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“I called them home,” Kateryna told him authoritatively. She did not falter when her husband turned to her with open-mouthed shock. “They are needed here.”
“You called them home?” Leonid fought down his hysteria. “You called themhome?”
“You need not repeat it several times. It makes no change to the fact that you were correct in what you heard,” Kateryna snapped.
“There is a war coming!” Leonid’s raised voice in the narrow tunnel echoed. “You called them away from their stations...for what?”
“It seems we both have stories to tell,” Kateryna replied as she resumed walking. “You need to bathe, you resemble a peasant.”
“Heisa peasant,” Viktor mumbled from behind them, and Leonid turned his head to glare at him.
“I was and I always will be aware of whence I came, old one.” Leonid smiled, and his fangs showed. “But I am Prince of this Court, and you will remember that, else I will remove your head myself.” Leonid turned to face forward again and walked to catch up with his wife. When they were beside each other, he saw her small smile of approval. He had not realised how worried he had been about her reaction to his arrival until he saw that small smile. Tension he had not been aware he was holding left him, and with a slight straightening of his shoulders, he walked through the halls of the Court with his head held high.
* * *
Leonid felt like a new male after a bath and a goblet of blood. Kateryna watched him as he assessed his clothing choices. He opted for a dark suit, tailored perfectly for him, and he had no doubt his wife was in keeping with current fashion. He had never bothered with fashion, happier in training fatigues or full combat gear. However, his wife demanded tailoring at Court, and he had always tried to meet her expectations when it came to dressing for Court, at least.
“It has been so long,” Kateryna said to him as she toyed with her own wine goblet. “You look well.”
Leonid smiled at his wife as he buttoned his dress shirt. “I look like I have been held prisoner for weeks and then ran for my life against a Darkness it seems only I can see.” He tapped the goblet. “This has helped, thank you.”
“It does sound...eventful.” Kateryna placed her own goblet on the nightstand beside the bed and walked over to her husband. “However, now that you are cleansed, I stand by it, my husband, you look...well.” Her eyes ran over him with appreciation, and Leonid pulled her closer to him.
“It has been many years, my love,” he murmured as he kissed her neck.
“Because you would rather spend time with a child.” Kateryna pushed away from him, and Leonid dropped his arms.
“Tegan is my daughter,” he told her softly.
“She is flesh and blood, Leonid! She isnotyours,” Kateryna said spitefully, “although she looks so much like her mother I can see why you keep her.”
Leonid paused in picking up the suit jacket. “You have seen Tegan?”
“I went to the Headquarters to find you when you did not come here.” Kateryna shrugged.
“You would have scared her.” Leonid frowned. “I should send her a fire message.”
“She said you had sent her one.” Kateryna scowled as she looked at him. “She gets one, but I do not?”
“You knew I would come, my love,” Leonid said distractedly. “Tegan was well? She has settled in with the Holts? Did you talk with her long?”
Kateryna drank slowly from her goblet as she looked at her husband. He pulled his waistcoat down and fixed the suit jacket in order for it to sit properly. As he considered the tie to go with his suit, his wife deliberated on how much she was going to tell him.
“You either tell me now, or I find out from Tegan in approximately five minutes.” Leonid looked up and smiled at his wife.
“I did not speak with her.” Kateryna sat back down on the bed. “My stay there was very short. It was quite...chaotic.”
“Chaotic? Salem Holt is many things I disapprove of, but chaotic is not one of them.” Leonid finished his blood and savoured the last few droplets. Kateryna had provided Lycan blood, and he was warmed by the fact his wife remembered his favoured taste.
“There is a young Castor. He seems to be…eventful.”
“Cord Ivanov,” Leonid guessed.
“He wears the crimson robes.” Kateryna smiled indulgently. “You remember they are my favourite.”
“Because they wear blood red robes,” Leonid laughed lightly as he answered her.
“It’s personal taste.” Kateryna studied her nails. “It seems there is some conjecture about his allegiance.” Realising she had her husband’s full attention, she continued. “He has been accused of working with the Drakhyn.”
