In Which Severin Gets the Only Answer

December 24, 1175

Nervous gaping had never been a look that suited Riona--not with her red hair and Alina's blue eyes and that unbreakable sense of entitlement--but it had haunted her face a second too long and the only way to chase it off had been to pull her into a hug. "Welcome home, baby."

Riona squirmed as Severin tried to smooth the crispinette's rear veil. It wasn't her typical squirm; she seemed neither impatient nor annoyed. Just puzzled. "You're not angry?"

Shaking his head, Severin landed a quick kiss upon her icy brow. Poor girl must have been out in the cold for hours. "You're safe and you came back; that's all that matters. I can always be angry with you tomorrow."

She giggled--a more tired sort of giggling than usual. Severin frowned. "Long ride today?"

"Is that really all you want to ask me?"

Her smile was a sight absent from this castle far too long. Whatever questions he had, it was the only answer he needed. "No--but I imagine you'll tell it better after a good night's sleep."

"Aww!" Roddie moaned. "Can't we hear it now?"

Startled, Severin had to do a double-take; his other children were being so uncharacteristically quiet that he'd almost forgotten they were in the room. "I believe you've already had a story tonight."

Smirking, Roddie pointed toward Aldara, who rolled her eyes. "Two."

"Then the third can wait until breakfast." The boy pouted, but Severin had been a father long enough to avoid that trap. He cast a look around the room and gestured toward the corridor. "Off to bed, the lot of you. Your sister will still be here in the morning."

Grumbling, the hoard filed out, Xeta in the lead with Jadin and Vera bringing up the rear. Severin stifled a yawn. Figured that Riona would have returned at such an hour, but it hardly mattered. He was relieved she'd come back at all. "I kept your bedroom the way you left it. Shall I have a crib moved in for the little girl?"

"No, she can sleep in the bed."

"All right."

He gave Riona a pat on the shoulder, then turned around and watched as Nora took the baby out of the young man's arms and started toward the pair of them. "Come on. Let's get you settled for the night."

As Riona obliged, Severin stepped up to the his daughter's companion. Domingo's son had been a stoic young man when they'd met and a year hadn't changed that, but regardless he tried not to look too menacing. "It's Isidro, right?"

He nodded. In some vain search for borrowed strength, Severin cast a sidelong glance toward the fire in the hearth. "Can I have a quick word?"

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