A new wall had appeared just when things were already getting complicated enough.
A fiancée.
Count Azmed.
And, most importantly, the political alliance that came bundled with them both.
Julian exhaled slowly, forcing his thoughts into some kind of order. He would have to navigate this new complication with care - a supposedly betrothed woman he knew nothing about, and a powerful Count whose family had once stood among their closest allies.
The stories from Vanessa and Olivia painted a consistent picture: Count Azmed was a man who prized loyalty and honor above nearly everything else. Rather than severing the engagement outright, which would have been the easier and cleaner choice, the count sent his daughter away for training and gave Kraven one final chance to prove himself worthy of the alliance.
It was not something that just anyone could do.
