Broken Road by Unknown

Telfer was correct—he just enjoyed making mortals squirm.
    “Yolanda said that the Duke spoke several languages perfectly, with no hint of an accent.”
    “Mortals can teach th emselves accents when they learn languages.”
    “But most don’t even think about it,” Telfer pointed out. “And she said that Lord Hartford always avoids contractions—a sure sign of living among the divine aristocracy.
    “If His Royal Highness is posing as morta l nobility, then the woman with him must not be Princess Aĺakána,” the servant reasoned. “She must be a mortal.”
    Léi Shēng’s countenance darkened, but he simply said, “Aĺakána has no reason to disguise herself as a mortal. Even if she did, the ‘Duke and Du chess’ would have many more titles to show their power and prestige.”
    “Even if the Princess did disguise Herself, She wouldn’t have had a Greek accent. She would have been perfectly articulate.”
    The Elder God was silent for a long time; so long, that Telfer took it upon himself to speak again.
    “Shall I summon the guard?”
    “If you wish to hunt down my son, wait. There will be plenty of time for that in the future.”
    Telfer’s expression said that he had just swallowed a lemon. “But… My Lord …what if they’re… repro ducing? ”
    “Naïve as this may sound; I hope this woman is nothing more than a dalliance…a side entertainment …in his pursuit of Aĺakána.
    “We must not destroy the rain cloud that only seeks to nourish the land.”

XIV
     
     
     
    August 1226
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    “I have some grave news.”
    Amihan, who had just returned from one of their client holdings, didn’t seem very concerned as he stepped onto the mounting block.
    “ Now , Amihan!” Krystállina tugged on his hand. The Thunder God remained strangely silent as his wife dragged him into the manor and locked the privy chamber door behind them. She wordlessly directed him to take a seat, but he finally interrupted her.
    “What is this all about?”
    “Sit and I’ll tell you.”
    When he did so, Krystállina cautiously eased herself into her favorite chair. Amihan raised an eyebrow.
    “I am pregnant,” she confessed at last. “I paid the imperial physician and the astrologers great sums and they have all confirmed it. The astrologers agree that it will be a girl, and one seems particularly set on twin girls.” Krystállina bowed her head. “They started kicking yesterday.”
    Amihan leapt out of his chair, picked her up and twirled her about the room.
    “That is wonderful , Krystállina! Twin girls? My twin girls? That is the best news I have heard since you said you would come away to Milano with me!”
    She glared at him. “Put me down.”
    “Why are you so upset?” he asked, gently placing her back into her chair.
    “This is a disaster! ” she hissed. “Your father will find us for certain! I should’ve noticed I was missing my courses, but I was too busy helping you manage this damn estate!” Krystállina shook her head. “It’s too late now. I can’t rid myself of them or the gods will find out and They will never bless us with children again!”
    “Is that what you are worried about? My father? He is no threat to us!” The Thunder God sat down across from his wife. “Have you not noticed that we have been gone for a year and he has yet to track us down?”
    “Then why have we been running?” she demanded. “Why didn’t we stay in Thessalonica, where we could’ve gotten married publicly and my father could enjoy his granddaughters?”
    “I thought my father was using his best men to track us,” Amihan admitted. “I thought he had imbued them with special powers, so that they would find us wherever we ran. We would still be living in Milano if it was not for Cardinal Mindanelli.”
    “So you’re saying that your father can never find us?”
    “Gods can only orient on others of their own bloodline, or we would forever