Assistance? Always.
Authority? Blessedly none.
“No, she just wanted me to let you know that your daughter and her family have arrived in the transport and Radu is showing them to their caravan right now.”
“Can you show me where it is?”
Dessie nodded and took his hand without hesitation.
Oleg closed his fingers around the child’s trusting hand and walked with her through the camp, waving at the familiar faces and smiling at anyone who looked at him with suspicion.
It wasn’t all mosaic classes, tree climbing, and parties. He was also in this camp for the month so he could be seen meeting with Poshani business owners to strike deals in Ivan’s former territory, showing proper deference to Tatyana, Radu, and Kezia and providing copious amounts of wine, beer, and caviar for the weekly banquets.
In short, among the Poshani, Oleg was the rich, friendly uncle who bought the wine for the party. It was a delightful change from his usual role in life.
“Papa Oleg!”
He heard Natalya’s voice before he saw her. She was running through the crowds of Poshani who were dragging carpets out for the banquet, concert, and dancing in the meadow that night.
“My little Tati.” He smiled and snatched the little girl up, swinging her onto his shoulder so she could perch there like a parrot. It was one of her favorite activities. “Are you happy to be here?”
“Yes!”
“And have you been a good girl lately for your mama and papa?”
“No!”
He patted her leg. “Good.”
Natalya’s twin sister Hanna, always the quieter of the two, was hanging around her father’s legs, peeking out at all the activity. Oleg winked at her and saw her giggle and hide her face.
“Polina.” He reached over and gave his daughter a one-armed hug and a kiss on the forehead.
“What is this place?” His daughter’s eyes were wide. “I have no idea where we are, and they took our phones.”
Her partner Alexi nodded. “Good. That’s good. Maybe we should stay a month.” He lifted Hanna into his arms and stuck his hand out for Oleg to shake. “Oleg, it’s good to see you.”
“Likewise,” he said. “Is your caravan comfortable?”
“It’s huge,” Polina said. “And is this place really as secure as Tanya says?”
Again with his entire family calling his wife by her nickname when he was not allowed. “It is.” He set Natalya down, but she kept her hands in his, hanging by her arms as Oleg swung her back and forth. “There are children everywhere, so the Hazar always have their eyes open at night, and there are darigan guarding the camp during the day. There’s no need to worry if they run off. They won’t get lost.”
“Come on.” Natalya ran over, grabbed Hanna’s hand, and started toward a group of children in the distance who were playing some kind of ball game in the middle of the meadow.
Alexi nearly called after them, but then he looked at Oleg. “You’re not worried?”
Usually Oleg was the wildly overprotective one. “I am not worried.”
Polina was still standing with military posture, her eyes fixed on her children as they ran and played with the others. “I swear to God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this relaxed, Papa. It’s unnerving.”
If it were Mika, there would have been a crack about sex, but Alexi and Polina were the parents of small children. They were oddly conservative these days.
Oleg felt his mate approaching and looked over his shoulder. “There she is.”
Tatyana Vorona, Tatyana le Tala of the Poshani, bearer of the ruby goblet and knyaginya of the Kievan Rus, walked through the gathering of wagons, surrounded by her people. There was Rumi at her side, as always, a notebook in hand, and Sándor standing tall behind her, his eyes sweeping the crowded meadow with silent watchfulness.
There was also an eager young man with reddish-brown hair speaking quickly and gesturing with his hands, and two children who ran up and handed Tatyana handfuls of dandelions before they darted away.
