I looked out from the balcony, Aleksei stood beside me, he wasn't talking. He never usually did. But I felt oddly empty in the silence. I looked in his direction and he bowed his head slightly, a small smile flashed across his perfect features.
"My Queen." That was all he said. I looked down as the people worked. I didn't need to have someone to tell me what was going on—I wasn't stupid. They were all working to pay off the dues my parents piled up. I groaned and spun around, pushing open the double wooden doors and entering the royal's bedroom, I didn't particularly like it. It reminded me of the clothing I was forced to wear when they shipped me off to that farm.
That decision shaped my whole perspective. And it was what caused me to feel no love towards my biological parents. It helped me move on in life and not to worry about those particular feelings.
"The Moon Mountain's Dragon, Hirokazu Yamashita," I said under my breath. Aleksei was at my side barely any time at all.
"What about him?" He asked, murmuring the words into my ears, biting into my lobe. I let my eyes roll back into my head slightly and spun around to meet him. We fell to the floor, our bodies intertwined.
Then a knock on the doors that lead to the corridor outside forced us to unwillingly separate. I called the knocker in.
It was a messenger, he was wearing simple clothing, and in his pale fingers was a rolled-up scroll, containing my answer about the destruction of Baî. I snatched the note and politely asked the poor man to leave.
I sighed and turned to face the table, sitting down on the floor because the chair and the bed were both too far away for me to walk. Aleksei joined me there.
"Dear Mistress Lukin," I read out loud. "Baî was burnt to the ground as ordered. And a hawk of the Percian Squad noticed the Tainted Dragon and his town-bread follower running with a subject of your commands." I frowned and pulled away, what else had been part of the order? I blinked remembering Mint Tokyo. Oh, right.
"We await your response and please be quick. They're moving through the smaller, less tameable towns with relentless speed."
I looked back at Aleksei, he raised an eyebrow and I grinned. "Where were we?" I growled, leaping on top of him. I don't think we made it to bed. But that didn't matter.