Chapter 304: An emergency hearing.
He shook his head, looking at her intensely. "Forget it for now. We will deal with all of it tomorrow. As long as those missing grandparents don’t cause trouble for us, then there existence is not our problem. Think about it, they have not showed up all these years, so its possible they will never show up. It’s even possible that they are truly dead."
Sienna raised her brows. "Are you trying to convince yourself or me?"
He laughed. It so happened that Shalin walked in then, with a worried Kroton on her heels. The boy was not content until Sienna smiled at him, a sure sign that she was well on her way to recovery. Elias too the bowl of soup from Shalin. His expression was unusually soft, almost reverent. He scooped a spoonful, blew gently on it, and brought it to Sienna’s lips as though she were made of porcelain.
"Is it too hot?" he asked, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a clean napkin after she swallowed. His voice carried none of that cold authority he used with most people. It was tender, almost fragile.
The relatives, servants and guards moving in and out of the room exchanged startled glances. Many averted their eyes, because they were not sure if this was a scene they were allowed to look at. A few younger servants giggled behind their sleeves, unable to contain their amusement at the sight of at aloof fox lord transformed into doting husband. Someone even snapped a picture and posted it on BeastNet. Within minutes, it had spread across the network.
The assumption online was that this tender care was related to her miscarriage. The sympathy messages were resurrected.
Sienna, unaware of the false narrative, allowed herself to be fed spoonful after spoonful. She was too weak to protest, and his gentleness disarmed her. When the bowl was empty, he set it aside, then scooped her into his arms as if she weighed nothing.
"What are you doing?" She squeaked. "You are not taking me to the bathroom, are you?" The idea of being helped while she took care of such personal business was frightening.
Elias laughed softly. "I am taking you for a walk."
She was so relieved that she didn’t stop him. Their walk went beyond their home. Outside, the seaside lay abandoned. Winter winds whipped across the sand, carrying the scent of salt and decay.
Their surroundings were much calmer and quieter. It seemed like Jess had made a lot of progress in her mission to make all their neighbors move away.
"It’s not a walk if I am not actually walking." She muttered.
Elias set her down carefully, and they walked slowly, his hand steadying her elbow.
"Talk to me about anything beside the mess that is my background." She suggested, in a bid to fill the silence.
The seafood business has declined." He said, his tone shifting back to pragmatic. "There are people in the tribe that are unemployed right now. Seasonal workers. Most of them are uneducated and rely on menial jobs to make a living. They always have to tighten their belts in winter."
Sienna replied with a ’mmm.’
"Merchants of seafood always complain about the unsteady supply during this time. The water tribes triple their asking prices and claim that its the cycle of the tides that causes the shortage. But, we all know they are hogging all the sea food for personal consumption. I had to endure a two hour phone call with the elders who were mourning about this as if I can magically make the problem go away." He groaned painfully. "Everyone knows what the problem is. Frozen waters, fewer catches. Every tribe inland suffers too--less dried fish, less trade. Winter is a very slow season for business."
Sienna nodded, her breath visible in the cold air. "It’s not just the season. The sea used to be full in summer, lots of ships and noise. Now, its practically barren. It feels like it’s asleep."
He glanced at her, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. "Perhaps we are all meant to hibernate in winter."
Their conversation was cut short when a guard ran to them, blocking their path. He bowed low, "My lady, forgive the intrusion. I know that you are not well but there is an emergency hearing in your office. Your presence is required immediately."
Sienna stiffened.
"No." Elias replied curtly.
Sienna shook her head, Duty called, even in her weakened state. She looked at Elias, who studied her with narrowed eyes, torn between shielding her and respecting her role.
"Can you manage?" he asked quietly.
Sienna straightened, drawing on reserves of strength she barely had. "I must. It is my duty."
Much as he wanted to stop her, Elias felt relieved deep down. As long as she still wanted to do her duty, it meant she was not going anywhere and the thoughts of divorce were gone.
The walk to her office was tense. Rumors already swirled through the halls--BeastNet’s chatter had reached before she did. Some employees whispered condolences, others speculated about the fox lord’s tenderness, wondering if it was a show staged deliberately for them or genuine affection. Sienna ignored it all, her mind sharpening as she approached the door.
Before she could head inside, Mija stopped her. Her friend looked worried. "Not today. Yes, it is a bit of an emergency but surely, this can wait. After the ordeal you went through yesterday, you should be taking a break."
Sienna turned to her husband, eyes wide in horror. "You didn’t erase her memories!"
Elias grimaced. "She is white snake royalty, we couldn’t do anything rash because our tribes will go to war if her family discovers that we messed around with her mind. They might think we were trying to extract their secrets from her. I am not worried about her saying anything unnecessary though, because I have enough dirt on her to ruin her."
Mija rolled her eyes. "Don’t threaten me with a good time. Take my bestie home."
The door was pulled open from the inside. They all turned their heads and saw a pregnant woman in tears. Immediately, they all knew Sienna could not put off the hearing.