Rowan's POV:

"Rowan, please do not act like a child," father begs me, but I just groan and continue to lay on the floor. "The sooner we go, the sooner it will be over."

I groan again, reaching up for Ciaran, but the traitor is standing by my father. "Come here, Ciaran," I tell him, but he shakes his head and gives me a piteous look.

"Sorry, I am on your father's side. It is better that we get this over with."

Gods, I know they are right, but I do not want to go and sit at a table with my disgusting excuse of extended family. They annoy me and I know there will be small jabs toward Ciaran and myself, and I do not know if I will be able to risk asking my father if we can preform three executions.

"But I hate them!"

"So do I," father says, reaching down and pulling me up by my shoulders. "Is it not better to get it over with, son?"

I groan and lay back on the floor, rolling onto my stomach, shoving my face into the floor of the kitchen.

Tyla sighs from somewhere in the room. "If you are going to pout, please do it elsewhere. I am trying to cook dinner for your ungrateful ass," they say, and I huff, feeling my father lift me up, and when I open my eyes, I see Uriel is helping him.

"Such a diva," Ciaran comments, taking my legs from Uriel and helping my father carry me out of the kitchen.

They set me on the floor outside the kitchen and I glare at them.

"Could have at least brought me to my room," I mumble, making Ciaran roll his eyes, but he's smiling.

My father sighs. "Rowan, you are twenty three. Ciaran and I are not going to carry you around the castle because you wish to be dramatic."

I pout but get up, even though I wish I could hide in my room because I hate my stupid extended family so much. Gods, I just want to cuddle with Ciaran and maybe get the opportunity to kiss him. I cannot believe I've never gotten the honor of following through and kissing him, but the world and gods seems to think the right time has not come to us yet.

"It will not be that bad," father says, a tired smile on his face. "They will leave in a couple of days if they choose to be decent, but if they insult you or Ciaran, they will be out of here tomorrow morning."

I purse my lips. "Make then leave tonight. Give the wolves a snack."

"They are still blood relatives."

"They didn't offer any love or support when dad died," I snap, grabbing Ciaran's arm and dragging him away from my father. "The world is worse with them in it, and my life is worse with them here."

Father is upset by that, because it was a cold day when his own sister said it was better that his husband, my father, was dead because they didn't agree with his choice not to marry a woman.

"I know," father says as I walk away, Ciaran being pulled away by me. "It will not be long before they leave, and you know that I do not mind when you speak your mind to them."

I nod and go to my room, finding the door open, but I search the room, and I'm grateful to find that Emily isn't in here. I get on nicer clothes, as does Ciaran, and I am in no way dressing up for my cousin, aunt, or uncle. No, I am dressing for Ciaran, because he is the only one I want to please.

"Shall we go?" Ciaran asks me once we are both dressed, and as usual, he looks gorgeous.

I nod, taking his hand in my own. "Yes, I suppose we should get this over with. Gods, I hate them," I tell him as we walk down the halls to the dining area, where my father already sits with the disgusting rats that I have the unfortunate luck of being related to.

Not even by blood, because my fathers technically adopted me, but for some reason I am counted as blood and it makes my cousin obsess over me. Gods, she should just go to Vayl; maybe the evil man who is called the king will allow her to join a harem.

I sit down across from Emily, with Ciaran across from my uncle.

Tyla walks in and serves us all plates, and I thank them. "I considered slipping poison in your cousin's drink, but they would all know it was me," they whisper as they lay down Ciaran's plate.

"Thank you, Tyla," my father says, but of course my extended family has no words of thanks for the best cook in this world.

"I cannot believe you do not have the food served before we enter the room," my aunt says, glaring at my father. "It is disgraceful to see servants. Mother and father would-"

I cut her off. "Shut up, Claudia. Your rudeness is not appreciated here," I growl, because no one is going to insult someone who is not only serving us, but is also my friend.

"You are a child, Rowan. Hold your tongue."

My father shoots her a glare. "You have no place to tell my son what he should and shouldn't do," he says, and I have always loved the support he shows me when his sister is being crazy.

