Page 145 of Night's Fall
It was beautiful, of course.Butthere were occasions, when the moon was full and falling behind it, it appeared dark, forbidding and otherworldly.Andat all times, day and especially night, when the gothic spires and masonry were reflected in that pool, it seemed to trick the eye, making it mysterious and spooky.
It had been where the firstRoyalslived before they builtCelestialPalace.
I lovedCelestialPalacefor its sprawling grace and elegance.
IadoredSpikebackCastlebecause it was dark and ominous, even on a sunny day, and it spoke to the primal shifter in me.
ButIdidn’t know ifIwanted tolivethere.
“Are we going to do that?”Iasked.
“We is plural, soI’lltake you there, give you a tour, and then we’ll discuss it.”
At his words, everything, all at once, settled in me.
He was the one with the money, the status, the title, the prestige, the control.
But in that one sentence, he made it clear thatwewould make decisions about our life.
We.
WhileIwas processing the heady fullness of that feeling,Alekseicontinued talking.
“I failed miserably with my first business,Laura.Iwas young, had a university education, never worked a day in my life, outside my studies or royal duties.IthoughtIknew it all.Iknew nothing.Ihad to find a partner to infuse capital into it, orI’dhave to close it down, lay off one hundred and twenty-five employees.Fortunately, that partner wasSirk’sfather.He’sa shark, but instead of forcing me out, he took me under his wing and taught me everythingIreally needed to know.He’sstill my partner in a number of ventures.”
“Did you meetSirkfirst, or his dad?”
“Sirk.AtRedLair.Firstyear.Wewere both twelve.”
I loved knowing that about him and his friend.
“My mother heard the business was failing, and she used that to try to force me back into the fold.Itonly made me more determined to figure it out,” he shared.
“And you did.”
He inclined his head.
I smiled. “Goyou.”
He smiled in return and explained, “WhatI’msaying is,Iknow it can be done, spending time in pursuits that nurture you, challenge you, along with doing your duty to the throne.Yes, ifIwere to give it all up, my time would be consumed with accepting more invitations, attending more events, taking royal trips, even spending more time in theCenter, playing politics.Butif that was my life, like it used to be,Iwould be deeply unhappy, asIwas then.I’dput on a neutral face, but behind the mask,I’dhate every minute of it.Ifyou find you love it and wish to move out of your chosen field to concentrate on it, that will be your choice.Butif you don’t, then we’ll find a balance for you, likeIhave.”
It meant a lot he would back me on that play.
But he needed to know the fullness of it.
“Just before we start filming, and during filming,I’llneed to be at the studio or on location.Someof the filming will be at the studios north ofNocturn, so maybe a half an hour craft ride away.Ican come home every night.Butwe’re also filming on location close to theClanCaves.Andthat’s a two-hour craft ride away.”
“Not in aJetPantherthat gets priority course routes.Butjust to say,I’moften away for business.Wouldyou expect me to be home every evening?”
“No, but shooting can take two, three, sometimes even four months.”
He pulled me up so we were eye to eye. “Darling,Ican come to you.Youcan come to me.Youhave access to transport that will cut the time it takes to make any trip in half.Savenefarious plots getting in the way, neither of us can fool ourselves that the rest of our lives are going to go as smoothly as we’ve begun.Andwhen it doesn’t, we’ll work it out.”
I was reminded for the first time in days about how angry he got after the assassination attempt, and how he’d communicated that.
I needed to share how that made me feel.
ButIdidn’t want to.Ididn’t want to spoil this moment.Ididn’t want to cast a pall on what he thought of as our smooth beginning.
