Page 58 of Dragon King’s Bullied Mate

“I can make that work.”

“One of those four things is ketchup.”

Beckett looked up hopefully from the couch. “I like ketchup.”

“That explains so much,” Malaya muttered.

Lyra laughed despite herself. “You like ketchup on French fries, which we don’t have.”

It startled her slightly how easily Malaya fit into the cottage like a long lost best friend, lounging comfortably across furniture that barely accommodated her long legs while teasing Beckett mercilessly. Somehow it made the constant fear feel less suffocating simply by refusing to let silence settle too heavily.

Malaya shut the pantry door firmly. “We’re going shopping.”

Lyra hesitated immediately. “I don’t know if that’s smart.”

“Boden left the village,” Malaya reminded her gently and pointed at Beckett. “So you don’t have to worry about your father, and Mikael’s guards are still watching the area whether you notice them or not.” Her mouth curved slightly. “Besides, cabin fever is becoming a genuine threat to my sanity.”

Beckett gasped dramatically. “Can we get candy?”

“That,” Malaya informed him gravely, “depends entirely on whether we get our shopping done first.”

Eventually Lyra agreed, though unease still lingered stubbornly beneath her ribs. They bundled into coats and scarves and headed toward town together beneath the pale afternoon sky.

The village looked more alive than it had in days.

Children played near the square again while market vendors reopened weather-worn stalls beneath strings of lanterns. Smoke curled warmly from chimneys, and villagers greeted Lyra with careful concern that softened slightly whenever they noticed Beckett smiling beside her.

Malaya noticed everything.

“The people here really care about you,” she observed quietly as they crossed the market.

Lyra blinked slightly. “We’ve always looked out for each other.”

“I think it’s more than that.”

Maybe it was. After years of isolation during school, the village itself had slowly become her family in ways she had not fully realized until recently.

They stopped at several stalls gathering supplies while Beckett enthusiastically attempted to negotiate for extra candy with every merchant they passed. Somewhere between bread and canned soup, Malaya loudly insisted that Lyra needed more baking materials for sweets. After that, the afternoon became strangely… normal. Almost happy.

At one point while they waited for Beckett to admire a selection of toys, Malaya glanced sideways toward Lyra with obvious curiosity.

“So,” she said casually, “how long were you in love with my brother back in the day?”

Lyra stepped backwards so fast she nearly knocked over a produce display.

“I was not—”

“You absolutely were.”

Heat flooded Lyra’s face instantly. “I was a kid.”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

Lyra groaned softly beneath her breath while Malaya grinned triumphantly beside her.

“It was just a crush,” Lyra muttered after a moment. “Mikael was so caught up in Dag’s shadow that I think I felt sorry for him.”

“You mean when the future king was no better than a follower?”