Page 50 of A Filling of Fables and Firelight

Kamaran hummed. “Not quite. You’re jumping ahead a little.”

“Really? What else is there?”

“The part where Kamden, now fully human and able to speak his heart freely, took Rain’s hands and fell to his knees.”

Rana let out a tiny gasp of surprise as Kamaran stopped moving and slowly sank down to one knee, and she knew it was no longer simply a story he was talking about.

“The part where he looked at her and said, ‘I’ve spent my entire life wearing a mask, convinced that the only way to be loved is to hide my imperfections beneath a show of indolence and shallow relationships. Then you came along—a woman able to see the man beneath the lizard and unwilling to let me be content in my scales. You refused to let me hide behind my crown, and you offered friendship even when you weren’t certain I deserved it. You witnessed all my imperfections, and you chose to love me anyway.’” He took a deep breath. “I can’t pretend to know why, but I also know that I will do everything in my power to ensure that you spend every day knowing that I love you unconditionally, unwaveringly, unendingly in return. Will you marry me?”

Rana laughed through the tears that had slowly begun leaking down her face during his speech. “We’re already married.”

“But I’m asking anyway.”

“Yes,” she whispered, tugging on his hand. He stood swiftly, wrapping her in his arms and claiming her mouth in a kiss just as passionate and full of love as his words had been.

When the necessity for air became too much to ignore, she broke away, smiling, and slipped her arms around his neck. “That was a commendable effort in storytelling, by the way. Your skills are coming along.”

Kamaran’s jaw dropped. “Coming along? I think you mean it was an excellent, emotional, nail-biting conclusion.”

“Mmm, yes,” she continued to tease him. “Except for the part where she kissed him while he was a lizard. Audiences aren’t going to buy it. I love you, but if you looked like a lizard, I wouldn’t kiss you.”

He gave an exaggerated pout, which only drew her attention back to how very kissable he was as a man. “Not even a little bit?”

“Sorry, no. But if you looked like my husband…” Rana leaned in until she was speaking against his lips. “Well, that’s another story.”