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When I return to my office, it’s not empty. Rothan is standing by the window, looking outside. He turns around when he hears me enter. “Well, that went as well as expected. The elders may very well try to replace you, you know. They go on and on about the royal bloodline, but they don’t really understand why it’s so important.”

“As long as one parent has royal blood, it’s fine.” I sit down at my desk. “And let them cry all they want. They’re not going to remove me. If they get rid of me, there will be no one to fight at the border for them. The monsters will run rampant. Those old fools haven’t battled in decades. They’re just sitting in their mansions, growing fatter by the minute.”

“They’re going to start wondering why you’re taking action now and not eight years ago,” Rothan points out.

My lips twist in a grimace. “Eight years ago, I thought Leanna was dead. The monsters around the Veil were out of control. I couldn’t both contain them and keep my people safe from whatever retaliation the elders would have taken against them for executing Bella and Vivian. Things are different now.”

“That’s true,” Rothan agrees. “But to come at the elders like that? And then appoint me as your delegate again? They’re losing their minds. You know how much they hate me.”

I give him a sharp smile. “They should be more worried about how much you hate them. They had your father executed on false charges. As my delegate, you are well within your rights to torment them.”

Rothan rolls his eyes. “Yeah. That’ll keep the peace.”

I sign some documents and hand them to him. “My seal is still in my desk. Use it if you need to. I want daily reports on what the elders are doing. If they start taking their aggression out on the commoners, let me know.” I look around the office to make sure we’re alone. “And once Leanna returns, there will be massive changes in this kingdom. My mate finds comfort in human technology. We’re going to have to start implementing some.”

Rothan’s eyes widen. “Come again? You hate human technologies.”

I get up to leave again. “But Leanna prefers them.”

I’ve nearly reached the door when Rothan says softly, “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen you so relaxed? I wish I had stopped her back then, Cedric. Things shouldn’t have come to this point.”

I pause and then shake my head. “No. If I hadn’t lost her back then, I might never have understood how important she was to me. This time, I’ll keep her safe. And if I have to wipe out every single member of the noble families to do so, so be it.”

I’d prefer not to have to do that because it will severely upset the balance of the Northern Kingdom. But steps have to be taken to reduce the power and control of the noble families. Since my parents’ deaths, they have been getting away with more than they should be allowed to, mostly because I spend too much time at the border rather than governing my kingdom. However, that will soon be rectified.

 

  

It’s late at night by the time I return to the human world. If I hadn’t had help from a witch to use portal magic, it would have taken me a couple of days to get here. Fortunately, Freya, the witch Leanna befriended in her short time in the North, now works at the border, creating portals for me and my soldiers to travel back and forth between the castle and the Veil, saving us a lot of time. The young woman seems to like money, and I give her plenty of it.

I see Derrick sitting on the steps outside Leanna’s house. When he spots me, he straightens up. “What happened? Why did Rothan call you away so urgently?”

“A new scheme by the elders to force Vivian into my bed.” I glance at the dark house. “Is she sleeping?”

He shrugs. “She offered for me and Edgar to come inside, but we refused. We’ve been patrolling since you left. Nobody around.”

I see the small, empty food container next to him. “And that?”

He flushes. “The queen gave it to us. She was worried we might starve.”

I give him a dark look. “You made my mate cook for you.”

Before Derrick can respond, I walk past him. Entering the place Leanna calls home, I look around and realize that another reason the castle looks so dull and bare is because Vivian removed every single thing that Leanna had decorated the castle with. Bella must have told her it was all Leanna’s work.

In the dim lighting of the hallway, I take a good look at the small house that is filled with bright colors. This is Leanna’s taste. Once she is back at the castle, I’m going to ask her to make it feel like this place. I want to see her touches everywhere, in every room I walk into.

She must be in bed since it is so quiet in here. But as I walk past the kitchen, something catches my eye. Flicking on the light, I see Leanna sleeping at the table, her head resting on her folded arms. In front of her, there are a few covered dishes and two places set.

Quietly, I remove the lid of one of the dishes and realize they are filled with food. Judging from the table settings, she must have been waiting for me to return. That means she hasn’t eaten, either.

My heart feels warm. Running my fingers through her short hair, I consider waking her up. She must be hungry. My own stomach is rumbling, but I don’t want to disturb her. I pick her up carefully, walk up the steps, and go down the hall to her bedroom.

She doesn’t stir as I lay her down on the bed. Looking around, I hesitate.

I want to stay here with her. This should be our bedroom, not just hers. But Leanna has drawn lines that she is slowly removing at her own pace. The idea of losing her again is far too terrible. I can wait.

As I move away, I feel her small hand grasp mine.

“When did you get home?” Her voice is thick with sleep, and when I turn to look at her, her eyes are still half closed.

“Just now. Were you waiting for me?” I can’t help but touch her soft hair.

“Thought we could have dinner together.” She yawns.

“I’ll put everything in your icebox. We can have it tomorrow.”

“Fridge,” she laughs sleepily. “You’re so silly, Cedric. Road box, icebox. Just call things by their names.” She sits up on the bed when I begin heading out of the room. “Wait, where are you going?”

“To put away the food.”

“But you’re coming back, right?”

I study her. She looks nervous, almost uncertain, a hint of vulnerability behind her eyes.

When I don’t answer, she pats the bed. “Just stay.”