The Dragon King's Au Pair

Chapter 9: A Fairytale Gone Wrong

AVA

The king raised an eyebrow at me and gave me a rather pointed expression. "You asked me to make time for my family. That's precisely what I'm doing."

I sat frozen in place for a moment and then glanced over at Dani. Her face lit up brilliantly, before a look in her father's direction sent her back to the composure of a true royal. Her happiness may have been outwardly fleeting, but I knew this meant the world to her.

As we all dug into the array of delicious meats and mashed potatoes and I practiced showing off my newly acquired fork knowledge, I considered ideas for conversation. Dani deserved a chance to get to know her father outside of social obligations and banquets.

Yet King Gavriel seemed to have little to say. The dragon king's icy eyes remained focused on his plate rather than on us, so I decided to breach the silence and make simple conversation for Dani's sake.

"How was your day, Your Majesty?" I asked him politely as I pushed my peas around on my plate.

"Fine," King Gavriel remarked.

I waited for him to elaborate further and yet, no such luck.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" I attempted again.

He sighed lightly. "Yes."

I balled my hand into a fist underneath the table. The king's behavior was beyond aggravating, but I needed to keep my emotions in check if I wanted to make any sort of progress with him.

I looked at the little princess, and decided to put King Gavriel on the spot once and for all.

"Did you see the drawing Princess Danista made for you?" I prompted him, and the dragon king stiffened.

Dani's royal mask fell. She stared at her father with widened eyes as she awaited his answer, and my eyebrow raised in anticipation.

"Yes," King Gavriel answered slowly. His eyes dropped for a moment, but then he finally faced Dani head on. "Thank you, daughter. It was...nice."

Dani's face brightened until she practically glowed. "I'll make you another one with Miss Ava tomorrow!"

King Gavriel nodded curtly and then returned to his dinner.

It was clear that the king preferred to eat in complete silence. I wanted to continue to bridge the divide between the dragon and his daughter, but I knew patience was also necessary. They would hopefully reach that step eventually, but for now, this progress was more than enough.

***

After dinner, I escorted Dani back to her chamber and helped her get washed up for bedtime. The dragon princess was cheerier than she'd ever been, and she happily chattered away as I readied her for sleep.

"I can't believe Daddy ate dinner with us," she giggled to herself as I eased her into her nightgown. "And he saw my picture! Oh, Miss Ava, I'm so excited to draw more. I want to draw every room in the palace!"

Her excitement was infectious, and I found myself smiling along with her. I was so pleased that the princess was finally in a good mood. She was opening up more than she had before, and it made me so happy to see her blossom.

Once Dani was dressed, she climbed into bed, and I tucked her damask covers around her tightly. She nestled into her fluffy pillow, and I perched on the edge of her bed.

"Would you like a bedtime story?" I asked.

"Really?" She shot straight up. "Can I really hear a story?"

"Only if you lay down," I said, and that was all I needed to say. Dani obediently curled back under the covers and stared at me eagerly.

I peered around the room until I caught sight of the princess's books. Right. Only philosophy and political histories There was little to work with, so I decided I needed to rely on my own imagination.