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Katerina stayed true to her word. She didn’t leave my side. She tended to my wounds and helped me recover my lost strength. Slowly but surely, the pain and trauma from my time in the storm healed.
Even though my body craved her during that week together, I enjoyed the time becoming one with her in a different way. We got to know each other on a deeper, more emotionally intimate level, as we both dropped our guard and let the other see the pieces we’d been hiding.
Katerina told me about the boyfriends who’d lied to her and left in more detail.
I, in turn, shared the full truth about what my father had done to my family. Talking healed the wounds of our souls.
“I never knew sharing my life with someone would be so freeing,” I said to Dymitri as we walked slowly around town.
I’d rather have been with Katerina, but I needed his assistance with a special errand.
Dymitri chuckled. “Well, tough guy, I hope this inspires you to let yourself soften around the edges more often.”
“I’m ready,” I said. “For all of it.”
“Including being a father?” Dymitri raised an eyebrow.
“What part of ‘for all of it’ did you not understand?” I growled playfully.
He held up his hands, laughing some more. “Already have the protective side down. I’m eager to be an uncle and teach your son or daughter all kinds of mischief.”
“Whatever you do, you’ll get back ten-fold,” I said. “Just wait until it’s your turn.”
“I hope it’ll be soon,” he said.
A shopkeeper returned with my purchase in a small bag. “It’s perfect and polished.”
“Thank you.” I took the bag and peeked inside at the contents, still in disbelief of what was actually inside. “Now to return to Katerina.”
We went back to the castle and found Katerina with her sister in the study. They sat at a table, hunched over and talking quietly.
“My love, I don’t suppose you’d like to accompany me someplace,” I said, reaching a hand out to her.
She smiled up at me. “I think I’d love that. I wanted to talk to you anyway about something important.”
How convenient. “Let’s go.”
She got up slowly and took my hand. I couldn’t help from running a hand over her burgeoning belly, then we left the castle. I brought her to the edge of my brother’s kingdom and to the last town there. We strolled through the streets, and I made sure to give her ample time to absorb our surroundings.
“This place is beautiful,” she said. “Quiet and so cute!”
“I thought you’d enjoy it,” I said. “We have one last place to visit.”
I brought her to the end of the street and unlocked the iron gate. Then we walked down the path. The town faded from view behind a small forest of trees.
“All day, I’ve been wanting to show you this,” I said. We finally came up to an empty plot of land. “I haven’t made anything official yet because I wanted to make sure you liked the spot.”
“For?” she asked, gazing around us. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“A house.”
Her eyes went wide as she gazed up at me. “A house? You mean...”
“I want to build a home here for us. I know how much you dislike the idea of living in a castle. This felt like the perfect place to make something of our own.” My heart began to pound hard in my chest. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ever felt this nervous.
Katerina continued to gaze up at me. She was smiling, so that had to be a good sign. “You want to build a house from scratch?”
“Yes.”
