Oh My, I Messed Up the Story

Blaise had been experiencing a lot of conflicted thoughts and emotions ever since he saw the tiny woman now sitting in front of him launch herself at Abby in the street. He was happy that she was able to find her sister again—of course he was, with how much she talked about it—but felt a heavy sense of loss.

If he wasn't able to convince all of the necessary parties to go along with his plan for the military, he would likely never see her again after this. He had expected to be ignored after the reunion she dreamed about for so long but hadn't expected that it would actually sting.

He sat through over an hour of the most unbelievable story he had ever heard without her looking at him once. It seemed like everyone had forgotten he was there until Katie thanked him for bringing her here safely.

That was a somber reminder that their time together was done. Blaise wouldn't have more than a few minutes with her alone now that she seemed to be glued to her sister's side. Even the other woman's husband had been an afterthought in the conversation.

Those two had a bond that no one and nothing could ever break. He had no intention of interfering with her happiness.

What was the most amazing about their insane story was that so many people believed it. Rich, powerful, influential people. The queen of Annalaias. The leader of the Kanta clan. They all talked about living inside of a novel and the existence of another world as matter-of-factly as they would the weather.

After being a witness to that conversation, Blaise couldn't be quite as dismissive as he had been before. Maybe, just maybe, Abby had been telling the truth all along.

He wasn't sure what sort of person he had believed Katie de Kanta would be. He had heard so many different things about her from Abby, the king and queen of Annalaias, and various merchants both here and home in Shibatsu.

To Abby she was selfless, protective, and a lot of fun. To King Franz she was a troublemaker. To the Kanta clan she was a revolutionary. And from what Blaise had seen personally she was a loving wife and mother with the tendency to get overemotional.

When Katie took her sister away on a tour of the house and to entertain the toddler, he was able to make a more solid impression of her husband. Alamar de Kanta hadn't said much the whole time the siblings were talking.

He did give off the impression about being worried Abby would steal his wife away and take her back to their homeland at first. But once that worry passed his aura was distinctly carefree.

Alamar contributed here and there to the conversation about his plan while his wife was there but let her take the lead. It was almost as if he knew that she was better at this sort of thing than he was and deferred to her superior experience.

Blaise had heard about the genius political mind of the clan leader's wife—who in their world hadn't?—but he hadn't realized the full extent of the rumors. He was talking to a woman who couldn't be more than twenty years old and she was more knowledgeable than any politician he had ever met.

Where had she learned all of this? A nobleman's daughter wouldn't have had the opportunity to study politics to this extent. Had she been taught in the other world he was starting to believe existed?

Abby said she had studied art at a university. If he decided to believe everything else, it was highly likely this sharp-minded woman had studied politics at one.contemporary romance

The conversation slowed down quite a bit after Katie left and that was when Blaise realized something about Alamar. He did not enjoy having the attention on him. Without his wife there to run interference, his confidence had discreetly crumbled.

He frowned. This man was the universally beloved leader of the reborn Kanta clan?

As the two sisters whispered to each other while walking back to the house, Blaise had stood back and walked with Alamar. He greeted each person they passed and briefly asked them about their work, livestock, or children. Each one was delighted at the attention.

Ilmir, despite the limited number of residences, boasted as many businesses as a much larger town. His people were prospering so it would make sense that they adored him. But he had absolutely no sense of vision so how had that happened?

Only now was Blaise putting the pieces together. Alamar was the face of the Kanta; he represented and upheld their traditions but knew nothing about moving them into the future. That was where his wife came in.

They were a formidable team. The two of them had accomplished more here in the time frame than anyone else would have been able to.

Alamar was more humble than Blaise would have believed a ruler was capable of being. A while after his wife left, he cleared his throat and apologized.

"I'm sorry; this is really Katie's forte. She knows more about diplomatic relations than I could ever dream to. I'm afraid we will have to wait until she returns to continue brainstorming."

He noticed the hint of astonishment on Blaise's face and chuckled. "I bet you're wondering how I ended up in charge. My late father was the clan leader so this was the role I was born to play. My aunt taught me everything she knew about upholding the traditions and I followed her teachings to the letter.

"However, anything that isn't explicitly against the traditions is fair game. Katie likes to tweak things. My people are very deeply entrenched in their traditions. My role is to keep the older generation happy and hers is to move the newer ones into the future. It is a delicate balance and it hasn't always been easy but we make it work.

"The clan is happy and our influence is expanding. It wouldn't surprise me at all if more relatives of the foreign spouses of former refugees we have living here decide to move here in the next few years. We already have a few in our sister settlement."

Alamar was more astute than Blaise originally thought. He had a feeling that his wife wasn't the only intellectual powerhouse in this relationship. It was simply that he preferred contributing to her ideas to coming up with his own.

done.co