A thought suddenly crossed Tyron's mind.
What if Varkas Laedgo Siorcan had married the First Imperial Princess as originally planned?
Politically, it undoubtedly would have been the wiser choice. There would never have been the discord that now existed between House Siorcan and the Crown Prince.
And yet, for some reason, he found it impossible to picture Varkas taking another woman as his wife.
“We've kept our guests standing long enough. Come, follow me. I'll have rooms prepared so you may rest.”
Lost in thought, Tyron snapped back to reality.
Turning around, he saw Daren personally leading the northerners toward the guest quarters.
As he headed for the annex, Daren tossed a casual remark over his shoulder.
“You should go wash up while you're at it. You look like a mess.”
Scraping the dried blood from his cheek, Tyron let out a quiet sigh.
This was hardly the time to dwell on pointless hypotheticals.
After washing away the blood and dust and tending to his minor injuries, he would have to report back to his unit immediately.
A mountain of unfinished work was surely waiting for him.
Public security, above all, demanded urgent attention.
His expression darkened as he recalled the band of Zram raiders that had ambushed him.
While they had been occupied calming the brewing conflict in the North, the situation within the East had clearly deteriorated.
Running a hand roughly through his disheveled hair, Tyron led his exhausted men across the spacious courtyard.
Then, suddenly, a cool breeze brushed against his cheek.
He looked up.
Gray clouds were rolling across the sky.
Just as the Grand Duchess had predicted, white snowflakes were drifting down with the wind.
It was snow far earlier than the season should have allowed.
An inexplicable premonition settled over Tyron.
Perhaps this winter would be unusually long...
And unusually harsh.
* * *
“Did you get into a fight?”
The woman, who had remained quietly nestled in his arms throughout their walk along the long corridor, suddenly wrinkled her nose and asked.
Varkas glanced down at his clothes to see whether there were bloodstains on them.
They looked no different from when he had left the castle.
Then the scent of blood must have seeped into him.
She had always possessed an exceptionally keen ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) sense of smell.
And since becoming pregnant, it seemed her nose had grown even more sensitive.
Lengthening his stride, he answered evenly,
“I merely went hunting.”
“Liar. You came back with the knights. What kind of hunt needs that many knights?”
“There have been more raider attacks lately, so I increased the escort.”
The woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Answering without the slightest hesitation, Varkas shifted her comfortably onto one arm and opened the bedroom door.
The room was cool.
The windows had evidently been opened to air it out.
He immediately crossed to the window, closed it, and set her down beside the fireplace.
As he crouched to place fresh logs onto the dying embers, she tugged gently at his sleeve.
“Don't go hunting anymore. If raiders are causing trouble, why put yourself in danger? You could just leave the hunting to hunters or buy meat from butchers.”
His brows drew together.
Since becoming pregnant, she worried far more than before.
She seemed convinced that if anything happened to him, not only she but their child would also be left vulnerable.
Trying to reassure her would accomplish nothing.