Incoming War

The honeymoon phase didn’t exist—not in our world. The wedding had solidified an alliance, but the days that followed determined its strength. Every decision from this point forward mattered. Every step was a calculated move in an ongoing game of power.

Marriage wasn’t the end—it was the beginning of something far greater. But as Leonardo and I moved through the motions of restructuring our control, I felt it.

A shift.

Subtle. Slow. Like the weight of something unseen pressing against our empire, waiting for a crack.

The study was dim, the scent of old books and burning wood filling the space. Leonardo sat at the desk, a glass of whiskey resting in his hand, while I stood by the window, tracing my fingers over the chilled glass.

“Something isn’t sitting right,” I murmured, watching the city stretch below us.

Leonardo took a slow sip, never looking away from the documents spread before him. “You feel it too?”

I turned slightly, my arms folding. “It’s not obvious. Not yet. But there’s movement. Someone is testing us.”

He exhaled, tapping the rim of his glass against the desk. “I expected challenges after the wedding. But this… it’s too quiet.”

Silence settled for a moment before I walked over, taking a seat opposite him. My fingers skimmed over the edges of the contracts—the ones confirming territory shifts, financial mergers, all the official moves that should have left no room for doubt.

“Then we force them into the open.”

Leonardo smirked, finally looking at me. “And how do you suggest we do that, Xena?”

I leaned forward slightly. “We make an example out of someone.”

The tension didn’t explode—it crept. Untraceable whispers in the underground circles, deals that should have gone through stalling for reasons that didn’t add up.

Alessandro Vitale brought it to our attention first.

“The shipments from Naples are delayed,” he reported over a private dinner meeting. “No direct interference, but suppliers are suddenly hesitant.”

I set my glass down, narrowing my eyes slightly. “Hesitant because they were warned?”

Alessandro nodded. “Likely. But no one has spoken outright.”

Leonardo exchanged a glance with me before leaning back in his chair. “A quiet move. Testing our patience.”

I let the silence stretch between us before responding. “Then let’s make them impatient.”

We chose the Gilded Rose, an exclusive lounge where money and power exchanged hands beneath layers of velvet and deception. A place where everyone was seen, but no one spoke of what they saw.

Leonardo arrived first, settling into his usual command of the room, while I entered with precision—controlled elegance that reminded everyone that I wasn’t just his wife. I was his equal.

A few glances lingered, some more curious than others. Ricci, the man who had tested my position before, approached first.

“A bold appearance after the murmurs, Xena.”

I picked up my glass, taking a slow sip before answering. “What would be the point of power if we hid from whispers?”

Leonardo chuckled beside me. “Let’s see who’s brave enough to stop whispering, then.”

By the time the evening had settled, I could feel the tension thickening. Something was shifting faster than anticipated. And then, just before we left, a messenger approached.

Not someone from our circle.

A neutral party. A broker with no allegiance.

He handed me a folded note, eyes careful, watching for a reaction.

"They say power isn’t earned, Xena. It’s stolen.”

The words on the paper weren’t signed. No emblem, no seal. Just a declaration. A warning.

I handed the note to Leonardo without looking away from the messenger. “Then they should remember that thieves rarely keep what they steal.”

Leonardo unfolded the note, scanning the words before chuckling softly. “It’s starting.”

And in that moment, I knew—this wasn’t just a test.

It was an invitation to war.