Seamus sighed, staring after her.<\/p>\n
She was right. She was always right about this kind of thing\u2014he knew that from experience.<\/p>\n
Would that their father had listened to her more often than he had. Perhaps the world they lived in would be a much, much different place if he had.<\/p>\n
His hands curled into fists and he took a pair of breaths, trying to settle himself down. His muscles ached from the fight against the shadowspawn, but his senses hurt even more. It was strange, no longer being bound to the Hunt as he\u2019d been for so many centuries. The world felt different now than it had then, felt different in ways he couldn\u2019t begin to understand.<\/p>\n
Spending a few millennia riding among a warband of men and women who are all but dead to the rest of the world will certainly skew your ideas of what is and is not normal, won\u2019t it?<\/em> He had no doubt that doing the same had affected the abilities he\u2019d honed while living amongst his own people, being trained to succeed his father on the throne\u2014if and when the day came. They\u2019d atrophied from disuse and worse, he knew he\u2019d consciously and ruthlessly suppressed them from the time he\u2019d left home as bridegroom to Albina until now.<\/p>\n Until he\u2019d regained his freedom.<\/p>\n \u201cSeamus?\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed quietly, turning toward the sound of Leinth\u2019s voice and managing a smile. \u201cDid you see Neve?\u201d<\/p>\n Leinth nodded. \u201cShe\u2019s worried.\u201d She took his hand, her fingers cool even against his chilled flesh. \u201cWe\u2019re all worried, truth be known, even old enemies.\u201d One corner of her mouth quirked into a faint smile and Seamus chuckled softly despite himself.<\/p>\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t know,\u201d he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her tightly against his chest. \u201cYou don\u2019t blame them, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor loving you and hating the person they thought had betrayed you to your death? No. How could I?\u201d She reached up and brushed her fingertips along his jaw. \u201cThey love you as much as I do. I would be angry if they hadn\u2019t hated me for a time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut they don\u2019t anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope not.\u201d Her lips brushed his cheek. \u201cCome on. You need a bath.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMm.\u201d He did.<\/p>\n Then he needed to sort out what was happening, in case no one else could.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Seamus sighed, staring after her. She was right. She was always right about this kind of thing\u2014he knew that from experience. Would that their father had listened to her more often than he had. Perhaps the world they lived in … Continue reading