"In a couple of days… maybe three," Mark replied, stroking her back. "I wanted to settle matters here first. And…" He hesitated, exhaling heavily. "I don't know how long I'll be gone."
Lan Xia lifted her head again, her eyes filled with worry.
Mark looked away at the ceiling, his voice grave. "It's easy to bring Song Yue and the children here. But Shen Ling… convincing her is another matter entirely. She's the Empress Regnant there. The first female monarch of the Rosefall Empire. How do I ask her to give up everything, to leave her throne and come here as an ordinary housewife?"
His voice grew heavier with each word. "My marriage with her is different. With Song Yue, we were lovers before anything else. With you… We were companions who grew close over time. But with Shen Ling… it was political. Purely political. She wanted the throne. I needed resources to build my weapons."
