“Geneva, get our guest something to drink.” No one should tell a story on a dry throat.

“You called the creature something else before,” he says as she disappears into the kitchen.

“This isn’t the time for you to be asking questions.” I grab the closest chair and set it right beside him, intentionally too close for him to be comfortable. He leans his body away from me but my hand on his shoulder stops him from doing anything else.

“Why are you here? I don’t think Dunwayne sent you.” If the goal was to ensure the city guards left peacefully, the last person they should have sent was someone who makes me want to commit murder every time I look at him. His problems with my family are common knowledge.

“When I received word about the delegation, I offered to escort them.”

“Of course you did.” From the corner of my eye, I see Yulia watching us intently, no doubt still puzzled about the series of events that have transpired. “Before we get into your story, how about I recap our history? This all makes little sense without the proper context.”

From the end of the table, Yulia inclines her head in acknowledgment.

“It’s a common story. Man sees a beautiful woman and falls in love. Where our story derails is that said woman is already married to a beautiful, dashing, talented woman.” I smile at Kierra who playfully blows me a kiss. “The lovestricken man has no chance with the object of his admiration but instead of rationally accepting as much, he devises a series of idiotic schemes to separate the happy marriage and take the woman for himself. The first of which is the application of charm. Too bad our hero doesn’t realize he doesn’t have any charm, being an arrogant bastard who’s too good to walk on the ground like the rest of us.”

“The speed of mana cultivation is improved if done with a core that isn’t full.”

“That’s a myth,” Yulia quickly rebukes. “The orders have researched the best training methods for centuries. Building a mana core is a matter of talent, pure and simple.”

Aurelius scoffs. “I don’t care for the studies of northern barbarians. I can feel the difference between cultivating with a full core and without.”

“Both sides are incorrect,” Geneva adds, re-entering the room with a tea tray. She sets it in front of Aurelius, who stares at the pot as if it’s full of poison. “Building a mana core is dependent on three factors. The first is talent. The second is technique. All creatures’ mana has a natural pattern that it circulates in, usually dependent on the species. But natural does not mean optimal. As my summoner can attest, a different technique can rapidly improve cultivation.”

“True. And before anyone asks, I’m not sharing with anyone outside of family.” A technique that can improve how fast somehow grows their core? That’s beyond valuable. The literal definition of priceless. It’s a testament to my confidence in myself that I can even mention it out loud. If there was anything that could have people breaking into my house in the middle of the night and spiriting me away, it’s this.

“So I am not excluded?” Yulia asks with a raised brow and a smile.

I avoid her gaze and Geneva saves me from answering by continuing her explanation. “The third factor is environment. To cultivate a mana core, one must cycle ambient mana. It only stands to reason that those who do so in places with higher concentrations of ambient mana will have faster progress.”

“We are supposed to take the word of a summoner’s pet?” the ignorant master caster says with a sniff.

“You’re not supposed to take anything. Feel free to ignore everything you’ve just heard.” You’d only be hurting yourself. “But look at us, we’re getting away from the story. We were talking about the lovestricken idiot’s attempts to win the heart of an already happily married woman. When charming her failed, he proceeded to stalk her.”

“I did not,” he immediately protests.

“Sure. So you didn’t meet us the moment we arrived and proceed to follow us throughout the entire day, even to our home?”

“I was your guide!”

“A position you volunteered for.”

“Many people were interested in escorting the new instructor. Someone of her heritage and abilities is rarely seen anywhere. I was curious.”

“And the reason you have volunteered for any job or duty related to us since then?” I press.

“I consider Kierra a friend. I was worried. Is that so wrong?”

“Worried, yes. Aurelius is quite the worrier. Remember when he was worried that I had used the mental affinity to charm the prince’s little crush? And when that accusation proved to be unfounded, he still worried that my marriage was based on mental manipulation.”

Yulia frowns deeply. Ah, yes. She’s beginning to understand the kind of pain in the ass Aurelius has been.

“There was more than enough circumstantial evidence to warrant the suspicion.”

“Oh, please. Enlighten us as to this evidence.”

Aurelius glares at me. “Before you arrived at the Hall, you were an unknown noblewoman from a minor family. You are attacked on the King’s Road and presumed dead. A year later, you return home with an elven bride, who is royalty, monstrously talented, and rich. To put it succinctly, she is beyond you in every measure. There is something unnatural about your pairing. Beyond the obvious.”

