Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
“It sounds like a mess,” I stated the obvious.
“Fortunately, I’m the only one paying salaries, which have been halted because the work has been. Because of this, there’s an increasingly loud call for a general election to replace some of the council members. They tend to enjoy their positions. We’re committed to the project, but we can’t pay beings not to work, and it isn’t us that’s halting progress due to bureaucratical bullshit and implied demands to best the bribes my competitors are offering to delay the approval of permits. This kind of thing does get messy and protracted, but in the end, the beings hold the power.”
“Well, I hope whenever that end might be doesn’t make those beings suffer any more than they already are.”
“Several of my meetings have been with union leaders,” he shared. “We’re forming a united front. I’m hoping by the time I leave, enough members of the council will buckle, and they can be back at work before I step on my ship.”
I hoped that too.
However…
“This is important, Aleksei,” I told him something he knew. “If you haven’t done all you need to do, Cat’s opening will survive. And I’ll be with Sirk, so you won’t have to worry about me.”
“I’ve never been certain I could make it, darling. But I’m delighted you’ll understand if I can’t.”
“Of course.”
“It’s late, but since we’re discussing this, it’s an opportunity I can’t let slide.”
I was confused.
“Sorry?”
“First, I knew you were concerned about telling me how deeply you descend into your creative process. But at the time, considering you didn’t know you were my mate, and I had loincloths to show you…”—I grinned, he reciprocated—“I didn’t get into it. But I find it immensely attractive you have a passion, you allow yourself to sink into it and warn those in your life you need that.”
I found it immensely attractive that he found it the same.
“I’m glad,” I whispered by way of sharing that, but even if they were quiet, there was a lot of feeling in those two words.
“Further, it means a great deal to me you give as good as you get.”
I was confused again.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we’ll discuss her to whatever extent you need me to explain. But at this point, since it’s apropos, I’ll share that one of the various reasons I could not carry through my promise to Anna was that she refused to understand my life was not simply about being a prince to the realm, visiting hospitals, shaking hands, wearing tuxedos and existing solely to rub the little beings’ noses in the fact they will always be the little beings.”
I didn’t know how to process the clear evidence there was some bitterness behind his break with Princess Anna.
This wasn’t a surprise, as such. A break was a break, and they weren’t ever fun.
But although their break was not long ago, no new female in a male’s life wanted to think there was any feeling lingering, outside vague fondness, or alternately, annoyance, or something of the like.
I also couldn’t process the unexpected knowledge Princess Anna, the fair and ethereal, was, at least according to Aleksei, a classist bitch.
As he remained silent, it was clear some response was expected of me, however, all I could come up with was, “Um.”
“We’ve known each other since we were children,” he said quietly. “And we’ve been friends since we first met. As adults, a romance sparked from that, and I’m not proud of how easily she deceived me, but she did. In retrospect, I see this mostly extended from the foundation of our many years being friends, and the fact we had a lot in common, both of us being the children of royals. It was still a long con on her part.”
He paused.
I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for me to say something, but since what he’d already told me had me mildly reeling, and I didn’t, he continued.
“I was not expecting ever to meet my mate, bissi. The last fated ones of my line were my great-great grandfather and grandmother. My parents were delighted with the match with Anna. There are…things happening with Sky’s Edge, and the alliance would have positive political outcomes. But Anna had no patience with the pleasure I derived from the work I do outside my royal duties. She had even less with my desire to keep as much of my life private as I can manage. And she required far more attention than any female I’ve been connected with. It was all immensely draining, then frustrating, annoying, and finally, intolerable. It was clear she wasn’t the female for me, even if I’d never met you. But I’ve now met you. And the point I’m trying very poorly to make is, it’s coming clear the many reasons why you are.”