“I want an honest answer right now,” Tatiana told him on a sigh. “I want nothing but the truth. Why have you refused to lend a hand to my father’s forces?”
“Aside from the fact that internal matters should be dealt with internally,” he began, “I have reason to believe your father only wants my help so he can pin whatever problems might arise on the dragons later on.”
Tatiana’s eyes widened. “You don’t think he would…”
“I do think so, koroleva,” he told her softly. “You were brought up in the royal court, and yet you are not as cunning as some nobles or royals are. You have to expect the unexpected, always.”
She nodded at him in understanding, then opened her mouth to say something but he beat her to it, “And no, I am not throwing baseless accusations at your father. The intel is as t
