Page 37 of Night’s Fall (The Four Realms #1)

Unique

C ozy night at home, post-coital, with my ridiculously handsome mate meant Aleksei put the white long-sleeved T -shirt back on, with some charcoal-gray sleep pants.

I donned a pair of soft-knit, ballet-pink lounge pants, a matching shelf-bra cami, and a slightly darker, lightweight, shawl-neck cashmere cardigan.

And together, holding hands (he was so totally cute), barefoot, we walked down to the kitchen.

Fortunately, our bed frolics didn’t burn the roast.

Also fortunately, Aleksei had a fully stocked wine room (of course he would, he sure had the room for it), and the red he selected might not be as good as Chateau LeBrand , but it was smooth, rich and tasty.

And we both discovered (at least I hoped it was both of us) that tinkering around, putting the finishing touches on a meal together was relaxing and kind of fun.

Aleksei didn’t mess with courses.

So the salad, rolls, meat (with jus and delicious homemade horseradish sauce), buttered asparagus and fondant potatoes he served all at once.

And I knew, once we settled, and after I’d only had one bite of the crisp lettuce tossed in a creamy, peppery, garlicky dressing, he wasn’t leaving anything to chance.

Because he didn’t hesitate to start it.

“Should you go first, or shall I ?”

I cut across the top of the squibs of the asparagus to save them for last, saying, “ How about we wait for in front of the firelight, over cognac.”

“Laura.” He used my name as a warning.

I looked at him even as I placed a bite of potato in my mouth.

I bit down.

Annnnnd…

Yowza!

Yum .

I chewed, swallowed and said, “ This food is too good to waste, eating it while discussing that.”

“You’re evading.”

“Only until we’re finished eating.”

He stared at me.

I kept eating (because seriously, my mate had a way in a kitchen) but did it staring at him.

As usual, he went first.

“I don’t know this as fact, but I can guess that my mother was selected not only because of her popularity as a screen actress, her beauty, her style, her unimpeachable reputation, but also, her ambition and her ability to play to the public.

My father was born with blood that meant he wanted for nothing his entire life.

So although he understands duty, and on a certain level, hard work, he has never experienced a time where all of his needs weren’t met.

From someone else making his bed, to dealing with the laundering of his clothes, to arranging for him to get from one place to another. ”

“Okay,” I said softly, and added, “ And can I just say, this meat is cooked to perfection.”

“You can say that, darling,” he replied just as softly. “ And thank you.”

I smiled at him. “ Right , I’m listening. Go on.”

He nodded.

“Obviously, even before it became apparent I was the True Heir , I would be the next king. And Mother made it clear, even if she wasn’t born royal, it was her who would be molding me into that position.

I was too young when it started, but reflecting on it, I believe she also made it abundantly clear she was going to be absolutely certain I did not grow up with what she considers certain weaknesses that are abhorrent to a man who holds the throne. ”

It wasn’t hard to read between those lines.

“Oh boy,” I whispered.

“Yes,” he agreed.

“And those would be?” I asked.

“For starters, from the time I was eight to the time I was sent to boarding school, and then of course at boarding school, I made my bed.”

Actually, for a boy born to a palace, that said a lot.

“Right.”

“And I went to a military school. Not one aristocrats send their children to, the ones that started centuries ago in order for them to buy officer’s commissions for their second and third born sons so those males would have something to do with their lives, and a salary to come with it.

Schools that are now just boarding schools where the students wear uniforms and march sometimes, but they aren’t much more that.

I went to Red Lair where, for millennia, boys were trained to be warriors. ”

“I know,” I said, because everyone knew about Red Lair , and they knew Aleksei went there.

“It is not for the faint of heart.”

I’d heard that too.

However, at his words, my heart lurched. “ Did you hate it?”

“I loved it.”

I was back to staring.

“My mother took hold of me, and being so focused on that, and then she had a girl, and she was beside herself she did, she lost sight of her middle two children. And my father got hold of them.”

“Uh-oh.”

He nodded glumly. “ Maybe they wanted her attention. Maybe they were jealous of me because I had it or that I would be king. Maybe they were always just assholes. But they fucked with me. All the time.”

I knew I didn’t like those guys.

“How did they do that?”

