The Red Queen | Lucien Castle & Tristan de Martel

Chapter 4

She hadn't fully expected him.

God, he knew how to clean up well. He'd always kept his habit of the most formal wear available in each era. He dressed like someone who meant business, someone who had money. She would have done the same if she didn't prefer to make a statement and look ready to kill at every turn. (Though, it seemed it was going to be harder to blend in wearing armor in this modern world.)

"You must have been flying all day," she said, reaching out to shake his hand. He brought it up to his mouth, kissing it politely.

"I wasn't in Germany," said Tristan, thanking her with a nod as she filled his glass of wine for him. "You asked where The Strix were stationed, and I told you. But I was in New York for business. Much closer. I would have told you tomorrow morning and offered to keep you company on the flight to Germany."

Tristan, wanting to keep her company on a flight? That was certainly a change.

"Afraid I'll feel lonely?" she asked sweetly. "Aren't you kind."

He couldn't help but smile, eyes flickering between his drink and her face. "You look ravishing. I take it this business with your family was much more tormenting than you anticipated?"

"You know me well. I hate parties I'm forced to go to. Much nicer to have a choice, don't you think?"

"It always is, my dear. Word has spread fast about all the Originals being awake and in the same place for the first time in centuries. We were already intrigued when, not long ago, we received reports of Mikael's death. I expected to hear from you sooner."

"Yes, well, Nik doesn't know how to deal with children and said children thought it would be amusing to kidnap us all and try and bargain. He should have lopped their heads off but the idiot insists on caring about them." She rolled her eyes and drank. "At any rate, here we are. Finn, I hope, will abandon the family and let me finally make good on the promise I made to Sage about reuniting them. Kol will go find another gaggle of witches to bother if he wasn't serious about joining me in Germany. And I will do what I've always done. What point is there in being an Original if we do not avoid unpleasantries by tending to our little creations? I'd rather not incur the wrath of anyone. It's been so long since I had realfun. It'll be nice not to worry now that Mikael is dead."

He hummed. "To be freed of a father like that must feel like the greatest relief imaginable."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?" she said sympathetically. She'd hated Tristan's father so much, she would have killed him if Elijah and Finn hadn't forbidden it. The way he ogled her sister, how he spoke poorly to his servants as if they weren't doing everything to keep him comfortable, how he neglected his own children. Aurora had told her how different her father became when her mother died, how he resented her for it. Vivalda wanted nothing more than to stab her sword in his stupid face.

She held up her glass. "To overcoming fathers with ridiculously high expectations."

He lifted his own and drank. "Indeed. It's only a shame neither of us were able to kill them." He shrugged. "I haven't the faintest idea how he succumbed."

Vivalda grimaced, knowing the reason he didn't find out was because he, Lucien, and Aurora had been compelled to rush off, leaving his father behind. One hundred years passed before they were able to come back. By then, everything was different, nobody knew anything. "I like to believe they got their just due."

"Another thing we've always agreed on," he mentioned carefully. "To give each enemy a punishment to fit the crime. Respond with an iron fist."

"Yes, it is a downright shame no one seems to share this sentiment anymore. Truly frustrating. Everyone is so soft. My siblings included. It comes down to me to keep them safe again. No matter, we can't be killed and the first thing I'm going to do when I leave is make sure Nik can't get his hands on those daggers ever again."