Emily clears her throat. "Well, he is being rude," she says, her voice higher pitched. "I don't appreciate when men are rude, especially around me."

"It is a good thing the world does not exist to serve you," I grumble, making Ciaran smile from beside me. "And I am not being rude. I am defending the people who work hard to feed us that you seem to think are beneath you."

Claudia huffs, pushing her plate away. "I have lost my appetite, listening to your words, Rowan."

"I think your waistline will appreciate that," Ciaran says out of nowhere, and I am almost too stunned to laugh because I am positive that no one was expecting Ciaran to speak.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Claudia asks Ciaran, her expression matching one of an angry beaver's, with her unfortunate buck teeth and nosy attitude.

Emily clears her throat, not because it needs to be cleared, but because she wants to make sure that we all know she's planning on talking. If I had one wish, it would be for the gods to take her voice box.

"He was sleeping with Rowan," she chirps, glaring at Ciaran. "He's probably a prostitute, just in here for your power."

Ciaran tenses, and I am about to defend him, but he speaks before I can do anything.

"You say I am the one here for power?" he asks, his voice lower and more terrifying than I'd ever heard it. "You are the one obsessing over your cousin because you are desperate to be seen as more than some random person that is of no value in this world. You have no desire to be in a committed relationship; your only goal is to gain power because you think it will make people value you. Well, as someone who has spent time with royals in another kingdom, I am well aware of the fact that power hungry people are horrible leaders and all of their subjects hate them. You would be overthrown and rebelled against in your first week as a leader."

Emily's jaw drops, but she doesn't know what to say.

Gods, at least someone can get her to shut up.

"You think you mean something to him?" Claudia asks, looking between myself and Ciaran.

"Yes, and he has good reason to," I say, before Claudia can insult Ciaran further. "And you will respect him, or you can leave right now."

Emily looks very offended, a look I am growing to love. "I cannot believe you would choose that slut who cannot even give you heirs over me!"

"I am adopted," I tell her, rolling my eyes. "So why would I need someone who can give me heirs when we can just take in a child who needs parents?"

"Because we are both royal blood!" Emily shrieks.

Ciaran laughs. "Gods, I need to go see the doctor. Rowan, I am afraid my ears will bleed if I listen to her any longer."

"Agreed," my father says. "Claudia, you, your husband, and your daughter will be leaving in the morning. Do not bother coming back until you are ready to respect my son and his partner."

"Come on, Ciaran," I say, getting up and taking his hand in my own. "Father, may we be excused?"

He nods, waving us off. "Have a good night, you two," he says.

"You are letting your son go off with that other man?!" Claudia shrieks, slamming her hands on the table. "Do you even have any idea what those two will do if they're alone?!"

My father chuckles. "As a man who was in love with and married another man, I know very well what could happen behind closed doors. So, Emily, I will recommend that you do not barge into their room, or you may come across a sight you do not wish to see."

Gods, I love my father. My dad definitely had more of a spark when it came to fighting back, but my father does not disappoint either.

"That was worse than I expected," Ciaran says in a quiet voice as we escape down the hall. "And I am annoyed from earlier."

"Earlier?" I ask, because there were many things that annoyed me, but most of the annoyance that happened today was at dinner.

Ciaran nods, and once we enter our room and have closed the door, he takes my hands in his own and pulls me toward the bed, sitting beside me.

"Were you going to kiss me?" he asks, and my heart pounds as I nod. "Well, it was interrupted... so I think it is reasonable that we try again."

Well, I am all for that!

I cup his face in my hands, one of his resting on my chest and the other on the back of my neck. His eyes flutter closed and I lean in, feeling his nervous, shaky breaths against my lips. Our lips press together and I push my tongue into his mouth, listening to his gasp and squeeze the back of my neck and my chest. Good, I can tell he is enjoying this.

I change our position, pulling Ciaran into my lap and kissing him even harder. He is so perfect to me, in every way.

"Gods, if we had done that earlier, maybe I would have felt better at dinner," Ciaran mumbles, a smile on his face and his eyes still closed.

"At least it will hopefully lead to better dreams."

Ciaran laughs. "I suppose that's true."

We cuddle together for the rest of the evening.