Page 208 of Sky’s Edge

“It’s easier to cover the females with security,” Bainon added when it looked like Aleece would argue. “And for all of us to be better able to communicate, not to mention, for Aleksei, Mac and me to be directly involved with Tanyn as we go about discovering what’s going on.”

“I’m sorry,” Aleece said to me, before she returned to her brother, “but it’s my understanding it was only Catla who was threatened. I don’t get why this is a four-mates gig.”

“We don’t get it either,” Aleksei replied. “And that’s the problem. Because yes, you’re correct, the most recent threat was to Catla. However, the threat before was to my Laura.”

Aw.

I loved it when Aleksei called her “my Laura.”

“And I would have found a much better way to share who we are to each other if that worry was not driving me to be close to you,” Bainon put in.

“It’s safe to say, Cormac would have kept buggering off down in Land’s End if this wasn’t a thing,” Sirk muttered.

Cormac scowled at him.

Even visibly fighting a smile, Gayle whispered, “Sirk. Behave.”

“We can all work remotely,” Aleksei said to redirect the conversation. And then to Gayle, “And if your employers have an issue with that, I can speak to them directly.”

“Laura can’t work remotely,” Aleece pointed out.

“My producers hired an assistant for me,” Laura said, and I noted she already knew this was going to be suggested because she was entirely at one with it. So obviously, like Tanyn and me, she and Aleksei had time to do more than pounce on each other before they came for drinks. “She’s fully immersed in the shoot, knows what’s what, but I can holo in if needed.”

“And what about my duties?” Aleece asked. “I have appearances set for months in advance. I can’t holo into those.”

“We can speak to Mom and Timothee about covering for you,” Aleksei said.

“Tim?” Aleece asked, shocked and not in a good way.

This was because Prince Timothee was not super popular among the citizenry of Night’s Fall, mostly because he had bro bullshit down to an art.

I knew he was cleaning up his act, because Laura told me, not to mention, I’d seen these efforts with my own eyes.

But he was a sorry substitute for Aleece, who was widely beloved in the Fall.

“Desperate times,” Aleksei replied.

“And it’ll give Tim the opportunity to pump up his ratings,” Laura added.

I shared a look with Tanyn, who was shaking his head in disbelief, and I grinned at him, happy that he didn’t hang on every poll like the family that lived in the Celestial Palace did.

“And how will we explain me suddenly disappearing?” Aleece asked.

“We’ll pick the appearances that are most important, you’ll attend them with your security detail amped up, and I’ll go with you,” Bainon said.

Aleece did not hide she wasn’t liking that.

“Okay then, so how do we explain me suddenly hanging out with the Crown Prince of Dawn’s Break?” she demanded. “Let’s not forget”—now she was glancing at Laura—“and I’m also sorry to bring it up, but at this juncture, I must”—she went back to Bainon—“it wasn’t too long ago my brother broke an engagement with your sister.”

“I don’t have to be at your side. Just close to you,” Bainon replied. “We’ll deal with the social fallout of Anna being Anna later.”

Anna being Anna not only included Aleksei breaking their engagement, but also her cavorting with other males very publicly not long after. Not to mention, since the Masque, which she attended with Tim (see earlier note on bro-dom), something that was not popular, she’d devolved into a party princess who was lighting up the social tapes.

And not in a good way.

That said, although her golden image had been tarnished since the breakup, Breakians were still pissed at Aleksei for casting aside their precious princess, and not long later, finding his True Bride.

“Honest to fuck, no clue how you managed to stay away from her for years, mate,” Cormac muttered to his soup bowl.