“You’re growing all tense. Just relax. We went a bit off track there, let’s get my baby all ready for sleep. Would you like a bedtime story?”
“A bedtime story?”
“Yes. All little girls like stories, don’t they? About princesses being rescued by white knights in shining armor.”
“How about some stories about badass princesses who rescue white knights?”
“Hmm, I’m sure we can find some of those too.”
“I don’t have any storybooks.” She didn’t have anything in her bedroom for her Little.
“Ah, then I’ll have to make something up, won’t I?” As he spoke his fingers continued to work their magic. “Once upon a time, there was a very handsome white knight, his name was Zekial.”
“Zekial, huh? Sounds familiar.”
“Does it? I don’t know what you mean,” he joked. “And Zekial had been imprisoned by an evil wizard.”
She shuddered. “Scary. . .”
“Don’t mock your daddy, little one,” he said with a false sternness. “Now, Zekial could only escape his prison through the love of a special princess. One who was both an adult and a Little. But first she had to fight her way through the obstacles the evil wizard had put up to keep Zekial imprisoned. She had to be brave and smart and loyal.”
“And a badass.”
“Total. Badass.”
She grinned at that.
“So, the brave and loyal princess battled dragons and demons and ghosts to make her way to Zekial, who happened to be extremely handsome and very strong, if I forgot to mention that.”
“Of course. Goes without saying, Daddy.” She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. She had to admit it was getting easier to call him Daddy. Maybe it was because she was starting to relax or maybe it was just the effect Zeke had on her. Her muscles felt like mush under his hands. The man sure knew what he was doing. “Aren’t all knights in shining armor handsome?”
“Well, Zekial’s armor is slightly tarnished and dented but he’s hoping to make it shine again.”
There was a meaning to those words she’d try to figure out when she wasn’t so close to falling asleep.
“Did the princess rescue Zekial?”
“Of course. She’s a badass.”
“Too right,” she muttered.
“But once she had rescued him, Zekial had no choice but to put her over his knee.”
“Hey! That’s not fair, Daddy.” She turned her head to scowl at him. “That’s not the way the story should go! She’s a badass.”
“She’s a badass with a daddy who wants her to be safe.” He raised his eyebrows. “She put herself in danger. No matter that Zekial needed rescuing, he’d never want her risking herself for him. And then they lived happily ever after, the end.”
“Daddy, your bedtime stories need work. That’s not the way the story should end.”
“No? I thought it was rather a good story.”
He would.
“And now it’s time this little princess was in bed.”
“I’m no princess, Daddy.” She had plenty of her own dented and tarnished shields.
“You’re my princess. And you’re tired. And if little girls don’t get enough sleep then they get very cranky and end up doing or saying something they shouldn’t. So, let’s get you into bed, huh? Is there something special you sleep with?”