ILL-FATED JOURNEY™

Chapter 47

your sage advice and familial assistance, dear cousin," Vlad said as he bowed graciously before

leaving. "And for the...drink as well." He finished softly and they both knew he was speaking of

the advice about Azura.

"I wish someone had told me these things when I was your age," Charles admitted, downing the  

last of his drink. "It would've saved me a boatload of money and shitload of time."

Vlad chuckled and shook his head and left the den, automatically heading upstairs to the room

they would be staying. This was a vacation house for the English royals and with political strain

in the media over Russia over the years, it was easier for the families to meet here. So, Vlad had

no trouble finding his way around the fifty-room estate.

It was a bother that family members had to hide the fact that they were related because of

political ties. Theirs in England and his in Russian. To keep the common man in check and get

their just due, they had to put up with this asinine rule. It was a blessing in disguise most days

as most heads of state have either forgotten about the ties or plain don't know but either way. it

worked in their favour to watch them try to play them against each other. The elite knew those

ties were the reason you'd never find a Russian soldier fighting an English one.

He stepped into their room without knocking and watched as Azura's eyes narrowed at him but

before she questioned him about her latest disappointment, he asked in Russian. "Was Irena 

placed in the nursery?"

"Yes...why don't you ever knock?"

Vlad shrugged. "I own almost all the doors I open."

"You don't own this one!" Azura pointed out.

"This is a family home. Knocking is done out of courtesy."

"Then knock out of courtesy!"

"No," Vlad replied simply, and she made a growling sound that he found just too adorable. Then

he pulled a device from his pocket and started to scan the room. She watched in silent

fascination then as she opened to speak Vlad put his fingers on his lips. After removing the three

he found in the bedroom he headed to the closet, bathroom and sitting room and removed the

bugs there as well. He tossed them all in the lit fireplace before speaking. "Be careful of what

you say in this house. The very walls have ears."

She made a hand gesture asking to speak and when he nodded, she asked: "What did you just 

do?"

"Removed some eyes and ears."