Page 188 of Night's Fall
I reached across the table and took it.
“Who is the designer again?” the queen asked.
“Lancet,”Ianswered. “He’sjust emerging on the scene.Mewearing a design of his,Ithink, will be helpful to him.”
“Rest assured, it will,” she replied, vaguely wafting off the essence of pleased thatIwent with her advice before she shook it off and daintily sipped tea.
I was beginning to likeAleksei’smom unreservedly.Shewasn’t a warm female, but she was danged cool.
ButIfought checking the time on myPalm.
My parents would be headed here soon.
AndIhad a decision to make.
I knewAleksei’sploy with this.Tieme up with his mother and sister, somethingIwould thinkIcouldn’t get away from, and that wayI’dlet him non-physically “tear them apart” without being there.
But before he went to a breakfast meeting that morning,I’dput my foot down.Imade him promise he would connect with me before meeting with them.
He promised by kissing me deeply first, then giving me the words after.
It was a good way to make a promise.
But since then, no matter how often it clogged in my brain (and it clogged my brain often),Ihadn’t made the decision.
“You’ve needed to defer instruction withMadamGarwah, considering your quarantine,” the queen broke into my reverie. “Butnow that the unpleasant business that muted your beast is concluded, you’ll be resuming, yes?”Andthis last was an order veiled in a question.
“I only have a couple of sessions left, andI’mback on it this evening,”Iassured her.
“Excellent,” she murmured.
“Your beast andAleksei’sare so perfect,”Aleecemooned, sitting back in the corner of their couch, crossing her legs, her expression dreamy. “I’mtotally waiting untilIfind my mate.”
QueenCalisagave her daughter a sharp look.
Mm.
Seemed the queen had other plans for the princess.
“Destiny obviously knows what it’s doing,”Aleecedecreed. “Sure, it makes me throw up a little in my mouth to say this, but there’s no denying my big brother is not hard on the eyes.He’sall dark and big and male, and you’re all blonde and rosy and female, and your beasts are just the same.”Shefrowned. “Notto mention,Annaused to complain all the time that it annoyed her he preferred to stay in, cook, read, chill.Shewas a nightlife kind of female.”
For a bright moment,Iforgot about my parents’ imminent visit and considered this.
I considered it more asAleececontinued speaking.
“He’s always been like that.Heliked the quiet spaces.Preferringto be in his suite, reading or studying.Outtaking the dogs for a walk.Holedin the corner of the library.Hewas all about perfecting the art of the chill.TimandRolteased him about it all the time, but he didn’t care.Thatwas just who he was.Thefact you two have that in common is double, ultra mega.EveryonethinksAlekseiis this whirlwind.He’snot.He’sa long storm.”Shegrinned. “Sometimesa thunderstorm, but that doesn’t happen very often.”
There was a lot there: the annoying fact his brothers teased him about enjoying the things he enjoyed, a deepening understanding of why he bonded with my cats so easily (he was clearly an animal person).
ButIwas taken aback she knew this about us, even ifIknew thatAlekseiwas close to his sister.Apparently, they talked.Somewhatdeeply.
I was also silently reeling, becauseI’dbeen living this withAlekseifor days, and it hadn’t occurred to me he was a homebody.
Just like me.
I was feeling all warm and squishy inside whenQueenCalisasaid, “Quite.Now,Laura, it’s come to my attention you intend to continue working.Ican understand you wish to honor your obligation on your current project but?—”
“Mom, give it up,”Aleecewarned. “Iknow you want to pretend, since he stepped back from royal duties and put effort into making his own money, that every timeGermaineunleashes a poll about whyAleksei’spopularity continues to soar, respondents don’t say it was because he stepped back from royal duties and put effort in making his own money.Butthey do.”
