked out, side eyeing us a bit, spun to face the crowd, walked out to the edge of the terrace. "Welcome to the Summit tournament!"

The stands erupted in cheers and claps. We clapped as well.

Raising his hand, he got them to quiet again. "This year, the prize is …"

He paused so long that people started shouting for him to answer.

"… a trip to Atlantis!"

Everyone gasped, including Jolie. She turned to Sam who gave her a smile and an okay sign with his hand.

Sam stood and walked up to stand beside Amos. "I am excited to allow the winner and one person of their choice to join us in Atlantis for a three-day, two-night stay, with accommodations in the castle and all food and drinks provided. Atlantis can't receive many visitors due to our remote location, but we are beginning to open our borders and this is just the start."

The crowd cheered and whistled.

Jolie continued to scowl, but said nothing. Nico whispered in her ear and she relaxed slightly.

"That's quite the announcement," Caleb whispered. "They've never opened to outsiders before, well, outside of my dads going to compete for my mom."

"Wait, what? Why would they have to compete for your mom?" I hadn't heard that story before. Clearly, they had won, but what had happened to require it.

"I'll tell you later," he promised.

"All those who wish to compete, please head into the arena," Amos ordered.

At first no one moved, but all looked up at our terrace. After a few breaths, when none of us moved, dozens of men jumped into the arena. After several minutes, the arena was lined with at least eighty men.

"Why aren't there any women competing?" I asked Caleb softly.

He sighed. "The rules haven't changed yet to include women."

"That's … archaic," I whispered.

Nodding, he said, "They're working on convincing them to change it, but Amos is … stubborn."

"Em, I hungry," Lily whispered.

"Psst!" Jolie called, dragged a bag from the side of her chair, and shook it.

Lily hopped off my lap and ran over to her. Jolie set the bag in her hands, whispered in her ear, and then pushed her back towards me. Lily ran over and held out the bag. "Snacks! From Nana Jo!"

Nana Jo? I glanced at Jolie with an arched brow and she just smiled. Well, if that's what she wanted to be called, I was okay with that.

Taking the bag, I opened it and gasped. There were a ton of snacks inside! Crackers, cookies, applesauce cups, jerky, even some small sandwiches.

"How about a sandwich?" I asked Lily. If I gave her cookies first, she wouldn't want to eat the other foods.

She nodded and scrambled up onto my lap. When I tried to help, she hissed, so I stayed still and let her climb up on her own. Once she was seated, I took out one of the sandwiches, opened the bag, and held it out to her. I grabbed one for myself as well, then set the bag on the ground between my chair and Emrys'.

He glanced down at the bag and chuckled. "Jolie used to pack the same things for Caleb and Riddick when they were young."

"Children's snack preferences don't change over the generations very much," Adelaide, Emrys' wife, said with a shrug.

She rarely interacted with me, so I gave her a warm smile at her comment.

Lily looked around me at her and asked, "You queen, too?"

She smiled and nodded. "I'm Queen of the Dragons."

Lily looked back at Caleb. "She's your Nana?"

Caleb nodded. "Nana Addie."

Lily looked back at Adelaide. "So, Great Nana Addie?"

Adelaide's eyes widened a moment, but she quickly recovered and smiled. "Yes, darling. But you can just call me Nana Addie, too."

"She already knows she's great, so she doesn't need the reminder," Emrys said.

Adelaide growled and smacked his shoulder, but there was clearly no anger in the light smack.

"So many nanas and papas now," Lily whispered. For a moment she went still and I thought she might cry, but she looked up at me and asked, "Em can be … Mama?"

Caleb, Emrys, Adelaide, and I all froze, none of us breathing.

"Lily needs a mama," she whispered and dropped her head, fidgeting with her dress. "Kids teased me for no mama."

How was this young child so observant and smart? Was she really as young as we thought or was the birth certificate wrong?

"Would you like me to be Mama and Caleb to be Papa?" I asked, feeling like I could barely breathe. I hadn't wanted to discuss this with her until much, much later. To give her time to grieve her father and accept that we were a good family for her to be raised with. I had not anticipated her being so smart.

She looked at Caleb and back at me, after a brief moment, she nodded vigorously while smiling wide. "Yes!"

And just like that, I was mush again.

Turning back towards the crowd, she gave me a reprieve to tilt my head back and hide the happy tears in my eyes.

Triston leaned over the top of my chair and wiped beneath my eyes with a soft napkin. "Best not to smudge that beautiful makeup."

"Thanks," I whispered.

He winked and disappeared from my view again.

Exhaling, I lowered my head and took a bite of my sandwich.

Lily swung her legs as she ate her food, humming a song I didn't recognize, and watching as those entering the tournament lined up to record their names.

Cameras from the stands flashed, taking pictures of us, the participants, and everything. I hoped they hadn't caught my tears, but honestly, that was the least of my worries.

Nico suddenly leapt up at the same time as Caleb, both of their hands up to create a barrier as a flaming metal ball stopped just inches from the men.

Spinning around, I covered Lily's body with my own, curling around her on the chair's seat.

The ball exploded and the stands erupted in screams of fear.