“The obvious?” He pointedly looks at Kierra, then to me, but doesn’t explain, counting on us to read between his gestures. Which we all can. “Have you ever heard that love works in mysterious ways?”

He scoffs, lips twisting in disgust. “A powerful elven princess falling in love with a penniless, talentless, lecherous, average-at-best, noblewoman that shames her by taking other lovers without the slightest hint of discretion and would provoke even royalty for her petty grudges? It begs belief. Perhaps the mental affinity was not involved but only an idiot would believe there is nothing more to the story.”

“Nothing more to the story, huh.” Well, he isn’t wrong. “So, you think there’s a secret behind Kierra’s love for me, because there is no way she could love me for who I am. And of course this secret must be something horrible, because I suppose you think I’m just a horrible person for no reason at all. And, what? Do you think if you discover this secret and rescue her, the elven princess will fall for you and you’ll live happily ever after?” I chuckle as he refuses to answer, turning away from me. “She’s not, by the way. A princess.”

“I am aware that she is merely of relation to the rulers of Dusk but it is a fitting title.”

“Uh-huh. Are you also aware that even if we divorced today, saints forbid, she wouldn’t look at you twice? You should be. She’s been very clear about that.” I slap his shoulder as he refuses to respond and turn to Yulia. “Understand why I hate this guy?”

“Yes. He is both hateful and delusional.”

Aurelius scoffs. “A James has the audacity to call me delusional.”

The snow bunny’s smile gains an edge. “I do. Victorians are stubborn, perhaps irrationally so, but no one could accuse of being delusional. One man doesn’t fight a titan alone or tries to kill a storm with a blade. You seek the impossible, ignoring the truth because it hurts your feelings. If you don’t like being called delusional, childish also fits. My butterball also likes to throw tantrums when he doesn’t get what he wants.”

“You—"

Aurelius cuts off with a wince as I grip his shoulder with a touch of strength. “Now that everyone’s caught up, we can get to the real story. Miss Alyssa, feel free to take a seat. There isn’t going to be any more violence today.”

“Yeah, don’t think there is.” The instructor takes a seat beside Yulia. Allen, oblivious to the tension in the room, reaches out to her. To my surprise and amusement, Alyssa looks to Yulia for permission before pulling the little boy into her lap, smiling softly as she tickles him. Aw. Who knew a woman with her temper could be so cute?

“Stop looking this way, damn pervert,” she hisses when she notices my gaze.

I smile and turn away. “Come on, Aurelius. Don’t keep your audience waiting.”

“I won’t play your game,” he grumbles.

“This isn’t a game. This is your opportunity to speak your mind. You see, I’ve recently discovered that I am not a brute who delights in bullying the unfortunates of the world. I’m also trying to explore less violent solutions to my problem. And while I’m tempted to forget both of those things in regards to you, my will remains unshaken. This ends one of two ways. Either I beat you to death and disappear your body or you tell us why you are so obsessed with my wife.”

“I’ll tell the grandmaster you threatened to kill me. I’ll have you arrested.”

“Have you not been paying attention? I’ve just been kicked from the Hall and I’m already wanted by the law. Those don’t work as threats. More importantly—" I grab his chin and force him to meet my eyes. “You can’t do shit if you’re dead.”

I stare at him until he visibly surrenders, shoulders sagging and eyes drooping. He slouches in his seat as I release him. Hesitant eyes look at Kierra but, finally, he realizes there is no goodwill to be found in the object of his admiration. His gaze moves to Alyssa. “You’re an instructor of the Hall. A member of the Grand Watch. Are you just going to let this happen?”

The redhead stops making funny faces at Allen to glare at him. The change is so abrupt, I can’t help but laugh. “I warned you. Dunwayne warned you. Everyone warned you. You may not have broken any rules or laws, but you’ve been asking for a beating for a year now. I think a damn explanation is the least you can do. Besides, I wouldn’t fight the monsters in this house for all the gold in the kingdom. I sure as fuck am not fighting them for you.”

“Not surprised an unlikeable bastard like you doesn’t have any friends,” I goad the master caster reduced to a verbal pincushion.

With all his avenues of escape blocked, Aurelius takes a deep breath and begins his tale.