Cassian Drakov hadn't visited his parents' house in weeks.
Not because of distance—the estate sat barely an hour away from the city—but because familiarity had a way of reopening arguments he preferred sealed. Still, a week before his scheduled departure to Elyndria, he found himself standing beneath the familiar wrought-iron gates, the guards straightening the moment they recognized him.
Inside, the house was warm. Lived-in. Untouched by the cold precision Cassian favored in his own mansion.
Marina Drakov spotted him first.
Her face lit up instantly, worry lines smoothing as she crossed the room and pulled him into a brief but firm embrace. "You look like yourself again," she said, hands cupping his face, inspecting him the way only a mother could. "Not like a ghost."
Cassian allowed it. Even leaned into it for a second. "I'm fine, Mother."
"That's what you always say," she replied, unconvinced but relieved all the same.
Dinner was prepared personally by Marina—something she insisted on whenever Cassian came home. The three of them sat at the long dining table like they used to, the clink of cutlery filling the pauses between conversation.
Ristof Drakov sat at the head, posture straight, presence commanding even in silence. Age had not softened him. If anything, it had sharpened him.
Midway through the meal, he spoke.
"You'll be coming with me somewhere in a week."
Cassian didn't look up. "No."
The word landed clean and final.
Ristof's gaze hardened. "That wasn't a request."
Before the air could thicken further, Marina set her fork down gently. "Is it a meeting?" she asked lightly, already positioning herself between them. "Business?"
Cassian glanced at her, then answered, "No, Mother. I was invited elsewhere. Mason's sister is hosting a banquet to thank us for investing and there's festival there. I'll be going to Elyndria."
The name changed everything.
Ristof's expression shifted—not anger, not approval, but recognition. He leaned back slightly. "Elyndria," he repeated. "That's where I intended to take you."
Marina blinked. Then her face brightened. She clapped her hands together once, delighted. "Then there's no need to argue," she declared, standing. "Eat while the food is warm."
Both men knew better than to push.
Ristof said nothing more. Cassian didn't either. An unspoken truce settled between them, thin but intact.
Cassian broke the silence first.
"Why Elyndria?" he asked, tone casual, though something in his gut had already tightened. He had a feeling he knew the answer. He just wanted to hear it.
Ristof set his glass down with deliberate calm. "You know our reach doesn't stop at borders," he said. "We received an invitation for the king's birthday. Elyndria is an influential partner—one of our most valuable ones, in fact. Our casino there is performing exceptionally well."
Cassian finally looked up.
"As my successor," Ristof continued evenly, "you'll attend with me. It's not just courtesy. It's sincerity. A show of commitment—for future cooperation."
Cassian let out a quiet scoff, more breath than sound. "Fine," he said simply. "Then I'll go."
Just like that.
He turned his attention back to Marina, asking about her latest charity project, commenting on the seasoning of the dish, letting the conversation drift into safer waters.
Ristof didn't miss the dismissal.
"So," his father said after a moment, voice deceptively light, "it's been a year now, hasn't it?"
Cassian froze for half a second.
A year.
His jaw tightened. The veins at his temple threatened to surface, but he forced them down, lifting his gaze with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"You're counting now?" Cassian replied coolly.
Marina burst into laughter before either of them could sharpen the exchange. "Both of you," she said, shaking her head, "can't you have one dinner without turning it into a silent war?"
Ristof smirked. Cassian exhaled slowly.
The tension didn't disappear—but it softened, diluted by Marina's presence, by familiar walls, by the unspoken understanding that some battles were better postponed.
Dinner continued like that.
They retired to their rooms for the night not long after dinner.
Marina changed into a soft nightgown, the familiar comfort of the room easing the last traces of tension from her shoulders. She sat beside Ristof on the bed, tucking her legs beneath her and studying his face.
"And what about me?" she asked gently. "You're both going. Do I stay behind?"
Ristof sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "You do. Elyndria isn't our turf. It can be… dangerous. I'm going there for a deal, not leisure."
Marina frowned. "Then why take Cassian?"
Ristof turned his head, expression thoughtful. "Because it's time. He needs to see my business from the inside. I won't run things forever—I want to retire one day." A pause, then a faint, teasing curl of his lips. "And who knows? Maybe he'll like some fairy there. I hear Elyndria's people are exceptionally beautiful."
Marina laughed softly, shaking her head. "You and your nonsense."
The door outside their room creaked.
Neither of them noticed.
Cassian stood in the dim corridor, one hand in his pocket, expression unreadable. His father's words echoed unpleasantly in his mind.
Inheriting your business huh
So that's the reason.
A slow, dangerous smile tugged at his lips.
"So, Father," Cassian murmured to himself, voice low and edged, "you want me to go for a reason, huh."
He turned on his heel and walked away, footsteps soundless against the polished floor—unaware that Elyndria was already preparing something far more consequential than a business deal.