He shrugged. “ You name it, they did it. Throwing ice water on me in the middle of the night when I was dead asleep. When we were standing as royals during a public appearance, pinching the skin on the back of my arms, which hurts like fuck, but I couldn’t make a face or do anything.

Stealing my homework. Telling girls I liked them when I didn’t.

When I was still quite young, getting into luggage the staff had packed when we’d go on trips and taking out my underwear so I didn’t have any, and then I’d have to admit it to someone, which was embarrassing at that age. ”

Oh yeah.

Really didn’t like them.

Aleksei kept sharing.

“Being at Red Lair was an escape from them. Being at Red Lair , they’ve had over a thousand years of finding ways to uncover what boys will turn into men, and what boys will always be boys, and then cultivating all manner of exercises to cull the wheat from the chaff.”

“You were the wheat,” I stated firmly.

He tipped his head to the side, his eyes warming at my words, and he shared, “ Both Tim and Rol went to Red Lair at Mom’s insistence. Tim was kicked out within six months, no matter he was a prince of this realm. Rol lasted a year and a half before he was booted.”

“But you thrived.”

He shrugged again and ate a piece of succulent beef.

“ I found my place. Perhaps it was Mom’s influence, perhaps it was because I knew from the moment I could form coherent thought I was destined for the throne, but I was always serious.

There are two things that happen at Red Lair .

One is that they have ways to be certain who remains is supposed to remain.

The other is the boys find ways to get out if they don’t want to be there.

I’ve known some who were smart enough to best the studies, physically and mentally capable enough to excel at the drills and exercises.

And they still found ways to get expelled.

The challenge of an advanced curriculum coupled with the physical challenge spoke to me.

It was something I understood integrally.

I was in my place. My brothers were just not Red Lair males. ”

“But I sense your brothers were culled, they didn’t find ways to get expelled,” I noted.

“Tim was culled. Rol tried, but he just wasn’t smart enough and couldn’t endure the physicality of it.”

“So…what? They just never grew up?”

“I haven’t yet explained about our beasts.”

Ah.

“I’ve seen Aleece’s ,” I told him. “ She’s fierce, but so beautiful.”

And she was. Pearly -white scales with gold horns and claws, feathered rather than webbed wings and blue topaz eyes.

Stunning.

Unusually, though I’d never thought about it before, since the royal family occasionally featured their dragons during special events, I had not seen either of the princes transformed.

I wasn’t very interested in them, so I didn’t think about it much. I’d just always thought, through some trick of genetics ( Queen Calisa’s beast, it was known, was a red fox), meant their beasts weren’t dragons.

“They aren’t what you’d think, considering their personalities. We are all the blood of the first True Heir . I’m not sure there’s been a royal dragon that could not do its part in defending the throne.”

So they were dragons.

“Okay, so I don’t get it.”

“When did yours first come out?” he asked.

“When I was five.”

He nodded. “ Between four and seven, usually. Tim’s didn’t come out until he was nine. Rol’s came out at seven. Tim had a complex about his late transformation, and I think that was why he transformed all the time once his beast appeared. But our creatures used to tussle. Play .”

“And yours always won,” I presumed.

He shook his head, but said, “ As you know, we don’t always have complete control over them, especially when we’re younger.

So yes, mine bested theirs. It was bigger, always.

And I was older, also always. And mine was with me when they’d fuck with me, and he didn’t like that, so perhaps he took it too far occasionally. ”

I tried not to smile, but I had a feeling I failed.

“Not sure they didn’t deserve that, Aleksei .”

“I’m not saying they didn’t, but it was easy, and everyone has pride.

Tim , too much. Rol , it was too easily bruised.

Although they have strong, handsome creatures, Rol’s is quite small.

And Tim’s is smaller than mine, larger than Rol’s , and mean.

It plays dirty. This is something that might get you ahead in schoolyard bullying, in a street fight, but in battle, there’s only so far you can get using nasty little shortcuts.

You need to think on your feet. Be able to pivot.

If a strategy you’re using isn’t working, you have to have dozens more you can try.

There are only so many tricks you can roll out.

Eventually , it comes down to strength and intelligence.

Someone has to win. I always won. And they’re very poor losers. ”

“So in all things, you bested them, and rather than finding their niche, their vocation, some mission, something that set them apart from you and could give them a calling, they decided to be fuckboys.”

“It’s arrogant to assume it’s all about me.”