How to rule a king

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I should probably put a disclaimer on this chapter... Dear reader, you have been warned. Now, please go on and enjoy the story.

Ronja:

It had been two weeks since we all had returned to the wolf's den in the middle of a stormy, cold night. Alexei had carried a sleeping Vasyli upstairs to his bed, before returning to my side. Once he had put a pair of dark grey cotton pants on he climbed in bed with my already half asleep self, gathering me close against his larger form, so the heat radiating from his body would keep me warm during the cold night. Feeling his presence, my hand automatically searched for the large scar on his chest, caressing it lightly in a regular, by now familiar, pattern I used to usher both of us to sleep. He had then brought his right arm up to calmingly comb through my blood-colored tresses, while humming some old Russian lullaby as I slowly but surely drifted away into a clam, dreamless sleep.

Alexei had already been gone when I had woken the next morning, leaving me only a hand-written note stating he wouldn't be back until bed time as well as telling me to take one of the guards outside the apartment's door with me whenever I decided to leave our private rooms, and lastly informing me about Vasyli's daily routine. At first, leaving the apartment without my husband guarding me hadn't even crossed my mind. I hadn't trusted any of his followers to keep their filthy hands off me. Not after their comments spoken towards me at our wedding night. But as the days had passed, I had grown more and more disquieting. Even though I would spend my mornings and evenings with Vasyli, I would be bored out of my mind as soon as my husband's son had left to go studying or training with one of his private teachers for several hours.

On my fourteenth day all alone in the enormous apartment, I had comfortably curled up on one of the black leather couches engrossed in the first book of Tolstoj's Пётр Первый trilogy, when an unexpected movement of the apartment's doors startled me. Vasyli wouldn't be back for another few hours and Alexei's return wasn't expected until the early morning hours. I was about to jump off the couch to hide underneath it, when I heard Piotr's voice shouting for Vasyli. Relieved, I pressed a hand on my beating heart, willing it to calm down as I turned around to greet our guest with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Sokonov. Is there something I can help you with?"

I tried to mimic Alexei's calm demeanor as I kept my back straight and my voice low and relaxed. Piotr returned my smile for a second before he took a few steps towards the couches to lessen the rather vast distance between us.

"A very good morning to you, too, принце́сса. I came here to return this to Vasyli..."

He brought his hand from behind his back holding a rather dirty-looking Mr. Jasper out for me.

"...He must have forgotten it in the gym after his training this morning. I only came her to restitute it."

I gently took the plush ghost from his offering hand, placing it on the couch as I thanked him for his actions.

"I appreciate your efforts, it would have been difficult to put Vasyli to bed without his favorite toy. Is there anything else I can help you with? Maybe you would like some tea?"

Piotr shook his head vigorously, taking a few steps back.

"No thank you, принце́сса. I don't want to bother you with my presence any longer. I may take my leave."

He had already stepped towards the door, ready to leave. Yet, I couldn't let him leave me this soon. I had been without company for far too long.

"Nonsense, Piotr. Stay for a cup of tea. I am horribly bored spending my days locked up in here all alone."