Page 41 of Rejected By the Shifter King
Afterwards, Fina requested to have a private moment to confer with her prince, and Domenico graciously offered one of his studies for their use. But Fina just as graciously refused the offer, saying, "Please forgive my rudeness. Old spy habits die hard."
"Of course."
Lysander turned to the twins. "Stay with my wife—-" He stopped for a moment, and both men smirked when they saw their prince.Internal squealing, definitely.
"Inside joke?" Alejandro couldn't help asking when he saw his sister suddenly start blushing for no reason and looking like her husband had gotten his hands on her teenage diary.
'Something like that' was all Alain's honor allowed himself to say.
As Lysander and his spymaster left the compound, Domenico also asked for a moment with his sister, and the twins walked away far enough to give them privacy but still close enough to respond in case there was danger.
Estrella gulped when she saw her big brother's arms crossed over his chest.Uh oh.She might be a grown woman now and even a ruler of her own kingdom, but when Domenico looked like that...
It was just as Fina said.Old habits die hard,and in this case, she was talking about old "sister" habits that involved feeling nervous and scared while wondering what she might have done wrong.
"Estrella..."
Here it comes.
"Do you trust that woman?"
She blinked in confusion.That was it?And when Domenico only continued to look at her, apparently waiting for an answer, she finally recovered her wits, saying quickly, "Yes, I do."
"Her request to speak with your husband privately bordered on rudeness and insubordination."
But Estrella only shook her head at this. "I've never told anyone about this, but do you remember the battle at the Miller Mines?"
"The battle which you not only instigated but also personally joined without letting any of us know?" Domenico's silky tone had Estrella wincing. "How can I forget such a thing?"
And because she could see that the memories weren't exactly making his mood better, she said quickly, "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry, and I promised you, remember? I'll never do it again, and anyway—-" She quickly changed subjects to prevent Domenico from any more unnecessary walks down memory lane. "About that battle...I've never told anyone about this, but she was a huge help to me during that time. She was always very encouraging, and if not for her, I would never have found the courage—-"
Or the idiocy,Domenico thought.
"To go there on your own."
Which he had taught her was the one fucking thing she was NOT to do,Domenico brooded. Defying him on his wishes about her personal life was one thing. Going against his lessons and training on warfare, however, was another. It wasn't that military tacticians weren't skilled in actual combat, but it was that such actions were best saved as a last resort. And no matter how one looked at it, the Miller Mine battle hadn't been important enough to make her involvement necessary.
"I have read numerous reports of firsthand accounts on that battle, little sister. And unless there's something I'm not seeing, what took place was practically a blueprint of one of your signature tactics. So what is it that she specifically helped you with?"
"Fina was there for me," she said simply.
Domenico's jaw clenched. "Estrella..."
Realizing how her brother could've misinterpreted her words, she said quickly, "I'm not blaming you, Dom. We both know you had to force yourself to stay away so the world could see I'd be able to stand on my own. She did the same thing. She knew I had to fight my own battles."
Not exactly the same,Domenico thought. The battles he had let Estrella fight were figurative. Fina had made Estrella fight for her life,literally.
